In the days when hunting was the only way to put meat on the table, hunters got one shot, and one shot only, at the deer, wild turkey or bear they depended on to feed their family.
Muzzle-loading rifles and pistols provided that single shot. There was no second chance. By the time a hunter reloaded, dinner was long gone over hill and dale.
Luther Owens Park
The shooting range at Luther Owens Park is located at 1300 Chafin Road in Berryville. It’s open seven days a week all year. The range is 125 yards long. There’s a covered shooting line. Tables, benches and target frames are provided.
There’s a trap range for shotgun shooters. All shooters pay a nominal fee to use the range.
Camping is available. There’s a large cabin for rent suitable for family reunions and large gatherings.
Muzzle-Loader Deer Season
Muzzle-loader deer season opens Saturday in most of the state. The season runs through Oct. 26 in Northwest Arkansas and other areas.
Shooting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. Dogs may not be used.
Source: Arkansas Game & Fish Commission
Modern firearms changed all that, but the skill and patience of shooting a muzzle-loader is on prominent display each September during the annual Saunders Memorial Shoot at Luther Owens Park in Berryville.
About 125 shooters gathered for the 59th annual shooting match at the park's gun range on the edge of town. Some dressed in period clothing of the day when all guns were front-loaders. The pop of gunfire, and the scent of spent powder, filled the air on this Friday of match weekend.
Most of the competitors who fired their muzzle-loading rifles, pistols and shotguns wouldn't aim at anything else, said Mike Pierce of Eureka Springs.
"Nearly all of the people who do this stick with black powder and don't shoot anything else," Pierce said. He was one of the range masters at this year's shoot held Sept. 25-28. Pierce collected targets and delivered them for scoring, but ensuring the matches were held safely was his No. 1 mission.
When Pierce hollered, "Line's hot," shooters fired when ready, creating clouds of powder-scented smoke.
Competitors in the rifle and pistol matches have 30 minutes to shoot. Rifle shooters take five shots. Pistol shooters fire 10. When the range master yells, "Cease fire," the shooting stops and guns must be unloaded. Targets are collected and taken to official scorers who work in a building near the range.
Matches for hand-held guns are at targets 25 and 50 yards out. Bench shooters compete with targets at 50 and 100 yards.
There's a trap shoot for muzzle-loader shotgun shooters. The top shooters in various categories receive merchandise prizes. Youth shooters get Daisy BB guns donated by the air gun company in Rogers.
Whims Of The Wind
Zoe Caywood took careful aim with her muzzle-loader pistol, one of the few pistols seen at the 59th annual Saunders Memorial Shoot. She eyed her target, pointed the barrel toward the sky, then slowly lowered the gun and fired. Pistols may be held in one hand only during a match.
Southerly breezes were a challenging tailwind for the shooters. "A tailwind isn't so bad. A headwind or a side wind is worse," she said.
Caywood is president of Luther's Long Hunters, the group that puts on the four-day match. Caywood said Luther Owens Park and gun range was built specifically to have the annual competition. It's named for the late Luther Owens, who was a Game & Fish wildlife officer.
The range is open to the public year-round. Shooters pay a small fee. There's camping available and a large cabin for rent.
Shooting a muzzle-loader is easy to learn, said Grace Hensley of Shawnee, Okla. She shot her muzzle-loader rifle next to Caywood.
"It's all my husband's fault. He got me interested in this. It's cool that they're keeping the black-powder tradition in existence with this shoot," she said.
There's some good-natured husband-wife competition, shooter John Kilgore said. He and his wife, Ruth, shot side by side.
"A lot of the wives outshoot their husbands," John said. "She beat me at a shoot just last weekend."
One-Shot Hunt
Hunting is another reason to pick up a muzzle-loader, John Kilgore said. Arkansas' muzzle-loader deer season opens on Saturday. Muzzle shooters get more days to hunt than those who use modern firearms only.
Hunters at the Saunders Memorial Shoot may have a leg up on others when the season starts on Saturday. They've had four days of matches to hone their aim. Range Master Pierce said black-powder rifles are effective at fairly long distances.
"You could shoot a deer at 100 yards with the right gun if you're a good shot," Pierce said. "I wouldn't shoot one over 50 yards myself. I want to put 'em on the ground."
Just like it used to be, when one shot had to count.
Outdoors on 10/16/2014