New Shooter

[Doc Highwall]

I took a friend that I use to work with to his first 100 yard small-bore match yesterday. This match is semi informal in that the target colors are reversed, with a basic white back ground and black scoring rings that are exactly the same size as the official 100 yard small-bore target.

This allows the bullet holes to be seen easier when it gets dark around sunset. There are also five (5) targets on one piece of paper that measures 14"x 20" with the center one being the sighter target, and the other four (4) targets you shoot ten (10) shots each for forty (40) record shots. This make a possible 400 score and 40 X's without having to change targets.

Steve used my Remington 40X chambered in 22Lr. with a Leupold 8.5x-25x50mm target scope with a 1/8" dot and fine cross hairs and target knobs. The ammo that he used is the Norma TAC-22 and he shot off a bench using sand bags and a rear bag shooting in F-class. I also set him up with one of my spare windmills for reading wind direction and speed. I stayed with him explaining what to watch for with the wind, and where to look for wind movement both with his eyes and through the scope behind his target while shooting at the sighter target. As soon as he started to shoot at his first record target I left and put my shooting jacket on and started to shoot my own target shooting prone.

After I finished shooting Steve was sitting on the stool that was behind me as he had already finished shooting for record. I ask him how he did and he said he dropped one, he shot a 399-30x's coming in 5th place in F-class. Here is a photo of his target.

[Mk42gunner]

I'd believe "new match shooter" but not "new shooter." Congratulate that young man for me, please.

Good job on both your parts,

Robert

[Doc Highwall]

I just started shooting with Steve and Gary a few months ago and the first thing I noticed is they both had terrible trigger control and zero follow through, did not matter if it was a hand gun or a rifle. I worked on that and I also showed them what parallax correction does for a scope and how to adjust it. The next thing is they both bought the same scope I had mounted on my Olympic Arms X-Ring in 22 Lr. and then they both bought the same Magpul X-22 Hunter stock. Now they are doing a torque test with their rifles to see where they shoot the best. I even picked up a case of the Norma TAC-22 for them to split because they liked how it shot out of my guns.

Yes you can say they were not NEW shooters, but they did already learn bad habits that have to be unlearned.

[Doc Highwall]

I told Steve that he can use my Remington 40X for the rest of the season if he wants to. I told him that learning to shoot off the bench and not having to worry about holding the gun steady, he will be able to concentrate on natural point of aim using the bags, trigger squeeze / follow through, and most importantly learning to read the wind.

Later we will tackle prone shooting with a jacket and sling.

[Doc Highwall]

I shot iron sights today and I have been changing things around getting the rear sight to align. The rear sight as it was mounted was angled off a little to the left and up slightly towards 2 o'clock on the front sight making the rear aperture dark at 8 o'clock. The adapter to mount on a 10 - 11 mm dovetail and allowing you to mount a Redfield rear sight was not made right. On top of that the rear sight has .1875" on both sides when it is in mechanical zero for windage, but from being made wrong I ended up with only about .075" on one side and about .300" on the other side. So today I changed things again, I had a 10 - 11 mm to weaver adapter, and a Lipski rear sight adapter I borrowed off another rifle and played with that at the range today. I was able to zero the rifle at 100 yards, and then I came down and was able to zero at 50 yards and still could go lower.

I was just shooting some newer Federal 711B that does not shoot very well, nothing like the old stuff with the dimple in the base, like no comparison at all, and today was just to make sure everything was going to work.

Here are some pictures that I took for the mount and the target.

[Doc Highwall]

I should have mentioned the picture of the sight is showing where it is zeroed at 100 yards, and it looks like I will have enough elevation to make it to 200 yards plus.

Here is one place that sells the Lipski rear sight base.
http://www.brownells.com/rifle-parts...-prod7917.aspx

[Doc Highwall]

Yesterday was match day and Steve came for his second match and Gary came for his first match. They both shot my Remington 40X again with the Norma TAC-22 off sand bags and this time Steve shot a 400-30X, and finished in 4th place in F class, Gary shot a 398-27X and placed 16th in F class.

I shot regular prone and shot a 400-30X and finished 2nd.

[unclemikeinct]

Congrats to the New Shooter Doc...I want to try this game...Mike in Ct

[Doc Highwall]

Last night unclemikeinct showed up for the match and shot a 393-20X with a sporter rifle and a 14X scope. and Steve shot a 398-25X. Now Gary has been going to the range with me and I had him work on doing both torque tests and testing to see where his rifle shot the best off the rest giving the least vertical stringing. Well last night Gary shot a 400-35X winning the match shooting Norma TAC-22 ammo with his 1968 Anschutz topped off with a Weaver T36 scope. Here is a picture of him shooting and a picture of his target. The middle target is the sighter target.