First Time - Long Range Shooting

P

Phil3

Guest
This past Sunday, I had the privilege of shooting Lynn's heavy gun at 1000 yards (Sacramento). Mirage was already present in the morning and got worse as the day wore on. My shooting was the last of the day, so mirage was especially bad. Lynn set the gun up, we were on paper, and were good to go.

The gun did not fit my tall stature particularly well. But, we did the best we could. Mirage was troublesome, forcing a reduction in scope magnification. I could generally hold shots during the sighting period in the blue (or close to it), but for record, the shots are not marked, and tried to leave the gun alone, not making constant adjustments. That did not work as well as hoped, with my best group, I think at 13", down and to the right, which is where the point of aim seemed to going.

Doing this is a huge leap from me, like going from a biplane to an F-16. I probably have not shot more than 200 rounds out of a centerfire rifle in my entire life. I have a fair amount of "book" knowledge, but not experience, of which I gained a good dose of on Sunday. For that, I am thankful.

Everyone present was exceptionally pleasant and a pleasure to be around. A fairly tight knit community it seems.

The experience has give me some new perspectives, which I will share on another post, and I do welcome feedback.

- Phil
 
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Congrats...not bad really. I think you can agree that it is not as easy as it looks. Have to warn you though...the addiction is probably like crack and costs more....

Hovis
 
I started shooting BR and informal F class this year. Crack would be cheaper, I doubt if it as much fun. I showed up my 1st BR match with a hot gun and thinking I could shoot. Well I got schooled LOL. Agging mid 3s at 200 and low 1s at 100 in pratice and doing it in a match is much different. Phil sounds like you need to pick a disipline and get some gear. You have ventured to far into the pond to turn around now.
 
Hornetfan said:
I started shooting BR and informal F class this year. Crack would be cheaper, I doubt if it as much fun. I showed up my 1st BR match with a hot gun and thinking I could shoot. Well I got schooled LOL. Agging mid 3s at 200 and low 1s at 100 in pratice and doing it in a match is much different. Phil sounds like you need to pick a disipline and get some gear. You have ventured to far into the pond to turn around now.
Click to expand...

I am looking at F-Class, F/TR, and BR. I am interested in your opinion of all. I like F/TR because it is more of a conventional rifle, no exotic rounds, and cheaper to get into. Did you find the match "different" because you do things when you have to, under time constraints, or...?

I do need to select gear, but reloading gear is where the dollars are going now. Knowing I want top accuracy, I am selecting equipment to achieve that.

- Phil
 
You can not pick the conditions at a match, like you can in practice. You can not always wait until your perfect condtion comes back around. You are not trying to time as much with the guy beside you so you do not double with him. Trying to keep all of your shots on your target LOL Show up as a new face, nice guys or not all eyes are on you, stage fright I guess. Having balls enough to miss the 10 on your sighter by a half inch and hold for it on record before the condition reverses or time is called. LOL. My mind is going a million miles an hour. I can not think of a better way to spend a Sat morning.
 
Phil
You did pretty well all things considered.I had just re-filled my 6 inch wide front bag very stiff and it was not shot on until the day of the match which is something I never do.
I also needed some good brass for the upcoming NBRSA 1,000 Yard Nationals so Phil was fireforming a little bit with some tighter fitting brass.When we went hot he was using normal brass but had banged a knuckle on a Kelbly ring and his finger was split a bit.
With the mirage I had him try two different methods of shooting.On his first group he aimed each shot very deliberately.On his second group I had him run the shots downrange in a hurry without worrying about adjusting as the mirage seemed like it was worse than the gun settling.
I don't have his targets but I thought running them produced the smaller group?
In any event had he a weeks worth of practice on the gun I believe he would have been much smoother and done much better.
Lynn aka Waterboy
 
Phil
I just went over the match results and here are a few things I noticed.

