Chunk gun shoot

[Hungry Horse]

 My gun club just let me know they are thinking about having a chunk/Sargent York style shoot. It’ll be our first so what are the pitfalls?

Hungry Horse

[rich pierce]

Old guys have trouble getting up and down with a heavy gun, if you’re going traditional where shooters lie on the ground.  It’s important to establish the rules on sights, shaders, and so on. In most cases the butt of the rifle must be off the ground and on the shoulder. Ideally shooters will bring a ball from their gun, cut in half with a punch mark in the center of the flat side to facilitate measurement. Supply numbered cards with the X printed on them corner to corner, maybe 6” square if I recall.

[Robin Henderson]

First of all, let me qualify by saying that I shoot chunk but, bad for me, I'm no good at it....still fun though. Below are the targets shot at 60 yards at both Friendship and the York. Also, there is the overlay and calipers used to measure how far off center your shot was....x center to center of ball. Ten targets, ten measures(one shot per target) and then added together to give you your string in inches. At the York a pretty good string is going to be +/- 5". I believe the record is somewhere around 2.5 or so. All shooters use their own chunk, target frame and spotter. The spotter is necessary because the small record targets are very difficult to see at 60 yds. It's basically a larger aiming point of your own preference that you can easily get a bead on. The rifles sights have been previously adjusted to shoot off your spotter. You're given time to shoot a group, which in my case is about six or so inches below the aiming spot. When you are going for score your record targets will be posted behind your group. Then it's all up to you. Of course, all this can be adjusted to suit your club. As for my club, we don't shoot chunk mainly because of the limitations of our mostly senior members but instead a table shoot has more suited us.     

Here are the rules for the annual Alvin York match:

Rifles may be flint or percussion ignition, of either traditional hunting or ‘old style’ traditional target type, with no limit to weight or caliber.
No false muzzles, no sealed ignition, no in-line actions, no thumbhole or adjustable stocks and no padded buttplates.
Rifles must shoot black powder w/ patched lead round balls, no bullets.
Shaders are permitted, but must not extend pass the rear of the breech.
Rear sights should be open sights at least 6” in front of the breech.
Front sights should be blade, pin-head or post.
The use of barrel rests (cant blocks) or sandbags on the chunk are permitted and encouraged, Only the shooter’s hand may support the butt of the rifle, no sandbags or blocks of wood  allowed under the butt of rifle and no gloves of any kind.
Butt of the rifle may not touch the ground.

[MuskratMike]

Just to add a little to Robins fine post. If you are unable to lie prone due to age, size or medial condition a bucket or bucket height stool can be used and cross sticks replace the "chunk".

[smylee grouch]

It's been some years ago now but I think it was Don Getz  who told me they were thinking of making a " platform " out of 4x8 sheets of plywood secured to two 55 gal drums laying on their side so aged shooters could get down and up easier. I never found out if that ever came to be. 

[Daryl]

York Chunk Shoot!



A print I have.



Plank shoot:

[Dphariss]

The plank rest was apparently used if it was muddy or snow on the ground back in the day. The painting Daryl posted was  of a turkey match at Sarasota Springs NY. It’s interesting in that the guy with the cigar has a tube sight or maybe even a scope.
Also find it interesting that most of the rifles at the Alvin York Shoot are pretty plain and many were originally, at least in that area and in the 19th c. But there are some original heavy rifles from the 18th c that are typical “Kentucky” rifles with patch boxes and carving etc that weigh about 16-18 pounds. Kindig shows 2. One with a full length sun shade.

[Dphariss]

Here is the full version. Would love to see the original or a good reproduction.

[Uncle Miltie]

A bit better image, hope this helps.

[Uncle Miltie]

This is how target shooting was done up north.  They did not lie on their bellies and shoot over a log like those in the southern highlands did. 

[alacran]

A bit better image, hope this helps.

Looks to me that this is some type of turkey shoot. One shot per contestant. There is only one shooting position. Must have taken all day to shoot.
Lots of guys in the background loading.  A plank across two barrels where the money is taken with a dead turkey on the end. A dog on the ground that is not gun-shy or dead.

[Daryl]

North-East, by the looks of the attire.
Dead turkey on the ground, but the dog is standing and very much alive, eyeing up the turkey.
Black dude on the left holding a turkey up by the feet and has a rifle on his shoulder.
Guy with white beard looking at a rifle's breech, while pointing it at the fellow with the scope or tube sighted right (or could be pointed between people.
Everyone else has rifle pointed in a safe direction - up, or out across a field.
Cool painting, by J.W.EHNIGER.NA(NR?).1879.

[JBJ]

Uummm, plank rest might make an interesting postal match and a visit to times past.

J.B.

[alacran]

That's funny Daryl. The dead turkey on the ground looked like a dead dog to me at first glance.

[Daryl]

Enlarged on a 24" screen helps with some details.
Plank rest would be difficult for anyone not having a semi-private or private range.
We (Fort George Free Trappers) made up 6 planks, with Bi-pods on the front, all from 3"X14"X8' Douglas Fir planks.
We, Ron K., Taylor and I cut down a large fir tree, cut into lengths and using a ladder, chain saw & spacing jig, cut the planks.
Ron stored/dried them at his shop and made the Bi-pods as well. Overkill compared to the painting. LOL

[Marcruger]

I agree JB.   A plank match would be fun. 

Speaking of chunk guns, the NC Museum of History in Raleigh has a massive barrel chunk gun made in Jamestown, NC.   Looks like a normal longrifle except for the huge barrel.  Way too heavy to use without a rest, so certainly not a hunting piece.   

[Daryl]

Seems to me, I remember seeing pictures of original chunk rifles with cant blocks attached to the barrels.
I just Googles Cant Blocks Chunk Guns and we've had this conversation before.

[Dphariss]

Seems to me, I remember seeing pictures of original chunk rifles with cant blocks attached to the barrels.
I just Googles Cant Blocks Chunk Guns and we've had this conversation before.

Apparently cant blocks were common on dedicated match rifles.  Owned by a friend. Brain does not recall makers name.
The rod is just long enough to go past the entry pipe IIRC. Rules required it I guess.