C. Sharps Arms Co., Inc.

Transcription

1 Edition Published by C. Sharps Arms Co., Inc. C. Sharps Arms, Looking Back Over 40 Years, page 3 Manufacturers of A WORLD FAMOUS SERIES of Classic Metallic Cartridge Rifles and Classic Sights P.O. Box 885, Big Timber, MT Phone: Fax: csharps@ttc-cmc.net *

2 THE AMERICAN SHARPS SHOOTERS Publisher: C. Sharps Arms Co. Inc., John R. Schoffstall President Mike Nesbitt Editor (miken54@aol.com) Dakota Dick Savage - - Field Contributor (honodick@centurylink.net) Dangerous Don McDowell - - Field Contributor (ranch13@hotmail.com) Table of contents: Page Looking Back Over 40 Years Outstanding Products... 9 Old West Centerfires by Bob Gietz What Does The Future Hold? by Dangerous Don McDowell Getting Ready for Quigley by Mike Nesbitt... 20

3 LOOKING BACK OVER 40 YEARS To help commemorate the 40 year history of C. Sharps Arms Company, three of us are joining together to share some of our memories. Here s hopin you enjoy this little bit of looking back and let s all hope we have a lot more to look forward to in the future. My own introduction to the guns of C. Sharps Arms came about at a black powder muzzleloading rendezvous held in the summer of 1980 on the banks of the Yakima River. At that mountain man doin s one of the fellows there was red-haired Jim Kilts and he was an employee of C. Sharps Arms which at that time was located just a few miles away in Richland, Washington. Jim had a rifle with him that really caught my eye and he d let interested folks take a shot or two with it. I got in line more than once to shoot that gun, it was a Gemmer-style rifle, stocked like a Hawken, using a percussion Shiloh Model 1863 Sharps action in.54 caliber. Just a little while later contact was made with John Schoffstall and arrangements were quickly and informally made for us to meet. Within that first conversation I also learned that they had another Gemmer already built and ready to go. The only hole in the soup about that rifle was that it was chambered for the.50/90 cartridge and I was hoping for a.45/70. But the.50/90 had a lot of interest about it too so I rather quickly grabbed at that Big.50 chambered rifle and added an order for a Sporting Rifle in.45/70 right away. With the.50/90 John made sure I had reloading dies, RCBS bullet mould, bullet sizing die and at least 20 loaded rounds using Jim Kilts at the rendezvous BELL cases shortened from 3 ¼ down to 2 ½. In addition to that, when I went to the shop to pick up the rifle, Jim Kilts took me to a private shooting range to help get the rifle sighted-in. That was a big help but all too soon my single box of ammo needed to be loaded again. There was nothing wrong with that, it just needed doing. And it needed doing in a bit of a hurry because I had a deer hunt in Oregon to go on and I most certainly wanted this.50/90 to be used on that hunt. At home some bullets were cast and size, then loaded over a duplex powder charge using 81 grains of FFg on top of 9 grains, if I remember correctly, of #4198. Duplex loads were thought to be the way to go back then. After shooting a few more rounds to check the sights, I was off to the hunt. The pictures of me getting the rifle and the pictures of my first deer with it are on the same roll of film. My new rifle sure was the center of attention on that hunt. At least five other guys were there and they all wanted to shoot my new gun. With less than 20 rounds to my name I told them to wait until I had brought in a deer, then they could shoot up whatever ammo remained. As it turned out, I got a nice Mike and Jim Kilts compare their Gemmers

