Photo reproduced from Powerboat, accompanying Steve Silver’s “The Record Falls Again.” Photographer unidentified in the supplied pages. Buckshot Racing #77 | Outboard Racing History On October 5, 1983, Bob Cox and Dean Pink completed the Mississippi River run from New Orleans to St. Louis in 23 hours, 9 minutes. Their boat was a 19-foot Charger Foxfire bass boat, powered by a single cross-flow 235-hp Johnson outboard. It was an extraordinary result for a rig that looked more at home heading to a fishing spot than challenging a long-distance speed record. The achievement displaced Michael Reagan’s earlier mark. Steve Silver’s Powerboat article, “The Record Falls Again,” reported Reagan’s time as 25 hours, 7 minutes. On that basis, Cox and Pink cut 1 hour, 58 minutes from the journey—almost two hours. A Small Boat With a Big Job Reagan’s attempt had used a 38-foot Wellcraft Scarab and a substantial support operation. Cox and Pink chose a far smaller, open-cockpit boat and a leaner approach. The magazine described their effort as having no backup boats and no large team of mechanics. Once they were underway, a major mechanical problem could end the attempt. Cox was president of Charger Boats, and the Foxfire gave him a chance to demonstrate what a bass boat could accomplish outside its usual role. Silver described a lightweight hull that came onto plane quickly. For a trip requiring repeated stops, that characteristic was useful: the boat had to get moving again efficiently, then keep covering miles. Experience Before the Record Cox and Pink had already made the trip in 1978. Powerboat reported a daylight running time of 20 hours, 25 minutes, with an overnight stop in Greenville, Mississippi. That earlier result gave them experience on the route, but it belongs in a different category from the 1983 elapsed-time achievement. A running-time total that excludes an overnight stop cannot be compared directly with a journey’s total elapsed time. The 1983 challenge demanded more than a fast hull. They needed an engine that would keep performing, a boat they could manage over a long distance, and stops that would not consume their margin. The magazine emphasized the consequences of a breakdown: repairs would have to be handled quickly on the water, while a serious failure would finish the run. The Record in Numbers Metric Michael Reagan Bob Cox and Dean Pink Run year 1982 1983 Boat 38-foot Wellcraft Scarab 19-foot Charger Foxfire Reported elapsed time 25 hours, 7 minutes* 23 hours, 9 minutes Distance used for comparison 1,027 miles 1,027 miles Calculated overall average 40.9 mph 44.4 mph Cox and Pink’s improvement: 1 hour, 58 minutes—approximately 7.8% less elapsed time using Powerboat’s reported baseline. The 44.4-mph figure is a calculated overall average: 1,027 miles divided by 23 hours, 9 minutes. It includes the full elapsed time of the journey, including stops. It does not represent the boat’s top speed or its average speed while underway. Historical timing note: Powerboat gives Reagan’s time as 25:07. Dean Klinkenberg’s later history lists 25:11, which would produce a 2-hour, 2-minute improvement. This article and its chart use 25:07 to preserve the comparison printed in the supplied magazine pages. Why Buckshot Racing #77 Is Revisiting This Story For outboard enthusiasts, this is a compelling example of a small boat taking on a large task. The lesson we draw from it is that usable performance combines hull behavior, dependable power, preparation, and the ability to keep moving. Every minute stopped counts against the same clock as every mile underway. Buckshot Racing #77 celebrates the people and machines that helped shape outboard performance. Cox and Pink’s Mississippi run deserves a place in that history: two drivers, one bass boat and one outboard completing more than a thousand miles in less than a day. Buckshot Racing #77, Bob Cox, Dean Pink, Mississippi River record, Charger Foxfire, Charger Boats, Johnson 235, Johnson outboards, bass boat history, outboard racing history, endurance boat racing, New Orleans to St. Louis, Michael Reagan, vintage powerboats Source Credit and Editorial Note This original Buckshot Racing #77 historical retelling is based on two supplied pages of Steve Silver’s “The Record Falls Again” in Powerboat, with historical cross-checking against Dean Klinkenberg’s “Chasing the Robert E. Lee: Boat Races on the Mississippi River,” published in The Confluence, 2020, Volume 11, Issue 2, Article 2. The complete Powerboat article and its continuation on page 63 were not located, and the magazine issue date remains unconfirmed. No missing passages, quotations, engine modifications, fuel totals, or stop schedules have been reconstructed. The accompanying artwork consists of modern historical illustrations rather than archival photographs. Buckshot Racing #77 branding identifies this editorial presentation.

