FUN Side Matches you Enjoyed

[Blue Eyed Drifter]

Working on Fun Side Matches for a Couple of Shoots this Year, and Looking for Something FUN (not Speed).    What was the your Favorite Side  and Why did you Enjoy it?  Could be Single Shooter or Team Match 2 or 3 People. 

 

Examples:  Shoot a Knock Down release a Flyer and then shoot the Flyer.        Cut the Rope.       Call The Time ( Shooter Predicts the Time it will Take to Shoot Stage.)     30 Shoots in 30 Seconds.  ( 2 or 3 Shooters, Shoot a total of 30 Shoots trying to be a Close to 30 seconds at Possible)

 

Looking for Any Possible Ideals.

 

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

I like when matches use unique features of their range for special side matches.  The Siege of the San Juan had a fun Trail Walk stage where you walked down a path shooting as you went.  The Geromimo Trail has side match where you walk down a path shooting clays as you went.  The Fall Fandango has their night skeet shoot.  Some clubs have shooting from a moving ore cart.  What do you have that few others can offer?  If you have a rifle range with distances exceeding 200-yds certainly have a buffalo single shot side match.

[Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life]

Thumbtack ketchup packets to a piece of cardboard. Set at 10-15 feet. Two pistols 5 rounds each. Pick a cutoff time (8-10 seconds). Packets are “cockroaches”, most cockroaches “squashed” in allotted time wins. Pick out some goofy prizes. I won a jar of peanut butter one year. 

Regards

    

Gateway Kid

[Elkhorn Ernie]

We have a string shoot at our annual shoot. cut the string with a rifle bullet and win a bottle of wine. Also have a rack further out to do the same thing but a chance(for a dollar a shot) to win a bottle of whiskey. We also go to another annual shoot where they have had some fun side matches. String shoots, splitting a bullet with an axe. Team shoots where each member of the three man team shoots rifle handguns or shotgun. They also had a four man team shoot to cut off a two by four. that was fun, our team won it with a time of 9.97 seconds.

[Rip Snorter]

Cut a Playing Card edge on with a bullet.  Make a razor cut in cardboard length of a card, stroke along it with a dark magic marker, insert the card.  Secure the cardboard distance of choice.  Card must be cut completely to score.  Can be several cards at different angles, can be multiple identical target cards, one for each shooter, best target wins.  Never did it as a speed event, but the time allowed must be reasonable.  Always used one gun, 5 shot max, can also be one round per shooter.  Folks who haven't ever done it before, even experienced shooters, really love it when they first cut a card.

[Caladisi kid]

I ran a stage where everyone recorded a best guess time for the stage. After the stage their guess time was divided by their actual time.  Prizes were given out by who got nearest the number 1.  The higher the number the lower you placed.  e.g. 1st 25/32= .78  2nd 25/23=1.08 , second shooter is best guess.  You could be slower or faster than your guess but it was the divided number result that placed you.

Also did a cut the rope trick, everyone got 2 shots.  After all shot the rope was set further out and all who cut the first time got another chance. This was repeated until until one shooter was left.

Happy sides!!!  

[Singin' Sue 71615]

Okay...Gunsmoke Cowboy needs to correct me if wrong.

 

.22 rifle

Targets: 1" pipe (j shape) probably 3' tall...top is flared.

Golf ball sits on top.

 

Shoot into the bottom of the pipe...the projectile travels up the pipe, popping the golf ball into the air.

 

It was a blast.

 

Also had partner shoot:

One .22 rifle, one shotgun.

Once the rifle person sent ball airborn, shotty person shot the flying ball!!!

 

Of course, there has to be the ability of no 'berm restrictions' for these.

[Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life]

Ok then how bout this.

San Juan is known for some pretty wild stuff at his range.

These have been incorporated into main matches, annuals and side matches.

Some have been dropped as the cowboy demographic has aged and the shooting sequence carries some physical risk. User beware.

