A Chronicle of the Plum Creek Shooting Society Agarita Ranch January 2013 Lockhart, Texas

President - Dragon Hill Dave David Donaldson ur January Match was cool, damp Austin, TX 512-626-8189 Oand muddy, but we still managed [email protected] to have a good time. Congratulations to our top ten finishers, category Vice President - Joe Darter winners and those who shot clean. Complete scores Tom Morris Seguin, TX 210-464-3969 are available on the Scores Page at www.pccss.org. [email protected] Once again we forgot to elect officers for 2013. We will try again in February. Secretary & Editor, Agarita Gazette - Congratulations to Jake Jones, Lincoln Drifter, Jake Paladin and Scooter. They shot every match Long Juan between May (first month for which we kept records) John Soule Austin, TX 512-750-3923 and December 2012. [email protected] More than 100 shooters have already registered for Ride with Pancho Villa, the SASS 2013 Texas State Treasurer - True Blue Cachoo Championship. We need volunteers to help both Nancy Forage before the match and during the match. Please Austin, TX 512-775-0699 contact Match Director, Dragon Hill Dave, or Territorial Governor - Jake Assistant Match Director, Agarita Annie, to Paladin volunteer. J.P. Forage We are using our PCCSS Yahoo Group to Austin, TX 512-970-4990 communicate with our members. It’s easy to join at [email protected] http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/ group/PCCSS/. Range Marshal - Delta Raider Chuck Leshikar Lockhart, TX 512-227-1389 [email protected] Safety Marshal - Elroy Rogers Stage Marshal - Phantom Flag Marshal - Artiman 1876 Centennial ………………. 3 Range Deputy - Lightning Chaparral ……………………….. 6 McQueen Find Delta Raider ………………. 6 Match Photos ……………………. 7 President’s Word ……………….. 2 Movie Lines ………….. 14 by Dragon Hill Dave

appy 2013 Plum Creek shooters! improved the means to bring them back into HThis will be a big year for the club play. with the Texas State match in May. But this All of these are reasons for you to make month I want to remind everyone that while the Plum Creek Shooting Society one of the we talk a lot about the state match coming clubs that you join as a member. We are up in May, much of what we have been signing new members and renewing old doing has been to enhance the experience members. If you haven’t joined as a member that we offer every shooter each month here already, sign up in February and the cost is at Plum Creek. Our goal is to make Plum prorated for the rest of the year ($3/mo.). Creek a “must do” on your list when you are Shoot with us the rest of the year and the thinking about shooting every month. discount from being a member more than You can see that in the improvements we makes up for the membership cost. We are are making on the range with wider and striving to make Plum Creek a club you can lower windows to shoot through, easier be proud of. Join us in this endeavor by access to the stages, a lot fewer step ups and becoming a member. step downs, new targets, new blankets, As a member, you also get a vote for the brass buckets and pickers, and timers. club officers. At the shoot on February 2nd While we are readying for the state match, we will elect our President, Vice-President, the monthly experience has benefited a lot. and Treasurer. If you have a desire to serve And we will keep making progress for you. as an officer, let us know and we will get For example, in the coming months you your name on the balot. will see a lot of new investment in targets. I have been traveling for the past few Our old targets have served us well, but it is weeks and missed the shoot in January. I time to upgrade. We acquired 30 new targets am back and don’t expect to be traveling recently, along with 4 larger targets we will much for the rest of the year, so I am looking use for the Cody Dixon shooters. We will forward to being here for a productive and start integrating the new targets into the successful new year for the Plum Creek range. Through donations and hard work by Shooting Society. I hope you will be a part of Elroy Rogers and Lighting McQueen we that too. have upgraded our targets and

Page 2 The 1876 Winchester “Centennial” Repeating

For most of us, “” refers to was retained, but the receiver was any of the lever- manufactured lengthened, the wood was thicker, and the by the Winchester Repeating Arms overall gun was significantly bulked up. Company. Winchester rifles were among the Winchester had hoped to design a rifle that earliest repeating rifles, were incredibly would handle the new .45-70 Government popular and are known as "The Gun that , but the ’76 action was still too Won the West." In the mid-1870’s, the short. The Model 1876 was therefore Model 1873 was immensely chambered for a new proprietary cartridge, popular, but the 73’s chambering in .44-40 the .45-75 WCF. This bottle-necked case and .38-40 was woefully underpowered gave the Centennial rifle almost as much when compared to the heavier-hitting power as the .45-70 Government, but in a Sharps, Remington and Springfield single- rifle that held a dozen cartridges in its shot rifles of the day. The little toggle-link . The .45-75 cartridge and the lever gun simply wasn’t a rifle powerful Model 1876 rifle proved to be a worthy enough to take the nation’s largest game, combinat such as bison and bear. Something had to ion. Until be done. Marlin came 1876 was a stellar year for the United out with its States. From its fledgling beginnings in Model 1881 Philadelphia through several wars and one chambered great divisive internal conflict, the Great in .45-70, Republic was celebrating its Centennial and the ’76 was rapidly becoming an industrial power like no the most other on earth. Winchester introduced its powerful longer, stronger lever action at the lever-action Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition. The new rifle one rifle was appropriately named the Model could buy. In 1879 a more potent .50-95 1876 Centennial and received a Express and a popular .45-60 were commendation added. In 1884, Winchester added the flat- from the judges shooting (for the day) .40-60. Four different as “…the best versions of the Model 1876 were offered: a magazine rifle for 28” barrel Sporting Rifle, an Express Rifle sporting with a 26” barrel and half-magazine, a full- purposes yet stocked 32” barreled and a full- produced.” stocked with a 22” barrel. At first glance, the ‘76 looked like a The Model 1876 was a favorite hunting Winchester ’73 on steroids. Forty-eight rifle of ranchers and cowboys. It was very inches long with a 28-inch barrel, it weighed popular in the northwest parts of North more than 10 pounds. The toggle-link action America and several made their way to Africa

