McLEAN COUNTY PEACEMAKERS

Fourteen Peacemakers members competed last weekend at the SASS Illinois State Championship called “Reckoning On the Rock” in Beloit, WI. The Wild Bunch Match was Friday Morning. Seven Peacemakers members shot the WB match: Comstock Charley, Dakota Tim, Father Fib, Mackinaw Jack, Stogie Jack Daniels, Grey-Eyed Rider, and Dangerous Dan McGrew. Dang, those targets were close. You still had to aim carefully, though, when the stage required shooting the rifle targets with your 1911. Also, I found out that your 1911 doesn’t work too well when you load it with an empty mag. Whoops. A beginner blunder, for sure.

The main cowboy match started Saturday Morning (5 stages). Enjoy the photos below of Peacemakers gathering for the match’s safety meeting.

The stages were imaginatively designed, and several stages required lots of movement. For example, stage nine: At stage-left, start with rifle in hand and engage the rifle/pistol targets. Then, to your left, shoot two shotgun knock-downs. Then move to the other end of the bar and shoot two more shotgun knock-downs. Then run to the stage-right barrel and shoot two more shotgun knock-downs. Then run to the barrel in front of the rifle/pistol targets and engage them again, except this time with your pistols. Whoa! Stop and catch your breath.

Stage 1 was the Trapper’s Cabin. I was shooting black powder from the windows of the cabin. After I shot, it was pretty funny watching the T.O. and brass pickers run out of the cabin to escape the smoke.

Lady Lou’s rifle failed to extract a piece of brass, which, of course, caused the next round to jamb behind it. It was very sad. She was doing so well. As you know, rounds that don’t go down range, for whatever reason, count as misses. Lefty Lindy loaned her rifle to Lady Lou to finish the first round of stages. Then, before lunch, Jean Duke fixed Lady Lou’s rifle for us from the back of his pickup truck. Great people. It made me smile and say, “Wow”.

On Sunday morning, we shot 5 more stages. Rain was predicted in the afternoon. So, start-time was moved up to 8:00 a.m. We were done by 10:42 and had plenty of time to get our equipment into the car before the awards banquet.

At the awards banquet, we had a pulled pork lunch, followed by the awards. Here are the Peacemaker members’ awards.

Comstock Charley and Dangerous Dan McGrew: Cowboy Action Clean Shoot

Tomahawk Johnson: Raffle winner

Mackinaw Jack: Wild Bunch, 3rd Place Senior Modern

Comstock Charley: Wild Bunch, 1st place, Illinois State Champion, Senior Traditional

Blind Hog: Cowboy Action, 1st Place, Illinois State Champion, Cattle Baron B-western

Appaloosa Doc: Cowboy Action, 1st Place, Illinois State Champion, Cattle Baron Duelist

Grey-eyed Rider: Wild Bunch, 2nd Place, Traditional

RePeeter: Cowboy Action, 2nd Place El Rey

Katie TwoShots: Cowboy Action, 3rd Place, Grand Dame

Comstock Charley: Cowboy Action, 1st Place, Illinois State Champion, Elder Statesman Duelist.

Mackinaw Jack, Cowboy Action, 1st Place, Illinois State Champion Silver Senior Classic Cowboy, Arizona Buffalo Joe, Cowboy Action 2nd Place, Silver Senior Classic Cowboy

Just minutes after the banquet, it started to rain. How’s that for perfect timing?

Congratulations to all who competed. You’re all winners in my book.

For full scoresheets, click here.

Keep your powder dry. And remember, always drink upstream from the herd.

Dangerous Dan McGrew