OldNo7
36 Cal.
It's tough enough to run in snowshoes when you're my vintage...
And it's even tougher when there's NO SNOW on the ground!
So I didn't run, but did the Woods Walk instead... And as you'll see in these images, the ground was bare (and really muddy in a few spots) for the So. Vermont Primitive Biathlon that I attended this weekend with my brother and our shooting buddies and gals (who can really shoot well!). If you went 15 miles east or west, there was some snow cover on the ground but this little spot in the valley was bare of any white stuff.
Below are a few images of my twin brother (in the badger hat) shooting his smoothbore without a rear sight* and a nice action shot of our friend Steve firing off his flintlock. Finally, there's a few of me in my 20th Maine Master Sergeant uniform (I'm not a reenactor, I just do this for fun). To go with my persona, or "impression" as some folks call it, I'm carrying the Confederate D Guard bowie knife and Parker-Hale 1856 Volunteer Rifle (aka a "2 Band Sergeant's Rifle) that I took off the body of the Rebel sniped I killed at Gettysburg. And my dad's original 1864 Mansfield & Lamb sword was with me again, as that's always a hit with the younger folks who want to see and handle a real Civil War sword (as there is no "edge" on it).
* My twin, Flint62Smoothie, ran really well and also placed 1st in the smoothbore accuracy contest. Congrats!
The Manchester Rod & Gun Club and the Severance Family host an outstanding event and it's great to see the wide variety of blackpowder guns and period-correct outfits or "Vermont woolies" (deer hunting clothes) that all the participants were wearing.
The Parker-Hale Volunteer rifle (replica) I was shooting was made for the British NRA to encourage target shooting and many of them came into the South through the blockade via Bermuda (in exchange for cotton) to be used for sniping. I've read that the 2-band .45 caliber rifles were more accurate than the 3-band .58 Enfields, so much so that in British shooting competitions anyone shooting a .45 caliber 2-band rifle automatically had 10% deducted from their scores.
However... I deducted much more than that...............
The Navy Arms replica has a fast 1-in-20" twist, just like the originals, and it was made to shoot heavy 400 to 500 grain bullets out to 600+ yards. I'm still trying to find a light round ball target load that will group well between 25 and 40 yards -- and obviously, I didn't yet! But it was a fun weekend overall. The camaraderie with the shooters was great.
Cheers!
Old No7
And it's even tougher when there's NO SNOW on the ground!
So I didn't run, but did the Woods Walk instead... And as you'll see in these images, the ground was bare (and really muddy in a few spots) for the So. Vermont Primitive Biathlon that I attended this weekend with my brother and our shooting buddies and gals (who can really shoot well!). If you went 15 miles east or west, there was some snow cover on the ground but this little spot in the valley was bare of any white stuff.
Below are a few images of my twin brother (in the badger hat) shooting his smoothbore without a rear sight* and a nice action shot of our friend Steve firing off his flintlock. Finally, there's a few of me in my 20th Maine Master Sergeant uniform (I'm not a reenactor, I just do this for fun). To go with my persona, or "impression" as some folks call it, I'm carrying the Confederate D Guard bowie knife and Parker-Hale 1856 Volunteer Rifle (aka a "2 Band Sergeant's Rifle) that I took off the body of the Rebel sniped I killed at Gettysburg. And my dad's original 1864 Mansfield & Lamb sword was with me again, as that's always a hit with the younger folks who want to see and handle a real Civil War sword (as there is no "edge" on it).
* My twin, Flint62Smoothie, ran really well and also placed 1st in the smoothbore accuracy contest. Congrats!
The Manchester Rod & Gun Club and the Severance Family host an outstanding event and it's great to see the wide variety of blackpowder guns and period-correct outfits or "Vermont woolies" (deer hunting clothes) that all the participants were wearing.
The Parker-Hale Volunteer rifle (replica) I was shooting was made for the British NRA to encourage target shooting and many of them came into the South through the blockade via Bermuda (in exchange for cotton) to be used for sniping. I've read that the 2-band .45 caliber rifles were more accurate than the 3-band .58 Enfields, so much so that in British shooting competitions anyone shooting a .45 caliber 2-band rifle automatically had 10% deducted from their scores.
However... I deducted much more than that...............
The Navy Arms replica has a fast 1-in-20" twist, just like the originals, and it was made to shoot heavy 400 to 500 grain bullets out to 600+ yards. I'm still trying to find a light round ball target load that will group well between 25 and 40 yards -- and obviously, I didn't yet! But it was a fun weekend overall. The camaraderie with the shooters was great.
Cheers!
Old No7
