Bullseye Shooters Case - A blast from the past!

[MAG-NUM]

While cleaning out the basement a couple of months ago, I found something that I had kinda forgotten about for years. You know, an out of sight, out of mind type of thing.... my Bullseye shooting case that I built myself back in the late 70's for use while a member of the Tri - County Pistol League.

At that time a lot of guys were using the Pachmayr brand cases and I wanted something a little different. I had just finished a home remodeling job of lining a closet with aromatic cedar and had a bunch of left over material. I built the form for the case out of 1/2" plywood and then applied the cedar. Then after the drawers were constructed, I lined the whole interior with red felt and made a smoked Plexiglass front panel. The handle swivels between the polished Aluminum side plates. Yet today, when you open the case there is a nice smell of gun oil and cedar.

The case was a little beat up from years of use and the brass was all tarnished so I decided to do a little restoration on it. The case was stripped of all the hardware, sanded down and a fresh coat of gloss polyurethane was sprayed on. The brass was polished or replaced and the case was reassembled.

Now it looks like it did back in the day and maybe I will take it to the range for old time sake.

The picture of the case shown with the trophy was taken in the early 80's. The trophy was from a silhouette match that I won using my model 29 w/ 8 3/8" barrel. The guns in the case at that time were a S&W model 41, a Colt 1911 to which I later added a Bowmar rib sight and a Dan Wesson 15-2V with an 8" barrel.

Just thought I would share some photos and a little reminiscing on this Saturday morning. Bob

 

[s&wchad]

That's a lovely case, nice job!

 

[2152hq]

That is beautiful! Brings back some memorys of the Bullseye Leagues.
My not so great looking pistol box is sitting in the crawl space somewhere. A generic Pachmayr I think. The black box!
Should pull it out and have a look. Maybe there's where my 'scope went too.

 

[aquagear]

Hey I still shoot bullseye when I can find a match, and transport my pistols in a Gunho case very similar to the one displayed. We and our equipment are not museum pieces yet. You notice I did say yet, Pulling your leg a little here that is a nice setup.

 

[MAG-NUM]

Thanks for the reply's. I'm not that up to date with what the Bullseye guys are using today but from what I see on the Forum, looks like anything goes as far as scopes, red dots. Is that right? Do they still carry their guns in cases like this or is it range bags now?
Anyways, it was a lot of fun back then. Bob

 

[SPDGG]

Amazing !!! Simply. . . . Wow !!!

 

[Frank237]

I had a Govt issue GunHo case. They later relaced them with newer Pach's and we kept the old ones.
Back in 1979 when I moved to MT I couldn't give that case away! Bullseye shooting was dying.

Yours is a work of ART! wish I still had my case...simply to recall times gone by. They were the best tool for the job...awful HEAVY though when loaded.

FN in MT

 

[firearmsunlimited]

Wow! Outstanding job! I particularly like the cedar that you choose and the finish that you did. Great attention to detail.

 

[MATTHIAS]

Nice box

I've seen similar boxes in my club from old school shooters....I'm carrying my guns in an ugly plastic box...but it works for me.

 

[mstuhr]

Howdy

Hi Mag-Num,
Nice case! I saw one in the last year or two that yours reminds me of. It was a prize for along ago bullseye match and was cedar and brass much like yours but not in near the condition. It was still tempting but would not take optics so I passed on it but like yours it was a very nice box.
Thanks for the pictures
Mike

 

[CGM]

Thanks for the reply's. I'm not that up to date with what the Bullseye guys are using today but from what I see on the Forum, looks like anything goes as far as scopes, red dots. Is that right? Do they still carry their guns in cases like this or is it range bags now?
Anyways, it was a lot of fun back then. Bob

Bob,

Yes, Bullseye shooters are very much using these boxes to this day. However, Bullseye shooters are diminishing. Not many people have the discipline required of shooting a 2700 course of fire out at 50 yds one handed.

I belong to a club dedicated to fostering competition and we are having a problem getting "real bullseye shooters". To get good participation we have had to "dumb down" the course of fire to slow fire at 25 yds and Timed/Rapid fire at 15 yds. Worse of all....we have to allow two hands!!

No scopes are allowed (magnification) but red dots are allowed.

PS....That is a very nice box you made!

 

[Sebring Pop]

Well I'm one of those old time shooters and yes we still use those Pachmayr brand cases and a few guys did what you did made their own and some were very nice boxes just like yours. What guns did you use back then. I use a Model 41, Model 52 and a 1911A1 all have red dots. It is still quite popular here in central Connecticut, indoor in the winter and outdoor in the summer.
You should give it a shot again, who known maybe you will be bitten by the bug again.

Thanks for the photos
Pop

 

[Bullseye Smith]

Very nice case, I use one that is old as dirt. Here is a picture of the over the hill Bullseye Team .

 

[SatCong]

That is outstanding.

 

[H Richard]

Beautiful box! Mine is just an old GunHo box, but with a Gil Hibberd scope mount. Don't use it much anymore, as there is no 2700 anywhere in our area. Do shoot a 300 rimfire match in a league all winter, because I am the one still putting it on. If I quit (over 25 years now) I don't think I can get anyone to continue it. We do still shoot the 50 ft. gallery match with one hand. They about had a hemorrhage last year when I brought out a NRA trigger scale and said I was going to weigh all the triggers for legal weight. We did weigh them for "fun", and about half didn't make legal weight. I was encouraged this year when we had 22 members sign up for the league. Only lost 3 over the 10 weeks. Even had three members in their 20's shoot the league.