What Did You Shoot Today?
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Snakeoil
Well-Known Member
Popper, what is that software. Is that an electronic target you are showing or something you photograph a target with and then it give you data?
Snakeoil
Well-Known Member
Squirt bottle of water with Dawn dish detergent. We had yellow jackets on our deck. It was like trap shooting. I'd blow them out of the air with the soapy water and it would kill them in a few seconds. Nice thing is it is not oily like hornet sprays so does not leave a skid mark on your deck.
Snakeoil
Well-Known Member
2nd day of the 1000 yd match. 3 relays of 20 rounds. I had 6 sighters left so never touched the rifle after the first day. I did okay, but not sure my ammo was not working against me. My SD was decent at around 14 or 15, but I had a flyer that went low past the 5 ring and that shot broke perfect. It's all Laupua brass but I don't know the history of it as I'm shooting all borrowed stuff.
There were shots where I read the mirage perfectly and put in the X ring. There were others that were 10's but cutting the X. Then I had shots that I was sure I'd read the mirage right and it either went way off or right where I aimed, neither doing much better than a 9 and often an 8 or even 7.
I did use a SEB NEO rest today. Made life a lot easier. But I still think I'm not getting into position correctly. I shoot LH and we were on target 1 which had me crowding the shooter on 2. Guys are all great, but at least one relay, shooter was already shooting when I got down (no break between relays as rain was forecast and then never showed up) and I was forced to shoot more left than I preferred. We had a branch that waved up and down right in front of the target. Did I mention that a mosquito stabbed me in the forehead twice on the first relay? Bug dope applied for relays 2 and 3.
I did not write down my scores. They were not embarrassing, but they were not great. My partner, who took second in F/TR at the 800, 900, 1000 match had rifle problems. He had misfire after misfire. He had this same problem yesterday and then it cleared up. But he had 25 rounds misfire. We took his bolt apart and it was squeaky clean. He figures it's time for a new spring. So after scoring a DNF for the 1st relay, he resigned himself to keeping score for Mike and I.
I've decided I'm done with F-class. It was fun, but it did not light my fire like a new sport should. Wilton has spoiled me. Cast bullet shooting with 2400 powder is so easy, so satisfying and shooting off the bench is much more comfy than prone. I returned Steve's 6BR to the exact config in was in when he gave it to me, cleaned all the brass, sorted and packaged everything up and will give it to him at Wilton next Sunday.
There were shots where I read the mirage perfectly and put in the X ring. There were others that were 10's but cutting the X. Then I had shots that I was sure I'd read the mirage right and it either went way off or right where I aimed, neither doing much better than a 9 and often an 8 or even 7.
I did use a SEB NEO rest today. Made life a lot easier. But I still think I'm not getting into position correctly. I shoot LH and we were on target 1 which had me crowding the shooter on 2. Guys are all great, but at least one relay, shooter was already shooting when I got down (no break between relays as rain was forecast and then never showed up) and I was forced to shoot more left than I preferred. We had a branch that waved up and down right in front of the target. Did I mention that a mosquito stabbed me in the forehead twice on the first relay? Bug dope applied for relays 2 and 3.
I did not write down my scores. They were not embarrassing, but they were not great. My partner, who took second in F/TR at the 800, 900, 1000 match had rifle problems. He had misfire after misfire. He had this same problem yesterday and then it cleared up. But he had 25 rounds misfire. We took his bolt apart and it was squeaky clean. He figures it's time for a new spring. So after scoring a DNF for the 1st relay, he resigned himself to keeping score for Mike and I.
I've decided I'm done with F-class. It was fun, but it did not light my fire like a new sport should. Wilton has spoiled me. Cast bullet shooting with 2400 powder is so easy, so satisfying and shooting off the bench is much more comfy than prone. I returned Steve's 6BR to the exact config in was in when he gave it to me, cleaned all the brass, sorted and packaged everything up and will give it to him at Wilton next Sunday.
GRT is the German version of Q.L. that is free. He passed and she said download was OK but no future updates or releases Evidently he did get a version for Linux. It's GRT target software, similar to I forget the other program that did the MOA measurement. In GRT, slide your target into the GRT area, use ruler to set scale and create shots and groups. I had to use right and left mouse clicks to drag the 'shot' over the hole. I checked with actual target measurements, it is correct.
RicinYakima
High Steppes of Eastern Washington
You are a wise man.
I took a fling at 1000 yard benchreast once. Spent money for rifle build, all the stuff to shoot then the two clubs within 200 miles stopped shooting. Even Ft Lewis restricted to active and reserve members only.
When it was done, I realized I wasn’t having that much fun anyway.
I took a fling at 1000 yard benchreast once. Spent money for rifle build, all the stuff to shoot then the two clubs within 200 miles stopped shooting. Even Ft Lewis restricted to active and reserve members only.
When it was done, I realized I wasn’t having that much fun anyway.
