The Smoothbore Beer Match

Reported by Grizz (Ricky Roberts)

Click on each of the thumbnail photos below for a larger photo

First a little history.

These pictures were taken in the early 1980's. We were the Red Hats then. The Illinois Regiment of Virginia State Forces. based on a French & Indian War unit. the Red Hats were created by Lizard to wean Buckskinners off of Western Mountain Man. The Red Hats charter gave the members a reasonable time limit to switch to the regional eastern gear. If you don't think Lizard has had any influence on our hobby, how much mountain man stuff do  you see at the rendezvous now? (East of the big muddy of course )  at any rate, after the reasonable time limit was up, some of the Red Hats refused to give up their pig farmer britches. So at rendezvous there was a friendly contest between the pig farmer britches (PFB) and the knee britches.(KB) One very fun match were the PFB and the KB shot against each other was the smoothbore beer match. This match was the first target you shot that day on the smoothbore frolic target. This was a re-entry target but your first score counted for the beer match. Everybody who shot this match put in 10 bucks in the pot. Winner takes all. No matter if the PFB or KB camp won the match, both camps received a couple cases of beer. This match was organized and ran by Arlin Blair the King of the PFB.

Picture #1 The fist winner of the Smoothbore Beer Match. Me holding the trophy I made for the match. (I forgot I used to have dark hair!) To my right is the Midnight Rambler himself (Max Egolf)

Picture #2 The first three winners of the Smoothbore beer match from left to right. Me, Arlin Blair, and the Machine (Fred Martin) Also in the picture Dave Bratton Left to right, Sam Clevenger, some fellow I can't remember, and Western Chuck.

Picture #3 This one is going to take some explaining. The King of the PFB and the King of the KB (Arlin & Lizard) Made an unusual bet the night before the match. Both Kings said they could beat the other on the match target. So they decided the victor would saw the losers smoothbore in two. What we see in this picture is Arlin handing his smoothbore (The Devil) to lizard so he can saw it in half!

Picture #4 It was decided to saw the stock area. Here is Lizard making the first cut.

Picture #5 Half way through, also in the picture Larry Baird and Sam Clevenger out of focus.

Picture #6 The break through! you can see that Western Chuck also has a set of these pictures. Sam is almost in focus.

Picture #7 you may wonder why the looser is happy and the winner is crying. Man it killed Lizard to have to saw that fine firelock !!!

Arlin was a very good smoothbore builder He was able to repair the stock on the Devil and was back on the range by the next shoot......  Grizz