sundog
06-11-2006, 11:10 AM
First, grandson shot the match with me as he has several times before. He uses my previous 'match gun', a Nat'l Ordnance 03A3 with the standard accuracy load of 311291 over 21.6/4227. His second score target was a 100/?X [I think it was a 2 X]. All ten shots were solid tens! It was not a statistical fluke, the kid can shoot! His other 2 score targets were both 90-sumthins. He was shooting off of a Hoppe's front rest (not really the best), without a spotting scope (I had to call for him while I was also shooting), and lack of both match experience and reading wind (did I mention it was a typical Oklahoma summer day with a 12-15 knots gusting to a billion?). Temp at match time was around high 80s on its way to 100. He's done well before, but this was his first HUNERT. Take a kid shooting. It's good for the kid. It's good for you.
Okay, now about my 'spearmint' that I've working on involving culling cases what don't shoot right. I shot groups of 1.916 and 3.079 (10 rounds at a hunert). My scores were 98-3, 98-2, and 98-5 -- 294-10. One third of my record score shots were Xs!!! I am satisfied with that. After all, this is an 'as issued' Rem 03A3. It's a rack grade rifle, fellers. No tricks, no frills.
After last match all cases were left in position to be shot in the same order this match and the next several. LCNM78 cases were wiped, neck sized, Rem 9 1/2 primed, and reloaded with 23/N120 and a weighed, cavity segregated 30-180-SP, a 1/4 TP, seated to lightly engrave. Two cases have been replaced since last match due to called good shots and turned out to be a flyer - one all the way out in the eight ring on a SR21.
That 1.916 group had two wide shots at 5 o'clock, but not what I can call a flyer when it's a group this size. The 8-shot group is closer to 1.6.
The second group target at 3.079 was just alot of dispersion, more lateral than anything and I attribute that mostly to wind conditions. I had taken a sight adjustment after group one for both elevation and windage and never touched the sights for the rest of the match. Score for the second group was 98-2. Talk about consistent! Even though it was a group target, that basically amounts to four 98s in a row. Consistency.
I think my best target was the third score target, and I had two 9s, one at 9 and one at 3, that were still within the overall impact area of the composite 50 shots for record, so I am not going to cull those 2 cases..., just yet, because last match that same string of 10 rounds also did well. Eight shots on this target went into a group of 1.020!
Sailman was there and shot the match, too. Purdy windy, huh Sailman??? We talked about this, and how difficult is is to attain that last point or two - consistently. At this point our opinion is mostly that it is due to the sights and out aging eyes. Whodda ever thunk that these old battle weapons designed for hitting a man at 300 yards could shoot this well -- and here it is ove 60 years later. Still being shot 'as issued'.
Next match is 4 July, and this same batch of brass will be reloaded same-o same-o and shot same-o same-o, and the match after several days later on Saturday - same-o same-o. Targets will be retained for comparison.
Sooo, would I go to this much trouble for most of my other stuff? Heck NO. It's a PITA, but it does prove some things about consistency, I think. btw, this brass is now 14X fired and 2X trim. My trim mostly consists of squaring up the shortest in the batch and make the rest look like it, but not necessarily going all the way back to "trim length". I trim a batch when one in the batch goes over max. sundog
Okay, now about my 'spearmint' that I've working on involving culling cases what don't shoot right. I shot groups of 1.916 and 3.079 (10 rounds at a hunert). My scores were 98-3, 98-2, and 98-5 -- 294-10. One third of my record score shots were Xs!!! I am satisfied with that. After all, this is an 'as issued' Rem 03A3. It's a rack grade rifle, fellers. No tricks, no frills.
After last match all cases were left in position to be shot in the same order this match and the next several. LCNM78 cases were wiped, neck sized, Rem 9 1/2 primed, and reloaded with 23/N120 and a weighed, cavity segregated 30-180-SP, a 1/4 TP, seated to lightly engrave. Two cases have been replaced since last match due to called good shots and turned out to be a flyer - one all the way out in the eight ring on a SR21.
That 1.916 group had two wide shots at 5 o'clock, but not what I can call a flyer when it's a group this size. The 8-shot group is closer to 1.6.
The second group target at 3.079 was just alot of dispersion, more lateral than anything and I attribute that mostly to wind conditions. I had taken a sight adjustment after group one for both elevation and windage and never touched the sights for the rest of the match. Score for the second group was 98-2. Talk about consistent! Even though it was a group target, that basically amounts to four 98s in a row. Consistency.
I think my best target was the third score target, and I had two 9s, one at 9 and one at 3, that were still within the overall impact area of the composite 50 shots for record, so I am not going to cull those 2 cases..., just yet, because last match that same string of 10 rounds also did well. Eight shots on this target went into a group of 1.020!
Sailman was there and shot the match, too. Purdy windy, huh Sailman??? We talked about this, and how difficult is is to attain that last point or two - consistently. At this point our opinion is mostly that it is due to the sights and out aging eyes. Whodda ever thunk that these old battle weapons designed for hitting a man at 300 yards could shoot this well -- and here it is ove 60 years later. Still being shot 'as issued'.
Next match is 4 July, and this same batch of brass will be reloaded same-o same-o and shot same-o same-o, and the match after several days later on Saturday - same-o same-o. Targets will be retained for comparison.
Sooo, would I go to this much trouble for most of my other stuff? Heck NO. It's a PITA, but it does prove some things about consistency, I think. btw, this brass is now 14X fired and 2X trim. My trim mostly consists of squaring up the shortest in the batch and make the rest look like it, but not necessarily going all the way back to "trim length". I trim a batch when one in the batch goes over max. sundog