Buffalo Shoot : now with results!

[Drydock]

Heading out to Jerrys in the morning.  Hope to see some of you there. 

[Pitspitr]

It was good seeing you Chuck!
It was a good time shooting buffalo out to (about) 500 yards and the weather was gorgeous!

Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures. Hopefully, somebody else did.

[Niederlander]

That was fun!  I was pleased, as the '76 performed better than expected.  Hopefully this will become a regular shoot.

[Pitspitr]

Hopefully this will become a regular shoot.

That is the current plan. There will be some minor tweeks, but overall, it seemed to go really well.

[Pitspitr]

Not all of the shooters used Buffalo Rifles

[Drydock]

Outshot by someone shorter than my rifle . . .


FWIW and for those who asked, posted a list of suppliers down in the Buffalo Rifle Forum.

[Drydock]

The first annual "Jerrys gonna have a Buffalo Gun Match and we'll figure out what to call it later" took place this weekend.  7 of us shot the match, though there were others there to have a good time and make fun of us.

Most folks showed up Saturday.  Saturday was general practice and sight setting, along with the usual liars club contest going on in the backround.  Modern weapons could be broken out, and were provided a separate range for their use.  We had a few juniors as well.  Thankfully Dad kept their muffs on most of the time, lest they be corrupted.  We hope to have a Junior Buffalo range set up in the pistol bay for them next year.

Sunday was for the Buffalo guns, lead bullets only.  7 buffalo silhouettes of 1/4" AR 500 were provided, of various sizes, including one calf, were set out at RANDOM ranges in Jerry's valley, between 200 and 600 yards, well dispersed and at different elevations.  Course of fire was you must declare a target, hit it, then declare another one, until all 7 have been hit or you run out of ammunition.  You are allowed 21 rounds.  You will have a spotter, along with a peanut gallery.  You may shoot in any fashion you choose, though everyone chose to shoot benched over cross sticks.  The 20 knot wind swirling in over your right shoulder did not  help.

There is a 200 yard target you may use for pre run sighter shots.  But once you call the target you are committed to the run.  Score is number of targets hit, broke by number of shots fired.  Ties settled by a shootoff at the farthest target.  Know your ammunition, know your sights.

1st: Drydock - 7/16 - Shiloh 1874 50-70.
2nd: Ned Neiderlander - 7/17 - Cimarron 1876 45-60
3rd: Whisky Double - 7/20 - C. Sharps 1885 40-82

Everyone else shot 6s and 5s.  Great fun watching folks spin sight settings and estimate ranges, calling overs and shorts and walking them in.  Remember, no targets at known ranges, including the even centurys.

Already planning for next year.  Jerry will post dates when he figures them out.  A trophy is in the works.  Leading name so far is "Buffalo Walls" for the little fort we have on the range. We also plan on having another target for a herd of 8 with 24 shots allowed.

Free kitten if you can catch one!

[Whiskey Double]

"Buffalo Wallow" Shoot would be more appropriate since there is a shallow pond in the middle of all the buffalo targets.

WD

[Drydock]

True.  I like it.   

[El Tio Loco]

Sounds like a blast! 

How big were the targets?  I need to start something like that at our range here in the Imperial Valley.  We have the distance just need the shooters. 
Cool beans!
Ken

[Drydock]

Well, there were 3 sizes as I recall: Roughly, the Calf was 2' wide and 1' tall, most of the others were 3'x2', with the far one 4'x3'.  As long as you limit things to lead bullet only, the 1/4" AR500 works great.  Even my 50 cal 630 grainers made no impression on it.

[Drydock]

https://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php?topic=67708.0

See one of them here.

[El Tio Loco]

Drydock,

Thanks for the information.  I like the format of your match(7 targets and 21 shots total) and Buffalo Wallow is a cool name.

Ken

[Niederlander]

Jerry and Chuck, what rifles are allowed on these shoots?  If I need a heavier bullet, can I use an 1886 Winchester in .45-70?

[Pitspitr]

Yes,  at least for now at some point we may limit it to just Buffalo Rifles

[Drydock]

My thought would be Lead bullet, no Gas Checks, minimum .375 caliber, minimum OAL 2".

Lead bullet: no target damage
No gas checks: no high velocity smokeless loads.  BP encouraged, but not required.
.375 caliber: keep bullet weight up.
OAL 2": no pistol calibers.

Any rifle meeting these parameters is fine.  Time is not a factor.

[Pitspitr]

Those sound like reasonable parameters

[Johnson Barr]

Sounds vagally familiar; sorta like the KVC Buffalo shoot in Kansas. Chuck lost to shorter people there too!     

[Drydock]

They're everywhere.

[Pitspitr]

Sounds vagally familiar; sorta like the KVC Buffalo shoot in Kansas. Chuck lost to shorter people there too!     

Of course it might be more understandable if he were Dale's height.