Fifteen shooters engaged the steel bad guys at the December Peacemakers indoor shoot December 20. Everyone cooperated to make the shoot go smoothly and we were tearing down before 11 a.m. There are six clean shooters: Dangerous Dan McGrew, Marshall RD, Chenoa Tim, Tomahawk Johnson, Sheriff Boo Boo Bottom, and Ranger Runner.
The top five finishers are: Dangerous Dan McGrew, Comstock Charley, Marshall RD, Chenoa Tim and Father Fib. Scoresheets are linked below.
Merry Christmas to all Peacemakers. Our December 20 match will be indoors, so no shotguns, black powder or carts. Arizona Buffalo Joe has written 5 stages which are linked below. Feel free to decorate your outfit for Christmas (within reason). Registration at 8:15 a.m. Shoot starts after 8:50 a.m. safety meeting.
The club officers met last Monday. The meeting minutes and the 2026 schedule are linked. Highlights: March 14 will be the annual club banquet at Pizza Ranch in Bloomington. There will be three Wild Bunch and two Quigley matches this year. The June and July cowboy matches will be one week earlier to avoid conflict with the Beloit Reckoning on the Rock Match and the Milan Illinois State Match. A “new shooter” clinic is planned for May 31.
There are SASS rule changes coming for both Cowboy and Wild Bunch matches, also linked below. They will be published in the 2026 Shooter’s Handbook January editions.
A Peacemaker member for 11 years has passed on to the big roundup. Johnny Whitehawk, aka Leland Pirtle, hadn’t shot for a couple of years, but many of us knew him. He repaired and welded many of the target stands for the club. He will be missed.
Arizona Buffalo Joe and Tomahawk Johnson built new steps for the McLean County Mercantile Prop Tuesday the 9th. Joe’s heated shop worked out excellently.
Forecast was cloudy 70’s, but we actually saw some sun as 20 shooters enjoyed what is probably the last outdoor cowboy match of the season. We can get weirdly warm spells during the winter, but we sure can’t depend on them coming at the right times.
There are five clean shooters: Marshall RD, Chenoa Tim, Sheriff Boo Boo Bottom, Bad Dean and Tomahawk Johnson.
Top five shooters are: Flaming Star, Wild Pike, Dangerous Dan McGrew, Comstock Charley and Mackinaw Jack. Results are linked below.
Our next match is December 20. Happy Thanksgiving.
Comstock Charley
Enjoy the photos below of our good-lookin’ Peacemaker shooters, in the sun, at nearly 70 degrees, mid-November, excited to say their “Turkey-day” lines.
Despite the rainy forecast late this week, the Peacemakers shot their October match without getting wet. There was even some sunshine.
The fundraising went exceptionally well, with some cowboys paying a lot for a clean match. There were 15 clean shooters from a total of 23.
Top five: Midnight Justice, Wild Pike, Dangerous Dan McGrew, Mackinaw Jack and Comstock Charley.
Our next match on November 15 will be indoors unless the weather really cooperates. That determination will be made on November 12. Our indoor matches do NOT use shotguns, black powder or gun carts.
Comstock Charley
A note from Tomahawk Johnson:
The Fundraiser raised $565.00. A hearty “Yee Haw” and “Thank you” to everyone who bought miss tickets and procedural tickets. Our target stand and other needed new equipment is paid for.
We had 7 shooters that shot 15 classes on a warm and sunny day. There was a lot of great shooting. A couple of 19’s were shot. Lots of ties to break.
Everyone worked together and helped with scoring and spotting. A Great Bunch of Shooters! Some special thank yous go to:
Midnight Justice for organizing and running the relays with a new, further improved system that we will be using from now on. With only seven shooters, we were all either shooting, spotting or scoring.
Arizona Buffalo Joe for set up, tear down, keeping the targets painted and a lot of spotting.
Dakota Tim printed all the award certificates.
Tomahawk Johnson, who improved the mounting brackets for the new flashing “hit lights”. More improvements are coming for next Spring.
