IT training the black powder cartridge news TruePDF spring 2019

TESTING DIFFERENT NOSE SHAPES v IN ADDITION TO RIFLES v .303 BRITISH & BLACK POWDER

In this issue:

Little Big Shoot
Spring 2019 • Issue 105

PLUS
“The Queen of the Forest”
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The Black Powder Cartridge News

magazine is written by shooters for shooters –
whether you’re hunting, collecting or competing.
Publisher/President - Don Polacek
Editor in Chief - Steven P. Garbe

Spring 2019 – Issue No. 105
In this Issue:
From the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Steve Garbe

Managing Editor - Sheryll P. Garbe
Copy Editor - Andrew Buskey
Art Director - Chris Downs
Production Director - Becky Pinkley
Graphic Designer - Matthew West
Contributing Writers:
Croft Barker, Steve Bookout, Miles Gilbert,
Bob Glodt, Don Kettelkamp, Mike Nesbitt, Tom Oppel,
Cal Pappas, Harvey Pennington, Leo Remiger,
Cody Smith, Zac Taylor

About the Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Little Big Shoot

The Don Kettelkamp
Single Shot Stalking Rifle Shoot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Tom Schiffer

Testing Different Bullet-Nose Shapes . . . . . . . 12
Steve Brooks

Advertising:
Advertising Director - Tammy Rossi

Advertising Representative - Tom Bowman

Advertising Representative - Jeremiah Polacek

Horatio Ross & the “Queen of the Forest” . . . 16

Advertising Information: 1-800-899-7810

The .303 British and Black Powder . . . . . . . . . 24

Circulation:
Cirulation Information - Lacey Roy


Miles Gilbert & James Donohue

Wind-Gauge Sight
on the 1878 Sharps Musket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Steve Garbe
John Rhodes

In Addition to New Rifles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Subscription Information: 1-800-899-7810
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Tel: (928) 445-7810 Fax: (928) 778-5124

© Polacek Publishing Corporation
Be Alert, Be Responsible! Publisher of The Black Powder Cartridge News is
not responsible for mishaps of any nature that might occur from use of published
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The Black Powder Cartridge News (ISSN 15216446) is published quarterly by
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Mike Nesbitt

D.N. Heizer

Extracts from an Old Diary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Leo J. Remiger

The Quigley Bucket Challenge . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
James Kirkland

Letters from Readers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Product Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Center Shot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
• Peter Bergerson - Cheyenne Rifleman
• Jim Gier Memorial Schuetzen Match

Steve Garbe
Cody Smith

Match Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
• Smithmoor Winter .22 BPCR Series
• Richard Hicks Slug Gun Memorial Match

Cody Smith
Mark Barnhill

Competitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Advertisers’ Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

blackpowdercartridgenews.com

Spring 2019 • the Black Powder Cartridge news

1


From the Editor
St ev e Ga r be

I

Walk the Walk

’d like to bring up a topic that I have touched on in
the past, but I think it bears repeating. Recently, I
had become curious about a different shooting discipline.
Interested about what equipment was used, I thought I’d
pick up a magazine that featured articles and results from
several of the matches that were held across the U.S. I was
disappointed, however, as the winners of each match were
listed, but there wasn’t really much mentioned in the way of
what they had used to garner the win. It actually took a good
bit of looking on the Internet to draw some conclusions as to
what was being used by the top shooters, how much the rifle
and equipment would cost and who to contact in case I was
interested in participating.
While I was on the Internet, I visited several BPCR
and Schuetzen websites and noticed more than a couple of
“threads” dedicated to how we, as black powder cartridge
shooters, need to promote our sports, get new people
involved, introduce young shooters to the sport and the
general cheerleading that is necessary if we want to see our
vintage-rifle disciplines grow. I couldn’t argue with any of the
suggestions, knowing all too well that it takes effort on the
part of all and real dedication from a few to keep matches
going year after year.
Then it was time to begin work on another issue and as
always, we try to include match results and equipment lists
that are sent to us from match directors. Some of the reported
matches only included scores, and the few that had equipment
lists were far from complete. It’s no fault of the individuals that

took it upon themselves to gather up equipment lists from the
participating competitors; some shooters simply jotted down
the barest of information in regard to rifles and loads used.
To be honest, much of what was provided wouldn’t have
been very useful to a prospective competitor trying to make
important (and expensive) decisions on what to buy in order
to participate in our sports.
Now, it’s not my intention to come across as your
nagging Aunt Martha. Whether or not a competitor fills out
an equipment list is entirely up to them, as it is up to a match
director to go through the bother of providing forms and then
gathering them up. Having a little experience in this regard, I
can say that match directors generally are under-appreciated
and short-handed; it’s very easily understood how getting
equipment lists would simply be yet another job on a long list
of necessary things to get done.
All that being said, let me point out a few things that

