Americans Win Gold at 7th World Long-Range Muzzle-Loading Championships

[Mike OTDP]

The 7th Long-Range World Championships were held 24-27 September at Camp Butner, North Carolina, USA. Shooters from seven nations competed at distances between 300 and 1,000 yards, turning in performances worthy of the best modern target rifles.

But these were not modern high-velocity rifles, but the percussion target rifles of the 19th century, when long-range shooting was in its infancy. Typically between .40 and .50 caliber, weighing around fifteen pounds, these rifles represented the apogee of mid-1800s firearm technology.

American competitors excelled in the original-arms division of the matches. Firing 150-year-old antiques, Karl Kuehn took gold in the 1,000-yard match and silver in the 900-yard match, carrying him to triumph in the overall long-range aggregate and earning a bronze medal in the grand aggregate. Nor was Kuehn the only medalist. Al Roberts won the original division of the 600-yard match, while Mon Yee took bronze at 300 and 500 yards - scores which would earn him bronze in the mid-range aggregate as well. Meanwhile, Dave Munch and Rick Weber took bronze medals in the reproduction and original divisions of the 1,000-yard event, and while John Whittaker didn't win any one event, his overall strong performance took bronze in the long-range aggregate.

The Long-Range Muzzle-Loading World Championship was held under the auspices of the Muzzle-Loading Associations International Committee (MLAIC), the world governing body for competition with black powder firearms. The 8th World Long-Range Championship will be held in 2011, at the famed Bisley range in Great Britain.

More information on long-range muzzle-loading is available at www.lrml.org. Information on the U.S. Team is available at the team web site, www.usimlt.org. The MLAIC's web site is www.mlaic.org.

 

[send2r]

U s a, u s a...

 

[4v50 Gary]

This time we didn't need a mistake from the Irish Team to win. Go USA!

 

[Oyeboten]

Glad to hear..!


Any info on the 'groups' at those ranges? How many Shots for a string?

 

[SHIPCHIEF]

Any pictures of the guns and competitors?

 

[dbm]

Got back from the US last Saturday after a great trip and have just picked up on the report.

It appears that the report was written with reference to the Awards list. Somehow in this listing the British shooter John Whittaker got
transferred to the USA in the final aggregate. You will also find on review of the results that he had rather more success in the original rifle class than you credit him with:

1st at 300 yards
1st at 500 yards (setting a new world record)
2nd at 600 yards
1st at 900 yards

1st in the mid-range aggregate (300+500+600 yards)
3rd in the long-range aggregate (900+1000 yards)
2nd in the grand aggregate.

John was also a member of the silver medal winning British long range team (900+1000 yards) with Andrew Burgess, David Minshall & Nicholas Washington. (Andrew also won the reproduction rifle 600 yard match setting a new world record).


Mike: Please correct your report on the USIMLT web site. Thanks.

David Minshall
GB Long Range Rifle Team, Vice-Captain

 

[4v50 Gary]

So we won it again with help from across the pond?

 

[dbm]

The rifles are generally around .45 calibre and originals were of maximum weight limit of 10lbs. Modern rules permit rifles of up to 15lb, but in practice they seldom exceed about 13lbs.

Several new world records were set during the championship by shooters from the following nations:
500 yards, original rifle, Great Britain
1000 yards, original rifle, USA
500 yards, reproduction rifle, Switzerland
600 yards, reproduction rifle, Great Britain
900 yards, reproduction rifle, South Africa

In the mid range (300+500+600yd) team of 4 match results were:
1st. Germany - 2nd. South Africa - 3rd. USA

In the long range (900+1000yd) team of 4 match results were:
1st. South Africa - 2nd. Great Britain - 3rd. USA

Both winning teams set new World Records

David

 

[BlackNet]

Don't suppose anyone knows what rifles they were using and have any images from the match?

 

[Mike OTDP]

Most of the replicas are the Pedersoli Gibbs rifle.

And the Team site was updated at 1100 today.

FWIW, my write-up was targeted at the American audience. I figure that the other countries will handle their own public relations with equally targeted articles.

 

[dbm]

In the original rifle class, rifles used were by Whitworth, Henry, Gibbs-Metford and Rigby. Pictured below is an original Gibbs-Metford;



The Pedersoli Gibbs is the most common reproduction. Some of these have been modified with new sights, and lock internals. There were also a number of custom built rifles in use.

Picture below shows me during the 1000 yard practice.



Of the next two pics, first is the 1000 yard individual match and second is 1000 yard team shooting.

Conditions were mixed; dull days, clear days, wet days and very hot days (temps. around 90 and very humid).

David

 

[61chalk]

Great Pics!!!! Very interesting, didn't know they had such ranges for this. Still wondering what kind of groups some are getting at 1000 yds?

 

[dbm]

At long range, bull scores 5, then rings for 4, 3, 2, 1. The bull is 24" diameter and 4 ring 48" diameter (as is the aiming mark).

15 match shots are fired and the top three at 1000 yards all scored over 60 (ie. an average score of 4). Twenty two shooters scored over 52 (average around 3.5). Details of target sizes can be found here.

With the approximate 4 second flight time at 1000 yards, there's a lot of weather can happen! Although the rifles are capable of quite remarkable accuracy the skill comes in coping with changing wind and mirage at long range.

David

 

[[email protected]]

Tell me David, do you and the rest there shoot to try to beat everybody else
or do all shoot for the love of the sport?

 

[dbm]

It's a World Championship match under the auspices of the Muzzle Loaders Associations International Committee (MLAIC - www.mlaic.org) and the shooters are there representing their respective nations. So yes, the aim is to shoot better than everyone else - doesn't always work, but that's the game.

However, the pre and post shooting comaradrerie, the discussions of the history of the sport and the rifles used and the help and coaching given across nations makes it a great place to be.

Basically you've got around seventy shooters from nine nations, doing what they love - shooting and talking long range muzzle loading. On top of that there were many volunteers there helping on the firing points, in the pits and with the admin.

David

 

[Mike OTDP]

Yup. Having competed in the pistol matches at the World Championship since 1996, I can assure you that the competition is very, very serious.

But you don't do something like this at a competitive level unless you love it.

 

[spartywrx]

Picture below shows me during the 1000 yard practice.

What kind of groups does one get at 1000 yards with a rifle like yours? Is it measured in inches, feet, or just hitting the target?

 

[alemonkey]

At long range, bull scores 5, then rings for 4, 3, 2, 1. The bull is 24" diameter and 4 ring 48" diameter (as is the aiming mark).

15 match shots are fired and the top three at 1000 yards all scored over 60 (ie. an average score of 4). Twenty two shooters scored over 52 (average around 3.5).

I don't care what rifle you're shooting, that's some pretty awesome marksmanship.

 

[Benmathes]

wow! I'd love to learn how to shoot at 1000 yards! How do you start?

 

[dbm]

Have a look at my Long Range Muzzle Loader web site. There's a lot of information there.

Typically the rifle used will be .45 cal, with 1 in 18 twist rifling, and weighing 10-12lb. You'll need aperture front and rear sights with vernier gauge adjustment so you can make accurate settings. Bullets of 530-560 grain weight, and most commonly (at least in the UK) paper patched. Powder charges will be in the region of 85-100 grains of 2F (or Swiss 1.5F).

Work through the ranges to gain confidence in your equipment and accuracy of you load. By the time your out to 1000 yards you'll have more then enough to do coping with wind, light, mirage that you will need to be sure of having an accurate rifle.

David