The 150th Anniversary of Creedmoor Matches and the Wasserburger Mile.

[Kenny Wasserburger]

Over Labor Day weekend the Wasserburger Ranch hosted a 150th anniversary of the original 1874 match fired at Creedmoor in Sept of that year. The original target was 12 ft x 6 ft with a 36 inch square Bullseye. Matches were based on a scoring system 5 points for a Bull 3 points for an inner and 2 points for an outer. Finding Center is what wins the match as it was in 1874 it’s much the same today. Our difference is simpler for scoring purposes, bull 5 points, the rest of the target is 3 points as an outer. Misses score as a 0. This method predates gong shooting by close to 120 years, and is clearly stated in our rules. Remember this is a Traditional Creedmoor Match NOT A GONG shoot and it is not scored as such. If your tender sensibilities cannot abide by those rules don’t attend and for goodness sake don’t attend twice. And take umbrage at the scoring system.

In 1875 the bullseye was changed to a round 36 inch diameter. And we chose that as a better aiming point for our target when was for all 3 of my original targets built in the 1997-99 time frame.

Our new target was constructed this summer and put to work on the Labor Day weekend.




Day 1 was a 22 mini Creedmoor match fired on steel 14x14 inches and with a 11 inch bullseye. Course of fire is 2 sighter shorts then 10 record Shots at each distance.

Fired at 200 yards to simulate 800 yards
225 yards to simulate 900 yards
250 yards to simulate 1000 yards

We had multiple Perfect scores at 200 yards. And also 1 at 225 this was a shocker this year. See the results below:

IMG_0671.jpeg

Saturday was day two and the main reason we gathered to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of this Historic Rifle match in America.

This Historic Event was kicked off and things got western quickly. At 800 yards the top score was 44/50 points and we had a tie Dave Gullo, Joh Venhous, Jon Viebrock, Steve Farringer, we had the makings of a real horse race.

We moved back 100 yards to the 900 yard firing point. Things got more interesting winds were up and tricky. The value of a no wind zero soon became apparent as the reversal of conditions would bite those who were not versed in this or the fact of bullet progression.

Top score was a 42/50, by the match Director KW with his brand new 1877 Shiloh in 45-100, followed by 2 scores of 40/50 by Jon Venhous, and Bryan Youngberg. Jon was shooting a Borchardt in 45-100 and Bryan a 1877 Shiloh in 45-100.

We moved back to 1000 yards for the conclusion.
Top score and a new Range record was set the last relay by Dave Gullo of 48/50, followed by a pair of 38/50s set by Don Johnson and myself KW.

The final Aggregate maybe of some interest as the top 4 shooters were shooting 45-100s and in Sharps rifles 2 Borchardts and 2 1877s.

Also of interest is that our good friend Steve Farringer was shooting a Faris Longrange muzzleloader rifle for the match, our only 1.

IMG_0674.jpeg

Our last day Sunday was the infamous Wasserburger Mile match a giant up scare Creedmoor target 15 feet by 8 feet with a 4 ft bullseye. Shot at 1760 yards.

Course of fire was 2 sighters 10 for record 2 times for a total of 20 record shots.
We had extremely strong winds I often had in over 50 MOA of right in. Taking into account for 8 MOA left of zero to account for spin drift plus 44 MOA maxed out on windage to the right for a total of 52 MOA of windage.

Jon Viebock set the pace relay 1 with 22/50 points for record. Steve Farringer right behind at 20/50
Brian Youngberg and Michael Jackson at 15/50.

Relay 2 saw pickup and left offs worth 12-15 MOA if you weren’t on top of it a lot of misses was the score of 0.

The conditions were some of the toughest I have ever shot the mile in. Match Director KW shot the top score on relay 2 15/50, along with my friend Jonny V., firing just 2 positions down from me. Dave Gullo had 12/50 for his second relay.

[Kenny Wasserburger]

The aggregate scores do not include the 22 match as it is a small bore match and isn’t part of the bigbore event.

Jon Viebock won the mile match 28/100 the low scores should not fool you due to the difficulty of the conditions. This was fired in.

The Creedmoor trophy was awarded to Dave Gullo for winning the Creedmoor match

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Dave Gullo was the Aggregate Champion and received an engraved Silver medal commemorating this historic match copper medals were awarded down also engraved to commemorate this historic event. Silver for match winners in all 3 matches and the Aggregate also, place winners were copper.

