Have BPCR matches gone the way of the dodo

[Tazman1602]

Just wondering. I live way north in Michigans lower peninsula and ten years ago was going to try holy black in a few rifles I had but did not because one would have been a bugger to clean.

I had bookmarked all kinds of BPCR sites and went back to them —- almost all are defunct or not there anymore. I don’t really want to compete, just trying to find out all I can about loading 45-70 for a new Sharps I got at Christmas and a 1886 repop Winnie I’ve had for a few years.

I think I’ve got enough info to start loading, but at the temps we’ve had will most likely be March before I go to my range.

Just wondered if the sport of BPCR is dead as I’d like to go watch some matches unless I have to drive 8 hours.

Any info appreciated,

Art

[Lead pot]

Look up Alma MI and Cadillac MI

Alma has a two day monthly silhouette match starting in April and ending in Sept. plus usually a .22 match on Friday.
This will give you three days shooting.
Cadillac does not have dates yet.

I make that 7 hr drive several times during the season

[MC One Shot]

A lot of clubs and BPCRA have gone to Face Book. Check there. Matches dates and locations for a lot of clubs and associations are being posted now.

[Deadeye Bly]

Alma Mi has black powder silhouette matches. Some very nice helpful people attend that match. Steve Decker is the match director. He can be reached at: stevedecker@ameritech.net . Target matches(paper) are held in Cadillac. If you go across the lake to WI they shoot up to 1000 yards there.

[Tazman1602]

Thank you for all the replies, Cadillac is certainly within reach for me.

Art

[jednorris]

If you do not find a place to shoot, and do it, you are missing the best part of your life.

[Tazman1602]

If you do not find a place to shoot, and do it, you are missing the best part of your life.

I have a place to shoot, 300 yard range out my back door. However, I will find an actual match somewhere!

Art

[Tar Heel]

Tazman, I started by getting all the literature I could find and bought a lot of the BPCR books available written by the gray beards. I filled my head with the academic stuff then made trips to the matches, most of which were quite a travel distance. That was where I got the firsthand information that either supported the academic data or shot it down in flames. Preloading my brain with the academics greatly reduced my learning curve time with the practical application. With all the knowledge you get, either by book or by mouth, you will eventually develop your own style anyway. Your style will reflect your budget, time you wish to spend on the hobby, and level of accuracy you find acceptable to have a good time.

Mostly I just make smoke and whack the paper a few times. My enjoyment is the social interaction with other sooty faced crusty old guys.

[Chill Wills]

Tar Heel's post above covers it well.
Two things I will say about loading Black Powder for BPCR.
1) Mostly, we make it a lot, lot harder than it needs to be.
2) BUT, just starting out, we don't know what for sure we need to do and, what ....of all the BS we hear, we needs to disregard!
You, like most people, will sort it out quick once you get into it a while. Then the "KISS" takes over and all is good.

[indian joe]

Tar Heel's post above covers it well.
Two things I will say about loading Black Powder for BPCR.
1) Mostly, we make it a lot, lot harder than it needs to be.
2) BUT, just starting out, we don't know what for sure we need to do and, what ....of all the BS we hear, we needs to disregard!
You, like most people, will sort it out quick once you get into it a while. Then the "KISS" takes over and all is good.

Agree heaps - particularly with 1)
We have a guy in our club takes great delight in explaining to potential newcomers "how to do it" - I always try to stop the process - dont know how many potential members he has scared away with his well intentioned good advice - they leave in a daze wondering how anything could be so difficult! Nice feller - well meaning - a little better than average shot - but the the technicalities he throws in the face of newcomers is astounding. Just talkin about short range muzzleloaders and plinking with a BP load in a cowboy gun, --this stuff is simple folks - we dont even do the hard stuff. !!!!

[Tazman1602]

Thanks again. Yessir, in the cold we’ve had this winter I’ve gotten ahold of all the Matthews books I could find and between here and those have had my head buried in them. Still not entirely confidant with my good Sharps, but have picked up a couple of Pietta revolvers just to gain some confidence with the black.

Ok confession time. The last time I shot any black powder I had built one of those kit pistols available for $25 in the mid 70’s. There were a couple of well endowed young ladies over at my moms and they asked whether the pistol actually fired, of course I told them.

Sooo, I got the pistol, balls, and powder horn (I knew nothing about measuring loads…) and proceeded to charge the pistol….a little is good but I wanted to impress the girls so I dumped some more in, rammed the ball home and right before I lit it off thought maybe I put a little too much powder in so I held it off to the side, pointed it at the barn, and pulled the trigger. There was a tremendous boon, a “ting”, and a bang behind me. I looked up and all that was left in my hand was a little bit of the handle. Only God knows where the bullet went and when I turned around the breechplug had blown out, hit the siding of moms house, and was stuck in the wall of the kitchen….mom almost killed em when I got home and I never did get anywhere with the girls….