4 meaty doe (just what I was looking for) with one shot. She didn t drop like a rock when hit but even so, there was no doubt about it. A second shot was not needed. A story of mine about that rifle and that deer hunt was published in GUNS magazine in their May, 1981 issue called Mountain Man s Breechloader. That story told most of what there was about the hunt, the rifle, and the loads used but now let me add a little more to the tale. At least seven or eight cartridges remained and those guys were not letting me forget that I promised they could shoot the Big.50 if I had brought in some game with it. The first to step forward to take a shot was a young preacher and his shooting experience was limited to his.50 caliber flintlock Hawken styled rifle and the.30 caliber M-1 carbine. In other words, he had never experienced shooting a rifle that had a real reputation for recoil. But he knew how to shoot so I handed him the rifle and one cartridge. Then I turned to step away, giving him plenty of room, and when I turned back he was aiming the rifle with the forearm balanced on his fingertips. He wasn t holding the gun firmly at all. Just as I tried to shout a warning, he fired. He didn t drop the gun. What he did do was almost as spectacular, he baptized that rifle right on the spot! He shouted out such oaths and so many holy phrases without missing a thing. Those were all of the right words, not necessarily in the proper order but they were all there! After such a colorful christening, I named the big rifle King David. No, he didn t ask to take a second shot. Next I teamed-up with Walt Mellander of Northeast Industrial Handtools, the bullet mould maker. Because my.50/90 (and my first.45/70 Sharps) was throated ahead of the chamber, it needed a groove-diameter paper patched bullet. Walt soon sent me the first of the NEI PP moulds, where the bullet s ogive goes from the bullet s nose back to a.510 diameter and then steps down to.498 for the area to be wrapped with paper. The idea for having lead in front of the edge of the paper patch was to protect it while it entered the rifling. While this bullet did not prove to be a great success as far as sales goes, it sure worked for me. That is still the most accurate bullet I can use in my.50/90 Gemmer but a rifle s chamber should be throated to use it. In September 1981 that bullet was used very well on a black bear taken in northeast Washington State with the.50/90. That bear was shot at rather close range and the bullet most certainly blew a hole, especially on the exit side. No, the bullet was not recovered. It was not long after that when John told me C. Sharps Arms was moving to Big Timber, Montana. While I certainly love Montana, I simply don t visit there enough and that move meant C. Sharps Arms would not be as available for me to drop in. Even so, I kept in touch with John and continued using my Sharps rifles in the woods. I didn t start using those rifles in competition until many years later and I do realize that I missed out on a lot of fun. Maybe our trails will cross at one of the shoots to come because now I m using my Sharps rifles more than ever. John s move to Big Timber was a good one, of course, and while a lot of water has flowed under the bridge since that move, C. Sharps Arms is going strong. Let s hope the future for C. Sharps Arms is just as John Schoffstall in the 1 st C. Sharps Arms showroom solid, along with all of our shooting sports. Mike Nesbitt

5 I acquired my first Black Powder Cartridge Rifle from John Schoffstall over 10 years ago. That was just after my 32 year career with the United States Air Force had ended and at the top on my list of things to do was acquiring a new Sharps rifle so I could put everything I had learned about BPCRs over the years into active application. The USAF is a great way of life and excellent career but moving every 3 years to assignments all over the world does not lend itself well to pursuing certain hobbies. To say I was eager to get a Sharps rifle and start loading and shooting is a bit of an understatement. I had waited long enough to acquire my first Sharps, so waiting a couple of years to have one built was not an option. After researching Sharps manufactures for several years, when I picked up the phone and formed that all important first impression, it was John Schoffstall at C. Sharps Arms that won my respect. Heck, others were not even in competition. John was genuinely happy to take my call, listen to my ramblings and answer my questions. Together we reviewed some of the rifles he currently had in production and quickly narrowed it down to the "right one". A Hartford Sharps Custom 74 with a 34" #1 1/2 Heavy Barrel, French Gray receiver, XXX Fancy Wood, Long Range Vernier sight and front globe with inserts that came to be known as the "James Henry" after my father. John had not chambered the barrel yet so I picked as my research advised it was the "right" first BPCR caliber to start with and John agreed. Kristy (my wife) and I picked the Black Hills of South Dakota for our retirement home so the 5 1/2 hour drive to Big Timber to pick up my first Sharps just two months later was easily doable and a real treat given the fall colors were at their height. The drive on I-90 along the Yellowstone River was like a moving picture postcard. We rolled up in front of C. Sharps Arms at 11:00 am where John greeted us at the door. Delivery of my first Sharps 74, pictures, a tour of the production area, and an extended review and discussion of the display of all available rifles and the benefits of attending the Quigley Buffalo Rifle Match easily filled the next 4 hours. Since that first meeting, the scenario has been repeated no less than 8 times in Big Timber and several times at the C Sharps Arms vendor tent at the Quigley Buffalo Rifle Match. That first Sharps 74 was used to shoot my very first Quigley Match and the following year it was returned to the Dakota Dick shakes on the deal with John Schoffstall shop and re-chambered for cartridge. My gun corral has included several configurations of C Sharps Arms Highwalls, Hepburns, and, yes, more than just a few Sharps 74s. Calibers ranging from the to the "Big 50" have been represented and all of those guns have been high quality rifles. Thousands of rounds have found their way into the chambers of these rifles and along the way encountered a few broken firing pins, lever springs and even a chipped sear engagement notch. In every case, C. Sharps Arms has stood behind their rifles and repaired or replaced the worn or broken parts without charge. Good fortune really smiled down on me that first day I called John Schoffstall at C. Sharps Arms and that has continued more than a decade in our relationship. By Dakota Dick Savage