How to Find Your Outboard Gear Ratio | Mercury and Mercury Racing If you run a Mercury or Mercury Racing outboard, this guide shows you how to find the gear ratio of the lower unit you actually have. You will learn the spin test, the tooth count, the ratios Mercury and Mercury Racing cases commonly use, and how to use the Buckshot Racing #77 gear ratio calculator. The short answer: Turn the flywheel, count the prop, and divide. That is the gear ratio. On a Mercury V6 it is usually 1.87 or 2.00, unless the case is an OptiMax 1.78, a 3.0 liter Sport Master 1.62, or a Mercury Racing four-stroke. Guess it and the slip number is not right. Gear ratio is how many times the crank turns for one turn of the propeller. A 1.87:1 lower turns the crank 1.87 times every time the prop goes around. That one number sets prop RPM, the pitch the motor can pull, and whether a slip calculator is telling you the truth. Lowers get swapped. A 1.87 and a 2.00 will wear the same cowling on a Mercury 2.0, 2.4, or 2.5 liter. A Mercury Racing 300X that left as a Sport Master can come back as a Torque Master. Read the case in your hands, not the badge on the cowl. Why a wrong gear ratio wrecks the prop call Prop speed is engine speed divided by the ratio. Theoretical speed uses that prop speed and the pitch on the hub. Prop RPM = engine RPM ÷ gear ratio Theoretical mph = (prop RPM × pitch in inches) ÷ 1056 At 5600 RPM a 1.87 case is turning the prop about 2,995 RPM. A 1.62 Sport Master is turning it about 3,457 RPM. Same tach, same 26-inch prop, two different boats. Put 1.87 into the slip calculator on that Sport Master and you will chase a pitch problem you do not have. A lower number spins the prop faster, so it needs less pitch for the same speed. A 2.00:1 spins it slower, multiplies torque, and can swing a taller prop. That is why a ratio swap changes hole shot even when the hub stamp never moved. The spin test: find the ratio on the boat Do this dead. Cowl off. Plug leads off and plugs out, so a two-stroke cannot fire and turns easily. Battery disconnected. Lanyard off. Stay off the prop. Hand turn only, never the starter. Mark one blade and a fixed spot on the anti-ventilation plate or skeg. Mark the flywheel the same way. Shift into forward. Neutral unhooks the prop shaft, and you will count a freewheel. Put a socket on the flywheel nut and turn in the normal direction, clockwise looking down on most Mercury flywheels. Take the slack out, then start the count. Turn a round number of flywheel revolutions. Three is a first pass. Five or six is the number you trust. Read the prop mark. Half a turn is 0.50. Twelve o'clock to four o'clock is about 0.33. Divide flywheel turns by prop turns. Three flywheel turns and 1.60 prop turns is 1.88:1. That is a 1.87 with a sloppy partial turn, not a secret gearset. Spin it again and round to the published ratio it is sitting on. How to use the Buckshot gear ratio calculator Pick the tab that matches what you have in front of you. Results update as you type, so there is no calculate button. Spin test tab. Use this on the boat or trailer. Enter the flywheel turns you counted and how far the propeller turned, in decimals. The page loads example values (3 turns and 1.60 prop turns), so replace both with your own counts. Optional engine RPM. Enter your wide-open-throttle tach reading to see prop RPM at that speed. Read the result. You get the ratio and a note naming the common Mercury and Mercury Racing ratios it sits closest to. A result of 1.86 or 1.88 is a partial-turn miss on a 1.87, so repeat with five or six flywheel turns before you round to a published ratio. Tooth