Just a funny story, I didn’t have a scratch (besides a black eye from mom whacking me a broomstick..) and I cannot wait to go to and find a BPCR match this summer!

By the time I load and fire the big rifle I will have memorized the very few simple procedures to load for both the Sharps and the pistol. Thanks for all the good advice and opinions!

Art

[Tar Heel]

Watch those revolvers carefully and keep them well apart from each other. They breed like rabbits.

[Lead pot]

How far are you from Cadillac? North or south from there?
Grayling has or had long range matches but I don't know for sure if they still do.
Alma and Cadillac are a very good place to join in. There is not one there that would not refuse to give you help that I know of.
I would not make that long 7 hr severaL times a year trip through a concrete jungle they call a City, Chicago and Gary IN. plus the 5 and 6 lane parking lot sometimes if it was not a good friendly match to shoot.
And if your North of Cadillac make the trip over the bridge and make the matches at Lodi WI and Harris MN.

[Tazman1602]

How far are you from Cadillac? North or south from there?
Grayling has or had long range matches but I don't know for sure if they still do.
Alma and Cadillac are a very good place to join in. There is not one there that would not refuse to give you help that I know of.
I would not make that long 7 hr severaL times a year trip through a concrete jungle they call a City, Chicago and Gary IN. plus the 5 and 6 lane parking lot sometimes if it was not a good friendly match to shoot.
And if your North of Cadillac make the trip over the bridge and make the matches at Lodi WI and Harris MN.

I’m up by the bridge and Cadillac is about 1.5-2hours away the way we drive these days. I’m thinking it would would make a good mini vacation. Go to a shoot, get a hotel and have a nice dinner out with wife. She’s a big time gun nut too and would enjoy it. An email from Cadillac just hit so I’m getting closer…thank you,

Art

[Lead pot]

Art,

Get yourself a Gypsy wagon and stay on the range.
I'm very fortunate my Wife likes to spot for me and she does well doing it.

I will take the long way around a lot of times going over the bridge going to the match or going home from it. It's twice as far for me but I call that Country Gods Country and I go through my old hunting grounds in the UP MI.
Going to matches and staying on the range you will make good friends and in time it gets to be like a reunion with friends you will look forward to seeing.
I been shooting the Quigley since 2004 as well sa other gong shoots where I will spend a week or more at some matches and now my Wife will twist my arm if I say I don't feel like making the 1200 mile trip and she will say yes were going

Kurt

[warren5421]

Deadeye Bly where is the 1000 yard range at in WI. Wife is from Beloit so we are there a few times a year. Beloit, Janesville, Milton is the area her siblings live in so could make a good outing while she catches up on the family. I use a Trapdoor and a Sharps in .45-70 and a Browning High Wall in .38-55. For fun shooting the .38-55 is hands down the best for me to 500 yards. to 500 yards the High Wall shoots the best for me using a 335 gr bullet. After 500 yards the wind pushes the bullet to much. I use a Lyman 530 gr bullet or a 576 gr postal type bullet in the .45-70's They are all fun but the .38-55 just shots so much softer.

[Edward]

Powder /primers abound in never-never land (do-do island too ) not having either makes your guns into fence posts ,so yup it ain't looking good for matches in the near future and beyond !/Ed

[Sgt H]

Recently decided to bring my Sharps and 1886 Browning out of semi-retirement and attend the Quigley match in MT this year. Have enough primers, lead for casting bullets and suitable smokeless powders to load thousands of 45/70 rounds. I had wanted to use BP for this match however 1.5 or 2 F seem to be unobtainium through the usual sources. Maybe I need to check with distributors in never-never land or do-do island. I have pretty much resigned myself to using smokeless loads unless the situation changes real soon but I am doubtful.

[Tazman1602]

Art,

Get yourself a Gypsy wagon and stay on the range.
I'm very fortunate my Wife likes to spot for me and she does well doing it.

I will take the long way around a lot of times going over the bridge going to the match or going home from it. It's twice as far for me but I call that Country Gods Country and I go through my old hunting grounds in the UP MI.
Going to matches and staying on the range you will make good friends and in time it gets to be like a reunion with friends you will look forward to seeing.
I been shooting the Quigley since 2004 as well sa other gong shoots where I will spend a week or more at some matches and now my Wife will twist my arm if I say I don't feel like making the 1200 mile trip and she will say yes were going

Kurt

I’d love it, unfortunately my wife had to do all that crap when she was growing up and she don’t like it now. Her (and mine) idea of camping is room service…

Art

[meeesterpaul]

Look up the cowboy action shooters in your preferred area. A number of them favor the Holy Black (and them that don't; still respect it). https://www.sassnet.com/clubs/