Page 3 and Asia in the hands of big game hunters. find. It was Winchester’s top rifle of the day Theodore Roosevelt was a great proponent of and, not surprisingly, the ones that have the ‘76 and used them extensively hunting survived in good condition exhibit excellent in America and workmanship. Because of its relative Africa. When scarcity and the fact that most of these guns Roosevelt headed saw hard use on the frontier, any original west in 1883 and Model 1876 in halfway decent shape is a again in 1885, he costly treasure. While the replica armed himself with Winchester market has long been flooded two Model ’76 with affordable examples of the Models Sporting Rifles and a 1866, 1873, and even the Henry, the Model carbine. While a lot 1876 was largely ignored. First Chaparral of shooters today Repeating Arms and now A. Uberti have consider the ‘76 to be brought this legend back to life. The Uberti too heavy, most hunters in the late 19th 1876 Centennial Rifle is chambered in .45- Century wanted a powerful repeater that 60, .45-75, and .50-95. It comes with a 28" could be carried easily on horseback. Many octagonal barrel, buckhorn sights, color lawmen, outlaws, regulators, and others case-hardened receiver and A-grade walnut (Johnny Ringo and Tom Horn included) also straight stock and fore-end. The chose the big Winchester. A '76 was found reproduction 22” NWMP Carbine is available in the possession of Apache warrior only in .45-65. when he surrendered in 1886. Like other Winchesters, the 1876 was never adopted by the U.S. military, but the Canadian North West Mounted Police ordered hundreds of and used them for many years. The Mountie-model was also issued to the Texas Rangers and one My personal adventure with the Model large order of was shipped to ‘76 began during one of those matches when Honolulu for use by the Citizens Guard of I did not shoot guns, but was busy shooting Hawaii. The Model 1876 Centennial was Circuit Judge discontinued in 1898, after 63,871 had been photos. I noticed that was shooting Cody-Dixon with what looked like a produced. In more recent times, it has really big ’73. I asked and he told me it was found fame as the rifle used by Steve Model 1876 Centennial by Uberti, McQueen in the 1980 movie “Tom Horn” and chambered in .45-60. Later I asked him if I in 2001 a slicked-upped Model ’76 carbine could shoot it sometime. Shortly thereafter, was carried by Tom Selleck in the movie on a weekend when he was unable to attend “Crossfire Trail.” our monthly match, he sent it with Kettleman, together with a few rounds of .45-60. I shot it and was hooked. The following Monday I emailed A.D. Texaz at Cimarron. He told me they had two in stock. I immediately sent an email to Phantom at Storied Firearms. Two days later, he called to say I could come to the store and pick up my ‘76. I can confirm it is one big, beautiful Original specimens of the Model 1876 rifle. With help from T.J. Bynum, a/k/a Centennial in good condition are difficult to

Page 4 Tom Horn, I have been working on the written using the company's own records. springs to make it easier to lever and to The book dispels the myth that the Model lighten the trigger pull. I have shot it in two 1876 was merely a larger version of matches, not well, but I love it. I will Winchester’s famous Model 1873 and endeavor to persevere. instead traces its true origins to designs For more reading developed immediately after the American about the Winchester Civil War. Model 1876 Centennial Winchester: An American Legend by R.L. Rifle, see the following: Wilson. The Winchester Model Slicking the 1876 Centennial Rifle (A. 1876 Centennial Rifle Uberti) in 45-60 or the Chaparral 1876 by Herbert G. Houze Rifle in 45-60 by Tom Horn a/k/a James This book is an Hicks (TJ Bynum) authoritative study of the http://marauder.homestead.com/files/Slick Winchester Model 1876 ing_the_1876.pdf

Page 5 Six readers found Delta Raider in the December issue. Mentioned in the dispatches are Boon Doggle, Lincoln Drifter, Preacher Man, Manassas Jack, Leo’s Lady and Six Goin’ South. Lincoln Drifter gets double mention this month, because I failed to note that he found all four of Delta Raider’s appearances in the November issue. See if you can find him in this issue, and you will be mentioned in the dispatches in next month’s issue.

Chaparral: What’s it mean? In Spanish, chaparral means an evergreen scrub oak. In the Old West, the word referred to a place with many scrub oak. The thickets of chaparral varied in size, from a few yards to a mile or more. The bushes and briars were covered with thorns and so closely entwined that they were almost impenetrable. Wild longhorn cattle took Note: The Chaparral shelter in these thickets during the day and bird, or roadrunner, was came out to graze at night. Cowboys wore adopted as the official chaparejos (chaps) to protect their legs from state bird of New in 1949 the thorns. With time, chaparral became a word covering all deeply brushed country.

Page 6 Caos Drifter

Is Six Goin South happy she shot clean or what?

Page 7 Bisbee Jackson

Duke

Joe Darter & Little Bullseye

Page 8 Frank Longshot came dressed for the cool, damp and muddy weather!

Lefty Leo takes dead aim

Lucky Nickel

Six Goin’ South & Little Bullseye

SkinDawg

Page 9 Nichols Creek says, “clean.”

Wildcat Bob says a prayer

Tudelum Creek Granny

Phantom with long guns staged and ready

Page 10 Nueces Slim, Phantom Timing

Big John Mesquite, Joe Darter Timing

Lightning McQueen

Minnetex Slim

Page 11 Lefty Leo, Artiman & Jake Jones

Page 12 Long Juan shooting photos

Scooter

Kickshot Boon Doggle

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