August ALR Postal Match

[Daryl]

So: August contest target is a 5-bull, 1 shot each bull, offhand at 25 yards.
Rifle, smoothbore or pistol your choice - only one prize for highest score.
The target is a 6-10 ring bullseye target with an X centre for deciding the tie breaker.
The shooting rules.

ONLY one shot per bull. Submit up to 4 targets for score.

Line cutters go to highest score, up to and including the 10 ring.

X's have to be 1/2 ball inside to score an X.

I suggest you go to this site address provided and download the target AND simply print it from the site.

target site is: https://www.nssf.org/shooting/targets/  the target is the 9th down on the left side. Left
clicking on the target at the site, will give you the target enlarged for printing. I have included this link
just so you could see all they have available for printing.

There should be a printer icon on the right hand side of your computer's tool bar.
Print the target as a landscape, not as a portrait.

https://targets.s3.amazonaws.com/PDF/Bullseye1Multi.pdf

The target looks like this. If I print from this picture, the target comes out undersize and dark.
Print the target from the link above, as provided.



Prize for best score will be:

Steel ball bearing and bearing races, one for cutting patches 1 1/8". These will fit .40 to .50 cal.
Smaller race for cutting patches roughly .875" for .32's and .36's.

[Keith Zimmerman]

Im confused on the prize.  Honestly no idea what it is/or does/how it works.  It cuts patches somehow??

Oh, congrats on the fine shootin!

[MuskratMike]

I take it as long as I only submit no more than 4 targets I am not limited to how many rifles I choose to use. Thinking it might be fun to try this out with my .32, my .40, and a .54 which ever does the best I will use on the single remaining target. Looks like fun and as usual the 'ol "Muskrat" will show everyone how poor of a shot I am at my age and how easy it is to beat at least one old guy.

[Daryl]

Tks Keith.  A strip of cloth is laid over the bearing race, and the ball bearing is placed on top. Struck with a hammer, it cuts a patch.
Sounds tedious, but a LOT of patches can be cut very quickly, much faster than with scissors.  Too, there is much less waste than if
using an arch punch, although with the bearing and race, you can cut only one at a time.  We've cut thousands and thousands of
patches with this method.  Different sized bearing races cut different sized patches. Larger bearings cut smaller patches in the
same bearing races. We have never had a bearing break nor a bearing race break or even crack for that matter.

Mike, NP. I plan on using .36, .50 and .69, although I will not be competing.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Daryl:  I think it's grand that we get to submit four targets. The idea here is to get out and get in as much shooting fun as you can.  I'm diggin' this!!

[Daryl]

Me too, Taylor.   I have a bunch of targets already printed.

[Pukka Bundook]

Congrats on winning the July shoot, Daryl!!

Can you tell me what size these targets are?  I ask, as I have some old Canadian Civilian targets that look a lot like these. (Size of each actual target, not eh overall paper.
Never seen the ball-bearing set-up before.  :-)

[WadePatton]

Congrats D!   On your win, and on a fine match you've set up.  I like the targets and the range and the position-maybe I get out  in between thundery showers and do some mosquito smoking.

The prize has already become an educational item too. 

I'll have to borrow a printer, but that hasn't been a problem in the past. My surveying pal can print about anything and is only three miles distant.

Would be nice to have a "check measurement" just so we are sure we have the scale dead on.

[Daryl]

Thanks guys.
 
Measurements:
OD to OD of the 6ring, is 3.630"
OD to OD of the black centre (8ring) 2.3"
OD to OD of the 10 ring is .919"
OD to OD of the "X" ring is .481"

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I just printed a bunch of targets on 60 pound paper, and cast over 100 rounds for the Lang rifle yesterday...ready willing and able to go.

[Keith Zimmerman]

I tried printing yesterday.  Ran out of ink on the first target.  Ugh.  Gotta get some.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Well, looks like I'm the first to post a target.  Daryl and I spent a pleasant couple of hours at the range, and he cautioned me not to submit a perfect target right of the get-go, as if that was even possible by an old curmudgeon like me.  So, here's my first effort, a 49/50.

[Daryl]

I agree with your 49/50 Taylor. Well done for an old man with a rifle 95 years older than he is. The ball "just" makes it through the 9 line.
No X's though!!!!
THIS is what I have to shoot against, ALL THE TIME! LOL
I've injured my back doing gardening and packing 5-gallon buckets of rocks for my wife. Not able to hold the rifle well at this time.
That's MY excuse and I'm sticking to it. Maybe after a few days fishing it will be better.
I have a folder on my desktop, and will have sub-folders inside with everyone's submissions.

