Green_Frog wrote on Oct 29
th, 2007 at 10:19pm:
One of the touring Winchester professionals (Ad Topperwein, maybe) shot, in front of witnesses, I believe several hundred wooden blocks (maybe 3" X 3") tossed into the air, using a .22 rifle. I seem to remember seeing a picture of him in the old American Rifleman sittlng on the pile of blocks after they had been shot and then gathered up.
Anyway, don't ever sell short the man who shoots one gun and shoots it a lot. He may just surprise you!
Froggie
Hello Froggie,
Ad Topperweins record was made between the 13th and 22nd Dec 1907.
He shot at a total of 72,500 2.25" square wooden blocks hand thrown
by three 'stout' lads. He used 3 x 1903 Winchester Automatic .22rifles loading them himself, changing rifles every 500 rounds
He missed a total of four in the first 50,000 blocks and nine out of the 72,500 thrown. Only some 60,000 blocks were delivered so he had to re-use some of the larger fragments to make up the total.
The shoot took place under the exhibition rules of the time. Topperwein worked for Winchester as an exhibition shooter so Winchester no doubt paid his ammo bill.
Tom Fry who worked as an exhibition shooter for Remington beat this record sometime in the 1950's I believe, when he shot at 100.001 targets. His records was not made under the same rules as Topperweins.
Harry