October Postal Match

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I did! Seemed easier to see at 25 yds, vs.September seemed difficult.
I agree with you - I think next month I will make the targets darker/denser so us older shooters can see them! I do okay shooting bullseyes that I can see clearly but I struggle with the outlined targets that don’t have much density.
 
I agree with you - I think next month I will make the targets darker/denser so us older shooters can see them! I do okay shooting bullseyes that I can see clearly but I struggle with the outlined targets that don’t have much density.
IMHO, I liked the fact you had a bold perimeter with inner markings. I found it easier to hold on the bold perimeter, although my shots didn’t always cooperate. I dislike the extreme solid colors due to excessive use of black ink. (Yeh, I’m cheap!). But I do look forward to, enjoy and appreciate your effort to keep this going!
 
Well, since it's October, we are going to shoot a Halloween postal target - what did you expect?!

This Jack O' Lantern target will be 10 shots - 2 at each Jack O' Lantern. Scoring as follows:

Hit in eyes or nose = 8 points
Mouth = 5 points
Hit either one of the two teeth = 10 points (20 points if you hit both teeth)
Anywhere else on the Jack O' Lantern = 2 points

One half of the ball must be inside the scoring area to count.

Shoot this as many times as you wish but only turn in your best target. Range is 25 yards offhand. Please list pertinent informaition on your target so we all can see what everyone is using to shoot the target. Pistol shooters shoot from 15 yards.

Please score your target by listing points next to each pumpkin and total the score. I will confirm your scores after you post your targets and list the winners!

Let's have some fun with this!

Gary
Gary, could you post a link to the site where I may enter the competition and print out the targets?
Thanks
 
Deerstalker, you beat me to the answer - thanks for jumping on it!

Salty - the easiest way to find the targets is do a search on “postal” in the titles and you will see all of the postal match postings:thumb:
 
thank you. found the targets.
Is it shot at 25yd offhand?
do I send a photo of my target to you via PM or post it in this forum?
Yes, we shoot the targets 25 yds standing offhand, unless someone has a physical disability, then they are welcome to shoot offhand from a sitting position. You can also shoot the target with a handgun from 15 yds.

I prefer if you score your target - write points next to each item and add for total score. Also write type/caliber of the rifle/handgun, powder, patch, ball, lube info and a picture of your firearm is always welcome! Take a photo and attache to the post on the forum. This is simply a way to add a little fun to our activities and share your equipment info with your fellow ML enthusiasts! Reminds me - I have to post the September target results!
 
Yes, we shoot the targets 25 yds standing offhand, unless someone has a physical disability, then they are welcome to shoot offhand from a sitting position. You can also shoot the target with a handgun from 15 yds.

I prefer if you score your target - write points next to each item and add for total score. Also write type/caliber of the rifle/handgun, powder, patch, ball, lube info and a picture of your firearm is always welcome! Take a photo and attache to the post on the forum. This is simply a way to add a little fun to our activities and share your equipment info with your fellow ML enthusiasts! Reminds me - I have to post the September target results!
Thank you for doing this. Gives me another reason to get out and shoot.
 
hunted pheasant all morning. zip, so i decided to kill some punkins! at least wound them!:D
20221011_145840.jpg
 
Nicely done Deerstalker and thanks for posting! Looking forward to seeing some more targets - I looked at these pumpkins at 25 yards and I had a hard time seeing them!
 
Shot the attached 10/12/2022 at the NRA Range, Raton NM. Used vintage 50 cal CVA pistol with 490 RB and 30 grains Schuetzen black powder. Patch was thinnest pillow ticking with spit lube. Distance was 15 yards. Legs and back are no longer working so well so my rear was pressed against a table edge to assist standing.
 

