when did you know....

S

savet06

Mike Suhie
When did you realize that you were good enough in your shooting ability and wind reading ability to start tuning at the range on the day of a match.

I have put about 1,000 rounds through my score gun this year, and I feel as though I have barely started to walk in this game. I was lucky to come away with a couple wins this season, but i still feel as though, despite setting up my rifle on my kitchen table (the wife loves this by the way) and practicing the motion of firing over and over again, that I am still learning how to shoot!

Was there a moment or a series of moments that lead you to know that your ability was such that the mechanics of your shooting style and wind reading were solid/honest enough to say "I need to go up half a click"? or did it just happen over time.

Mike
 
heck i know less than you, but hire a coach....go see gene beggs at his tunnel and let him help you get better.......learning from from an experienced person cuts your learning curve and the cost associated with it.

mike in co
 
I've been shooting BR for the last 12 years and haven't figured that one out.........I must need a coach........any available locally??........Ian
 
Thanks for the replies, guys. I was hoping to get some input for us beginners as to what sort of zen state or true understanding of this game must be attained before the tune of the gun
can truly be evaluated. I have been reading Tony Boyer's and Mike Ratigan's books trying to glean as much as possible from them, but there there is something that I find myself and a lot of other less experienced shooters discussing an awful lot...technique. I have been gathering information about this sport over the past 3 years trying to cut my learning curve as short as possible (see Mike in CO's post above re: mentors), and this year I have been following a very simple tenet "practice, practice, practice". It has become obvious to me that when I go to the range with a plan and make the most out of every session my scores improve (though you wouldn't know it today with Earl leaving his mark on our range). I was all hopped up on the idea that if I didn't have a giant rear bag and a coaxial rest, etc., etc. i wouldn't advance in this game. I decided that I would shoot what I had and prove to myself that I would be better with a different setup.
I am still learning how to shoot, literally: breaking the shot, following through, not rushing through the process, keeping my focus on the flags, and keeping my loading process as smooth as possible. It would be so easy to think that when a shot goes high when the flags are not showing that big of a push that my tune is out, but, in fact, I probably put it out there due to technique.
Maybe there really isn't an answer to this question any further than "When you have shot enough to know, you'll know."
Mike
 
Mike, something that will open your eyes is to go up that half click on your measure and then see what it weighs. Sometimes going up a single click (not a whole number) on the measure will change the weight a lot more than you realize. Sometimes it doesn't change much at all. I think that was probably why Jerry Hensler developed the measure insert that he sold for awhile. It took quite a bit of movement on it to make much change on what the measure threw. It had a very fine adjustment screw. I've noticed that there are more and more people using RCBS Chargemaster's at matches. As long as the scale is accurate, then they know when they change the load a tenth of a grain that it actually changed a tenth of a grain. I haven't taken that step yet.
 
Mike, I think its tough to put a time line on how fast one figures it out. I will say that generally speaking, you get out of this game what you put into it. Practice is certainly important, but only if your practicing good technique. Get yourself to a BIG match, like the Super Shoot or Nationals. Watch the top shooters very closely in their bench setup, manners and other techniques. You'll notice that there is very little unnecessary movement. Things flow as if they were born with a BR rifle in their hands. The only way you can get like that is to practice a lot. To me, the best practice time is during a match. There's nothing like going against the clock and other competitors to see where you are competitively. As for tuning, most all BR shooters are capable of getting a rifle shooting at a competitive level, at least some of the time. Keeping it there for an entire agg, grand or 2-gun is a different story. Knowing when to change something(or not) is what gets you over the top. The size and shape of your bullet holes, as well as where your POA/POI is from target to target(assuming your shooting the same condition), will tell you a lot about the tune of your rifle. I've spent a lot of time blaming myself for bench mistakes and poor shooting when all along the gun just wasn't in tune. If your shooting like crap, change something before its too late...if only I could follow my own advice.
 
I certainly hope I can make it out to a nationals event at some point and the super shoot is fairly close to my in-laws farm so my wife won't mind too much if we take a little detour on our family vacation next year.
I really appreciate the advice being given here and the chance to participate on this forum. If it wasn't for sites like this I would be years behind where I am now (which is still more years behind where I'd like to be!).
And Hal, if your shooting like crap I should be so lucky to shoot like crap all the time!
I have been able to get this gun to shoot an occasional high .1 and mainly low .2's with an overall agging ability, in my hands mind you, in the high .2's and low .3's if i am really honest.
So should I invest in another barrel or two to test to see if it is me OR is it, at this point in my career, better to continue to shoot this setup trying to learn what I can from it and maybe develop a better appreciation for what works and what doesn't? I don't mind investing in equipment that will allow me to shoot better, but I don't know if I am good enough to tell if it's the gun or it's me that is the limiting factor. I am going to try to pick some of the better brains up in VT to see what information I can glean from them. I am enjoying this sport a great deal and want to get the most out of it I can.
Thanks again,
Mike Suhie
 
savet06 said:
When did you realize that you were good enough in your shooting ability and wind reading ability to start tuning at the range on the day of a match. Mike
Click to expand...

I do my tuning LONG before a match. With my 30BR I go preloaded which allows me to spend time studying wind flags before, during, and sometimes after a match. I don't want distractions. I don't want to put a primer in backwards! :eek:
 
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