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Both of these are fine groups. W h e r e the shooters of yesterday were behind was at yards. O n e of the reasons had to be because of the scopes they used. With todays 3 6 X scopes there's m u c h better resolution.
Everything else aside Bill Guse used a. This is a great group for , but, in a winning yard aggregate in good conditions could have three out of five groups that small! T h e introduction of the.
M i k e Walker had produced a superbly accurate combination that wrested the best groups out of the available equipment. Just like the P P C many years later, the. Shooters shared hard won knowledge with whoever was interested in listening. Of course they also shared it with some w h o w e r e n ' t interested in hearing it, some things never change. T h e prosperity which followed World War II gave many the time and money to participate fully in the nationwide growth in benchrest.
T h e individual record groups d i d n ' t decrease dramatically. W h a t did decrease was the aggregate. Aggregate scores are a true measure of a rifles accuracy. Aggregate scores consist of a m i n i m u m of 25 aimed shots spread over a period of time; all the vagaries of wind and mirage have c o m e into play. A n y problems with the bench, or the rests, would have been exposed, inconsistent ignition fronfimproper components would reveal substandard cartridge design.
Part of the decrease is from equipment and loads, part of the decrease has been from the riflemen realizing they have to get that last shot into a hole on every group. T h e aggregate has indeed been slipping. T h e yard varmint record for five 5-shot groups steadily dropped to Lynn Hunts record of. Think about that. By that had nose dived to below two tenths of an inch. Today it is easy to see scores that just yesterday were an impossibility.
Harvey Donaldson w o u l d n ' t know what to think about a fibreglass stocked 6 P P C capable of a. History is an amazing thing.
T h o s e w h o fully participated in it, and know all the answers, are not available to verify information. Specifically, the fact of the earliest organized benchrest matches. T h e earliest turkey shoots held ever since the middle 's were often contested with the rifle resting on a log. There were several events such as participated in by C. Rowland in the 's which c a n ' t be called organized events. A group got together through word of m o u t h , held a one day event, and then went their m e r r y way.
B e l i e v i n g the n e e d for the r e c o g n i z e d earliest b e n c h r e s t matches to be advertised, annual events, the author believes the first benchrest matches were fired at the Lisbon Schuetzen Verein, in Taftville, Connecticut. These events from the early 's to the late 's were fired from a rest, three shots for score at yards. Both blackpowder Schuetzen rifles firing lead bullets, and modern varmint rifles firing jacketed bullets were shot from a rest.
Testing, trial and error, and more testing have given us the c o m p o n e n t s for the most accurate rifles in the world. Every accuracy record for group size out to yards was shot by a benchrest style rifle. M a n y combinations of the available equipment might all lead to world class accuracy. To make a qualified decision about what c o m p o n e n t s to use in building your next rifle let's look at the different pieces.
Stocks T h e purpose of the stock is to hold the barreled action rigidly without using u p too m u c h of the allotted weight for the class in which the rifle is being used. At the same time the stock must retain its shape during the act of firing. Early benchrest rifles were m a d e with wood stocks. Using the available military actions, with their poor bedding surface, rifles had to be rebedded as often as every day.
Laminated wood eliminated some of the stability p r o b l e m s , but laminated stocks were heavy unless eggshelled hollowed out butt and forend. A n y hunter w h o has done much traveling k n o w s that even the most inert piece of laminated wood can move during changes in humidity and temperature; the one piece stock made from a nicely figured piece of wood is much worse. It was the advent of the foam filled fibreglass stock which kicked benchrest rifles out of the wood era.
The first fibreglass stock used in competition was a three piece affair made by Jerry Rogers, he shot the gun to victory in the and Nationals. Ron Parker's rifle sports a delightful Rodney Hutcherson paint job. Chet found out the expansion rate of fibreglass was close to the expansion rate of steel. After m u c h experimentation they discovered a two piece mold with the halves joined together later m a d e the most sense for their initial testing.
