Chunk Guns

[Urban Coyote]

Do any of you shoot them?

I happen to have inherited one from the estate of a rather eccentric Northwest gunmaker who was my friend. It hung on the wall of his shop for years. It's no beauty in the classic sense however it's a pretty cool looking assembly. It appears he almost scabbed it together. I'll post pictures tomorrow.

I took possession of my chunk gun about 7 years ago and it has been in storage since then. I ran in to a fellow club member who knew about the gun having been in the builder's shop a number of times. We agreed I should be shooting it so I pulled it out of the back of the safe.

It's a caplock, looks like a Siler, with a long heavy barrel, I've yet to messure it, and single set trigger. A quick check with calipers suggests it's a .54. I'll post more about it along with the photos tomorrow.

Anyway, if any of you are familiar with chunk gun match shooting I'd be interested if your willing to share any information. My immediate curiosity is the distances these matchs are shot at.

More on the way and thanks in advance.

 

[Grenadier1758]

When we shot our Chunk gun matches at our range in Missouri, the targets are set at 60 yards. Most matches are fired prone. The rest is historically a chunk of wood gathered at the pile of wood next to the fire. Modernization has crept in and a number of various wooden, always wooden, rests have been made. Most of the best, most accurate chunk guns were not items of beauty. The long heavy barrel and just enough stock to hold the barrel securely, a better than good lock and set triggers left the beauty of the rifle to be in the performance. The target was often an X scratched on a wooden plank. We have targets being a 2" black circle with an X to mark the center. We each set out a spotting target at 50 yards. Three shots are fired to establish a group. The center of the group is tacked over the X target. Then one scoring shot is fired, and the score is distance from the center of the impact to the crossing of the X. The next target is posted. Often the matches are 10 to 15 targets. Winners of each match get a prize with the top prize going to the shooter with the shortest string measure, the sum of all those distances from the center of impact to the crossing of the X. A second top prize is awarded to the shooter with the closest to the center of the X. An impact that is centered on the X is called a spider. To win the aggregate prize, scores of less than 5" are required with 4" or less being common.

 

[andy52]

I own a .36 original but it doesn't get shot much due to its size. It has a 47-inch barrel and is just downright cumbersome.

 

[Rancocas]

I competed at the Alvin C. York Memorial Over-the-Log Shooting Match for about 20 years. Then, my eyesight began to fail. This annual match is located at the historic Alvin York farm here in Tennessee. Alvin York, of course, was an American hero and Metal of Honor winner of World War I.

60 yards is the standard range. All shots fired from the prone position while resting the rifle on a "chunk" that could be just a section of log, or more often these days is a homemade device that can be adjusted up or down. The guns can be either caplock or flintlock, but must have open, iron sights. Although a "shader" can be placed over the sights. Shaders are often made from a cardboard tube, split down one side so that it can be put over the barrel and sights. Only round balls and real black powder are permitted, although any caliber is okay. .45, .50, and .54 are most popular.

Many competitors use their hunting rifles, but there are plenty of dedicated special built "chunkguns" also being used. I have not seen any great advantage of the chunkguns over a good longrifle.

You can use any paper target that you choose. Most are homemade. They vary from a simple round dot of any size that suits you, to a square, to a cross. Anything. This is your "spotter". You fire at this target for a tight group. However, you place the official match target BEHIND your spotter target, trying to center it behind the center of your group. Fasten it there, out of your sight, with a thumb tack or a staple. The official targets that I know have a 2 inch round bullseye with lines forming an X in the center of the black bullseye. A bullet hole in the direct center of the X is called a "spider". Of course, you could fire directly at the official target if you so desired. For me, however, that little 2 inch bullseye is merely a pin prick at 60 yards.

There are 10 individual matches within the entire shooting match. A new official target is placed behind your spotter target for each separate match. Only one shot is fired at each target with the aggregate for the entire shooting match being 10 shots. There are winners for each individual match and a winner for the overall match.

