Wilson's Schuetzen Rifle

EDITOR'S NOTE: Jerome Wilson, a master machinist and one of the last real craftsmen left in our society, has built black-powder rifles since 1943.

QUESTION: Why do you like the Schuetzen rifle?

ANSWER: You can shoot this rifle accurately, either offhand or across the bench.

QUESTION: And what makes it shoot so accurately?

ANSWER: You can breach-seat the bullet and put a case behind it. A 1/4-inch gap is between the bullet and the barrel. This particular rifle is a .32 caliber.

QUESTION: Did you build this rifle?

ANSWER: No, I bought the components and put it together.

QUESTION: Why do you like this particular rifle so much?

ANSWER: In 1982, I won a first-place trophy shooting offhand at 200 yards with a rifle just like this. This rifle shoots so accurately because the bullet doesn't have to jump from the brass to make contact with the rifling. When you breach-load the bullet, the bullet already rests in the rifling when you pull the trigger.

QUESTION: How accurate can you shoot this rifle at 200 yards?

ANSWER: The center of the target has a 1 1/2-inch diameter. Some of these Schuetzen rifles can hit that target center 18 out of 20 shots from 200 yards.

QUESTION: When did people start shooting matches with Schuetzen rifles?

ANSWER: They started shooting matches with Schuetzen rifles about 1885. The Schuetzen is strictly a target rifle.

Talk to Wilson about old rifles and how he handcrafts them by contacting him at 812 Water Street, Allendale, South Carolina 29810, or calling 803-584-3163.

Tomorrow: Wilson's Bench Gun