Museum of the Fur Trade Quarterly (Summer 2017, Vol. 53, #2) “A Shooting Match at HBC’s Moose Factory,” describing people shooting offhand with smoothbores.
Note that the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) called some of their early posts “factories,” and Moose Factory was near the south end of James Bay. The employees of Moose Factory celebrated St. George’s Day (April 23rd) with a shooting match.
“The target was placed on the ice in the river and each man had three shots at one hundred and fifty yards or perhaps farther. Some remarkably good shooting was done. It was a test of skill and good eyesight, for rarely nowadays does one see shooting with the smoothbore as was displayed at that period [late 19th century]. The writer has seen a great deal of native shooting, and it can be affirmed that those who have never handled a rifled firearm did equally as good as and sometimes better than those who were accustomed to using the .44 and the .38-55 Winchester.”
“And not only were those old-timers using the smoothbore muzzle-loader, but also black powder, bullets or ball made from the lead of tea chests (with no tin added), and the guns were fired right off the shoulder with no rests, and yet “bull’s-eyes” were not infrequent and “magpies” quite common. It was only the green hands who missed the target altogether.”
Note that the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) called some of their early posts “factories,” and Moose Factory was near the south end of James Bay. The employees of Moose Factory celebrated St. George’s Day (April 23rd) with a shooting match.
“The target was placed on the ice in the river and each man had three shots at one hundred and fifty yards or perhaps farther. Some remarkably good shooting was done. It was a test of skill and good eyesight, for rarely nowadays does one see shooting with the smoothbore as was displayed at that period [late 19th century]. The writer has seen a great deal of native shooting, and it can be affirmed that those who have never handled a rifled firearm did equally as good as and sometimes better than those who were accustomed to using the .44 and the .38-55 Winchester.”
“And not only were those old-timers using the smoothbore muzzle-loader, but also black powder, bullets or ball made from the lead of tea chests (with no tin added), and the guns were fired right off the shoulder with no rests, and yet “bull’s-eyes” were not infrequent and “magpies” quite common. It was only the green hands who missed the target altogether.”
