Rich Combination Of History & Shooting On Display At Creedmoor 150 Match

Rick Weber

posted on November 20, 2024

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Creedmoor150 2024 1 — There were 64 competitors at the Creedmoor 150 Match in October at Oak Ridge Sportsmen’s Association in Tennessee, with many of them shooting period guns like Shiloh Sharps, Remington Rolling Blocks and Rigbys.

Photo by Rick Weber

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Creedmoor Match of 1874, a recreation of the historic competition was held at Oak Ridge Sportsmen’s Association in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, the week of October 8-11, 2024. It was a fantastic week of shooting, and the weather could not have been better. The wind played some havoc, but at least it did not rain.

This painting displays one of the unorthodox shooting positions used by rifle shooters during the era of the original Creedmoor Match of 1874.

Some background: the National Rifle Association of the United Kingdom was established in 1859 for the Volunteer movement to teach citizens how to shoot to defend their country following the Crimean War. The National Rifle Association of America was created in 1871 out of the New York Rifle Club and offered to host a rifle match with the famed British muzzleloaders. Americans with their newly developed breechloaders hosted the event at the Creed Farm on Long Island, New York, which is gone now. The part of the farm used for the 1874 match was in a “march land,” also known as a moor. Hence the name “Creedmoor.” British rifleman, with their John Rigby match rifles, came to America in 1874 and spent about a month or so visiting, including hunting out west. Everywhere the British went, people lined the streets to see them. The 1874 Creedmoor Match on Long Island brought spectators in by train—more than 10,000 of them.

While we did not have the problem of too many spectators in 2024 at Oak Ridge Sportsmen’s Association for the Creedmoor 150 competition, we did have many of the same period rifles in use, including a few original Rigbys, Sharps and Remington Rolling Blocks. This was for the Traditional class that uses specific rifles, which were shot unsupported, just like they did in 1874—no sling, no cross sticks—nothing but your body to support the rifle. In addition, there was an Open class that did allow shooters to use cross sticks and slings, as well as a Senior class (over 70) that could use support.

As a historic recreation celebrating the 150th anniversary of the original Creedmoor Match of 1874, the 2024 Creedmoor 150 Match featured rifles in the style of the firearms fired from the shoulder in the mid-to-late-1800s era of International Rifle Matches. The rifles in use were both originals and recreated firearms.

There were 72 shooters that registered for the Creedmoor 150 match, unfortunately two back-to back hurricanes forced six of them to cancel their plans, along with two older shooters (ages 86 and 89) that could not complete the match. However, they were an inspiration to us all.

The competition was fired on the original Creedmoor target, which has a square black bull (four points, 36 inches), outer square in white (three points, 72 inches) and two wings (two points, 24 inches each side for windage). This was the 1,000-yard target. For the 300- and 600-yard targets, I also made proportional-sized targets, e.g., 300 yards was 30% of the 1,000-yard target and 600 yards was 60% of the 1,000-yard target.

Although there was a practice day, on match days the competitors were not allowed any practice (like the original Creedmoor match in 1874). Shooters had to adjust their Vernier sights to the settings they had used at practice, adjust for conditions and go. Each competitor fired 15 shots at each distance for score, with a total of 60 points possible at each of the three distances. No one cleaned the black with all 15 shots at any distance, like a few have done in the past (previous matches were only 10 shots). However, there were a few 59-Xs/60 at 300 and 600 yards, and 55-2X was the high score at 1,000 yards. Those shooting unsupported in the Traditional class were surprisingly not far off with a few 57-Xs at 300 and 600 yards, and 51-1X the high score at 1,000 yards.

Creedmoor 150 match competitors gather for a group photo at Oak Ridge Sportsmen’s Association in Tennessee during the match in October.

Shooters from all over the United States, as well as the United Kingdom and New Zealand attended the Creedmoor 150 match this year. Many of my overseas shooting friends did not make the costly trip, which is totally understandable.

Everyone in attendance spoke highly of the facilities at Oak Ridge Sportsmen’s Association and enjoyed the match, along with the weather.

A big thank you to the Oak Ridge Sportsmen’s Association and its board of directors for sponsoring the competition and allowing such historical matches to be held—it’s our shooting history. Many of the fundamental aspects of the original Creedmoor Match and long-range shooting are still in use today.