St Patrick's Day Shoot

[Herb]

We had our St Patricks day shoot today.  12 shooters.  Novelty targets included shamrocks, green balloons, cups of water, a 1" square in a steel plate which we had to shoot through, two gongs, and a green leprechaun sliding down a wire.  Last was the water filled balloon flowing down an irrigation canal.  Ten shots.  I think there were three caplock Hawkens, rest were flintlocks, I think one or two were smoothbores, one came in third.

Here Terry is shooting the balloon.  Hit it, too!

We had corned beef and cabbage and Irish whiskey.  I baked an apricot pie.

The "blanket".  I won a fifth of Bushmill Irish whiskey.

[Roger Fisher]

Funny thing you folks had 12 shooters yesterday and so did we.  Rain most of the day and our range covers paid off.  Shot rifle, smoothbore on paper and novelty agg 12 shots + tiebreaker in that agg. meat prizes.  

I studied that slim blonde gal (a habit of mine good or bad) noticed her horn a tad too low on her bod.   For some reason her off hand position appears a bit unhandy and unsteady.  Could be she is not pulling in the rifle against her shoulder at all and the piece simply lays on her open lead hand  But who am I to question what works for her.

[Herb]

That's Terry.  I may have to copy her technique.  I think she was tied for fourth, and beat me and 7 or 8 more.

[Herb]

Here are some photos of shooting forms and outfits.






The top three shooters, Allen in the center high man.

[Roger Fisher]

Thanks for the photos - interesting for sure...

Seems whereever we go the shooters are getting quite old and over the hill

Who will take their/our places

[Daryl]

not me 

[Candle Snuffer]

Appreciate the pictures, thanks!  

Looks like all had a good time for sure.  I noticed in the pictures that three folks were shooting left handed.  I've just never seen such a high percentage of southpaws in a group of twelve.  ~or~ Did one of the targets have to be shot "off shoulder" by chance?

I did notice that two of the flintlocks were indeed left handed locks, unless it was the same rifle?

Regardless, thanks for sharing those fine photo's!

[Herb]

The two gals shooting left handed flintlocks shoot that way all the time, those are their own hand-built custom rifles.  Carney is also left-handed but here he is shooting a right handed flinter, left handed.    I think a third gal, Crystal, is also a left handed shooter, but did not shoot the St. Pats shoot.  At our Valentine's Day shoot, several women shooters borrowed the smaller left-handed women's flinters and shot them right handed.  The two red-coated gals are also shooting hand made custom rifles, I built Carole's .40 (gal with the elk teeth dress).

[Daryl]

Herb - looks like she's ready for a stock with a longer pull.

[Herb]

No, I built that stock to fit her.  You see that it is short, I think the length of pull is 12 and a half inches.  I also hand made the single trigger and bent it to the rear.  Eagle Woman has shoulder trouble and we worked the fit out  with a try stock I made.  It is exactly what she likes and shoots it very well.  You have a good eye to notice the fit, I did not notice it before.  Thanks for the comment.

[Herb]

Here is the buttstock of Eaglewoman's rifle.  The eagles are copper with sterling silver heads and tails and hearts.  Test group at 50 yards.

Here she is with a mule deer she killed with it.  She had to use a double ball charge for legal ball weight, which I had worked out for her.  She has a .50 caliber Thompson Center or CVA, but that rifle is too long in stock and too hard for her to load.  She is very comfortable with this rifle and shoots it very well.

[Daryl]

Cool! - I have a stocked rifle, my .40, that is very short, 12 7/8" to 13" pull, yet I have no difficulty shooting it, as well as those with stocks to 14". I do have to hold my shoulder proud with it or in a postion to fit any stock I'm using.  Since the really short one is an English style stock, it tucks into the pocket, rather than sit on the shoulder itself.  This is where hooks interfer with muscles.

  I-too have shoulder problems and the flat butt plates fit best due this 'pocket holding'.  The peck muscle is more a comfortable recoil shield, than the damaged shoulder joint itself.