6 Among those in this edition paying homage to the 40 th anniversary of C. Sharps Arms, I have the briefest of personal connections. My association with C. Sharps Arms rifles has been relatively short, but marked with a growing appreciation of the vision and craftsmanship that have become the hallmark of Old Reliable. Like many American shooters, I have long been enamored of the history, legend, and styling of the Sharps rifles. The Sharps design enabled the development and utilization of cartridges capable of extending ranges beyond those previously achieved by hunters and precision shooters, and its accuracy became the stuff of legend. Even as a child I was infatuated with the image of the long-range shot, the classic lines and beauty of the buffalo rifle, and an admiration for its special place in history. But like many others, I had never had the opportunity to lay my hands on, much less shoot, an actual Sharps. As far as I knew, the only Sharps rifles left were rusty, old originals, few and far between, and too expensive for any but the deep-pocketed collector. One day in 1997, a fellow soldier told me of a rifle he was having built in Big Timber, Montana. His enthusiasm for the quality and craftsmanship was infectious, and for the first time I became aware of the prospects of owning a faithfully executed Sharps rifle. Although I was not prepared at that time to put the money into a new purchase, those first seeds proved amazingly relevant to what would later transpire. Cut to early 2013, when a day of shooting on the local range turned into a day of discovery as Mike Nesbitt brought along his own C. Sharps Arms 74 in.45/70, and graciously offered up his ammunition to allow me a new experience. After a brief lesson on Sharps basics, such as pulling the hammer to half-cock before opening the breech, I was finally able to take those first few shots. This first opportunity to finally hold a piece of American history was memorable, the simplicity of the single shot, deliberate sequence of actions, roar, recoil, cloud of smoke, and sheer beauty were exactly as I would have hoped. My first experience was deeply satisfying, and I was hooked. Mike graciously offered to loan me the rifle with which to shoot in the recently initiated black powder cartridge matches sponsored by C. Sharps Arms and held at our black powder range. Those first months were marked with learning new skills and making multiple mistakes. In spite of initial humbling results, my new interest was deeply satisfying and compelling. After using the borrowed rifle for several months, I finally purchased a rifle of my own. After shooting in several more club matches as well as longer range silhouette shoots, we planned a trip to the 2014 Matthew Quigley Buffalo Rifle Match, and it was enroute to the Quigley doings that I got the opportunity to visit Big Timber, Montana. On my visit to the C. Sharps Arms factory/showroom, I was even more impressed with the quality inherent in the products and people of C. Sharps Arms. Able to see firsthand the production process, I found the staff to be absolutely professional and patient in proudly showing their work. From the artfully crafted rifles displayed in the showroom gallery to the works in progress in the manufacturing facility, pride of effort shows. When I had the opportunity to speak to John Schoffstall, he impressed me with his historical knowledge, sagacity, and respect for the Sharps design, proving himself a faithful steward to an American icon. I left that visit with 2 new acquisitions: a new C. Sharps Arms Model 74 in.45/70 and a strong sense of confidence that C. Sharps Arms rifles most certainly set the standard in

7 C. Sharps Arms Model 1875 Sporting and Target Rifle craftsmanship, I have since acquired a C. Sharps Arms Model 1875 Business Rifle, and my confidence has been bolstered by its superb accuracy. I am a customer for life. The quality and dedication to authenticity of the C. Sharps Arms line honors the proud history of the Sharps rifle. What makes shooting that Sharps any different than any one of a number of rifles? In a word, Pride. First of all, the rifles are definite eye-catchers. There is seldom a day at the range when I am not approached by someone who is unfamiliar with the Sharps, and I always try to have enough rounds on hand to allow them to enjoy firsthand the experience of firing a piece of history (paying it forward, Mike). Second, the Sharps is a timeless design that represents one of the finest rifles in American history. It excelled at its job and quickly gained a reputation for strength and accuracy, earning America honors in the world s competitive arena. Third, it exemplifies craftsmanship. No plastic, no gaps between wood and steel, and hand-crafted components harken back Allen fires at the Quigley buffalo while Don McDowell spots for him to a time when people took pride in their work. The cumulative effort required to bring the C. Sharps Arms rifle from its origins to the p resent day is an amazing accomplishment, and required a special vision and energy to bring it about. C. Sharps Arms is instrumental in keeping the Sharps tradition in the forefront of American shooting, and its legacy to the shooting world is a faithful devotion to timeless principles, and this now covers a span of 40 years! Tremendous, keep it going!! By Allen Cunniff Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it. Mark Twain John Schoffstall at a gun show in 2013