Last weekend, twelve Peacemakers competed in the Illowa Irregulars’ FRU (Fall RoundUp). FRU is a three-day shooting event in the quad cities. Wow! What perfect weather for shooting games (except for the black powder shooters who most definitely could have used a breeze). See what I mean?
Friday was Wild Bunch in the morning. Three Peacemakers shot the Wild Bunch Match: Dangerous Dan McGrew, Mackinaw Jack, and Comstock Charley. Comstock Charley won first place in the Senior Traditional Category.
Peacemakers winners were Dangerous Dan McGrew for Running Buffalo in 3.99 seconds, Comstock Charley for long range big bore rifle smokeless – 10 for 10 in 90.38 seconds, and Mackinaw Jack for speed pistol duelist in 7.52 seconds. Our prize was a poker chip.
Then our Peacemakers gang gathered for a Friday evening dinner at the ETA Restaurant.
Saturday was part 1 of the main Cowboy Match – six stages. Here are our Peacemakers members at the safety meeting.
Sunday, we shot part 2 of the main match (4 more stages). Then we went to the banquet and awards ceremony. Our club had eight clean shooters. What!?!?!? Yep, that’s right. Eight! And that ain’t no fish story (or Cowboy story). Here’s the proof.
Rain stayed away for the Peacemakers September cowboy match, although it did rain afterward. The annual awards for most clean shoots during the year were awarded to Marshal RD, and Katie Twoshots.
Twenty four shooters, including one new shooter, Black Beau, completed the match without getting wet. Top 5 finishers: Midnight Justice, Flaming Star, Wild Pike, Mongo, Comstock Charley. There were only two clean shooters: Midnight Justice and Tomahawk Johnson.
Many of our members will be in Milan, IL next weekend for Fall Roundup. The following weekend, October 4, is our Quigley long range match at Darnall’s. Our next cowboy match is October 18.
Eleven competitors had perfect weather today for a Wild Bunch match at Darnall’s. Partly sunny 70’s showed that Illinois summer weather can be beautiful, just not always. Mackinaw Jack wrote five challenging stages for the hole-in-wall bay, so there was shade for those who wanted it.
Top five finishers: Midnight Justice, Mackinaw Jack, Chenoa Tim, Wapidi Waldi, and Father Fib. The only clean shooter was Chenoa Tim, although Midnight Justice and Wapidi Waldi came “THIS CLOSE” with a single miss. Scoresheets are linked below. We also welcomed two new shooters from Germany: Bigfoot and Lucky Lew were guests of Wapidi Waldi.
Seventeen audacious Peacemakers showed their true grit today as they shot the August Peacemakers’ Cowboy Match during a heat advisory. Thank goodness for the relaxed dress code that enabled us to keep a wee bit cooler. And the club provided a cooler of water to help the shooters keep hydrated. The covered bays for stage 1, 2, and 3 provided some very welcomed shade. And the towering shade trees at the hole-in-the-wall supplied some greatly appreciated shade too.
The top five finishers were Midnight Justice, Wild Pike, Dangerous Dan McGrew, Marshal RD, and Father Fib. Clean shooters were Midnight Justice, Marshal RD, and Sheriff Boo Boo Bottom. Full scoresheets are linked below.
The 50/50 raffle was won by Lady Lou who donated her winnings back to the club.
I have a few photos but not as many as usual due to iPhone operator error <embarassed grin>. Anyway, enjoy the few that I have.
And don’t forget, the Peacemakers’ Aug 30 Wild Bunch Match is only two weeks away. Watch the video below for details.
“Neither RAIN nor snow nor gloom of night shall keep the Peacemaker cowboys from making noise”. It rained steadily throughout the July match attended by 13 brave souls. Three stages were modified to use one bay with cover for the entire posse for all 5 stages. All the help doing take-down under soggy conditions is truly appreciated. Special thanks to Sheriff Boo Boo Bottom for timing the whole match.
