The William F. Cody Archive: Documenting the life and times of Buffalo Bill

 

SHOOTING AT FLYERS.

Brewer and Miss Oakley Try Their Skill at Pastime Park.

John L. Brewer, the crack wing shot, and Miss Annie Oakley, the [blackened text] who was a member of the Wild West show, shot a 50-bird live pigeon match for the gate receipts at Pastime Park yesterday afternoon. Brewer won by 15 birds. Miss Oakley's birds were unusually strong flyers, and most of them were left quarterers. She used only 2 1/2 drams of powder and 1 ounce of shot. Brewer loaded with 1 1/4 ounces of shot and 3 1/2 drams of powder. Miss Oakley's style of shooting is very graceful, but she took too many snap shots, evidently being afraid of letting the birds get any distance away. She shot at 24 yards rise, and Brewer shot at 30 yards. There were five ground traps, and the boundary was 50 yards. J. Frank Kleinz acted as referee. The attendance was about 800, at 25 cents a head. The score follows—1 indicating killed with 1 barrel, 2 killed using both barrels and 0 missed:

Brewer—2 1 2 1 0 1 2 0 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 2 1 0 1 2 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 1— Total, 45 killed; 5 missed.

Miss Oakley—0 1 1 2 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 2 0 0 1 2 1 1 2 0 0 1 0 1 2 2 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 2 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 —Total, 30 killed; 20 missed.

Banner image: Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming, U.S.A.; Original Buffalo Bill Museum Collection, P.69.118