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9 OUTSTANDING PRODUCTS: Book Review: Remington Rolling Block Rifles, Carbines & Shotguns, Target & Sporting Rifles Reviewed by Mike Nesbitt Remington Rolling Block Rifles, Carbines & Shotguns, Target & Sporting Rifles By Roy Marcot 321 pages, hardcover, 12 X 10 inches in size, $ $12.95 for postage ISBN This is a book that I bought unseen because it was recommended by a friend. Well, I owe that friend a real favor because this is the book about rolling block sporting rifles that I was really looking for. To put things in very few words, this book is fantastic! Now I ll try to tell you more about it without rewriting it (In other words, I ll try to keep my comments rather brief.) Some might say the real highlight about this book is its photography and they might be right. The pictures of the rifles in this book leave very little to be desired. And those fine pictures aren t just of one to two rifles, every rifle shown is presented in very good pictures which generally cover a whole page. Each rifle is generally shown in a full page view plus being accompanied by several detail shots. Just as individual rifles are shown in detail, other items are also shown in fantastic pictures such as cartridge boxes, sights, and other accessories. And because the #1 Sporting Rifle did have a bit of an evolution, differences from early to late Sporting Rifles are show very nicely such as, early to late front sights, early to late trigger guards, and some of the custom work done by others on the rolling blocks during the late 1800s. Let me sound more like a reviewer by saying this book of 321 pages is broken down into 17 chapters. The first 12 of those chapters are dedicated to the #1 Sporting Rifle. Remington offered several versions of the #1 including the Remington Buffalo Rifles which were advertised in That was in.50/70 caliber and about the same time they offered the Remington Deer Rifle which was a lighter version of the #1 chambered for the.46 rimfire cartridge. There is a lot more of this kind of information in the book but I d better try to keep my promise about being brief. The other chapters are dedicated to the Remington Rolling Block rifles #1½, #2, #4, #5 Sporting & Target Rifles, and the #7, all equally as interesting at the #1. Actually, the very best information I can give you about this fine book is to tell you where to get one. Remington Rolling Block Rifles, Carbines & Shotguns, Target & Sporting Rifles is available for $85.95 (which discounted from the $ retail price) from North Cape Publications, Inc., PO Box 1027, Tustin CA ( They do ask for $12.95 to cover the postage. Orders can be placed by calling (800) (8:30 to 7 pm PST, Mon-Sat) or on-line on their web site. A deluxe leather-bound volume is also available.

10 Hornady s Handheld Priming Tool by Mike Nesbitt After telling you about a de-capping tool in the Outstanding Products in the last edition, now I get to pass on a good review of a priming tool. Getting a new priming tool because suddenly necessary when the tool I had used for 30 years (or so it seems) broke in my hand while priming a.44/90 case. Having that tool break left me more or less at a standstill because I had no other way of priming cases. So, within minutes an order was placed with Buffalo Arms for one of the Hornady Handheld Priming Tools and after this new tool arrived, just a couple of days later, I was busy reloading ammo again. For me using this priming tool is really something new and I had never used a priming tool with a magazine or primer tray before. Previously I had to pick up each individual primer and place it in the tool before priming an empty case. Now up to 100 primers can be put on the primer tray and those are gravity fed into the slot where they are easily and quickly pushed into the primer pocket of the next casing with just a squeeze of the hand. That speeds up my reloading considerably which is certainly enjoyable, especially when loading revolver ammo where a number of cases are waiting their turn. The primer tray also eliminates the need for large or small primer bushings because it has two separate primer slots. When large primers are being used the slot for the small primers is blocked by a small molding in the primer tray cover. The same molding blocks the large primer slot if small primers are being used. This tool comes equipped with two primer trays, one to be used with Hornady shell holders and another for use with RCBS shell holders. Because I m well equipped with RCBS shell holders, that was a consideration for picking this priming tool and so far I ve only used it with the RCBS shell holders. No complaints at all. To switch to priming another caliber or cartridge case, the shell holders are quickly and easily changed, nothing more needs to be done as long as the same size of primer will be used. For switching to the other size of primer things get just a little bit more is involved but that doesn t take long either. The Hornady Handheld Priming Tool pleases me more than enough, so I m just as pleased to tell you about it. These priming tools are available wherever Hornady products are sold but like I said, I got this one from Buffalo Arms Company. They got it to me very quickly and because of that I find it very easy to recommend them just in case you are in need of a priming tool as well. The quickest way to order is either by telephone at or on their web site at wwe.buffaloarms.com. Buffalo Arms lists this Hornady Handheld Priming Tool at $36.00.

