Secrets of the Houston Warehouse

T

tiny68

Member
I am a newbie and still trying to learn alot. I had heard about this article a couple of times and never got a chance to read it until today.

http://www.angelfire.com/ma3/max357/houston.html

Obviously I don't know a lot of the history of the men mentioned in this stories. However, my question is about the differences in today's state of the art rifle versus what these guys used in the late 70s and early 80s (maybe I have the dates wrong) and if technology has improved the grouping capabilites of rifles. I don't read about modern BR rifles that would shoot the groups consistantly like these (sub-0.050") even in a tunnel conditions in recent articles. I know that ability to tune to the conditions and correct/read wind overshadow the rifle's accuracy on match day, but will the typical match rifle made by a top gunsmith produce consistant hummer groups? I have never shot in anything like tunnel conditions. Wind is still killing me.

Maybe some of that original shooter of the Warehouse still are still going strong in the world of BR. I just don't know many of those names. I know records are still falling. But that was (and is) amazingly accurate rifles.

Probably a hornet's nest - but I had to ask. Thanks, Tim
 
If you have read all of the posts concerning the shooting in the Beggs tunnel then you are probably aware that conditions in "the tunnel" are not the same as conditions in "the warehouse" and as such the results can't be compared like apples to apples.
But just to let you know that the ability of guns, bullets and shooters has improved over the 30 years since the days of the tunnel all you need to do is look at the grand aggregates for matches over the last 30 years to see that they have gotten smaller and smaller.
Ted
 
Tim

While the Houston Warehouse is an interesting read, (I know several of the shooters who were involved), it has little relevance to the Real World of Benchrest.

My advice to you would be to enjoy the read, appreciate the effort put forth by Virgil, but get to the range, and keep it real.............jackie
 
The Houston Warehouse cronicles are super reading. I have no doubt that those groups were shot. But that is like having a 30-40 foot diameter tunnel. Although that might make for tuning a rifle to the exact degree, it has no bearing on real life shooting outside. I think Virgil said that if so-in-so had my rifle he would have never lost a match. He was referring to someone that could read the wind. Having an accurate rife is only part of the equation. I have an accurate rifle.....now if I could only learn to "read the wind" I would not be finishing in the lower half. :(:( Most do not understand how inportant reading the wind is..............

Donald
 
Consider this

The Houston warehouse, Gene Beggs tunnel and the real world certainly are all different environments but they all present some significant points in the preparation and shooting on the target.

For example, in the open air and wind flags flying I defy you to tell the difference in variations of brass neck wall thicknesses of, say, 0.001". But in the tunnel or the warehouse you will find this makes a difference of sometimes up to 0.020" or thereabouts on group size. Then you compare the gain of holding neck wall consistent to, say, 0.0002" maximum variation, that mere 0.020" improvement consider the following;

2009 IBS Nationals 4-gun there was about 0.020" between the winner and 5Th place.
IBS 3-gun there was only 0.010" between the winner and 5Th place.
2009 NBRSA 4-gun the first 5 places were separated by 0.022".
NBRSA 3-gun the above 0.020" would drop you from winning to 15Th place.
 
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The Warehouse:
That 748 worked in hot weather
That 322 was used when the weather was colder
That everything was thrown from a culver
That the stock on a lV was found to be springy
requiring the gun to be placed more forward than usual
That action threads were lapped.
That so many super rifles just weren't that good
This is all food for thought, makes a great read
 
JerrySharrett said:
The Houston warehouse, Gene Beggs tunnel and the real world certainly are all different environments but they all present some significant points in the preparation and shooting on the target.

For example, in the open air and wind flags flying I defy you to tell the difference in variations of brass neck wall thicknesses of, say, 0.001". But in the tunnel or the warehouse you will find this makes a difference of sometimes up to 0.020" or thereabouts on group size. Then you compare the gain of holding neck wall consistent to, say, 0.0002" maximum variation, that mere 0.020" improvement consider the following;

2009 IBS Nationals 4-gun there was about 0.020" between the winner and 5Th place.
IBS 3-gun there was only 0.010" between the winner and 5Th place.
2009 NBRSA 4-gun the first 5 places were separated by 0.022".
NBRSA 3-gun the above 0.020" would drop you from winning to 15Th place.
Click to expand...


Amazing stats..... Just amazing!!!!!!!!!:eek::)

cale
 
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