Saw a program the other morning on the History channel called Extreme Shooting, or something near to that. Had to smile. They were making a big deal over this "extreme shooter" that was showing off this "impossible" shot of shooting a golf ball with a Henry rifle at 50 yds. As I recall, Shiloh shot golf balls quite often with a CVA Hawken at 100yds. Todd you need to contact them and get yourself on TV. One other shot they showed was splitting the bullet to pop two balloons. This is done quite often at muzzleloader contests using and ax head and two clay targets.

LOL. Yeah, I had a CVA Hawken that I had mastered and was able to bang golf balls from 50-100 yds with monotonous regularity with a simple .490" patched ball and 70 grs of powder. Unfortunately I ruined that barrel when trying to replace the bolster and then used it for my powder test. The CVA replacement barrel has never quite been as accurate - yet.

You really ought to try coming to Shiloh March 31 & Apr 1!

I saw that episode too. If they had wanted to wow the viewing audience they would have used the guy from New England shooting a flintlock. He is or used to be featured on the outdoor channels impossible shots.

I saw that episode too. If they had wanted to wow the viewing audience they would have used the guy from New England shooting a flintlock. He is or used to be featured on the outdoor channels impossible shots.

Years ago when "American Shooter" was on (ESPN?) they filmed at the small private range that I and my old boss had built on his farm near Nashville.  I used to stand in awe as they filmed the short beared older guy that trick-shot there with an old Winchester gallery rifle and .22 longs lead slugs.  He split the bullet on an axe blade to strike small targets to either side.  He barely missed some of course, but almost always he could nail them.  Then, he'd do it again only shooting via a small hand-held mirror with the rifle held backward over his shoulder.  The neatest of all I saw was him bouncing the little slug off 3 iron skillets to strike a baloon.  He had to really study the shot, aim several ways, changed his stances, walked it out, then nailed it 1st shot.  The sound was "Snap!Tink-Tink-Tink!POP! almost in 1 sound.

They had an archer using a long bow as well that did even more impressive things but I did not personally care for him.  He seemed too full of himself to me.  Byron something was his name if I recall.  They filmed me there with my Brown Bess one day but it never made it onto the show.  Guess I am not photogenic enough.

To be fair, my golf-ball hits at the 75-100 yd mark always had to be set on a spent shotgun shell so I could see them.  Sometimes I actually missed the ball but knocked the shell from under the ball down.  But at the 25-60/75 yds ranges if I could see the ball laying on the ground it was MINE.  The balls often exploded on impact.!  THey are made of some sort of tightly wound rubber strand and a hollow rubber core I discovered.

50 yards with a Henry is childs play....  (just kidding... ;-) )

Sound up, quiet place, listen for the hits:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA54RfhWoug

The guy from New England,New Hampshire I believe was just on something the other day shooting a flintlock at 300 yard targets!

Digging up an old memory it seems to me (if I recall correctly) that they held black power shooting meets that had targets ( large iron plates) at 700yrds. Now waiting for that round to hit and the sound to return must have been kinda long, but kinda fun.

To join some "elite" units in the American Revy War men had to repeatedly hit the outline of a man's nose on a plank at a given range, something like 75-100 yds (was usually measured at "100 paces") with his own rifle. There is a painting that has been around a long time dating from the late 1800s depicting a shooting match at a community gat together. The men with their PA/KY style flintlocks are depicted shooting walnuts or hickory nuts off a stump at probably 25 yds. No idea if the range is drawn closer for the sake of the painting or not, but that shows the skill the men were developing.

The man with the Longbow is Byran Fergeson and he is truly a master with that weapon.

Yeah, that 's him. He was amazing to watch, just seemed like a jerk in person. Plucking asparin from the air was the most amazing thing I saw. Of course it took him a number of tries to get the 2-3 they put on film but he was always at least really close.

If the TV guru's want to impress the viewers, all that's needed is to go to almost any clubs' Rendezvous and film average guys making these shots. They can do it because they do this shooting on a regular basis. The cut the card, cross strings, split ball, Tack drive etc, etc, etc. They're all done at the Rendezvous shoots as well as longer shots and other supposed difficulties.

The best part of shootin' golf balls the way they take off when you hit'em just right!