Hundreds of hours were spent on m o l d s , mold releases, cure t i m e , mixes and various other bits of the p r o b l e m. Testing showed the hollow fibreglass stock would shoot good groups, but only if the guard screws were loose, the hollow bedding area w o u l d n ' t stand u p to the tightening procedure some in the field d e e m e d necessary. Like anything else which is against the n o r m , public acceptance took a while in coming. It was the hollow feel, and the ringing tap which caused the most shooter w o r r y W h e n Chet and Lee filled the hollow stock with Polyurethane foam; conventional bedding techniques, and screw tension which everyone understood, worked again.
By fibreglass stocks from the shop were showing up at a few m a t c h e s , and doing quite well. Like anything else, a new product gets snickered at till it pastes a few good scores on the wall, then everyone wants o n e. Later refinements c a m e in the form of glue-in bedding. It might not be any better than conventional b e d d i n g , but it sure is easier to d o. While Lee and Chet were working on release agents they, along with anyone else doing the same thing, had some unintentional glue-ins when the release agent d i d n ' t work, or was accidently left off.
With the action epoxy bonded directly to the stock the age old problem of the bedding getting solvent soaked, and softening up, has THE RIFLE 15 been almost entirely eliminated.
There's still a chance that some of our solvents can d a m a g e the bedding, but with a solid bottomed action and a long bore guide it's not likely. T h e use of lightweight fibreglass, Kevlar, and graphite in rifle stocks has allowed the beefing up of the other rifle components. By starting with a Kevlar or graphite stock it's easy to use a heavy barrel, and a heavy action, in Heavy Varmint.
A one and a half pound Light Varmint stock allows a stout barrel and action, a definite accuracy enhancer. T h e advent of aftermarket drop-in or factory synthetic stocks for our everyday hunting rifles has made the use of rifles in varying amounts of moisture acceptable without constant re-sighting in.
Free floated sporting weight tubes give some amazing accuracy when an accurized action is mated to a suitable stock. Actions T h e action is the building block on which the rifle is assembled. C o m p r i s e d of a hollow receiver, the trigger assembly, and a bolt, future accuracy potential starts out on the right foot with an accurized action.
Since it's the foundation, squareness of all the angles, and trueness of all the lines gains importance. L o n g ago the battle for recognition as the most accurate type of action was won hands down by the turning bolt family.
Autoloading, lever action, falling block, and break top types all have their c h a m p i o n s , as each has a specific use. T h e p r i m e advantages for the bolt action stem from its basic rigidity, both in the action and in its bedding into the stock, and it's positive breeching which supplies the same cartridge support for the first, and subsequent, shots. Recent experimentation has led to the development of some very accurate rifles based on the M An accurized M16 is capable of being more accurate than most out of the box turning bolt g u n s , only it's not as accurate as the custom bolt action benchrest rifles.
T h e gas guns will shoot groups approaching greatness, but a fifth shot thrown. In the competitive g a m e today there c a n ' t be any shots thrown that are the rifles fault. Since the first Mauser was produced for the military in the last century there haven't been any startling revelations in the action world.
What w e ' v e done in the last hundred years is learn the parameters which get the most performance out of the equipment. In , benchrest rifles were mostly m a d e on the M a u s e r 98 action. T h e n , as now, if something is plentiful, and cheap, there will be lots of them in use. Mausers had been designed for military u s e , there were a few things shooters discovered that needed changing.
T h e generous magazine cut, and loading port, d i d n ' t leave m u c h meat to stiffen the action. Here the line up includes the Model B, the Model M, and the standard.
Adding in the stone-ax paced firing pin fall did anything but decrease group size. Various attempts to stiffen the action helped, sleeves were being tried by the middle 's, but something was still lacking.
Shortfalls in the equipment at hand caused a few m e n with machinist backgrounds to m a k e their o w n actions. Mostly these independent operators found the amount of work to produce the tolerances required meant it w a s n ' t economically feasible to m a k e actions for resale.
Since the era of the small one m a n shop which put out just a few actions there have been several small c o m p a n i e s w h o have continued, and built u p a livelihood in action making. Robert W. With the longest continuous run of c u s t o m action making they have consistently produced exact actions which result in accurate rifles. Their six models include the light weight N o. The matching angle in the end of the barrel helps speed up the firing rate. Depending of the weight of the other components Hart makes an action which easily fits any accuracy requirement.
