Oh Ya. I'm Hooked!

[BCRider]

Rusty is where I got mine. And yeah, they weren't cheap. But a set of Treso or any other after market nipples are going to run pretty much the same amount of coin within a sheckle or two.

And yeah, part of the attraction is SUPPOSED to be living with what they did back then. So I figure that the need to roll the guns to the side while cocking is part of the "game". Of course what they did in the old days when they weren't worried about breaking a "180 rule" was to simply point them up at the sky. But I know of one range here in the Northwest where there's housing out past the berms close enough that they have a rule that a cocked gun pointed above the berms is an instant end of the day. And not only for guns shot in matches either. So I gotta live with the roll to the side.

There's a good chart to be found on the Track Of The Wolf's website that lists all the various aftermarket nipples and which caps they work best with. It's well worth looking it over if anyone finds that their selection of caps is limited to one size and brand.

Hey C&L, is there even a black powder group in your area? While most of the interest with them will be long guns they typically have a pistol event where old replica revolvers are also allowed and even encouraged. And if there isn't a group in your area? Well then there's always that old saying "Build it and they will come". Groups of cowboy action shooters and black powder folks start with one or two that decide it's time to get something going and step up to the plate. Go around to the clubs in your local area and see if there isn't a group already or if there isn't one if there's interest in getting one started.

 

[Edenchef]

Hey C&L, is there even a black powder group in your area? While most of the interest with them will be long guns they typically have a pistol event where old replica revolvers are also allowed and even encouraged. And if there isn't a group in your area? Well then there's always that old saying "Build it and they will come". Groups of cowboy action shooters and black powder folks start with one or two that decide it's time to get something going and step up to the plate. Go around to the clubs in your local area and see if there isn't a group already or if there isn't one if there's interest in getting one started.

I feel your pain C&L, the club that sponsored CAS events closest to me had their range shut down. Next closest events are at least a 1 1/2 hour drive away. There as a couple of small groups starting up nearby, but I'm working on staring something up in my current club. Contact SASS (Single Action Shooting Society), they are very supportive of staring groups. Cheers!

 

[BCRider]

The Hope club a little ways down the road runs a monthly low key cowboy shoot. No big fancy building facades or such. Just a few targets and stands plus a folding table or two to stage the rifle and shotgon on. They set up and shoot a couple of times starting from different positions and using different sweeps. Then move stuff around and shoot a couple of more times. Finally they add up the scores and whoop and holler over the day's winners and those that managed to do something suitably amusing and laughed at themselves.

So it doesn't need to start out with all the bells and whistles. Just get a few targets and stands and a table or two and get a few folks out to try it. And invite any that are willing to come out and find someone's belt rig that fits them and run them through a stage. Nothing makes such a group grow like infecting others. I know that locally we've gotten many new shooters joining up by using this "dirty trick".....

 

[cdnrokon]

And now since you are hooked, come on out to a silhouette shoot, It is something to see 60 plus shooters shooting charcoal burners trying to knock over steel targets all the way out to 500yds. Talking about boom and smoke..and then clang ......sometimes there is so much smoke you have to wait to see the targets downrange.

I think that sums it up nicely. If it were ONLY the boom instead of bang or if it were only the smoke by itself then I don't think it would have the same appeal to those that click with it. But put it all together and there's just something about it all.

And I agree that working with the goodies and the gun for the reloading is a part of it.

I wish we could skip the cleanup at the end of the day though. That part gets old pretty quick. But with a couple of tricks I've gotten to where if I put my head down and focus I can clean a C&B revolver in about 15 minutes from removing the trigger lock to wiping off the last licks of excess oil. This being for a "short clean" where I don't break down the action though. If I go the whole mile figure on a half hour each.

 

[eaglesnester]

Same thing happens when I bring out the 1723 75 caliber Brown Bess at the range. Guys line up to shoot it and they have lots of fun. Some are intimidated by the caliber, they think it is going to kick like a sideways mule. When they find out there is virtually no recoil they cant wait to shoot it. I try to promote cap and flint lock shooting sports at every opportunity Many shooters today do not realize that black powder front stuffers are still alive and well in the 21st century.

Cheers and Tighter Groups: Eaglesnester

He says you fish poorly. Do you know him? Weve met.

 

[vagrantviking]

And now since you are hooked, come on out to a silhouette shoot, It is something to see 60 plus shooters shooting charcoal burners trying to knock over steel targets all the way out to 500yds. Talking about boom and smoke..and then clang ......sometimes there is so much smoke you have to wait to see the targets downrange.

I'm in awe that you get that many shooters out! We run a little silhouette shoot in Lethbridge and are lucky to get maybe 10-12 shooters.
The most fun shooting you can find. Especially if the Gods of the sulphurous clouds smile on you and you hit some of the buggers!

 

[cdnrokon]

The place to go is Bethune Sask. the club is the Bethune Pasture Cartridge Rifle Shooters.

I'm in awe that you get that many shooters out! We run a little silhouette shoot in Lethbridge and are lucky to get maybe 10-12 shooters.
The most fun shooting you can find. Especially if the Gods of the sulphurous clouds smile on you and you hit some of the buggers!

 

[Brutus]

Yes sir, very addictive indeed. Several cap & ball sixguns here. Including ASM Walker and ROA. Two muzzleloading caplock rifles & a replica bludderbuss too.

Last time I was at the gun range I saved a few 10 gauge BP all brass hulls for two novice shooters to try out my antique 10 gauge coach gun.

Smiling faces stained with black soot every where.

 

[stevejones]

My first black powder gun was a reproduction 1851Colt navy. Lots of fun but of course i ran the gauntlet of the typical problems that you have with a cap and ball revolver.I parted with that gun a long time ago by recently the bug has bitten again and I am the proud owner of a Ruger old at my. I have not had the opportunity to shoot it yet but I can't wait.

 

[BCRider]

If we're getting into revolver stories now here's mine.

When I started buying the guns to use for cowboy action shooting I ran across a fellow selling a pair of Uberti Remington 1858 clones. I had considered black powder but really didn't know where to start. But these looked so nice that I figured I'd dive in.

So the day before my first match I was out at the range with the guns and all the "stuff" needed to load them. I'd NEVER loaded or shot cap & ball OR anything with black powder before that. I loaded and shot a half dozen times to get a feel for it and find the impact point of the guns. The next day was my first cowboy match with my own guns. Talk about into the deep end of the pool with ankle weights ! ! ! ! ! All in all despite a few light strikes due to the caps not being seated correctly it went well.

As it happens I shot the first 3 or 4 matches with those black powder guns until I got my cartridge revolvers. Still got them and I've even added a pair of Colt 1860 clones to the collection so I have a BP option that feels and works a bit differently.

The two sets of these would be among the very last things to go if I were ever to run across hard times and had to sell any of my shooting toys. I really do enjoy them that much.