Tumblernotch
69 Cal.
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2005
- Messages
- 3,370
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Yesterday the Bill Large Memorial Shoot was held at his range near Coal Grove, Ohio. This year, instead of a straight chunk gun shoot, it was an old-time match consisting of 5 shots offhand at 30 yds and 5 shots over a chunk at 60 yds. You could use any traditional rifle as long as you could shoot it offhand. We had one feller bring a chunk gun that he managed to shoot offhand. Most of the rifles were flintlock but there were a few percussion guns including a mule ear. Several of the shooters were top shelf chunk gunners who are known throughout the over-the log circuit.
Bill's range is pretty much the same as it was when he was still with us. I would be a happy camper if I had a shooting shed like that at my place. We didn't use the shed, we were out in the open. It had stopped raining shortly before and it stayed cloudy throughout most all of the shoot, although the sun tried to peek out a few times. Since we had shot our groups in cloudy conditions, we didn't want to see the sun till after the shoot! First, we shot for group at 30 yds. offhand. About 3 to 5 shots. I had a cloverleaf of 3 and a flyer about an inch low. We then shot our 5 shots for score. After this, we moved our target frames out to 60 yds and shot another group while lying down behind our chunks. Took me 5 shots to make me happy this time. I had a 2 shot group with 3 shots scattered about an inch or so around it. I was using a new rifle I had finished back in the early summer and I can tell you it didn't let me down. I was more than pleased and not a little surprised by its and my performance, especially when shooting against some of the best. I ended up winning the match with 2 firsts (including Best X for the chunk segment and Best X overall) and 4 seconds and the shortest string, 6.421 inches. I didn't get a spider, but both X's were durn close. I'm still waiting for my first spider. There were cash prizes for whoever placed and I get to keep the Bill Large plaque for a year and get my name added to the winners on it. It is a great honor for me to be included with those guys.
Afterwards, we retired to Bill's shop for hotdogs and other goodies and visited for a while with each other as well as Bill's remaining three daughters and their families. While there I and my family took a little tour of Bill's museum which he had set up in the attic. I told Janet, one of his girls that I may write something up for the Forum about the shoot and she was pleased with the idea. I told her that he was still very much remembered by those who have shot ML's and I believe that she really appreciates that. Bill's family are very proud (as they should be) of what he did for muzzleloading over the years. It was sad to see his shop empty of machinery, but it's good to know that those machines are back in order and doing service in another shop. We all had a great time there. The pressure often felt at competitive shoots was much less here. We were all seriously trying to shoot our best, but the fellowship was greater and we had fun. And to me, that's what it's all about. And I want to send out a big thanks to Buck Ruth for putting on a great event as well as the Large family for permitting us to use the grounds and for making us and our families feel welcome.
Bill's range is pretty much the same as it was when he was still with us. I would be a happy camper if I had a shooting shed like that at my place. We didn't use the shed, we were out in the open. It had stopped raining shortly before and it stayed cloudy throughout most all of the shoot, although the sun tried to peek out a few times. Since we had shot our groups in cloudy conditions, we didn't want to see the sun till after the shoot! First, we shot for group at 30 yds. offhand. About 3 to 5 shots. I had a cloverleaf of 3 and a flyer about an inch low. We then shot our 5 shots for score. After this, we moved our target frames out to 60 yds and shot another group while lying down behind our chunks. Took me 5 shots to make me happy this time. I had a 2 shot group with 3 shots scattered about an inch or so around it. I was using a new rifle I had finished back in the early summer and I can tell you it didn't let me down. I was more than pleased and not a little surprised by its and my performance, especially when shooting against some of the best. I ended up winning the match with 2 firsts (including Best X for the chunk segment and Best X overall) and 4 seconds and the shortest string, 6.421 inches. I didn't get a spider, but both X's were durn close. I'm still waiting for my first spider. There were cash prizes for whoever placed and I get to keep the Bill Large plaque for a year and get my name added to the winners on it. It is a great honor for me to be included with those guys.
Afterwards, we retired to Bill's shop for hotdogs and other goodies and visited for a while with each other as well as Bill's remaining three daughters and their families. While there I and my family took a little tour of Bill's museum which he had set up in the attic. I told Janet, one of his girls that I may write something up for the Forum about the shoot and she was pleased with the idea. I told her that he was still very much remembered by those who have shot ML's and I believe that she really appreciates that. Bill's family are very proud (as they should be) of what he did for muzzleloading over the years. It was sad to see his shop empty of machinery, but it's good to know that those machines are back in order and doing service in another shop. We all had a great time there. The pressure often felt at competitive shoots was much less here. We were all seriously trying to shoot our best, but the fellowship was greater and we had fun. And to me, that's what it's all about. And I want to send out a big thanks to Buck Ruth for putting on a great event as well as the Large family for permitting us to use the grounds and for making us and our families feel welcome.