Ed Shilen m a d e his first two actions during the winter of They were accurate, won a slew of m a t c h e s , other shooters were willing to plunk down cash for t h e m , the die was cast. In Ed Shilen moved his business to the Gulf Coast. Shilen Rifles, Inc. Slightly longer and heavier at 2 lb. Hall Mfg. With over 2 0 years experience in designing and building actions Allan started with the best of his ideas, the best of materials, and built his idea of the best actions.
M a d e from the same stainless steel that's used in the landing gear of jet planes Hall actions are highly resistant to any of the rust and corrosion problems exhibited by steel or aluminum actions. T h e four different Hall actions include the 1 lb. Standard Action, the Model M at 2 lb. Well made and beautiful rifles are the conclusion when a Stolle is used.
Varmint rifles at 3 lb. For the biggest of those super big b o o m e r s , designed for yard benchrest or long range hunting, Hall Mfg. Both solid bottom and repeaters are available in the Express. Ralph and Eldon Stolle combined some machining tricks with the popular idea of increasing bedding surface area, and stiffness, by sleeving a steel action in a l u m i n u m. They decided to go the idea one better, by m a k i n g a one piece action from several pieces. This very popular action c o m b i n e d the best of both worlds.
There was a large, lightweight, outside surface for accurate b e d d i n g , and there was steel at all of the bearing points.
Ralph Stolles' death several years ago left the production of Stolle actions to George Kelbly Four actions are available, the Panda, Polar, Kodiak, and Teddy are ready to fill whatever needs are presented. They took a round steel core and heat fit a drilled aluminum block over it. There's seven seconds to get the aluminum from the oven and press the frozen steel tube into it; get it together correctly the first time - or else!
T h o u g h well m a d e , C P S never constituted a significant force atop the leader board. It was poor business sense, multiple promises on items which were never delivered, and in general, pissing off anyone w h o c a m e in contact with the c o m p a n y which caused the majority of the benchrest group to give them a wide berth.
T h e changeover to M C S as the supplier caused an instant turn around in availability, and desirability of the action for accuracy work. Wichita A r m s , Inc. Rifles built on this action are strong and fast. Touching on the custom actions brings up the debt benchrest shooters and the accuracy minded rifleman owe to Mike Walker and Remington Arms.
This combination produced the first Remington Model 7 2 2 , a commercial action with all the potential to win without having to build a custom. They had picked up the gauntlet, and worked on improving the product offered to the benchrest shooter, when none of the other manufacturers showed any interest.
With its good bedding area, stiffness, and fast lock t i m e the 7 2 2 q u i c k l y b e c a m e the c o m m e r c i a l favorite of the benchrester. Not resting on its laurels, over t i m e , Remington developed the 4 0 X specifically for accuracy work.
The diameter was beefed up, the loading port was shrunk, and the magazine cut was removed. T h e increased stiffness from these changes allowed any barrel to be full floated without damaging the bedding. During the 's it was the 4 0 X which formed the bulk of the accurate rifles on any firing line. A 4 0 X can still be m a d e into a superbly accurate rifle in the late 's.
With so many fine custom actions available the practice has fallen by the wayside. M o s t 4 0 X rifles makeing the line today are there because the owner had one in the closet when the benchrest bug bit. In order to bring it up to top standards there are a few things which have to be done to remove the commercial tolerances, and their resultant d a m a g e to group size.
W h e r e custom actions are crafted one at a time by someone w h o isn't willing to sacrifice perfection, the Remington 4 0 X and its cousins the XP, Model 6 0 0 , and Model need to be trued. T h e lugs must be lapped into full contact, the recoil shoulders need to be cleaned up, the receiver face must be cleaned up, the threads must be checked for straightness, and fixed if necessary.
With the level of competition where it is today you c a n ' t go to the line with only half the work done. Here's another kicker that should sway the decision towards a custom. W h e n it c o m e s time to sell the rifle there's a significant difference in the resale value.
There might not be any difference in the accuracy potential, that's just the way the h u m a n race operates. Barrels A bullet in the correct place on the target is the goal for each shot we liberate. M a n n ' s experiments at the turn of the century proved the importance of delivering a bullet into flight with as little deformation as possible.
