Most important is to thank Roy, Maurice, and Steve for all the work they put into running the matches. I know it is pro forma to thank people, but it is serious work, and the matches just wouldn't happen without it.
Other stuff:
(1) Targets. I believe the IBS 600 yard target is actually smaller than the IBS 300 yard (score) target. Do smaller targets make a difference?
Maybe not at 100 yards, where you're shooting for Xs. But maybe so, because on those rare occasions where you don't get an X, how far you miss the X-dot can be a factor. Something like the IR 50/50 target at 100 yards would be an interesting test.
At 200 yards, the smaller target is truly a factor. We shot essentially a 100 yard target at 200 yards -- the weight of the scoring rings was enlarged a bit to make them easier to see. And just how far you were off the center was much more of a factor in the final score -- your score more *precisely* measured how well you did.
A final target note -- the 200 yard matches were ones where people noticed a lot of "mirage"; that is, the scoring rings were hard to see. But the 200 yards targets were printed on a very white card stock; the 100 yard targets on a light yellow stock. I do believe the paper stock has a lot to do with our ability to see the scoring rings clearly. Of course, it has nothing to do with them moving around, what "mirage" really is.
(2) Factory class. There was a lot of internet talk about the need for a Factory Class just before the first match. So, since I'd decided to put off eye surgery for a bit, I decided I'd shoot Factory Class this year. Bought bullets, powder, re-crowned the factory barrel, bedded the rifle, etc. The first match, we had a few Factory Class shooters. The second match, we had only 3 shooters, and the other two were shooting 6-PPCs. Apparently the Ruger had a tight enough chamber where the cases had to be neck-turned to fit. By the third match, it was only me. That's not much fun.
Now if the thinking is that Factory Class should be limited to new shooters, it really should be re-characterized as a *rookie* class, which already exists. But in the Southeastern region anyway, it doesn't seem to have much purpose; we can't even seem to get enough people to shoot it to have an interesting competition. I did find that is is just as much fun to shoot a Factory rifle as a bench gun; you learn what it is capable of & judge your performance based on that. But if there are no other shooters, it is just practice, not a match. As to the need for a Factory Class, there is internet talk & then there is the real world.
Charles Ellertson
Other stuff:
(1) Targets. I believe the IBS 600 yard target is actually smaller than the IBS 300 yard (score) target. Do smaller targets make a difference?
Maybe not at 100 yards, where you're shooting for Xs. But maybe so, because on those rare occasions where you don't get an X, how far you miss the X-dot can be a factor. Something like the IR 50/50 target at 100 yards would be an interesting test.
At 200 yards, the smaller target is truly a factor. We shot essentially a 100 yard target at 200 yards -- the weight of the scoring rings was enlarged a bit to make them easier to see. And just how far you were off the center was much more of a factor in the final score -- your score more *precisely* measured how well you did.
A final target note -- the 200 yard matches were ones where people noticed a lot of "mirage"; that is, the scoring rings were hard to see. But the 200 yards targets were printed on a very white card stock; the 100 yard targets on a light yellow stock. I do believe the paper stock has a lot to do with our ability to see the scoring rings clearly. Of course, it has nothing to do with them moving around, what "mirage" really is.
(2) Factory class. There was a lot of internet talk about the need for a Factory Class just before the first match. So, since I'd decided to put off eye surgery for a bit, I decided I'd shoot Factory Class this year. Bought bullets, powder, re-crowned the factory barrel, bedded the rifle, etc. The first match, we had a few Factory Class shooters. The second match, we had only 3 shooters, and the other two were shooting 6-PPCs. Apparently the Ruger had a tight enough chamber where the cases had to be neck-turned to fit. By the third match, it was only me. That's not much fun.
Now if the thinking is that Factory Class should be limited to new shooters, it really should be re-characterized as a *rookie* class, which already exists. But in the Southeastern region anyway, it doesn't seem to have much purpose; we can't even seem to get enough people to shoot it to have an interesting competition. I did find that is is just as much fun to shoot a Factory rifle as a bench gun; you learn what it is capable of & judge your performance based on that. But if there are no other shooters, it is just practice, not a match. As to the need for a Factory Class, there is internet talk & then there is the real world.
Charles Ellertson
