Traditional Muzzleloading Association
Traditional Firearms => Cannons => Topic started by: Spotted Bull on March 03, 2020, 06:46:59 AM
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A few from our recent cannon school
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Every once in a while before our kids grew up into adult's, we use to go to places like Ft. Laramie, Ft. Union - and back in those days the Forts use to keep quite a few reenactment groups on site... It was great to see the American Mountain Men, and some "period" Infantry Units at these places - doing reenactment...
Anyway, we always made sure to gather for the firing of the cannon at Ft. Laramie in the afternoon when we would be there visiting... Same deal at Ft. Kearney...
Our last visit to Ft. Laramie, (2 to 3 years ago), it was nice to see them trying to work their way back to those days of reenactment groups after 8 years of government neglect of our Nations historical sites. :bl th up
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Blanks or LIVE rounds?
We don't do blanks in the North South Skirmish Association and we shoot cannon for score.
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These were all blank rounds. We don't shoot'em live. We really don't have a range long enough. We like the smoke and the noise!
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Blanks at the places the family and I have visited.
However, at the Ft. Robinson Rendezvous back in (2001 or 2002?) one of the guys brought a Civil War cannon with him - and shot live rounds... His first shot took out the upper part of a tree on Soldier Creek... Not quite enough elevation - but a spectacular shower of wood splinters flying everywhere... Kind'a drove home the point that you don't necessarily need to use "grape-shot" when you have trees available to act as "Mother Natures" shrapnel...
He didn't hit no more trees after that first shot... :bl th up
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I'm using a linstock to light off another round. Cannon is a replica of a "Parrot" styled rifled howitzer. Like most snub nose guns, muzzleblast is beyond obnoxious in live fire. We finished 4th out of 12 guns at that match.
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What is that Dave, about 300 yards?
Kees
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It's only a 100yd. We shoot further in Winchester. There are guys that shoot one hole groups at 100 and it can be hard to score them. In the match in the picture, the scoring consisted of an 8in bullseye and 6 hanging tiles. Great fun even if we lose.
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:hairy
Good job, Dave
I've always love the sight, sound, and smell of real cannon fire, However....all I have personally are two small miniature cannons in 30 caliber, enough to make one jump if they're not expecting it, plus I have touched them off precious few times.
Uncle Russ...
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At the Big Island Rendezvous in Albert Lea MN. We do live fire demos, 3 times a day with a cannon built in 1863, plus i do live fire with my 24 pound 5.8 inch bore mortar. We also do blank fire demos.
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In 1992 or 1993 ? a very close friend of mine passed away. He was the sort of fellow who never met a gun that he didn't like. So, his memorial was set at the rifle range in Farragut Park in North Idaho. The scene was amazing, there were cars in the parking lot from about every state in the Western US. Anyway, John Grenn had built a mountain howitzer, with a maybe 3" bore. We took some aluminum foil and rounded it and folded over one end, then filled it with some of the ashes. I think we used a charge of about 1,000 grains of Fg powder, slid the foil bullet down the bore and packed it over with some wadding, stuck a fuse into the touch hole, lit it and stood back. At about 75 yards, the foil ruptured and there was a pretty good grey cloud out over the range. One of the spectators said in a stage whisper, "Damn, what a way to go !!!"
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In 1992 or 1993 ? a very close friend of mine passed away. He was the sort of fellow who never met a gun that he didn't like. So, his memorial was set at the rifle range in Farragut Park in North Idaho. The scene was amazing, there were cars in the parking lot from about every state in the Western US. Anyway, John Grenn had built a mountain howitzer, with a maybe 3" bore. We took some aluminum foil and rounded it and folded over one end, then filled it with some of the ashes. I think we used a charge of about 1,000 grains of Fg powder, slid the foil bullet down the bore and packed it over with some wadding, stuck a fuse into the touch hole, lit it and stood back. At about 75 yards, the foil ruptured and there was a pretty good grey cloud out over the range. One of the spectators said in a stage whisper, "Damn, what a way to go !!!"
That's what my Wife and Son have been instructed to do with my ashes, take 1/2 of them to the PLR rondy, have everyone load blackpowder , then some of beaves powder and send me down range, then pour everybody a shot of my favorite Tequila! the other half go to my favorite hunting spot above Cle Elum.
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In 1992 or 1993 ? a very close friend of mine passed away. He was the sort of fellow who never met a gun that he didn't like. So, his memorial was set at the rifle range in Farragut Park in North Idaho. The scene was amazing, there were cars in the parking lot from about every state in the Western US. Anyway, John Grenn had built a mountain howitzer, with a maybe 3" bore. We took some aluminum foil and rounded it and folded over one end, then filled it with some of the ashes. I think we used a charge of about 1,000 grains of Fg powder, slid the foil bullet down the bore and packed it over with some wadding, stuck a fuse into the touch hole, lit it and stood back. At about 75 yards, the foil ruptured and there was a pretty good grey cloud out over the range. One of the spectators said in a stage whisper, "Damn, what a way to go !!!"
:yessir: A proper and fitting send off fur sure...we all should go out with such a bang.