Jim Goodman had his New Year's party shoot on the 31st. It was up to 40 degrees with some wind. I think there were 12 to 14 shooters. My 12 year old great grandson, Trenton, told me he wants a flintlock to hunt deer with, so I brought him along to see the mountain men and women in action. Lynn took him in tow and she helped him shoot the course with her little .40 left-handed flintlock, he shooting right-handed. He had safety glasses and hearing protection. There were 14 steel targets scattered through the junipers, 25 to 30 yards away, with four of them at least 100 yards away across a canyon. George won with all hits, but this was so informal I don't know how anyone else shot. I didn't have a flintlock light enough to shoot well off-hand so used my .54 Bridger Hawken caplock I made. The big boys let me shoot anyway, but I heard some smart comments! I shot 70 grains of 2F and hit 11 targets. Here Kyne is shooting at the steel targets across the canyon against that cliff, with Carney picking his flint.
I told Trenton that these people know history so well they are smarter than the average bear, and in fact, most bears. Though we didn't have to dress, some did, and Trenton was taken with Kyne's personna.
Harry Harpoon shooting across the canyon. One set of targets is at the right edge.
Carole shooting the 50th Wedding anniversary flintlock I made for her. I tickled me to hear those clangs as she hit across the canyon!
Trenton sizing up the targets. One is against the cliff between their heads, one above Trenton's right cap, one just above his left ear flap, and the fourth is above the left edge of that white spot. We were last to shoot and the light was in our faces. Hard to see targets.
Trenton got good coaching from Lynn, and Carole, a Hunter Safety Instructor, helped, too.
It was hard for the kid to concentrate with those danged pterodactyls zooming around the cliffs.
Lynn's rifle fit him well, Neill made it.
Lynn shot a .375 ball with maybe 35 grains of 3F. Here she is hitting one of those targets across the canyon
I hit three of the four, but allowed for wind on one and missed it. The light was bad....
Trenton was one tickled kid. All the old mountain folks enjoyed having him. The next youngest was 27 year old Sara, shooting here for the first time, and very well, too. Most of the women here are old enough to be her grandmother, but you'd think they couldn't imagine anyone being only 27 years old!
I want to build Trenton a .50 flintlock, but he is going to Turkey with his father in the Air Force and will be gone two years. But he will take some special memories with him.