Snakeoil
Well-Known Member
I don't think precision rifle shooting is for everyone. Granted the obsessing I see here over cast bullet techniques, alloys, lubes, etc., does mirror what I've seen with the precision rifle guys. And that's not a criticism at all. Everybody has to dance to the beat that makes them happy. Even with e Autotrickler, the loading process was tedious. That sense of tedium might ease if one gets wrapped up in the quest for the perfect score.
What I will say is the sport will certainly deliver a good dose of humilty. I do pretty well at Wilton at 200-500 yds. But scoring is a hit or a miss. Kinda like a pass/fail system in school. So, that good performance can make you think you are better than you really are. When the 10 ring is 10 inches at 1000 yds, that if FRIGGIN' SMALL! If you don't come to grips with the fact that you don' walk into this match and shoot a great score, you're in for a very disappointing day.
Because we use Shotmarker on all 15 targets, you can look at how the other shooters are doing if you are keeping score for a shooter or just waiting to shoot. Shotmarker transmits to any phone, table or laptop on the range so you can go from target to target to see how others are doing. I watch some High Masters shoot some amazing scores.
I may revisit this sport again if and went components become more available. If you can't get rifle time, you can't get better. Something that became very apparent was the effect of cheek pressure and position of the rifle in the rest. I tried shooting with close to zero cheek pressure and the impact point was drastically different than with moderate pressure. More than once I forgot to return the rifle to the stop on the rest and that put the shot in a different spot on the target. Consistency is everything and it has to be serious anal-retentive type of consistency. At 70, I'm not sure I'm ready to embrace a new mindset.
What I will say is the sport will certainly deliver a good dose of humilty. I do pretty well at Wilton at 200-500 yds. But scoring is a hit or a miss. Kinda like a pass/fail system in school. So, that good performance can make you think you are better than you really are. When the 10 ring is 10 inches at 1000 yds, that if FRIGGIN' SMALL! If you don't come to grips with the fact that you don' walk into this match and shoot a great score, you're in for a very disappointing day.
Because we use Shotmarker on all 15 targets, you can look at how the other shooters are doing if you are keeping score for a shooter or just waiting to shoot. Shotmarker transmits to any phone, table or laptop on the range so you can go from target to target to see how others are doing. I watch some High Masters shoot some amazing scores.
I may revisit this sport again if and went components become more available. If you can't get rifle time, you can't get better. Something that became very apparent was the effect of cheek pressure and position of the rifle in the rest. I tried shooting with close to zero cheek pressure and the impact point was drastically different than with moderate pressure. More than once I forgot to return the rifle to the stop on the rest and that put the shot in a different spot on the target. Consistency is everything and it has to be serious anal-retentive type of consistency. At 70, I'm not sure I'm ready to embrace a new mindset.
Ian
Notorious member
Having a friend who would let you try it without investing tons of cash, trying it out a few times, and moving on is far better than never having an easy chance or muttering sour grapes. I'm not sure there's a range left in Texas that has a thousand yard range other than a few very special places like FTW Ranch and some private spots out west. I'm content to plink at my own 100 yard range and not contend with any significant mirage or wind that I have very little experience with nor desire to master.
Back with the 308, only a few of the amax chambered. Fed 150 did OK. Think I got the scope figured out. Did pretty good with the 22 derringer (3 yd) and sig 9mm, xds 9 I still pull low.
edit: Cleaned today, not very dirty. As bolt doesn't come out easy and it has a mag, I use the tipton rod down the muzzle, capture a patch and pull out. Also painted a non chambering rnd to find the problem. Evidently it's the shoulder. Don't remember which sizer I used on these, Hornady or RCBS. HS gauge all is fine so datum of gun and gauge aren't the same. All factory (3 brands 150gr) work OK. Mic'd all the case dimensions, they come out the same. Dang wanted to use my 75 loaded rnds, maybe I'll pull them and try again. Or just shoot in ar10 where they fit.
Dang, it's the RCBS that I use for cast. Hornady works fine. I'll see if I can pull a few successfully, if not, ar bound.
edit: Cleaned today, not very dirty. As bolt doesn't come out easy and it has a mag, I use the tipton rod down the muzzle, capture a patch and pull out. Also painted a non chambering rnd to find the problem. Evidently it's the shoulder. Don't remember which sizer I used on these, Hornady or RCBS. HS gauge all is fine so datum of gun and gauge aren't the same. All factory (3 brands 150gr) work OK. Mic'd all the case dimensions, they come out the same. Dang wanted to use my 75 loaded rnds, maybe I'll pull them and try again. Or just shoot in ar10 where they fit.
Dang, it's the RCBS that I use for cast. Hornady works fine. I'll see if I can pull a few successfully, if not, ar bound.
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BBerguson
Official Pennsyltuckian
Shot some 450 BM today with Blue Dot. First two groups weren’t great so I thought I’d try something and moved the gun forward on the rest so it was at the front edge of the magazine. Cut the next group in half. I may go back to Unique though, that is still the best groups of all the powders I’ve tried.
