Here I am again in the Henry BP Guns forum. I introduced my 33-year-old Lyman Plains pistol "find" earlier this week. http://henryrifleforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=7863 The weather cooperated very nicely today, and I got to shoot it for the first time. Even though I don't know this pistol at all, I went a little "nuts" and did a competition shoot. Here is the set up.
I'm on the MLF forum, and each month the forum members are offered a "Members Only Online Shooting Contest." I've watched this for several months, but so far, the required targets to compete have been beyond my ability to see at 25 yards. Mostly too small. But the target selection for November is close to what I regularly shoot at; my homemade, black marked-up white 8" paper plates. Following is the November competition's rules & regs, posted by the Coordinator:
For this month I'm going back to an old stand by. Take a standard sheet of copy paper and draw two lines diagonally from corner to corner making an X through the middle. Aiming spots are ok. Score is the total of the measurements of each shot from the center. Low score wins. Fire 5 shots only, misses count! The shooting distance for this contest is 25 yards. No do-over’s. Only registered forum members may participate.
Only traditional, open iron sighted muzzle loading firearms; peeps are allowed under the condition you mark your target so I know you used a peep. (Tracking it)(NO Cannons) . Percussion or flintlock ignition. Cap and Ball revolvers are OK. Single patched round ball only. No restrictions on caliber. (a patchless ball may be used if so desired)
Shots will be taken off-hand at the stated distance. Standing or seated is allowed, elbows unsupported by anything other than the shooters torso. In the event that a member is not physically able to hold his rifle up unsupported, a "prop-rod" that is supported only by the shooters torso, no part of which prop-rod may touch the ground, may be used to hold up the fore-end of the rifle.
Only original targets will be accepted. No copies, faxes, scan, etc. Because I have to measure these scanned targets will not be accepted, sorry my overseas shooters. Mutilated targets, or targets with more than 5 holes will be disqualified. The center of the shot and the placement on the target will be determined by the judge. Judges decisions are final.
All my shooting done at 25 yards, off hand. Before I shot the competition target, I first tried the Plains pistol with one of my infamous 8.5" paper plates. I did adjust to a smaller powder load than what I'm using for my Trapper .50CAL and used 25grs Triple Seven this test. I shot one fouler round ball, then surprisingly I got 3/4 POIs in target!!
OK, I shot my five competition rounds. Like I said, a "nuts" attempt for first time out. This pistol has fixed sights, so scrambled on my sight radius. (You can tell I need more
practice). I chatted with the Coordinator before I tried this, and he said to send in my target if there was even a single hit. You see, I'm actually "in the running." If anyone submits a target with a single POI and the length measured is less than the 5" of my two POIs (nearest is 1.25" and farthest is 3.75"), I'm not at the bottom of the totem poll! 
That's an honorable goal IMO.The Coordinator said the Competition is totally designed "just for fun." I got on board and did just that.
Following are my two targets. The rectangular X-Marks-The-Spot target goes into the mail on Monday and will be judged in AZ. I wonder how many shooters will participate? Looking forward to the results. Thanks for looking.
PT7
