Team Shooting

[rhbrink]

Anybody go to Berryville last week? If so what did you think of the Team Shoot? Rod Brimm came up this idea to have state teams compete against each other no special matches just add up the offhand scores for each team and that declared the winner. Each team had to have five members one of which had to be a flintlock shooter and one had to be a lady and you had to belong to a club in the state that you were representing. This year there were teams form Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas it seemed as every one really enjoyed to event and we are hoping that more states get involved with this. so how about it Texas, Kansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, or anybody else that wants to get a team going all are welcome!

RB

[Ky-Flinter]

Where is Berryville?  Is this a monthly shoot or annual?  When is the next one?

Tomorrow, Saturday, October 1, Kentucky's Corps of Longriflemen will host the 54th Annual Interstate Flintlock Team Shoot at Ft. Boonesborough, Ky.  5 person teams, you must be a resident of the state you represent, flintlocks only with open iron sights, primitive dress, shoot from bag and horn, range rods are allowed.  All states are welcome.

Today we are hosting a Blanket Shoot and a fish fry.

-Ron

[moleeyes36]

Ron,

I'm guessing he means Berryville, Arkansas.  Very active BP area and the home of Danny Caywood's operation, Caywood Gunmakers.  But it's just a SWAG.

Mole Eyes

[rhbrink]

Yep! Berryville, Arkansas this was at the Saunders 61st Memorial shoot. I think that the plan is hold two events one in the Spring and One in the Fall but I'm completely sure about that as all of the details have yet to be worked out. When I find out more I'll keep updates of what is happening. As of now there is a traveling trophy that goes to the winning team.

RB

[nosrettap1958]

RB, ever consider joining that shoot with your team at Ft. Boonesborough representing Arkansas?

[bgf]

Send some teams to Boonesborough!

[nosrettap1958]

I believe, its been awhile since I competed to get on the Pennsylvania team, that each state sends two five or ten man teams to the competition. I believe the targets and range captains have to be pre approved in order for your score to qualify.

Competing is a lot of fun and you meet a lot of good people who have some great stories. There was one story where a couple guys from the team went to Canada for a bear/moose hunt and the outfitter questioned whether they could hit anything with those primitive rifles. The outfitter placed a grimy, stinkin gallon jug of orange juice at 50 yards and said, "Hit that or drink it."  One feller said, cocking his absolutely beautiful Phil Cravener custom built longrifle, said, "I blow the cap off of that jug and you'll do the drinking."  

The outfitter was kind of sick for a few days afterwards even though they only allowed him to take a few sips before they let him out of the bet.  

[Ky-Flinter]

We would love to have more teams and states represented at Boonesborough.  Originally the team size for the Interstate Flintlock Shoot was 10 men, but in recent years some states had a hard time fielding a 10 man team, so now the team size is 5.

Each state sets their own criteria for forming their team.  To shoot for Kentucky, you must be a resident of Kentucky and shoot in 2 "tryout" matches.  We fill as many teams as we can, in order of scores.

Crawdad,
I'll check with the PA team captain and let you know their current criteria.

-Ron

[nosrettap1958]

Thanks Ron!!

But isn't it a shame there isn't more interest in making a team for this competition.

[Dave R]

Who won today's Interstate match?

[Ky-Flinter]

The prediction of rain for this weekend may have held down attendance but we still had a pretty good turnout for the Interstate Shoot today.  Pennsylvania sent 4 teams, Kentucky fielded 4 teams, and Indiana and Illinois each sent one team.  PA's first team won the match.  The top individual score was 187-9x by one of the PA boys.  Shooo, them boys are tough!

-Ron

[nosrettap1958]

Doesn't seem to matter how hard we try people still call it a Kentucky Rifle. 

Thanks Ron for the information. I just wish more people would join in and realize how fun competing is.

[rhbrink]

What kind of targets do you shoot? Course of fire?

RB

[nosrettap1958]

The history behind this shoot is interesting in itself.  Pennsylvania, tired of people referring to the American longrifle as the 'Kentucky' rifle, issued an official challenge to the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1963, I believe. The Governor of Pennsylvania hand wrote the challenge on 18th century parchment and read it aloud on the Capital steps in Harrisburg PA, before handing it to the messenger on horseback who preceded to ride to Frankfort Kentucky to hand deliver the challenge to the Governor of Kentucky. Its great stuff!!

Now there are a bunch of states sending teams to this shoot.

[Ky-Flinter]

What kind of targets do you shoot? Course of fire?

RB

The day begins with a welcome and a little history by the President of Kentucky's Corps of Longriflemen at noon, followed by the Scranton-Combs match, named for the PA and KY Governors who started all of this in '63.  This is a one shot match, the target is a life-size drawing of a turkey head at 25 yards, fired by the #2 shooter from each team (with everyone watching!).

Each team has 5 shooters.  The team match consists of an NMLRA small bull and large bull at 25 yards and the same targets at 50 yards, 30 minute relays to shoot 5 shots on each target for a total possible individual score of 200.  The scores of the 5 team members are then added together for that team's total score.  Any flintlock rifle with open iron sights, standing off-hand, primitive dress, load from bag and horn, but range rods are allowed.

-Ron

[Ky-Flinter]

The history behind this shoot is interesting in itself.  Pennsylvania, tired of people referring to the American longrifle as the 'Kentucky' rifle, issued an official challenge to the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1963, I believe. The Governor of Pennsylvania hand wrote the challenge on 18th century parchment and read it aloud on the capital steps before handing it to the messenger on horseback who preceded to ride to Frankfort Kentucky to hand deliver the challenge to the Governor of Kentucky. Its great stuff!!

Now there are a bunch of states sending teams to this shoot.

Yes indeed Crawdad!  

Here is some additional history that is probably too painful for Crawdad to recite (him being from PA and all......)

To answer Gov. Scranton's challenge, Ky Gov. Bert Combs sent a team of 10 Kentuckians to the Daniel Boone Homestead near Reading, Pa. in September of '63 and the Kentuckians won the first match.  The Pennsylvanians demanded a rematch, so they were invited to come to the Daniel Boone festival in Barbourville, Ky in October '63.  Kentucky won that match too.

Thru the years the location of the matches have changed and teams are now 5 persons (not necessarily all men).  Pennsylvania hosts the Spring Interstate Flintlock Shoot and Kentucky hosts the Fall match.  For more history and info, go to the Corps website at www.kyclr.com

The 2017 Spring Interstate Flintlock Shoot will be held near Altoona, PA on Saturday, May 13.  For teams that arrive a day early, the PA team will be hosting some sight-seeing of local history on Friday, May 12.  For info contact PA Company of Riflemen Captain Vicki Shaffer-Zeigler at 724 714 3181

Hope to see you at Altoona in the Spring or and Boonesborough in the Fall.

-Ron

[nosrettap1958]

I'm going to call her and ask if they need volunteers to help out with the shoot. I'm definitely interested in attending the Altoona shoot. There are a bunch of states sending teams to this shoot and the last number, if I recall correctly, was that there was 21 states there.

Is that correct Ron?

[Ky-Flinter]

Hi Crawdad,

I don't have any info on commitments to attend the Altoona Shoot.  It would be best to talk to the folks in PA that will be hosting the shoot.  I would love to see that kind of turnout, but 21 seems high.

-Ron