Buffalo Match

On the 3rd and 5th Sunday of the month, Buffalo shooters gather at the 200-yard rifle range. The main gate will be opened at 8:00 am. Using rifles of a time around the latter half of the 1800’s, we compete with single shot and lever guns. Any cartridge developed before 1896 will qualify. The usual ones are the .45-70 (and the rest of the .45-) .40-65, .38-55, .32-40, .25-20, and others. Lead bullets only. No gas checks. Single shot or lever guns of the time period or replicas thereof. There are some black powder shooters among us. We enjoy shooting the guns and powder of yesteryear and you will find that some of the rifles are amazingly accurate with BP as are some with smokeless powder.

Our targets are paper and steel, all at 200-yards. We shoot from the bench using “bench sticks” for a rest. The bench sticks are usually one board with an additional two more boards that form and are capable of a scissoring action to adjust to the correct height. The scissor boards are usually 2” X 1”. We fire two strings of 15 rounds each. We then rotate the shooters after each string until all have fired the two relays. There is a $15 fee to shoot in the match.

Categories: Iron sights – targets will be 15” and 12” steel disks. Scope – targets will be 8” steel disks. Both categories will also shoot a 12” paper target.

Match Day Procedures
Gate opens at 8:00 am.

Registration begins at 8:45 am with the match starting at 9:00 am. As you arrive, rack your rifles and use an ECI in your rifle. Pipe cleaners will work. Lever actions will have levers open. At this time, the Match Director will have a safety meeting and answer questions. After the meeting, at least three designated shooters will be called to the line with their rifles and equipment. Each shooter will need a spotter/score keeper. The Iron Sight shooter will have a 15” and a 12” disk for their target. The Scope shooter will have an 8” disk for their target. There will be a 12” paper target affixed to the back drop over each steel target. At the direction of the Match Director the shooter will have 5 minutes for sighting-in on steel only. The Match Director will call cease fire. The Match director will instruct all shooters to begin the competition. Each shooter will engage the steel with 10 rounds and the paper bullseye target with 5 rounds. The scoring lines will be the value of each shot. A bonus target of one round may be added. All fired rounds will be fired at each shooters pace. Later, we may put a time limit on each string. After all shots are fired, the Match Director will call Cease Fire and request that all rifles be racked. The range will be called COLD and helpers will paint, paste, or replace targets as needed. We will paint, paste, or replace after each string.

Non-members will need to email the match director for directions on getting through the gate.

Match Director
Keith Swicegood