11 UPGRADING A STANDARD MID- OR LONG-RANGE TO A DELUXE by Mike Nesbitt After I got my favorite 74 Sharps from CSA in.44/77, in 2013, I mounted a used standard mid-range tang sight on the wrist and was more than ready to do some good shooting. That standard sight pleased me for a short while and I actually liked the appearance of it with its smaller disc so it looked more like a sporting sight rather than a target model. Well, my appreciation for the way the sight looked seemed to fall quickly after I had trouble making windage adjustments. Too often when the sight disc was loosened, so the windage bar could be slid either to the right or left, the bar would move on its own and unless the windage setting had been written down, I d have no idea where it had been or how for to move the sight or maybe even in which direction. The final blow came one day when I had taken my favorite rifle to the range to check some loads. What those loads were I simply don t recall. What I do remember is firing five rounds from the bench and then going to check the target only fifty yards away. That target was clean as a whistle, still good as new with not a hole in it. The sight s disc had loosened on its own, somehow, and the windage bar was all the way to the right sending my shots well beyond the edge of the paper. This particular sight could not be depended on and it was then that I knew something had to be done, a change was going to be made. What that change was going to be, I didn t know. My first thought was to have the standard sight repaired so it could be dependable. But while that was still being considered, I ordered a new deluxe mid-range sight for the.44/77 to make it range worthy again. That deluxe sight, by the way, is the sight my.44/77 still wears. Using the new deluxe sight on the rifle put me back in business, as a hide hunter might say, and it meant the standard sight could receive attention later. The folks at C. Sharps Arms quickly told me how the best way to fix the sight was to upgrade it to a deluxe version with the installation of a new Deluxe (conversion) Elevator & Windage Assembly. When I suggested that one of those assemblies be sent to me, John said it would be best if I d send my standard sight to them so they could add with windage assembly because they have all of the proper tools and extra parts just in case a problem is encountered. After all, they make those sights and parts right there. So, after waiting a lot longer than I should have, my standard sight was sent to Big Timber for updating. And while I was slow, the folks at C. Sharps Arms most certainly were not, I had my updated sight back in less than a week s time. Now that sight is as good as new and it is patiently waiting an assignment. The wait shouldn t be too long, there is another Model 1874 due to come from the shop. And when I get to use the sight, I ll be sure to mention it again. The Deluxe (conversion) Elevator & Windage Assembly is identified as Item # C and it is priced at $

12 ARMED PATRIOT DRONE T-SHIRTS C. Sharps Arms Armed Patriot Drone T-Shirts. Logo reads, I AM AN ARMED PATRIOT DRONE, CONTROLLED BY GOD. These Tee s are 100% cotton, available sized Medium, Large, and Extra Large. Colors, either red or blue. Price $15.00 plus postage. To get your shirt send orders to or call C. Sharps Arms, P.O. Box 885, Big Timber, MT Phone: You can also order these shirts from our web site at These new shirts do make a timely statement. Let s spread the news by declaring our loyalty and faith.

