Anyone here shoot 25 yard offhand match's?

[1BadDart]

What do you shoot and why? If you were building a new rifle just for offhand match's what would you build?

I shoot some rimfire and air rifle benchrest fun match's and I'd like to get into the 25 yard offhand muzzle loader stuff. I work 12 hour shift work currently and don't currently have time to shoot much. My plan is to retire next fall and I'd like to build a rifle and have the bugs worked in time to shoot it next fall.

Thanks, Justin

 

[deerstalkert]

if you pay the $18 membership fee you can join in on the postal match.
25 yard OH. patched round ball. primitive sights .
https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/forums/members-only-online-shooting-contests.77/

 

[Rodd Boyer]

The club I belong to has monthly matches and we shoot at 25 and 50 offhand. I use flintlock rifles, but the majority use percussion and nothing special, just hunting rifles. Find one that points good for you and copy the build.

 

[necchi]

All matches have qualifications, flint or cap lock is basic, that, you will have to decide.
The reality of all matches, is the season and weather conditions on the day of the match.
Sun shine or cloudy, rain, snow, calm or windy,, tail or head wind(?),, cross breeze?
Get it? Competition usually isn't postponed and rescheduled for another date, it's play as you come on the day.
That said, for short field matches as you describe, "25yrd off hand",, large caliber rifled cap lock (flint if you like that option).
Top shooters many times claim prizes with 40 and 45's for close stuff, but those are dismal with a 20+ mile and hour/gusty cross-breeze.
(seen it)
.54 swamper, in 32-36" barrel, slow twist with rounded rifling. That'll take you out to 100, any day of the week.

But the issue friend Justin,, isn't the gun choice or the build,, it's learning how to shoot it,,

 

[Dutch7]

I built a heavy barrel .40 cal target gun specifically for competitive shooting. It will shoot the same hole at all distances if the shooter does his part.
The heavyness helps to steady you and I have been told by some top shooters that .40 cal round ball is the most ballistacally accurate round. "Now I don't know nothin 'bout that (in a Forest Gump voice)" but I have shot some great matches with this gun.
It would be good as Rodd said above to find someone else's that holds well for you and build that - but a lot of shots down range will make any gun more accurate.

 

[FishDFly]

"But the issue friend Justin,, isn't the gun choice or the build,, it's learning how to shoot it,"

The very best advice you will receive is above., learn and follow it.,

 

[user 36911]

Dad taught me and my brother to shoot offhand in the 1940's. I loved it so much I haven't done anything else all my life for target competition or hunting.

Being into the fur trade era I shoot nothing but a Hawken. I know it wasn't the most popular rifle used by the mountain men but it was used and if I was born back then i'd be shooting a Hawken. A long rifle would break in half when I clobbered the first Indian.

 

[FishDFly]

Hawken, kind of heavy for off hand shooting is it not?

 

[oldwood]

Discover the rules at the distance you have to shoot. For instance , one experience I had,,,,,If the measurement for a winner is the outside of the ball hole to the first ring out , the smaller dead center hit wins every time. I know that sounds stupid , but at that shoot , I had no say in the rules. This match was a 25 yd. affair . 5 shots , 0ne shot per bullseye. Two of us had identical hits , but the difference in ball diameter to the center of the target was less on the other guy's targets as his cal. was.36 , and mine was .50... Unfair ? , no , just the rules.
And another thing , There's very little "cookie cutter" to the competition shooting game. In the beginning, I shot a 44" Getz barreled .50. Later , when that got a little to heavy for an all day event , I scratch built a 36 " Ohio plains rifle in .45. All went well until I was shooting iron knockdown targets out to 200 yds.. Sometimes I could hit the cub bear at that distance w/ .45 , but that didn't count , had to knock it down. Whereas ,the .50 would put the cub down every time I hit. Also , wind had little effect on the long barrel .50 , but the .45 might be all over the target......luck to ye..........oldwood

 

[1BadDart]

Thanks guys.

I'm thinking a 40 caliber, percussion, double set trigger, don't have a clue on who's barrel to use, and it'll be a left handed. I'll either build it or buy a kit if I can find what I want. I have a RH Lyman Great Plains rifle in 50 caliber that I built years ago to deer hunt. I like the looks of it but also like full stocked guns so I have to decide on that too.

One of my buddies that I shoot rimfire and air guns with has a few rifles he's built that I'll check out and hold to see what feels good. He plays things pretty close to the vest and is hard to get information out of sometimes. LOL

Justin

 

[user 36911]

Hawken, kind of heavy for off hand shooting is it not?

How do you think the mountain men shot them? Shoot nothing but a Hawken and you don't notice the weight anymore. It does help hold steady. I wobble bad with a light gun.

I will admit at my age I can't shoulder a 11lb Hawken anymore but it was easy when I was younger and way stronger. The awken being built for me should be a little over 8lbs with a 32" barrel. 15/16" instead of 1 1/8" helps a lot.

 

[Stony Broke]

I can certainly relate to oldwood's post as it relates to ball size and competition. I shot matches with a .40 for years and I'm still very fond of that caliber, but for some instances a larger ball just does the job better for you. When shooting in a rendezvous you're usually better off shooting a larger ball for most of the gamethings like splitting playing cards, splitting round balls with an axe and similar types of targets. The larger ball just gives you a better chance at that type of stuff...

 

[oldwood]

Always shot flint w/ set trig. , for competition. Easy to keep it shooting and clean out between relays. Percussion , to me , was PITAzz.

 

[davidmc62]

If I were building an off hand rifle.....Hmmmm

 

[dave951]

We shoot everything offhand at 50 and 100 with Civil War muskets.

Qualities you're going to want for offhand- balance based on your shooting stance, placement of sights based on your eyesight, type of sights- some "traditional" sights are really terrible for target work. Caliber isn't that important but..... larger calibers are heavier with potentially higher recoil. Small calibers can be finicky. If I was building one, it'd probably be a bog standard .50 with a 30in barrel, set triggers, quickest lock I can get, post and notch sights.

 

[Bunk]

round ball and a paper cartridge with 25 grains FFFg in my Sharps makes a great 25 yard off hand practice gun.
OK I know it is not patch and ball but it is fun and good practice for Sharps shooters.
Bunk

 

[cynthialee]

Hawken, kind of heavy for off hand shooting is it not?

a little, but every deer I have shot has been an offhand shot
and to be honest, when you are in that moment the weight of the gun doesn't even register on your mind

My TC Hawken is even heavier than most as I replaced my wood ramrod with a brass rod. (had a very close call with a splintered ramrod in the field, scared the snot out of me, I use the brass ramrod only now) And again, the weight doesn't even come to mind when venison backstrap is on the menu if you hit.

 

[user 36911]

TC Hawken is light with only a 28" 15/16" barrel. A little over 8lbs.

A Hawken replica will be 11lbs.

 

[ZUG]

I think a .40 to .45 caliber full or half stock rifle between 7 to 8 pounds in weight that fit you would be a FINE rifle to either hunt medium size game and do very well on the targets. I would start now to narrow down your choice and not wait until you retire - maybe even start to build it or look for a GOOD used gun made by a GOOD reputable builder.

 

[flntlokr]

Hawken, kind of heavy for off hand shooting is it not?

Heavy for who? A lot of folks buy them because they think Hawkens are the only gun worthwhilem out there, but in my opinion, they often get more than they can realistically deal with in a 25 round match, unless they are pretty fit and strong. The best shooting I ever witnessed was a friend shooting a standard 100 yd. target scoring 49XXX offhand. He is a big strong guy; a perfect match for that rifle IMHO.