[WadePatton]

I got some printed.  Yesterday I went and established a new range/Pb catcher (black locust stump). Hand painted some practice targets and --KEPT my the ball safely out of the black for the most part  .  It has been a while. I going to have to work on my load, and cast up some more good balls.  This match may take me all month to shoot--and the weather if FINE this week, but I have all these other things that must be done.  Good luck everybody, don't let Taylor run away with it. 

[Keith Zimmerman]

Nice shootin Taylor.  But u will probably needs some Xs for this month.  Impressive for a 66.  I will shoot a couple of my 62s this week.

[MuskratMike]

Well here is a lesson to all. I took 1 target to the range along with some other targets and swingers to get some time in on my 54 caliber Lowell Haarer flintlock. As this is my big game rifle and is sighted in at 75-80 yards I knew at this close range I would be shooting high. The first shot with 75 grains of Goex 3f (lower left target) shot above the upper left target. I dropped the powder charge to 50 grains of 3F and still had to hold low. Going to finish with my .40 Kibler SMR and my .32 Don Bruton "Mathew Gillespie tribute rifle". As the .32 is sighted in for 25 yards I do believe I can best this pitiful score. Lesson learned: use the right gun for the right target and distance.
Score 30

[Daryl]

Cool story, and thanks for submitting the target, Mike. Looks like a 33 to me, 3 8's and a 9. Well done.
I usually find it best to shoot a practice target, first.
I did that yesterday and it wasn't too bad, high 30's, but could not even shoot the second target. 4 days
of fishing might fix my back.

[OldMtnMan]

Well, looks like I'm the first to post a target.  Daryl and I spent a pleasant couple of hours at the range, and he cautioned me not to submit a perfect target right of the get-go, as if that was even possible by an old curmudgeon like me.  So, here's my first effort, a 49/50.

Really good shooting. I'd be looking why those tight groups move around the target like they do.

[bob in the woods]

Great shooting !    It's pouring rain again, so it looks like I'll have to wait to shoot. Hopefully I'll be able to get something posted this week.  The scoring is different than I'm used to..[.NMLRA rules ]   but touching the line for the score sounds good to me !

[little joe]

Let us suppose I shoot a target with my 36 cal and each ball is 1/6th tighter than someone else big bore target and you declare them the winner. Have you fellows never shot any formal competion and and understand scoreing. I admire you guys on desireing competion but lets review how to score.

[bob in the woods]

Let us suppose I shoot a target with my 36 cal and each ball is 1/6th tighter than someone else big bore target and you declare them the winner. Have you fellows never shot any formal competion and and understand scoreing. I admire you guys on desireing competion but lets review how to score.

The NMLRA rules negate any advantage of shooting a larger bore because the centre of the ball determines the scoring.  Over the years,  I've picked up a number of their transparent mylar scoring aids with the various ball sizes printed on them.
That said, these matches are for fun only and I don't take the results seriously at all. It's good practice and all done in the spirit of friendship. Whoever wins this match can pick the target and rules next time .   I'm going to shoot my .40 again , but may try my .54 for one target. Actually, this is only 25 yards, so perhaps might give the smoothbore a try 

[WadePatton]

Win the match, set your own target, range, and firing and scoring parameters for the next one.

Cutting the line favors the big ball, but the center-rule does not.  We have a mix of both in this match and -four- targets possible, so a shooter has the option of entering an array of guns, or only his/her best, or one gun four times.  The range is suitable for smooth and rifled, reduced loadings, and even pistoleros.

I like it.

[MuskratMike]

What Wade says!
I have shot this match with my 54 and 32 going to use the 40 next week. At my age and eye sight I really don't give a rip it's the fun of doing the shoot that matters. I will probably never win one of these but when winning is all that matters I will hang up the rifles and take up lawn bowling.

[alacran]

If one is man enough to shoot a .75 caliber rifle. and keep them all inside the black. The score would be a fifty even if all the balls were touching  the inside of the outer ring.  As soon as the wind keeps howling here I will shoot it first with my .45. Really don't care what the score is just want to see what I can do.

[Daryl]

I've shot rifle competitions, BP and smokeless since 1973.  Many of the black powder events were scored centre of the ball, but not all.
ALL of the smokeless scoring is cutting the line. Some people shot .22's, .24's and .30's - all scored alike - line cutters, higher score. As Wade
noted, this 'competition' has both in that X's have to be 1/2 ball over the line. I just thought it would be "different" to have both.  Allowing 4 targets
for submission allows a range of guns to be used - the idea is to get guys who've been cooped up due to the virus, out of doors and do a bunch of
shooting.
alacran - you are right. A guy shooting a .75, we'll say with a .735" ball, if the ball was all inside the 8 ring, the inner edge would be cutting the 10 ring and
would score a 10, even though the centre of the ball would have scored a 9. If all 5 were identical, just inside the outer 8 ring, a center score of 45/50 would
become a 50/50 - yes.
There were no maximum bores listed.