4

the Black Powder Cartridge news • Spring 2019

weigh on the plus side of equipment lists. There is no better
advertisement for a manufacturer of shooting equipment than
to see shooters, especially top shooters, using its products. If
you as a match director have sent out “gimme” letters in the
hopes of having merchandise donated for prizes, having an
equipment list published is a great way of giving something
back to the folks who support your match. Prospective
customers will read what is being used and will contact

the company when they decide to outfit themselves for
competition.
Match results and accompanying equipment lists are also
a “reloading manual” of sorts for new shooters. As publishers,
we caution folks to use judgment and common sense when
it comes to published data, but a good equipment list will let
a tyro know that entering a 1,000-yard competition with a
.32-40 is not something that should be tried. That’s a bit of
an exaggeration, but I think you get the idea. The equipment
list that is provided from a match has the added advantage
of giving an idea of what worked and what didn’t. This is
something that store-bought manuals don’t generally provide.
Here at The BPC News, we have always held to the
motto, “For Shooters, By Shooters.” This means that rather
than give subscribers shooting “fluff,” we try to provide
solid information that one can actually use in reloading
and shooting black powder cartridge rifles. Many firearms
magazines do not provide match scores, let alone equipment
lists, most likely for the reason that space in a magazine
equals advertising dollars. Reporting on a match is one thing,
but using up space with the “nuts and bolts” is many times
regarded as unnecessary. We disagree. The BPC News has
a standard form for reporting scores and equipment lists
available free of charge to any match director. Simply contact
us () and we will forward those layout
forms to you. Priority on publication has always been placed
on match scores accompanied by an equipment list.
In my experience as a match director, I have occasionally
been told by some shooters, “I’m not going to give out my
hard-earned information so that some new guy can beat me

at the next match.” My personal feelings are if those are a
shooter’s sentiments, they are going to be out-shot at the next
match simply because they need to work on their mental
game. Thinking that the only way to win a match is because
of some “secret” edge clearly shows a lack of confidence. If
that’s your crutch, you will eventually fall flat on your face.
I’ve had match directors tell me that they have given up
blackpowdercartridgenews.com



trying to get competitors to fill out equipment lists at matches
because people said they couldn’t be bothered. I don’t think
I’ve ever been to a match where at some point I didn’t have
five minutes to fill out an equipment list form.
We all talk about getting new people into our sport by being
positive, helping beginners get started, loaning equipment and

O

the like. Providing something as simple as an equipment list at
the next match is a great way of promoting our sport, helps out
the match director and takes a minimum of your time. If we
“talk the talk” about making our black powder shooting sports
grow, we also need to “walk the walk.” C
– Gut Ziel

About the Cover

ur cover photo in this issue is from

our good friend Mr. Tom Schiffer;
black powder shooter, riverboat
captain and general gun crank who
is known to frequent the immediate
area of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky. Tom
was there at Rabbit Hash when
the Don Kettelkamp Single Shot
Stalking Rifle Shoot was pulled off.
The cover shows rifleman Jim Poyner
addressing the “knock-down” target
with his .450-.400 (2 3⁄8) Boss single
shot rifle.
Tom has provided us with a full
report on the Kettelkamp shoot, which
will be of interest to anyone who has
an appreciation for fine stalking
rifles of either English or German
persuasion. Check out Tom’s article
in this issue for all the particulars,
and see if you don’t agree that these
guys had way too much fun.

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6

the Black Powder Cartridge news • Spring 2019

blackpowdercartridgenews.com



Present at the dedication on October 7, 2017, were
shoot founder, Bob Woodfill (right) and Don Kettelkamp,
the African hunter for who the competition was named.

Little Big Shoot
The Don Kettelkamp Single Shot Stalking Rifle Shoot

T

Tom Schiffer

his shoot was originally conceived by Bob Woodfill,
the African hunting enthusiast of Vevay, Indiana. It
was respectfully named for Don Kettelkamp, a modern-day
African hunter, who wrote prolifically about his African
experiences with the late Don Malsen in a 1996 book,
Hunting Southern Africa with Muzzle Loading Rifles. Don
Kettelkamp also wrote black powder hunting articles, too
numerous to mention, for Muzzle Blasts, the house organ of
the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association. These articles
started about 1980.
Another avid hunter Randy Cochran bought a fair-sized
farm near Rabbit Hash, Kentucky, and established it as a
tree farm. A serious sportsman, he built two cabins on it and
used the original farmhouse as a bunk house/storage area. A
number of his friends congregate there each fall to hunt the
many deer on the farm. The Don Kettelkamp Shoot was
created with Randy’s full cooperation.
Two years before this event, a group met here to indulge
in some English stalking rifle shooting. The shoot was

6

the Black Powder Cartridge news • Spring 2019

designed and run by Bob Woodfill, who is no stranger to
running memorable invitational matches in Indiana. While
primarily for English stalking rifles, two German rifles among
the English examples attracted the attention of the German
Gun Collectors Association (GGCA).
Dialogue about these two rifles led to an invitation for
some GGCA members to attend the 2017 shoot. While the
focus was originally on English-made stalking rifles, German
stalking rifles were displayed in some numbers at the 2017
event. Such was the enthusiasm that the decision was made to
do it again in 2018, and even more German rifles appeared.
On October 27, 2018, this group of stalwart, historically
minded shooters met to engage in a joint German/English
stalking rifle shoot. Participants from the GGCA, American
Single Shot Rifle Association (ASSRA) and National Muzzle
Loading Rifle Association (NMLRA) were represented,
although no muzzle loading rifles appeared in 2018 due to
the time constraints of the match.
The definition of a stalking rifle is a bit less than
blackpowdercartridgenews.com


