Idea for a New Postal Match - Small Game Practical

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Ed Harris posted this 27 March 2009

UPDATED  4-12-2010 Based upon feedback received resulting from the article in FS-204, p.7, the match description has been revised and simplified.

Does this do what we want? PRACTICAL SMALL GAME aka, “Rabbit Hunter” or “Bunny Gun”

This match is a fun, competition encouraging use of fixed ammunition using plain-based lead bullets in light hunting rifles or handguns suitable for hunting small game, fired at short range, from practical field positions.>

1)    Any center-fire or rim fire single-shot or repeating rifle not exceeding 7-1/2 pounds in weight, complete with iron sights, or low powered scope and sling (if desired) may be used.

2)    Any center-fire or rim fire pistol or revolver, using iron sights only, with a barrel length not to exceed 6-1/2 inches, with weight not to exceed 40 ozs. may be used. 

3)   There is no restriction as to caliber or size of cartridge, as long as a rifle or handgun fires fixed ammunition firing lead bullets without a gas check.

4)     Rifle barrels must 18 inches or longer. Muzzle diameter or measurement across the flats (if octagon) may not exceed .728”

5)     Iron sights may not contain any glass or plastic lenses, filters or leveling aids.

6)     Telescopic sights used on rifles may not exceed 6X and the scope tube may not exceed 26mm (1.03”) over the objective.

7)     Modern production or custom guns must follow the “spirit” of the rules, as being suitable for a farmer's or country gentleman's “walking gun”, lawman's carbine or outdoorsman's trail gun. Stocks must be of wood. Laminated stocks are permitted, as are bedding adjustments or repairs using common wood inlays, shims of card stock or sheet metal held in place with common nails, wire brads, wood screws, common glue, shellac or varnish. No epoxy, plastic or fiberglass stock bedding materials are allowed.    

NRA Lifesize Game Target Cottontail Rabbit http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=552641>http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=552641  

RIFLE: Ten shots fired in a time limit of ten minutes from any practical field position at a range of 50 yards. Shooting must be from off the ground and may be fired either from the prone, sitting, kneeling or standing position, shooter's choice. No hook butt plates or palm rests are permitted.  A shooting sling, walking stick or cane, tree branch or crossed sticks held in the hand may be used for support.  Shooters who require use of a wheel chair for mobility may use one arm of the chair for support. 

HANDGUN (Pistol or Revolver): 

Ten shots fired in a time limit of ten minutes from an unsupported standing position at a range of 50 feet. A two-handed hold may be used, but no other means of support is allowed.

SCORING:  Unlimited practice shots may be taken on the marked sighter target.

Ten shots are permitted on record targets marked either RIFLE-50-YD or HANDGUN-50-FT. If there are excessive hits the low ten shots will be scored. Shots contained completely inside the brain or heart-lung vital areas without breaking the lines count “X” used in breaking ties only.  Shots breaking the lines of the vital areas score ten points each. Shots not breaking vital lines, but completely contained within the rabbit body count 8 points. Scratch hits touching anywhere else on rabbit including the feet, ears or tail count 1 point each.   

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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Rodfac posted this 27 March 2009

Great idea, Ed. Sign me up.

For an excuse to carry some weaponry on our farm here in Ky, I've been using an old deck of playing cards on my daily fence checking walk-about. I stick up a card on a thistle stalk, branch or stump then walk out a bit and give it a try. Offhand out to 50 yds or so, then a quick drop into a hunting or combat sitting position for the longer ranges...kind of a deer hunter's practical prep. The card tells the story every time.

Another fun variation is the use of railroad tie plates set at various distances...all the way out to two hundred yards. For those not familiar, they're the steel plates 8x14 inches or so, that the rail sits on, on top of the ties. The rail is spiked down through square holes in the plate. These offer some interesting variations for suspended targets and they 'ring' beautifully when struck with lead.

I digress...your postal sounds like fun. By the way, Ed, do you have any reservations about using lead bullets through an M1 Carbine?

Regards, Rodfac

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KenK posted this 27 March 2009

It sounds like a fun match and I would be in if my Marlin 1894cl makes the weight.

 

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Ed Harris posted this 27 March 2009

Rodfac wrote: Great idea, Ed. Sign me up.... By the way, Ed, do you have any reservations about using lead bullets through an M1 Carbine? When I had a carbine I shot lots of them.  #3118 and about 5 grs of Unique or the lightest charge of 4759, 4227 or #2400 which cycles, about 8 grs. Or operate as a straight pull if it shoots better but doesn't.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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Ed Harris posted this 27 March 2009

KenK wrote: It sounds like a fun match and I would be in if my Marlin 1894cl makes the weight. 

I'm OK with adjusting the weight limit to fit the Marlin 1894CL in .32 H&R Magnum, as I have one and would like to shoot it.  I must weigh mine! The rules should permit classic small game sporters such the Winchester 92 in .25-20 with 24-inch octagon barrel and iron sights, or the Winchester Model 43 bolt action with a hunting scope, taking typical weights obtained from listings of used guns for sale on Cabelas Gun Library.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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JetMech posted this 27 March 2009

Great idea, Ed. Any type shooting that involves commonly used guns and field positions is a blessing to the shooting community. My daughters might even be interested in it.:thumbsup:

The only down/up side is now I'll have to build a bunny gun!

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Ed Harris posted this 27 March 2009

Dollar Bill wrote: Great idea, Ed....The only down/up side is now I'll have to build a bunny gun! NEF Handi rifle in .357 could be really easy. 