It's the j o b of the barrel to see that for every shot, the bullet is sent in good shape, and on the same line. In order to excel at its task a rifle barrel must have a straight hole, a uniform size, and an excellent finish. Benchrest quality barrels are produced using either of two methods for rifling. These are cut rifling, and button rifling. Cut rifling is the more historic of the two. T h e excellent barrel makers of the Shuetzen period used the process to produce barrels which were the most accurate in the world.
Gregoire produced the best benchrest barrels in the world from the late 's u p to Gregoire barrels at the time had a problem with longevity. It was a c o m m o n statement that as soon as an accurate load for the barrel was worked up the barrel was " w a s h e d out". Ed Shilens' recent tests on an original, unfired, Gregoire barrel showed it to b e m a d e out of a " d i r t y " chrome-moly steel. Dirty means there's foreign substance in the steel, as the rifle is fired these c o m p o u n d s burn out, and leave pits in the barrel.
Accuracy suffers when the pits pick u p jacket material and fouling. T h e barrels w e r e n ' t washing out, they were victims of the available steel. A good barrel is the product of correct machining technique, if Gregoire and the early c u s t o m makers had access to our high quality stainless they would have been able to produce a barrel which would be competitive today.
A steel slug with the shape of the grooves and lands on it was pulled through the lubricated barrel; imparting its shape to the surrounding steel. By M i k e was using match barrels he had m a d e , around he helped set up the initial Hart barrel business with Clyde and Charlie Hart.
They proved the button process would turn out accurate barrels. Refinements over the years changed the steel button into carbide, n u m e r o u s other changes improved consistency. Like any operation, 35 years of doing the same thing snowed the little tricks which improved the end product. Since the era of the early 's, when Gregoire used chrome-moly, it's been proven that suitable stainless gives a m u c h longer accuracy life, in the.
T h e steel used in modern barrels must have high tensile strength to withstand the pressures developed in our high- intensity cartridges.
It must b e free from defects, it must be machinable, steel that's difficult to work means the end product w o n ' t be suitable. Finish lapping provides the final surface to decrease fouling. Correctly d o n e button rifled barrels are consistent to within. We know the most accurate bullet is one that moves through the barrel in a smooth, even, push as the burning gasses expand.
It makes sense that a rifle with exact dimensions, a smooth finish, and uniform rifling pitch from one end to the other should deliver the bullet the most consistently. T h e most accurate barrel in the world c a n ' t perform up to snuff unless it's installed on a good action, correctly chambered and crowned. Saving a few dollars by going to an amateur gunsmith just because they're local will cost in the long run. Benchrest quality chambering work on a match grade barrel isn't all that difficult for s o m e o n e who's willing to do it right.
W h e n you take delivery of that new " h u m m e r " which you think just might get you into the Hall of F a m e , a little patience, and the proper break in will ensure you and your new h u m m e r get off on the right foot.
T h e day has c o m e where that's the case so use the " o n e shot and c l e a n " break in method for a new barrel. Proving the old saying that nice guys don't always finish first; this wasn't the small group of the match.
If the Sweets d o e s n ' t show any copper, patch out and fire another shot. Repeat the one shot and clean till the Shooters Choice d o e s n ' t show any fouling. An average would be five to seven shots, though sometimes it takes longer. Then shoot some three shot groups and clean. If the patches look ok y o u ' r e all set. A bit of care early in the barrels life will decrease copper fouling as time goes on. There's been some debate about the value of this process.
So great an authority as Jack Sutton w h o works in the Hart Rifle Barrel shop says fireforming with two ten shot groups, and a thorough cleaning after each is all that's necessary. Super accuracy for any of the available barrels is only in the round range.
G o o d barrels show competitive accuracy u p to rounds. After that w e ' r e fooling ourselves by thinking the rifle is still in top shape, it might win a 20 shooter local match, but it w o n ' t cut the mustard at the Super Shoot. Install another barrel and use the old one for practice on windy days where there's two inches of wind drift. There are two easy ways to keep track of the n u m b e r of shots through a barrel. First is to k e e p every target the barrel has ever fired.
At the end of the year count u p every shot on the targets and write the n u m b e r d o w n. It takes a while but the information is valuable; d o n ' t forget the practice targets.
