Rimfire & weather

[blades]

40 degrees if the ammo is at that same temp it will drop velocity. We sometimes have frozen ( literately) finger shoots. Standard velocity ammo will drop almost 200 fps and High velocity will be in the normal standard velocity range ( sometimes it is a balmy 10 degs out) a hot day would be about 30 degsF. Had a friend with an Annie , lube was so hard could not even chamber round- tight match chamber. same things that affect center fire in cold weather shooting affect rimfires. Barrel on my 40x - if its below 60 degs F - I don't even take it with me.

[PedroS]

Pedro, I checked torque on all screws just a few days ago.. How much does the carbon ring affect your accuracy..?
And what do you mean by "round number before a complete clean process"?
I clean the barrel after every day of shooting.

P.S. Bedding? Probably a stupid question but do you bed rimfire actions..?
I only have the stock installed with the 2 action screws and I tightened to Anschütz's recommendations (4.5- 5 NewtonMeters..)

The carbon ring built just where the bullet leaves the case... after a certain thickness you loose accuracy rather fast. I clean my barrel after every other card. So before 100 rounds...
Cleaning means removing the carbon ring...

Yes I do bed my rimfire, the majority of us do it.
The torque for a wood stock is about right around 5Nm

Reading all again I think your trouble is either shooting with a very different wind, or, more probably, a cleaning issue

[Shootenhoot]

Being a working stiff, I will not waste expensive ammo practicing below 50 Deg F. In most years, this one being an oddly warm exception, that usually means outside rimfire season lasts from April to October up here. That's a long down time before the league begins in mid-April now. Once it does begin, we shoot regardless of weather, other than this past year with one wind driven sleet storm where we skipped by unanimous decision, as it was blowing directly at our scopes under the canopy. I mention this because there's always an exception to my rule. Early in my first league season year before last, we had dead calm, steady rain with an air temperature of 39 Deg F and in that 4 card shoot, I averaged just over 2175 for the four, including one 2250. Not Nationals level, but for me, the biggest factor was absolute calm wind. The steady rain drops didn't seem to be a factor other than slightly puckered cards. Our range has berms on 3 sides and is anything but a "honey pot". Swirling currents that vary up and down the course, including up and down drafts if you draw a position near the windward berm. This season, we had more windy league nights than the year before and my average showed it. I get the effect wind has upon POI, but looking down the range at one flag pointing left, one right, one toward and one constantly spinning is discouraging as its hard to nail down a setup that repeats in a timely fashion. My rifles, ammo, scope, eyes do not hold me back. My difficulty waiting for my setup to come back around, assuming it ever does, is a killer. I have resigned to my fate of having to bring an extra box of ammo, just for sighters over the course of 4 cards. I hope to gain more patience the longer I shoot and move up above the below #100 down from the top of the national average as reported by Killoughs. Locally, I ended my first year in second place but fell to 5th this past year.

Here's looking forward to the new year!

Hoot

FWIW, the funniest thing I saw was one of the league members out in January (-5 Deg F) with a portable ground blind / tent over his shooting position and a sunflower heater going inside. Come to think of it, I have one of those blinds and a sunflower heater. If I get cabin fever too bad, I may have to give it a try, assuming the humidity isn't too bad inside. We are not fortunate enough to have a local "barn" or similar indoor range, otherwise I would be buying more expensive ammo than I already have to.

[wicklowman]

Hey boys and girls,

Just wanted to ask how you are adopting to weather regarding ammo.

I had some Tenex lots tested and ordered the most promising one.
Now during the cold weather it does not perform the same as during summer..

Does a tuner help? Or do you shoot different lots in different conditions?

I have an Anschütz Br50 bagrider stock and a 1913action. I stilll have the original barrel installed - it does shoot good enough for me.
Also I have a Nightforce 32x Scope mounted, but maybe it will be replaced by a T36 for less weight.


Cheers,
Stephan

Hi Stephen.I have shot many Anschutz in my time in this benchrest game .
I had a Anchutz br50 stock on a factory rifle but could not get it to shoot consistently, so I changed the stock to a Shenane one, the rifle shot 5 points better.(bedded).WE have real weather changes here in the UK ,on some ranges you can have all 4 seasons on the same day.
On advice I changed my ammo from Eley to R50 and had improvements (still use R50)Another thing I did was remove excessive lube from both Tenex and the R50(some batches seem to have more lube than others).You will have all sorts of advice on the merits of various components and attchments ,I have shot without a tuner on my old Annie with good results but I finaly got into using a tuner and find big changes to scores on some rifles and not so much on others, (but better to have one fitted than not).John F.

