40, 60, 77? 100.
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#57
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40, 60, 77? 100.
why not 40, 60, 80, 100. the guy that designed this was definatly not obsesive compulsive! so was there a reason for this or was it just to mess with us? #57
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Jim Beckley
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BlauBear
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nomad
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I researched this some years ago for a Shooting Sports article.
As legend has it -- and I could find absolutely nothing in the way of 'proof' that it's anything more -- the 385m turkey distance was chosen VERY scientifically:
Early on, the largest matches in Mexico (where the sport originated) were shot on a ranch where there was a nice, shady spot for the turkey line at 385m...so, that's been the turkey distance ever since!
When everything was reduced for smallbore, it worked out to 77m for turkeys.
And the ranges are metric due to the Mexican origin.
Air rifle distances came about differently. When air rifle competitions were begun (in Fort Worth, TX) the first match was shot at 1/10 distance...and won with a single digit score. C was 20m, P/30m, T/38.5m and R/50m -- and it was obvious that that wasn't workable! (Try shooting airgun rams at 55 yards in the wind with your 10m gun! lol) So, they began experimenting by moving the targets in until scores started comparing to the better shooters' smallbore scores; and the result was 20/30/36/45 yards.
(I have a photo of the competitors at the inaugural match -- Lawton looks about 7 years old!)
As legend has it -- and I could find absolutely nothing in the way of 'proof' that it's anything more -- the 385m turkey distance was chosen VERY scientifically:
Early on, the largest matches in Mexico (where the sport originated) were shot on a ranch where there was a nice, shady spot for the turkey line at 385m...so, that's been the turkey distance ever since!
When everything was reduced for smallbore, it worked out to 77m for turkeys.
And the ranges are metric due to the Mexican origin.
Air rifle distances came about differently. When air rifle competitions were begun (in Fort Worth, TX) the first match was shot at 1/10 distance...and won with a single digit score. C was 20m, P/30m, T/38.5m and R/50m -- and it was obvious that that wasn't workable! (Try shooting airgun rams at 55 yards in the wind with your 10m gun! lol) So, they began experimenting by moving the targets in until scores started comparing to the better shooters' smallbore scores; and the result was 20/30/36/45 yards.
(I have a photo of the competitors at the inaugural match -- Lawton looks about 7 years old!)
E Kuney
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Innocent
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