[Jeff Higgins]

Sorry, but I can't tell you much more right now about that second rifle. I'll dig through my old references and see if I can find more. Ned Roberts wrote a bit about old Schuetzen rifles, and Ken Waters added a bit to at least one of his works. I've got some other stuff I'll look through as well.

Schuetzen is a fun game. It is shot both from a rest and offhand, scope and iron sights, at either 200 yards or the more traditional distance of 40 rods, or 220 yards. In the old days of black powder and early smokeless powder, each competitor would fire one round and retire to the back of the line to reload his rifle and prepare for the next shot. Maybe to quaff a bit of beer as well... There were usually 10-12 or more people at any given target position down the firing line, each taking his turn to fire one shot for score. A full target was ten shots, with the center ring being worth 25 points, and only about two inches in diameter, or a bit more. 250 points was a perfect score; top offhand shooters typically shot in the 220's and 230's on that target. Top rest shooters were solidly in the 240's.

The German made rifle in the first picture is what is know as a "breech/muzzle-loader". The bullet is inserted from the muzzle, just like a muzzle-loader. The "false muzzle" is first pinned to the front of the barrel, and is used as a guide to ensure the bullet goes in straight. The ramrod has a depth stop on it, set at a depth very meticulously determined by a great deal of trial and error to produce the best accuracy. It's usually about 1/8 to 1/4 inch in front of the case mouth.

Yes, there is a cartridge case. It is inserted in the breech end, just like loading any other rifle. It just doesn't hold the bullet, which has already been seated in the barrel ahead of it. All the case holds is the powder, a primer, and a light wad to hold the powder in. Once it is chambered, the rifle is ready to fire. Most Schuetzen rifles only have one case used in them for life; that case fires every shot that rifle will ever fire. When you fall to the back of the line, you pop the spent primer out, clean the case, re-prime it, and re-charge it.

There are a lot of advantages to the breech/muzzle-loading system. The chief advantage is that the bullet never has to jump from the case to engage the rifling, risking going out of concentric with the bore. It also won't "skid" into the rifling, deforming it in doing so, because it is already firmly engraved.

One of the other popular ways to load a Schuetzen rifle is what is known as "breech-seating". It is essentially the same idea as muzzle-loading the bullet but, as the name implies, the bullet goes in from the breech. It's still not in the case, however. It is inserted in the breech by means of a false case, with a plunger in it. The plunger protrudes out the back where the primer would normally be. A lever mechanism that slides down into the breech block mortise is then used to push on that plunger, forcing the bullet forward and into the bore. The plunger is adjustable for depth, just like the ramrod has a depth stop, so the shooter can optimize where the bullet is seated in front of the case. Once the bullet is seated, the case is loaded the same way as in the breech/muzzle-loader.

Anyway, fun stuff. Lots of little gadgets to play with. Most matches back in the day took all weekend for a competitor to get his 40 shots in, with ten round matches for the four different classes (offhand with iron sights and scope, rest with iron sights and scope). It was a real carnival atmosphere, with wives and kids along for the weekend, and entertaining themselves while the men shot the match. Big banquets in the evenings, picnics during the day; a real social event. Oh, and much beer was consumed by all, including the shooters, during the match. Most would find their shooting improving to a point, then possibly deteriorating as they may have had a bit too much. The top shooters' names were household words, every bit as famous and admired as modern day sports figures.