Tom Devers, president of the GGCA, giving a
presentation about German stalking rifles at
the Don Kettelkamp Shoot on October 7, 2017.

universally agreed upon, but with this group, the focus was on
light, single shot rifles of English or German origin intended
for deer-size game. They were of tip-up (Kipplauf ) or fallingblock design. While scopes and aperture sights are seen on

many stalking rifles of the current day, the use of scope or
peep sights in this match resulted, by the rules, in cutting a
shooter’s score in half!
There were no repeating rifles at this event. All of the
cartridges used with the exception of three (a .30-06, a 7x57
and a 7.92x57) were introduced as black powder cartridges,
and all but three of the stalking rifles used in this match were
antique.
Many people wonder if “Rabbit Hash” is actually a real

A table full of fine German stalking rifles.
blackpowdercartridgenews.com

Fairly typical of the German rifles used in this match, this
Kipplauf has double-set triggers. This rifle has had a Lyman
sight added which was designed for the Model 99 Savage. It
is chambered in 8.15x46R. Belonging to the author, his score
did not attract enough attention to be cut in half, through no
fault of the rifle or load. It delivered a three-shot group of 1.25
inches at 100 yards but scared nobody at the match.

place, and if so, where is it? Rabbit Hash is indeed a real
place and is located on the Ohio River (river mile 506.1) on
the west side of the northern-most part of Boone county in
Kentucky. But this particular farm is within a few hundred
yards of where Lick Creek flows south into the Ohio River
at mile 512.0 – some six miles from Rabbit Hash. This
seeming anomaly is occasioned by the snake-like Ohio River
flowing back to the east at this point. Some wags say the
Ohio River got as far as Rabbit Hash and decided to go back

to Pittsburgh! If so, it soon met tough-going and resumed
its gentle meandering westward to the Mississippi. And, yes,
Indiana is south of Kentucky at this exact point, and the
sun goes down “up river”! (As an aside, passengers on the
Spring 2019 • the Black Powder Cartridge news

7


The “show and tell” session on Friday night saw some
interesting hardware brought in by the shooters.

Some of the German guns showed impressive engraving.

steamboat Delta Queen were warned about river pirates with
a cannon down a bit past Rabbit Hash and on the Kentucky
side. Details are sketchy, and the statute of limitations may
have expired, but that’s another story.)
This was held to be a really fun shoot by all participants.
It will be noted that bundled-up clothing, damp/cold weather,
inadequate preparation, and age were mitigating factors on
some of the scores! Nearly, if not all shooters had reached their
half-century mark and at least one was in his 84th year. All
that having been said, there was some very excellent shooting
exhibited by the top competitors. Several days of rain had
come grudgingly to a stop that morning, but the ground was
slippery and boots weighed heavily with mud.
The hospitality was great. The environs arrayed in fall’s
splendid colors, and Randy opened his cabins to the few who
spent their nights there. A “pitch-in” dinner was held the

night before at Randy Cochran’s house overlooking the Ohio

River above Rabbit Hash. An impressive array of rifles were
brought in by the shooters and displayed in Randy’s shop.
The next day’s shooting was done at Randy’s tree farm.
Shooters started to arrive about 10:00 in the morning. A
chronograph was set up and the velocity of cartridges were

A feast of pulled pork and buffalo wings with all the fixins greeted
appetites sharpened by the day’s shooting and damp/cold
weather. Those interested in “sundowners” were indulged after all
the rifles were put away. A cadre of helpers were recruited to aid
the shooters, operate the more animated targets and serve food.
Four ATVs were there to carry those less sure-footed among us.

The running deer target can be seen above Roscoe’s (shooter)
right elbow. It is controlled by the “trapper” on the right. The
deer is suspended from a trolley run by a garage door opener –
geared to run a great deal faster than your garage door!

8

the Black Powder Cartridge news • Spring 2019

blackpowdercartridgenews.com


Roscoe’s .450 (3¼) Alex Henry flattened the knock-down both
times. The target is the small square on the right. This frame
from a video shows the rifle firing but the bullet not yet arrived. A

later frame shows the bullet splatter as the target begins to fall.

Roscoe Stephenson is shooting the “charging boar”. The target
is a milk jug speeding and bouncing toward the shooter. The
target is located just above the log almost obscured by the
cloud of white smoke from 110 grains of 1½ Fg Olde Eynsford
powder from his .45 (3¼). Yes, he hit the target on both runs.

recorded. A canopy and ample seating accommodated a talk
given by African hunter and GGCA Director, Gary Fatheree.
The subject was black powder hunting in Africa, especially
concerning the things you need to know if you go. At noon,
a fine luncheon preceded the shooting.