Attachments

  • Oct. Target.pdf
    387.8 KB
The weather gods finally cooperated and gave us a spectacular autumn day with no wind. I was fortunate in being able to take advantage of it, but I used a smooth rifle (smoothbore with sights, adjustable in this case) instead of a ML rifle. The gun is a T/C .56cal. Renegade SB (cap lock), which I got new a few years ago. In spite of that, its internals needed a bit of work and the sights were in need of adjustment, both windage and elevation. Since I wasn't shooting for record (lower back issues), I allowed myself to experiment with both powder charges and loading technique. I.e., I primarily used a patched .550" RB which I cast and weighed with 75gr GOEX.FFg. (Varying the charge up and down by 10gr. really had no effect that I could detect.)

I also monkeyed with that .550" RB and a 1/8" felt wad that I punched out and lubed yesterday (Duro Felt) + a thin over shot wad atop the RB. This was an abject failure as the RB's were all over the [right hand] target. Accuracy was so inconsistent that I didn't take ten shots at the pumpkins.

As I wasn't shooting for record, and since I had a bag of tow with me, I figured, why not try it (with an over shot wad) at least on some of the pumpkins on the lower, middlemost target. It worked OK, but the patched RB was consistently more accurate. Btw, I upped the powder charge to 80gr. since the tow loads were a bit looser in the bore.

Conclusions? Using a SB in a rifle match wasn't my smartest idea (insert your own witty phrase here). Second, the .550" RB + .011" -.012" patch ("Sew Classics" from Jo Ann Fabric) is a tight fit: Accuracy is pretty good with it, but it wouldn't be what I'd use if I needed a quick follow up shot or at a woods walk as it hold up the "walk." For that and almost the same accuracy, I'd use a .535" RB (My Lee mould casts @ .537" with pure Pb) and an appropriately thicker patch. Using tow wads may be worth exploring too, especially if you favor a PC/HC bare ball load. Lastly, those pumpkins got really small, really fast after I stapled them to my backer. They weren't easy @ 25 yd. (especially the middle one!) with a long gun, but even with a pistol @ 15 yd., they'd pose quite a challenge.

Good luck and good shooting!
 

Attachments

  • IMG_6475.jpeg
    IMG_6475.jpeg
    897.4 KB
Thanks for the information Maven - I'm with you - I am going to make the November target a little easier for us older shooters to see!
 
Yesterday was a beautiful day for going to the range! Sunny, 66 but WINDY! The noise lever from the AR crowd was almost unbearable, too.
I blame my ever growing patterns on the noise and wind, and oh yea, the sun was in my eyes too.😆

T/C Renegade .50
60 Gr of 3F Schuetzen
.018” Pillow Tick patch
Frontiers Bear Paw lube
Hornady .490 Rounds
Old black plastic tin of CVA caps
Sunny and cool and windy and loud

37 points

If I didn't score the target correctly please correct me- pertaining to the one round that touched two teeth.
 

Attachments

  • 2022 10 MLF Oct Target.jpg
    2022 10 MLF Oct Target.jpg
    1.3 MB
Yesterday was a beautiful day for going to the range! Sunny, 66 but WINDY! The noise lever from the AR crowd was almost unbearable, too.
I blame my ever growing patterns on the noise and wind, and oh yea, the sun was in my eyes too.😆

T/C Renegade .50
60 Gr of 3F Schuetzen
.018” Pillow Tick patch
Frontiers Bear Paw lube
Hornady .490 Rounds
Old black plastic tin of CVA caps
Sunny and cool and windy and loud

37 points

If I didn't score the target correctly please correct me- pertaining to the one round that touched two teeth.
Always good to have a few excuses handy! Glad you had a nice day to shoot the October target.

Looks like your shot on the teeth touched both teeth but rules state that 1/2 of the ball diameter has to cut the scoring ring to count, so I would score that shot as a 10 because looks like you have 1/2 the ball into the tooth on the right but you aren’t 1/2 into the other tooth on the left. So I would score the target as 27 Instead of 37.

Thanks for sending it in - I sure enjoy seeing how other members shoot and the equipment/loads they use!
 
Back
Top