Which scoring gauge (plug) to use in Rimfire Benchrest targets ?

R

rkcal22

Guest
I recently bought new scoring gauges in .22 rf to using in our club meets on the USBR target so that 3 or 4 of us would use the same gauge in scoring and make it quicker. Before we used a RIG gauge-a NRA gauge-and one from ? that was a tall tube style. The older gauges had a measure of .2235" but the new ones from Champion Choice (the only one sold ) has a measure on the shaft of .198" and there is a small bottom ring that is .22". What's up ? No more .2235 to be bought ? My question is "what are the Rimfire Benchrest associations using for the official scoring gauge" ? Help. Richard P S I was told by a person in the U S B R that the new plugs are made by Anschutz.
 
rk,
IR 50/50 uses a .224 that Bill Hinegardner has. I like it better than any that I have seen. After all, a .22 bullet is .224.
Jim
 
Pepper1079 said:
rk,
IR 50/50 uses a .224 that Bill Hinegardner has. I like it better than any that I have seen. After all, a .22 bullet is .224.
Jim
Click to expand...

Jim:

You may get some arguments with that statement.. Some people claim that when you measures groups, that the bullet hole is actually .221 or .220 or something other than .224. And that when you measure group size, that the old standard of measuring outside edge to outside edge and subtracting .224 in entirely wrong. I have always subtracted .224 from my measurements for groups and have been severely criticized for reporting inaccurate group sizes... :)

Dave
 
Got a Lathe?

Make your own.

Scoringgauge.jpg


If you don't have a lathe, you can buy a gauge with official NRA dimensions from Hughes Precision, Bob & Susan Hughes are members of our club and shoot rimifire benchrest with us. They have a machine shop in Indian River, Michigan.

Before this last postage rate increase they were charging Six bucks for a .22 caliber gauge. (They make other sizes too)

UP here at our club, we found the Hughes Gauge gives a more accurate reading. No plastic magnifier - No glare from a light source. For those close ones, we use a 4 or 5 power magnifying glass over the gauge. MUCH more accurate measurements.

If you would like a gauge like the one shown above, send Susan Hughes an e-mail . . . susan@hughesprecision.com

Joe Haller (Mr Frosty)
 
If you are scoring an sanctioned IR50 target, you MUST use an IR50 plug, just like Mr. Pepper above mentioned. They can be obtained from IR50/50. If I remember correctly they are $18 and are among the best plugs out there. Easy to use and see with the magnifier. A light box is a valuable addition when you are scoring lots and lots of targets.

The "official" ARA plug comes from ARA and is essentially what Mr. Haller described. I don't think RBA has an "official" plug. I don't score RBA targets so am a poor source for that one. bob
 
RBA plug

Oh yes, Bobby, couldnt let that one go by. The RBA always used the Myers plug which is the big one with the dome shaped top and the brass measuring pin. It was .2235. However since Mr. Myers has now gone to the big range the plugs are getting skinned up and hard to see through. If the 50/50 plug is like that then it too will become cloudy and you will not be able to see through it. Ken Fulghum at Randolph Machine, 336-625-0411 is making the new plug for RBA , it is like the old RIG plug with the magnifying lens removed. We are using a 90 degree flashlight with a built in 8x magnifier lens. it is the best at seeing the really, really, really close ones. Try it , you will like it. I am inviting you down to the RBA 3 gun Nationals this weekend ,we would love to have you down. Might be some hot dogging going on.
 
I bought an ARA scoring plug, which comes with a small Printer's loupe for magnification. I had a Rig and then bought one of the new IR 50/50 plugs @ the crawfish. The new IR 50/50 is a bit more "forgiving" than the other two I mentioned and seems to be more forgiving and easier to read than the Myers.
 
I like using the "new" IR50/50 scoring plug better than any other I've used. The .224 diameter is inside the glass. The plug sets flat on the paper, and you get what you get. No need for a light box, microscope, flashlight, or anything else. It just works! It's probably best to not have visually impaired folks scoring targets.
 
bob finger said:
If you are scoring an sanctioned IR50 target, you MUST use an IR50 plug, ........

bob
Click to expand...


Not necessarily so:

Total of the scores for Sporter, 10.5, and 13.5 Classes at both 50 yards and 50 meters. Only contested at the Nationals.

SCORING

Scoring plugs that measure.224 shall be used.

Scoring Protest
After targets are scored, targets must be hung in full view of competitors. Targets are not to be handled by competitors until


The above from the 50/50 rules. I know Bill wants every club to use the 50/50 plug, but that's not what the rules say. If it ain't written down, it was never said!

Ken

PS: If you got to disassemble a rifle to remove the magazine it ain't legal either.
 
Ken: Looks like you have a point. The IR50 rules appear to have NOT yet been amended. So, no matter what Mr. IR50 told us Rangemasters a non sanctioned plug protest is not going to hold much water per the rules.

Lets not start up on the sporter rules again, please. You and I will always agree to disagree on that one. bob
 
Maybe those rules are like the several others that were voted on and passed by the membership at meetings held at the Nationals.
1. You can't lose more points than you can earn. (double shot target no more than a 10 point deduction. Before you could lose 11.
2. After the incident with a gun being discharged prior to the commence fire command at the match, at the same meeting it was again voted on and passed that a bullett would not be inserted into the gun until after the commence fire command was given.

I haven't found a revision in the rules! This was done prior to Wilbur selling IR50-50 to Bill. I reminded Bill and he is supposed to revise the rules soon.
 
I agree with the second one maybe going as far as no bolt until after the commence fire is given but I sure hope Bill has second thought about the first one, other wise everyone will be trying to improve on that edge nine, but so far it's not written in the rules, yet!!
Pete
 
Good point Pete! I hadn't heard the rule explained with that twist before.
I also agree with #1. Whether it's in the rule book or not, I enforce it at my range with a "gentle" reminder to the offender when it is obvious that a round was waiting in the chamber for the "commence fire" command.

Michael
 
Stay on point guys. I have had some really good feedback about the scoring gauges that I think other shooters are appreciating also. Thanks
 
BACK ON TRACK . . . How to score (targets, that is)

Learning how to score a target with a gauge (plug) does not come easy for some people.

When my wife Mavis and I started spending our winters in South Texas, we helped organize a rimfire BR club at the resort we were at. A commercial outdoor range was only two miles away. Generating interest was easy. In the second year we had 35 members.

BUT: None of these guys or gals wanted to score targets. I spent a winter season doing more scoring than shooting: The next year, I decided some of our members had to learn to use a gauge.

Just "showing" them did not work too well. Maybe because they were all OLD retired farts. So: I drew up a couple of graphics as part of a "lesson plan". Even my most difficult "student" after looking over the graphics, said: "Now I got it!".

How many people in your club do you trust with a scoring gauge?

Joe (Mr. Frosty)
 
Good point. I spoke to a fellow shooter today about having a meeting after the next shoot-before the scoring so we do the same scoring. He had a suggestion that anytime there is a doubt on a score we should mark that bullseye and then pass it to 1 person who has the function to use the scoring plug so it's done the same way by 1 person. This is still a friendly club match. Does any club use something similar ?
 
A relitively simple way to assure that there are no premature shots fired or any shooting accidents is not allow any bolts in rifles before the command "Commense Fire". The second or two it takes to insert one's bolt will not prevent them from finishing their "Card". A strict bolts out rule between Cease Fire and Commense Fire assures rifles are safe and will not discharge. A rife without it's bolt inserted is as safe as any front rest. Anyone who has a rifle with a difficult to remove bolt needs to remedy that situation before they show up to compete.
 
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