count tab. Use this with the case open. Enter driven (forward) gear teeth and pinion teeth. Count only the gear set that sets the reduction. Prop RPM check tab. The ratio from either method carries over automatically. Enter your engine RPM and pitch to see prop shaft RPM and theoretical speed at 0 percent slip. Take it to the slip calculator. Run the confirmed ratio, pitch, RPM, and GPS speed through the Buckshot prop slip calculator. The calculator only does the division. The count has to come off the boat, and the ratio should be confirmed against the serial number and the parts listing. Tooth count, and when the parts book is enough With the case open, divide forward-gear teeth by pinion teeth. A 28-tooth forward gear on a 15-tooth pinion is 1.87:1. That is the cleanest number you will get, as long as you are counting the gear set that actually sets the ratio. Some drives stack an upper reduction on a lower set, so one pair is not always the whole story. The parts listing is the third check. Match the gearcase and serial number, then treat the listed ratio as a candidate. Sport Master, Torque Master, Fleet Master, 5.44 HD, and R-Drive are not the same number, and a swapped lower will not match the cowling. Mercury 2.0, 2.4, and 2.5 liter two-strokes This is the family we see every week: Mercury 2.0, 2.4, and 2.5 liter V6 engines, including Pro Max 225, 260 EFI, and 280 ROS. Most cases are 1.87:1 or 2.00:1. The 2.5 liter OptiMax is the odd one, at 1.78:1. It is a 2.5, but it is not a 1.87. If slip looks impossible on an OptiMax 2.5, check for 1.78 before you condemn the prop. Mercury 3.0 liter two-strokes The 300 family steps down. Sport Master cases on the 300, 300 Pro Max, 300X, 300 XS, and 250 XS are commonly 1.62:1. Torque Master and Fleet Master cases are commonly 1.75:1. A 300X with a swapped Torque Master is a 1.75 boat until the spin test says otherwise. Mercury Racing 200R, 250R, 300R, 450R, and 500R Ratio follows the gearcase, not the horsepower badge. The Mercury Racing 450R and 500R are simple at 1.60:1. The 300R is not: a Torque Master at 1.75 and a Sport Master at 1.60 will not want the same pitch. If you cannot read the case, spin it. Engine Gearcase Ratio Mercury 2.0 / 2.4 / 2.5, Pro Max 225, 260 EFI, 280 ROS Most cases 1.87:1 or 2.00:1 Mercury 2.5 OptiMax OptiMax case 1.78:1 Mercury 300, 300 Pro Max, 300X, 300 XS, 250 XS Sport Master 1.62:1 Mercury 3.0 liter two-stroke Torque Master or Fleet Master 1.75:1 Mercury Racing 200R Torque Master or Sport Master 1.75:1 Mercury Racing 250R Sport Master (CMS spec) 1.75:1 Mercury Racing 300R Torque Master 1.75:1 Mercury Racing 300R Sport Master 1.60:1 or 1.75:1 Mercury Racing 300R Advanced MidSection 1.85:1 or 1.60:1 Mercury Racing 450R Sport Master or 5.44 HD 1.60:1 Mercury Racing 500R R-Drive or R-Drive Sport 1.60:1 What each ratio does at 5600 RPM Ratio Prop RPM What it means on the water 1.60:1 3,500 Mercury Racing 450R, 500R, some 300R Sport Master cases. Fast prop, less pitch for the same speed. 1.62:1 3,457 Mercury 3.0 liter Sport Master. 1.75:1 3,200 Mercury 3.0 liter Torque Master, Mercury Racing 200R, 300R Torque Master. 1.78:1 3,146 Mercury 2.5 OptiMax. Do not call this a 1.87. 1.87:1 2,995 The usual Mercury 2.0, 2.4, and 2.5 liter case. 2.00:1 2,800 Slower prop, more torque, takes more pitch. Worked example: how a wrong ratio shows up in slip Slip % = (theoretical mph − GPS mph) ÷ theoretical mph × 100 A Mercury 3.0 liter Sport Master boat turns 5,800 RPM at wide open throttle on a 27-inch pitch prop. The GPS reads 80 mph. The owner assumes the usual 1.87 case. Using the wrong ratio (1.87): Prop RPM = 5,800 ÷ 1.87 = 3,102 Theoretical mph = 3,102 × 27 ÷ 1056 = 79.3 Slip = (79.3 − 80) ÷ 79.3 = −0.9 percent Negative slip is not possible on a real hull. The boat is not outrunning its prop. The ratio is wrong. Using the real ratio (1.62, confirmed by spin test): Prop RPM = 5,800 ÷ 1.62 = 3,580 Theoretical mph = 3,580 × 27 ÷ 1056 = 91.5 Slip = (91.5 − 80) ÷ 91.5 = 12.6 percent That is a believable number, and now the pitch call is based on something real. Same boat, same tach, same GPS. The only thing that changed was the ratio. Then run the slip Once the ratio is honest, put pitch, RPM, and GPS through the Buckshot prop slip