Shooting at 1000yds this weekend.

[idowa]

I'm going down to the Ben Avery shooting range in Phoenix this weekend to shoot an 1800's buffalo rifle at 1000yds for the first time... It's an NRA competition that my dad has been competing in for the last few years.

Guys use original or reproduction Sharps, Winchester, etc. single-shot rifles that shoot cartridges that are handloaded with blackpowder and lead cast bullets. They start shooting at 600 yds and then move up to 800yds, then up to 1000yds.

My dad is a former Marine sniper during the Vietnam era and was bunkmates with the famous Carlos Hathcock.

He also competes in the silhouette matches. Those are shot using the same style of rifle but you shoot at various sizes of animal-shaped steel silhouettes at ranges from 200 meters to 500 meters.

I have my own Winchester 1885 Highwall Uberti clone in .45-70 govt that I have used in matches a few times before. However, I don't have a scope or the right ammunition for the 1000yd competition, so my dad is letting me use one of his dozen or so match rifles he owns. It will likely be a Sharps in either .45-90 or .50-110.

Here are some pics from the last 1000yd match my dad competed in...

Those tiny targets are 6' across!

This is my Winchester...

I'm pretty nervous about it; we are getting weather changes coming which usually means wind down in the valley... It will make it even harder to hit anything.

 

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[BosnMate]

I have a 73 Springfield rifle and carbine, and both are shooters. I'm working on some accuracy loads tomorrow. 405 grain bullet over 55 grains of powder. 70 grain powder charges just scatter the bullets everywhere, so don't think it would be a 1000 yard shooter. Have a good time, wish I could be there also.

 

[arnofarrell]

Good luck man, also that rifle looks amazing.

 

[XLTer]

Nice rifles and pictures Idowa . Thanks for posting . Your dad was friends with White Feather ? Carlos Hathcock is one of my favorite American heros . If your father hasn't already , he should write a book of time spent with Carlos in the service . I know I would buy one and add to my collection .
Sure wish I could be there to watch him shoot . I enjoy long range shooting here in Pa. while pursuing groundhogs . Although most of the shots around here are'nt much more than 4 or 500 yards . Of course though , my rifles are of the more modern type , Ruger 22-250 & 25-06 . Not quite the challenge of what your shooting .

 

[packerbacker]

Nice rifles. Those ol' bufalo guns are very impressive. I've got a more modern Win .338 mag that reaches out there pretty good but I haven't shot farther than maybe 400 yds. Doubt Iwould be much good at 1000.

 

[Peyton Manning]

remember to always shoot the target on the outside first, then move toward the center. Doing that won't spook the herd.

 

[truckinbutch]

I have a ball shooting 1,000 yds with my Pedersoli Quigly model Sharps .45/70 . My avatar is my grandson and I on the groundhog range a few summers back . He was busting groundhogs out to 450 yds at the age of 9 .

 

[Peyton Manning]

I can only shoot about ten yards before I get tired of running down the street and hearing the neighbors yelling

 

[releventchair]

Relax,dope the wind by the flags and shoot between heartbeats! Easy on the coffee till after.
Hats off to your dad.
Have a great shoot.

 

[XLTer]

I can only shoot about ten yards before I get tired of running down the street and hearing the neighbors yelling

Sounds like a few paintball games I've heard of ............
Here's a tip , DON'T shoot at someone NOT in the game ................

 

[idowa]

Your dad was friends with White Feather ? Carlos Hathcock is one of my favorite American heros . If your father hasn't already , he should write a book of time spent with Carlos in the service .

My dad didn't like him... Said he was always getting in trouble and busted down to E3 or so. I think they attended the same sniper school, but it wasn't a Marine sniper school; apparently they went to an army school?? I don't ask him about the sniper stuff...

 

[idowa]

I have a 73 Springfield rifle and carbine, and both are shooters. I'm working on some accuracy loads tomorrow. 405 grain bullet over 55 grains of powder. 70 grain powder charges just scatter the bullets everywhere, so don't think it would be a 1000 yard shooter. Have a good time, wish I could be there also.

I talked to my dad this morning and I'll be shooting a Sharps in .45-90...

I load my .45-70 with a 510 grain bullet and 65 grains of FFG, plus the vegetable wad. I use a 3' brass drop tube to make sure the powder is compacted nicely...

 

[BosnMate]

I talked to my dad this morning and I'll be shooting a Sharps in .45-90...

I load my .45-70 with a 510 grain bullet and 65 grains of FFG, plus the vegetable wad. I use a 3' brass drop tube to make sure the powder is compacted nicely...

I'm casting 405 grain bullets out of the Lee 45-70 with a bit of a hollow base, the bullet casts .459, and I'm sizing to .458 and they are shooting pretty good. Do you use 1F or 2F powder. My rifle seems to like the 2F the best, I'm still working on lighter loads, but will work up the charge until it won't hold a group. I've been using lubed felt wads under the bullet. Those old army sights are calibrated out to 1400 yards with a 405 grain bullet, and someday I'll have to get some one with young eyes to see how well it will do. I like to shoot long range over on the desert, because you can see where you are hitting.

 

[idowa]

I've never reloaded before getting this rifle, and I'm amazed how it seems to be part art and part science to get good results... My dad said that if I can reload and get good results with the blackpowder rounds, then reloading for other conventional cartridges should be easy...

BTW, I use 2F...

 

[Bum Luck]

Nice piece.

 

[idowa]

I ended up shooting the rifle pictured above in today's match... I got a 90/100 at 800yds, then an 82 at 900yds and a 73 at 1000yds... I was told that was pretty darn good for my first match, but I know I could have done better... I definitely messed up a few shots.

 

[releventchair]

Good time! Burning powder. Thanks for sharing.

 

[idowa]

Me with my rifle...

Dad's rifle; .50-100 with an ivory inlay from a hippo he shot in Africa...

The shooting line; miserable cold, wet, windy day in Phoenix...

 

[BosnMate]

I ended up shooting the rifle pictured above in today's match... I got a 90/100 at 800yds, then an 82 at 900yds and a 73 at 1000yds... I was told that was pretty darn good for my first match, but I know I could have done better... I definitely messed up a few shots.

Sounds like some good shooting to me. How did you place overall?

 

[idowa]

I got 2nd place Saturday in my division, 5 points under 1st, and today, I didn't even stay to find out... The wind was so bad that while some guys were shooting, it was gusting to 25mph, and then an hour later, when the next group shot, it slowed way down...

Yesterday, I beat my dad by about 15 points with no wind. Today, he beat me by about 30 pts... I shot an 86 at 800yds, a 40 at 900yds, and a 44 at 1000yds... 170pts for today vs 246 yesterday. The match winner overall was the national champion who got a 277 yesterday. No idea what he got today...