T h e second is the method I use, get a separate p r i m e r tray for each rifle y o u ' l l shoot during the season. Keeping track this way saves the hour it takes to count shots on the targets. You never forget to include the practice shots. Ever notice how there's never been a used benchrest rifle for sale which has more than rounds through it?
M o r e people than will admit it d o n ' t keep track of the n u m b e r of rounds through a barrel. The only way to find a great barrel is to take one out and shoot it! Keep looking and testing, for they're there to be found. Rifle Telescopes A benchrest rifle might be the most accurate in the world, but if we d i d n ' t have the resolution from a high powered scope there's no way to find out if that's the case.
T h e short, internally adjusted, scopes introduced since have been a significant improvement over the long, externally adjusted, scopes which were available till then.
Early in the sports history there was a general agreement that 3 0 X was too much magnification for benchrest shooting call it c o m m o n knowledge - misguided, but c o m m o n. In the early 's Warren Page still claimed that anything over 30X was wasted, he thought you needed a wide field of view to watch what was going on at your neighbors target, and to see what the conditions were up to down range.
T h e advent of the Redfield 3 2 0 0 , L y m a n LWBR series, and the Leupold 24X were enough to shake up the status q u o and get people thinking about changing to a higher power. Wally Siebert would boost the power of the L y m a n scopes for any w h o were interested. With the short scopes m o u n t e d entirely on the receiver the era of the switch barrel gun was opened.
T h e older U n e r t l , Fecker, Litschert, L y m a n , and Redfield scopes were installed with the front mount on the barrel. These mounts with their exposed adjustments and spring returns were a haven for misalignment. O n e speck of dust under one of the adjusting legs was enough to move a shot. Calculations show us that just. N o wonder it's so tough to shoot offhand! Benchrest shooters are never easily satisfied. They were requesting both short scopes and light weight.
To get these scopes short and light the manufacturers had to make a trade off somewhere. T h e only place to take off weight was to make the tubes thinner, and the internal m e c h a n i s m as small and light as possible.
These smaller and lighter parts are more easily effected by wear or d a m a g e than stouter parts. The trade off to a lighter weight tube brings us to some important considerations. Most benchrest shooters d o n ' t click the scope adjustments in the middle of a group.
If it's necessary to change the windage during a group shoot one or two sighter shots to settle the adjustments before firing another record shot. Scopes are designed to take great amounts of front and rear loading. They are not designed to take any lateral deflection, or twisting. T h e easiest way to change point of impact is to carry the rifle by its scope, or use the scope bell as a leverage point when y o u ' r e lifting a sticky bolt.
W h e n you need leverage move your thumb to the mount, which is rigid enough to take the side loads. Scopes go bad in one of two forms, they either drop off gradually, flipping a shot once in a while, or they go to pot all at o n c e , and c a n ' t hit the broad side of a barn. It's difficult to know when the first problem is cropping up. I had a problem with a scope at the beginning of the season two years a g o.
Job pressures kept m e from getting as much testing and practice as was usually the case at the beginning of a year. Here Dr. Richard Maretzo shows off another way to spruce up the old shooting iron. His "Bet A Martini" rifle has accounted for several big match wins. Next to it: two rifles from the shop of Jim Greenawalt put some snap into the benchrest line. In Phoenix I was having a terrible time getting good groups, but put it down to windy conditions, and being rusty at the first match of the year.
T h e Crawfish showed the same trouble getting a good group. Shooting next to Jim Hostettler, there was the identical problem of vertical shots out of the group when the flags pointed to them dropping right in. Having trouble during conditions much better than in Phoenix I started to wonder what the problem was. It's not fun finishing 75th two matches in a row when y o u ' r e trying to win. Work kept me from shooting again till the Super Shoot.
T h e first day the same thing kept cropping up. Those baffling m o m e n t s where a high or low shot would take a. By the end of the second day I was beside myself with frustration.
O n e nice thing about the Super Shoot, it's so well organized there's always several hours the end of the day where you can shoot g r o u p s , right up till dark. Those loading with m e d i d n ' t want to stay and shoot, a steak in Canal Fulton was calling their n a m e , so I started loading different combinations of powder and seating depth. Shooting in a breeze at yards the groups were above. W h e n the wind started to die d o w n , closer to dusk, the groups d i d n ' t get any smaller.
