Dave McCracken
Moderator In Memoriam
I caught an episode of Shotgun Journal tonight dedicated to the Vintager Cup. The Vintagers are folks who like to dress up like circa 1870-1900 British aristocracy and shoot old doubleguns, both rifles and shotguns. It looks like great fun, and I'm sure those old Holland and Holland and Purdey guns still have lots of shots left in them.They have side events for weapons like "Stopping Rifles", Large bore "Elephant" guns, and another for Drillings, the Germanic 3 shot rifle/shotgun combos.
Following that episode was American Shooter, with a big segment on the Cowboy Action stuff.This also looks like great fun,and all us American men have dreamed about stalking through the dusty streets of Tombstone with the Earps and Doc Holiday looking for the Clantons.
All this nostalgia made me nostalgic. I got to thinking about whether all shotgunner's needs can be met by something like this.
As for me, NONE of my ancestors were ever addressed as Milord or Milady. I'm sure none ever owned a Purdey. While I do have a real cowboy among my ancestors, all accounts agree he was a triple chrome plated SOB.
My family's tastes ran more to moonshine than Merlot. Lots of their guns had names like "Ranger" or "Western Field", and I'm sure they'd regard the Vintagers AND the SASS folks with jaundiced, suspicious eyes.
So, more in keeping with my heritage, I propose....
THE REDNECK CUP!!
We too, can dress up in colorful costumes and shoot guns.
Bib overalls are de riguer, so are jeans and T shirts with a little BBQ sauce dribbled on them. Flannel shirts and ball caps are required for the big banquet at the end of the shoot.A work shirt with your first name embroidered above the pocket is acceptable. Style points given for grease on it.
Footgear can include barn boots(Dung optional), Acme cowboy boots and none.
Instead of the stopping rifle event,we could rig up a charging razorback target to be shot at with buck.
Instead of a Drilling event, we could have at two flying clays with a pump gun, followed by immediately dropping in a slug and going for a stationary possum target out at 45 yards. Bead sights only...
Instead of the Purdey Invitational, we could have a House Brand event, where all the shotguns used had to have names like Ted Williams, J G Higgins, Ranger, etc.
No autos newer than the A-5.
A Single Barrel Event where the second bird of a following pair is launched 5 seconds after report to allow for reloading an old I/J Champion,H&R single, Winchester 37, Long Tom, etc.
A Road Hunter Event where the shooter has to decab from a simulated P/U truck, throw in a round and hit a target launched when his/her feet hit the road surface. Alternately, shooting slugs from the P/U bed at a deer silohuette.
A Texas Dove Hunter Event where the shooter mounts and shoots with his/her firing hand only while the support hand holds a 12 oz weight shaped like a longneck.
And if clay targets half the size of rabbit targets can be found, a night shoot to simulate shooting rats at the landfill can cap off the festivities.
How does that sound?
Following that episode was American Shooter, with a big segment on the Cowboy Action stuff.This also looks like great fun,and all us American men have dreamed about stalking through the dusty streets of Tombstone with the Earps and Doc Holiday looking for the Clantons.
All this nostalgia made me nostalgic. I got to thinking about whether all shotgunner's needs can be met by something like this.
As for me, NONE of my ancestors were ever addressed as Milord or Milady. I'm sure none ever owned a Purdey. While I do have a real cowboy among my ancestors, all accounts agree he was a triple chrome plated SOB.
My family's tastes ran more to moonshine than Merlot. Lots of their guns had names like "Ranger" or "Western Field", and I'm sure they'd regard the Vintagers AND the SASS folks with jaundiced, suspicious eyes.
So, more in keeping with my heritage, I propose....
THE REDNECK CUP!!
We too, can dress up in colorful costumes and shoot guns.
Bib overalls are de riguer, so are jeans and T shirts with a little BBQ sauce dribbled on them. Flannel shirts and ball caps are required for the big banquet at the end of the shoot.A work shirt with your first name embroidered above the pocket is acceptable. Style points given for grease on it.
Footgear can include barn boots(Dung optional), Acme cowboy boots and none.
Instead of the stopping rifle event,we could rig up a charging razorback target to be shot at with buck.
Instead of a Drilling event, we could have at two flying clays with a pump gun, followed by immediately dropping in a slug and going for a stationary possum target out at 45 yards. Bead sights only...
Instead of the Purdey Invitational, we could have a House Brand event, where all the shotguns used had to have names like Ted Williams, J G Higgins, Ranger, etc.
No autos newer than the A-5.
A Single Barrel Event where the second bird of a following pair is launched 5 seconds after report to allow for reloading an old I/J Champion,H&R single, Winchester 37, Long Tom, etc.
A Road Hunter Event where the shooter has to decab from a simulated P/U truck, throw in a round and hit a target launched when his/her feet hit the road surface. Alternately, shooting slugs from the P/U bed at a deer silohuette.
A Texas Dove Hunter Event where the shooter mounts and shoots with his/her firing hand only while the support hand holds a 12 oz weight shaped like a longneck.
And if clay targets half the size of rabbit targets can be found, a night shoot to simulate shooting rats at the landfill can cap off the festivities.
How does that sound?
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Btw i was a WITNESS not in anyway directly involved in the event 
