Match Results

A few years ago, I became interested in black powder cartridge rifles. Since the Tucson Rifle Club has a scheduled Black Powder Cartridge Rifle silhouette match the first Saturday of each month, I began to look for a suitable rifle with which to shoot

silhouette. Before long I found a Model 1874 C. Sharps in .40-70 Sharps Straight and began learning how to load patched and grease-grooved bullets with black powder. After working up a satisfactory load on the local range, I went to a silhouette match at Tucson and there I met Chip Mate, Ron Calderone, Zack and Zachary Taylor plus several other very good silhouette shooters. In time, I acquired a silhouette score book and shot enough matches to be classified as a B-Class silhouette shooter.

After the silhouette matches were over, the conversation frequently involved shooting Black Powder Long Range Target competition. The idea of shooting at 1,000 yards with a black powder cartridge rifle for some reason immediately appealed to me. I soon found an original Winchester Model 1885 High Wall in need of a new barrel and wood. Eron Ahmer of Sulfur Gulch Gunsmithing in Parker, Colorado, rebarreled my High Wall with a honed No. 5 weight, 1:17 twist Green Mountain Barrel and chambered the barrel to .45-90. From Treebone Carving in Nevada, I bought some nice XXX patch-quilt maple to use as a stock. I ordered some Starline brass and a "Money-style” bullet mould that Eron recommended from Buffalo Arms; I was in the long-range target rifle business.

After some serious .45-90 load development at Tombstone, Zack Taylor and I went to the 1,000-yard range at the Tucson Rifle

Club. We were amazed at how well my new rifle shot. It seemed so simple; just line up the sights, squeeze the trigger and watch in the spotting scope for the target to come up. The bullet landed in the black center of the target like magic over and over again – I was hooked. I wanted to see what this rifle would do at a match, even though I had never shot a Black Powder Target match.

That chance came when Zack Taylor called and asked if I would like to shoot with him at the Raton Nationals at the Whittington Center. Of course, I accepted and returned to the Whittington Center for the first time since 1977. Things had changed, and the place was impressive with deer and turkey feeding in the fields in front of the cabin. I got up every morning to watch the sun come up over the Tubb range with the first cup of coffee of the day.

Then there was target-pulling orientation. The large orange disk is a value marker. The shot spotter is a cardboard disk with a wooden peg through the center that is white on one side and black on the other. There are white pasters and black pasters.

Watch the impact pocket behind the target, and don’t take your eyes off it until the bullet impact can be seen on the berm behind the target. Next, pull the target down immediately, push the shot spotter into the bullet hole with the correct color facing the shooter, hang the value marker on the number the shot scores and run the target back up. There is no real hurry, just be smooth and efficient with no lost motion. The whole process can take less than 10 seconds with a little practice. After a few shots, the shooter can generally tell where to look on the target for the bullet hole by where the bullet struck the backstop. It is really helpful if the shooter keeps their shots in the black.

After four days of Midrange shooting with my .40-70, I was familiar with range procedure and pit duty. I could not wait for long-range shooting to begin on Day Five. It was on Day One of Long Range that the single-set trigger on my rifle went south and I had to shoot with it unset. After Day One, Lodi Legends Mark Schuenke and Cliff Gregg fixed the problem with my set trigger and I was ready for Day Two. That night, Steve Baldwin of Mechanical Accuracy treated the shooters to a steak dinner that was terrific. Thank you, Steve!

Zack was first shooter on Day Two. I watched and listened to what he observed that helped him figure out his sight settings. It pretty much sounded like what we did for Midrange, just more minutes adjustment on the rear sight. I was next up at 800 yards and wanted to see what my new rifle would do now that the trigger problem was fixed. Zack told me how to shoot a good score by breaking a clean shot every time I pulled the trigger and having good follow through. So all I did from the first sighter shot to the last record shot was concentrate on breaking the shots clean and following through. I lost track of the score and had no idea what it was; all I knew was my rifle and me were “one” as I broke clean shots and followed through after the shot broke. After I fired the last round in my shot block, I looked up and Zack simply said, “You shot a 98 with 3 Xs . . .  that might be the high score today at 800 yards.” I was stunned! At the first target match in my life as a Marksman I shot a 98x3 at 800 yards, and all I had to do was break clean shots. Wow! After the cease-fire, I became really excited as I checked and signed the score card. I could not believe this was for real!

