Queenlsand Scottish

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Queensland Scottish and Brisbane Volunteers, Brisbane Courier, 12 March 1888

shanOn Saturday afternoon about sixty Volunteers went to Lytton for rifle shooting in the required annual course of class-firing. The Brisbane Volunteers mustered about thirty men, under the command of lieutenants Byrne and Craig, and there were also about twenty-five members af A, B and D Companies of the Queensland Scottish, under the command of Lieutenant Strong.

The party left the Queen's wharf on the Government steamer Miner about 1:45 p.m. The roll was taken, squadding was arranged, and the ammunition served out en-route so that no time might be lost in commencing the firing as soon as the riflemen arrived on the range. It was exactly two hours after leaving Brisbane when the first shot was fired at the 200 yards range, leaving only two hours and three-quarters for completing the afternoon's business. Five targets were in use at the 200 and 300 yards distances, and three targets at 500 and 600 yards. The markers were provided, as usual, from A Battery, and in addition "check" markers were sent to the targets by each corps in consequence of some doubts which had arisen on previous occasions as to the accuracy of the marking. These arrangements caused the shooting to be carried on with expedition and with less frequent occasion than usual to "cease firing" for examination of targets.

The weather was, on the whole, very favourable, though a rather strong and irregular wind from the right front needed very careful watching, and involved an allowance at the longest range which sometimes took the aim off the target to the right with those who adhere to shooting through the central notch on the back sight. The sun being in the rear of the firing points in the afternoon at Lytton, the light is far more favourable than at Toowong, and this advantage, combined with the pleasurable river trip, causes shooting at Lytton to be preferred when the party is not too large for the available target accommodation.

The practice on Saturday was on the whole verĀ  satisfactory, but many have fired only twenty rounds at two of the required distances, and only a few have fired at the four distances up to 600 yards. Sergeant-Instructors Byrne and Jamieson had charge of the squads at the firing point, and used every effort to expedite the shooting and verify the marking when required, and also superintended the register-keeping. The Miner left Lytton at about 6.40 on the return journey, and reached the Queen's wharf at a quarter-past 8 o'clock.

This article is taken from a larger collection of articles extracted from Queensland Government Gazettes, newspapers and journals of the era and reproduced at various times in 'Stand Fast!' the Journal of the Queensland Scottish.

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