From the first of September to the end of March during the 18th and 19th centuries, most every Pennsylvania tavern held at least one shooting match. It was the off season, so to speak, so men and boys had time to compete in contests of marksmanship by shooting for prizes. Usually the small entrance fees could not begin to cover the cost of the prizes, so, of course, the tavern owner counted on the festivities lasting long after twilight at his establishment.
The usual prize was a “Fettes Schwein” (a fat pig), but various advertisements listed such diverse prizes as turkeys, a 1,500 pound ox, a deer, a 400 pound bear, a bear and a cub, a 10 dollar gold piece, and at one match, 200 Spanish dollars.
Shooting matches were a part of the folk culture brought here from the old country. According to a 1918 article in Outing magazine: “Before the year 1700 (before the rifle was introduced in America) German rifles had been improved to such a degree that they could be relied upon to hit a man’s hand at 80 paces, his head at 150, and his breast at 200 with certainty. How do we know?”
“Shooting societies have existed in the German states and in Switzerland for hundreds of years, many of them having been in continuous operation since the days of cross-bows. Their early archives are still preserved, including the results of their matches. The tournaments of that far-off time were conducted on essentially the same principles as those of recent years, prizes being offered which attracted experts from far and near.”
“In the halls of those shooting societies there hang today oil portraits of 17th and 18th century ‘shooting kings,’ and original targets shot in those days.”
As today’s gun enthusiasts know, it was the Germans’ invention of rifling that made such remarkable accuracy possible. Rifling is the name given to spiral grooves cut into the inside of the rifle’s barrel so that a spin is imparted to the ball giving it stability, much like a spinning top has stability. On the other hand, a lead ball fired from a smooth bore gun that lacks rifling has no spin and, consequently, is less accurate.
Rifles at the start of the 18th century had no military use in Europe but were essentially playthings of the wealthy used for shooting matches and perhaps some hunting.
The craft of building rifles was brought here by the Germanic immigrants who became the Pennsylvania Dutch, and by 1740 gunsmiths near Lancaster and other places were producing the famous Pennsylvania flintlock long-rifles much prized by collectors today.
A Dec. 28, 1875 article in the Bucks County Intelligencer provides a sort of tongue-in-cheek description of a shooting match at the Cross Keys Tavern: “…We tramped through mire and mud and stood surveying the strange scene in the nearby old apple orchard. The distance, forty-five yards, was stepped off, three judges learned in the law of shooting were selected, ten aspiring marksmen forked over a quarter each to the treasurer, while from his home in the corn crib was brought forth that turkey which was to be the prize of the best shot then and there made.”
“…You just ought to have had a look at their guns – all shapes, sizes and sorts with barrels ten inches long and barrels which only a ten foot pole could measure… Some brand new and bright, some may have been borne in the rebellion and a few so antiquated as to seem like relics of ’76. Each contestant was allowed to load just as he pleased and to let her boom whenever he deemed himself ready.”
“In reference to position the largest liberty was allowed, the individual shooting permitted himself to stand, stoop, sidle, or squint as his inclination might prompt. Bang! A hurrying of the judges to the target then a succession of other bangs relieved by the hurrying to and fro until the entire ten guns were fired off and he who nearest came [to the mark on the target] seized upon his bird as the reward of his skill, cheered by his comrades as the hero of the hour! The scenes which now followed in quick succession were alike – more rounds fired off, more turkeys disposed of, then more turkeys shot for, and all went merry as a marriage bell until daylight dwindled into darkness.”
Much of our information about shooting matches comes from their newspaper advertisements. Distances seem to range from 40 yards to 150 yards, quite a long shot without telescopic sights. The ads from the Reading papers were rather businesslike, but the Dutch ads in the Montgomery County papers often contained original poetry. The Jan. 17, 1854 Bauren Freund used a four-stanza poem to advertise a shoot. The second stanza goes: “Es gilt heut’ eine schone Preis/ Ein Schweinchen, fett, jung und neisz/ Das am oben bestimmten Tag/ Jeder sich gewinnen mag.” A rough translation says: “You could win today a nice prize/ a piglet, fat, young, and nice/ That on the above named day/ Anyone can win.”
The Historian is produced by the New Hanover Historical Society. Call Robert Wood at 610-326-4165 with comments.