When it came time to shoot 1,000 yards, Zack was standing on his shooting mat during the three-minute preparation period with a windage wheel chart and a mechanical wind reader. The conditions had changed as we were getting ready to fire. He retrieved his rifle and lay down on his shooting mat in time for the “commence fire” command. He loaded his rifle and kept looking around. As he adjusted his sights he said to me, “Tim, write this down: three minutes up and 14 minutes left.” He shouldered the rifle and fired rather quickly, I thought. The target came up – a center X. I said to myself, I want to learn how to do that. I asked him later on and his answer made sense. “Cast good bullets, shoot one rifle with one load that you are comfortable with, practice in all conditions and shoot as many matches as you can against the best shooters there are.” Oh, he also said that getting my rifle fixed before the match would be a good idea.

Next came the awards ceremony. The new friends I had been visiting with all week were walking up and getting awards – I was too. That was when I realized how much work goes into putting on this match and how much planning must be involved. Match Director Greg Burri and his crew did a great job and I am looking forward to shooting with them at the 2018 BPCR National Championship at Raton, New Mexico.

On the drive back to Tombstone, I kept kicking myself for not going to this match a long time ago. I encourage anyone out there who enjoys shooting these old smoke poles to come out to Raton, New Mexico and join the fun. It was the experience of a lifetime for me and it could be for you, too. All you have to do is show up and shoot.

The American Creedmoor Cup & Midwest Regional Long Range Championship
Lodi, Wisconsin - June 2017

It was a rifle match challenge from the Irish to the Americans in 1874 to decide the World Champion Long Range Rifle Team

that gave birth to the National Rifle Association of America. In recent history, citizen descendants of those first riflemen have gathered annually on the Tubb Range at the NRA Whittington Center near Raton, New Mexico, to determine the current top American riflemen and carry on the first traditions of the NRA.

The 2017 National Championships from August 14 to 20 may be long remembered as a significant series of events due to the results of competitive shooting that took place at the Whittington Center. This was mostly because old records fell and new ones were set, while new aggregates were created.

The elements over which match planners had control had been attended to. The impact berms were cleared of weeds and brush so that bullet impacts could be readily seen. The firing points had been dusted with “ant block” and the firing point pins and numbers were established. Targets were fresh and clearly visible from the firing points, and the pit boxes contained the quality and quantity of shot markers, value markers and pasters to ensure the target pullers could efficiently do their very important work. All of this pre-match attention to detail was much

appreciated by the shooters.

The Position Mid-Range match consists of a two-day aggregate: ten shots offhand at 200 yards, 10 shots sitting at 300 yards, and 10 shots prone at 600 yards for a total of 30 shots for score each day plus a 60-shot, two-day aggregate. It was Arizona’s own Chip Mate from Elgin, who posted a new national record of 558-6X and was rewarded with a much-deserved win. (Rumor has it that Chip practices.)

For the first time at the Raton Nationals, the new course of fire for the Prone Mid-Range match was 10 shots prone at 300 yards, 10 shots prone at 500 yards and 10 shots prone at 600 yards for a one-day, 30-shot score that is fired on two consecutive days for a two-day, 60-shot aggregate. Who else but the world-famous Lodi Legend and consistent contender, Mark Schuenke, from the Winnequah Gun Club at Lodi, Wisconsin, would make it look easy as he fired what promises to be a National Record of 574-14X.