Targets are scored by measuring from the center of the X to the center of the bullet hole. Thus, say your ball hit 1 inch out from the center of the X. That is 1 inch. The next round you hit 3/4 inch out from the center X. Now your total score is 1 3/4 inches. On the third round your ball hit 3 inches out from the X. Your score is now 4 3/4 inches. And so on for all 10 shots. The lowest number wins. A total aggregate score for all 10 shots of less than 6 inches is good shooting. 4 inches usually puts you in the winner's circle. Very few get a better score than that. But, it does happen!

In my early years at the York Shoot I used my .50 caplock longrifle. Later, I had a friend build me a chunkgun. My chunkgun is a left-handed .50 caplock with a 46 inch heavy barrel that measures 1 1/4 inch across the flats. This rifle weighs in at almost exactly 16 pounds. Some chunkguns are even heavier.

Chunkgun matches are mainly popular in the midwest. Not so much in other areas of the country.

 

[Rifleman1776]

It's no beauty in the classic sense

Rifles used exclusively for target shooting have no need to be pretty. Their beauty comes in the 'Xs' they can cut. I have two such uglies I'll be selling soon.

 

[Urban Coyote]

Okay, my chunk gun stats.
○ .54 caliber 42" 1-1/8" barrel
Green Mountain I believe. Perfect bore.
○ Siler percussion lock
○ Triggers, not sure but likely Davis

 

[BillinOregon]

Years ago I stopped in at the Muzzleloading Emporium in Springfield, Oregon, and Joe and Suzi had apparently either bought or took in on consignment a collection of chunk guns. I had never seen one in the flesh before and here were multiple examples to admire. Always thought it would be a fun day shooting the Alvin York match. Do the boys still wear overalls and fedoras?

 

[Daveboone]

Do any of you shoot them?

I happen to have inherited one from the estate of a rather eccentric Northwest gunmaker who was my friend. It hung on the wall of his shop for years. It's no beauty in the classic sense however it's a pretty cool looking assembly. It appears he almost scabbed it together. I'll post pictures tomorrow.

I took possession of my chunk gun about 7 years ago and it has been in storage since then. I ran in to a fellow club member who knew about the gun having been in the builder's shop a number of times. We agreed I should be shooting it so I pulled it out of the back of the safe.

It's a caplock, looks like a Siler, with a long heavy barrel, I've yet to messure it, and single set trigger. A quick check with calipers suggests it's a .54. I'll post more about it along with the photos tomorrow.

Anyway, if any of you are familiar with chunk gun match shooting I'd be interested if your willing to share any information. My immediate curiosity is the distances these matchs are shot at.

More on the way and thanks in advance.

....they dont exist if you dont have pictures to prove it!!!

 

[Rancocas]

Okay, my chunk gun stats.
○ .54 caliber 42" 1-1/8" barrel
Green Mountain I believe. Perfect bore.
○ Siler percussion lock
○ Triggers, not sure but likely Davis

No. Doesn't qualify for a chunkgun because of the sights. That is a bench rest target rifle.

 

[Rancocas]

Years ago I stopped in at the Muzzleloading Emporium in Springfield, Oregon, and Joe and Suzi had apparently either bought or took in on consignment a collection of chunk guns. I had never seen one in the flesh before and here were multiple examples to admire. Always thought it would be a fun day shooting the Alvin York match. Do the boys still wear overalls and fedoras?

Yes. At the York shoot it is encouraged to dress in 1920's - 1930's fashions. Most simply wear bib overalls, usually with a wide flowery tie or, like me, a big bowtie and a derby on my head, but there are some who really go all out with a period suit. Some of the women wear long dresses, and even old fashioned stockings with the seam up the back of the legs. One guy usually showed up in a World War I army uniform. One time several guys arrived in a 1920's black sedan. They were dressed like the outlaws, Bonnie and Clyde. There is a prize given for the best dressed.
Unfortunately, the dressing up seems to be fading away in recent years. People just go to shoot without really getting into the spirit of the event. Attendance has been down in recent years also. We used to get well over 200 competitors.
But that's the York Shoot. Other over-the-log matches don't bother with that foofaraw.

