RECREATION & TRAVEL: State Black Powder champs meet at North Springs

By STEVE CHRISTENSEN
Contributing Writer

The Price family tore up the Utah State Black Powder Championship on Saturday. The only problem is, they weren’t shooting black powder.
The top black powder shooter was Nevada Jim (James O’Reilly), who shot all six stages in 168.05 seconds (average 28 seconds per stage). He placed third overall behind the Prices.
There is no official overall winner, but with nearly every shooter in a separate category, overall seems to be the best comparison, since all shooters compete in the same six stages.
A stage consists of shooting four guns fired 24 to 26 times. Two revolvers are loaded with five bullets each and a rifle with 10 bullets. Once the revolvers and rifle have been emptied, a single-shot or double-barrel shotgun is loaded and fired, then emptied, loaded and fired again, and again, etc. until all shotgun targets are hit.
‘Wannabes’
Even though A.J. Price (alias Nick Nitro) and J.J. Price (alias Marshal John Morrison) placed first and second overall, they were actually shooting in the “Wannabe” category. And the Prices weren’t finished there. Morgan (age 12, alias Fast Draw Dawn) placed 10th overall. In addition, the first generation was also represented, with Jerry (alias Al B Damned) and Frances (alias Annie Up) coming in 7th and 15th, respectively. They are the parents of J.J. and grandparents of A.J. and Morgan.
A.J. shot all six rounds in just 125.82 seconds (20.97 seconds per stage) and J.J. in 155.76 seconds (25.96 seconds per stage).
The Wannabe category is exactly like all the other categories with the exception of the gunpowder used. The Prices (J.J., A.J., and Morgan) used modern smokeless gunpowder, and therefore didn’t qualify for the black powder championship. However, explains Tournament Director Cameron Montgomery (alias Fargo Kid) everyone is encouraged to participate, even if you don’t want to use black powder.
Black v. smokeless
The difference between black powder and modern smokeless powder is the way in which it burns. In simple terms black powder explodes. It can actually be used as an explosive. For the most part the route for the transcontinental railroad through the Sierra Nevada Mountains was blasted using black powder.
Modern smokeless powder doesn’t explode, it just burns very, very rapidly. It is the pressure caused through this process which causes the explosion and propels the bullet forward.
In terms of function, once loaded in modern guns, there is little difference between black powder and smokeless powder. The difference is in the loading process. Bullets using modern powder need not be filled, but when using black powder they must be filled completely. This is often accomplished with an inert material. For instance, The Wolf of North Springs, who in real life is Scott Olsen, Director of North Springs Shooting Range, uses Cream of Wheat cereal. The shell is filled with the appropriate amount of black powder, then filled to the top with uncooked, dry cereal, and then the projectile (bullet) is seated appropriately.
A total of 45 people competed in 34 categories, including eight in the “wannabe” category.
M.T. Pockets (Monte Roch) placed fourth overall and second among black powder shooters. Crackshot Craig (Craig Pearson) was fifth overall and third among black powder shooters. Lightning Jake Porter (Paul Higbee) was sixth, Jerry Price seventh, Scott Olsen eighth, Cameron Montgomery ninth, and Morgan Price 10th.
Keep tradition alive
The idea of Cowboy Action Shooting is to keep the old west alive. In that vein, all participants are required to dress as one might have dressed in 1900. Guns used must be similar to those available in 1900, as well as cartridges used. All revolvers must be single-action, rifles must be lever-action, and shotguns either single-shot or double-barrel.