May Covid Rifle Match

[Daryl]

I think alacran had a great idea of shooting 50 yards last month.
So- this month:
50 yards - standing ie: offhand 5 shots per target
total 10 shots = 2 targets per entry. May enter 3 "sets" of 2 targets. This match is 50 pts. total.
total 5 shots on the page: 1 in each quadrant one outside anywhere. scoring 5 pts.
2 shots in any 'area' scores 5pts.
 Scoring by 1/2 ball. On a curvature, if the curve crosses the middle line of the hole/ball, scores.
www.targetz.com page 10 target # 10138
For those who wish to draw their own - the outside of the circle is 7 1/4".
Draw lines dissecting the circle into 4 equal quadrants.  Opposite quadrants are black or white.
I suggest you either draw the target or get it from the site. Printing from this photo might not work - ?


Prize is a slightly finished curvy 'powder' horn with spout - sans powder as that would be illegal to mail.
Good luck - may the best shooter win Rifle May.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Scored by the half ball?

[Daryl]

Yes - thanks Taylor.

[alacran]

I didn't get to get a second whack at Taylor's match last month. So I figured if I started on yours on May second the weather may permit me more than one attempt.
I was using the Jaeger I in used last months match. I wrote down the particulars on the right hand target, but you cant read it in the photo. The barrel is a Rice 37 inch Edward Marshal profile in .58 caliber. I was using a .570 ball with 80 grains of Goex 2f and  bear oiled Jo Ann's #40 cotton drill.
I met a couple of friends at the Buck Creek Muzzleloaders club in Linton Indiana. The day was forecast to be overcast. It was and progressively got darker with a few light showers.

Any way if I understand Daryl's scoring I shot a 20 on the target on the left and a 25 on the target on the right. The target on the right is the first one that I shot. I was also going to shoot Bob's smoothbore match. However having to wait for the rain made things slow. Shooting 50 yards meant we had to shoot from out of the covered shooting line. To date I have shot less than 75 balls with that rifle so I'm still learning its ways.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Nice pair of targets alacran.  Well done.

[Daryl]

Well done, alacran - 45/50. I might have to decide on a tie breaker. Bob's string measure sounds like a
great idea & that is what I'll do. That early target will certainly give "us" something to strive for/against.
That is a GREAT looking rifle.

[flinchrocket]

Alacran, that is a pretty rough bunch there at Buck Creek.

[alacran]

Thanks Daryl and Taylor. I'll post some pics of the rifle when I take some better ones. There seems to be a lack of light in the Midwest Rain Forest.
Proud to call those rough and ready folks at Buck Creek my friends.

[Daryl]

Finally make it out and got rained out. We'd liked to have a chance for some more targets - oh well.
The month is still young.
.69
.682" ball
10ounce denim at .021"
spit for lube - cut at muzzle.
All shooting without wiping - shot 5 targets - last one was the 20/25.
Just for a posting. As it's my event, I will not count my score against other submissions.
I hope to ace it, next time out.

[Nessmuck]

Nice shooting Daryl.....and no built in excuses , with your write up.

[Daryl]

TKS - LOL. We shot at 51 yards - just the way it goes.
Here's the setup.
The camera makes it look a little further away, but that's normal.
If you click on it, go to 4.1resolution and +  that's just a tich closer than it looked.
It's a little more difficult than I thought it would be. Maybe just because I can't hold
the rifle like I used to. LOL - there's the excuse.
I should note here, that you can angle the target any way you want. North/South was not specified.

[bob in the woods]

Daryl , at 68 years old, I don't expect to actually see the target. I  just shoot at the spot where it should be     Actually , this makes more sense than you would expect.   If your bulls eye is 3 inches, and that is centred on an 8 x 11 sheet of paper, which is then centred on a 1 1/2 ft square piece of cardboard [ which I can easily see at 50 yards ]  shooting for centre is all the same.

[Daryl]

Absolutely right.  I use a bead front sight on the .69.  Normally the bead is larger than the bullseye at 25 yards and truly is at 50yards. However, the ball strikes in the middle of the
bead - at least that is how the gun is sighted. Both rear sight and front sight are fuzzy, but the target is sharp - my eye glasses do that. I am seeing now, that my sighting of 1986 when
the rifle was made and sighted, the sights seem a bit low nowadays and I tend to shoot low. I need to intentionally hold a bit of front sight in order for the balls to strike on the bead.  It's
either that or increase the powder charge. 
My eyes hit 71 in another 13 days.  Something Taylor said today was interesting. I was able to see my ball's hole in the target at 50yards, numerous times, whether in the white or black,
yet he couldn't.  It's just the sights that are screwy and my hold is poor.  He oft times remarks "I can barely hold it on the spot" -  LOL - I then say, I have to catch it on the way past, I can barely
hold it on the whole target.  It is what it is. I expect someone like Justin, with young eyes and rock solid hold, will easily master this month's contest.