Top five finishers are: Comstock Charley, Wild Pike, Mackinaw Jack, Marshall RD and Chenoa Tim. There were five clean shooters: Comstock Charley, Mackinaw Jack, Marshall RD, Tomahawk Johnson and Katie Twoshots. The 50/50 drawing was won by Tomahawk Johnson, who donated his winnings to the club.
Our next monthly match is August 16, and the second Wild Bunch match of the year is August 30.
Yes, it was Hot! Not as bad as I originally feared because the southwest breeze sneaked over the hill to help twenty shooters survive the hottest day of the year so far. Five fun stages from Arizona Buffalo Joe kept both posses entertained and moving along to finish before 11:30. Thanks to all who helped set up and take down the stages.
Top five finishers are: Wild Pike, Midnight Justice, Comstock Charley, Marshall RD, and Mackinaw Jack. Clean shooters are: Wild Pike, Marshall RD and Sheriff Boo Boo Bottom. Scoresheets are linked below.
Peacemakers’ next shoot is July 19. Stay cool as you can.
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
The weather was beautiful as eleven Wild Bunch (WB) competitors assembled for the first Peacemaker match of the year. As is common for a WB match, there were no clean shooters. If you’ve seen WB, it’s easy to understand why; the targets are at more challenging distances, and the 45 ACP 1911 pistol can be a handful to shoot accurately for 21 to 28 rounds per stage.
Top five finishers: Long Fingers, Midnight Justice, Mackinaw Jack, Comstock Charley, and Wapidi Waldi. Complete score sheets are below.
Our next cowboy match is June 21. The second WB match this year is August 30.
Saturday turned into a beautiful day for the Peacemakers’ first outdoor match of the year. Started out cool and windy, but the sunshine helped out. Twenty-nine shooters were divided into two posses, including two new shooters: Perilous Peaches and Captain Snap. Setup last night was performed by: Sheriff Boo Boo Bottom, Tomahawk Johnson, Arizona Buffalo Joe, Okie Pete, Comstock Charley, Roy Spurs, Midnight Justice and Mackinaw Jack.
Comstock Charley won the 50/50 raffle and donated the winnings back to the club.
Top five shooters: Wild Pike, Comstock Charley, Mackinaw Jack, Dangerous Dan McGrew and Midnight Justice. There were 7 clean shooters: Wild Pike, Mackinaw Jack, Marshall RD, Katie Twoshots, Okie Pete, Sheriff Boo Boo Bottom and for his first clean match ever, Little Oz.
Our next cowboy shoot is June 21. The Illinois State Cowboy Championship will be held near Beloit, WI on June 6-8.
REMINDER: Peacemakers hold a Wild Bunch Match on May 31. The stages will be published next weekend.
We had 10 Shooters that shot 26 classes on a rainy morning. There was a lot of great shooting. Several 20’s were shot. Lots of ties to break. Everyone worked together and helped with scoring and spotting. What a Great Bunch of Shooters!
Some special thank you’s go to Midnight Justice for organizing and running the relays with a new efficient system that we will be using from now on. Comstock Charlie and Chenoa Tim for spotting, scoring and running the firing line. Arizona Buffalo Joe for set up, tear down, keeping the targets painted and a lot of spotting. Dakota Tim printed all the award certificates. Tomahawk Johnson, setting up the new flashing “hit lights” which were a big success, results tabulation and the awards ceremony.
The overnight rain made a muddy mess, so the Peacemakers shot indoors today. Eighteen shooters witnessed Dangerous Dan McGrew smoke everyone in less than 84 seconds for the entire 5 stage match.
Top five finishers: Dangerous Dan McGrew, Comstock Charley, Father Fib, Tomahawk Johnson, and Chenoa Tim. There were five clean shooters: Dangerous Dan McGrew, Comstock Charley, Tomahawk Johnson, Marshall RD and Katie Twoshots.
Appaloosa Doc won the 50/50 raffle and donating his winnings back to the club.
Two weeks from today (May 3) is the Quigley rifle match. So, prep your shootin’ irons and ammo.
Our next cowboy match is May 17th, and I really hope we can shoot outdoors.