Day Five dawned with the competitors gathering at the 800-yard firing line for the distinctly American Creedmoor Match. This is where shooters find out about loads, conditions and the value of match experience, aas they bring out their favorites by Sharps, Remington and Winchester, while carefully staging prepared ammunition on their mats for use in record fire. This match consists of 10 shots for record at 800 yards, 10 shots for record at 900 yards and 10 shots for record at 1,000 yards for a one-day, 30-shot score and a two-day, 60-shot aggregate. The 2017 Creedmoor National Champion is the preeminent, long-range black powder target rifleman of our time, none other than Dave Gullo from Sandpoint, Idaho. Dave has graced the Creedmoor Winners Circle at Raton a total of eight times, I believe, and on this

occasion set a new national record of 563-12X out of a possible 600. This was incredible shooting and a testament to his experience and dedication to the sport. Congratulations to Dave for his well-earned win.

The Dan Theodore Commemorative National Championship Ironman Aggregate Match was officially instituted for the first time for the 2017 Black Powder Target Rifle National Matches as an official NRA match. It is an aggregate of the Position Mid-Range, Prone Mid-Range and Creedmoor Long Range matches. The Ironman Match has been fired and recognized at the National Championships for many years. It was not until 2017, however, that the official National Championship Match was complete with scores and national records maintained by the NRA. Now it has been renamed and is officially the Dan Theodore Commemorative National Championship Ironman Aggregate Match. To win this match in 2017, Chip Mate fired what may prove to be a very difficult score to beat. Chip fired an aggregate of 1658-20X to be the official Match Winner. Arguably, by winning this match, Chip Mate is the top Black Powder Target Rifleman of the 2017 Black Powder Target Rifle Championships. Clearly, it is the most difficult match to win in black powder target rifle competition. - Zack Taylor

Equipment List

Mark Schuenke: .45-90 Winchester High Wall, Krieger 1:16 twist barrel, Buffalo Arms Co. 525-grain Money grease groove bullet, 1:16 alloy, White Lightning lube, .090 poly wad, 82 grs. Swiss 1½ Fg, Federal GM150 primer, Starline brass, Distant Thunder front sight, Montana Vintage Arms rear sight, aperture insert, rifle weighs 14.5 lbs., wiped between shots with M-Pro 7 on 2-3 patches.

Dave Gullo: .45-100-2.6 Sharps Borchardt, Badger 1:18 twist barrel, Buffalo Arms Co. 540-grain Money grease groove bullet (JIM459542M3), 1:20 alloy, SPG Lube, 87 grs. Swiss 1½ Fg, .030 poly wad, Federal GM150M primer, Starline brass, Riflesmith front sight, Kelley rear sight, aperture insert, rifle weighs 11 lbs., 12 oz., wiped with Buffalo Arms Co. Bore Wipers, MPro-7 and 2¼” patch.

Chip Mate: .44-77 Shiloh Sharps ’74, Shiloh 1:19 twist barrel, Buffalo Arms Co. 480-grain Money bullet, 1:20 alloy, SPG Lube, .060 Walters Wad, 72 grs. Swiss 2Fg, Federal LP primer, Jamison brass, Montana Vintage Arms sights, aperture insert, rifle weighs 11.5 lbs., wiped with G12 anti-freeze 50/50 with water, arsenal patch.

Zack Taylor: .45-90 Remington Hepburn, 34” Badger 1:18 twist barrel, King chamber, Buffalo Arms Co. 540-grain bullet (459542M3), 1:16 alloy, Taylor Tallow lube, .025 card wad, .060 LDPE wad, 83 grs. Swiss 1½ Fg, Federal GM150M primer, .009 paper over primer, Starline brass, Montana Vintage Arms sights, aperture insert, rifle weighs 11 lbs., 12 oz., wiped with Buffalo Arms Co. Bore Wipers followed by two patches of MPro-7. Mid-Range rifle- .44-90 (Remington Straight) Sharps Borchardt, 32” Krieger 1:16 twist barrel, Buffalo Arms Co. 520-grain bullet (447520M2), 1:16 alloy, Taylor Tallow lube, .025 card wad, .055 veg. fiber wad, .060 LDPE wad, 68 grs. Swiss 3 Fg, .45-90 Starline brass sized to .44-90 Remington Straight, Federal GM150M primer, .009 paper over primer, Montana Vintage Arms sights, aperture insert, rifle weighs 12 lbs., 8 oz., wiped with Buffalo Arms Co. Bore Wipers followed by two patches of MPro-7.