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Ides of March - S.A.S.S. 2021 Florida State Championship 3-18-21 - 3-21-21


The Outlaw Travis James

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2 hours ago, Mister Badly said:

Is your shotgun a Stoeger?

 

I used to shoot a Stoeger, but that now belongs to Lil.  I switched to an '87 for a while, which I always liked, but it didn't like me.  I think it would be fine, but it needs a little TLC as it gave me fits at times.  Had to learn to load with my right hand as I was never comfortable holding it by just the lever to load, and in some ways, I was much better doing that.

 

Unfortunately, that allowed my left had to completely forget how to grab shotgun shells properly, so when I put the '87 down after "The Incedent"  (while fighting to get the shells to line up with the barrel properly, I managed to ram the trigger through my finger and at the same time launched a round over the berm :blush: which was a Match DQ at that range) I put it in timeout and switched to a TNN Hammered Double.

 

Why a Hammered Double you might ask?  Well, to me it looks more Cowboy, but in reality it's because it Hurts More!  :P  The real issue though is just trying to get my stupid left hand to behave again.  I think it's got alzheimer's! :lol:

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1 hour ago, The Outlaw Travis James said:

Make the Top 10 and win my category.  

 

 

Only in my dreams, pard, only in my dreams!   I'm working hard just to elevate myself from the top of the bottom third to the bottom of the middle third.  B)  Man's got to know his limitations! :lol:

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I only asked about the Stoeger because I have one and had a hard time with it until I ground the corners of the top center of the extractor down a bit. If the shells were a smidge too close to each other they would catch on the corner. That's when the mumbling started.

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9 minutes ago, Mister Badly said:

I only asked about the Stoeger because I have one and had a hard time with it until I ground the corners of the top center of the extractor down a bit. If the shells were a smidge too close to each other they would catch on the corner. That's when the mumbling started.

 

For me, it's a lot more to do with how (poorly) I grab them out of the belt.  I think I'm faster if I grab the first two, throw them on the ground to get it over with, and go again.  :rolleyes: :lol:

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That has been one of the hardest things for me to do, getting the shells in, getting them out of the Stoeger has been much easier since switching to brass shells.  Of course then there’s the pulling the hammer on the pistols (shooting Frontiersman), wish there were low wide hammers for C&B pistols. 

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You can get your hammers lowered or add low wide hammer spurs like the Old Army Bisleys that I made.

20200219_113758.jpg

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1 hour ago, Preacherman said:

You can get your hammers lowered or add low wide hammer spurs like the Old Army Bisleys that I made.

20200219_113758.jpg

 

 

Cap & Ball Race Guns?  :blink:  Seems like there is an oxymoron in there somewhere!  :lol:

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6 hours ago, Dogmeat Dad, SASS #48563L said:

 

 

Cap & Ball Race Guns?  :blink:  Seems like there is an oxymoron in there somewhere!  :lol:

 

You can’t say oxymoron, moron is an offensive word.  The PC police will be coming to your home and confiscating your computer and put you in a posting time out. :ph34r: :P

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7 hours ago, Preacherman said:

You can get your hammers lowered or add low wide hammer spurs like the Old Army Bisleys that I made.

20200219_113758.jpg

 

If you’re going to Ides I’d like to sit down with you and discuss this with you.  My right thumb is still sore from last Saturday’s match.

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I'd really like to meet you. Maybe pm me. Also, I take offense as my guns are now just Bisleys, I wouldn't call them race guns. They're just Cap and ball that go "bang", most of the time.

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9 hours ago, Tequila Shooter said:

 

You can’t say oxymoron, moron is an offensive word.  The PC police will be coming to your home and confiscating your computer and put you in a posting time out. :ph34r: :P

 

My Bad (as the kids say).  It was late, I was tired, and trying to use my phone.  What I meant to say was Ox-Is-Maroon! :rolleyes:  :lol:

 

e410d096078a03962dfc4a91bf1a86b3.jpg

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Weather is looking good up here for the next 10 days, might even hit 70 degrees.  Most of the frozen stuff has already melted off, but the range (which is mostly shaded) still has a large area that is covered in ice.  That should all be gone next week, but all of that moisture will turn the ground into pudding as there is a lot of clay in the soil.  First match of the season is "Supposedly" Saturday the 13th but ground conditions may cause us to cancel.  At least I am (likely) done shoveling frozen stuff for the year.

 

And in the meantime....

 

FL-sunshine.jpg

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Seven Days from now, the range will be getting setup for what will undoubtedly be one of the best matches of the year.  I am still on track for my Sunday departure for Florida (assuming plans hold which is always a question in my world) for a few days of chores, then I anticipate arriving at the range on Wednesday by 9:00am to pitch in and help where ever it's needed with setup.  Should be fun!

 

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After that it's off to the Hotel to get checked in and then get Lil from the Orlando Airport.  Then the fun begins!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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On 2/28/2021 at 6:14 PM, Tequila Shooter said:

Of course then there’s the pulling the hammer on the pistols (shooting Frontiersman), wish there were low wide hammers for C&B pistols. 

