New Event for Rendezvous 2010
Chunk Shoot
What is Chunk Shooting?
If you remember the movie about WW1 Medal of Honour Recipient Alvin York, you’ll recall the chunk shoot wherein Alvin won some turkeys and the entire beef. The participants were laying down prone, shooting their muzzle loading rifles over a log and shooting at either the turkey’s head in the turkey match, or at a V scribed on a target board and nailed to a tree. They fired but 1 shot at each target.
As originally shot back in 1831, a contest is described involving a certain Mr. David Crockett. “Forty yards offhand, or sixty with a rest, is the distance generally chosen for a shooting match. If no distance be specified, this is implied. In all their shooting matches, no ball is allowed to count which is not found within an inch. They use for patching, cotton cloth, and wipe their rifles after every discharge. The place selected was a grove, near which stood a tippling house. We found many persons all ready assembled, and they continued to flock in until several hundred were collected. Each man who was to shoot carried with him his target; this consisted of a small board which have been burned black, on which was a small piece of white paper had been pinned [as a spotter]. There was no regularity in shooting: each marksman called for his target when it suited him”. This quote is straight from ‘Sketches and Eccentricities of Col. David Crockett of West Tennessee‘, published in London in 1834”.
The direct descendent of that match is found every year at Friendship Indiana, as well as at the Alvin York and other Chunk or Over The Log Shoots in Pennsylvania and around the country..
Today, Chunk Shoots or matches are held coast to coast in the States, but as yet, aren’t as popular in Canada as they should be. This is a contest requiring repeated accuracy and consistency, rather than luck. Of course, we can all use a bit of luck when we shoot.
Our match will be held Monday afternoon over on the rifle range and hopefully we’ll be in the shade of the shelter. “Chunks” will be provided if you don’t have your own. Modern 3 legged rifle rests will not be allowed, however modern-type adjustable Chunk Specific rests will be. You can bring a sand bag or pad to lay on the top of your chunk if you like.
Registration will be after council fire Sunday evening, or from 8Am through 11 AM only on Monday morning.
Shooter’s meeting at the rifle range on Monday at 12.30PM- shooting starts 1PM sharp.
Now, The Rules.
Simply Put.
1/. You can use any traditional styled rifle of any weight and of any calibre, provided it has OPEN sights.
2/. False muzzles are not allowed.
3/. Removable sight shaders mounted over the open sights are allowed. No aperture sights, front or rear. No exceptions.
4/. Adjustable sights as provided by manufacturers are allowed, but not necessary as spotter targets are used to overlay the “X“ centre targets provided for scoring.
5/. No spotting scopes or binoculars allowed while shooting for score.
6/. Scoring is based upon string measure - ie: centre of the ball to the centre of the target - adding up these strings to arrive at the total string measure.
7/. There will be a minimum of 5 shots fired on the spotter, and 10 shots for score.
8/. Time limit 25 minutes for spotter group.
9/. 10 shot match - ie: 2 shots fired on each of 5 targets for score. Time limit of 8 min. per target.
10/. Ties, however unlikely, will be decided by the closest shot to the exact centre of the targets as numbered in order 1 through 5.
11/. Scoring will be done to the thou. of the inch, centre of the ball to the centre of the X.
12/. Range 50 yards for Rifle and Smoothbore, Men, Ladies, Juniors, sorry, no cubs due to time restraints.
How to shoot Chunk?
You start a chunk match by posting a spotter, an easily seen target and shooting a 5 shot group on it. You can use your own spotter, other wise a ‘spotter’ will be supplied along with your scoring targets.
5 shots are fired at the spotter from the prone position, resting the rifles, fore end or muzzle on the ‘chunk’. Then you place the centre of this ‘group’ no matter where it is on the ’spotter’ over the centre of the X on the first of 5 scoring targets. The match is now ready to commence. Each contestant will fire 2 shots at each of his or her scoring targets, moving the spotter to each target in turn.
Any questions, contact Daryl Sapergia @
250-562-9312
or by snail mail at
Daryl Sapergia
325 15th Ave
Prince George, B.C.
V2L 3W6