Recoil Relay at Talking Rock GA May 2017

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Yesterday Mike Markey and I took part in a "Recoil Relay" at Pickens County Sportsmans Club in Talking Rock GA. We had 100 kids on 6 ranges shooting everything from BP to AR15s.   7 of us worked the BP range. We provided the powder & ball etc. and taught everyone about the evolution of ignition systems and some of the history about American guns. Most importantly we taught them to shoot our rifles.!!  We had 3 flintlocks, a couple of cap locks, an original Springfield 84 TrapDoor and an original Winchester model 76 (loud sucker!). Fired 50 rounds from my .54 cal So. Colonial... The kids including two of my grandsons had a blast and 95% hit the targets at 75 yards!!  Mike's kids did well with one of his beautiful Lancaster .50s as well!  We had a blast and will continue doing these in the future. Many had never touched a flintlock before.  We were reportedly the most popular and talked about station!!


(L-R) Brent Hart, Steve Giambra, Mike Westervelt, Michael Markey, John White; Tim Boone, John Martin

[wildthing]

Looks like good times had by all  wildthing

[Darkhorse]

Sounds like a good thing to do. Now who is who?

[Matthew1969]

Very cool! The most talked about because you were the most fun!
Matthew

[deepcreekdale]

Without pummeling a deceased equine, this is one way to address the decreasing lack of interest in traditional muzzleloaders. While none of these kids will be going out and ordering custom rifles to shoot in the near future, the seed HAS been planted. Once you put a flintlock in the hands of a shooter, chances are, at some level, they will want one. Not all will pursue it further, but some will. We all need to take a lesson from this post. I was at a shoot with the wonderful folks at Brushy Creek at their spring rendezvous, and they had a number of boy scouts involved and shooting very well. I bet at least some of those kids, when grown up, will continue to shoot muzzleloaders.

[PPatch]

Oh man, I wish I had known of this shoot. I have some family history around Talking Rock and it is not much of a drive from the house. Looks like fun was had by all and I congratulate you two on showing the younger generation the ropes.

dave

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Dave, we will be doing more and will send you info when we have it. 

The plan is for the instructor group (BP) to get together and shoot on a Saturday morning each month just for fun and planning etc and then to do Qrtly events for 30-40 scouts as well as this big annual event, We need a Gatling gun and a cannon and we would be set!!

Ever shoot a 12 GA double barrel coach gun--both barrels at once?? Wow, it's fun.

[PPatch]

Dave, we will be doing more and will send you info when we have it. 

The plan is for the instructor group (BP) to get together and shoot on a Saturday morning each month just for fun and planning etc and then to do Qrtly events for 30-40 scouts as well as this big annual event, We need a Gatling gun and a cannon and we would be set!!

Ever shoot a 12 GA double barrel coach gun--both barrels at once?? Wow, it's fun.

Tim;

Thanks, Give me some notice and I will make the attempt to join in the fun. If y'all need a place to shoot come on up, plenty of areas to shoot around the house.

That last remark, ha... I own a Rossi SxS 12ga coach gun, but have never been inclined to fire both barrels at once. They are good little shotguns and I keep mine handy for repelling boarders here at home. Recently I purchased a 30-30 to repel coyotes, the area is overrun with them. Enough said about modern firepower.

Surely there is someone around the Atlanta area who owns a cannon, I'm not at all sure about a gattling gun though. There are a lot of civil war reenacting at towns nearby, such as Resaca, and that group always has a battery of 12 pounders - and cavalry. I will try and find out what CW group  they belong to.

Cheers

dave

[Daryl]

Thanks for posting this, Dr. Tim - sure is nice to get out with a bunch of like minded people, for a day of shooting.