January Postal Match Target

[garypl]

January 1 is National Ring A Bell Day!​

We are going to celebrate this internationaly known holiday with a Bell target.

Three categories: rifle, smoothbore, (smoothbore must not be equipped with rear sight - front sight/bead only) or handgun

Two ways to shoot: Offhand from 25 yards with rifle or smoothbore or 15 yards with handgun.
Bench rest/supported from 25 yards with rifle or smoothbore or 15 yards with handgun

Mark your targets as either rifle or smoothbore or handgun and either offhand or benchrest/supported.

6 shots for score - 2 shots per bell

Hits in the bell body score 5 points
Hits in either the bell clapper at the bottom or the bell hanger at the top score 10 points.
Ball must be half way into the target area to score points. Maximum score is 60 pts.
Feel free to use a marker to make the outline a little thicker on the inside of the drawing or color in the bell body to make it more visible. I don't like to make the targets too dense as it will use up a lot of ink/toner.

Shoot as many times as you wish but please only post one target per category with pictures of target (and gear, if possible - we love to see everyone's equipment and load data!) Post jpg or pdf formats. Please score your own targets and write your score on the target along with information on the load you used. I will check scores and it helps me if you will draw a line to each hole in the target and write your points for each shot - makes it easier for me to check the targets.

Prize is same as always - bragging rights on the forum!
I will be posting December results this week.

Happy New Year to everyone and have fun and stay safe!

Gary

 

[nessmuk]

Target printed.

 

[Terrier]

Dang... gonna have to go buy another printer. All my printers are too old and aren't supported anymore, and I had to get a new laptop recently. None of the four printers I had will work with Windows 11. Even had a fresh set of ink cartridges for one of them! Arrgggg! Technolo'gee is great (when it works) and if you can keep up.

 

[PK]

I will get this started off with a pistol target, 15 yds, offhand. Looks like a score of 30.
.44 cal flintlock
.433 RB
.020 patch with ballistol/water lube
12.5 gr Swiss 3F with 4F in the pan

 

[11th corps]

Target printed.
will try to get out to the range tomorrow with my .40 poor boy.

 

[11th corps]

Went out today. It was cold and I finally gave up.
Will try again later this month.

 

[Moleman]

I've never participated before but my targets are copied and ready.
Since I retired in Sep. I've got more time to enjoy doing the things I love.......one of which is burning black powder.

 

[garypl]

Welcome and glad you joined our little group. Look forward to seeing your targets!
Gary

 

[IanH]

I finally remembered to order ink cartridges and actually managed to print off some targets this month. Last month I almost "forged" a target with a Sharpy so I'd have something to shoot at and enter just to enter something!

 

[garypl]

Welcome to the matches Ian!

 

[40cal]

New Smoothbore. I shot 5 shots at a big bull target. Then I shot the January target. I scored a 0 but I at least hit the paper six times. I started with a recommended load. 60gn Swiss 3f and a .010 patched .600 rooundball. Maybe next time

 

[PK]

New Smoothbore. I shot 5 shots at a big bull target. Then I shot the January target. I scored a 0 but I at least hit the paper six times. I started with a recommended load. 60gn Swiss 3f and a .010 patched .600 rooundball. Maybe next time

Nice looking smoothbore.

 

[40cal]

Nice looking smoothbore.

Thank you. I finished a build someone else started. It’s a Jim Chambers Pennsylvania Fowler. It come out much better than I expected it to. I have never built or inlayed anything with wood. I kept telling myself. I’m going to build and shoot it no matter what it looks like. As long as it is shoots and is safe.

 

[Maven]

Ian, That's pretty good shooting with a smoothbore. However, much as I like smoothies, I wouldn't have chosen one for the January target. Rifle or pistol, yes, but smoothbore??

 

[IanH]

Ian, That's pretty good shooting with a smoothbore. However, much as I like smoothies, I wouldn't have chosen one for the January target. Rifle or pistol, yes, but smoothbore??

Wasn't me, but I think I will reshoot it with my 24-gauge Chief's gun next weekend, it will put them through the same hole at 25 yards from the bench, the challenge is how light and short it is and keeping it on target.

My entry, first try, offhand at 25 yards. I need to widen the notch in the rear sight because windage is tough to see well when the barrel mirage starts to bloom.

Sorry, forgot to mark target or photo rifle/gear. OFFHAND, RIFLE.

 

[PK]

Ian, That's pretty good shooting with a smoothbore. However, much as I like smoothies, I wouldn't have chosen one for the January target. Rifle or pistol, yes, but smoothbore??

Well, we have a smoothbore, rifle, and pistol category for all the targets. I figure I’ll shoot the smoothbore and pistol, and sometimes a rifle at all the targets Gary picks and see how it goes. Looks like a good challenge. tomorrow morning is a pistol day but I’ll poke at it with the smoothbore later this week.

 

[Moleman]

This looked to be one of the better days this week so I strolled to my range.
This was my .40 offhand.
No bragging rights here.
Total of 5

 

[Moleman]

I also tried it with the English Fowler smoothie.
Offhand with a 5 again......at least I was consistent.
Hopefully things will improve next month.

 

[garypl]

I also tried it with the English Fowler smoothie.
Offhand with a 5 again......at least I was consistent.
Hopefully things will improve next month.

at least you got out and had some fun - that is what this is all about!

 

[garypl]

made a quick trip to the gun club to drop off some stuff yesterday afternoon and stopped by the range to shoot the January pistol target. Shot better offhand than from a rest! Too cold and windy for me!

This Ruger Old Army shoots @5" high for me with the rear sight all the way down. My aiming point is @3" under the bell and I have a hard time finding the same aiming point when I am so far away from the printed area. Have to figure out how to get the front sight a bit higher.

.457 ball over 25 gr Swiss 3F ( target shows 30 gr but I forgot that I lowered the charge) using a card wad on top of powder followed by a 1/8" Durofelt wad soaked in no-virgin olive oil - the cheapest oil I could find! This Ruger doesn't bind up at all after 24 shots without cleaning anything.