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Target Shooting Magazine. The first on line shooting magazine in the United Kingdom.
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Target Shooter 1
More news, reviews and information at your fingertips
June 2010 Issue
Last instalment of the .308
Winchester feature
Make your own windflags • Pellet Preparation • New Products • and lots More…..
Target Shooter 3
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New: Victory FL Diavari 4 –16 x 50 T*
Cutting-Edge Long-Range Hunting Optics The new reference class by Carl Zeiss provides demanding hun-ters with the perfect optical base for accurate shooting over long distances. Thanks to the unique FL concept, the Victory FL Diavari rifl escopes offer razor-sharp details and bright images which are free of chromatic aberrations even with high magnifi cations. The innovative ballistic concepts ASV and RAPID-Z® allow for defi ned and accurate aiming via holdover point or indexed hol-dover lines.
Victory FL Diavari 4-16x50 T* – the most compact long-range ri� escope of its class – tailored to demanding stalking at home or abroad.
With FL lens.
Without FL lens.
The Ultimate Visual Experience
12889_ZEI_ANZ_Victory_FL_Diavari_50er_210x297_GB.indd 1 05.02.10 10:45
4 Target Shooter
Sections
6 ShootingSportNews
8 ShootersCalendar
10 SupportyourLocalGun Shop
12 SelfAdhesiveScopeTurret LabelsbyNigelGreenaway
15 WebsiteReview
21 ShootingBlackPowder PistolbyChrisRisebrook
37 IPhoneBallisticsbyChris Parkin
56 Handloading‘OldFaithful’ the.308byLaurieHolland
70 Stuffyourbagsby VinceBottomley
69 LazyMansAutoReset Target
74 ThisSmallboreBusiness byDonBrook
78 ProfileonMattMilsonby HayleyPlatts
85 ClubReview
101 AdvertisersIndex
17 The Sightron 111 10-50x60 Scope byVinceBottomley
25 DIY Windflags byCarlBoswell
31 Making the first shot count byVinceBottomley
47 WMS Steel ChallengebyChrisParkin
80 Gallery Rifle Basics - Past, Present and Future byGwynRoberts
41 Pellet Preperation Part 2 byTimFinley
WelcometotheJuneIssue......................
.......ofTargetShooter
Target Shooter 5
Association Pages86 UKBRA
88 UKBR22
90 F-Class
93 QuigleyAssociation
96 GalleryRifle
97 UKPSA
Editor(s).CarlBoswellandVinceBottomleyAdvertising and Office ManagerAndyDubreuil.email;[email protected] ChrisParkin TimFinley LaurieHolland ChrisRisebrookCarlBoswellDonBrook ChrisFarr NigelGreenawayGwynRoberts KenHall LesHolgate HayleyPlatts StanleyShaw TonySaunders
DisclaimerThewebsitewww.targetshooter.co.ukispartofTargetShootermagazinewithallcontentsofbothelectronicmediacopyrighted.Noreproductionispermittedunlesswrittenauthorisationisprovided.Information,pricesanddataisbelievedtobecorrectatthetimeofpostingontheinternetwhichisonoraroundthe1stofeachmonth.AdvertisementsthatarefirearmrelatedarefromcompaniesorindividualsthatTargetShootermagazinebelievesarelicensedtoholdsuchfirearmsandacceptsnoresponsibilityifcompaniesorindividualsarenotsolicensed.LettersandphotographssubmittedbymembersofthepublictoTargetShootermagazinewillbeacceptedonthebasisthatthewriterhasagreedtopublicationunlessotherwisestated.TargetShootermagazinehasnocontroloverthecontentorownershipofphotographssubmitted.Theviewsexpressedinthismagazinearenotnecessarilytheviewsofthepublishersandrelatetospecificcircumstanceswithineacharticle.Thesearetheopinionsandexperiencesofwritersusingspecificequipment,firearms,componentsanddataundercontrolledconditions.Informationcontainedintheonlinemagazineoronthewebsiteisintendedtobeusedasaguideonlyandinspecificcircumstancescautionshouldbeused.TargetShooterMagazinedoesnotexceptanyresponsibilityforindividualsattemptingtorecreatesuchtestingusinganyinformation,dataorothermaterialsinitselectronicpages.PublishersofTargetShootermagazine.
Webitorial - June 2010
So,wehaveanewGovernmentandanewformatwithaConLibDemcoalition.Personally,I’mnotunhappywiththis–twonewviewpointsratherthanthetiredoldLabourspin.
CouldthesetwonewvisionariespossiblyseethesenseinholdingtheShootingOlympicsatBisleyrather thanWoolwich?Notonlyavastsaving instaging theshootingbutnode-commissioningcostsafterthegames.OneoftheCoalition’spromisesisto“urgentlymoveforwardwithplansforagenuineandlastinglegacyforthe2012LondonOlympics”.Thisshouldatleastmeanscrappingtheideaofchargingshootersofalmosthalfamillionforthe‘infrastructure’leftoverfromtheshoot-ingevents!
Nomatterwhoisinpower,TargetShootercontinuestogrowfromstrengthtostrength,withmorecontributors,morecontentandmorenewreaders. Itwouldbenicetoadd‘moreadvertisers’ tothatlistbutsadly,thosewhoplacecopyfortheiremployersjustcan’tbetemptedtotrysomethingnew.Theinsidefrontcoverandthebackcoverarethemostexpensiveadvertisingslots inanymagazineandnotsurprisinglyourmajorimportersregularlybuythisspace.Butisitcost-effective?Advertisingmanagers–areyoureallygettingbestvalueforyouremployer?IfItoldyoutherewasamagazinewiththree-timesthereadershipofanyother,wouldn’tyoubetemptedtotryit?
