History of BPCR & BPTR

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SSShooter
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History of BPCR & BPTR

Post by SSShooter »

Anyone know when BPCR & "modern" BPTR matches were first sanctioned by the NRA?

IIRC, high power silhouette started in Mexico around 1947, but don't know when BPCR started north of the border.

Same with BPTR.......... we all know about the original Creedmoor matches which resulted in the Sharps 1877 & Hepburn designs, but when did the modern era BPTR mid-range and long-range matches get back onto the NRA's agenda?
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BFD
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Re: History of BPCR & BPTR

Post by BFD »

This isn't exactly the answer you are looking for, but a few years ago, I assembled all the scores from all the BPCR nationals beginning with the first one. So, that gives you an idea of when the NRA started in on BPCR. I do not have the same for BPTR

http://www.public.iastate.edu/~jessie/P ... esults.htm
ChrisF
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Re: History of BPCR & BPTR

Post by ChrisF »

I think the 1874 Sharps and Remington Creedmoors came before the 77 Sharps and the hepburns.
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Don McDowell
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Re: History of BPCR & BPTR

Post by Don McDowell »

Most of the modern bpcr/bptr started out of western Montana in the late 70's early 80's, spin off of "buckskinners" that some of us had grandpas ol trapdoor, roller and the occasional sharps that hadn't been turned into a tomato stake.
Virginia City and Big Timber were the hot beds of the cartridge rifle new beginnings.
AKA Donny Ray Rockslinger :?
ChrisF
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Re: History of BPCR & BPTR

Post by ChrisF »

Kenny W. May be a good one to ask.
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Re: History of BPCR & BPTR

Post by ChrisF »

Kenny W. May be a good one to ask.
buffalocannon
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Re: History of BPCR & BPTR

Post by buffalocannon »

I believe Garbe and Venturino were there at the beginning, at least pre-Quigley movie. Some early doins' in Virginia City, Montana, I believe. Jeremiah Johnson movie also started some activity in early '70s.
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Don McDowell
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Re: History of BPCR & BPTR

Post by Don McDowell »

There were a bunch of folks involved in the early days, some are dead, some don't shoot anymore,some are still messing with it.. Lordy that was a long time ago in a land far far away,, :)
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SSShooter
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Re: History of BPCR & BPTR

Post by SSShooter »

Heard from George Harris that BPCR was "around 1985" and BPTR was the "early 90s".
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Re: History of BPCR & BPTR

Post by HHHSharps »

It is true that the game of silhouettes came over the border from Mexico. The first 2 ranges in the US to hold a match were in Arizona at the Tucson range (Tucson Rifle Club) and the Douglas Range, Douglas Arizona. The Douglas Range broke ground first but did not hold it's first match until mid-summer in 1968. The construction of the Tucson range went a little quicker and their first match was held in the spring of 1968. These were high power matches.

There was a long standing feud between Roy Dunlap (Tucson Rifle Club) and Bernie Halter (Douglas Range) as to who built the first range in the US. Bernie was on the Board of Directors (later President) for the then Arizona Gun Collector's Association (now Arizona State Rifle and Pistol Association) and actively promoted both ranges. Bernie, later agreed that the club holding the first match should have the honor of "building the first range in the US".

I don't know when the BPCR discipline first shot on a silhouette range, but thought you might find some of the history interesting.

Eric
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SSShooter
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Re: History of BPCR & BPTR

Post by SSShooter »

BFD wrote:This isn't exactly the answer you are looking for, but a few years ago, I assembled all the scores from all the BPCR nationals beginning with the first one. So, that gives you an idea of when the NRA started in on BPCR. I do not have the same for BPTR

http://www.public.iastate.edu/~jessie/P ... esults.htm
Thanks. Looked through the results while having my morning coffee.
There were several matches with 300+ competitors, centered around 2001-2. The numbers started dropping substantially with the rise in gas prices in 2006 and not with the advent of Conners becoming the match director (regardless of one's feelings towards him).
Dropped again with the recession in 2008 and has never recovered. Hopefully, our love of things Kidwell ;) (I even shoot a bullet named after him) will help bring the numbers back.
The 40-65 was the 'most used' cartridge until around 2009-10. 45s of various ilk have been the majority since.
And, the same 25, or so, names always seem to percolate to the top.
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semtav
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Re: History of BPCR & BPTR

Post by semtav »

Got to wondering when the first Modern BPTR match Was held. I was gonna ask and then came across this thread.
Found an article by Mr. Venturino about the BPCR, but have yet to find out when the modern NRA sanctioned BPTR Championhsip was held.
Should be somewhere in the NRA records, but I'm not smart enough to find it.
Ray Newman
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Re: History of BPCR & BPTR

Post by Ray Newman »

From the Fall 1999, Issue 27, “The Black Powder Cartridge News”:

“a limited equipment” sport…

“Thanks Al and Doc for BPCR by Bill Pace

“When Carlsen and I conceived of BPCRS, we thought in terms of a very simple game without a lot of gadgetry, especially one that would avoid the usual equipment race you see in so many other shooting competitions. You know just basically a rifle – a Sharps or a Rolling Block – and the stuff a Buffalo Hunter would have had.

“Al Hill, NRA Silhouette Committee member and one of the co-founders of BPCRS, was speaking to another shooter at the 1996 NRA BPCRS Championship. I listened as Al talked about their early shooting experiments, how they arrived at the n models allowed and dimensions, etc. This was my first national BPCRS match at Raton and over the next three days I had an opportunity to consider and remember Al’s comments.”

The rest of the article is a tongue in cheek discussion of what equipment/gadgets are needed.
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40-65rl
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Re: History of BPCR & BPTR

Post by 40-65rl »

Here is first, second, and third from the first NRA Silhouette match at Ration in 1987:
Ron Long 13 25 22 60 National Champ
Steve Garbe 15 21 24 60
Dennis Bruns 15 21 21 57
Correct, the decline began in 2006 with gas prices sky rocketing and the number of shooters going from 311 in 2005 to 235 in 2006 with the highest number of shooters in 2004, 362. Steady decline since 2006.
Scope got it's own championships in 2003 with 27 shooters. Average every year after that is around 90 while the number of iron shooters has continued to decline to it's current number of about 90. Scopes shooters must have more gas money.
The dates for the matches have gone from second week of September when school has started and family vacations are finished to the middle of summer, end of June and into July. Wonder what would happen if the dates were back in September when we had setters, boy scouts set for us then, which seems to be a problem now?????
Interesting looking through the list of competitors and wondering where over 250 shooters have gone since 2003. Know some have moved away and have no where to shoot in their new location and have given up the sport, some have passed on but 250 is a lot of iron shooters. Guess the scope folks continue to grow as they get older and need the optics. Who knows.
Those of us who shot in the "heyday" of this sport will have memories forever of the competition and the friendships we made along the way.Suggest if you have not made the Ration trip, do so before the chance is gone.
VectorMan
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Re: History of BPCR & BPTR

Post by VectorMan »

The 1st inaugural Black Powder Metallic Silhouette Match at Raton was on September 14 and 15 in 1985.
34 registered shooters was on the books but all 34 did not compete both days.
Match #1 winner was Robert Keplinger
Match #2 winner was Dennis Bruns
Match #3 (aggregate) winner was Ed Middleton.

Most shooters shot Pryodex powder that filled out reports.

I have the complete 2 part article write up done by Ray Thatcher published in The Black Powder Report magazine in 1986, with equipment list, names and photos.
"keep adding powder til it bloodies your nose and blacks your eyes, then back it off bout 5 grains."
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