calculator. Negative slip, or 30 percent on a clean race hull, usually means the ratio or the tach is wrong. The GPS is rarely the liar. FAQ gear ratio questions we get in the shop How do I find my outboard gear ratio without pulling the case? Use the spin test. Forward gear, engine dead, flywheel turns divided by prop turns. Count five or six flywheel turns if the prop stops between marks. Can I read the ratio off the horsepower badge? No. Ratio follows the gearcase. Cases get swapped, and two Mercury 300s in the same pits can be 1.62 and 1.75. What if the spin test says 1.86 or 1.88? That is a partial-turn miss on a 1.87. Count more flywheel turns and round to the published ratio. Which Mercury Racing 300R ratio do I enter? Torque Master is 1.75:1. Sport Master is 1.60:1 or 1.75:1. Advanced MidSection is 1.85:1 or 1.60:1. If the case is not marked, spin it. What gear ratio does a Mercury OptiMax 2.5 have? It is commonly 1.78:1, not the 1.87 you see on most Mercury 2.0, 2.4, and 2.5 liter V6 cases. Confirm with the serial number and a spin test.

Learn how to use the Buckshot Racing #77 Prop Slip Calculator and Theoretical Setup tab for Mercury outboards, F1 tunnel boats, bass boats, offshore boats, drag boats, cats, lake boats and high-performance marine setups. Prop slip is one of the fastest ways to turn a GPS speed number into a useful boat setup decision. Whether you run a Mercury Racing outboard, F1 tunnel boat, bass boat, offshore vee-bottom, center console, cat, drag boat, lake boat, river boat, or high-performance fishing boat, the Buckshot Racing #77 Prop Slip Calculator helps you understand how your propeller pitch, gear ratio, engine RPM, GPS speed, engine height, trim, and boat load are working together. Prop slip is not a trophy number. It is a setup tool. A lower number is not always better, and a higher number is not always wrong. The right slip number depends on the boat, propeller style, gearcase height, load, water conditions, and how the hull carries itself at speed. Start Here: Which Calculator Tab Should You Use? Use the Propeller Slip tab when you already have a real test pass. This tab tells you what your current setup is doing. Enter your prop pitch, gear ratio, engine RPM and GPS speed. The calculator will show your prop RPM, theoretical speed and prop slip percentage. Use the Theoretical Setup tab when you want to compare possible changes before swapping parts. This tab is for “what-if” setup work. Use it to compare a different prop pitch, RPM target, gear ratio, or expected speed based on a known slip number. The Best Prop Slip Calculator Tool (Free Below) Step 1: Make a Clean GPS Pass Before using the calculator, make one clean wide-open-throttle pass with the boat fully warmed up and running normally. Record the GPS speed and RPM from the same pass. Do not use RPM from one run and GPS speed from another run. For the best data, test in calm water, avoid heavy current, and make one pass in each direction. If possible, average the GPS speed from both directions. Record fuel load, passenger load, trim setting, jack plate height, propeller pitch, and gear ratio. A good slip number starts with good data. If the input numbers are wrong, the calculator result will be wrong. Step 2: Use the Propeller Slip Tab Open the Propeller Slip tab and enter four numbers. Enter the propeller pitch stamped on the prop. If the prop has heavy cup, blade work, or a lab finish, remember that it may act like more pitch than the number stamped on the hub. Enter the gear ratio as a simple number, such as 1.62, 1.75, 1.87, or 2.00. Do not enter it as “1.75:1.” Gear ratio matters because the propeller turns slower than the engine crankshaft. Enter the engine RPM from a reliable tachometer. A tach that is off by a few percent can change the slip number enough to send you in the wrong direction. Enter the GPS speed from the same run. Use GPS, not a dash speedometer, pitot tube, or paddle-wheel speed reading. After you enter the numbers, the calculator will show your prop RPM, theoretical speed and slip percentage. This is your baseline. Step 3: Understand the Slip Number Prop slip is the difference between the theoretical speed the propeller should run and the actual speed the boat runs on GPS. Every propeller