The shooters were divided into four squads and each
squad started on a different part of the course. Nine steelplate swingers were set at various distances in the woods from
about 50 to 130 yards. These were static targets until hit.
Cool deliberation could be indulged in addressing the two
shots required at each. But, there were two dynamic targets
to get the shooter’s juices flowing! A “running deer” and a
“charging boar” were targets that were moving and bouncing
right along! Then, there was a knock-down target that took a
rifle with real authority to knock it down.
As this article is written for The BPC News, the focus
here is black powder. Two of the more successful shooters
were Jim Poynor and Roscoe Stephenson, both traveled here
from Virginia. They finished in forth place (Jim) and sixth
place (Roscoe) with both shooters using Olde Eynsford black
powder, lube cookies and grooved/lubricated bullets. They
did no cleaning during the 24 shots of the match. Each of

Don Kettelkamp Shoot • Rifles & Handloads
competitor
Fatherree

caliber
8x57JR

mfg./action
Behr/Tip-up

bullet diameter

bullet weight

(inches)

(grains)

.320

170

powder

charge

velocity

(grains)

(fps)

Unique

13.0

1,750

Hoeweler

8.15x46

Greifelt/Tip-up

.318

180

IMR-4198

15.0

1,375

Devers

8.15x46

Greifelt/Falling Blk

.316

160

factory

ND

1,354

Poynor

.450/.400 (2 3/8)

Boss/Tip-up

.411

240

OE BP

85.0

1,449

8x51

Bruns Ghf/Tip-up

.319

180

IMR-4227

14.0

1,490

Stephenson

.450 (3¼)

Henry/Falling Blk

.459

330

OE BP

110.0

1,727

French

8.15x46R

Buchell/Tip-up

.320

180

IMR-4227

14.0

1,475

Simpson

.303 British

Ruger No.1/Falling Blk

.314

210

RL-7

27.5

1,871

Wilt

.303 British

Gibbs/Farquharson

.314

205

Unique

14.0

1,516

8.15x46R

Unknown/Falling Blk

.316

160

factory

ND

1,353

G. Freking

Spencer

9.3x72R

Unknown/Tip-up

.359

200

IMR-4227

18.0

1,420

Rowe

D. Cochran

.303 British

Gibbs/Farquharson

.306

200

IMR-4227

19.2

1,456

Woodfill

.303 British

Jeffery/Farquharson

.312

185

IMR-4895

24.0

1,448

Hutton

8.15x46R

Unknown/Tip-up

.316

160

factory

ND

1,354

Schiffer

8.15x46R

Unknown/Tip-up

.325

170

IMR-4227

11.0

1,345

R. Cochran

.450/.400

Churchill/Tip-up

.418

240

IMR-4198

32.0

ND

.30-06

T/C R83/Tip-up

.309

160

IMR-4227

21.0

1,921

7x57

Ruger No. 1/Falling Blk

.284

140

A-2520

27.1

1,870

.577/.450

Barnsley Martini

.460

525

ND

ND

1,314

Hummel
Mink
J. Freking

Be Alert – Publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in published load data. Listed loads are only valid in the test firearms used.

blackpowdercartridgenews.com

Spring 2019 • the Black Powder Cartridge news

9


their rifles demonstrated a generous lube-star at the muzzle
and excellent accuracy, even at the end of the shoot. Jim used
85 grains of 1½ Fg behind a 240-grain bullet in his .450/.400
(23⁄8) Boss rifle. Roscoe used 110 grains of FFg behind a 330grain bullet in his .45 (3¼) Alex Henry. Roscoe’s rifle is a fine
Alexander Henry and Jim’s is a very nice tip-up Boss. Roscoe
admitted he has other qualifying rifles that he shoots better,
but wanted to honor the fine Henry by bringing it, the oldest
rifle among them.
The “charging boar” was represented by a kill-zone-size
plastic milk jug, which was suspended from a hand-powered,
bicycle-wheel trolley. Suspended by a rope long enough to
allow the jug to hit the ground and logs, the target charged,
leaping and racing toward the shooter.
Most of the shooters, the writer included, used cartridges
of modest recoil, or loaded to modest levels for the knockdown target. All of the targets except the knock-down favored
the low-recoil loads. The .303 British and 8.15x46R were
both well represented. There was one 9.3x72R, one .30-06,
one 8x57 and one 7x57. All were fueled to modest energy
levels, quite capable of taking deer-size game at close ranges
but they would not flatten the knock-down target.
Shooters came from Virginia, northern and southern
Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Utah.
This was really a fun shoot. You could be a partisan of
English, German or American rifles. You could be a user
of black or smokeless powder; all were represented and all
showed merit in greater or lesser degree. It is a rare black

powder shooter who owns no smokeless firearms and an
increasingly rare smokeless powder shooter who does not have
a “smoke pole” in the closet. The latter, thanks in no small
part to The BPC News. As for the partisanship of the author,
well, he’s been known to work both sides of the street!

The day’s top three shooters were Gary Fatheree (center) who
had the top score; Alan Hoeweler (right) came in second place
and Tom Devers finished in third place.

It takes a lot of work and not a little coin to put on a
shoot like this that attracts folks from diverse and distant
parts of the country; and sees them happily homeward bound
in spite of damp and threatening weather. We shooters owe a
lot of thanks to Randy Cochran. He pulled in many markers
among his friends and squandered a good bit of his own time
and coin to make this event happen. Nor should the efforts of
Bob Woodfill be overlooked for his planning, communication
and advice, plus being a lightning rod for anything that goes
wrong!
As our German friends say – Waidmannsheil! or from our
British friends – Cheers! C

Back row: Tom Devers, Jim Poynor, David Simpson, Roscoe Stephenson, Jon Spencer, Alan Hoeweler, Jerry Freking, Pete Hutton, Tom
Rowe, Gary Fatheree, Gregg Mink and Kevin Bond. Front row: Randy Cochran, Tom Schiffer, Dennis Cochran, Bob Woodfill, John
Bugden, Mark French, Dick Hummel, Marshall Wilt and Gary Freking.