You shot your first group at 13 inches aiming each shot precisely.Your second group with no adjustments was worse but your score was much better.Your third target which was 9 inches would have been one of the best single targets of the match but you had a shot go off the paper costing you a 10 inch penalty.
Your 13 inch target was better than 24 of the other targets posted.Your worst target with the 10 inch penalty included was better than 14 other targets.The target with the penalty removed would have given you the 4th smallest target fired at the match.
When you factor in that you were on the last relay of the day shooting a gun unfamiliar to yourself for your first time ever with a bloody knuckle and finishing mid pack all in all I'd say not bad.
Waterboy
 
Lynn, I am looking at the targets and will advise of what else I saw, and my observations for each.

- Phil
 
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Phil
Check the numbers on the targets so you get there order correct.My sheet shows your score improving with each group and your 3rd target as having a missing shot.Please verify.
Waterboy
 
Lynn,

See my PM. The targets are marked HG1, HG2, and HG3. HG1 shows written on right hand edge of target, "1 OFF ---->", pointing to the right hand edge. Scores do improve with each target starting with HG1. HG1 had the off-target shot, and the lowest score (even before the 10 point penalty for the off-target shot). HG1 has 9 holes in it.

- Phil
 
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Phil
Thanks for the update.
If we now look at your results this is how I see it.
On your first target you were aiming each shot as precisely as time would allow and had a shot go off the target.This tells me the mirage was bad and you got caught trying to chase it.If you remember I said heavy mirage means we hold for center and let them fly without alot of adjustments.

On your second target you did just that and shot your best group.
Waterboy
 
I did not change anything on targets 2 and 3, and 2 was best. Not sure what happened on 3. - Phil
 
Phil
Take a look at targets 2 and 3 if you still have them and see if they tell you anything.You will be looking for 9 shots in a 3 inch group with one flyer 10 inches away.You may find one target is all spread out verticaly and the other is horizontal.
Waterboy
 
Lynn said:
Phil
Take a look at targets 2 and 3 if you still have them and see if they tell you anything.You will be looking for 9 shots in a 3 inch group with one flyer 10 inches away.You may find one target is all spread out verticaly and the other is horizontal.
Waterboy
Click to expand...

Lynn,

Target two and three both have holes all over. If you drew a box around the shots, #2 would have to be 13.5" x 8", and #3 would need to be 18-1/2" x 11". This is a box that level with the bottom and sides of the target. Both targets have three shots that are within a few inches of one another, but the rest are all over.

- Phil
 
Phil
I sent away for a cantilevered scope base and it should be back to me mid week.The gun you shot has needed a new base for quite some time and now it will have it.No more being uncomfortable especially with a big match coming our way.
If you look at the dimensions given you will see both targets are not square.One target is 5.5 inches out of square and the other is 7.5 inches out of square.Check them out one more time and see if they lean with the direction of the wind.
This is a good example of why Jerry Tierney writes down good notes after each shot is fired.He can then evaluate his holds to see how they did.
Not recording your shots was my fault.
Lynn aka Waterboy
 
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Lynn said:
Phil
I sent away for a cantilevered scope base and it should be back to me mid week.The gun you shot has needed a new base for quite some time and now it will have it.No more being uncomfortable especially with a big match coming our way.
If you look at the dimensions given you will see both targets are not square.One target is 5.5 inches out of square and the other is 7.5 inches out of square.Check them out one more time and see if they lean with the direction of the wind.
This is a good example of why Jerry Tierney writes down good notes after each shot is fired.He can then evaluate his holds to see how they did.
Not recording your shots was my fault.
Lynn aka Waterboy
Click to expand...

Lynn,

Good news on the big gun and mount. That will be a very big improvement.

I have tried to include pics of the targets. Not sure they are permitted here, so just included the links.

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz249/PhilJr/HG1.jpg
http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz249/PhilJr/HG2.jpg
http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz249/PhilJr/HG3.jpg

Yes, I noticed that Jerry wrote notes, and that is wise. Unless you were in the pits, you could not have recorded my shots, unless you had a potent spotting scope (if permitted), and even then, the mirage would have made that impossible.

- Phil
 
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