Chains... hang four equal length chains of sequentially smaller link size about 15 feet out. Using pistols as needed, starting with largest link hit twice, next smaller hit twice, next smaller hit twice, smallest link hit twice. Winner hits all 4 chains twice, tie breaker is time. 10 rounds to hit 8 times. Hint the largest link is harder to hit as the bullet can pass through the link. NOT a hit unless the chain moves

Shooters poker.... thumbtack cards face down (back of card visible not the face) on cardboard. No more than one hit per card. One pistol with five rounds. Not timed. If you miss and only have four or fewer cards or if you want to try to improve your hand extra shots up to three are two dollars each. (Price negotiable, saloon girls and ladies get discount!) No looking at cards till shooter is done. Best hand wins. Extra shot money is donated to winners choice of charities. Usually has a list of approved charities to choose from.

Will check old stage books and see what else jogs the memory.

Regards

   

Gateway Kid

 

 

 

[Sidekick]

The most fun I've had at a sidematch was at the US Open one year.  It was a 3 man team and we played horse.  One person shot a rifle one person shot a pistol duelist and the third person shot a pistol traditional.  Call your shot and the others have to make it or they get a letter.

[Widder, SASS #59054]

That sounds like a fun one, Sidekick.

 

One of the more fun side matches I've been involved did involve speed, of sorts, but it was at the TN State with 3-person teams, all SG knockdowns.

 

Although speed was involved, those 20+ KD's for each team was a blast to not only participate, but also to watch those 3-person teams

try to out do each other.

 

You could have a 3-man SxS team,  3-man 97 team and maybe even a 3-man 87 team.   Or even mix teams consisting of an 87, 97 and SxS.

 

..........Widder

 

[Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life]

How about Shooters Golf?

3 pieces of PVC about 4-8 inches diameter staked down open end facing shooter about 35-40 feet away. One golf ball issued to shooter, can purchase two more for 2 dollars each. set ball(s) on a chalk line 10 feet away. using shotgun as needed attempt to knock golf ball(s) into the pvc pipe. Winner has the most golf balls in the pvc pipe. tie breaker is time. If the golf ball goes beyond the pipe.... oh well better luck next time! This can also be done with a rifle if your berms are tall enough to not worry about ricochets.

Snakes.... similar to golf. four to six 2 foot pieces of garden hose laying on a chalk line 15 feet in front of shooter (dropped in random order). using shotgun as needed "herd" your snakes into a chalk circle about 3 feet across that is 20 feet away from the chalk line. at least 1/2 of each snake must be in circle to count. Most snakes in circle wins. tiebreaker is time. If you knock your snake beyond the circle or knock a snake that was previously in the circle out.... oh well better luck next time!

Regards

   

Gateway Kid

[Rip Snorter]

Skipping cans - you have to have a high backstop, or large downrange distance.  Lay down a can, beer, pop, whatever, 25 feet in front of a rope or chalk line.  Skip the can over the line - the least shots used wins.  Can be done with any caliber.  There is a trick to it which many folks don't know till they've tried it.

[Three Foot Johnson]

BAMM has caught on reasonably well at a couple ranges here - 10 shots of two 5 round strings offhand at 100 yards or so at one range's two day match, and at the state match 10 shots offhand with BAM rifle, plus 10-20 rounds in 5 shot strings with a period military sidearm, either revolver or auto. Stripper clips in the rifles are OK. Most folks use a 1911 for the pistol, but revolvers show up, and I've used a Luger and P38 before.

 

Both of the aforementioned ranges also have a "Schuetzen" event where a nicely hand painted plaque with the SASS cowboy is set "at an undisclosed distance between XX and XXX yards", like 75 - 150 yards or so. Depending on the specific club and/or distance, it's shot offhand with either your main match rifle or main match pistol, with a $1.00 or $2.00 fee per shooter. One shot, and that's it. Every shooter who hits the target signs their bullet hole, and the one closest to the Sheriff's star takes it home. Variations are to shoot til you hit it (at $2.00/shot), or shoot til you hit it, but double the fee for every shot - $1.00 for the first shot, $2.00 for the second, $4.00 for the third, $8.00 for the fourth... it can be a great fund raiser for the club. 

 

One club has a "gopher shoot", where a crap load of small gopher size targets are set up in a bay, like a hundred of them, and three person teams compete to knock them all down in the shortest time - one with a main match rifle, one with main match pistols, and one with a main match shotgun. Teams are picked from names in a hat.

[Blue Eyed Drifter]

17 hours ago, Sidekick said:

The most fun I've had at a sidematch was at the US Open one year.  It was a 3 man team and we played horse.  One person shot a rifle one person shot a pistol duelist and the third person shot a pistol traditional.  Call your shot and the others have to make it or they get a letter.

