AusVarmint

you guys should be quaking in your boots, Im going to zero in at 300m on Sunday

went last Sunday to try a few more loads, i just dont think I am doing justice to this rifle. I am expecting some tuition!! Remember Rinso this was all your idea so if your not shooting your teaching!!



thats a 3 shot group with the 70gn NBT at 100m



thats a 5 shot group with the 65VM but i used the tighter bushing. It was looking promising with 3 shots near enough one hole but then

look at the bottom 2 again 100m



thats the 70nbt with .1 of a grain more powder at 100m

Then I thought I best test a target out further, everyone was bored waiting for me to come back in and the range officer told me i had to get a flouro vest off him before I went out to check the target! How far is that line I said (must have been near a kilometre i thought ) 200 m he says! Bugger me says I, 300m must be like the next suburb, what have I got myself into!

I had forgotten my cleaning kit and fired around 40 shots (nice and slow) by now and thought well I'll try.



I'd already fired at the red circle with the 223 so POA was the spot marked in the middle of the green. Fired 6 shots, again happy with first three. Well rifle was built to get the long range fox that always showed up if spotlighting other things with a 243. Pretty confident it will do that!

Maybe a couple of things to help you before hand.

First, are you going to use a front rest with a 3" bag? If not, you should, if you are, make a plate with a 3" width out of plate and use the stub to hold it on. Now use a reag bag.

Make sure your rifle when you slide it back and forth resets to near the original aiming point.

Shoot the target using the same hold and technique for every shot..

Cheers
AI

G'Day Trevor,
remember to remove those sling swivel studs so they dont interfer with the recoil while sliding in the bags, that causes vertical. But those loads seem to work well.

Cheerio Ned

I have the Caldwell "rock" front rest. I remembered to take out the swivel studs this time. My rear bag is crappy and will be upgraded.

My biggest problem so far is the fine cross hairs on the centre of the scope. They are perfectly clear looking at the background and bringing onto target but when focusing on the aim point they seem to go fuzzy. i have tried focusing the reticle and everything looks fine until I focus on the target and get the same effect.

However the only time the rifle has been out hunting (spotlighting) scope performed flawlessly.

trevort,

First make sure the sand in the front bag has some give in it (you dont want it rock hard).

Second the positioning (set up) of the rifle in the bags is something that needs to be right .. you want the rifle to point at the target and remain aligned in the bags .. this allows the rifle to recoil in line.

Third starting shooting with both eyes open .. a lot of guys who only hunt never learn to shoot with both eyes open, but this is a distinct advantage in target shooting .. its not hard.

I dont think the scope will be a problem .. so dont worry about it.

the other major thing to consider is how you hold the rifle .. that is how tight is your right hand on the pistol grip, how hard are you putting your shoulderon it etc these things are minor in some respects but can make a difference at target you would never see in the field.

Its all good mate .. don't sweat it.

cheers
Rinso

Ackley Improved wrote:Maybe a couple of things to help you before hand.

First, are you going to use a front rest with a 3" bag? If not, you should, if you are, make a plate with a 3" width out of plate and use the stub to hold it on. Now use a reag bag.

Make sure your rifle when you slide it back and forth resets to near the original aiming point.

Shoot the target using the same hold and technique for every shot..

Cheers
AI

I reckon using all those bench rest and bags and wot not is cheating you should learn / practise to shoot good groups without having the rifle all snug in bench rests (i know im going get abuse but that what i reckon)

minivinne wrote,

I reckon using all those bench rest and bags and wot not is cheating you should learn / practise to shoot good groups without having the rifle all snug in bench rests (i know im going get abuse but that what i reckon)

Mate I think thats great ... makes me wonder why you want to go and have a look at 1000 yd Benchrest matches at Canberra though Becauase I garuntee that they will all be using rests and bags.

Although I am more than happy for you to compete without all those benchrests and bags .. I hope you can get a lot of people to join you as well ... will make my life a lot easier at matches.

Might I ask what target match or practice style you shoot that has taught you to shoot without rests and achieve Benchrest standards ?????

cheers
Rinso

Rinso wrote:minivinne wrote,

I reckon using all those bench rest and bags and wot not is cheating you should learn / practise to shoot good groups without having the rifle all snug in bench rests (i know im going get abuse but that what i reckon)

Mate I think thats great ... makes me wonder why you want to go and have a look at 1000 yd Benchrest matches at Canberra though Becauase I garuntee that they will all be using rests and bags.

Although I am more than happy for you to compete without all those benchrests and bags .. I hope you can get a lot of people to join you as well ... will make my life a lot easier at matches.

