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KaiserKong
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Shooting coats in the Schuetzen era
Oct 31st, 2026 at 10:18pm
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Back in the American Golden Age of Schuetzen were there any specific rules about clothing, particularly shooting coats?  I know ASSRA today forbids modern high-power or ISSF style costs but I'm curious if there were any limitations back in the day. Could someone say wear a smaller / tighter fitting coat to try to make their hold more stable or were such ideas not even a consideration then? 

In reading a book on the German Schuetzen era (Finze's book on the Wehrmanngewehr specifically) he cites rules that state coats and a hats were a requirement, probably more to look like a proper gentleman while shooting than anything else.

As far as I can tell from photos at thick shooting costs with pads didn't come about until the 1930s so that seems to suggest the golden age just used regular formal clothing. 


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-Dave
  
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westerner
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Re: Shooting coats in the Schuetzen era
Reply #1 - Oct 31st, 2026 at 10:32pm
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ASSRA rules forbid modern shooting coats. That is new to me. 
Generally, Coors matches and ASSRA/ISSA matches held in the Western US do not allow modern shooting coats. 

Both times I shot at ASSRA Etna Green matches, modern shooting coats were allowed and worn.
Maybe the rule was changed and I'm not aware of it.
  

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Jeff_Schultz
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Re: Shooting coats in the Schuetzen era
Reply #2 - Oct 31st, 2026 at 10:36pm
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  Shooting coats are allowed at ASSRA matches no matter how hot it is.
  

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Re: Shooting coats in the Schuetzen era
Reply #3 - Oct 31st, 2026 at 10:49pm
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This is a Schuetzen Match in progress at Shellmound Park long ago, courtesy of Randy Wright.
  
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KaiserKong
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Re: Shooting coats in the Schuetzen era
Reply #4 - Oct 31st, 2026 at 10:58pm
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My mistake, I mixed up ASSRA with ISSA rules. The ISSA rules state:

SECTION 3 - CLOTHING

3.1 No gloves except at the Schuetzenmeister's approval.

3.2 Jackets are not allowed in the offhand events.

3.3 Clothing such as, but not limited to, tight vests, or sweatshirts, which may provide artificial support are not in the spirit of 3.2 and are not allowed.

3.4 In foul weather, jackets may be worn at the Schuetzenmeister's discretion.


So per those rules I guess if I did want to dress up like a proper gentlemen with a formal coat then that would not be allowed unless weather was cold?
  
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Re: Shooting coats in the Schuetzen era
Reply #5 - Nov 1st, 2026 at 12:39am
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In ISSA matches all one has to do is wear a big honkin winter coat to cover up your preferred girdle or elbow rest. 

   Grin
  

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Re: Shooting coats in the Schuetzen era
Reply #6 - Nov 1st, 2026 at 10:22am
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westerner wrote on Nov 1st, 2026 at 12:39am:
In ISSA matches all one has to do is wear a big honkin winter coat to cover up your preferred girdle or elbow rest. 

   Grin


or do it hidden, as in corset.
  

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Re: Shooting coats in the Schuetzen era
Reply #7 - Nov 1st, 2026 at 10:51am
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KaiserKong
You asked about shooting coats back in the day; in reading original sources such as Shooting and Fishing magazine, there were a number of references to limiting clothing to support the shooter or rifle. I've seen passages that it was not allowed to tuck the butt stock under suspender straps. Also, it was not allowed for a shooter to button up their coat and place the butt stock into the coat.
I'm sure then (as now) no one ever cheated. It's a gentleman's game after all  Wink
  

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Re: Shooting coats in the Schuetzen era
Reply #8 - Nov 1st, 2026 at 11:43am
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I believe the way that competitive shooting coats got started, was that as the High Power shooters evolved into using them, many SS shooters came from that game and because there were no rules for it ASSRA allowed them. 

When I started in '85, there was a big deal about them and it was voted on by the membership,after a input period and it passed. I was against it and wrote in about it. Guy's that came from HP were all for it. I remember Bo Clerke being a staunch advocate for them.
  

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KaiserKong
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Re: Shooting coats in the Schuetzen era
Reply #9 - yesterday at 10:38pm
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Thanks Randy and Frnkeore for the bit of history. 

I do have a modern shooting jacket that I wear when firing modern free rifles and can feel it helps minimize the muzzle some sway compared to without. So it is definitely it would be an advantage for Schuetzen shooting as well. I haven't had a chance to make it out to any ASSRA competitions - so many folks wear modern jackets? Perhaps it could be a separate event? 

I also recently bought a Bavarian/Austrian style wool coat similar to what would have been used at the time my Aydt was popular. Even though it's not stiff at all I do notice the friction from the wool does help my left arm 'stick' to my chest/hip better. So there probably is an ever so slight advantage there. But as noted earlier the German rules made wearing a coat compulsory so that would level the playing field. Similarly I've read in the German rules that putting the stock inside the coat was forbidden. 

-Dave
  
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