 

I occasionally have this problem due to joint pain. I went to a .36 cal built on the .31 Colt frame. They are only 5 shot pistols so they are a lot smaller than the full size cap guns. They are SASS legal, the hammer lowers onto a nipple between chambers.

 

For comparison the top gun is a full size Colt replica and the bottom is a Uberti 1862 Colt.

 

Hogleg Hunter

IMG_20210310_160556.jpg

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This time next week Chickie and I will be pulling in to Eustis Gun Cub for Side Matches!  WOOT WOOT

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Sitting here, starring at my computer screen, and trying to finish this project that will just not die!  I should be packing for my trip south, but that will have to wait another day or so.  I have one of those "Miss On Penalty of Extreme Pain and Suffering" tele-meetings on Monday that unexpectedly came up late last week, so it looks like I will be packing on Monday evening and then heading directly to Tavares on Tuesday (hopefully).  Guess the hotel won't mind another night in residence.

 

b1d7b20370b64cd186d0c9fc1d0b75d6.jpg

 

 

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This Is Going To Be GREAT!  Check out the weather for next week in Tavares.  Setup day will be toasty, side-match day will potentially be a little hot and steamy, but weather for the match should be PERFECT with even a little breeze to keep the smoke moving!  (Need all the help I can get if I am going to be half-as-fast as Stan! :rolleyes::P)

 

And ZERO Chance of Snow! :lol:

 

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On 2/28/2021 at 6:14 PM, Tequila Shooter said:

That has been one of the hardest things for me to do, getting the shells in, getting them out of the Stoeger has been much easier since switching to brass shells.  Of course then there’s the pulling the hammer on the pistols (shooting Frontiersman), wish there were low wide hammers for C&B pistols. 

Tequila - there are several ways to get lowered hammers.  I've done them to all my ROAs. 

ROA 5SS.jpg

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Leaving tomorrow AM, spending the night in Lake City, FL.  Arrive at campground Wednesday afternoon, then it’s off to reconnoiter the range.  On Thursday I’ll be on the range for some of the side matches.  See y’all there!

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I am HOPEFUL that I will hit the road before sunup tomorrow, but I may have to wait until the FedEx office opens to send some documents.  Target destination is the Hotel in Tavares, a measly 864 miles door to door.  :rolleyes:  If I get too late of a start, I may have to bail out in South Georgia, but I should make it, it's only about 13.5 hours. B)

 

Wednesday its off to the range get checked in, help with setup where I can, and extract the cart from the truck.

 

Then it's chill 'till Lil lands!

 

Thursday should be fun.  Who knows, maybe I will challenge Stan at the man on man.  I "should" be able to empty my rifle and one pistol before he finishes!  :lol:

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What a day!  Up at 5:00am, work from 6:00am to 2:00pm, final truck packing till 2:30pm, make coffee, and on the road at 2:40pm, 11 hours 40 minutes and 864 miles later, arrive at hotel in Tavares at 2:20am.

 

Decided to just push on through instead of doing an overnight on the road.  Other than one pitstop and a 20min road closure, traffic was just rolling.

 

Good to be here at last, now for a few hours sleep.

 

77b00349a8035210bbb906629cf47907.jpg.734d2e797066dd9f5fc8dbf9fe12d384.jpg

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Setup was done by about 2:30pm, give or take.  I managed to get there about 9:30 and those guys had obviously been hard at work for quite some time.  The stages look great!  Although I will admit that I have not paid attention to the shooting scenarios, I will just forget them anyway.  :P

 

It was good to see some of the regulars again and I look forward to seeing everyone else this weekend.

 

Safe travels to all still on their way into town!  The fun starts tomorrow!

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Anybody know how to get scores for Ides of March 2021?

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Many thanks to Lake County Pistoleros for a great match. Well written fun stages with movement and choice. You even had to think once in a while. One of the most fun matches around and great friends to enjoy it with. 

 

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Seamus, you’re absolutely right.  Great match and great people.  I loved seeing old friends like you and Cayenne, Max and Ophelia, Shiloh Red and so many others.  As well as my regular Florida pards.  And thanks to Greta, Arcadia and crew for all the terrific work that went into this awesome State Championship.

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17 hours ago, Tequila Shooter said:

Had a great time with fun stages and even better pards.  My only wish was that I was able to spend more time with friends old and new.

Glad you made it down and it was nice to chat with you and your wife.  Hope to see you guys back down again next year.  

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On 3/21/2021 at 4:20 PM, Tequila Shooter said:

Had a great time with fun stages and even better pards.  My only wish was that I was able to spend more time with friends old and new.

