Split the ball on the axe blade

[Larry Pletcher]

I just noticed that "Top Shot" will be doing trick shots on the program tonight.  I normally get irritated at this show and turn it off, but tonight one of the shots will be the old "Split-the-ball-on-the-axe-blade"  trick.   Myth-Busters has done this recently, and now so will Top Shots.  

I'd guess that about every ML club around the country does this.  It is a part of the "Mountain Man Aggregate" at Friendship.   Our club uses clay pigeons on either side of the blade.  I assume that most of you fellows do the same.  I don't know how the shot will be done on the program, but  I bet we could field an ALR team that would give them fits at this.  I think they may cut the card too.

Moderators: If this belongs in "Over the Back Fence", feel free to move it.

Regards,
Pletch

[Standing Bear]

Watched the episode.  Better than their average script.  Not sure I grasp the practicality of the upside down thing and as they hit 11/12 shots, it wasn't too hard.

Ax blade or card with a flintlock would be good to see em attempt.

[Daryl]

Centreshot, (I think)of this forum has done 5 cards (1st shot) and 6 cards(second attempt) in a row on a board- offhand. A cross wind was blowing prettyhard, maybe 15 mph or more is looked like- cards were fluttering badly - he used a .58 flinter - I was impressed with the shot.  I think he should have used a .32 or .40, though.

[doug]

     We use a square of paper about 8" square instead of clay pidgeons, for the ax split.  Found that we had a number of splits where one portion missed the pidgeon but does show up on the paper.  

     I did find a practical use for the upside down shot, last year.  We drew numbers from a bucket and that determined which loop hole in a wall you shot through.  I drew the top hole and since the gun cannot touch the hole, I had to shoot with the gun upside down to be able to see the sights.  Person is wise to wear a long sleeved shirt I should add, a flinter sprays right onto your left arm

cheers Doug

[Leatherbelly]

  Doug,
  Lucky you! I drew the bottom hole and had to lay down...in the cow schmoo! Got my target but soiled my threads! Almost aced that trail. The ball drop got me.My rifle went off right after the sound of the ball falling into the tin can.Bugga!
  Us guys up here have got away from targets like these (ball split) as they cause the range to close  to reset clays. A lot of shooters makes for many delays.

[longcruise]

We did a bit of that in camp this year.  Paper plates worked out ok.   Was kinda close range, but it was after all an 1860 army cap=n=ball.

[cmac]

More fun when you are shooting at your own hawk or throwing knife

[George Sutton]

Last year for the Impossible Shots show we put a card if front of a sharpened railroad spike. Cut the card, split the ball on the spike and broke two clay birds.

Centreshot, (I think)of this forum has done 5 cards (1st shot) and 6 cards(second attempt) in a row on a board- offhand. A cross wind was blowing prettyhard, maybe 15 mph or more is looked like- cards were fluttering badly - he used a .58 flinter - I was impressed with the shot.  I think he should have used a .32 or .40, though.

Daryl, don't make this harder than it already is 

[David R. Pennington]

I've been wanting to add some targets to our primitive range. What range do you shoot the axe blade? Got anymore interesting target ideas? Been tying to think of a good way to do a moving target without too much complcation. Maybe swing on a rope or something. Any ideas?

[D. Bowman]

Our axe blade target is set between 10 and 20 yards. For a moving target a swinging pendulum set behind a tree or other obstacle so when swinging pops out on either side. A string system can be attached to operate from behind the firing line.

[Standing Bear]

Takes some work and time to set and operate.  String a cable between two points, steel target size of deer vitals and rest of the deer made of cardboard.  whole thing on rollers hanging from the cable, rope retreive and a catch w/ release line.  Only ding-dongs count

[Otter]

The ML club I used to belong to (before we moved) did a variation of the "split the ball on the axe" shot - we would tape two clay birds so they were touching at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock. Had to break both birds with one shot. Not quite the same (or as hard) as the axe but the "powers that be" in the club felt the axe was too dangerous . . . oh, well.

I always felt the "split the playing card" was the most challenging shoot we had, IIRC, shot at about 20 feet. Try to split five or six or more in a row to win . . . that's tough.

We also did a "cut the string" with a large fish weight on the bottom of the string - but to add difficulty, use yarn instead of string, you have to be very close to TDC to cut that stuff.

[t.caster]

Try poker chips dangling in the breeze on the end of 2 - 4ft. of monofilement, from about 18-20 yds. downhill.
 I'm glad we quit using those targets!

[Daryl]

String beans hanging on mono makes for difficult targets if there is any breeze - put them as far away as you dare.

[Daryl]

Years ago at a shoot in Chilliwack BC, there was a ball split on an axe blade to break 2 clay birds event. The axe blade had a piece of 5/8" ready-rod welded to it's head. The rod went through the chunk and was held there with a large washer and nut at it's back side.

During the "shoot" the axe head became lose and wobbly due to al the near misses so someone found Taylor, who then, upon being shown where they wanted the new hole, bored one for them with his .62 calibre Hawken - 1 shot, through and through - perfect hole for the rod. They were then able to continue the event.

[D. Bowman]

This isn't a split the ball shot but it makes some interesting shooting. shooters trade tomahawks-belt axe or knife with another shooter (preferably with one you trust) Now take your buddies axe down range stick it in stump handle up place a charcoal bricket,marshmallow or if you really want to be evil an acorn on the handle. Return to the line and shoot said object off of handle. Just remember hes shootin at yours next so aim well. Points are deducted for handle hits.

