Shooting on horseback

[Cap n Ball]

Has anyone else here tried this? I've been doing it for about two years now with some buddies of mine and it's FUN. We have our 'target' which is a big old 20 inch diameter frying pan painted white inside. It's mounted on top of a pole about eight feet high with a high dirt embankment behind it. We ride to a gallop until we're about 20 yards away and then fire. It's real tricky. To hit it you have to fire when your mount has all four legs off the ground for a few seconds. I usually manage to hit the damn pan maybe four or five times out of a dozen attempts. My best was eight 'pings' out of fifteen attempts. I had to buy the beer that day. Anyone that didn't know what we were doing might think we were practicing to rob a train or something. Of course you have to have mounts that are not gun shy and we use ours regularly at reennactments so they are quite used to it. Anyway, I was just wondering if there were any other crazies out there.

 

[mcneill]

I've wanted to try it, but never have. My friend who breeds/raises quarter horses has a saying - "You can shoot off any horse, once."

Jim

 

[Harve Curry]

I shoot from horse back quite a bit. I don't use live ammo to often anymore. Targets are balloons at the gallup and I shoot them with 45LC full case loads of black powder. That way you can shoot anywhere, in an arena or whatever.
There is sanctioned mounted shooting events, SASS, CMSA and MSA.
Then there's cavalry reenatment, Civil War, Indian Wars, on up. Charge in formation, pistols, carbines and sabers, sometimes a lance charge. Bugles blowin, muskets firing on line, artillery going off all around with a 1/4 pound of black and some wadding those cannons will shake the earth.
I like the excitement combined with the skill of both horsemanship and shooting.

 

[Cap n Ball]

Harve, I'm usually a 'gun-bunny' at reennactments. 2nd Kansas light Arty. We have a genuine 1834 Columbia six pounder. I'm getting a bit too old to go marching around on foot wearing wool, carrying nine plus pounds of iron in 90 degree heat. I will do that if I have to but I really try to avoid heatstroke and blisters. Besides that, I just like firing cannons anyway. I haven't done any cavalry stuff. My little two year old Tennessee Walker mare would look a bit out of place and sort of dainty next to those big morgans alot of the other fellows ride. I love working with her though and she like to work with me. I totally agree with you about horsemanship and establishing a working skill relationship. Shooting from the saddle is a special part that I really enjoy.

 

[Harve Curry]

Here in New Mexico we have the 5th Texas Mounted Volunteers and Terry's Rangers (both Civil War). For horses it's pretty much bring what you own here. Mustangs, grade horses, TB, a selection kinda like what the frontier would have had away from regular supplies and regulation.

 

[confed sailor]

have just cause ur arty doesnt mean gotta just sit there!!!

my unit, Palmetto Battery, SCMA, puts 2 1842 6 pounder on the field. now what do most gunners do? they set up the guns friday night and dont move'em till sunday.

not us, we are known for counter-charging cavalry.

thats right folks, when the saber fairies attack we come to meet em

though, the average age in our unit is 18.