Some hope, most cope but we all have problems.

Dick Dastardly · August 27, 2007, 07:28:43 AM

Howdy Pards,

I was shootn' "Fire in the Hills" this last weekend. Great shoot, stages and posse. Seems that every shooter I watched had at least some problems with their shootn' irons. I had a couple of boolits try to stovepipe till I found a rail screw loose on my B92. One pard lost a cylinder base pin for his 58 (found it again), but he had shot the last stage before with it loose. Caused a misfire. Some pards had primers that didn't fire with light hits. Some came to the line without enough scattergun ammo to take out stubborn KDs. All the scattergun targets were KDs.

I could go on, but the thing is that every shooter had problems sooner or later. Yet, we all had a great time, great weather and great fun. When the shootn' was done most everybody had a great lunch and simply sat down and palavered with pards till the awards were handed out.

There was no grumbling, whining or just plain cussed nasty talk coming from anybody. Even the spectators were grinning and asking questions about how to join the fun.

There was way more smoke being made this year. This is the Wisconsin State SASS Championship and it sure didn't keep a lot more than the usual percentage of shooters from shootn' Holy Black. I'm thinkn' that, at least around the Midwest, black powder is making a strong bid to become the powder of choice and that the piff-ting crowd is finally shrinking. Piff-ting shooters don't get a lot of hootin', back slappin' and attaboys like the Soot shooters do. Also, they seem unable to come up with any creative stuff to say before the buzzer. We dang near had a contest to see who could come up with the most funny stuff to say at the shooting line.

Thanks Hay Root and the WOWS gang for a fantastic shoot again this year. We'll be back in 2008!!

DD-DLoS

Marshal harpoluke · August 27, 2007, 11:04:32 AM

We all have challenges, had problems with 'high' primers.

Got a new RCBs outo bench priming machine, put an end to that. I use CCI magnums they are a bit hard and My Colts have a very light action.

They work fine now.

Being a Soot Lord involves solving and Overcoming problems.

Steel Horse Bailey · August 27, 2007, 04:12:01 PM

Quote from: Dick Dastardly on August 27, 2007, 07:28:43 AM
... (edited for content)
There was way more smoke being made this year. This is the Wisconsin State SASS Championship and it sure didn't keep a lot more than the usual percentage of shooters from shootn' Holy Black. I'm thinkn' that, at least around the Midwest, black powder is making a strong bid to become the powder of choice and that the piff-ting crowd is finally shrinking. Piff-ting shooters don't get a lot of hootin', back slappin' and attaboys like the Soot shooters do. Also, they seem unable to come up with any creative stuff to say before the buzzer. We dang near had a contest to see who could come up with the most funny stuff to say at the shooting line.

DD-DLoS

Black ... and the accompanying white smoke ... IS beautiful!

sundance44`s · August 27, 2007, 04:16:38 PM

Loading and shooting B/P is never boreing , thats for sure ..

Dick Dastardly · August 27, 2007, 04:36:12 PM

First of all, this is NOT a gripe.

I did get paper, but not wood. I shot GF, but they didn't have a BPGF category. So, I shot against pards that didn't have to look thru smoke. We had a breezeless morning both days, strong back lighting and high humidity. It was a hoot trying to find the targets thru the smoke of even one shot. After Ten, the whole stage was smoked up. By the time a shooter finished it really was "Fog of War". I wouldn't give back one minute of it.

Had one "P". Shot the pistols 3-2-3-2 at four targets instead of 2-3-2-3. Missed one target cuz my big finger hit the trigger as the lever on my 92 came up and I wasn't on steel yet. Hate it when that happens.

My problems were minimal compared to some. The universal worst problem was tough shotgun KDs. For long and tedious reasons I won't go into here, my lil 16ga killed 'em all with one shot each. I was the exception. I know of no other shooter that shot 100% on the shotgun KDs.

This was a great shoot and it was fun to see and help pards with problems.

DD-DLoS

hellgate · August 27, 2007, 08:41:05 PM

Hey DD,
Your match report gives me more hope that the piff-ding phase of CAS is waning and we just might be getting back to the roots of what got the ball rolling in the beginning. I find it a rare individual that puts speed and humor on an equal footing. BP is indeed more fun and the folks into it are more fun to be around. The super serious shooters are all too often HUMORLESS. BP is both euphoric and sobering at the same time.

