Grand Muster Results

[Top Kick Ken]

Great photographs and from the sound of it I am envious of those that could attend.

If only we had this when I was stationed in the Dakota Territory, I wouldn't have spent so much time in the Sutler's buying overpriced beverages!  LOL

Top Kick Ken

[US Scout]

Bvt Col Pitspitr.

Excellent report (it'll go on your record for when you come up for promotion in 10 or 15 years).  Thanks for doing such an outstanding job of representing me and Sgt Drydock on such extremely short notice.  Hopefully next year I won't have any work conflicts like this year to keep me from attending the best shooting match in CAS.

I'm extremely pleased to see the Battle Rifle competition went well.  This is where the GAF is going to make its mark in the CAS shooting arena.  We don't want to be another SASS or NCOWS that is different only because we dress up in uniforms.  The Battle Rifle concept, and the uniqueness of our Musters, will continue to contribute to the overall success of the GAF.

I would appreciate hearing feedback from the other participants of this Grand Muster.  We need to know what worked well so that we don't mess with success, and we need to know where there were problems so that we can correct them and make each Muster better than the last.

Well done to all those who contributed their time and effort to making this a successful Grand Muster, and thanks to all those who found time to attend. 

US Scout
GAF, Commanding

[Silver Creek Slim]

I really enjoyed the Battle Rifles. I might have ta get one so I can compete in that class. Oh, I need ta get a uniform too. 

Here are some pictures of some smoke makers.


Shalako Al


River City John


Bristow Kid

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Slim, have ya got more? 

Nice pics all!

[Silver Creek Slim]

Slim, have ya got more? 

Nice pics all!

Yes, but I have to unload them.

Slim

[Lou Graham]

It looks like everyone had a great time.  The boat looks like a lot of fun.  Did you actually use it for a stage?  I'm so bummed I wasn't able to go.  The whole battle rifle idea sounds like it went off very well.  I'm always looking for excuses to use my Trapdoor 

[Silver Creek Slim]

Lou,
The boat was indeed used for a stage. It was great fun.

Slim

[River City John]

To: ( Bvt.) General U. S. Scout, Commanding
Grand Army of the Frontier
Headquarters in the field, Northern Neck of Virginia


Sir,
I have the honor to present a brief report of the recent actions in and around the Prairie Fire Range, Iowa Terr., Dept of Missouri, September 13th-15th ultimo, as observed by myself as Naval attachment.

Troops arrived well rested and equipped for service by 8:30 o'clock morning of the 14th. There were some 24 present and ready for duty, none being absent on Sick Call.
Arms and accouterments well in hand. Most had issued some 60+ rounds in their cartridge boxes, with another goodly supply in the trains prepartory to such heavy fighting as we may encounter. Unavoidably, the wide variety of arms and calibres no doubt caused much distress to the Quartermaster.

8:45 we rendered salute to the colors, and then received unit assignments from the Commander on the Field, ( Bvt.) Col. Pitspitr through his second in command, Bristow Kid. I was assigned to the force commanded by (Bvt.) Col. Dusty Tagalong.
We were called into ranks and route marched some 2/10ths of a mile to the site of our first engagement. Very happy to say straggling was at no time in evidence and with all those marching in good spirits. No flankers were felt to be necessary.

We engaged the enemy around 9:20 o'clock of the morning on the 14th and continued unrelieved until noon-ish, when we counter-marched back to camp for lunch. Again no straggling. As a matter of fact, if possible, we seemed to make even better time.
At this juncture, let me state my admiration for the conduct of all engaged. Such coolness and sense of purpose speaks well of our nation's citizen-soldiers. There was absolutely no panic nor jostling while in the food line.

Soon after we returned to the seat of battle, but as the sanguine details of the entire two-day's actions have been covered far better by others, let me just render my observations of the Battle Rifle category as I experienced it.

I feel that there is a great opportunity presented for carving out a unique niche for the GAF by exploring this category. I do not feel that there were enough entries in this category to give it a true workout at this event.
In practice, we found that the Spencer in operation about equaled the Rolling Blocks. Limiting all (even lever-guns) to 5 rounds initial load may need to be revised. Perhaps allowing each arm to load up to total target round count per stage subject to their individual capacity would be just as serviceable. I sure would have loved to add the experience presented by Trapdoors, Bolt-actions, Front-stuffers in the mix on my own posse to really give a broad test base.
In the long run, regardless of the firearm, it is really just the individual operator who competes against himself. The physical limitations for target set-up distance did not challenge ANY firearm, in my opinion. Not to bash the RO or anyone, it's just that due to depth restrictions most all targets were close to mid-range at best. Even so were there still misses? You bet, and perhaps, maybe just by having lever-guns mixed in so that adrenaline still pumped all to shoot as fast and furious as they could.
What may be needed is time for the Battle Rifle to settle in and create within GAF a subtle adjustment to the shooting mindset,- that the Battle Rifle category-type shooting almost demands acceptance of a more measured pace. Let's move towards stressing marksmanship over speed.(That alone will set us apart from all the other CAS venues ) We already hint at this by offering the 'honor system' Postal Shoots, something else that makes GAF unique.

