Category Archive 'Target Shooting'

16 Nov 2021

Swiss Shooting Champion Retires at Age 85

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Reuters has a poignant shooting story from Switzerland.

Surrounded by other sharpshooters, scraggly-beareded Toni Hacki lifted his long rifle and took aim across the Ruetli meadow where Switzerland was founded in 1291, just as he had done for the past 51 years.

But this time, his performance didn’t live up to his standards, and he decided it would be his last.

“Today went badly. My vision failed me,” grumbled Hacki, who blamed the sun getting in his eyes as he aimed.

More than 1,000 sharpshooters gathered on the shores of Lake Lucerne last week for the annual Ruetli Shooting, an event that has been held since the 19th century, which pays homage to the country’s foundation as a medieval confederation of cantons.

Many of the shooters competed using military-style black rifles, wearing contemporary sports gear. Hacki wore a thick button-up leather jacket. The barrel of his gun was wooden (sic)*.

Two decades ago, Hacki was the champion. Next year, he will return as a spectator, he said.

“I will come back but I won’t shoot. That’s over now.”

* He means the stock is wood.

RTWT

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There’s a famous story the Swiss like to tell:

“In 1912, the German Kaiser visited Switzerland and asked a Swiss minister what the quarter of a million strong Swiss army would do if Germany invaded with 500,000 troops. The minister replied: “Shoot twice and go home.”

12 Dec 2019

World Record 2240 Yard (2048 m.) Open Sight Shot

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Incendiary USA has the story.

Utah man sets iron sight shooting record with 2240 yard shot.

Ernie Jimenez used an unmodified K31 Swiss 7.5x55mm Swiss rifle to set the official Guiness World Record for longest open sight shot.

He was aiming at a 36″ pink buffalo target 2240 yards away. For this incredible shot, Ernie used 190 grain Sierra Match King rounds firing at 2470 fps. It takes dozens of shots, but Ernie managed to strike the target four times.

23 May 2018

Female Shooters

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Revolvers! They all look like .38s, and I bet these ladies are shooting Colt Police Positives and Official Police Double Actions, with tuned actions, stocks by Roper or Sanderson, and Dean King’s reflector sights.

16 Jun 2012

Chicks With Guns

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The photo of these 19th century shooters is from Lindsay McCrum’s Chicks with Guns.

Evidently the ladies, too, competed in Schuetzen precision shooting matches with specially-made target rifles in which the shooter fired from a standing position, typically outdoors at 200 yard targets. The photo is small, but those rifles look like Ballards to me. They would have been chambered in .32-40, the preferred American target competition cartridge.


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