Sidearms accuracy, smooth vs. rifled

[wattlebuster]

Wade here is a 62/20 ga smoothbore pistol that Joe Schell built for me a few yrs back. Its light an stuffs in my belt without any problems what so ever. Its shore nuff deadly snake medicine at short range when loaded with #4s. It has killed the one an only snake it has fired at. A copper head which was laying beside a good deer trail trying to blend in an be sneaky. He died a good death. Its not a fancy pistol by any means but it will git er done

[hanshi]

I really like the pistol, Wattle.  That knife ain't shabby, either!

[Ezra]

Personally I got no need of a short or long gun to have a smoothbore!!

Pffft, rifling is just a passing fad...


Ez

[Sharpsman]

If it ain't got rifling.....I don't need it!

[yellowhousejake]

Sadly the lack of shooters is afflicting all the more traditional disciplines as well as some newer ones like BPCR Silhouette. I shoot MLs and when I can Service Rifle, but the closest matches are 125+- miles. It used to attract a lot of people in places like Butte, it's so low some matches are cancelled in MT.  This is not good for shooting sports in general. Though we have a lot of shooters, at least with brass suppository stuff, people don't like to compete it seems. So more history dies....
Shooting flintlock rifle and pistol Sunday, but we seldom get more than 6-8 shooters....  Low population (Montana is 4th largest state with about 1 million population) we only have one young ML shooter. Membership dues will no longer pay for the insurance. 
I should be greasing patches right now (or hauling garbage ) so I better sign off....
Excuse the brass suppository mentions but the decline is endemic, its not just ML shoots.
I wish I knew a way to turn this around.

Dan

4H

Last month I spoke at a very small but growing 4H group to introduce them to ML. I took a Whitworth, my Plains Rifle, and my half finished flintlock. They very much enjoyed the explanation of the differences as rifles evolved from a flintlock round ball rifle, to a caplock, to the elongated bullet target rifle.

I used a bag of marshmallows to demonstrate obturation, and they understood. By the end of the afternoon I had them all repeating "obturation" as the word of the day and reciting "Powder Patch Ball" faithfully.

I had two takers for shooting the Whitworth and six takers for shooting the Plains Rifle. Sitting at Dairy Queen afterward, the 4H leader was getting several text messages from the parents saying their kids thought it was the best demonstration they had that year. They are interested in competition, and now, maybe, traditional ML.

If you want new and younger shooters, you have to go get them.

DAve

[shifty]

   yellowhousejake ,thank you for what you are doing we need more like you.

[WadePatton]

Excellent job Dave, spread the joy.  Everyone isn't cut out to teach, but sounds like you've got a gift.  Traditionalists everywhere thank you. I'll bet less than 3 of 10 modern shooters understand obturation.

That's about what I "need" Wattle.  It's not a "front burner" thing though, I am collecting ideas. Saw some bronze bbl'd stuff I like too. thanks.

[yellowhousejake]

Back in June at the Nationals, I was shooting alongside Snapper and Rick Weber. We had folks just watching us. If you walk up and put lead in their hand and ask them to give it a try, it is certain they will not say no. I had two people try my rifle and both hit steel. Sometimes, the invite is all that is needed to turn a spark into a flame.

We need to DO more to promote our sport.

DAve

[Greg Pennell]

Interesting thread Wade.  And, some very nice pistols, guys...thanks for sharing.  My only experience with flintlock pistols has been with rifled barrels, and just plinking in the backyard, no competitions. I enjoy building them, so might try a smoothie next...heck, I have access to a complete machine shop, might just roll my own barrel...I’d imagine a shot loaded .50 would be pretty good snake medicine.

Here’s one from a couple years ago.  This one is a rifled 10” swamped .50 (Rayl) and small Siler.

Greg

[Waksupi]

Thanks Dan. 

Yes the shooter is good with a short gun.  That's the competition he got the most trophies in back when he had folks to compete with within an hour of home. Hardly ever hits the tomato vine when picking off hornworms with the rimfire. 

Then why bother with a smoothbore?

Sadly the lack of shooters is afflicting all the more traditional disciplines as well as some newer ones like BPCR Silhouette. I shoot MLs and when I can Service Rifle, but the closest matches are 125+- miles. It used to attract a lot of people in places like Butte, it's so low some matches are cancelled in MT.  This is not good for shooting sports in general. Though we have a lot of shooters, at least with brass suppository stuff, people don't like to compete it seems. So more history dies....
Shooting flintlock rifle and pistol Sunday, but we seldom get more than 6-8 shooters....  Low population (Montana is 4th largest state with about 1 million population) we only have one young ML shooter. Membership dues will no longer pay for the insurance. 
I should be greasing patches right now (or hauling garbage ) so I better sign off....
Excuse the brass suppository mentions but the decline is endemic, its not just ML shoots.
I wish I knew a way to turn this around.

Dan

I had wondered how many active shooters there were on the east side. Up here in the NW corner of the state, we still average between 60-80 shooters, down from around 150 ten years ago. There are a lot of the old timers who have died off. We get quite a few young ones at least trying it out, with our club involvement of training 4H and Boy Scouts. The numbers of shooters we get from BC and Alberta help out, too.