Shooting "Creedmoor" or back position

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Perentie
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Shooting "Creedmoor" or back position

Post by Perentie »

Jonny V ,s link to that great story on Mr James Watson leads me to ask a question.
Is that position still legal today?
Why I ask is that I shot Back Position in the World Creedmoor Match here in Brisbane back in 2006 at 800 yds (I got second place).
No one said anything at the time but I was told afterwards I should have been disqualified because a portion of my body (my foot) was in front of the muzzle. Mr Watsons foot is as well.
What would be the outcome of this today?
Perentie
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Re: Shooting "Creedmoor" or back position

Post by Perentie »

Just a thought.
Here is a photo of the US team. You might recognise some there. Excuse the bloke in the check shirt. He is one of us that shot with the US team to make up numbers.
American Creedmoor team.jpeg
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JonnyV
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Re: Shooting "Creedmoor" or back position

Post by JonnyV »

I have no idea if it's legal to shoot like that anymore....would be interesting to find out. I remember reading about the old way of shooting many years (decades ago) and thinking it was pretty funny looking.

Black powder rifle shooting does tend to hold itself to a certain amount of traditionalism.....
TAA
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Re: Shooting "Creedmoor" or back position

Post by TAA »

The IHMSA handgun silhouette shooters have a long time used Creedmore shooting position but it is not as contorted as the rifle shooter mentioned here. They also have a crippled frog and dead frog position.

FWIW

Tom
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Don McDowell
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Re: Shooting "Creedmoor" or back position

Post by Don McDowell »

Yes you can shoot from the back position, several muzzleloaders do. Cartridge gunners not so much mostly due to the lack of heel sight bases I suspect.
AKA Donny Ray Rockslinger :?
dbm
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Re: Shooting "Creedmoor" or back position

Post by dbm »

The back position (which pre-dates Creedmoor, although popularised by events there) is still permitted in MLAIC international muzzle loading World Championships. Prone with sling out to 600 yards and prone with sling and/or wrist rest or back position at 900 and 1000 yards. Same in MLAGB National Rifle Championship matches. NRA(UK) also permit it for some classes of rifle in their annual classic arms Trafalgar Meeting.

I have an overview of the back (or supine) position illustrated with 19th century images and photographs of modern riflemen on my web site.

David
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Historical Firearms, long range target shooting and military history
Perentie
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Re: Shooting "Creedmoor" or back position

Post by Perentie »

Here is a shot of me back then on the 800 yd line. I cant do it now so I am trying cross sticks and sitting on a stool but dont know if thats legal for target work. Three of us from this one little country town were in this match together. The other two have had to give it away and now I have no one to shoot with. No one else in the club now shoots BP and as the rules now say I cant go up and shoot on my own its getting harder all the time.
Creedmoor Brisbane.jpg
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JonnyV
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Re: Shooting "Creedmoor" or back position

Post by JonnyV »

Very interesting...the sight is mounted at the foot of the stock. I had wondered how the position actually worked...photos are better than drawings.
Perentie
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Re: Shooting "Creedmoor" or back position

Post by Perentie »

Thats the more conventional Supine position.
The James Watson from your link shot with the rear sight mounted on the tang. That looks even more difficult.
Kurt
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Re: Shooting "Creedmoor" or back position

Post by Kurt »

Jonny here is one of my rifles with a rear tang sight mount.
IMG_3464.JPG
Here is a closer look.
IMG_3406.JPG
Using the spine position is really a very steady position, especially when the wind is gusting.
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beltfed
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Re: Shooting "Creedmoor" or back position

Post by beltfed »

My neck would not nowadays hold up my head for more than maybe two or three shots in Perente's supine position.
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desert deuce
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Re: Shooting "Creedmoor" or back position

Post by desert deuce »

Remembering that in the early Creedmoor days cross sticks, wrist rests and slings were not permitted. The various other positions were optioned in some cases to mitigate the recoil of the 10 pound guns stoked with 550 grain bullets and 100 grains of powder.

I have seen slings used recently, wrist rests, wrist rests with slings and the back position with modified sling in competition.

Some rifles today seem to shoot better from wrist rest than cross sticks and wrist rest with sling is very solid.
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marlinman93
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Re: Shooting "Creedmoor" or back position

Post by marlinman93 »

This is my original Remington Creedmoor Rolling Block:

Image

Image

Interesting on my Creedmoor is the serial number is in the low 1500 range, where those used during the first US Creedmoor team match were in the low 3000 serial number range. So long before the match or the press around that match, Remington was busy building a Long-Range rifle and using the heel base for a long-range sight.
Perentie
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Re: Shooting "Creedmoor" or back position

Post by Perentie »

Nice one. :D
What Calibre?
marlinman93
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Re: Shooting "Creedmoor" or back position

Post by marlinman93 »

Perentie wrote: Tue Dec 28, 2021 11:16 pm Nice one. :D
What Calibre?
It's a .44-77 Rem-Sharps bottleneck; which is what all the early Creedmoor rifles were.
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