KW

[Kenny Wasserburger]

Dave and his spotter John Venhous will receive canvas prints with their holding the trophy.

KW

[Kenny Wasserburger]

More of note Jon Viebock is the first person to win the mile with a scope and a CPA Stevens.

Still can’t concede to any superiority in the action because he took 5 misses in the Creedmoor match but still shot a very good score, have to tease him a bit .

Several of us shot it clean no misses.

KW

[JonnyV]

It was an awesome time and I expect to be there again next year with more cameras so I can do a better job of video making.

.

[buffalocannon]

My hat is off to you Kenny for grabbing the bull by the horns and putting on what sounds like one hell of a fine shooting match! Best wishes.

[desert deuce]

AND, somehow, lost it the various smoke clouds of contemporary history was the Top Secret Irishman in waiting story.

As the story goes the original Creedmoor Match of 1874 was the result of the IRISH Team with their Rigby Muzzleloaders challenging the Americans with their Remington and Sharps Breechloaders to a long range rifle match.

Therefore, what could be said of the 2024 Creedmoor had the IRISH with their muzzle loaders not been in attendance. Answer, not much.

Fortunately, there was an American Immigration Officer, of sorts, present at the 2024 Creedmoor and one solitary Muzzle Loading Rifleman, though armed with a Phariss rather than a Rigby.

The transformation was simple, the Phariss was authorized as being the equal of a Rigby and the mere addition of a Capital O and an ubiquitous apostrophe to the front of the Muzzle Loading Riflemen's name and Wah Laah, we now have a quasi-Irish Rifleman for the day. Oh, what a bureaucrat can accomplish with the stroke of a pen.

Take a look back now and see the scores for Steve O'Farringer (aka: Steve Farringer) trending to the top of the lists in Creedmoor and Mile Matches.

That's right a Quasi-Irish Rifleman from Indiana shot a muzzle loader and did quite well by the way.

[semtav]

AND, somehow, lost it the various smoke clouds of contemporary history was the Top Secret Irishman in waiting story.

As the story goes the original Creedmoor Match of 1874 was the result of the IRISH Team with their Rigby Muzzleloaders challenging the Americans with their Remington and Sharps Breechloaders to a long range rifle match.

Therefore, what could be said of the 2024 Creedmoor had the IRISH with their muzzle loaders not been in attendance. Answer, not much.

Fortunately, there was an American Immigration Officer, of sorts, present at the 2024 Creedmoor and one solitary Muzzle Loading Rifleman, though armed with a Phariss rather than a Rigby.

The transformation was simple, the Phariss was authorized as being the equal of a Rigby and the mere addition of a Capital O and an ubiquitous apostrophe to the front of the Muzzle Loading Riflemen's name and Wah Laah, we now have a quasi-Irish Rifleman for the day. Oh, what a bureaucrat can accomplish with the stroke of a pen.

Take a look back now and see the scores for Steve O'Farringer (aka: Steve Farringer) trending to the top of the lists in Creedmoor and Mile Matches.

That's right a Quasi-Irish Rifleman from Indiana shot a muzzle loader and did quite well by the way.

DD


They say a picture is worth a thousand words.
I picked up the Fall 23 BPC news and there on the cover was a pretty Pedersoli Gibbs LR Rifle, and suddenly this post hit me !! All this time you've been pretending to put us poor paperpatch shooters down when secretly you've been....... Well I won't let the cat out of the bag, but really Steve is doing the same thing we've been doing, trying to win the match with one of the early methods of shooting the Creedmoor. We may not succeed, we may stumble and fall a time or two, but the fun is in the trying.

[kwilliams]

Was anyone shooting Paper patch at the match?

[Kenny Wasserburger]

I shot PP loads in the mile match in my 45-110.

I believe Steve Farringer shot PP all matches with his Farris ML rifle.

Kenny W

[gunlaker]

That's a great thing you've done Kenny, holding this match. I'd have liked to have been a part of it but it wasn't in the cards for me.

Shooting the anniversary match with paper patched bullets is just the right thing to do.

Chris.

[Kenny Wasserburger]

We would have loved to have you come Chris, you’re always Welcome.

Kenny Wasserburger.

[JonnyV]