How many sighters do you usually need ?

B

bobfortier

Guest
Hi

My name is Bob, from Thetford Mines, PQ, Canada. I have a Savage Anshutz model 12 to play with, and I want to try rimfire benchrest. I made a new stock for it, and I am making a plate to hold 25 rounds. Just wondering how many holes I should put on the sighter side of the plate.

Thanks
 
Bob,

Maybe you should scrap that idea, just pull them from the box.
There is no set number of sighters....you will begin with several, as you work through a target, you may use several more, sometimes a good 20-25.
 
bobfortier said:
Hi

My name is Bob, from Thetford Mines, PQ, Canada. I have a Savage Anshutz model 12 to play with, and I want to try rimfire benchrest. I made a new stock for it, and I am making a plate to hold 25 rounds. Just wondering how many holes I should put on the sighter side of the plate.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Bob,
Is this a trick question? There is no way to know how many sighters will be needed. It all depends on the wind conditions.

But to answer your question, you may as well make enough holes to hold a whole box and you may need more than one.
TKH
 
When I pack for a match I figure one full box per target then throw in a couple extra just in case. Usually it takes forty something rounds to complete a target. There are days it will take more than a box. Most guys shoot 3-5 rounds just to warm the barrel up before they even get serious about sighting in for the given condition of the day.

Ken Henderson
 
Sighters

Hi Bob, welcome to the forum. You have raised an interesting question and as you can see there are several views on the subject. When I get to the range I will shoot five rounds into the backstop and then five more into the sighter targets, while keeping an eye on the wind conditions. Then I shoot my twenty five target card for score. After I put up my second card I shoot another five sighters just to warm the gun up.

Bob
 
Ken and Bob, thank you for taking the time to answer the question, this is great feedback. I think I will make 50 holes in my plate to begin with, we'll go from there.
 
Bob,
Well there you go! You asked a simple question, but the answers you got took it a step further and may scare you more than a little.
The simplest answer would be: if you're planning on shooting just for fun, it really doesn't matter. Put 10 extra holes in your plate, then go for it.
The reason behind us saying we shoot so many additional shots "off target" are multiple.
In the beginning of a Card it's first to foul a clean barrel, then to study what affects the current conditions are causing before we get serious. Right there you'll probably use a minimum of the 9 shots Keith mentioned, but usually more.
Then, while shooting a card it's usually because of a condition change. Add to that the fact that several of the top shooters will also go off to the side Sighters and shoot 2 to 3 more shots every time they change a line.
So far what I've mentioned would take the 25 for score shots, plus another 10 or more before even starting the card, and then add another 12 to 15 shots into the side Sighters when changing lines, or testing a sudden condition change. There's your 50 shots per Card.
It can all add up quickly, hence Ken's and Tony's comments about allowing for a box per Card, plus, whether you'll be shooting 3-Cards or 6, to be safe add an extra box of ammo when preparing for the match. And it wouldn't hurt to throw in a second extra box just in case things really get interesting during the match.
Personally, I don't think I ever shot 50 rounds per Card, but I sure did come close on more than a few occasions. My average was probably closer to 35 to 40 shots per Card over my 20 years of competing in rimfire.
But, what do I know.
Dave Shattuck
 
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I think you are better off with a small magnetic parts tray like is sold for mechanics. I want the bullet to be just as it came out of the box and not have been put into and out of a hole in some piece of material that might damage the bullet or wipe off any of the lube or put grit onto the bullet.
 
8-15

I find that each of my barrels foul differently. I use the sighters to check impact due to prevailing wind conditions. I usually don't shoot in a Lull, Blow, Head Wind or Tail Wind. Other than that, I can only suggest that you Practice, Practice, Practice. If you haven't tested several different ammo's, to match your barrel, you may have to shoot more sighters or take your chances.
 
Yes, scrap that idea of making a plate. Many folks have made such a deal and it never works out. It's a really nice idea but doesn't actually have any real use. Additionally, having a two part case box is not a good idea at all.
 
Fred J said:
I find that each of my barrels foul differently. I use the sighters to check impact due to prevailing wind conditions. I usually don't shoot in a Lull, Blow, Head Wind or Tail Wind. Other than that, I can only suggest that you Practice, Practice, Practice. If you haven't tested several different ammo's, to match your barrel, you may have to shoot more sighters or take your chances.
Click to expand...

+1 Very good advice, this works for me too!

* doghunter *
 
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