By way of qualification I have never shot a 100 shot Hudson match in a single day. (I've shot no more than 15 Hudsons in total) Usually shoot say 60 shots one morning and finish the next. Shot or sat out relays  relative to conditions.

But I've come to feel that the Hudson match should be fired as it was in the early days. When you fire that 100 shots in a day you may experience changes in conditions. You compensate. You will experience changes in energy level. So did those before us. These various factors are challenging to your mental and physical condition. But that's what a sport is all about! We can't make everything easy and attainable to all persons. (Does any body still get to the hunting grounds on foot or horseback or do they use an ATV?). Those of us who shot in the early Coors matches and the continuation of same via the ISSA, shoot a 50 shot offhand match in 2.5 hours. Personally, I do not want any advantage over what was done in Golden Era of Schuetzen. 

Re-entry targets. Wonderful, have to have them. There are so
many who enjoy shooting them and they are such a fine source of revenue. And for folks with ailments or are simply getting old, yours truly included, the re-entry matches are paramount. I recall a re-entry across-the-log muzzleloading shoot some years ago near Richmond, VA. Only six targets but you could reenter. Heard a chap say, "I may be outshot at first but I will not be outfinanced"!

Dick

Dick:
     I think they should make the Hudson a reentry match so that I would have something to shoot for each day.   
mes

Dick

I came to Schuetzen from Silouette were you have 2.5 minutes for 5 shots. I found it plenty of time to get the shots off.  If you read the books, "The Russian Book or "Tubbs "Rifle" Etc they all say your hold and sight picture is the best in the first few seconds. Tubb in particular gets his shot off right away or puts it down and re-mounts. Several years ago I was forced by working overseas to shoot Small bore prone for competition, Members of the club were very good shooters some ex Australian Olympic team. They all said once the sight picture is aquired get the shot off.  We had 20 minutes for 20 shots but all the good shooters finished in half that time

Of course you have to load a Schuetzen in a more leinghy process but I still think it's an advantage to work your way through it with some dispatch.  I find 2 10 shot targets in a 45 minute relay is easy to do. 3 targets pushes me and perhaps is a disavantage.  I could use extra time after a break and in particular if eating lunch should wait some time before getting back to it.  I get around that by drinking water and eating something simple like peanuts all day long.

You do see people taking much longer. One competitor I see  that shoots very good scores and takes two days for the Hudson spends his off time resting quietly and not interacting much with anyone, Focusing.  Thats a big advantage but Shooting offhand then going to bench rest, discussing politics, or some other thing then going back to the offhand targets is a clear disavantage. The other thing is if you are truily fatigued from shooting its best to rest before resumeing the match.

About the only disavantage to single day I can see if if you get a real big conditon change. Nice weather one day and terrible the next. That is surely a disadvantage but you can almost always tell from Forecast if thats going to be the case.

Boats

Well tomorrow we that is the Eau Claire Rifle Club Schuetzen Committee will be doing our Fall 100 shot match. It generaly takes about 3 to 4 hours. If we feel up to it we may shoot a few bench matches if someone is up to it.
fallingblock

The idea of using fixed ammo for schuetzen is not all that wild assuming that the chamber/throat is appropriate for it.  I am wondering what charge weight works well and "gently" for people who shoot 4227 in a barrel modern steel for .32-40.  Somewhere on this or the old Shooter's.com board we had a thread going about just the topic of fixed rounds for schuetzen.  Is there any interest in revisiting the topic on a new thread (besides my own interest?  )

Froggie

PS  My Ruger #1 offhand rifle has a Douglas barrel in .32-40 and seems to like a 4227 load behind a 195gr Welch bullet, so the question is not merely academic!   

Pete,

In my 38/55 so far fixed is just as good as breech seated ammo.  I used to shoot it BPCS and spent a lot of time developing loads and brass.  And so far I don't have the right Breech seated bullet.

In my 32/40 barrel the reverse is true. Breech seated loads are much better probably because that's about all I have ever done with it.  I did load it fixed some time ago for the ASSRA 100 yard postal and results were pretty ordanary. I also have a very good fixed Squib load for indoors.

The real reason I breech seat is it's so much easier than all the brass manuplation required to produce good loads with cast bullets.  Every case is a different problem and potential variable.  And neck pull is a major issue, too much and you deform the bullet too little and ignition is inconsistent.

It's usefull to have some fixed loads for matches that are short duration or range, Gallery squibs are a lot of fun too. Indoors with a dark firing line you can't breech seat.  For short range pratice not carrying all the stuff normaly required for breech seating and using fixed is not a bad idea either.

For a long time I resisted it, But for the general run of Schuetzen matches I think Breech is the way go.

Boats

Boats,

 I agree with what you say 100%. The only reason I use fixed ammo for offhand shooting is there is enuf fatique in shooting a 100 rd. match without having to deal with doing all the work necessary for breech seating added on top. Fixed ammo also allows you to catch a condition and maybe get a coupla shots off before things change. At our range this only happens during the first relay, and sometimes the second. Then the wind picks up and swirls around the berms on the left side, and you spend the rest of the day holding off or changing sights for every shot. So mostly fixed ammo is more a convenience that anything else.

 For short... 10 shot offhand matches..... I'll more than likely breech seat, and of course do that for all bench matches. So far I've never seen a gun that didn't shoot better when breech seated.

PETE

P.S. Fallinblock..... What's that All American match consist of. From the scores it doesn't look easy.

Boats,

  Amen! Plus I think Steve has mentioned that using the .22 for the Hudson Challenge cuts down the fatique quite a bit over the length of the match. This is something many don't figure on. If you're not used to it a 12# gun gets pretty heavy, and then you add on top of that the fatique created from shooting a 100 rounds of the over .30 caliber CF's and most people will be wore out at the end, and their scores will show it. A .22 is definitely the way to go if you're looking for the highest score possible. But, I like to compare my scores with what they shot in the old days, and most shot .32 calibers back then.

  Yeah! I hate reading those offhand scores at the various matches. I figure for the Election Day Match if I can put up a score in the 1800 range I'll consider it a job well done on my part. Don't figure I'll scare anybody with that either.

PETE