 

Only disadvantage to having AM/PM posse's is that sometimes you miss seeing folks you have planned on seeing.  I had hoped we would have been able to link up for a few minutes, but it just didn't work out.  I spotted you once through the crowds on Friday, but we were heading opposite directions, and again at the Awards banquet, but when I finished my conversation, you were off to the races somewhere.  No doubt, we will meet again.  Same with Preacherman, but since you guys were on the same posse, that's not surprising.

 

Sometimes however, you get to see folks you didn't expect to see too.  Ran into a few pards from New York that we hadn't seen in over 3 years, Rowdy Bill and Anabelle Bransford, that were down for the match as well as a couple of "New Floridians", transplants from up our way, Hand Cannon and Side Saddle Sue, and it's been at least that long since we saw them as well.  We also got to shoot with Red Cavanaugh from VA whom we haven't seen in many a moon, all down in Florida for some fun in the sun.  Also bumped into Sixgun Seamus and his better half Cayenne Kay, which is funny because we live closer to each other than the drive we make to meet up here in Florida.

We also had a nice visit with some of our Florida Pards, Colonel Kraken and Sassy Slitherin, Smart * and Sunshine Rose, and of course Greta Dee!  I got to officially meet Arcadia Outlaw on setup day and quite a few others as well and of many of the Florida Regulars, Delta Glenn, Santa Fe River Stan, Bucky Buckskin, JP Law, Confederate Colt, Hollifer A. Dollar, and of course The Outlaw Travis James.

 

I also got to shake Mudslide Mike’s hand again (hoping that some of that speed and skill will rub off on me), but that apparently didn’t work because he whipped me by an average of 11.552 seconds per stage!  :o  I also meet Big Iron Bohannon who managed to barely edge me out for 2nd place in FCGF by a measly 66.77 seconds.  :rolleyes:  (For those that don't know, Big Iron runs the Make Black Powder Great Again match in Indiana in May, which we are already signed up to attend.  Gonna Be Great!)

 

I was somehow reminded of that scene in Quigley Down Under where the young gun slinger is practicing his fast draw and asks the main bad guy Marsden

 

     Young Gunslinger: “If I practice, do you think I will ever be as fast as you Mr. Marsden?”
     Marsden: “You mean, like a lot?”

     Young Gunslinger – excitedly: “Yes, a lot!”

     Marsden: “No.” 

 

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On Side Match day, Lil and I ran head to head three times for "braggin rights", and to be honest, she won 2 out of 3.  First time, I kept forgetting to cock the hammers on my SXS and she blew by me.  :blush:  Second time, I failed to reload my shotgun belt, ran out of ammo, but waited until she loaded her last two before I "borrowed one" from her belt (with her permission of course - she was holding a loaded gun after all!) to take down my last target :rolleyes:.  Third time, I won handily, but by then our shotgun barrels where too hot to touch having run almost a box of shells through each of them.  Didn't help that my left hand must have had a lobotomy since Dark Day on the Santa Fe, which was our last match, and couldn't seem to remember what it was supposed to do, but that’s why we ran it, to knock the rust off.  Besides, it was fun!

 

Lil ran off at that point to attend an online class, and I hung out with the Top Guns at the man on man challenge to see "How It's Supposed To Be Done".  Those Guys Are Fast!  When Lil finished her class, we went and wasted some ammo on the Derringer Side Match and then off to visit Dynamite Deed at the "Not-So-Speedy" Pistol side match to see if I could re-educate my brain dead left hand.  It got a little smarter, but I still think it needs a brain transplant.

 

The weather for the main match could not have been better, and Posse 14 was Fantastic.  Thanks to Amaduelist and Deadwood Woody who, with an assist from Lead Pusher, kept everything running smooth as silk.  Got to meet Owl Eyed Olga who is a Hoot, and a dang fast brass picker too!  Could not have asked for a better group of folks to shoot with, it was great.  I really enjoyed the stages and saw a few new twists on some familiar sequences due to the way they set the targets, and as a match director myself, I like when that happens.

 

The banquet was great, food was good, folks at the Elk’s Club where perfect hosts, and as usual, Greta Dee did a great job getting the huge pile of awards out in an efficient manner.  While I am sad to see her retire as Match Director, I look forward to seeing her out on the stages having some well-earned, and much deserved FUN!  Glad I got my HUG while she was still Match Director!

 

I think I will close this with a comment made by a pard of mine who shot the match this year for the first time.  He said “The facility was wonderful, the stages were great, and the Hospitality of the folks was Top Notch.”  What else does anyone need to know!  Can’t wait for next year!

 

P.S. To the kind soul who found and turned in my Shooters Badge to the lost and found, THANK YOU!  I managed to snag it on something on stage 7, our next to last stage, and just about rip it completely off.  I thought there was enough glue there to hold it through stage 8, but it apparently didn't make it.  Don't know if I lost it there or on the way back to the truck, but it was gone when I went to leave.  Figured I would go back in the AM on Sunday after Cowboy Church, but it was there waiting for me in the lost in found.  Who say's God doesn't watch over fools and children!  ;)

 

 

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