10

the Black Powder Cartridge news • Spring 2019

blackpowdercartridgenews.com



Testing Different

Bullet-Nose

Shapes

Cast bullets shown in firing order (left to right): Dan Theodore elliptical-nose bullet, 417 grains;
New Postel, 417 grains; Pointed “Turkey Killer,” 421 grains; “No Slump,” 420 grains.

L

Steve Brooks

ast spring was the first time I heard about the
LabRadar chronograph (myLabRadar.com). It is a
ballistic doppler radar that will read a bullet’s velocity every 25
yards from the muzzle out to 125 yards. I showed it to Gayle
and said, “If we were still shooting, I sure would have one of
these.” Well, guess what showed up for my 66th birthday?
Being “computer challenged,” it took a few trips to the range
and some calls to the manufacturer to learn how to run it
12

the Black Powder Cartridge news • Spring 2019

successfully. But, I endeavored to persevere, and I did! The
LabRadar technicians were very understanding and helpful.
I rummaged through my mould stash and found four
different bullets that were close to the same weight and had
very similar grease grooves and seating depths. The only real
difference was the nose shape. I loaded them all with the
same components and headed for the range. It was an almost
perfect testing day with very mild 5-mph winds from 4 to 5
blackpowdercartridgenews.com


These .40-65 cartridges were used for testing in firing order (left to right): Dan Theodore elliptical-nose with .200 long bore ride
(.399), .800 of unsupported nose; New Postel with .460 long bore ride (.399); Pointed “Turkey Killer” with .430 long bore ride
(.399); “No Slump” with .580 long bore ride (.399).

o’clock. I shot 10-shot groups from a benchrest at 200 yards,
starting with what looked like the bullet with the best ballistic
coefficient and going through to the worst. I shot four foulers
before I went for record and adjusted the scope after the first
two shots on target No. 1. A blow tube was used between
shots and 44 rounds were fired without cleaning; this was how
I used to shoot matches. After the first two shots on target No.
1, I adjusted the scope and had it pretty well sighted on the
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25 ring. I left elevation the same for target Nos. 2 and No. 3,
but had to move up after the first shot on target No. 4 so the
group didn’t fall off the bottom of the target. The differences
in average bullet velocity among the four 125-yard targets
were as follows: targets 1/2, 7 fps; targets 2/3, 12 fps; targets

3/4, 7 fps; targets 1/4, 26 fps (moved the point of impact 6.5
inches at 200 yards).
The rifle was a Shiloh No. 1 Sporter .40-65 that was
Spring 2019 • the Black Powder Cartridge news

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Cast Bullet Shooting Results
cast bullet

powder

(grains)

charge

muzzle velocity

125-yard velocity

standard deviation

extreme velocity spread

(grains)

(fps)

(fps)

(fps)

(fps)

417 Dan Theodore elliptical-nose

GOEX FFg

65.0

1,215

1,132

3.0

11

417 New Postel

GOEX FFg

65.0

1,212

1,125

6.4

21

421 Pointed “Turkey Killer”

GOEX FFg

65.0

1,212

1,113

3.0

11

420 “No Slump” nose

GOEX FFg

65.0

1,215

1,106

2.8

8

Notes: A Shiloh No. 1 Sporter .40-65 with a Montana Vintage Arms 6X scope was used to test all loads. Winchester brass, CCI BR-2 primers and .060-inch Walters Wads
were used throughout. All bullets were cast of 30:1 (lead-to-tin) alloy and lubed with SPG Lube.
Be Alert – Publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in published load data. Listed loads are only valid in the test firearms used.

The Dan Theodore elliptical-nose bullet produced this group.

The New Postel bullet provided this 10-shot group.

used to win the BPCR Silhouette Nationals in 1998, the
Nationals in 2001 and placed second overall in 2000 and
2002. Needless to say, it is a proven performer.

the first time bullets were shot from target Nos. 1, 2 and 4 on
paper. I made the moulds and didn’t take time to test them. A
real test is as many 10-shot groups as can be afforded in time
and money. It takes a lot of personal investment to really learn
what will win matches. It is questionable if the better ballistic
coefficient actually makes a more accurate bullet.
The pointed No. 3 bullet “Turkey Killer” is the nose I
used to win the BPCRS Championship in 1998 and 2001
and shot second overall in 2000 and 2002. For 12 years, some
variation of this bullet was used to win 8 prize rifles shooting
BPCR Silhouette. I shot the Oregon State BPCR Silhouette
Championship in 2011 and again in 2012, winning the Scope
Class using the “No Slump” bullet – I never shot it on paper.
I also shot the Shiloh Invitational in 2013 and won the Scope
Class with the same bullet; these were my last three matches.
I wouldn’t read much into these group sizes. Load
development shooting hasn’t been done for seven years and