Might I ask what target match or practice style you shoot that has taught you to shoot without rests and achieve Benchrest standards ?????

cheers
Rinso

Ok i knew i would ruffle a few feathers lol

I never have shot 1000y so id be interested in having a look

I never said i can shoot at bench rest standards i just think all that fancy gear you have to hold the rifle steady is taking away from the actual skill of the shooter now dont get me wrong hitting a target at 1000yards is impressive but it make me wonder how much of it is the gear and how much of it is the skill of the shooter.

minivinnie,

I never said i can shoot at bench rest standards i just think all that fancy gear you have to hold the rifle steady is taking away from the actual skill of the shooter now dont get me wrong hitting a target at 1000yards is impressive but it make me wonder how much of it is the gear and how much of it is the skill of the shooter.

Not ruffled feathers or abuse asked you reasonable questions

You infer that you dont believe in shooting off rests but you want to suss out Long Range Bench Rest ??? Sort of confusing that.

As far as practice goes any type of practice that helps me be a better shooter is something I want to know about ... if it makes for better groups its all good. Another reasonable question.

I stand by the statement about you competing without rests and taking as many of my fellow competitors with you as possible .. I know I would like that.

If you dont like benchrest then shoot shilloute or full bore or mil service but you will find each has its own little versions of improving accuracy.

As far as the rifle and rest doing all the work and the shooter just sitting there ... nothing further from the truth ..

I could give the best gear in the world to the worst shooter and he still would not win. There is a lot more to Benchrest that setting bags up correctly and in line. That is just one tiny part of getting it right ...
that is its one of a thousand things you have to get right all at once.

Do to Majura when the BR club is shooting and see how you go ... you might find they do a bit more than point and shoot.

Better yet come along to the Pro Cal 500 Fly shoot in September and have a chat. I dont bite .. well not often anyway.

cheers
Rinso

Really mate, benchrest is ALL about skill. First you need the skills and knowledge to commission the building of a rifle that will be up to the standard required for competition. Then you need the skill & knowledge to be able to select the most suitable equipment for the sport, the skill to reload ammunition to an extremely high standard of accuracy, the skill to read wind flags and make quick decisions on when to fire. You need the skill to set up properly, make the proper preparations for the shoot and finally you need the skill to operate all this equipment well enough to achieve the seemingly impossible - 5 bullets through the same hole, without increasing the size of the hole bigger than the first bullet made.

Granted, it has no comparison with hunting, where the skills required are totally different - sneaking up on a hog in lignum, armed with a .30/30 and factory ammo and making one hole in a pig.

Different skills, both plenty of fun......and that is what our hobby is all about!!

G'day minnie,
oh i dont know, i've been trying to drive a rifle off bags and rests now for 10 yrs, still dont quiet have the knack!
Anyway, you do get to see just how much is wind related and how much is shooter related. Many first time BR shooters are amazed when they get 3 shots in the same hole only to discover (much to my perverse enjoyment!) that #4 & #5 DONT!

Whoopsie that was the wind!

Seriously once you think you can out smart mother nature, you are hooked for life.............look out bank balance here comes the credit card!

Cheerio Ned

Seems i didnt consider all things, i still think using rests in kinda cheating but then again i have never used one

Rinso, i wanted to check out the BR to learn more about it as you can tell i dont know a whole lot about it

wasnt trying to bag out your hobby just expressiong my uneducated opinion lol i realise it take a fair amout of skill to achive those kinds of shots, just for some reason using bags and wot not nags me

in the army we used to do range shoot that scored points on targets different distances, moving targets and different positions is there any thing like that?? that doesnt require you have 50 million gadets and do hickies

minivinnie,

Mate as I said before ... not upset .. everyone's entitled to an opinion.

Have a look here it gives a list of available SSAA comps ..

http://www.ssaa.org.au/newssaa/discipli ... lines.html

That said there is nothing like Benchrest and Long Range Benchrest in particular. It is addictive and makes a better shooter of you.

Like all sports its as expensive as you want to make it.

When I was in the army we did those too but I found that they became mundane after a while.

cheers
Rinso

i dont know they were not that bad i quite enjoyed it as i found the styers and minnimi to my liking and i was going to go for my crossed rifles but things happen and i never got the chance.

Well there you go I used an SLR and an GPMG60

I recall being involved in the eraly trails for the Steyr though we thought they were toys with the plastic mags and such. They shot alright but no SLR.

Come down to the Pro Cal shoot at Majura or even over to Leeton for this shoot .. you might even like it. You dont need a bench rifle for it.

cheers
Rinso