[alacran]

Good shooting Daryl. The target is elusive. Had to use the black quadrants as reference points to hold off on. Weather has been dismal here I will try again when the rain lets up.

[Nessmuck]

Yup...that target looks like an aspirin...yinz have a few years on me..but I do have to sign up for Medicare this month....lol

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

 Here's my first effort for May.  My first target was my best, and then Daryl put a cross fire shot on it, so labelled.  After that target, things went into the toilet pretty quick. But I enjoyed the outing...we haven't been out for several weeks.  On the way home treated Daryl to lunch and a beer.  A nice afternoon.

[Daryl]

LOL - I knew I hadn't missed, but then saw the bigger hole on Taylor's target.
I concur - 15/25 and a 25/25 for 40/50. Taylor was shooting his little .62.

[alacran]

Daryl , at 68 years old, I don't expect to actually see the target. I  just shoot at the spot where it should be     Actually , this makes more sense than you would expect.   If your bulls eye is 3 inches, and that is centred on an 8 x 11 sheet of paper, which is then centred on a 1 1/2 ft square piece of cardboard [ which I can easily see at 50 yards ]  shooting for centre is all the same.

Bob before I had my cataract surgery, I was in the same boat you are now. I couldn't see the holes at 25 yards. Like you I would just aim at an imaginary center on the black blobs that are called bulls eyes. I am your same age and now I can see the x ring on a 25 yard six bull target. Also I can see holes out to fifty yards. However seeing is just apart of the shooting process. I manage to screw up plenty of the other parts.

[Daryl]

We got out again. No better score. Perhaps this target is tougher than I thought.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

And I did worse than my first outing.  I used my .60 cal. Virginia rifle this time with 87 gr. FFg GOEX. .590" ball and .021" denim patch lubed with water soluble oil and water 1:10 (or so).  Loads easily and cleanly, and the patches are re-useable.  I'm going to use this rifle tomorrow for a bear hunt.  Got a hankerin' for some smokies.

I scored the targets 15 and 20 = 35/50.

[Maven]

 A recent rib cage injury has made it difficult to impossible to shoot off hand or do much heavy lifting for awhile,  However, I so want to participate in the Monthly Matches, even if I'm not shooting for record.  I just returned from the range today after shooting the May target with a verboten propellant, [ancient] Pyrodex P in my cap lock .50cal. GPR.  Today's outing also gave me a chance to see whether the original (adjustable) buckhorn rear sight would be easier to see than the primitive one that I installed on the rifle years ago:  In short, it was and I think I fixed the "wandering windage" that was an issue with the buckhorn sight as well.  Here's the target, with 6 shots and not for record

[Daryl]

Glad you got out, Paul - but Pyrodex?
I guess if that is all you have, you have to use it or not shoot.
Please make sure you clean it well, and again tomorrow or in 2 days.
It is indeed a tricky target.
So far, "Alacran" is in the lead, with a 45/50. No string measure needed, so far.

[Maven]

Daryl, I have BP, but I wanted to use that Pyrodex up rather than just throw it away.  A couple of things about it though.  First, it does indeed foul, as I had to damp swab the bore after only 10 shots.  Second, I don' think it is as accurate as FFg (I've been using GOEX lately).  Third, the 60gr. charge was more accurate than the 70gr. one I tried:  the target I submitted was with 60gr.  Lastly, stored in cold, dry conditions, it doesn't degrade.  Fortunately my basement is ~50 -60deg. F and dry .

[Daryl]

I bought some of that stuff, way back in the 70's. I thought the stuff I had shot very cleanly.
 Interesting. It was rifle Pyrodex, though. I don't even know why I would buy the pistol stuff - maybe someone gave it to me?

[bob in the woods]

A beautiful, sunny day with a high of 20 deg C and low humidity. A fabulous Victoria Day holiday , and a great day to shoot this match.  I waited until the afternoon, when the sun was " just right" on the targets.
Same old trusty .40 cal , 35 gr 3F.  After only 1 shot, I went back in the house and changed patch lube to W.W & oil because the straight oil patch was smoking on the ground, and the woods are very dry !   After changing lubes, everything was fine.
2 targets to post.

I just aimed for centre, and then held off a tad accordingly.  For the anywhere on the paper shot, I held on the bottom edge of the paper just in from the corner. I got lucky. I did try one target in which I held for the centre of each of the quadrants, but that just sucked, so I moved on