13 OLD WEST CENTERFIRES 2015 s SEASON BEGINS By Bob Gietz Our black powder centerfire matches for 2015 got off to an early start this month, mainly because of range availability. After a few meetings and discussion it was decided to hold more matches on the 200 yard range at the Capitol City Rifle & Pistol Club, near Littlerock, Washington. At those same discussions we opted to not shoot a 50 yard target as we had done before but instead would shoot 10 rounds at 100 yards followed by another 10 rounds at 200 yards. For the remainder of the year s matches for 2015, we ll hold five more Old West Centerfire shoot with the last one taking place next September. One other little change is that for the season s aggregate we will only score each shooter s top five match scores, so a shooter can miss a match and still be competitive for those seasonal prizes. The targets used were; a 200 yard single bullseye muzzleloading target posted at 100 yards, and a 200 yard military bullseye posted at 200 yards. Even though that 200 yard military target has a bullseye that is 13 inches across, it can look mighty small when it is 200 yards away. That s especially true on a dimly lit November morning as the adjacent photo shows. All shooting was done from the sitting position while using cross-sticks. This is the range, showing our environment While most of the names are familiar there, were some changes. Of course, having Allen Cunniff win the match is nothing new but this time he did it with a different rifle. Allen bought a used C. Sharps Arms Model 1875 in.45/70 caliber with a round 28-inch barrel and he says it is the most accurate rifle he owns. His score of 100-4X at 200 yards seems to support his statement and he was shooting the 535 grain Postell bullet. We can all be afraid that we ll be seeing his Model 1875 Sharps rifle again. Mike Nesbitt shot with a borrowed rifle this time, a very nice C. Sharps Arms Model 1874 Sporting rifle in Allen Cunniff fires a shot with his Model /70 caliber with a #3 Heavy barrel. That barrel puts the weight of this rifle up to about 16 pounds. The loads Mike was using were burning 65 grains of Olde Eynsford 2F powder under the old style grease groove bullet (#515141) that weighed about 435 grains when cast with 20-1 alloy from John Walters. Mike was not feeling his best and he admits that he should have done better with that fine heavy rifle. That heavy 30-inch barreled Model 1874 Hartford is seen below.

14 One very new name to these reports is that of Jeff Ritter. This was Jeff s first shoot with us but he is quite experienced and the entry stickers on his line box give evidence to that. Another good bit of evidence is Jeff s score at 100 yards. He did say that he had not shot his rifle, a.45/70 Model 74 with a 34 long barrel, at 200 yards in over ten years. That means he had no idea of how far to raise his rear sight. Some guestimations were made, plus a couple of shots at a gong at 200 yards, but those were not good enough to give him scoring hits on the 200 yard target. He ll be better prepared next time. Bob DeLisle can blame his sights, in a way, for his scores not being as high as they should be. He replaced his front sight recently and simply didn t have it dialed in completely. We ll see his scores climb back up to where they were last year when we shoot again. On the other hand, Will Ulry s scores are getting to be very good and he took 2 nd place at this doin s. Mike Nesbitt asked Will what he was doing different to make such a good and visible improvement. Will acknowledge the compliment and said the difference must be in his loading, that he was simply being a lot more careful. We have to agree that good BPCR shooting begins at the loading bench. Will had the 2 nd highest score at 200 yards. Allen Cunniff s 200 yard target, all solid 10s We ll have more matches in 2015 on the 200 yard range and the next one is scheduled for February 21 st. Let s hope more shooters join us and we did expect to see at least a few more buffalo runners for this shoot. These informal shoots are generously sponsored by C. Sharps Arms and we most certainly thank them for their continuing support. To those who haven t joined us, bring your rifles and give us a try. The shooters who filled the range with black powder smoke this time are shown to the right and left to right they are; standing, Will Ulry, Bob DeLisle, Jeff Ritter, and Don Kerr, kneeling, Mike Nesbitt and Allen Cunniff. The ghostly figure behind Will s rifle barrel is our author and rangemaster, Bob Gietz. Match Results: Name Rifle / Cartridge 100 Yds 200 Yds Total 1 st Allen Cunniff 1875 C. Sharps Arms 45/ x 100-4x 198-8x 2 nd Will Ulry 1874 Shiloh Sharps 45/ x x 3 rd Don Kerr 1874 C. Sharps Arms 45/ x x 4 th Mike Nesbitt 1874 C. Sharps Arms heavy.50/70 92x 91x 183-2x 5 th Bob DeLisle 1874 Pedersoli sharps 45/70 92x x 6 th Jeff Ritter 1874 Shiloh Sharps 45/70 95x 0 95x

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16 BPTR NATIONAL MATCHES What does the future hold? By Dangerous Don McDowell The 2014 BPTR Nationals (Black Powder Target Rifle National Matches) were held once again at the Whittington Center, and could be considered a good match by most in attendance. But there is trouble afloat, and it all seemed to start last summer when an came out stating that if signups for the match didn t increase it wasn t going to happen Well, this is all fine and dandy, except that came out more than 30 days prior to the sign-up deadline date, and as we all know the NRA has provisions for late entry right up to the time the first squads are called to the lines and the pits. Taken from the 600 yard firing line So what exactly is the problem? Nobody among the shooters can really put a finger on it. The powers that be at the NRA tell us that our numbers are too low, and the match needs to be moved east to increase shooter numbers. Hmm, let s take a serious look at this. The nationals at the Whittington Center had 43+ shooters. The spring match at Lodi, Ohio totaled just 31 shooters. One of those was a person from NRA HQ investigating to see if that range could handle the match, and one of those shooters was shooting smokeless, so was not qualified for match prizes/medals. So actual number of competing shooters was only 29.

