Steampunk

[fourfingersofdeath]

Never heard of Steampunk before. We had Zombie targets at our Christmas shoot last year, that was a real blast. Most of the guys and gals shoot IPSC and thats how the scenarios were organised. 22+ years of Law Enforcement training and 6+ of military had me shooting centre of mass each time. I couldn't get it into my thick head that the rules for Zombie shooting were all head shots!

[44caliberkid]

To PJ Hardtack:  I was also shooting IPSC near the beginning, from about 1978 to 1983.  The one handed reload scenario was thus:  You have been wounded and can only use one hand (your choice, I used right hand) revolver or auto, use the one hand to dump the mag or open the cylinder and dump empties.  Put the pistol under your left arm, draw full magazine or speed loader, insert into gun, revolvers you could flip shut or use your thumb to close, autos we rammed the mag home on our knee or against your gunbelt, then release the slide with your thumb and start shooting.  Autos you could trap under your arm but you had to lay the revolver in the open position on top of your forearm.  We were kneeing behind cover so some guys laid them on the ground or across their foot.
   A one hand reload would not be practical in single action revolvers, although I seem to remember seeing it in some westerns.  Maybe at the end of Big Jake after John Wayne was wounded.  Might have been another one.  It could be done but you'd have guys running out the timer.
   We had a stage at a Grand Army of the Frontier shoot once that had some complicated, time consuming requirement and the timers kept resetting themselves after a long period of no shooting.  It was years ago so I don't remember the solution.

[PJ Hardtack]

Sounds to me like there would be a lot of muzzles pointing where they ought not to be.

"Quickest reload is a second gun".... anonymous surviving gun fighter

[pony express]

Yeah, I can see where some might not like the "muzzle control" involved in the one hand reload. If some people get bent out of shape because a Schofield barrell is pointing at your feet when you break it open, they'd not appreciate holding it under your arm!

We solved the timer problem in our GAF matches by just using a stopwatch. Not as precise as a timer, but hasn't been a problem......yet.

[PJ Hardtack]

Using a stop watch takes me back to my IPSC roots - start signal being a police whistle. Jeff Cooper would laugh .....

[RattlesnakeJack]

We still often do full pistol reloads here in Medicine Hat ..... 

We have a reputation as a somewhat difficult shoot - small targets, masked targets, etc.  One of our standard targets is a "hangman's rope" - a vertical length of one-inch steel rebar shot at 20 yards - usually with the rifle and offhand, but occasionally with the pistol!  What's more, it is hinged at the bottom and must be knocked down to count (Just a little difficult for those shooting wimpy loads.

Despite dishing out a steady diet of such difficulties we have a steady following of people who like the challenges.  Folks of a different mindset who can't adapt and enjoy tend not to come back ..... which makes both them and us happy, I guess ...

I also like writing in a single round reload into the empty chamber ..... excellent test of familiarity of the shooter with their revolver!

[Fingers McGee]

PJ,

I am honored that you'd like to use them.  Consider them yours . . . Unless Speilberg or some other Hollywood bigshot shows up and decides to make a movie out of it.  In that case, I'd like 8% of gross film revenue and 5% on all the retail merchandising.   

Pancho, I'd too like to use your stages for an upcoming COWS (Central Ozarks Western Shooters) match.  I've been writing stages for 12 years and have pretty much run out of ideas.

Fingers

[Pancho Peacemaker]

Pancho, I'd too like to use your stages for an upcoming COWS (Central Ozarks Western Shooters) match.  I've been writing stages for 12 years and have pretty much run out of ideas.

Fingers

Fingers,

They are yours to use, and I am honored that you find them useful.

Pancho

[Fingers McGee]

Fingers,

They are yours to use, and I am honored that you find them useful.

Pancho

Muchas Gracias Amigo

[brazosdave]

I know wildgunsleather has a steampunk/gothic holster rig, the "six-shot mojo".  I don't know if a futuristic thing would be that great of an idea, but you might draw in some younger crowds if they were able to wear some of their steampunk gothic victorian garb to a shoot.  Zombie targets, heck I shoot at em at the range at Ft. Hood. (no steel targets there). Do that because they are fun to shoot at and are the "splatter type" so I can see where I'm hitting. I have not have the privilege of doing a CAS shoot yet, but if they were set up something like the convoy live fire training we did when I was an observer/controlller at the National Training Center at Ft. Irwin, the guys would ride in trucks through the simulated "Middle Eastern" village, and there were pop up/knock down targets and pyro in the villages, and in the fields along the route, so it added some realism and excitement to it all. Shooting at a range is fun, but in a scenario driven event, it is awesome!  I can see having a somewhat gothic persona, along the lines of "the man with no name" persona Clint Eastwood used. Just my two cents, like I said, ain't shot CAS, don't own a lever action or a side by side, just two cap and balls, but I'm 45, and I know a lot of the younger guys like the reaction type targets.