What I strongly feel we will never lose,. . .  individual participants relish the opportunity to enjoy shooting alongside any and all combination of military arms without feeling that irrational pull that fosters an arms race. I find that the GAF, by it's foundation in the reverent study of the Victorian-era military truly celebrates diversity.

To sum up, my gut guess is that we will see this category really take off with its encouragement of a wide use of different arms, yet the key to amalgamating them all is to SIMPLIFY the category so that although all military arms may be represented, they're not scored as if they are being shot against each other in competition, rather based just on how proficient the individual shooter is with his/her chosen arms. I know that this is the course that Sgt. Drydock foresees for this category, and I do believe his vision has been prophetic.

I have the honor to remain,
yr. mst. obdn.t servant.,
(Acting) Ensign River City John
On detached service , Inland Waterways
Dept. of the Missouri     


 
 

[RattlesnakeJack]

( Bvt.) Gen. U. S. Scout, Commanding
Grand Army of the Frontier

Sir:

Having only just reached my Post tonight, following a five-day return journey from Muster, I take this opportunity to submit my Preliminary Report on that Engagement.

As has already been reported by others, the Fourth Annual GAF Muster was very enjoyable, especially in affording the first opporunity to shoot the new Battle Rifle categories.  I am particularly pleased that the small non-American contingent was fortunate enough to uphold the Honour of Queen and Empire by placing First in the Single Shot Battle Rifle class.     (Furthermore, to the best of my knowledge, no target damage resulted from the the sustained fire of .577/.450 Martini-Henry rifle or .455 Webley revolver .... )  I was again accompanied on this Expedition by my Batman, Roger. 

I am too fatigued to post in greater detail at this time, however I should add that the length of our return journey resulted from wishing to avoid travelling by the same route, both to escape attack by Hostiles aroused by our earlier passage and also to permit us to recconoitre a greater expanse of country.  We accordingly struck well to the west, crossing the entire expanse of  Nebraska Territory and much of the southern portion of Wyoming Territory, before turnng northward to traverse the Grand Teton and Yellowstone regions (with a very slight diversion into Idaho Territory) then striking across Montana Territory.  We re-entered the District of Alberta, N.W.T., Dominion of Canada this eveninng, although we were unfortunatley detained at the Border for quite some time by overzealous agents of the Crown ... it appeared that they suspected us of being illicit gunrunners.  After a rather extended inspection of the firearms and our documents, however, we were permitted to continue ... finally arriving at Medicine Hat shortly before 9:00 of the clock in the evening ...

[RattlesnakeJack]

Last night I received the photos taken by my "batman", Roger (he's the one in the 4th picture, top line.)

I see that I haven't succeeded in training him to take pictures of folks engaged in shooting ... ...
but here are the photos for for review.  I took the first two but then, as usual, got too involved
in the shooting and squad activities to take any more!

How about some pictures from some of the other attendees?

(Click thumbnails to enlarge ...)

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

[Bristow Kid]

Great pictures thanks for posting them.

[Silver Creek Slim]

Nice pictures. Thanks fer sharing.

Slim

[Pitspitr]

The medals for the 07 Grand Muster are finally on the way and I need snail mail address' for the following people.
Cherry Lake Jake
Rattlesnake Jack Robson
River City John
Bristow Kid
Capt Montgomery Little
Shalako Al
Dutch Henry
Guns Garrett
Mayor Steve
Silver Creek Slim
Cherry Lake Kate

E-mail me at cnp@nctc.net

[Silver Creek Slim]

I won a medal?!?!?

Slim

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Well, Congratulations all!

Slim, did you and "The Dragon" take out 4 targets with ONE shot like you did in Virginia at "Thunder in the Brush II - the AnnieLee Memorial Shoot?   

To those of you who DIDN'T witness it, let me tell you ... it was pretty impressive!!  Them 10 ga. Room Brooms can do a LOT of damage!

[Silver Creek Slim]

Nope, didn't have the "Mighty Ten" along.

Slim

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Well, everyone missed something cool, then!


By the way, who took that great night shot where the Dragon showed its' stuff?  George Warnick?


I wish he'd re-post it so I could "copy" it.

PS - I just watched a movie t'uther day - it had GREAT intro music!    Starred Sam Elliot - sans 'stash.

[Silver Creek Slim]

By the way, who took that great night shot where the Dragon showed its' stuff?  George Warnick?

Yes, Sir.

Slim

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Thankee!

[Pitspitr]

I'm posting the winners (top three) of each category. 

Field Uniform
Pitspitr

Dress Uniform
Captain Montgomery Little

Male Civilian
Silver Creek Slim

US Scout
GAF, Commanding

That's the way I read it.