Historic rifle match?

[Don McDowell]

Cody, what the heck is a Historic rifle match?

[Cody Smith]

You've been to them, it is what I call our schuetzen style matches. I have a problem with calling them schuetzen for a couple of reasons. First, schuetzen is offhand. There is no such thing as benchrest schuetzen and any match that involves bench shooting cannot be a schuetzen match. Second, schuetzen matches were held at German social clubs and there was lots of drinking and other German tradition. None of that here. Even in the old days, the matches that happened in Cheyenne and in a lot of the west were held by Americans speaking English and with no ties to anything German. To call our 200 yard paper target combination offhand and bench rest a schuetzen match would be a blaspheme. So we call them historic target rifle matches. I also think that when you call them schuetzen matches, people get a funny idea about what goes on and are not even interested in checking them out. There is no reason we shouldn't have a lot more interest in them. They are fun, relaxed, great practice, and it costs a very reasonable amount of money to participate.

Thanks for asking!

[Don McDowell]

Thanks Cody for the explanation. That match was a lot of fun to be sure. I was looking at the poor ol 32-40 ballard the other day, and thinking it needs to get a bit more work than it's currently getting.
I just got the high bid on Ebay on an Ideal 32-40 loading tool , with the interagal bullet mould. It should be here in a few days.