Talk:Creedmoor Match Rifles and Ammo

Source: Forest & Stream, New York, USA – Thursday, 16 October 1873

THERE has just been completed at Creedmoor the first annual Prize Meeting of the National Rifle Association, twelve competitions having taken place, the full and correct statements of which will he found at the conclusion of this article. Though Creedmoor mayhe now well known to our National Guard and riflemen in the city and vicinity, still a thorough description of the same, its plan of organization, and the object to be obtained by having such a range for rifle practice in our midst, with full details of methods of shooting, &c., may be of interest to many outside of the city, and may help to develop more thoroughly a taste for rifle shooting in the United States.

The initial movement for the organization of a National Rifle Association dates from November 24th, 1871, when a Board of Directors were elected with the following officers: President, A. E. Burnside; Vice-President, Col. Wm. C. Church; Secretary, Capt. G. W. Wingate; Corresponding Secretary, F. M. Peck; Treasurer, J. B. Woodward. This same organization held office until July 22d, 1872, when General Burnside having resigned, Colonel Church was elected president, with General Alex. Shaler as vice-president. Now the real labors of the Association commenced, such as the choice of a proper sight for a range and the details necessary to get members of the National Guard to take an interest in what to them was a novel enterprise. It was soon evident that the high price of land within any available distance of New York, would render any purchase impossible without State assistance. A bill was introduced into the Legislature, which was passed in May 1872, which provided that whenever the Association should raise $5,000 the State would contribute $25,000 for the purpose of purchasing and fitting up such a range, the State also agreeing to provide division and State prizes for skillful markmanship. To this amount was added $5,000 from the Supervisors of New York and Brooklyn, with $5,000 more from the Supervisors of New York.

The work of selecting the grounds of a sufficient extent for a range, which should be at once reasonable as to price of land, safe and convenient of access, was a difficult task. Finally a most wise purchase was made of a tract of seventy acres, situated on the Central Railroad of Long Island. This land was bought of Mr. J. Creed for $26,250, and named Creedmoor. These grounds are admirably adapted for the purpose for which they have been selected. As level as a billiard table, they afford room for twenty separate ranges, each of which can be used from one hundred to a thousand yards and without the use of elevated firing-stands, found necessary upon most European ranges. There was only one slight objection to the range, and that was that it would become necessary to build an embankment of twenty feet high and five hundred and seventy feet long, to place back of the buts, which would require some 27,000 cubic yards of earth. The Association very wisely sent Messrs. Rockafellar, Wingate, and Church to Wimbledon and Hythe, who made a thorough inspection of the rifle practice as carried on there, and who selected all the latest improvements.

U.S. TRIUMPH AT CREEDMOOR

The great International Match held at the famous Creedmoor Range on Long Island in 1874 included matches fired at 800, 900, and 1000 yds. and was extremely close. The Americans won at 800 yds. with a score of 326 to 317. At 900 yds. the Irish won by 312 to 310, and they won again at 1000 yds. by 302 to 298. However, the final result was a close victory for the AmericansÑ934 to 931. The match received international publicity and target shooting blossomed into a major American sport.

The Sharps and Remington breech-loading rifles used by the Americans to defeat the Irish muzzle-loading rifles were chambered for powerful cal. .44 blackpowder cartridges loaded with heavy powder charges and heavy paper-patched bullets. The most effective of all long-range target cartridges were the .44-90 Sharps and .44-90 Remington. The .44-90 Remington cartridge was loaded with a 550-gr. bullet which had a muzzle velocity of 1250 f.p.s. The .44-90 Sharps cartridge was often loaded with a 520-gr. bullet capable of 1270 f.p.s. Muzzle energy of both of these rounds was about 1850 ft.-lbs. Compared to 1600 ft.-lbs. for the standard .45-70 Government cartridge. Neither cartridge approached the power level of the .44-100 Remington or .45-100 Sharps rounds which delivered over 2,200 ft.-lbs. of muzzle energy.

The special Sharps and Remington rifles furnished the American team in 1874, as well as later high quality target rifles offered by these and other firms, were fitted with precision sights. The usual wind-gauge target front sight was held in a dovetail cut in the barrel near the muzzle. This assembly provided accurate lateral adjustment of the front sight by means of a screw. Accurate scales were engraved on the front side of the sight assembly so that precise measurements of windage could by made. The sight tube or globe was slotted so that interchangeable sighting inserts could by used to provide optimum sight patterns for various target conditions.

The elaborate aperture rear sights fitted to these rifles were either mounted on the receiver tang or attached to the top of the buttstock just forward of the buttplate. The latter sight position was used by some shooters who preferred to lie on their backs and support the rifle muzzles with their knees or feet. The long sight leaves employed on these rear sights were pivoted to the fixed bases. The shooter aimed through a tiny peephole or aperture drilled in the center of the sunshade disk which was usually slightly over one inch in diameter. The vertical position of the sighting aperture disk was usually determined by a long slender screw less than 1/8" in diameter with a 20-pitch thread permitting very accurate elevation adjustments. These tall rear sights often included vernier adjustment scales and were precision instruments. When not in use they were either stored in protective cases or folded down flat against the receiver tang.