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I once heard a story of a smoothbore competition where they gave you the ammunition,
A handful of small stones. Can anyone lend credence to this story?
 
You see this from time to time in woodswalk competitions ect ect. The scenario usually is that the shooter is out of ammo and has to make due with found materiel. The target is then judged for hits.

In my last woods walk we had a station where the group had to make a shot with one supplied undersized ball. Most were shooting muskets or trade guns so the ball was .530. It just so happened my fuke was a 28 bore or .55 caliber and .530 balls are my standard load. :grin:
 
The Ancient Ones Of Maine have never used rocks :doh: but we have used potatoes, carrots, dried corn and split peas!
Nit Wit
 
It was call the smoothbore food shoot, all edible projectiles.A carrot projectile will go through the lid of a toilet seat :shocked2:
Nit Wit
 
I've never been in any sort of competition that required you to use rocks in your rifle. But, our club did put on a woods walk with different tasks at each station. We were put into groups of 5 for the shoot representing a hunting party. On one station, we had to make a fire with flint and steel and melt a small chunk of "found" (supplied) lead and then cast a ball. If you had forgotten to bring your bag mould, there was a "found" mould available. Unfortunately, it was an odd size (about a .38 caliber) that fit none of our rifles. Later in the woods walk, we had to use that ball to shoot at a target. We picked the man who had the rifle of the caliber closest to the ball size and had him shoot the target. If I remember correctly, he had a .45 cal. rifle. He had to double or triple patch the ball but he did pretty good and our team received a pretty fair score for that station.

In spite of a misting rain, that was one of the best woods walks I have ever enjoyed. I tip my hat :hatsoff: to my club, The Fish Creek Long Rifles in North Vernon, Indiana. Even though I no longer live in Indiana, I have the honor of being conferred an Honorary Lifetime Member of that fine club. I treasure that honor.
 
Just for historical fun......

James Clyman mentions men breaking the brass furniture off their rifles, and hammering them into rough balls to survive. (1820s)

Likewise, John Tanner, while living with the Ottawa, tells of being out of lead, taking his lock screws out, tying his lock on with string, and killing a moose with the screws. (late 1700s-very early 1800s)

I don't know if you want to go that far :wink: , but it's interesting to see the lengths gone to for survival.....


Rod
 
Even more historical fun:

John James Audubon, "Audubon and His Journals" Vol. 2, Maria Audubon...

... both hunters went after the Buffalo, slowly at first, to rest Owen’s steed, but soon, when getting within running distance, they gave whip, overhauled the Bison and shot it twice with balls; this halted the animal; the hunters had no more balls and now loaded with pebbles, with which the poor beast was killed.

"A Journey to the Northern Ocean", Samuel Hearne, describing his adventures 1769-1772...

Nov. 1770 I found that my guide, Conreaquefe, who had it all under his care, had so embezzled or otherwise expended it, that only ten balls and about three pounds of powder remained; so that long before we arrived at the Fort we were obliged to cut up an ice-chissel into square lumps, as a substitute for ball. It is, however, rather dangerous firing lumps of iron out of such slight barrels as are brought to this part of the world for trade.

Sept. 1771 [A severe wind blew over his tent and the poles fell on his navigation quadrant, breaking it.] .... two of the bubbles, the index and several other parts were broken, which rendered it entirely useless. This being the case, I did not think it worth carriage; but broke it to pieces, and gave the brass-work to the Indians, who cut it into small lumps and made use of it instead of ball.

Spence
 
I've read about retrieving a ball or two from a target post in an abandoned Indian village & recasting it in a survival situation.
 
On the Lewis and Clark Voyage of Discovery, Sgt. John Ordway kept a journal. When George Shannon became separated from the party for 16 days and nearly starved to death because he couldn't hit any game, Ordway wrote, "Shot a rabit with Sticks which he cut & put in his gun after his Balls were gone"

Spence
 
I was on a woods walk once where we had to "recreate " that shot. They had a rabbit target and a pile of sticks you could sort through and carve to "caliber" :hmm:
 
THE VIRGINIA GAZETTE
September 22, 1774

LONDON, July 13.

We hear from Haltwistle, that on Thursday last, a Collection of wild Beasts being in a Barn, a large Russian Bear broke loose, and instantly devoured two of the other Animals of the Collection; then made an Attempt upon one of the Keepers, who narrowly escaped with his Life. Upon this Alarm, the whole Town assembled together around the Barn, and fired several Times at the Beast, but to little Purpose, as they could not readily procure Balls, but at last a young Gentleman shot it dead with a small Marble.

Spence
 
And all these years I thought firing marbles was :hatsoff: a new idea! :rotf: Thanks Spence, you dah man!!
 
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