• This community needs YOUR help today. We rely 100% on Supporting Memberships to fund our efforts. With the ever increasing fees of everything, we need help. We need more Supporting Members, today. Please invest back into this community. I will ship a few decals too in addition to all the account perks you get.



    Sign up here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/account/upgrades

Shotguns and/or Rifles, April 2016

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

jethro224

Moderator
Joined
Sep 29, 2005
Messages
7,428
Reaction score
15
Since I missed half of March already I'm going to run a double contest from now thru the end of April.

With turkey seasons upon us I figger it's time to break out the shotguns and check those patterns. The shotgun contest is a "best pattern" contest. Take one shot at the target at 25 yards with your best load. The most pellets inside a 3" circle at the very center of the target wins.
Please indicate on your target whether your smoothbore is choked or cylinder bore.

If you're a rifle man try for your best 10-shot group in the center of your target from 25 yards. Winner will be determined by the smallest group size from center to center of the widest shots.
You can use your smoothbore or pistol instead of a rifle if you like.

If you shoot both kinds of gun, enter both contests. Multiple targets can be mailed in one envelope.

The target is a standard 8.5" x 11" sheet of printer/typing paper with an X drawn thru the center for rifles or a 3" circle in the exact center for shotguns. You do not have to draw an X or circle as the center will be determined by the judge.

One target entry per contest/per member.

10 shots per target for the rifle target, one shot per target for the shotgun contest.

Mutilated targets will be disqualified.

No do-overs.

Only registered forum members may participate.

Only traditional, open iron sighted muzzleloading firearms (NO Cannons). Percussion or flintlock ignition.

Single patched round ball only for the rifle contest. No restrictions on caliber. (a patchless ball may be used if so desired)

Shots will be taken off-hand at the stated distance.(Standing or seated is allowed, elbows unsupported by anything other than the shooters torso)(In the event that a member is not physically able to hold his rifle up unsupported, a "prop-rod" that is supported only by the shooters torso, no part of which prop-rod may touch the ground, may be used to hold up the fore-end of the rifle)

Only original targets will be accepted. No copies, faxes, scans, etc.

The center of the targets will be determined by the judge.

Judges decisions are final.

Each contestant's score will be posted at the end of the contest.

Your member screen name must be written on your targets.


Mail your target postmarked by April 30, 2016 to;


Jim Green
P.O.Box 322
Pekin, IL 61555


Targets will not be returned unless an S.A.S.E. is included.


Be safe and have fun! :hatsoff:
 
One question, Jethro: If using a shotgun/smoothbore shot loads, shouldn't there be different categories for different gauges because of the weight of the charge/pellets and possibly different shot sizes because of the number of pellets*?
E.g., my 20ga. trade gun would use 7/8 oz. of shot*, but a 12ga. could use as much as double that, etc.


*Chokes add a complication I don't even want to contemplate


**only have #7 /12 shot on hand, if I go that route.
 
Maven said:
One question, Jethro: If using a shotgun/smoothbore shot loads, shouldn't there be different categories for different gauges because of the weight of the charge/pellets and possibly different shot sizes because of the number of pellets*?
E.g., my 20ga. trade gun would use 7/8 oz. of shot*, but a 12ga. could use as much as double that, etc.



*Chokes add a complication I don't even want to contemplate


**only have #7 /12 shot on hand, if I go that route.

Well, I've done similar contests before where I specified the shot load in size and volume to try to even the field. But that doesn't really work either... One oz in a 28ga is a stout load while in a 10ga it's pretty darn light. One 12ga might throw a great pattern with 1oz but another likes 1 and an eighth. :surrender:
This time I decided to go with the 3" circle and you can use whatever load patterns best in your gun. First you need to know what that load is, then you need to know where the center of the pattern hits, then you need to actually hit it.
I don't know of any way to make the field perfectly level for any and all shotguns. :idunno:
If there were separate categories for each ga, we might end up with 8 different categories of one contestant each and everybody comes in first. That's no fun.
Just do your best with the gun you brung. :thumbsup:

I am planning to separate the cylinder bores from the choked bores. That's why I asked for the info to be written on the targets.
 
"If there were separate categories for each ga, we might end up with 8 different categories of one contestant each and everybody comes in first. That's no fun."

Who says that's no fun -- I could then actually make 1st place 2 contest in a row... :rotf:

Dave
 
Sorry Pete, but the rules said one target per member per category and pistols were included in the rifle contest.
BUT, if you want to, you can send me a rifle target and I'll score it for you un-officially. Just be sure to clearly mark it as such.
 
I shot both targets today.

Shotgun was ordinary. I think I need a few tips on loading. I shot the can chucker with almost no problems. The only problem was that I failed to pack a charge properly :doh: I found out why it's not a good thing to do. No injuries to the gun or me if you don't count the bruised ego.
 
Late as usual. :haha:
I have a good excuse this time. It's been a really hectic week. My only daughter graduated college this week. With honors too. :) We are mighty proud of her.

Here are the results you've all been so patiently (except Dave :haha: ) waiting for.

We only got 3 shotgunners.
In first place, 58 caliber whooped up on the competition with 20 hits in a 3" circle from his NE fowler. :hatsoff:
2nd place was Studit with 9 hits using a modified choke.
3rd was Maven with 7 hits using a cylinder bore trade gun.
Maybe Dave has some pattern-tightening tips for us???


In the "rifle" category;
1st place is Bakeoven Bill with a real nice group of 2 11/16" :hatsoff:
Right on his heels in 2nd was 58 caliber with his group of 2 13/16"
Nice shootin'. Both of them used .32 caliber squirrel rifles.
Pete D. used his pistol to place 3rd with 6 3/8". (never get in a duel with Pete.)
And Studit placed 4th with an estimated 11 3/4" group. (hard to estimate shots that didn't hit the target. :idunno: :wink: )

Thanks for playing. Hope you all had fun at the range. Now, go sign up a new "young guy" who can shoot real good and get him out there shootin' with you for the next contest. :grin:
 
Back
Top