Some prone shooting with the BSA 12/15

[martinibelgian]

Last sunday, I took the BSA 12/15 out to the indoor range, 75m (that's 82 yds) for some practice. I shot some SK long range match, and produced following target:



Not too sure about the 7 as I didn't call it, might be a bad cartridge, could be me, but the rest is a smidgen over 1 MOA, I'm pretty happy with that when shooting the old match rifle with double-point sling, from the elbows. This is with the standard peep sights, BTW.

[georgerkahn]

Kudos on your shooting prowess!!! I'm impressed! Were you using any "special / target" ammo; and, just 'cause I'm curious -- did you employ open sights or a 'scope?
geo

[martinibelgian]

Quality ammo, yes - SK long range match. Sights were the period standard rifle sights (PH7A rear, PH2 front) - but they are pretty good, very repeatable, 1/4 MOA clicks. Those BSA Martini's always seem to shoot well.

[Bigslug]

NICE! Was that 12/15 a re-worked Cadet action, or born specifically to shoot rimfire?

My Cadet had been tweaked enough with the ".310 Magnum"/.32-20 conversion ream that I had no qualms about drilling the receiver for the PH7A rear sight and installing a Lyman 17A up front. Addictive little thing! Other than me shooting 150 grains to your 40, they seem to be pretty similar beasts.

[martinibelgian]

No, mine is àn original BSA match rifle with a thick -walled receiver., made as a rimfire. And I also have a.other one rebarreled to 30-20, my BP match rifle.I'm currently working up a nitro load for it. I'm shooting 150 and 172 gr bullets.

[Abert Rim]

Gert, that's nice shooting. I miss having a 12-15 around the place.
Bill

[Huvius]

Used to shoot a Martini International in the local Explorers group when I was a kid - indoors.
Part of the fun was setting the trashcan way back behind the firing line and ejecting each shell into the can.
That rifle was incredibly accurate. I believe my aunt held an NCAA record with that rifle for some time from the mid ‘50s.

[martinibelgian]

Yes, for a rifle from the 50's it has no right to be that accurate. I actually prefer it to my int'l mk V, maybe because I know how to use the traditional 2-point sling better than the modern single point sling.

[Bigslug]

Yes, for a rifle from the 50's it has no right to be that accurate. . .

I dunno. . .I've dabbled extensively with a couple of International MKII's and Winchester 52's from the period, with some lesser exposure to Remington's offering (the 37, I think). I think the only real advantages the modern top end smallbore rifles have is the fully adjustable stocks that help build a much more uniform shooting position shot to shot, and maybe improved lock time. In terms of the mechanical "bench" accuracy, a tack driver is a tack driver, no matter the decade, and those old rifles are GOOOOOOD. As is the case with all rimfires, we're at the mercy of the ammo makers for getting something they like.

[1066]

I dunno. . .I've dabbled extensively with a couple of International MKII's and Winchester 52's from the period, with some lesser exposure to Remington's offering (the 37, I think). I think the only real advantages the modern top end smallbore rifles have is the fully adjustable stocks that help build a much more uniform shooting position shot to shot, and maybe improved lock time. In terms of the mechanical "bench" accuracy, a tack driver is a tack driver, no matter the decade, and those old rifles are GOOOOOOD. As is the case with all rimfires, we're at the mercy of the ammo makers for getting something they like.

To get the best out of any rimfire, yes, you're right, the ammo is the key. I was shooting a BSA 12/15 in weekly prone matches during the '60's against a few Mk2 internationals, the occasional Walther, Anschutz, Finnish Lion or Russian Vostok CM-2's and to be honest, keeping up with them quite well - For a pre-war rifle they did the job very well, the major advantage of the newer target rifles was the trigger - although the competitions of the time required a 3lb trigger the modern rifles could be adjusted so much more precisely. Over the years I've tried several makes/types but found very little difference in their performance.

Over the last year or so I have been using a 1970's Anschutz Match 54 for benchrest and long range rimfire matches out to 400yds. Shooting against Grunig & Elmiger, Bleiker, new Walthers, Vodoo's etc. and have never felt "out gunned" providing the right ammunition for the rifle is used.

Yesterday I tried 5 different types of ammunition in my M54 at 50 yards.. Little wind, but only just above freezing.
RWS R50

RWS R+ Long Range

SK Semi-Auto

Lapua Midas +

Lapua Centre-X

[Bad Ass Wallace]

They are beautiful rifles, I have several including this MK2 left handed, even the back sight is left handed

[1066]

They are beautiful rifles, I have several including this MK2 left handed, even the back sight is left handed

Certainly very well made and greatly undervalued here in the UK - I've seen two Mk2 Internationals for sale for less than $50 each this week.
Here's my Mk5 I use for short range benchrest:

[xtriggerman]

How satisfying can those x shots be........ Any better would have to be outside of this world! NICE.