 

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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2Tite posted this 27 March 2009

Wonderful idea. At one time I tried to do this at our schuetzen club as a side match. Could we reconsider the weight limit? I'm thinking Low-wall Winchester or Stevens 44 type rifle might not make weight with a straight tube, low power scope, eve4n with the lightest of factory barrels. It would be close but probably no cigar. It would seem a shame to leave these rifles behind. A Low-wall 32-20 with Lyman 438 probably wouldn't make weight even with No 1 barrel weight. Stevens 44 25-20 SS probably wouldn't,  but either should be within a lb or so. I would think these are some of the small game guns that a match like this would be perfectly suited to. Give it some thought.............I think it would make things more inclusive without giving away the farm to technology. This class of rifle certainly would'nt be considered “race guns"....................

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Ed Harris posted this 27 March 2009

I checked weights of some guns listed on Cabelas Gun Library

Winchester 92 in .25-20 with 24 inch octagon barrel and steel buttplate weighs 7-1/2 pounds. 

Winchester Model 43 bolt action with 4X scope weighs 7 pounds.

A Stevens Ideal No. 44 in .25RF weighs 7-1/4 pounds with Ideal tang sight.

A Remington No. 4 in .25 RF weighs 4-3/4 pounds

Winchester 1885 Lo-Wall .32 Short is 6-3/4 pounds

Browning 1885 Lo-wall .22 Hornet is 6-3/4 pounds no sights

If you are close to the 7-1/2 pound limit use simple iron sights to make weight. 

 

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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KenK posted this 27 March 2009

I just weighed the 1894cl 32-20. It is a hair over 6 1/2 lbs with a Leupold 4x rimfire scope.  I thought it was more than that, I wish it had about another pound of barrel.

What about shooting the ground hog target for score at 100 yards?  That is a stretch for my 32-20 and might be out of range for the smaller bunny guns...

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muley posted this 27 March 2009

Ed, this sounds like a great idea. keep the weight low, or there will be all kinds of methods looking for wiggle room. the bad part, I just sold my mod 219 savage in .22 hornet. good luck

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nimrod posted this 28 March 2009

Would a T-C Encore be legal, as long as it made weight and caliber?

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NoDakJak posted this 28 March 2009

Count me in although I have shot virtually no off hand for the last thirty five years. Rook Rifles and Bunny Guns have needed a match classifacation of their own for many years. It sounds like fun and I am going to start practicing. Neil

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william iorg posted this 29 March 2009

Competition has ruined every hobby I had. I'll participate in this one at least once. I just weighed my little 1894 Marlin in 32 H&R Magnum and it is overweight. With full octagon barrel and an XS peep sight it is just over 7 ¾ pounds. I have a TC Carbine in 32 Magnum and with a Williams Guide receiver sight it is less than 6 pounds. I went over to Midway and put the targets on my Wish List for my next order. If nothing else the practice should be quite a bit of fun.

Slim

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KenK posted this 29 March 2009

william iorg wrote:  1894 Marlin in 32 H&R Magnum and it is overweight. With full octagon barrel and an XS peep sight it is just over 7 ¾ pounds.

That is surprising to me William.  I just weighed my 1894CB in .44 magnum with 24” octagon barrel and it is just under 7 pounds with the Williams receiver sight.

Obviously my rifle has a bigger hole in the barrel but the 32 magnums look to have a smaller “across the flats” barrel.

You didn't weigh it with a full magazine tube did you?

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william iorg posted this 29 March 2009

I weighed it again and came up with 7 lbs even. The flats on the barrel measure .850” at the receiver and .711” at the muzzle.So it looks like it will qualify.

Slim

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tturner53 posted this 29 March 2009

Sounds great. I'm in. This is a happy coincidence as I was thinking how fun a break action singleshot only match would be, (H&R, etc.). To me shooting cast bullets is for fun. This sounds like fun.

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tturner53 posted this 29 March 2009

Ed, one more thing, to be sure I'm getting it on the scope tube diameter, 26mm is the maximum objective lens diameter? Thanks

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KenK posted this 29 March 2009

tturner53 wrote: Ed, one more thing, to be sure I'm getting it on the scope tube diameter, 26mm is the maximum objective lens diameter? Thanks

I missed that. I guess I quit reading after “no more than six power".

Seems to me that might be somewhat exclusionary.  Not many scopes with straight objective tubes these days.  In my case I've got a not very good Leupold rimfire scope on my rifle with a 35 mm objective.  If the match goes off with this rule in place I would upgrade to the Leupold 2.5 I've been wanting anyway.

I know the rules have to have a line somewhere and someone will always want an exception.  I don't personally see glass as being much of a factor with this type rifle and the ranges to be shot.

I will still participate either way.

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PETE posted this 29 March 2009

 Ed,

  Sounds like a neat idea. I REALLY need to get away from formal target shooting all the time and your proposed match sounds like a lot of fun.

  Am wondering what kind of modifications I can make to the sights. On my new Marlin 1894 Bee. I put on a Lyman peep sight, but couldn't see using the bead front sight it came with so made a new base and soldered a blade on it. It follows exactly my old original lever Marlin in .32 S&W Long. I am wondering if you would consider it to be pushing the “Spirit of the Game". If so it's no big deal as I have a few others I could use, but this is my actual “Bunny Gun” and target of opportunity gun so would like to use it if possible.

PETE

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Ed Harris posted this 30 March 2009

nimrod wrote: Would a T-C Encore be legal, as long as it made weight and caliber? My thought is yes.  

Lets try the revised course of 3-30-10 with the rifles we have, post scores and maybe some pictures here and discuss our results. Let's see how it works, shoot and report here, honor system.

 

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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