Ransom Gaer · August 27, 2007, 10:08:56 PM

Hellgate,

I find shooting BP can at times be a humbling effort too. But I keep trying because I generally find BP to be so much fun. I have run into some super serious shooters and they can be humorless. One fellow got all upset when after asking me if I was gonna shoot BP like last year at the same event and I responded in the affirmative, actually glared at me. I just grinned. I thought it was funny that what I was gonna do was going to affect him to that degree and we hadn't even started to shoot yet. I've also noticed that they can be real complainers and whiners, especially about all the smoke.

Ransom Gaer

Dick Dastardly · August 28, 2007, 07:30:35 AM

FWIW, I had some great heathen fad smokeyless shooters request to be on the same posse with myself. They knew what they were getting in for, but they also knew all the fun stuff we do since they are from my home club. Now, the trick is to get them to try the black stuff themselves.

I knew I'd be shooting with some of the pards from the Minnesota Old West Society, and they all shoot Holy Black. Them and Pukin Dog and Rotten Redeye Randy and myself made for a grand posse. I think we should have gotten a ribbon for havin' the most fun.

DD-DLoS

P.S. I only learned of one pard that was havin' trouble with his Big Lube™ boolits. He fergot to put powder under 'em.

Noz · August 28, 2007, 08:56:13 AM

Black powder on the rise? GREAT!!

Now if we can just get you cartridge people back to cap and ball.

sundance44`s · August 28, 2007, 10:31:37 AM

Sorry NozzleRag ..shooting conversion cylinders is just too much dang fun ...

Howdy Doody · August 28, 2007, 12:24:57 PM

Your take it pretty much about what I see on the left coast DD. I see more folks trying out the black stuff all the time. A big percentage of the folks that shoot the night BP matches we have been having are from the smokeless crowd. Some shoots seem to have more BP shooters than others. I am heading for a shoot next week that always has a good turn out of BP shooters, due somewhat to the locale. It is right by the ocean which is nice for breeze, but if there is none the smoke hangs heavy like it does in humid areas east of here. I am really looking forward to getting together with folks of a like mind set.
Troubles when shooting BP? Say it isn't so

Yeah, that is part of the game for me and a lot of others. That is what keeps me at BP shooting. Just thinking about shooting smokeless and not having to do some prep work, loading issues and all, just makes me think I would be bored silly. Finishing 6 stages with no oil, lube and soot all over me, just wouldn't seem like I was even there.

Cohagen · August 28, 2007, 05:36:20 PM

Well DD, as you know, shamed myself in front of the whole posse. I knew those cap and ball Big lube Bullets needed powder. Sure wished I would have thought to put some in at our state annual match. Someone make a reservation for me at a full service rest home.

Worse was loadin 38s in a 45 rifle.......they fall out the end in a nice little pile as you lever them.

Never been so embarressed in my life: especially in front of great pards that I really respect.

Another pard got to the last stage in the running for honors and had his match rifle jam. He had been shootin it for ten years problem free. Felt bad for him.

Keep smilin

Cohagen

Dick Dastardly · August 28, 2007, 06:51:02 PM

Howdy Cohagen, Pard.

I declined to indicate the shooter that forgot to put powder under the boolits. Also, the picture of 38s dribblin' out the muzzle of yer 45 Colt rifle is a hoot. Still, ya didn't finish all that bad. Ya got wood, I think.

Let's face it, we all had so much fun that how we finished was lost in the revelry.

Dusty Trail Rider did a fine clean match and the grin is still on his ugly puss. He got some wood too. Now, let's smoke up his guns.

I need another fun shoot. Whut's next?

DD-DLoS

Cohagen · August 29, 2007, 09:44:06 AM

Next big one DD is Mississippi Fandango at Homan, second weekend in Oct.

See you there

Cohagen

Dick Dastardly · August 29, 2007, 11:40:02 AM

Silas McFee, the ol snake oil salesman himself, and myself will be at Fandango. I'm bringing the big "Period Correct" canvas tent with the stove jack and my cast iron stove. We'll have the coffee on.

Let's try to get the same posse. So far there's been too little of that. You and Dusty are great pards to shoot with.

May the heathens cough and gag on our sulfurous white smoke. May the bright flames illuminate the true path to their education in the way of the Holy Black. And, may our true yarns entertain and inform them mightily.

DD-DLoS