L Ross
Well-Known Member
Got home from wine shopping, (wouldn't just know it a bottle of Ezra Brooks 99 snuck into the cart), and decided to run three mags of .45 acp through a Springfield Armory Fully Loaded stainless 1911 clone. Probably have not shot it in over two years. All slow fire on steel 15 yards. I shot okay, pretty satisfied, but I got hit with splatter a couple of times. I had to pick a piece out of my neck and one out of my right ankle. My spousal unit dryly suggested I not wear shorts when shooting steel so close. I figured the distraction of maybe getting stung was a good test of my concentration.
Magma 200 grain clone of that famous H&G semi wadcutter and some 225 grain RNFP all functioned perfectly. Typical for my disorganated ammo system, they were in a mixed box, not labeled, some Federal nickel some brass cased. Auto loaders, bah, 4 empties missing out of 21 and I shot from a gravel 10'x 20' pad, but surrounded by lawn.
I had found two old blue G.I. mags and one SS that came with the gun, all three fed without a bobble.
Magma 200 grain clone of that famous H&G semi wadcutter and some 225 grain RNFP all functioned perfectly. Typical for my disorganated ammo system, they were in a mixed box, not labeled, some Federal nickel some brass cased. Auto loaders, bah, 4 empties missing out of 21 and I shot from a gravel 10'x 20' pad, but surrounded by lawn.
I had found two old blue G.I. mags and one SS that came with the gun, all three fed without a bobble.
Snakeoil
Well-Known Member
Lead spatter coming back at the shooter is normally caused by one of two things. The steel target is severely dimpled or there is a flat base on the target rather than an angled base. A smooth flat steel target will have splatter leaving the target at 90 deg to the bullet path, hence parallel to the face of the target. It does not react like a pool ball on a bank shot.
I made some bowling pin shaped targets early in my action pistol days. Welded a flat plate on the bottom and went to the range. I think I fired one mag of ammo and went back home. Cut the flat bases off and put angle iron bases on. Problem solved.
But for all of my practice when I got serious into pin and plate shoots, I simply drilled a hole in the plate and hung it from a target stand. This is how we set up all the steel plates for CAS events in later years. Put an automotive valve spring behind the plate because we broke several rebar hangers from the repeated impacts. But even with cast bullets, those CAS targets started to get beat up and dimpled. We had shootings using full house loads with hard, commercially cast bullets and they dimpled the bejezus out of the steel. They started to replace them with AR plate when I stopped shooting CAS. But, before I left, I was standing on the sidelines when a piece of lead came at about a 45 deg angle from a target on the next range over and imbedded itself in my friend Bill's ear lobe. So deep the ER said there was nothing in there. A few days later it was starting to fester so a carpenter doing some work on his house took a look and dug out about a 1/8" diameter flake of lead with his penknife.
If your targets spit back at you, be careful. That lead is moving and sharp as a razor. People to the side of you could have a piece get behind their safety glasses.
Made a quick diagram of what goes on when a bullet hits a steel target.
Winelover
North Central Arkansas
Only steel targets I shoot at are chain hung A500 steel with 22 LR pistols @ 20 yards........off the downstairs patio. I cover one window with a piece of OSB cause I've had them bounce back. That A-500 steel disc isn't dimpled at all from 22 LR hits. Never shot any caliber larger at them. I have a sand berm that I mine, yearly, for that purpose. Steel targets result in too much unrecovered lead.
Snakeoil
Well-Known Member
We have gone to chains for swinging silhouettes at Wilton. The rigid hangers often break from the impact of big bullets.
Soft lead like most of use use does not fragment like the hard commercial stuff. They either just have the nose roll over, push it and some become big lead pancakes. Probably sub-sonic at the targets.
Soft lead like most of use use does not fragment like the hard commercial stuff. They either just have the nose roll over, push it and some become big lead pancakes. Probably sub-sonic at the targets.
Pulled a bunch of amax's. Guess H.S. is shorter in this rifle. Reset the die and they are a little long but chamber. Now to figure out proper seating depth. really want to run the Amaxes as factory box of Fed I bought were 40$. Corelocks from yrs ago, 12$. Hog razer stuff is high enough, prob. 25$ a few yrs back.
Snakeoil
Well-Known Member
Not sure if anyone is having trouble finding jackets bullets for hunting reloads. If you have a Runnings near you, it is worth a trip to see what they might have. We have one near our camp and I was impress with what was on the shelf. Even had some Bergers, which are about the best. They had way more pistol caliber bullets than rifle caliber.
L Ross
Well-Known Member
Yup, know all of that. Yup dimpled from rifle shooting, yup flat bases because I like to knock them down rather than just make them swing. I was just too close at 15 paces. I guess I'll have to hang my AR-500 swingers for close pistol work. Swingers are less boring than paper. I just wanted to shoot those three mags last night and I was actually wearing safety glasses.
Should never shoot steel without safety glasses. Never. A hard fast strictly enforced rule at LASC is safety glasses on the firing line for everybody. Shooters, spotters, spectators, target setters. Everybody. Without them you will be escorted off the line. The same BTW goes for hearing protection.