Department of the Platte muster - set-up day

[Sagebrush Burns]

Dateline Craig, CO:  Dept of the Platte muster, set-up day.  8-2-19, 1300 hours  Participants in the muster showed up today at 1300 to put the match together.  Present for duty were Jim Hasler (the Some Dense Kid, a new GAF member), Mike Davison (Doc Murdock), Bob Weller (Just Bob), Chuck Luetkemeyer (Drydock), John Smith (Mustang John Bass), Steve Fowler (Bat Masterson), annd Andy Bullen (Sagebrush Burns).  By 1630 hours we had set up three skirmish stages and the expansion era skirmish.  That seemed like enough for the day so we cooled down with water and palaver.  At 1800 we gathered at a local eating establishment and were joined by Jerry Davenport (Pitspitter) and his lady.  After dinner troops adjourned to local quarters and will meet at 0800 tomorrow for the commencement of hostilities.  More to come...

[Sagebrush Burns]

update on day two
We met at 0800 and commenced shooting three skirmish stages.  As Drydock puts it:  the targets aren't hard to hit but they are hard to find.  After a particularly wet spring and early summer all the ground cover in our high desert area has been growing outrageously!  In some cases you had to nearly step on the target before you could see it.  Our ground is fairly rough, sometimes rocky and usually a bit uphill as the skirmish progresses.  Everyone made it through and appeared to have a good time but as Drydock said at lunch:  "One more target would have been too many."  We took a long, leisurely lunch break then shot the long range rifle and precision pistol events.  Long range turned out much tougher than anticipated and many of us were humbled to some extent.  All shooting was done by 1600 so we got a good break before our dinner gathering.  The conversation was wide ranging and most stimulating and got us all prepped for a good night's rest.  Tomorrow is our final day:  we will shoot the espansion era skirmish and the partners stage then wrap it up and head home...

[Trailrider]

I deeply regret not having been able to participate! While our annual checkups came back in good shape, a family tragedy would have made it impossible to attend last weekend. Our younger daughter's father-in-law passed away suddenly while visiting for our son-in-law's 50th birthday.  The funeral was held this past Friday.

Hopefully, I will be able to attend next year.

Your obdt servant,

[Advertising]

[Sagebrush Burns]

Trailrider - sorry to hear of the sad event.  Hopefully everyone else is doing OK.  We'll look for you next August.
SB

[Sagebrush Burns]

Final update:  Sunday, 8-4 19 0800  Today was the final day for the Department of the Platte annual muster.  First of we shot the Expansion Era skirmish.  The skirmish was based on (and all the targets set for)  two body shots followed by a head shot.  There were a total of seven targets (five rifle, two pistol) for twenty one rounds.  Your correspondent (who designed the stage) found it more difficult than expected and finished last.  Everyone else did much better.  When the Expansion Era skirmish was done we collected all the skirmish steel, returned it to the barn, and set up the partners stage where Drydock and Pitspitter whipped us all.  After that we had lunch, presented awards and held a post-combat de-brief.  Everyone said they had a good time (of course they had to say that, the match director wouldn't unlock the gate and let them escape until they did!)  We're looking forward to our third annual next August - hope you can join us!

[Pitspitr]

SSHHHHHHH!
Don't tell everyone what a great match this is or we'll be over run by folks trying to get in! 

Seriously, this match had everything I look for in a match; It was well run, interesting terrain that lends itself to really interesting target placement, the opportunity to shoot guns I love and great companionship! I LOVED the target set up for the 2 to the body 1 to the head during the EEM! I'll be back every time I possibly can be!

Our run in the Partner stage was the example of TEAMWORK! Early in the stage I had problems with my rifle jamming. Drydock just kept shooting. Later in the stage he had a squib, Andy handed him a pistol while I just kept shooting. And, no, I didn't choose my team mate, though I couldn't have chosen better if I had!

Lady Catherine, (my BETTER half, Not the cannon) and I used the break Saturday afternoon to attend church and it was quite fun to watch the folks trying to not make it obvious that they were trying to figure out who the strange man in the white summer/tropics uniform was. 

Thank you Sagebrush Bush Burns for a wonderful weekend. I only regret that I couldn't get there soon enough to help with setting out steel.

Trailrider: My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family

[Drydock]

I really wish someone had videoed the Partners match, as it was a wonderful display of uncoordinated coordination.  Partners were chosen by drawing names from a hat.  Long guns needed to be repeaters.  Course was 15 steel plates,  each needing to be shot once from each of 3 advancing positions, advancing in succession, the last position for handguns.

 I had not intended to shoot it, as we originally had odd numbers.  Then Jerry showed up, so now the numbers were even, so Andy lent me his .45 Colt 1873 Carbine.  I used my own M1851 Navy Conversion, with .38 BP loads.  We started with full magazines.  Jerrys 1903 was having trouble feeding, so he came on line just as I ran empty, and finished off the targets  as I began a reload.  We advanced to the 2nd position, Jerry emptied the 03 as I finished loading, and I came on line and finished up.  We then advanced to the pistol line, Jerry drawing his as I came up with the 51.  My first round squibbed.  I called "Squib" and Andy's SAA .45 suddenly appeared over my right shoulder.  I holstered with my right as I grabbed the .45 with my left as Jerry popped away.  I loaded 6 (pouch filled with Andy's .45 reloads on my person for the rifle) and came up as Jerry reloaded, and took down 6 targets as Jerry cleared the rest. 

That is the first BP Squib I've ever had, same loads that I'd been shooting all weekend.  Ah well.  For those interested, I used my Chiappa Sharps .50-70 Carbine for this match, and shot it clean with fast overall time for the 3 Skirmish runs.  That was a lot of fun, adding to a fun weekend.

[Pitspitr]

The fastest overall time with a sharps. That should once again prove that the man is weapon and the rifle is just the tool. 

I forgot to mention earlier that I fueled the pickup just before I left Craig. We ran into a thunder storm which was accompanied by a headwind just as we go into Nebraska. The headwind, of course, increased fuel usage, but in spite of that when I pulled into our driveway last night at 12:30 I still had not needed to refuel. We went 535 miles on 1 tank of fuel!

[Sagebrush Burns]

Jerry & Chuck - many thanks for the kind words and I'm sure glad you had a good time - your run on the partners stage was a thing of beauty.  Chuck, many thanks for the help and advice on skirmishes and set-up.  Chuck and Jerry - it is always a pleasure to hang out and shoot with you and thank you for your help and support every step of the way!

[Pitspitr]

...And we've all neglected to congratulate new GAF member Jim Hasler (the Some Dense Kid) who was the 2019 Department of the Platte Champion. He won the 2 gun Smokeless Regular Military class and had the overall high scores in both the Long Range and Precision Pistol matches.

[MUD MARINE]

Sagebrush Burns: Did I get fired as Marine Commander of the Platte?

[Sagebrush Burns]

Sagebrush Burns: Did I get fired as Marine Commander of the Platte?

Negative - you're still "the man".