 

[Urban Coyote]

No. Doesn't qualify for a chunkgun because of the sights. That is a bench rest target rifle.

If you look closely at the photos this gun has two sets of sights, an apature sight system and fixed open sights.

I know! It's a "trans-gun" and can go either way, bench or chunk. Oh man! Now I gotta figure out what the proper pronouns are for it.

 

[Rancocas]

If you look closely at the photos this gun has two sets of sights, an apature sight system and fixed open sights.

I know! It's a "trans-gun" and can go either way, bench or chunk. Oh man! Now I gotta figure out what the proper pronouns are for it.

I think most chunkgun match officials would require the aperture sights be removed from the gun before it would be allowed in the competition. If not, I am certain that you would get a lot of challenges/protests about the use of that rifle in a chunkgun match.

 

[Urban Coyote]

I think most chunkgun match officials would require the aperture sights be removed from the gun before it would be allowed in the competition. If not, I am certain that you would get a lot of challenges/protests about the use of that rifle in a chunkgun match.

I don't doubt the chunk versus bench rest evaluation, the goal of the post was to try and get some information about this gun and I appreciated your comments.

As I mentioned, the fellow who put this together was a bit eccentric so who knows why he had two sets of sights on the gun. Maybe he had a good reason and, in this case, wasn't as eccentric as I thought.

Anyway I appreciate everyone's inputs and hope you all are having fun with this post.

 

[Josephg]

I have shot in a couple chunk gun matches using my Ted Fellows long barrel 45. Lot of fun. Here's an old picture of a fellow holding a big ole chunk gun and dressing the part.

 

[Uncle Miltie]

Yes. At the York shoot it is encouraged to dress in 1920's - 1930's fashions. Most simply wear bib overalls, usually with a wide flowery tie or, like me, a big bowtie and a derby on my head, but there are some who really go all out with a period suit. Some of the women wear long dresses, and even old fashioned stockings with the seam up the back of the legs. One guy usually showed up in a World War I army uniform. One time several guys arrived in a 1920's black sedan. They were dressed like the outlaws, Bonnie and Clyde. There is a prize given for the best dressed.
Unfortunately, the dressing up seems to be fading away in recent years. People just go to shoot without really getting into the spirit of the event. Attendance has been down in recent years also. We used to get well over 200 competitors.
But that's the York Shoot. Other over-the-log matches don't bother with that foofaraw.

I was at the York match in the '90's and was expecting an old-time real over the log match. While there WAS a log to shoot over, special adjustable "chunks", underhammer rifles, spring loaded loading rods, etc told me the match as originally intended was fading away.

Returned last March for the anniversary shoot and again was disappointed. I won't go back.

 

[Urban Coyote]

I have shot in a couple chunk gun matches using my Ted Fellows long barrel 45. Lot of fun. Here's an old picture of a fellow holding a big ole chunk gun and dressing the part.
View attachment 276467

The gun I initiated this post about came from Ted Fellowes.

 

[Urban Coyote]

I was at the York match in the '90's and was expecting an old-time real over the log match. While there WAS a log to shoot over, special adjustable "chunks", underhammer rifles, spring loaded loading rods, etc told me the match as originally intended was fading away.

Returned last March for the anniversary shoot and again was disappointed. I won't go back.

There are some places where technology doesn't belong but tradition does, and it matters.

 

[Rancocas]

I was at the York match in the '90's and was expecting an old-time real over the log match. While there WAS a log to shoot over, special adjustable "chunks", underhammer rifles, spring loaded loading rods, etc told me the match as originally intended was fading away.

Returned last March for the anniversary shoot and again was disappointed. I won't go back.

The original organizers of the York Shoot have retired and stepped down. It has been under new management for the past several years. I, too, noticed a big difference.