I am very rusty. Since I am not competing, shooting groups

TEST RESULTS
Gayle and I have shot thousands of rounds over a
chronograph with her spotting and numbering the shots on
paper. We have never found that the slower shots hit at the
bottom of the group. In this test, individual groups all had
extreme velocity spreads over 8 fps and the groups are all
about 2 minutes of angle (MOA) in size. The difference in
the average fps between the groups was from 7 to 12 fps, and
that moved the groups 1 to 2 MOA on the target. The target
No. 2 group is the largest group and had the poorest standard
deviation and extreme spread. It also has the best core group
if you throw out two shots. It may be that standard deviation
is more important to group size than I had thought.
I’ve had these moulds for more than seven years and this is

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the Black Powder Cartridge news • Spring 2019

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The cartridge loaded with the Pointed “Turkey Killer” bullet
delivered this group.

This 10-shot group was produced with the “No Slump” bullet.

and testing doesn’t seem very important at this time. Only one

shot was put on the wrong target. I’m sure everybody agrees
that one 10-shot group is not a test. The interesting thing is
how much the ballistic coefficient of the bullet can affect the
point of impact. These loads were also shot off a bench, which
I have done very little of. All previous load development was
done prone, off cross-sticks.
The LabRadar chronograph is pretty hard to run from
the prone position because it is out at the end of the barrel
and you can’t reach it, but it sure seems to work well and
gives some fun figures to play with. The standard deviation
was usually just under 10 with my old Oehler Research
chronograph. I don’t know why this is different with the
LabRadar.
It probably should be mentioned that since I stopped
shooting 30 to 40 BPCR Silhouette matches a year and
loading 3,000 to 4,000 rounds a year, I have had a lot
of extra time. My game was BPCR Silhouette (with my
wife Gayle as my spotter) and we shot a few black powder
offhand Schuetzen matches each year at the Butte Gun Club
Schuetzen house. I have used this extra time to make blank
mould blocks and now have about a 10-year supply on hand,
ready to fill your custom orders! C
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Spring 2019 • the Black Powder Cartridge news

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Horatio Ross

& the

“Queen of the Forest”
Miles Gilbert & James Donohue

H

to 1802 and their letters are
oratio Ross was
in the Archives of the Royal
born at Rossie
Horatio Ross
Naval Museum.
Castle, Forfarshire (near Montrose)
Horatio Ross joined the 14th Light
about 35 miles northeast of Dundee,
Dragoons in 1821 and retired as Captain in
Scotland, on September 5, 1801. He was the
1826. He won large sums in prizes for shooting and steeple
son of Hercules Ross and Henrietta (nee Parish) Ross and
chasing1. He became a member of Parliament for Aberdeen in
named for his godfather Lord Horatio Nelson. Hercules Ross
and Lord Horatio Nelson corresponded over the period 1780
1831, and in 1834, he married Justina Henriette, daughter of

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the Black Powder Cartridge news • Spring 2019

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Colin Macrae, Chief of the Clan Macrae. They had five sons,
three of whom shot with their father as four of the Scotch
eight competing with the English for the international trophy,
the Elcho Shield. Horatio Ross was so often successful and so
highly regarded that the British NRA honored him with some
long-range shoots at the Bisley Ranges. The firm of Holland
& Holland also named a model of rook rifle for him.
Obituaries published in The Scotsman on December 7
and in The Highlander December 9, 1886, described him as,
“ . . . one of the best athletes and sportsmen of his day in the
early part of the present (19th) century,” as well as, “A shot
without equal . . . one of the best riders of the day.”
It was also reported that he won the first steeplechase
on record; that he, together with three of his five sons, was
part of a team of eight competitors shooting for Scotland in
1863, and that he was regularly out on the Glorious Twelfth
of August for the opening of the grouse season. In a letter
to an old friend, he said that he was preparing for his 69th
consecutive Twelfth. A keen deer hunter, he shot his last stag
in the season of 1884 when he was in his 83rd year. Prior to
that he had once taken eight deer in 20 minutes, as well as
shooting 13 deer with 14 shots. Sir Edwin Landseer was a
close friend of Ross, who, along with Queen Victoria, was
one of his wealthy patrons. According to Ormond, Landseer
painted Ross in hunting scenes. 2
In addition to hunting, fishing, target shooting and
steeplechasing, Horatio Ross was a passionately keen amateur
photographer. He was a daguerreotypist from 1847 and a

calotypist from 1849. He was taught the calotype process by
James Ross. He helped to establish the Photographic Society
of Scotland, and he became the Society’s vice president from
its foundation in 1856. He led the case for the amateur
photographers in the Society at the Special General Meeting
in 1858 when there was a rivalry between the amateur and
professional members.
The original Henry records for the beautiful single shot
rifle No. 3575 under consideration here verify that it was
sold to Captain Horatio Ross on June 8, 1875. It is listed as a
“Best” quality single shot .450 Express with a 32-inch full rib,
145⁄8-inch length of pull, 111⁄16-inch drop at comb, 2¼-inch
drop at heel, and pistol grip. Alexander Henry was one of the
very best gunmakers of his day. Everything he turned out was
handsomely crafted with great attention to detail. “The lock,
action, barrel and furniture look as if they have been nailed to
a tree and the wood grew around them, so expert is the fit.” 3
Alexander Henry petitioned for patent protection and
was granted Patent No. 1071, April 17, 1865. His outside
hammer, back action lock, falling block action is similar to
the Sharps system, but in my opinion it is simply elegant by
comparison. A friend once traded a Sharps Business rifle with
Freund “More Light” sights for the first of several Alexander
Henry falling block rifles that he has owned. There is no
accounting for impulsive action, is there?
Was Horatio Ross impulsive when he block-stamped
“Queen of the Forest” on the right side of the rifle stock? That
he thought highly of the rifle and used it very well is manifest

Horatio Ross and sons. Horatio is third from right.