Those shooting at nearby benches were getting. K n o w i n g for sure there was something wrong I begged a scope of k n o w n ability off John Jones. Placings of 26th and th from the first two days b e c a m e placings of 11th and 6th after switching scopes. D o n ' t be a dummy, learn from your mistakes, switch to a k n o w n scope if there's a chance it's the bogey m a n.
Luckily the manufacturers stand behind their products. T h e problem with the scope turned out to be slack in the objective lens and the manufacturer replaced the whole scope free of charge. T h e most popular scope for benchrest has been the Leupold 3 6 X. Its major flaw was the lack of a locking ring on the parallax adjustment.
T h e y ' r e still the only scope in the price range which d o e s n ' t c o m e through with lens covers. An oversight that any o w n e r of a scope should correct immediately. Always cover the scope with a lens cap, or rag, before brushing solvent through the bore. W h e n the bristle brush exits the end of the barrel it flings a mist of tiny solvent droplets into the air. Not something you want on the fluoride coating of your scope lens. Setting u p a rifle with a new scope is easy, there are a few handy hints which might m a k e things easier.
First item of business is to set up the bases and m o u n t s parallel to the bore. Use high quality bases which were designed to fit the receiver. Install the rings as instructed by the manufacturer, some rings have built in adjustment, they're designed to be installed in relation to each other, otherwise the scope will be out of line. C h e c k the scope adjustments and make sure the crosshairs are centered in their range of travel. T h e best optics in a scope are in the center, that's where we want the aiming point to be when w e ' r e all done.
With the scope loosely installed gently snug u p the screws on the rings. Bore sight to see if the crosshairs are close to the indicated point of impact.
S o m e rings, like the Bushnell lightweights, can be reversed if the scope is out of line: read the instructions for which way to rotate the rings depending on where you need to move the scope. After everything checks out, mark the rings with a file to show which r i n g , and top goes together and in which position. M a k e a single file mark across the right hand side of the two part front ring, and two file cuts across the right hand side of the back ring.
A fancy step at this point is to lap or bed the rings. D o n e wrong lapping can d a m a g e the rings, so I'll ask you to have s o m e o n e show you the correct way. If y o u ' r e a machinist, or have a friend w h o can help with the work, machine your own blocks and rings, get everything matched and on the centerline. Scopes b e c o m e interchangeable if everything is straight.
O n c e the scope i s l i g h t e n e d down in the rings it's time to start adjusting the optics. First - read the manufacturers instructions. Second - proceed with focusing the eyepiece. W h e n the eyepiece is focused so the crosshairs are as sharp and as black as possible lock the ring, it's time to remove the parallax by using the adjustable objective.
In the case of high class target rifles it's imperative to get out the parallax before shooting from the bench. Set the rifle on a steady front and rear rest. Ignoring the figures stamped on the r i n g , adjust the objective back and forth till the target seems to be at its crispest.
T h e n , with the crosshairs right next to a line on the target, slowly wiggle your head side to side in the field of view, if the crosshairs m o v e on the target there's more parallax to be taken out. M a k e a minute adjustment in the objective and wiggle your head again. Keep at it till there's no movement in the crosshairs. A n y t i m e there's a yardage change the process will have to be repeated. On days where there's lots of mirage running, move the ring to your standard point, then see if you can get the image any sharper, it's impossible to get a perfect sight picture with all that influence from the mirage.
Add a mirage shield: rifle barrels heat u p as shots are fired and the heat transfers to the air directly in the line of sight. If we d o n ' t divert the rising heat waves our sight picture will be distorted by barrel mirage. T h e heat waves rising off the barrel have no bearing on any of the conditions d o w n r a n g e , and cause some gosh-awful shots. Mirage shields can be plastic tubes manufactured specifically for the type of scope you u s e , or simple pieces of target material taped onto the front of the scope.
Lester Bruno and I seem to have a contest to see w h o can have the rattiest mirage shield. A ripped piece of target attached with a chunk of masking tape d o e s n ' t look as neat as G a r y Ocock's carefully fitted and t r i m m e d shade.