Sidekick

Can you pm a few more details.   Looking to try this Spring Roundup  in Evansvill in

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

Mix it up with different types of guns.

A series of target engaged with a .22, Main Match, and "rifle caliber" repeating rifle.
 

Some sort of a variant on a 10-10-4 where you use a pocket pistol, derringer, a rifle, and a single shot rifle.

 

Something that makes use of various Old West guns that don't normally have a place in our game.

 

A string that uses everything...   2 Main Match pistols, Main Match Rifle, SxS Shotgun, Repeating Shotgun (pre loaded like a rifle) Single Shot Rifle, Rifle Caliber repeating rifle, derringer and pocket pistol on one massive stage.

 

And so on and so forth.   Far more interesting than Speed this, Speed that and Speed the other thing.

 

[Griff]

Solo: 

1 - Poker Cheaters - 6' felt covered table, 5 cardboard silhouettes across table, X, 10, 9, 8, & 7 rings are scored:  0, 1, 2, 3 & 4; shooter starts holding 5 cards in both hands, pistol loaded w 5 on table.  At the beep shooter drops cards picks up pistol shoots 5.  Scored, add up points, multiply by time;  lowest score wins!   Tape, NEXT SHOOTER!

2 - Trail Walk - as described above.

3 -  Man on Man - 10 pistol, 10 rifle, 2 shotgun, targets mirrored on left & right.  Set up last shotgun targets in center (tall popper at angle so one will fall on top of other.  The on on bottom determines winner of pair, Scored as double eliminator.  All winers shoot against winners and all losers shoot against other losers.  After 2nd loss you're out, continue to last man (or woman) is undefeated!

 

Team:

1 - Saw the Log - Set up 4' length of 4"x4" upright @ 20 yards, randomly pick 4-person teams.  Fastest team to completely sever Log" wins!  

2 - State vs State - (or club vs club @ State level matches) .  From overall scores pick 5 team members, (2 top, 2 bottom, 1 from middle) to represent each State/Club in attendance, (allow subs if necessary).  Each team member is allowed two firearms as primary guns.  Allow those shooting shotguns to pick either a rifle or pistol as secondary, pistol shooters must choose shotgun as secondary.  No more than 2 shotguns as primary weapons, one must be a side by side and one MAY be a '97.  Shot guns as secondary guns must be side by sides, except each primary shotgunner must choose either rifle or pistol as secondary weapon.  1 primary pistol shooter and 2 primary riflemen.  Targets, all KDs, at least twice as many as normal stage counts for each shooter.  I.e., 8 shotgun KDs for each for the 2 primary shotgunners, 20 pistol targets for primary pistol shooter and 20 rifle KDs for riflemen.  Primary pistol shooter may carry 2 pistols to line, rifle shooters may top off magazines.  Target set up near maximum SASS distance.  Once a shooter has emptied their primary firearm, they can assist in knocking down the rifle & pistol targets and those shooters may assist the shotgunners.  Shotgunners may reload as necessary.  When all KDs are down, one rifleman may then fire at a free-standing stop plate.  Fastest team wins.  Feel free to improvise!

 

[Long Fingers, SASS#56813]

Sporting clays rabbits with revolver. 
start at low ready, call for the clay.  
No awards other than the fun of trying to hit a rabbit skipping across the ground using your revolver. 
 

LF. 

[G W Wade]

Absolutely the best side match for everyone!!!  Squinty Eye up at Virginia, Minn....   Rosa's Cantina...    The cantina prop is at the 50 yd line.  Horse prop about 35 yd.    You staged your pistol on the horse then went downrange behind Rosa's Cantina.   After a few minutes the gallery hollers "Jose is coming"   Shooter throws his hat, boots and pants out the window.  After shooter climbs out, he gets dressed and runs to the prop horse.   Pulls his pistol and shoots at Jose and his 4 brothers.    Fabulous time.   One shooter seemed to win every year untill his wife acussed him of practicing in the off season  LOL      GW

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

15 minutes ago, G W Wade said:

You staged your pistol on the horse then went downrange behind Rosa's Cantina.

 

Hmm...   So, does the Rose's Cantina prop have a back door?   It would make a lot more sense to run out that way.