Le Beef's long shot

[PJ Hardtack]

In 'True Grit', what position was 'Le Beef' shooting from with his 50-70 Sharps carbine to knock Robert Duval off his horse? Was he shooting off hand, kneeling, using a rest, prone ...?
In the remake, what did he do that was different, if anything?

The reason I want to know is that I want to replicate the shot at a more reasonable distance for our CAS event next year. Say 200 yards on a CAS 'Cowboy' silhouette. That ought to present a challenge .... ;>)

[Shotgun Franklin]

Since you'll likely want to shoot more than just one round why not use;
Standing, against/behind a barricade, kneeling, sitting and prone.
Five rounds total with some combination of hits vs time.

[PJ Hardtack]

Yes, that could be done. We already do a 3 rd  "Quigley" Bucket Shoot off hand at 150 yds and I was thinking this could be a phase of that event.

Now back to my question .....

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[Coal Creek Griff]

La Boeuf's shot in the first movie was from a kneeling position.  In the second movie, he appears to be sitting with his arms across a large rock. 

CC Griff

[PJ Hardtack]

Coal Creek Griff

Thanks! I've got the book, but didn't look to see if the position was mentioned. I thought there was a difference between the two movie versions.
Considering his head injury, the sitting rock resting position makes sense. We'll go with that. Kneeling has got to be the dumbest shooting position ever devised - IMHO.

Also thanks for the gender correction! My mother was a Francophone and it didn't seem right to apply the feminine "La" to the name for a male character. However, grammatically, it's correct.

[Coal Creek Griff]

Here's that scene in the book:

"LaBoeuf quickly stirred beside me and assumed a sitting position with the Sharps rifle, his elbows locked against his knees.  He took only a second to draw a bead and fire the powerful gun.  The ball flew to its mark like a martin to his gourd and Lucky Ned Pepper fell dead in the saddle.  The horse reared and the body of the bandit was thrown clear and the horse fled in panic.  The distance covered by LaBoeuf's wonderful shot at the moving rider was over six hundred yards.  I am prepared to swear an affidavit to it."

It is a great book.  I've been known to finish reading it, then flip to the beginning and start over again in the same sitting.

CC Griff

[PJ Hardtack]

CCG

Thanks for researching the book for me.  Sitting is actually my favourite and best shooting position. I sit x-ankled, elbows forward of my knees. Slung up in approved USMC, I can shoot as well sitting as prone out to 300 yards. Most guys I know never shoot sitting (can't get past the bulge over hanging the belt) or even practice field positions of any kind.
I'e been known to shoot sitting at 50 yds while hunting, if time permits. Why? because it allows me to surgically place the bullet.

As for the alleged "600 yards+" attested to by Mattie, I think 200 yds will be enough of a stretch for my CAS pals. I've got a Shiloh Sharps carbine and military rifle in 50-70, my favourite BPCRs. It wouldn't occur to me to even try a shot at 600 yds, but then, I've never had to save a buddy facing imminent death.

The trajectory would be like a rainbow arch .... :>)

[PJ Hardtack]

Wildman - Good shooting!

Yep - but La Beef was shooting his 'Leadbelly' Sharps issued to the Texas rangers in 50-70. These were ACW conversions and not known for their accuracy. Some were relined if the bores exceeded a max size, others left as is.

I have a Shiloh Business Rifle in 45-70. It's got a lot more reach to it than my carbine in 50-70 with the same weight of lead and powder. It also wears a vernier tang/globe whereas the carbine has the military Lawrence ladder sight.

We'll live with the book version as a true "Hail Mary" shot when it counted!

[Shotgun Franklin]

Once upon a time, I was facing North into a 25 mph wind, it was about 10 degrees. There was a nice fat doe standing broadside to me about 200 yards away. I put my rifle to my shoulder and took careful aim. I hit her square in the neck killing her instantly. It greatly impressed my hunting party, they never knew I was trying to aim just behind the shoulder. Sometimes luck can be good.

[wildman1]

Wildman - Good shooting!

Yep - but La Beef was shooting his 'Leadbelly' Sharps issued to the Texas rangers in 50-70. These were ACW conversions and not known for their accuracy. Some were relined if the bores exceeded a max size, others left as is.

I have a Shiloh Business Rifle in 45-70. It's got a lot more reach to it than my carbine in 50-70 with the same weight of lead and powder. It also wears a vernier tang/globe whereas the carbine has the military Lawrence ladder sight.

We'll live with the book version as a true "Hail Mary" shot when it counted!

We have a place next year that we will be able to shoot at 1000 yds. I am in the process of getting a mold for a more suitable bullet than the 405g rnfp that I'm now using. WM

[PJ Hardtack]

Wildman 1

Try the Lyman 420 gr FP. It's all the lead I want to throw. My heavier than 500 gr moulds don't get much use. What game that won't drop  is something I don't need to shoot; like 540 gr bullets out of my 50-70 carbine ...... ;>(

In "The Magnificent Seven", James Coburn takes a deliberate shot at a Mexican bandito making a fast get away. He knocked the man off his horse and is told by the youngest member of the 'Seven' - "That was as the best pistol shot I've ever seen!" Coburn replies - "No, worst. I was aiming at the horse ...."

A pal dropped a running bear at 200 yds with his '06. Helping him gut it and drag it out, it urned out to be a heart shot. I said "Wow! Great shot." He said - "I was aiming at his head." He didn't need to tell me that and we didn't bother to tell anyone else.

[Slowhand Bob]

In my younger days I was out uhhh fishing, yea thats it fishing, with one of my old redneck hunting buddies when he took a a pot shot at an out of season buck in a large kudzu patch with just its neck and head showing.  In my memory the shot was perhaps 500yds on that day so many years ago but in reality it was probably more like between one and two hundred yards and the gun he was using is well lost to memory.  While we were thrashing about in the thick kudzu trying to find the deer and avoid any angry rattlers I was the one who found the buck just as we were about to give up.  He had hit the huge buck on the horn just above scalp level and you could take hold of the bit of remaining horn and rotate it around with a bit of skull under the skin.  I looked a bit but never spotted any of the missing antler in the kudzu.  For years he told people how he had aimed for the antler but as I remember it he claimed that he aimed for the base of the neck, at the kudzu line, and that was before we found the deer.