[smylee grouch]

Just wondering if anyone has tried a dueling type match, two shooters with rifles loaded and at their sides and on comand raise guns and shoot baloons at say 50 yds. first to hit baloon advance to next level.  I havent seen this done but have often thought it might be fun.

[Daryl]

Just wondering if anyone has tried a dueling type match, two shooters with rifles loaded and at their sides and on comand raise guns and shoot baloons at say 50 yds. first to hit baloon advance to next level.  I havent seen this done but have often thought it might be fun.

Funny you should bring up a duel.

We used to have a dueling match - shot at 50 yards. The target was a round plate of steel, about 8:" in diameter - welded to a rod, swivel in the middle for a vertical shaft. This rod was suspended on a vertical shaft that is anchored in a concrete filled car rim - quite simple to make and to move around.  There was a bungie cord running back to another shaft attached to the centre of the pivot so the 'at rest' position was with the twin plates, one on the left, one on the right, facing the competitors. Think about it and you can figure it out (my head hurts just trying to remember the details).

The shooters stand facing the 'plates' - gun ar rest, butt below the shoulder under the arm, in one or both hands as if walking along. At the signal, raise and fire at your plate. The first to hit their plate, swings the other's plate out of line of fire. It is obvious who 'won' the duel.  It's as much a spectator sport as a shooting one. It's for in-camp shooting the last day of the rendezvous- at least, that's when we did it along with other close range novelty shoots.

Hint for the Duel - a certain English-styled rifle has never lost this event - no matter who was shooting it.  Merely look at the target's centre, raise the gun and as soon as the butt is in the shoulder pocket, fire --- centre hits, every time.  That, is a hunting, or perhaps, a dueling rifle design.

[smylee grouch]

Thanks Daryl, I was elected to come up with some new matches for our state shoot and always wanted to try something like this and also wondered if anyone else had done so. I think it will work out pretty good. Thanks again     Smylee

[blunderbuss]

Here's something fun, a pellet fired from a pellet gun will split on a knife blade same as a ball. I was demonstrating this to some neighborhood kids awhile back using my Bowie knife, all was going well until one of the little fellows shot the handle. Oh well it needed a new handle anyway.

[doug]

     We had pistol duels at Heffley one year; convinced me that in a real duel, you would end up dead in a hurry.  At Heffley there were two clay pidgeons at about 25 yards and the two shooters stood a few feet apart facing the pidgeons. At the call, they both shot one shot and whoever hit the pidgeon first won.  I lasted 3 rounds.  First duel, the other fellow shot too fast and missed, so I had lots of time.  Second round, I shot first and hit but I think the other shooter was not far behind.  On the third duel, we both shot at the same time and both hit but the other fellow was judged to have shot first.  Were it real we would both be dead regardless of the call.  Even in the second round which I won, the shots were close enough that we would probably both have been dead.

cheers Doug

[bob in the woods]

Doug, it's not necessarily true that you would both be dead. The clays aren't shooting back at you. That can fluster a fella !   From what I've read, some survived more than a couple of duels.

[Canute Rex]

Friends of mine and I once did parallel dueling with our outlines on cardboard. Our resident cartoonist caricatured each of us. We were using smoothbored pistols, as was required by the code duello back in the day. Two of us at a time stood side by side and at the word of command we presented and fired in one motion. I can see how men survived multiple duels with smoothbores - especially when getting off the shot quickly was important.

I think it's a good thing to mix up the skill requirements in a shoot. Some people excel at driving tacks from a bench once every five minutes. Others can snap shoot offhand at a dinner plate twice a minute. It makes each of us stretch a little.

[bob in the woods]

Many, I believe , were cornered, or rather, pressed into the duel by the honor standards of the time.
What I mean is that they fell victim to the situation,whether their hearts were in it or not. Much dueling was done with blades and blood drawn was usually enough to settle accounts. However, if pistols were chosen, and the the wrong done you was grievous ; resolve, determination, and steadfast calm would be a tough thing to come up against . Some duels were nothing more than legalized murder.
About 40 miles from here is a place called " Last Duel  Park"in Perth Ontario.  It was the last duel fought in Ontario, and One of them was killed. The pistols are on display at the local museum. JohnWilson and Robert Lyon were both law students. June, 1833.   Separated by 60 feet, they fired simultaneously , twice. The first round both missed.The 2nd round ended with Lyon's death. The cause of the duel was apparently some remarks made concerning a young lady. She eventually married Wilson.
What is interesting is that after the 1st exchange,they were ready to end it there, but the 2nds were persistent that they continue.

[blunderbuss]

I've been fascinated by the subject of duelling for many years now I found an original book "Notes on Duels and Dueling" written in 1855 It has accounts of many duels and the reasons.Plus the code duello. It has the Hamilton Burr duel in it from its conception until the finish and many details I'd never heard of before that.
My conclusion is that one risk his life to save his honor.The reason is that men back then did business with a hand shake .One wanted to know who's hand one was shaking in a business deal . Hamilton stated that "I'm opposed to dueling on religious grounds as well as moral grounds but if I don't duel no one will do business with me." That shed some light on the subject.
There were some macho hot heads too and stupid duels.Duelling was just a way of life and accepted as such by the rank and file much as slavery was. It was almost always illegal to duel but back then a jury was made up of your piers that meant well to do men who by in large believed in duelling so the inevitable result was a no bill.