Nutmeg Ryder, SASS # 74966

Once a year, usually at our September monthly we will do a three stage shoot, use those scores to make two man teams and do a double elimination shoot off. If time allows we do a second round of shoot off, usually random draw for teams. It is one of our more popular monthly matches.

Hi Scarlett, By "open" do you mean cowgirl/cowboy and shooting FCGF? Age based allow for any style shooting, except gunfighter. SHB 26.6 Page 5 "AGE BASED CATEGORIES Age based categories are offered to allow all participants to compete amongst their peers. Age based categories carry the following guidelines: - May use any main match revolver. - Revolvers may be shot in any SASS legal shooting style – EXCEPT Gunfighter. - May use any SASS legal main match shotgun and any legal main match rifle. - May use any SASS legal ammunition. So you could shoot FCGF in Gunfighter, or B Western. Now FCD could be shot in any category And as I have shot against a few women shooting in the open categories, I am used to being beaten by them :-)

Natchez had some last week, after I ordered they had less of them. They were pricey compared to pre covid, but this is my only hobby, and you have to pay to play sometimes.

Since Trail Boss is no longer available and with a question if it ever will be I have been searching for a replacement load for 45colt. Clays and Tite Group have had availability. Here is some results from testing today. I took today off from work, and finally got to the range with the chronograph and a variety of loads of Clays and Tite Group. It was mid 30's slightly overcast These tests were not the tip up, shake, shoot, but based more on actual cowboy use, gun loaded, "holstered" brought up level and shot, kept level for follow up shots of groups of 5. I wanted it to mimic as closely as possible the actual proposed use. Base load, 5.4 \g Trail Boss 200 grain bullet, Federal 150 LPP. 647fps Revolver, 759fps rifle Chrono was 15' from the muzzle of the guns. Tite Group 5.5G 630fps revolver, 805 Rifle About the same muzzle rise as TB 5.7g 640fps revolver, 816 fps Rifle Surprisingly, a noticeable rise in recoil, muzzle rise 6.0g 619fps revolver, 870fps rifle Not sure why FPS on revolver was lower than the lighter loads? Clays 4.4g 594fps revolver 735fps rifle 4.6g 600fps revolver 733 rifle 4.8g 634fps revolver 789 rifle It seems that Clays is more forgiving if a slight charge weight fluctuates. But boy, 4.4 and 5.5 grains of these two powders is a tiny amount in that big old 45colt case. At least I have a couple choices once TB is gone. Going to load the Tite Group first as I have just one pound, use it for monthly matches and side events. Save the TB loads for big matches where I care just a little bit more. Time to clean guns, both of these powders at these low loads are way dirtier than Trailboss, and I thought it was bad. Might have to think about annealing them in the future.

Bullets by Scarlett, Slippery Bullets, Missouri, LPL Bullets, Morris Munitions Some do coated, some do lubed, some do both. I use all of them, just depends on who I see, where. For this game any slight variations in shape or weight does not make a difference

Marshall that goes with your state motto! Here in RI with the state being 38 miles north to south there is a 30c per gallon difference in gas prices town to town, same "brands" Providence seems to be close to the lowest gas prices. I was going to add to my chicken flock, for eggs, but at $25 for a bag of feed it's still not price efficient. Next year may be the year to buy a small freezer and put a couple of Bambi's dad's in it!

I found a video by Warden Calloway (I believe) making practice 12 gauge rounds. Hulls, like other said, in colors I do not normally shoot. De Prime Fill Primer pocket with a hot glue stick chucked in a drill, and the friction melts the glue, and pushes through the primer pocket, trim flush. I then put a wad into the shell, a packing peanut, over shot card(because the compressed peanut kept trying to escape) and crimp carefully. So far they seem to hold up well, and they are only marginally heavier than an empty hull, so shucking mimics true unloading on the clock. Heavy snap caps give false feedback, while we all fumble loading from time to time, it's usually the shucking of shells that really is the time killer.

In 2021 I did a revolver single round reload for a dead round at the NY State match. The miss would have been 5 seconds of course, the reload and hit took 12 seconds. But I got my first major clean match and came in fifth overall, who knew being clean was such an advantage!!