Punching Paper versus Woodswalks

[cb]

A third option - shoots based on some of the old time shooting matches - not everyone can do a woodswalk (and while fun and good for learning they aren't really old time), but paper isn't always all that fun either:

1) A wooden shingle with a black or white mark - these were traditionally shot at 6 or 12 rods = to 33 yards or 66 yards - just pace them off is close enough - everybody gets their own shingle closest to the center of their black mark wins. Cardboard can be used as a shingle.
Here's a description of Capt Cresap's Maryland Riflemen in the Rev War era shooting a similar match and shwoing off:

A clap-board with a mark the size of a dollar was put up, they began to fire off-hand, and the by standers were surprised few shots being made that were not close or into the paper. When they had shot for some time in this way, some lay on their backs, some on their breasts or sides; others ran twenty or thirty steps and, firing as they ran appeared to be equally certain of the mark. With this performance the company were more than satisfied, when a young man took up the board in his hand not by the end but by the side, and holding it up, his brother walked to the distance and coolly shot into the white; laying down his rifle, he took the board, and holding it as it was before, the second brother shot as the former had done. By this exhibition I was more astonished than pleased But will you believe me when I tell you that one of the men took the board and placing it between his legs, stood with his back to the tree while another drove the center?

2) Turkey shoot - they used to use a real turkey behind a log (see the movie Sgt York), but I've shot them with a lifesize (more or less) cardboard turkey heads on sticks with the head permanently above a log - again just pace off whatever distance you choose - 25-33 yards makes a tough target

3) Mike Fink shoot - the old tin cup on a head theme - since tincups are expensive and well heads are heads, mockup some "tin" cups out of manila file folder stock, fill with enough sand to hold them steady (or a small water balloon - gives a nice effect) then set on a wooden block about the size of a head...watermelons, squash, and pumpkins also make nice "heads" when you can get them cheap.....

[Wyoming Mike]

I like them both.  I don't shoot paper as well as I did before I turned 60 but I still do well enough to win plunder now and again.  I enjoy placing the balls precisely and going for the best group off hand.  I shoot from the pouch just because I hate to haul all that stuff to the bench.

I also like woods walks and other primitive events.  They are just plain fun and offer a variety of targets and can give plenty of opportunity for fun exchanges with the other shooters.

One of my favorite events is silhouette shoots with crows at 50 yards prairie dogs at 100 yards, buffalo at 125, turkeys at 150 and bears at 200 yards.  The targets have to be knocked over.  It is always a lot of fun.

[mark davidson]

I have never been to a rondy yet as I am still kinda new at this. However, my opinion is similar to Captchee. I hate paper. :-) My man emphasis is hunting. Woodswalks and trail walks simulating hunting situations would get my money regularly if I had one close to home to go play at. I would not drive five minutes just to punch paper.  I love to shoot and appreciate a tight group but once my sights are set, I am finished with punching paper and ready to blow up some cans full of water or whack some steel around.

[Old Salt]

I enjoy the woodswalk more than a paper shoot for one main reason.  I like the immediate feedback from a hit on a steel or breakable target.  There's no need to take a look through a spotting scope to verify shot location.  And like others have mentioned the atmosphere is more friendly.

I do however feel that shooting paper targets is a better learning tool for consistent shooting, since you have a permanent record of shot distribution.  IMHO shooting paper requires a shooter to better understand what it takes to make consistently accurate shots at measured distances.

At a woodswalk a hit on the edge scores a hit when the same shot on paper results in a low value.  

So to sum it up for fun and comaraderie I prefer a woodswalk, for overall shooting disipline I am better served shooting paper.    

Salt

[Ohio Joe]

It really doesn't matter much to me what's on the menue for a shooting match.  I'm there to hit the target whether it be paper, metal, charcoal, a shingle with an X on it, splitting a card, splitting a ball on the ax, snuffing a candle.  It all involves having fun and trying to hit your mark just like everyone else.

[Three Hawks]

One of the most enjoyable, pleasant shoots I ever participated in was a woods walk /  trail shoot, whatever ya want to call it that was set on a ridge.  All shots were downhill into a ravine and all shots were at reactive targets at randomly set and unmeasured distances.   The close targets were on the ground,  sheet steel rabbits, grouse, turkeys,  foxes, that sort of thing and when hit, they fell.  All of 'em had a cord run out to reset 'em.   The longer distances, out to approx 200 yards were  animal silhouettes and geometric shapes which rotated, then returned when hit.  The pistol shoot was simply the close in rifle targets.   All scoring was on the honor system and as prizes were not high value, cheating was not a problem.   I actually won a pound of 2F which I traded off for a jimmyjohn of some healthful and nutritious skull varnish.

At another rondy, half of one's score was novelty shoots, eggs taped to strings swinging in the wind, soda crackers lined up in a saw kerfed 2x4,  balloons tied to the branches of bushes and some others I can't remember.  (I blame the skull varnish.)

So not all targets have to be paper or at known ranges.

Three Hawks

[Minnesota Mike]

Thanks for the feedback. Appreciate the input. Agree with most of the views

CB - the shingle shoot you mention is alive and well within the NRLHF rendezvous . . . called the Blue Jacket match.

Thanks agian.

r/
MM