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Spring 2019 • the Black Powder Cartridge news

17


This hunting scene titled “The Deerstalkers’ Return” was painted by Edwin Landseer and includes Ross.

in his correspondence. First, a letter to Alexander Henry
written in June 18764:
Dear Mr. Henry,
Yesterday I gave the ‘Queen of the Forest’ a severer
trial than I ever did previously.
I was anxious to take advantage of the rifle range
and target here, to ascertain exactly what its trajectory
really is. I got Mr. Ferguson to assist me, as I consider
him to be one of the most careful and painstaking rifle
shots we have.
We began at 100 yards and fired at 130, 150, 180,
200, 220, 230, 250, 275, 300, 325, 350, and 400 yards.
We aimed at the same spot as at 100 yards. Up to
250 yards, using the first sight, we found that up to 230
yards there was no perceptible drop.

At 250 yards we had to put up the flap sight, which
gave very satisfactory results as far as 350 yards, after
that, at 400 yards, we found the drop considerable and

sudden.
Mr. Ferguson said that, until he had shot this rifle,
he had no conception that it was possible to make a rifle
which, up to 230 yards, had such a flat trajectory.
Yours very truly,
– Horatio Ross

Henry’s Edinburgh address on the 32-inch file cut rib.

Alexander Henry .450 Express rifle No. 3575

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the Black Powder Cartridge news • Spring 2019

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The Alexander Henry falling block single shot action. The
rifle was refinished and re-casehardened by London-trained
McKenzie Highsmith of Memphis many years ago.

“The lock, action, barrel and furniture look as if they have been
nailed to a tree and the wood grew around them, so expert is
the fit.” – Wal Winfer

Next, a letter written from Ross’ hunting lodge, Wyvis
Lodge near Loch Ness, to famous Scot gunmaker, Hugh
Snowie of Inverness, dated Saturday, August 27, 18815:

It is noteworthy that Ross was in his 80th year, and
the iron sights on the rifle were not user friendly to such
chronologically enhanced eyes.
However, Ross had exceptionally good vision as
demonstrated in his ability as a pistol shot. He killed 20
swallows one morning before breakfast, most of them on the
wing. He was, in fact, known to be the best pistol shot in all
of Europe. In an interview with Sir Henry Halford in 1893,
Halford recalled,

Dear Snowie,
You like to hear of anything connected with
Highland sport. I therefore send you a very curious
account of what occurred last Monday to me. I may say
that I do not recall anything like it during the more than
half a century that deerstalking has been my favorite
sport. I was stalking three stags and slowly slipping down
a hill when two sheep saw me. The stags saw the sheep
and knew at once that danger of some sort was near and
from their manner it was evident that they were about to
bolt. They were a long way off but I had confidence in
my Henry rifle. I fired at one whose horns were clear of
velvet. To my surprise they never moved. I fired again at
the same stag, then they started at a gallop. The stag I
had shot at, after going about thirty yards fell down dead.
On going up to him I found that both my bullets had
hit him, one passed through the liver, the other through
his heart and the two bullet holes were not more than
four inches apart. There is no great merit or difficulty in
hitting a stag standing steadily broadside although the

distance was considerable (200 yards by measurement)
but that he should not have moved after a bullet has
passed through his body is quite unaccountable...

So great was he with the use of a pistol that a
Spaniard came over specially to study his methods,
querying whether Ross was as proficient with the weapon
as avowed. A match was arranged between the two men
with dueling pistols- the distance being twenty yards, and
the target a bull’s-eye, the size of a sixpence (.764 inch
diameter). The Spaniard hurried off home after seeing
Ross hit the bull’s-eye with twenty consecutive shots.
Ross was chosen to act as Second in 16 duels and was
always successful in dissuading the combatants from carrying
them out. So, it is with great pleasure that this thumbnail
biography of a remarkable rifleman and his “Queen of the
Forest” is presented to the readers of The BPC News. C

Acknowledgment
Grant Cypher at Ron Peterson Guns, Albuquerque for
photographs of Horatio Ross’ Henry rifle.

