One thing CAS got right when it was started, is that people like to hit the targets and it has certainly prospered more than ML has locally. I'm not saying targets should be as big as a barn 10 feet away, but at least make some of them so somebody, who works for a living and can't spend hours and hours bench resting and tuning their muzzle loader to hit a dime at 75 yards, can still hit a few targets. This would help bring in and keep new shooters interested while they work on their shooting and other mountain man skills.
I was "in" on CAS when it first was being formed. They did three things, building on complaints from other sports...
Unlike IPSC (combat pistol shooting) which is very much like golf, for as the technology grows the gear changes and the prices go UP, and eventually
average joe simply can't compete with a guy with deep pockets and lots of practice time...
So they limited the technology.
You can purchase a very expensive revolver & etc, but you're paying for a name AND probably an odd model...., and they don't shoot any straighter than a basic SAA. So the guy with four guns costing $1500 (new) can do very well vs. the guy with a $2500 outfit that then went to the gunsmith for action jobs and chamber polishing costing another $500.
So since we're talking fintlock and caplock..., we're good there.
Plus, they use only steel targets,
Hit or Miss. They deliberately chose this for several reasons...,
It's fun to hear the steel "ring",
Ringing steel is MUCH more interesting for the spectators too...,
It doesn't require a pause to score the target hits as one has to do with paper, so the action of the shooting is much quicker from competitor to competitor,
The lack of lag-time means more shooters, in less time, and that prevents boredom,
We can do the same by simply adopting steel targets for our shoots.
Sportsman's Guide sells
Steel Target Plates [scroll down] as one source. Find the right steel and a fellow shooter who is good with a cutting torch, and you probably could pay even less. :wink: Once in a while throw in a balloon, OR make a breakable target by baking a very large ship's biscuit and adding food color (cheap and biodegradable). Just remember that balloons, and ship's biscuit (and clay birds) all need to be "reset" for the next shooter in some cases...
These days CAS amplifies their sport to the public by using video to their advantage. They show folks having a good time, ringing steel, and post this on YouTube. People see this and think, "Hey that looks like fun".
LD