Fifteen shooters competed in the March Peacemakers indoor cowboy match today. The shamrock-shaped steel target (actually a club-shaped target painted green) gave many shooters some extra difficulty. It’s easy to miss.
All timer officers at this match were newly certified Range Officers: Ranger Runner, Grey-Eyed Rider & Dakota Tim. It’s really great that the club now has so many trained people.
Top five finishers are: Dangerous Dan McGrew, Comstock Charley, Marshall RD, Chenoa Tim and Katie Twoshots. There were five clean shooters: Dangerous Dan McGrew, Comstock Charley, Marshall RD, Chenoa Tim and Okie Pete. Scores are linked below.
Many thanks for the setup crew of Arizona Buffalo Joe, Marshall RD, and Mike Grady. Also thanks for everyone’s help with tear-down. We’re all hoping to shoot outside in April.
I’ve attached the new match flier for April thru September.
The McLean County Peacemakers held their annual banquet on Saturday, March 8, at the Pizza Ranch in Bloomington. Personally, I thought the fried chicken was better than the pizza, but there were mixed opinions about that.
Club president Mackinaw Jack led the evening by eating the most pizza. No. Wait. I mean, he led the evening as far as announcing the various parts of the banquet and running the business meeting.
What’s New for 2025:
Four new AR500 targets
Two scheduled Wild Bunch matches at Darnall’s (May 31 and August 30)
Illinois State CAS and Wild Bunch Championship is in Beloit June 6-8
Special Thanks were given to:
Dangerous Dan McGrew for all his work on the website and email comms
Tomahawk Johnson for gathering all the door prizes
Ron Darnall and his staff for all the set-up work they do each month. Also to Ron for the shot shell door prizes.
Finally, all the setup helpers that get all our stages put up every month.
The checking account has just over $1800 in it. The future expense for new, larger AR500 targets is expected to be right at $800. The great majority of the membership dues have been paid for 2025.
Tomahawk also led the door-prizes portion of the evening: In addition to the club door prizes, donations were made by Marshal RD – 10 Box shotgun shells,
Dangerous Dan – Custom made Earring and boot charm set, Lady Lou – Boot coffee mug and boot toothpick holder, Comstock Charlie – George straight CD set, Arizona Buffalo Joe – two 50 packs of new Remington 38 spl brass in plastic shell boxes, Tomahawk Johnson – 1911 double mag pouch and leather fringed rifle case. Everyone’s a winner.
Dangerous Dan McGrew and Lady Lou led the group in a boisterous 4 rounds of their “Cowboy Dad Jokes” game. Let’s hope the rowdy boos and yee-haws didn’t disturb the other restaurant patrons. Team Shotgun won the game.
So, each member of Team Shotgun received their grand prize of a brand new, unopened can of cowboy beans. Van Camps, too. My favorite.
It was mildly cold when 20 attended the indoor January Peacemakers match today. We had one new shooter, Kennerer Kid; plus two who drove up to 3 hours to shoot with us: Arkansas Lew and Average Joe. Chenoa Tim won the 50/50 drawing and donated his winnings to the club. Thanks.
Three clean shooters were: Chenoa Tim, Arizona Buffalo Joe, and Dakota Tim. Top five finishers are: Comstock Charley, Chenoa Tim, Arkansas Lew, Average Joe and Marshal RD. The score sheets are linked below.
Mark your calendars for March 8, when the Peacemakers will have their annual banquet, meeting and officer elections at Pizza Ranch in Bloomington. Further details will be shared later.
The McLean County Peacemakers’ club hosts monthly cowboy action shooting competitions that bring back the spirit of the Wild West in the late 1800s. These events, which are regulated by the Single Action Shooting Society (SASS), are open to individuals of any gender, shooting ability, or age (parental supervision is required for all competitors under 21 years of age) who can handle firearms safely. Every match offers participants the excitement of shooting challenges, a chance to improve their skills, and the opportunity to form friendships with like-minded people.
McLEAN COUNTY PEACEMAKERS 
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