References:

QUEEN OF THE FOREST on lovely walnut.
blackpowdercartridgenews.com

1. Gilbert, Miles. “Thomas Kennedy, Maker to HRH Prince
Albert.” Double Gun Journal, winter 2010.
2. Ormond, Richard. The Monarch of the Glen: Landseer in

the Highlands. National Galleries of Scotland, 2005. pg. 70
3. Winfer, Wal. “Alex Henry and his Falling Block Rifles.” The
Gun Digest, 1979. pg. 78
4. Walsh, J.H. The Modern Sportsman’s Gun and Rifle. Vol II.
Wolfe Publishing Co. Prescott, AZ.
5. The Englishman. Jan. 9, 1887
Spring 2019 • the Black Powder Cartridge news

19


Wind-Gauge Sight
on the

1878 Sharps Musket

Sharps 1878 Model Military rifle.

W

Steve Garbe

e came across this short article in the December
1887 issue of The Rifle and thought that it would
be of interest to our readers, especially those with an interest
in the Sharps 1878 rifle. The sight mentioned was apparently
controversial in the military rifle matches of the time, being
protested at the 15th Annual NRA matches which were held
at Creedmoor. The protest was not held up by the NRA
Executive Committee, which incensed several competitors

who felt the sight represented an unfair advantage over the
other nonwindage-adjustable military sights of the day.
It is obvious to any rifleman that this sight, being
windage adjustable, would indeed be an advantage. It also
seems, from the accompanying text, that the boys from
Michigan engaged in a little skullduggery when it came to
the chambers on the Model 1878s. Extending the leade or
actually throating the chamber would seem to be what they
accomplished, but it was an alteration of the original military-

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the Black Powder Cartridge news • Spring 2019

specification chamber. Maybe it was just sour grapes by the
other competitors, or simply pushing hard on the rules by the
Michigan team, but it goes to show that even in the “Good
Old Days” rifle matches were not without controversy:

EDITOR OF THE RIFLE
In regard to your request I would say, the sight used
at Creedmoor by the Michigan team was the regular
model used on the Sharps Military Rifle, just as they
came from the factory, except the wind-gauge, which
was my own invention (please find enclosed a cut of
the same). The first wind-gauge used by the Sharps
Company was made by myself in 1872; it consisted of a
plain sliding-bar, dovetailed into the regular cross-bar
of the sight; in 1880 I invented the one represented in
the cut, which I enclose, which proved to be very clever.

I made them with a very broad V and straight on top,
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Spring 2019 • the Black Powder Cartridge news

21


so as to enable the shooter to
level his gun by the straight
bar. We have never used any
other sight in Michigan on the
Sharps rifle, at home or abroad.
I do not consider a peep-hole
in a sight practical for military
purposes; it is too complicated.
The sight that is now used on
the Springfield, if placed in the
hands of a soldier in actual
service, he would not know
what to do with it. The lateral
movements are all right, but the
peep-hole they would never stop
to look through.
I speak from experience,
having spent three years in
actual service. I think the

National Rifle Association
ought not to allow any sight
used on the range, except such
as adopted by the Government,
and then there would be no
grounds for protests.
Our guns were not rechambered for a longer shell.
But you will find that the Sharps
Military Rifle will take from a
21⁄10 to 23⁄10-inch shell, just as
you like. I recommended the
use of a 22⁄10-inch shell for the
matches at Creedmoor, and I
went to Bridgeport and had Mr.
Hobbs make the ammunition
just as I wanted; it consisted of
a 22⁄10-inch shell, 78 grains of
Hazards F.G. powder, a thin felt
lubricated wad and 480-grain
patched Wolcott bullet. I also
beveled the lands at the end
of the cartridge-chamber, so
as to admit the bullet without
tearing the patch, and I found
it advantageous in shooting on
a hot day, when the residuum is
apt to gather at the end of the
chamber.
I will send you a sight if
you like, if the above description

does not satisfy, and would be
very glad to furnish you with any
information that I can.
Respectfully yours,
– F.M. Barnes
The editor of The Rifle, A.C.
Gould, responded with this:
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the Black Powder Cartridge news • Spring 2019

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Notwithstanding the action of the Executive
Committee of the National Rifle Association, it has been
proved that no State or Territory uses or has issued to it’s
troops a Sharps rifle equipped as the one against which
Sergeant Mountjoy protested. It has been shown that
if, as General Wingate says, the protest was overruled
on the ground that his (Sergeant Dolan’s) rifle was the
same as that which was authorized by the authorities of
Michigan, “that the action was taken with insufficient or
incorrect information.
All practical riflemen, by noting the illustration of
the sight used by the Michigan riflemen and comparing
it with the special Remington sight used by the New
York Guardsmen, will perceive that there is a great
advantage to the one using the latter; and when it
is shown that no State has issued such sights to its

volunteers, the action of the Executive Committee of
the National Rifle Association, in permitting it in a
match which represents the military championship
of the United States of America, is inexplicable. It has
caused a feeling among American riflemen that a great
injustice has been done, and unless time softens the
feeling now existing, and new rules governing matches
be made, which will clearly define what constitutes a
strictly military rifle, there will never again be meetings
at Creedmoor in which the volunteers from several
States will participate. Already the officials from two
States have stated that they are not likely to again have

The sight used by the Michigan State Military
Team at Creedmoor in 1883.

State teams at the annual meeting at Creedmoor; and
shooting rules clearer, more explicit, and fairer than
those of the National Association have been adopted
by prominent rifle clubs and military organizations
throughout the country.
It sure seems like history repeats itself, doesn’t it? C

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