Smug Enfield Shooter!

[ResearchPress]

Spent the weekend shooting in the Muzzle Loaders Association of Great Britain National Short Range Championships.

Most matches are the standard international competition course of fire of 13 shots in 30 minutes with best 10 to count, with a few variations for double rifles and three position rifle matches.

I shot my original 2-band Enfield by Thomas Turner (1868) in the 50m offhand match. Two years ago I won the match with a 96 which equalled the national record set in 1985. I managed to do one better this year, winning the match with a 97 and setting a new record score. Rifle and target are pictured below. The 10-ring is 50mm diameter (approx. 2").

In 2004 I set a National Record at 200 yards with the Enfield rifle. It was beaten this year in the National Championships. There was an added element of satisfaction gained with the 50m record as the previous record holder was the one that took my 200 yard record!

Load was an RCBS Minie with shallow base cavity and 65 grains a 'medium grain shooting powder' sold here in the UK. It's a weaker powder than Swiss and the fouling produced stays soft. I didn't clean between shots.

That's the fourth time in five years I've won the match and the third consecutive year so I was feeling pretty pleased with my self. On top of that I also won the 100m free rifle match with my Pedersoli Gibbs (fired prone with only a sling for support).

David

 

[Russianblood]

That's some very nice shooting! Congrats! :hatsoff:

 

[jdstrang]

Nice work, David! If I might ask, how and with what do you lube your minies?

 

[Padraic]

Congratulations! That is some great shootin! :bow:

 

[ResearchPress]

Home brew mix of 5 parts beeswax, 4 parts olive oil and 1 part Cooken (UK version of Crisco) is used for the lube. I dip lube, stand bullets on tissue paper for lube to set, then push through a sizing die to suit my bore.

David

 

[Jarikeen]

Is your Gibbs rifle a .400 cal or .451? Does the Gibbs rifle have shallow or deep rifling. I take it that a lot of the shooting there in the UK is done with minie?

Do they have a division for PRB with open sights?

 

[rabjr]

Mighty fine shootin David! Hats off to you. :hatsoff:

 

[Brian the Brit]

Well done that chap! Truly outstanding results.

Does your Enfield shoot to point of aim at 50, David, or do you have to shoot off?

I ask because my Euroarms 2-band shoots about 9 inches high and six inches to the left at 50 metres which makes accurate shooting a problem even off the bench.

I can get them on the board at 200 but that's about it!

 

[jeepwj992002]

Outstanding job Mr. Minshall!!!! :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow:

 

[skeet]

Congrats!!

Great shooting!

 

[ResearchPress]

Is your Gibbs rifle a .400 cal or .451? Does the Gibbs rifle have shallow or deep rifling. I take it that a lot of the shooting there in the UK is done with minie?
Do they have a division for PRB with open sights?

My Gibbs is a .451 and I primarily shoot long range with it. The Gibbs is a shallow grooved rifling with which I shoot paper patch bullets at long range. In the 100m matches I shoot grease grooved bullets as there's less cleaning necessary between shots and 13 shots in 30 minutes doesn't leave a lot of time spare.

There's quite a lot of Enfield shooting with Minie bullets, and the MLAGB holds events at 50m and 100m plus National Championship matches at 200, 300, 500 & 600 yards. The Long Range Rifles Branch of the MLAGB of which I am a member also holds an long range Enfield aggregate fired at 600 and 800 yards.

PRB is catered for in a variety of arms; matchlock, flintlock and percussion musket, and flintlock and percussion rifle.

David

 

[ResearchPress]

Does your Enfield shoot to point of aim at 50, David, or do you have to shoot off?

It shoots to point of aim at 100m, when I take a full-sight (top of foresight aligned with shoulders of rearsight). At 50m I take a half-sight, tip of foresight mid-way between the shoulder and bottom of the rearsight.

19th century rules for aiming in British musketry instruction refers to the half-sight as the standard. I think many people today take a full-sight picture, which may account for the fact that some say Enfield shoot high, whereas they are aiming high!

David

 

[Silver.FoX]

Very very interesting, are the enfields known to shoot better than a lyman or something of the sort?

 

[ResearchPress]

Not sure what you have in mind by a Lyman - the only rifles I have seen pictures of that I recall are US sporting rifles. The Enfield is a military rifle and I think would have advantage (with its 560 grain Minie bullet) at longer ranges.

Someone familiar with both rifles should be able to answer the question better than I.

David

 

[paulmarcone]

David: I am relatively new to shooting. Could you explain in more detail how to get into the halfsight position.

I have an Armi Sport 2-band Enfield and it always shoots high at 50 yards.

Again, could you provide more detail (in layman's terms!) on how to achieve the correct sight position?

Many thanks.

 

[paulmarcone]

I may have answered my own question by searching online. Does this website give a good description of full-sight and half-sight (see below)?

Link

If so, I think I am good.

I will check this out the next time I am on the range (hopefully next week).

 

[ResearchPress]

Paul,

Sorry not to repond sooner but I have been away for 10 days.

Yes the pictures of fine, full and half sight on the site are as found in other 19th century texts. I find it easier to alter the placement of the foresight in the rearsight than have to aim way off 'in-the-white'.

David

 

[boondocker]

Very nice shooting sir, you have a skill to be smug about. Bravo! :thumbsup:

 

[dave_person]

Hi Dave,
That is superb shooting. Congratulations. Just to show what an Enfield can do consider this. My brother John Person, one of the best shooters in the North-South Skirmish Association shot the Berdan's Sharpshooter's qualifying round about 15 years ago. You have an option of firing 10 shots at 100 yards offhand or 200 yards prone with any military issue rifle from the Civil War. The scorers measure the total deviation from center to all 10 shots as your score. John's total deviation shot offhand with a Parker Hale 2 band Enfield was 14 inches. You figure out what his group look liked. He had 1 flier at 3 inches from center. I saw the target and could not believe it.

dave

 

[ResearchPress]

Still smug...!

The series of MLAGB National Rifle Championship matches fired at mid (200-600yds) and long range (greater than 600yds) concluded this weekend.

I was delighted to win the 600 yard Enfield rifle match (9 points ahead of 2nd place and 18 ahead of 3rd place! :grin: )

Course of fire is 3 sighters and 15 match shots to count. I used the same rifle and bullet as I did at short range but with 75 grains of TPPH (UK Proof House Powder). No cleaning between shots was necessary. Position is prone and only a sling may be used for support (ie. no cross sticks, wrist rests etc).

Is there any competitive shooting in the US with Enfield, Springfields or other Minie type rifles beyond 100 yards?

The MLAGB holds matches for Enfields at 200, 300, 500 and 600 yards, and the Long Range Rifles Branch of the MLAGB holds an Enfield aggregate at 600 and 800 yards.

David

ps. I was also 2nd in the 900yd percussion target rifle match, and with my 1000yd score it was good enough to win the All Range Rifle Aggregate Trophy. This is presented to the top gun score fired in the following events that have been on going since March: 100, 200, 300, 500, 600, 900 and 1000 yards. I came home a happy chap!