17 There was an NRA registered match in Pennsylvania that drew only six competitors. That match was well advertised and promoted on a number of different shooting forums Then the local club had to enlist club members to pull targets, so spotters and score keepers could be on the line Not exactly a grand example of reason to move the match. In the target pits at Byers The NRA Eastern Regional Mid-range Match held in New Jersey had a total of just 15 shooters. That s only 2 more shooters than the very first Wyoming State Mid-range match gathered. So now we need to ask certain questions; why is BPTR the only discipline that needs to have 50 shooters for the match to be held? Could it be that the folks in charge, just don t want to travel to the Whittington Center? A comment was overheard by this reporter about what a miserable town Raton is Hmm, compared to what? Don holds the grand prize, a new CPA.45/90 rifle In this regard I have these suggestions: 1. Shooters need to turn out to your local matches. If you ve never shot BPTR, by all means give it a go. 2. NRA needs to remember just who it is they work for, and exactly who it is they are supposed to be accommodating. Yes I realize that there is considerable expense involved in putting on the match, but there also needs to be some real world numbers provided to the public about this expense. There is a number of us who can look at and dissect dollar amounts to see where things can improve. 3. If the NRA advertises and sends out packets for a match, then that match that year has to happen on dates specified, doesn t matter if there are 10 or 110 shooters. You sent the packets, your word is on the line. Don t start whining 30 days before entries close that if more don t sign up you ll cancel the match. That nonsense cost you shooters this year, and quite a serious number of them. In closing I will offer these thoughts. The low numbers at the nationals in Raton most likely have more to do with the NRA s attitude than it does the shooters. Mr. Willing and company need to be more straightforward in conversing with the shooters. If a shooter sends in a complaint or question for the committee, and if the person who receives the comments does not understand the point being made, then, by God, call the person who sent the comment in and get a clarification about the meaning. DO NOT throw it away in the trash can. (That s what the shooters at the shooters meeting were told happens to things that come to NRA headquarters.) If the folks that are currently supposed to be running the Black Powder Division don t want to do the job, maybe it s time to seek another positon?

18 I m of the mind that if we (black powder shooters) work diligently and reasonably with the NRA this impending disaster of losing our matches can be headed off. If the folks at the NRA continue to sandbag the shooters, then I believe that we as NRA members need to contact as many folks on the board of directors as we can to convey our displeasure. After all the BPTR matches are the reason the NRA was formed, and the Creedmoor matches were the hallmark of the NRA for many years. Without those few determined riflemen with their Sharps, Remington and Ballard rifles in the beginning, the NRA if it existed today would only be something akin to a gun rights lobbyist outfit. Shooters in attendance of the Rocky Mountain Regional Match held at Byers, Colorado Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight, very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday. John Wayne

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20 GETTING READY FOR QUIGLEY By Mike Nesbitt My first try at the long range black powder Matthew Quigley Buffalo Rifle Match held annually near Forsyth, Montana, is now behind me and I m glad that I can t be a first-timer again. Participating in the Quigley match was a real fine experience and I m eager to do it again. But before going for my first time, there were some things I did while trying to get ready for the long range shooting that, for me, was a brand new game. First of all, I had to select the rifle I d want to use for the shooting at Quigley. The rules for shooting at Quigley point out that shooters are to use the same rifle for shooting at all distances. Those distances include shooting offhand at 350 yards plus shooting over cross-sticks from the sitting position out to 800 yards. The task for doin Quigley was rather quickly passed to my 74 C. Sharps Arms.44/77, mainly because that was the rifle I wanted to use. My choice might surprise some shooters because my.44/77 is not set up as a target rifle. It is what C. Sharps Arms labels as their 1874 Sharps Semi-Custom Classic Hartford Sporting Rifle, with the cheekpiece and the crescent buttplate. This rifle is equipped with a deluxe mid-range tang sight but the front sight is simply the sporting silver blade. Shooting with the sporting silver blade front sight is probably not the best idea for any kind of target work. While I realized that, the silver blade is still my choice on this rifle because of the visibility a silver blade offers when hunting in timber. If that sight cost me points on the target range, so be it because the more visible front sight might be a real positive factor in my favor for adding some good meat to the pot. My loads were designed more for hunting than for target work as well. While most black powder cartridge target shooters like to seat the bullets out so those bullets will encounter the bore s rifling with the shortest movement, I chose to seat the bullets in my.44/77 cases rather deeply and maybe you will agree with my reasoning. That bullet has two grooves for lubricant plus a crimp groove near the top of the bullet s bearing surface. My choice included filling that crimp groove with lubricant, giving the bullet three acting lube grooves, and the bullets were seated deeply so that top lube groove would be covered by the case s neck. The complete list of ingredients for my.44/77 loads begins with 70 grains of Olde Eynsford 2F powder, measured by volume. That powder is covered with a veggie wad, from John Walters, compressed to the bottom of the case s neck. Then a grease cookie of DGL lube, about 1/8 thick, goes over the card wad and finally a 400 grain bullet from Accurate Molds A practice group, from the bench #44-400B is pushed down over the grease. Those bullets are seated with just fingertip pressure in non-resized cases and then the bullets are given a slight crimp with the seating die, just enough to hold them in the case. And, what I should have mentioned first, the prepared cases are primed with CCI standard large rifle primers. That load works very well for me and the 70 grains of Olde Eynsford 2F sends the 400 grain bullet out of my rifle s 28 barrel at about 1370 feet per second. It shoots well enough to give me good scores at 200 yards and it is pleasant enough on the shoulder for good enjoyable shooting.

