Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971

My wife and I pulled into Gainesville late this afternoon. The Florida State Troopers were out in force on both I-10 and I-75. There seemed to be speed traps at least every ten miles and many tickets were being written. I was not in a hurry and did not speed.

I shot a TC73 at EOT. While I have no measurements, it felt like shooting my Miroku.

To use up a supply of cast bullets not lubed for black powder I once did what I do for cap 'n ball revolvers - dap vegetable shortening in the ends of the revolver cylinders. It's messy and time-consuming but works. Load with APP and you can skip the grease.

I am filling out mine as I drink my first cup of coffee on Monday morning.

Remington sells a low-recoil version of STS shells. It's only 100 fps slower than their standard STS shell, but every bit of reduced velocity helps. Once-fired STS hulls sell for about 20-cents each. You should be able to recover a fair portion of the cost of a case of STS shells buy selling once-fired hulls.

I have three pairs of these. They allow space for the orthotics I must wear. One is shiny black for formal events. Another is unpolished for shooting. The third is insulated for when I shoot in cold weather. I sometimes dress B-Western but shoot in Frontier Cartridge. These boots are legal for me. Railroad overalls are popular and a few of us wear them. The ninetieth century was the heyday of steam locomotion and railroad workers were part of the Old West. You can buy patches of historic railroads and sew them on a cap. I wore one from the Atlantic and Pacific line in the SW US. There might be some obscure 19th Century Canadian railroad you might want to be part of.

I did a quick search and found the fire is named the Hickory Hill Road fire. (See https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2025/03/18/where-were-the-fires-in-oklahoma-see-map-damage-largest-fire-so-far/82517066007/). It has burned almost 7,000 acres and is 3 miles NE of Arcadia just east of Hiwasee Rd. There are strong SW winds, so the fire is likely to be driven away from the shooting range. Keep the fire fighters and property owners in your prayers as this is one of several dangerous fires in Oklahoma.

I have no trouble with Triple Seven flowing through a bushing so long as I break up any clumps before starting a loading session. My wife's SG shells for EOT were all light loads of Triple Seven that performed well. However, APP and Shooters World BP sub have larger granules than Triple Seven, so I dip when loading those subs. Should I ever load Pyrodex I would also dip it as Hodgdon says it is unsafe to meter it through an ordinary powder measure.

I've had good luck with Gun Clubs too. I don't reload them too many times since they have a steel base. There's an endless supply of them at the clays ranges I frequent.

I use an H&R single shot shotgun in warm-up matches before I shoot a Plainsman with my Handi-rifle. It helps me revive the "muscle memory" I need to run the Handi-rifle efficiently. Single shot shotguns are lightweight which may help shooters with limited upper body strength.

I mounted a Wesson and Herrington sight on my H&R 1871 Target rifle. On my rifle it was a drop-in fit. Folded down the buckhorn sight would work for the Plainsman. You can reduce your powder charge for the Plainsman.

Scarlett Darling had a full-length shot sizer on display at EOT. I tried a box of low recoil low noise AAs after she resized them and they worked well. My preference for factory shells are Remington STS. However, I mostly shoot a variety of reloaded Remington hulls.

That's a good plan if your goal is to make the alarms in the parking lot sound. If you are after a buckle or trying to reduce recoil due to physical limitations, it's not desirable.

Sometimes there is a slight ring of foam left in the mouth of a case after firing. This disappears during tumbling. Now that I shoot 38 Specials I have no need for backer rod except for my 45-70 loads I shoot in the Plainsman. An advantage of backer rod is that it cannot mix with the powder during recoil when other rounds are fired.

Those of us who live and shoot in the desert carry and use dust covers as needed. It only takes a few dust devils to fill your guns with dirt and grit. We also drink a lot of water while on range. These actions keep our guns and bodies working. At EOT I washed brass after four days of shooting. There was not excessive tarnish. However, I wash brass daily when shooting in humid conditions. I've never carried a jug of water.

First, what is the intended use of this ammo? Shooting at targets at many hundreds of yards or perhaps tens of yards for a plainsman match? Ammo is quite different depending on the distance of the targets.

I wear muffs over my hearing aids. Sometimes I get feedback and have to reduce the amplification to prevent it. My previous hearing aids would sometimes short out on a hot summer day as perspiration built up. Removing the muffs for a minute allowed the aids to start working. Wearing amplified hearing protection helps me detect squibs when I run the timer. It also helps me hear hits when I spot. I wear military-grade muffs under my hat. I remove them for photos.

I would add a case gauge to that setup. I gauge my rifle rounds before a major match to ensure they will chamber in my rifle. Dillon Precision sells stainless steel gauges I prefer.

Make sure there is no chance of your revolvers bouncing out of those pockets when you move. You will get a stiff penalty if one does, especially if it is loaded and pointed up range. An alternative is to have another shooter carry you revolvers to where the will be shot and then to the unloading table. Also, loaner holsters may be available if you ask in advance.

Miss B Haven is the Buckarette in the bottom-left corner of the following picture. She is the youngest member of Chicken George's family - a SASS family out of southern New Mexico.

Kfsh, Ask the Wire for help regarding firearms and leather for ladies. What works well for men often works poorly for women.

Winchester LNLR AAs often show up at Wal*Mart. When they do local CAS shooters empty the shelves. These shells are the only smokeless shotgun shells my wife will shoot.

Reloading shotgun shells is only essential if you want to shoot black powder. There are adequate commercial smokeless loads available. Locally, only about half our CAS shooters reload shotgun shells. The Wire will suggest ammo if you are interested. Your USPSA shooting will serve you well. You already know the incredible importance of the front sight.

Land Run is the SASS National Championship - a very large match. It did not have an Elder Statesman/B Western category but did have a B Western Senior category. There are rules how categories are collapsed when there are too few registrants. I shoot in Frontier Cartridge and wear Buscadero holsters. I often wear B Western clothes too. These are legal in my category. Just register in smaller matches as an Elder Statesman and dress as you please within overall SASS costuming rules. Try registering as Elderstatesman/B Western at major matches. You may end up in a Senior B Western category but at least you will not be competing with men decades younger than yourself.

Shotgun: I started with Stoeger coach guns and still keep them as backups. Many are shot at major matches. Hats: everything from inexpensive straw hats to pricey all-beaver felt hats work. I now own as many hats as long guns. Boots: You will spend much time on your feet. Buy comfortable boots. I wear boots with laces so there is room for my arch supports. Carts: score a loaner cart from your home club. As shooters leave the sport they often donate their cart. We had four loaner carts at our state match this year and gave away two. When you buy or build your cart go lightweight. If it takes two men or a forklift to put it in your vehicle you will soon replace it. Get large wheels and tires that cannot go flat. Lots of places to hang things is useful as is a seat, Reloading: Essential to control ammo costs. Skip reloading shotgun shells at first but acquire equipment to reload metallic cartridges soon. Progressive presses are useful for the number of rounds we shoot. However, a used single stage press from a gun show or an estate sale can get you started reloading and be handy for odd jobs in the future. A local mentor can help you select equipment and reloading supplies. I recommend smokeless powder as you start. BTW, I reload my low recoil shotgun shells. That is worthwhile after you get setup for metallic cartridges reloading.