The Sydney Colonial Muzzle Loading Club began in the early 1970's as a black powder club to show off our history of Australia in the colonial days, with the black powder firearms and costumes of the day. The club was formed to support, promote, and foster an interest in muzzleloading shooting, and in particular clay pigeon and target shooting.

The club now encompasses all periods from early Japanese matchlocks through to the flintlock periods of the Napoleonic Wars and the early American Mountain Man, to the caplock periods of the American Civil War, and onto the black powder cartridge period of the American Cowboy. The club's aims are now to support, promote, and foster an interest in muzzleloading and black powder shooting in all its forms and applications, including hunting, collection and restoration and preservation of antique firearms and arms of historical interest, and to promote an interest in dress, customs and style of the Australian colonial period.

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The Sydney Colonial Muzzle Loading Club, Inc.

Western Action Shoots Western Action is now being held at
Newtec Pistol Club,
Teralba, NSW.

Same shoot, different venue.

The 1st Sunday of each month the Western Action shoot is run by Tony Cohen. This is the latest discipline the club has taken on, and is the most exciting and thrilling competition the club does. The shooters are encouraged to dress as cowboys, or in costumes from that period. This discipline also seems to have more than their fair share of the fairer sex, and young shooters in it. The firearms required are the 'Lever Action' 45 cal. rifle, a 'stagecoach' style double-barrelled 12-guage cartridge shotgun, and two .45 cal. cartridge pistols of the cowboy era, all using black powder.

The shooting range is set up to look like a western country town with mock-look-alike buildings and figures.

Shooting events require the uttermost skill in accuracy and speed, while under mental pressure and time, to shoot various metal silhouettes in a prearranged sequence which is changed for each round of events, at three different distances. The double-barrelled shotgun is used at close range to knock over metal silhouettes at about 10 feet. You then draw from your holster your six-gun to hit targets at 25 feet, then a cross draw for the other six-gun, then ten shots at targets at 50 to 100 yards with the lever-action rifle.

Scoring is done by timing the individual, and the time is then penalised by increasing your time by the number of misses, safety, and procedural breeches. It helps to be the fastest shooter to win, but not to be so fast as to miss your targets, or to lose track of the sequence you have to shoot the targets!

 

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On the second Sunday of each month we have our rifle day. Any black powder firearm, from Japanese stockless matchlocks to flintlock smoothbore muskets, or flintlock and caplock rifles, to military black powder paper cartridge types (Enfield's) are used. Each event is shot at paper targets at distances of 50 yards or 100 yards. Shooting positions vary from mostly being shot offhand, to bench rest and to field-position shooting (no benches for equipment for reloading, only shoot with what you are carrying) to prone, kneeling, and cross-sticks. No telescopic or infrared laser sights used here. Those who think hitting a bulls eye that's 2 inches in diameter at a range of 100 yards in a offhand position with open or iron sights with a 1/2 inch diameter round lead ball that is dropping 6 inches by the time it gets to 100 yards from a black powder firearm with a long and very heavy .50 cal. barrel is easy, then they should have a go! The events are not timed, it's a case of taking your time to be as accurate of possible. The funny thing is, they aren't that accurate!

 

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Every second month we hold a cannon shoot on the same day as the rifle shoot. All sizes are welcomed, from tiny scaled down cannons to very large 1/3rd scale guns. The larger the cannon, the more black powder for the charge and the more recoil, and the more spectacular the effects of smoke and bang! Paper targets are shot at again in untimed events at various distances. Due to the restrictive gun laws in Australia, the maximum bore size is restricted to 12-guage, or 3/4 inch.

 

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The shotgun shoots are held in the afternoons of the Rifle Day events. Various events are held, from black powder muzzleloading shotguns to black powder cartridge shotguns. With the black powder muzzleloading shotguns, any smoothbore musket can also be used. There are various traps used, and shooting positions, from Down-the-Line to Field & Game styles. Shotgunning is the second best type of shooting. It's fast and furious, with small and very fast disappearing targets getting away, and you having to some how hit them! It's very difficult if you can't see them!

 

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Pistol is shot on every 4th Sunday of the month. Events range from single-shot flintlock muzzleloading 'Queen Anne' style of pistol, to the single-shot caplock muzzleloading 'Duelling Pistol' style, to muzzleloading six-guns of the Colt and Remington period, and finally black powder cartridge pistols of the cowboy period. Events are shot at 25 yards and 50 yards at paper targets untimed. A once a year special 'Dragoon Pistol' event is shot over 25 yds, 50 yds, and 100 yds, with full loads. How they managed to stay on their horses after firing a fully charged (60 grains of black powder) Colt Walker is amazing! Just try standing on firm ground firing one.

 

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Every odd month that manages a 5th weekend, we shoot down in the bottom range a nitro event for those black powder members who also have some modern 'nitro' rifles. These events allow any centre-fire or rim-fire rifle with any type of sights but usually with telescopic sights, shooting over various distances in field conditions.

 

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Tom Potter's
Charity SCMLC Shotgun Shoot

Once every year in February, we shoot a open (any shooters from any club) nitro shotgun (including black powder) charity event. While president of the SCMLC, Tom introduced and organised this event to donate, with all proceeds from the event and donations from various business, going to various local organisations such as the local Fire Brigade, Camp Quality, and CareFlight.

The Tom Potter's Charity SCMLC Shotgun Shoot has been running for 8 years now, and each year it has become more successful and bigger. This year alone, we managed 80 odd shooters, which required nearly all our active non-shotgun members to run the traps and organise the squads for the day. Last year (2000), we managed to raise the amount of $3,915.00 for donation to CareFlight, plus over $500 of CareFlight merchandise was sold. This year (2001) we raised the amount of $5,188.96 for CareFlight.

The day consists of 4 rounds, with 2 rounds before a BBQ lunch, and another 2 rounds after lunch. Each round has 5 traps. Each team proceeds from trap to trap shooting 5 clays per trap, for a total of 100 rounds fired for the day, then the prize giving and raffles.

Any black powder cartridge or modern smokeless (nitro) shotgun. Single rise, 100 clays. Cartridges are on sale, raffles, BBQ lunch at nominal cost. Medals for 1st, 2nd, & 3rd in following categories -

• For members of each Club of more than 3 members present.
• For individuals as a Group.
• For Ladies if more than 2.
• For Juniors under 18 years.
• For overall Top Gun and 2 runners-up.
  

To contact the Webmaster

 
grhunt@ihug.com.au