21 But 200 yard shooting won t even get you started at Quigley, where the distances begin with offhand shooting at 350 yards, and I needed some longer range experience very badly. In order to get some of the experience I entered some BPCR Silhouette matches. That was another whole new world for me and it is fun! Why I waited so long before trying the silhouettes I don t know. Oh yes, I learned several lessons! The silhouette matches where I got some very good experience are held at the Upper Nisqually Sportsman s Club just out of Eatonville, Washington where the BPCR matches are very capably managed by Steve and Beth Morris (check out their web site at The range there is wide enough for two sets of silhouettes at each distance, so eight shooters can shoot per relay. On the first day that I shot with them there were over twenty shooters so three relays were required. Seeing as how I was a complete newbie, I was teamed up with a very experienced shooter named Dick Elliott and he is a very good coach, for sure. He shot in one relay, where I could spot his shots for him, and then I d shoot in a Beth Morris wipes the bore on her scope-sighted.45/70 Sharps following relay and we started our shooting on the pigs at 300 meters. Let me say a few words about the shoot and the shooters at the Nisqually range. The shoot is an NRA event which follows the NRA scoring and rules. I was just slightly surprised to see so many scoped rifles and they had scoring classes for both scope sighted and iron sighted rifles. There were also several ladies shooting in this match. The shooters there are all very friendly and certainly very eager to help, offering good advice. I was made very welcome, even with some nice notes of recognition when a couple of the other shooters commented, I thought you just shot muzzleloaders. After watching and spotting for a couple of the relays, then it was my turn to shoot. All of the silhouette shooters fired from the prone position but I did my shooting from the sitting position, behind crosssticks. That isn t as steady, I know, but at Quigley the shooting at 400 yards and beyond is all done from the sitting position so I wanted the practice. Dick Elliott with his Highwall One point that Dick Elliott made sure I heard was about the use of the blow tube, to be done prior to making the next shot and done every time. Three slow breaths are blown into the barrel of the rifle from the breech to allow the moisture in your breath to soften the black powder fouling ahead of the breech. This is to be done every time. I had my.44 caliber blow tube with me but previously I hadn t always used it. With Dick s coaching I was able to knock down 11 out of the 40 silhouettes for my first try. That puts me in with the Class B shooters which is the lowest class but there really is no better place to start. And out of those 11 good hits, 5 of them were at 385 meters and another 4 were on the rams at 500 meters. The shorter distances gave me more trouble, especially the chickens, offhand at 200 meters. A very good lesson was learned about my breathing while shooting at the silhouettes. For one reason or another, including age, my eyes are not getting the oxygen they need to maintain a clear sight picture. After taking two good breaths and letting out about half of the last breath, I could be aiming at the target only to watch it begin to blur away. In order to get some fresher oxygen into my bloodstream I would still take those two or maybe three breaths but then let them all out and inhale a fresh half of a breath before aiming for my shot. That does help and it gives me at least a couple more seconds of good sight picture. Now, you might ask, did any of this getting ready help for the shooting at Quigley? Well, yes, of course it helped but there is really nothing like being there.

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