[)Stephan]

Thank you guys for all the replies!
Today I showed the rifle to my local (rimfire) gunsmith. I do believe everything I asked made him think I live on the moon or somewhere next to it..
But what he did is he checked the stock and torque and it was good. He also told me that changing the Barrel would be an Option, but it is not screwed in but somehow bolted (i don't know the word, sorry..) so for changing the Barrel he would send it to Anschütz and let them do it.. Problem is, they only Change it for a new 1913 Barrel.. not what I was thinking of..

Also before that I let them test my rifle in a Shooting tunnel, they fixed it in a Shooting machine and we did an ammo test.
I did this before maybe 2 years ago and now the results have been less exciting... the best lot (RWS Special Match I think) was about 0.51 Inch center-to-Center @50 meters...
He also tested R50 and Center-X etc. but even if the first 5-10 shots grouped well there have been flyers opening the group up a lot..
Kindly he also let me test my own box of Tenex and it was just as good as the Special Match.. As I said, the ammo test was done in a tunnel without any wind or changing conditions. But of course it was quite cold because it was below ground.

Probably it would be best to just wait for better weather.. meanwhile I can look around and check who can bed my stock

P.S. Yes, I have a set of 6 flags and I like using them a lot.

P.P.S. do you use IOSSO or JB on rimfire Barrels...? I'm still waiting for my borescope so I can't check if the barrel is really clean yet.

PPPS: Thanks for the lube/wax hint! I was told the same at the nationals this year.

[tim]

Last tip. Do some homework, make some inquiries but drop your gunsmith......he doesn't have a clue & will not be helpful regarding benchrest anything.
Your barrel is pressed in and pinned. Several competent smiths are capable of fitting a barrel as Anschutz did or threading the reciever for a screwed in barrel.
A real gunsmith can do this probably, sounds like you are talking to a plumber.

IOSSO works well. Be careful. Use it on a short rod & patch or one of their nylon brushes so you can go back and forth in the throat. DON'T over do it, normally 5-6 strokes.

[PedroS]

I agree with Tim...
First things first... change gunsmith, he shows not knowing enough. And a good gunsmith has a borescope to inspect the barrels. Being the first option changing the barrel only puts more fire about his talent...

[musketjon]

Nobody shoots without a tuner.

I do. I don't need all the garbeldegook hanging off the barrel. Besides. I'm not about to Bubba my un-modified (read that as no M2 updates) US Springfield M1922M1. It shoots just fine the way it is.
Jon

It's the top rifle. The 52 has since been sold.

[doghunter]

In cold weather (it gets frosty here in Oz in the winter) I have been experimenting with ELEY, 40-gr. Biathlon Match and
LAPUA, 40-gr. LR Polar Biathlon Solid.

I assumed that as the biathlon event is snow skiing and shooting the ammunition would be tailored for the cold conditions. It seemed to be ok.

As has already been mentioned I also found that Eley Tenex does not like the cold, but keeping it in my pocket and warming the barrel up did help quite a bit. Rifle is a 45 year old M54 Anschutz 1411 that still outshoots most of the opposition.

Also I batch my ammunition by rim to the top driving band length, even the best brands have a few in each box that deviate by + or - more than about 0.002in. The + shoot high, the - shoot low (by about 0.25in @ 50m). I have tested many targets to prove this.

* doghunter *

[blades]

In cold weather (it gets frosty here in Oz in the winter) I have been experimenting with ELEY, 40-gr. Biathlon Match and
LAPUA, 40-gr. LR Polar Biathlon Solid.

I assumed that as the biathlon event is snow skiing and shooting the ammunition would be tailored for the cold conditions. It seemed to be ok.

As has already been mentioned I also found that Eley Tenex does not like the cold, but keeping it in my pocket and warming the barrel up did help quite a bit. Rifle is a 45 year old M54 Anschutz 1411 that still outshoots most of the opposition.

ets to prove this.
Also I batch my ammunition by rim to the top driving band length, even the best brands have a few in each box that deviate by + or - more than about 0.002in. The + shoot high, the - shoot low (by about 0.25in @ 50m). I have tested many targ
* doghunter *

now that is interesting but how much of that is actual length vs rim thickness deviation ?

[tim]

I do. I don't need all the garbeldegook hanging off the barrel. Besides. I'm not about to Bubba my un-modified (read that as no M2 updates) US Springfield M1922M1. It shoots just fine the way it is.
Jon

It's the top rifle. The 52 has since been sold.

We're talking about benchrest rifles not Sgt York specials. Great pieces, lovely history, have fun, etc., but show up at any decent match with your M1's and your in for a butt kicking.

[doghunter]

now that is interesting but how much of that is actual length vs rim thickness deviation ?

My gauge measures from the inside edge of the rim to the top of the driving band.

I posted a photo here when I first manufactured the gauge but here's another to save searching the threads.

* doghunter *