British NRA Bisley meeting 1908

[muffett.2008]

No disputing it's Match rifle record,however it was banned from service rifle matches as the aperture sight interfered with the loading of the rifle,in contravention of the rules, and also interfered with the service battle sights.
The Canadians were attempting to get the rules changed, but were meeting a fair bit of opposition from the Military,this seems to have been an on again off again fight until 1914.
Attachment 49272 1912
Attachment 49273 1912
Attachment 49274 1914

[muffett.2008]

Woops, doubled up on a pic.
It seems this nonsense was still in play in 1919.
Attachment 49308 interim approval 1912
Attachment 49309 1919
Attachment 49310match conditions 1914

Attachment 49311 1912 reasons
Attachment 493121914 resentment

[Paul S.]

So, if I'm reading through the pictured news clippings correctly, the Ross was thought at least by the Canadians, as was said in the 1914 articles, to be vastly superior to the Lee-Enfield. The Kiwis as well (and possibly the Australian team*) had embraced it as a target rifle at least. The objection was that it wasn't a "service rifle" - the War Office meaning was that it wasn't the British Army service rifle while the real reason was that the aperture sight offered an unfair advantage.

*This based upon the 1914 article (last above) stating the Australian team stating that the rifle clubs were Australia's "second line of defence". This also leaves one wondering if the Ross was in club use in Australia before 1914.

[muffett.2008]

Actually the Kiwi's started the trouble, their team borrowed the Ross and cleaned up, there's a newspaper clipping laying the blame at their feet.
Only the Canadians thought the Ross was the bees Knees, the Aussies were still using the Long Lee variation, the comment in reference to Rifle Clubs was because the MOD decision was directed at all aperture sights that were not as issued.
This problem was finally resolved by the changing of the NRA rules to create a seperate target/match segment and still allow service rifle to co-exist.
The rule change of 1909 allowing aperture sights was to the effect that the use of these sights did not interfere with the normal functions of the battle rifle, most of them being quick attach/detach to the volley sight mount, whereas the Ross had a complete fixed bracket across the bridge, limiting reloading and interfering with the service sight.
The Canadians were trying to compete in rapids and snaps with no ability to reload as per the requirements, the shots on the target may be good, but not at the expense of only half on target. The complaints and protests finally led to the decision to disallow it's use in service rifle matches until a better sight system was fitted.