Pay Attention!!!!

[rickevans]

I finally got to a Trade Gun shoot on Saturday at the Lansing Muzzleloaders club. They have a great course, fine food, a nice fire and good coffee. The weather was mild, the sun even came out for a while. I shot with Pathfinder and a couple other fellows, and we had a grand time.  I had my unfinished Jackie Brown Early Virginia "Barn Gun" and a brand new flint. Having never shot this smoothbore before and never shot a Trade Gun match, I was pretty mellow in my expectations. The only issue I had was that the rammer had swelled up in the channel and I had to use a puller to extract it. I carried it in my hand, stuck into my sash when shooting and in the muzzle after loading for the station. The smoothbore did very well, I hit some of the difficult targets and missed too many easy ones.  

The level of tom-foolery, hard-core ribbing and "helpful" banter was high ("Aim Higher. More. There").  And here is where the Pay Attention comes in. We shot the first 12 Trade Gun targets, all with RB. Then there were 4 clay birds to be taken with shot.  Now where is my ramrod? Must have fallen outa my sash....nope. Between the last RB target and the claybirds was only 12 feet down the path.... Friend Dennis Neely mentioned that my shot seemed to go way high on that last target...could I have left the ramrod in on that last shot?  Naw....maybe...could have....probably did. The last RB target is a large round metal "frying pan" out at what the club guide said was all of 180 yards. Hence the need for some hold over....every other target was down hill from the shooting stick, and if I would have left the rammer in for those shots, it would have fallen out as soon as the muzzle dipped to acquire the target. Not that frying pan.

With no rammer to be found, and 4 birds to shoot with shot, my close friend Pathfinder went on the hunt and harvested a natural rammer (he cut off a sapling twig) for me. Using this improvised ram rod, I loaded up powder, a wad, shot and another wad and I actually hit the second bird tossed.

So....have fun on the trail. Tell jokes, laugh, ridicule poor shots, mock your opponents clothing, lineage, dog and general appearance.  But keep track of what you are doing, or you might find yourself at a station, primed and ready with no load in the gun (Ted) or wondering why that last shot went high and where the heck your ramrod went to.

I am sure some one will be by shortly with a picture or two...

[sse]

Just another good story to tell...

[No Deer]

HI Rick

Glad you had a good time.  Don't feel too bad about shooting your ramrod.  We have a club member that shot 2 one day.  We made him a trophy, a round wooden bullseye target with a piece of ramrod embedded in it   :rotf

[rickevans]

Well that is encouraging. I think.  

[gunmaker]

Been there, sure enough done that.  Now I use a range rod with a 2" wood ball on end.  I can see that over the sites.    ....Tom

[prairie dog]

Sounds like someone had a good time!

[prairie dog]

Kidding aside, I know what you mean.  During competition it is easy to get distracted and forget where you are in the loading sequence.  It happens to me every time someone ask me a question or a new shooter needs help.  Being the folks we are, it is nature to want to help others and your mind goes there forgetting about what you are doing in the moment.

[Uncle Russ]

Well that is encouraging. I think.  

I totally agree Rick........such stories seem to grow a bit in the telling simply because everybody has already heard the old version, so the new teller is forced to add a wee bit to his side of the story.

But what the heck? That's the stuff legends are made off, and it's always great to be associated with a legend, wouldn't ya say?

Not to worry, if ya haven't done it, it's just a matter of time............

Uncle Russ....

[sse]

At the last shoot, a guy broke his rr and so I let him use mine, but his bore was much longer, so the whole thing went in when he shoved down the next load, then pounded it on a short starter.  Others were talking to him, etc, distracted him and he started walking for the next shot.  I knew my rr was still in there and decided to let it go a sec, just long enough for him to realize he forgot it and probably would have shot it outta there!

[rickevans]

But what the heck? That's the stuff legends are made off, and it's always great to be associated with a legend, wouldn't ya say?

A legend you say...well then....

[Uncle Russ]

But what the heck? That's the stuff legends are made off, and it's always great to be associated with a legend, wouldn't ya say?

A legend you say...well then....

 :rotf  


Uncle Russ...

[2 Locks]

So....have fun on the trail. Tell jokes, laugh, ridicule poor shots, mock your opponents clothing, lineage, dog and general appearance.

Whoa - slow down there just a cottin' pickin' minute!!!!  You got something to say about my dog?!?!?!  :evil:  :cry:

[2 Locks]

Just couldn't resist, Pathfinder. :rotf

[pathfinder]

Say the word and I'll be more than happy to take her back! If I recall,your north south was what needed some work,and that's just sight picture work.

Curl'y lock's were not noted for their quality,good lock's just not Chambers class. If you want,I can give you the number of a guy who will fix her right up,or I can re-buy her and I'LL have it done! LOL!

Anyway,here's a pic of "Ole Sticky" and his new ramrod. It seem's to fit the thimbles pretty good! I like 'em a little longer,give's ya somthing to grab onto when pulling a ball!

[Uncle Russ]

Pullin a ball might be a little rough, but other than that I see nothing wrong with a nice little flexible rod, seems to match the color of his knife sheath too.....now that's a nice touch.

Uncle Russ...