On the first Saturday some of the Widowmakers shot their Big Honking scores so as not to clog up the woodswalk on Sunday. Some of us had a unspoken rule to never shoot any major matches on the first day. I fall into that category. It was a beautiful sunny day when we started. Present was JJ, Manyklatch,
Jethro, Randy Johnson, Spiderman and myself. As we were signing up The range officer told us there was a thunderstorm heading our way. Manyklatch said hell we are Widowmakers we ain't worried about any rain. So off we went. About ½ way through the course we were hit by a major thunderstorm! Sideways wind the rain fall was so thick we could not see the target at 50 yards. With four drowned out muskets Manyklatch suggested we vacate the range. We all agreed! In all your life you have never seen such drowned rat looking Widowmakers. Manyklatch said he did not get this wet the last time he went scuba diving!
On a historical note on the last Saturday the following Widowmakers decided to go on the woodswalk one last time. Dandy, JJ Glutton and myself. We also got rained on but it was just a normal rain and all of the Widowmakers got through. Not as wet ether.
The winner of the Big Honking Musket was Don Hulvey shooting a Brown Bess. Don hit 11 targets a big honking record. Don's score held up all week until a couple more 11s and one 12 was shot. I am sure Don place in this match. Don also shot an 11 with his pistol which was leading when I left.
Widowmaker action Tuesday
First up was the Beer and Whiskey matches Folks shot all day and when the day was done Nappy won the Whiskey match and Matthew Rosemeyer won the beer. The two men also won the same matches last year! Good shooting fellows. Because many of the beer drinkers leave right after the Fort Greenville at the fall shoot, the Beer match will be moved to the spring shoot when more folks stay longer. Next year the Whiskey match will still be in the fall.
The Defense of Fort Greenville smoothbore edition. Last year Matt Rosemeyer and myself hit the target every time we got to the window, Lizard noticed this and said that Matt and me could beat all the three man teams. This gave me an idea I talked it over with Matt and we decided to challenge the other teams. I was shooting the exact same Tradegun and load I did the year before. This year the wheels had fallen off my shooting programs! I got off seven shots during the five minutes and I did not hit anything! I managed to drag Matt down with me, I guess I learned a lesson about putting too much pressure on myself. We managed to find the Hog Rock bar and grill several times through the week.
Most of the Widowmakers ( besides me ) did very well in the medal counts. It was a grand time indeed!
The Southeastern
Widowmakers present were Farmer, Clyde. J9, Hawk, Nappy Leroy and myself. The shooting level was very tight. During the first couple of days Leroy cleaned the smoothbore, Hawk cleaned the rifle, Nappy signed up for the rifle woodswalk and shot it with his smoothbore and took second place in the rifle class. Nappy spent the rest of the week trying to figure out why he bought a rifle. On Tuesday I won the rifle the first time for me at this event. Farmer also placed. I know later in the week Leroy cleaned it again, Nappy, J9 and Hawk continued to rack up medallions. Farmer and I were through.
I shot into a couple six way ties for second and third place with the smoothbore. My tie breakers were not good like I said the shooting was intense at the top of the finishers. It was a very good week finally starting to get cold by mid week.
They tried to get another site for next year but it was not to be. So next year the Southeastern will be back at Yadkinville NC.
The Eastern National Rendezvous 2017
will be held in beautiful North Central Pennsylvania, It will be a shooting extravaganza with the matches being put on by shooters. The shooters being the Green Hats and the Widowmakers.
We are all getting a little long in the tooth this might be our last chance for big rendezvous together before we age out of this obsession. More info to come on this. Be there or be square!
Grizz
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