Anyone here shoot 25 yard offhand match's?

[davidmc62]

As I have aged it tend to go for lighter rifles with shorter barrels. Imagine that. When I was younger, I used to shoot a .54 caliber (actually .53 caliber) Uberti Hawken which was a big heavy sucker, but a tack driver. Then I took up a .50 DGW flintlock Mountain rifle with a long barrel (very nose heavy). Now I really like this little older CVA(maybe traditions) sharp shooter rifle. It has a 26" barrel, half stock and a more modern pistol grip monte carlo-ish stock. I bought it cheap as a set of parts to use for a re-design build. But ya know it is a good comfortable shooter. I will probably still use the parts for something else but its a good solid manageable shooter.

 

[FishDFly]

When you need a Radio Flyer Wagon to get your rifle to where you want to shoot, it's time to put your rifle on a diet.

 

[loud-n-boomer]

I am the muzzleloader match director for our club. We typically have two 25-yard offhand stages in our matches. All kinds of guns win them ranging from me shooting a .62 caliber flintlock Virginia rifle to guys shooting percussion CVA and TC "Hawken" guns. The most important thing is the shooter. Most guns will shoot decently at 25 yards with the right load.

 

[hanshi]

I used to shoot a lot of postal matches and did a couple of trail walks. But it's been a long time since then. My best offhand results were with a 42" .50 flintlock Va. rifle. The barrel was straight and rather muzzleheavy and was the best off-hand rifle I ever shot. Once I got sighted on target that heavy muzzle was like a rock and movement was so slow I just couldn't seem to miss. #2 was a 25" straight 15/16" .45 percussion. It is light weight but all the weight is at the muzzle end. I won several matches with it and normally placed in the top 3 when I didn't win.

I can only recall one, maybe two, deer kills from an off hand position. If I happened to walk a deer up I dropped to a kneeling position for the shot. I do not like - except for small game - taking shots from standing positions. If there's no tree to prop against there's always the ground; and I used both.

 

[Buckskinquin]

Thanks guys.

I'm thinking a 40 caliber, percussion, double set trigger, don't have a clue on who's barrel to use, and it'll be a left handed. I'll either build it or buy a kit if I can find what I want. I have a RH Lyman Great Plains rifle in 50 caliber that I built years ago to deer hunt. I like the looks of it but also like full stocked guns so I have to decide on that too.

One of my buddies that I shoot rimfire and air guns with has a few rifles he's built that I'll check out and hold to see what feels good. He plays things pretty close to the vest and is hard to get information out of sometimes. LOL

Justin

If you can work with a swamped barrel, it’ll cut down on weight. I have a flintlock, 42” swamped barrel, weighs just under 6 lbs and doesn’t tire you out at the all day matches I attend.

 

[1BadDart]

If you can work with a swamped barrel, it’ll cut down on weight. I have a flintlock, 42” swamped barrel, weighs just under 6 lbs and doesn’t tire you out at the all day matches I attend.

I ended up using a 42", 7/8" Rice barrel, the gun weighs 9 1/2 pounds.

Thanks, Justin

 

[Timber Wolf]

At my club this month I shot my Pedersoli Bess with paper cartridges wrapping .69 balls, last month was my Traditions .32 Crockett. The months before that it was my .45 CVA Mountain Rifle, .62 Pedersoli Trade Gun, various T/C rifles, etc., etc. I never shoot the same rifle (or pistol) twice in recent memory. I have a lot of fun, and never win a paper-target rifle match but sometimes sneak a win on the Woods Walk. I take that back, I won exactly once on the paper targets in the “Smoothbore” category with my Trade Gun. I frequently win a pistol match, and have the last two months in a row. All this to say, “run what ya brung” and have fun!