Matthew Quigley Buffalo Rifle Match This Weekend
Forsyth, Montana is a pretty quiet town most of the time. There is however, an annual tradition that certainly makes some noise: The Matthew Quigley Buffalo Rifle Match.
The Match was started by Al Lee 28 years ago after he was inspired by the film Quigley Down Under. Al's son, Travis, actually works here at Townsquaremedia and he spent some time today telling me about how the match has grown over nearly three decades from a single day event of just a handful of shooters, to a full weekend event complete with vendors and a long list of competitors.
Many of the shooters are already on site as of today (Monday, June 10th), siting their rifles and preparing for the start of this weekend's competition. From what Travis tells me, you need to have all of your prep done before the first shot is fired as you don't have the ability to do so once you're on the line.
The competition isn't the only Montana link to the film. The Legendary Shiloh Sharps Rifle Company is still custom making beautiful rifles in Big Timber. The price tag on them may limit them to enthusiasts, but the price is justified by the quality. Their rifles are not only amazing firearms, but are worthy of being called works of art.
You can find all the information on this year's competition by clicking here. Even if you're not a shooter, there's plenty of excitement for spectators. The distance of the metal targets is such that most people wouldn't even come to get the satisfying "ding". Watching some of these competitors make it look easy is pretty impressive (especially those doing it without a scope).