Competing with the Man Bun crowd...

[Idaho45guy]

Not really...

Was invited to a rifle match today in the area and it was a long range rifle match in which competitors shoot at various sizes and shapes of animal steel silhouette targets at various distances.

Off the top of my head, they had a ground hog, bobcat, coyote, and wolf targets, plus a few others I can't recall. The largest target was the wolf and it was set at 1000 yards.

Each shooter gets 4 shots at each target. If you hit it the first try, then you move on to the next target. Each target has a smaller area outlined called the "vitals". Hits in that area are used to break ties.

I believe the closest target is the ground hog at 200 yards and is about 10" square or so.

Nearly all of the competitors were younger than me with most in their late 20's or 30's. All the rifles were bolt-action with heavy barrels and giant scopes in smaller calibers. Most were in the fancy skeletal chassis systems and had either muzzle brakes, or composite barrels, or suppressors.

Some very high-dollar precision rifles on display.

The organizer was very cool and nice and I got to chat with him for a bit and explained that I would love to try my hand at the next match, but that all I had for a match gun was my BPCR Uberti high wall in .45-70 govt. I told him I competed with it in Arizona years ago. He said the rules limit caliber to .338 or below, but if I wanted to try with my "buffalo gun", then they would be happy to watch the attempt.

So, I think I'll give it a try at the next match.

The scope I had on it is garbage, and I've never actually sighted it in and shot with it, so I removed it and will re-install my tang mounted Pedersoli long-range Creedmoor sight.

I haven't shot the rifle in competition in ten years. Tumbling brass now and will crank out some black powder loads using 65, 67, and 69 grains of Goex FFG, vegetable wad, and 500 grain cast boolits.

I've shot it with the peep sights at Rams, which are 500 meters (547 yards) and usually got all of them.

The next match is 200 yards to 700 yards, so it will be interesting to see if I can hit anything.

It will be fun to see the reaction of the other shooters when I break out my ancient buffalo gun.

[45workhorse]

Show them youngins how to shoot

[Idaho45guy]

It's weird, but I've never actually shot the rifle for groups. My dad was my spotter, and he is in the Master class. He gave me the rifle and would tell me what recipe to use for loads. Then, while shooting, he would call the shots and tell me how many clicks to move the sight, or to hold slightly higher, etc.

All I had to do was be a good trigger puller, which is the easy part. I won my division a few times and at the state championship. I'm a good trigger puller.

Now, I have to figure out how to be a good shot caller and sight mover. It would be awesome if my dad could come to the match and spot for me, but he is in pretty rough shape and almost lost a foot to diabetes the last couple of months.

I have a lot of shooting to do in the next month to get loads figured out and sight settings locked in.

[omgb]

You should be able to hold your own. BP has a very low velocity spread, oft times in single digits. Your diopter sights should work fine and, your rifle is no slop bucket. Give ‘‘em heck!


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[missionary5155]

That sounds like a fun match! Targets should be knocked into orbit.

[gewehrfreund]

We're all rooting for you. Give the man bun crowd a yank they'll remember.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I'd shoot the course once before the real thing. If the range isn't available for practice, then out on the prairie somewhere.

DG

[dave roelle]

Are you allowed a "spotter"

[pworley1]

Keep us updated on your results.

[dverna]

Man...no way I could use iron sights to hit a wolf at 1000 yards. I would be challenged with my heavy .308, 20x scope and 175 SMK's.

Good luck but bring an extra lunch. Those youngsters with the precision rifles are not all girly men and they will eat your lunch.

I hope you nail one of those long range targets and give them something to think about. Good luck!

[Bazoo]

I’d talk to your dad about it. Since I don’t know how bad off he is, I’m thinking, maybe it’ll give him a reason to get going one last time?

[Idaho45guy]

Are you allowed a "spotter"

Yep

[Idaho45guy]

Got the Creedmoor sight installed...

Attachment 298862

Attachment 298863

[1Hawkeye]

Time to take the kids to school. Lots of times at the range I get the "what do you expect to do with that old thing" from some tactifool and his spacegun. Funny cause when they see the targets they start singing a different tune especialy when they just shot a 4" 100 yard group with there 168 gr match whatevers and my target is a small cloverleaf made by a cast lead .40 or .45 cal in the 400 gr range. Have a Great time.

[dogrunner]

The term is 'girly BOYS', as I recall Arnold's comment.

Small bore woosies keepin' the competition .338. or under!

[Don McDowell]

Looking forward to hearing your results shooting with that man bun crowd those guys mostly shoot some extremely accurate rifles using scopes that cost bear as much as a new Shiloh
Trying to come up with a no load shooting iron sights that will compete with them is going to be a pretty tall hill to climb


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[Idaho45guy]

Looking forward to hearing your results shooting with that man bun crowd those guys mostly shoot some extremely accurate rifles using scopes that cost bear as much as a new Shiloh
Trying to come up with a no load shooting iron sights that will compete with them is going to be a pretty tall hill to climb


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I'll be happy if I can get a couple of hits on steel at 500+ yards. I have no illusions of beating anyone with open sights.

The good news is that my dad will be joining me as my spotter. He said to get the sight settings for 200 and 300 yards and he could get me on target. He built the rifle. Barrel was made by JK Cloward, so should be a good one.

[45workhorse]

Them poor man buns, are going to cry when they figure out you got an ace up your sleeve!

[Jeff Michel]

What I'd give for a front row seat to this show. Good Luck!

[tmanbuckhunter]

As long as you have sight settings and can read wind you'll be fine. No sight settings, and no spotter? Good luck. Hard to input the data needed into your phone for sight settings with the bullets, sights, loads etc.... we use with these guns. It just doesn't spit out accurate settings.