N o w let's get ready to bore sight. T h e ability to bore sight, then get a rifle sighted in quickly, is a m a n e u v e r every rifleman should have in their bag. T h e keenest trick in bore sighting is to set u p the rifle on steady sand bags, then look through the bore from three feet behind the rifle.
Getting the bull centered in the bore i s n ' t difficult when y o u ' r e not craning your neck like a giraffe trying for water. Trick n u m b e r two is something everyone should know. After the first shot impacts the target, realign the sights on the aiming point, keep the rifle absolutely steady and carefully use the scope adjustments to move the point of aim to the point of impact. What do you know, two shots and y o u ' r e sighted in, another feat that was easy because the rifle was set on solid bags and a bench.
That trick makes you a hero during deer season. Deer chasers, w h o have already wasted two boxes of a m m o , will whistle w h e n it's only two shots for a knowledgeable rifleman. Shooters w h o s e e m to know something always attract those w h o wonder what's going o n , and need help. S o m e of the things are surprisingly simple, but without hands on experience the shooter c a n ' t put their finger on the problem.
I was sighting in a hunting rifle one year when two boys with a lever action asked if I could help get them on paper. They said: " T h e shots were low and we kept cranking u p and u p and now w e ' r e not even on the paper". Looking at their rig they had the scope rotated 90 degrees. The left to right adjustment k n o b was on the top, the vertical adjustment knob was on the left side.
W h e n they cranked on the k n o b marked up, it moved point of impact to the left. Sure gets confusing sometimes w h e n you think y o u ' r e following the directions.
For those times at or yards when a bullet d o e s n ' t want to p u n c h a hole where you can find it there's a ruse you can pull to get on easily. Enlist a buddy as a spotter. Pick out a rock or a dirt clod on the backstop - m a k e sure y o u ' r e both looking at the same spot! Even if the shot hits several feet from the clod your spotter can say two feet left, six inches up, and y o u ' l l be on the paper in a hurry.
If y o u ' r e all set, and notice the new shooter beside you is having trouble, speak u p and volunteer to be a spotter before they use all the shots in their block, besides being a hero you'll save the line the frustration of waiting for more cases to be reloaded.
For a scope which is switched between rifles, or for a switch barrel g u n , write down the scope settings so next time out the rifle is close before the first shot. A handy item appeared a few years ago for the shooter w h o had an accident, or is losing the eyesight in their dominant eye.
Alvin Davidson supplies an offset scope mount which allows a right hander to shoot with the scope in front of the left eye. If y o u ' v e ever seen anyone trying to shoot a cross over stock where the buttstock is cut away so they can get their left eye to the scope you know this is a handy device. Mel Estep, who proves that sometimes nice guys do finish first, shows his style on the way to the firing line.
In late Dr. Lou had done most of the design work, and Ferris used his skills as a master machinist to turn the ideas into reality. Like the. Palmisano and Ferris Pindell scientifically experimented for a new design. They checked all the existing base cases for adaptability. Tests led them to believe a smaller flash hole would be helpful for extreme accuracy. In the normal. Al Angerman's test of effect of flash hole size on p r i m e r flash showed a slight decreasing of length, diameter, and volume of flash as the flash hole diameter decreased.
There's an apparent contradiction here but Dr. Palmisano spent lots of greenbacks with D a n Pawlak proving it. Ferris and Lou heard of a case with the attributes they were looking for. This case was the. This new case had a flash hole of. It's ironic, a case designed for spraying the landscape and hitting things every once in a while b e c a m e the basis for the cartridge which holds all but a couple of the worlds accuracy records out to yards.
Even a poor benchrest rifle can achieve target strings with less than 30 to 4 0 foot per second velocity variation between the shots.
Since a rifle barrel vibrates in an oval w h e n fired the smallest possible variation is usually more accurate. I have to say usually here; several people have tried to load for accuracy by checking only the fps spread. S o m e loads with 15 fps variation haven't been as accurate as those with 5 0. S o m e w h e r e in the middle is where the accurate loads usually end up. I try to k e e p the variation to less than 5 0 fps. With good wall thickness uniformity and two parts per million silver in its brass formula, the case performs well.
Their brass formula and the slight semi-balloon head design of the. After all, a rifle is only as accurate as its user! Have you tried accurizing an AR before? How did it improve your shooting performance? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website.
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