needs some slip to create thrust. Zero slip is not realistic, and negative slip usually means the data needs to be checked. For many high-performance outboard boats, 5% to 10% slip is a strong range. Some very efficient race boats, drag boats and light cats may run lower. Offshore boats, center consoles and heavier loaded boats may run higher. Some F1 tunnel boats, surface-running cleaver setups and high engine-height race applications may show higher calculated slip because the propeller is running high, partially surfaced, or in aerated water. That is why prop slip should always be judged by application. A bass boat, Sport Master tunnel boat, F1 hull, offshore vee-bottom, pontoon, drag boat and center console should not all be judged by the same target number. Step 4: Go to the Theoretical Setup Tab After you calculate your current slip, go to the Theoretical Setup tab. This is where the calculator becomes a setup planning tool. Use your real slip number as the target slip. For example, if your current setup calculates at 6.5% slip, enter 6.5% into the Theoretical Setup tab. Then change pitch, RPM, or gear ratio to compare possible setups. This tab helps answer real-world setup questions before you start swapping parts. It can help you estimate whether a 26-pitch prop may be faster than a 24-pitch prop after the expected RPM drop. It can help show whether a gear ratio change will require a different prop. It can help you decide what propeller to bring to the lake, race site, or test session. The Theoretical Setup tab does not guarantee the boat will run that exact speed. It assumes the new setup can hold the same slip. If the new prop ventilates, loads the engine too hard, carries the hull differently, loses water pressure, or changes handling, the actual GPS speed may be different. Use this tab as a smart planning guide, not a promise. Typical Prop Slip Ranges Use these ranges as general guides, not hard rules. Hull design, load, water conditions, propeller type, engine height, trim and setback all affect slip. Boat Type / Application Typical WOT Slip Range How to Read It Light race boat, drag boat, efficient cat 2%–6% Very hooked up; data must be accurate Bass boat or lake performance boat 5%–10% Strong all-around performance range Ski boat or family performance setup 6%–12% Good balance of acceleration and speed Offshore vee-bottom, center console, sportfish 8%–15% Load, wind and sea conditions matter Pontoon, work boat, heavy loaded hull 12%–18% Higher slip can be normal under load F1 tunnel, surface-running prop, high engine-height race setup 12%–25% Can be normal when the prop is high, surfaced, or aerated Over 20% on a normal submerged-prop setup Investigate Possible ventilation, wrong pitch, height, load, or blade issue A 20% slip number may be a problem on a normal submerged-prop bass boat. That same number may be acceptable on an F1 tunnel boat or surface-running race setup if the boat is fast, stable, carrying correctly, maintaining water pressure and turning the correct RPM. Why Some Fast Boats Show Higher Slip Some high-performance boats run the gearcase high to reduce drag. Some use cleavers, choppers, semi-surfacing propellers, or lab-finished wheels. Some hulls carry more of the boat on air or lift instead of pushing the full hull through the water. In those setups, the propeller may not be fully buried. It may be running partially surfaced or in aerated water. The calculated slip number can look higher even when the boat is running correctly. This is common in certain tunnel hull, cat, F1, drag and race applications. It can also show up on high engine-height lake boats and light performance hulls. The correct question is not “Is the slip number low?” The correct question is “Is the boat faster, safer, stable, in the RPM range and carrying correctly?” What Negative Slip Means If the calculator shows negative slip, check the data. The boat is not more than 100% efficient. Negative slip usually means the gear ratio is wrong, the tach is inaccurate, the GPS number is wrong, the pitch was entered incorrectly, or the propeller has more effective pitch than the stamp shows. Cup, rake, lab finishing and blade work can make a propeller act taller. If you are running a heavily cupped or