I spent the last 3 days, with no internet, phone, cable service and limited electric here on the east coast. The lack of modern convenience's is mind numbing to say the least. while cleaning up some files I found these, I don't know if they were posted here in the past. I just needed a outlet for my internet ramblings.
Sporting Life vol. 27 no. 13 June 20th 1896
Parts of article:
THE EMPIRE STATE GREAT GATHERING OF TRAP SHOOTERS AT BUFFALO, N. Y, The Thirty-Eighth Annual Convention of the New York State Sportsmen's Association Successfully Carried Out by the Buffalo Audubon Club,
Dan "Lefever, Neaf Apgar and one or two other men reported that their gun cases had been stolen, This is one of the things to be regretted, but in such a crowd it is easy for a sneak thief to help himself to anything that he wants, and we wonder that more guns and cases are not stolen.
Dan Lefever won a Smith gun in a raffle, and when Harvey McMurchy heard of it he said to Dan. "There, Uncle Dan, at last you have got good gun."
Considerable amusement was furnished on Thursday when a gunner from the rural district came in and entered an open event. He was armed with a 10-bore hammer gun of ancient pattern, and his club shells were loaded with six drams of good old black powder, and nobody knows how much shot. The first time be touched off the cannon it startled everyone, and all made a rush for the spot. Those in the grand stand stood up to see what the trouble was, and the cries of "gun blew up" were heard. J. A. Flick, U. M. O. Thomas and "Sporting Life" reached the place just as the "rain-maker" was touched loose again. and the shock was so unexpected that all three of these worthies were sent sprawling on the ground. Soon a great crowd collected, and whenever a mighty roar was heard a huge balloon of smoke was sent skyward and trembling of the earth was felt, a mighty cheer would go up from the assembled multitude. It furnished great sport for awhile, and then the gunner disappeared in the smoke he had created and was seen no more.
------------------------------------------------
Sporting Life vol. 36 no. 9 Nov 17 1900
To fit these guns with the proper ammunition, either for field or trap shooting is a very easy matter, as nearly every gun store in the country now handle factory loads of the finest make, with all combinations of powder, wadding and shot. A few trials will readily show which load is the best adapted for any particular gun. For trap shooting the most popular load is 3 drams of any of the bulk nitro powders, 1 1/8 oz. No. 7 1/2 chilled shot, in any of the moderate priced cases. Most of the expert shots who are in constant practice, use 3 1/4 drams of nitro powder, 1 1/4 oz. No. 7 1/2 chilled shot in the high grade cases. These loads are adapted for inanimate target shooting. For live birds 3 1/4 to 3 1/2 drams of bulk nitro powder is used with 1 1/4 oz. No. 7 shot in the best grade shells. In the dense powders the load varies according to the make of powder. For field shooting 2 3/4 drams nitro bulk powder and 1 or 1 1/8 No. 7 or 8 shot in moderate price cases will do the work for quail, rabbits and grouse.
C. K. Sober, of Lewisburg, Pa., on Oct. 10, at the Union County Fair, shot eleven different ways at 108 glass balls and broke 100. Following are the positions of shooting and the score: Broken Missed From"right shoalder..............................10 0 From left shoulder...............................10 0 Springing his own trap...........................10 0 Back to trap when balls were sprung........ ......8 2 Shooting with one arm.............................7 3 Gun held upside down over head, single balls............................................10 0 Gnn held upside down over head, double balls.............................................7 3 Double balls from right shoulder................ 10 0 Double balls from left shoulder..................10 0 Gun lying on table when balls were sprung............................................2 0 Donble balls, from two traps, thirty yards apart, he standing on a line in centre bet tweeii traps, breakio g one ball from left shoulder and the other from light shoulder.......10 0 Total............................. ............ 100 8
Sporting Life Vol. 6 no. October 28 1885
THE TRIGGER. London Truth:"I referred a week or two ago to the absurd character of some of the prizes offered for competition at volunteer shooting matches. Matters seem to be getting worse instead of better in this direction. Among the prizes set before the Second Oxford R. V. the other day were bottles of whisky and gin, gallons of beer, a clothes brush, a pair of braces, and a fork, spade and shovel. The Third Norfolk, however, had even a more ridiculous record, for the winner of a recent competition among the members of the competion found himself to be the proud possessor of a pig's head."
Sporting Life Vol. 6 no.5 November 11 1885
Noiseless powder is a new explosive sold in Massachusetts for use chiefly in the close season by pot hunters. It makes only one-third the noise of other powder, and is employed quite extensively when the shooting of game is prohibited by law.