Firing a Coehorn Mortar

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Oct 10, 2012
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Mt. Jackson, Va
Last weekend my N-SSA unit, the 69th NY, entered our 12 pound mortar in the Wainwright Artillery Match. This is where member units compete for accuracy. Normally we participate in musket and carbine events, but our unit commander owns this reproduction 12 pound Confederate mortar, so we shoot this thing every year. This was my first time ever on the crew, so it was a new experience for me. The object is to fire seven rounds at a five foot tall pvc pole at a distance of 100 yds. We then measure the distance of the five closest balls to the target, discarding the two furthest. We fired seven events and entered our best score for the record. We actually came in second place in the mortar class.
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I enjoyed watching a mortar competition years ago. I could usually follow those rounds but not always the cannon rounds.

100 Yards seems close. My buddy has a reduced scale mortar that he fires across a small lake---aka, pond, aka tank. I thought his flew 100+ yards but then he was going for distance I suppose.
 
When I was small, back in the 70's, my folks took me to watch the Fort Ticonderoga interpreters/reenactors live fire exercise their Coehorn outside the front gate. I distinctly remember them telling us they'd be awarded a case of beer if they could drop the ball inside a 50 gallon drum @ 100 yards away.

The target might have even been closer. I can remember being close enough to clearly see the drum.

Close enough that the State of New York would have conniptions today.

The crew missed.
 
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