worked propeller and the slip number looks too low or negative, try adding half an inch or one inch of effective pitch in the calculator and see if the number makes more sense. How to Use the Results If slip is high, RPM is high and speed is low, the propeller may not be holding water. The setup may need more cup, more blade area, a lower engine height, less positive trim, or a different propeller style. If slip is high and RPM is low, the engine may be overloaded. The boat may need less pitch, less load, a different propeller, or a closer look at gearcase drag and blade condition. If slip is acceptable but RPM is too high, the engine may be able to pull more pitch. Go to the Theoretical Setup tab and compare the next pitch before testing. If slip is acceptable but RPM is too low, the boat may be over-propped. Use the Theoretical Setup tab to compare less pitch and see how the speed estimate changes when RPM comes back into the powerband. If hole shot is poor but wide-open slip looks good, remember that WOT slip does not describe launch. Blade count, diameter, rake, cup, ventilation and engine height all affect the first 50 feet. What to Change First Start with pitch. More pitch usually lowers RPM and may add speed if the engine can pull it. Less pitch usually raises RPM and can improve acceleration. Cup adds bite and often increases effective pitch. A propeller with more cup may reduce slip without changing the stamped pitch number. Diameter and blade area help carry load. Heavier boats, offshore boats, loaded fishing boats and rough-water setups may need more blade area. Engine height changes how much gearcase and propeller are in the water. Raising the engine can reduce drag and improve speed, but it can also increase slip if the propeller starts to ventilate. Lowering the engine can improve bite and water pressure but may add drag. Trim changes hull attitude. A little positive trim can free up the hull. Too much trim can raise slip, blow out the propeller and make the boat unstable. Gear ratio changes prop shaft RPM. After any gearcase swap, go back to the calculator before blaming the propeller. Best Testing Method Make one baseline run and record pitch, gear ratio, RPM, GPS speed, engine height, trim, fuel load and passenger load. Use the Propeller Slip tab to calculate your current slip. Use the Theoretical Setup tab to compare the next pitch, gear ratio, or RPM target before changing parts. Make only one change at a time. Do not change pitch, trim, jack plate height and load all at once. Run the same course again, preferably in both directions, and average the GPS speed. Keep the change only if the boat gains speed, keeps safe water pressure, stays stable, and keeps the engine in the correct RPM range. Common Mistakes The most common mistake is using bad data. Do not use the dash speedometer instead of GPS. Do not guess the gear ratio. Do not mix GPS speed from one pass with RPM from another. Do not compare a light-fuel solo pass to a full-load run and expect the same slip. Another mistake is chasing the lowest slip number instead of the fastest, safest setup. A boat can show a pretty slip number and still be slower because the engine is out of its powerband or the hull is not carrying correctly. A third mistake is ignoring the Theoretical Setup tab. That tab can save time, fuel and prop swaps by showing whether a pitch or gear ratio change makes sense before you test it. Bottom Line The Buckshot Racing #77 Prop Slip Calculator is a setup tool for Mercury outboards, Mercury Racing engines, F1 tunnel boats, bass boats, offshore boats, cats, drag boats, lake boats, river boats, and high-performance marine setups. Start with the Propeller Slip tab to calculate your real-world slip from an actual GPS run. Then use the Theoretical Setup tab to compare the next propeller, gear ratio, RPM target, or setup change before testing. The goal is not the lowest slip number. The goal is the best honest setup: correct RPM, safe water pressure, stable handling, strong acceleration, and the best real GPS speed for your boat. By routinely using a prop slip calculator, racers can refine their setup for maximum speed, better fuel efficiency, and enhanced handling, ultimately leading to better results on the water.