Crisco

I believe the centerfire 1866’s were late production, chambered for the .44 Henry Centerfire (same dimensions as the Henry but centerfire), and most, if not all, were shipped to somewhere in South America that escapes my memory at the moment. Seems like very few show up in the states.

You can find data for it under the N32C designation on the Vihtavuori web site. I have used several pounds in .45 Colt and it shoots great, but I doubt you will find any light load data for it. I have not tried downloading below published data, so have no idea what to expect if you do. Not all of their “cowboy” load data is SASS legal, so watch your velocity...

This was a great match, wish we could make it every year. We thought it provided lots of variety, and enough options to allow everyone to shoot it their own way. I have to say I am surprised to hear it portrayed as “difficult”.

The 2 loads we use: 1-1/8 oz shot WAA12R wad STS case W209 primer 4.3 cc 2f (3f if you plan to shoot pigeons) my wife’s load 1-1/8 oz Peters blue case 1/8” card + 5/8” cushion 2.8cc 2f W209 primer shoots like her featherlights

Nothing unreliable about a Rossi as long as ammo is not too long or too short. They are generally rough/stiff out of the box, but it is pretty cheap and easy to smooth them out and make them pleasant to shoot. They are not as competitive as a 66/73 or Marlin due to limitations on how much the action can be modified.

Yes, the author says the shooter earned the P when he reengaged a missed target in mid-string. The stage instructions do not specify an order of engagement, therefore you cannot say what target was being aimed at, only whether a target was hit or missed. Intent cannot be assessed nor scored. Had the instructions specified a sweep, I would agree with the author, but I believe he is stuck with what he wrote, not what he meant. And to answer your specific question, if 6 plates are down with 6 shots, shooter wins.

As stated much earlier in this thread, the 7th shot earned the P per the written stage instructions when it HIT a plate on the rack. The 7th round was to be shot on/at the buffaloes, therefore it was a hit on an incorrect target. Up to that point, the missed plate was just a miss. Regardless of what target the shooter was aiming at, you cannot assign intent to the shot that missed or the one following it, as there was no order specified on the plate rack. There was a miss in 6 shots fired at the plate rack, so the make-up shot was confusing, but technically not any different than "shooting where it was" had the errant 7th shot hit a shotgun knockdown. The shooter was making up a target that was hit and knocked down by a shot that should have been fired at a different target. You can also avoid a lot of this by having make-ups be fired at the target that was missed, as that's pretty tough to misunderstand. Every time I've shot a stage where make-ups are fired on anything other than the target that was missed it results in lots of confusion.

You can make sure by taking a look at which side each trigger is located on.

I save the single stage for rifle cartridges and use a 550 for everything else. Cartridge change overs are easy and quick. For black powder I do not run it through the measure, but instead pull the case out after belling and hand dip the powder, then re-insert it and advance. Some run BP through the measure, I don’t.

Using CominAtCha as an example, the category is handled as above, but each category is shot on a different shift, which makes it work. Your results may vary, but the only times I’ve seen it done on a single shift match it resulted in having posse members that did nothing but shoot while everyone else carried their weight.

If threaded for chokes, don't shoot it without them. The cylinder bores referred to above are often simply barrels that were cut off, thereby removing the choke. I would suggest using those that came with it, and if you decide you want a more open pattern, buy a couple of cylinder choke tubes. From what I have seen, the lighter the load you shoot, the more you will appreciate having some choke to get more shot on the target.

Our knockdowns (mostly US poppers) are 3/8" AR500 with 1/2" pipe stick welded to the bottom to mount in our bases. For static targets we've been using 3/8" and 1/2" mild steel for years, and they age pretty well with lead bullets and cowboy loads, but are getting too heavy for most of the folks willing to come out and help these days (not to mention being easily and heavily damaged by boneheads with rifles). We are gradually changing over to 1/4" AR500 targets with a small rectangular slot centered near the top so they can hang from a hook made of 3/8" AR500. Very much like what MGM sells for Steel Challenge if you want to see examples. We initially went with 3/8" AR500, but I saw another club using 1/4" 18"x24" targets that are aging very well in speed steel matches, in which they are getting worked over heavily with jacketed 9mm, .40S&W, & .45ACP, from both pistols and carbines. Since then everything I buy is 1/4" and they are much nicer to haul around. I just go to Pacific Steel with a cardboard template or drawing and they use a plasma cutter; I've not seen any issues with wear or such in the heat affected areas. For long range targets (and even Plainsman rifle targets) the 3/8" AR won't crater, but starts to bow pretty quick when it gets whacked with a few 405 or 500 grain bullets.

Can't answer definitively about the "antique" classification but will tackle the concern noted above about getting them back into the US. SImply fill out a customs form 4457 and have the guns verified by a customs officer BEFORE leaving the states. This form provides the proof that you took them with you so you will not be accused of importing them on your return.

I'm sure it's been longer than I think, but Numrich Arms (now Gunparts Corp) used to sell conversion kits to change your model 94 over to .44 Magnum. I think the "kit" may have consisted of nothing more than a barrel and carrier/lifter. If so, that will answer your initial question, at least for the larger cartridge.