Wecurrentlyattractamonthlyreadershipofover10,000with70%fromtheUKandtheremainderspreadoverthirtycountries.Whynottryanad.inTargetShooterandtakeadvantageofourvastreadership?Ifshootersdon’tknowwhatyousell,howcantheybuyitfromyou?Moreandmoreshootersareturningtotheinternetandthatsuitsusjustfine!
Untilnextmonth.Vince,Carl&[email protected]@[email protected] Copyright©TrinityDigitalPublishingLtd
6 Target Shooter
True-Flite StockThis New Zealand company is famous for itsbarrels but now they have launched a newrifle-stock.Asyoucanseefromthephotographit is a compositeof aluminiumandwood.Thebillet aluminium is CNC machined to takethe Barnard P action and it incorporates aninteresting‘flexi-bed’system.
Thisbeddingsystemisquiteclever in that theaction is pulled-down into the bedding areaon to two flexible synthetic ‘rails’. The actualbedding-screwpillarsarealsoflexiblymounted.Thissystemwillprovideamuchgreaterareaofcontact for theaction rather thansimply ridingon ‘highspots’- as is the usual case with analuminium bedding-block system. I wouldimagine that the flexi-bed not only provides
better bedding but also takes the ‘ring’ out ofthestock,whichisoftenpresentwithaluminiumstocks.
Thestockinthepictureisconfiguredforoff-handTarget Rifle shooting and comeswith amulti-adjustable butt and cheek-piece. Thiswouldn’tofcoursebeneeded forFClassandconsiderableweight(andcost)couldbesavedbyremovingit.I’mhopingthatanF/TRversionwill eventually be available as I would reckonthattherewouldbeasignificantmarketforsuchastock.
FoxFirearms are theTrue-Flite importers andBrianFoxhasrecruitedacoupleofvolunteerstotrythestocksolookoutforafollow-up.
Shooting Sport News
Target Shooter 7
The Phoenix Trade ShowThe PhoenixMeeting had a lively trade showthisyear. It tookat least tenminutes toget tothe stall you wanted to get too, through thecrowds.Itwasjampacked.Theusualstallswerepresent, with a few new ones as well. Thetradeshowhasavarietyofthingstooffer,fromantiques to the latest in technicalgadgetry, forthoseintoavarietyofshootingsports.Global Rifles had a number of products on
offerforthelongrangeshooterandwehopetohaveareviewofoneof theminan issuelaterthisyear–seepic.AsdidMidwayUK,WestlakeEngineering,FoxFirearms,NWCP,Innovatech,Green Leopard.We are working to have newproductsforreviewinthefuture.Although itwasawetandbreezyday– it’s abankholidaysothatisthenorm–thetradeshowhaditsusualenticements.WhatwouldbenicetoseeissomethingalotbiggeratBisleyduring
thisweekend,liketheUKShootingShowwereviewed a fewmonths ago. Bisley is thehomeofUKshootingandthePhoenixcouldgrow–withbacking-tothesizeoftheAnnoDomini meeting many years ago. Some-thing to think about, as the UK ShootingShowwasagreatsuccess.Gwyn,whoImetattheshow,willnodoubtbe writing a review of the matches fromhisperspectiveinthecomingmonths,asIknowhewasthereforthefullfourdaysofshooting. Something to look forward to inupcomingissues.
Last but not least – our new government in the form of DavidCameron and Nick Clegg have announcedthedesiretorepealahostof“BadLegislation”that Labour had imposed. Theywere actuallyseeking people to TELL them WHICH lawsshould be repealed. Now, there is a greatopportunity forusall, including thismagazine,togetamessageoutthatshootersshouldcallfor the repeal of the .22 handgun ban at a
minimum. With the Olympics looming therecouldnotbeabettertime.
Anyway,oneforyoualltoponder.
This is in thewords of a friend via email, butitissomethingthatallshooters,whatevertheyshootshouldgetinvolvedwith–startpetitionsinthehouseofcommons,etc.Watchthisspaceformorenews.
The rain kept a lot in the Pavilion during the wet Saturday afternoon
8 Target Shooter
CalendarofeventsoverthenextfewmonthsIfyourcluborassociationhaseventsyouwanttopubliciseherethenemailus.
7 June to 9 JuneScottishOpenChampionships(BarryBuddon(Scotland))This years Scottish Open Prize Meeting will beheldatBarryRanges,CarnoustienearDundeeonSaturday7JunetoMonday9June2008.WhetherTRorFClass,expertorbeginner,everyone is welcome at this hugely enjoyablemeeting.FurtherinformationandentryformsmaybeobtainedfromAllanMabonorbyclickingbelow.http://www.scottishrifleassociation.org.uk
7 to 26 July NRA Imperial Meeting (NationalShootingCentre(NSC),Bisley)NRA Imperial Meeting. This series of matchesis divided up into disciplines with competitionsforServiceRifle,CivilianServiceRifle,Cadets,HistoricArms,Schools,GalleryRifleandPistol,Match Rifle and Target Rifle. It finishes on the26thJulywiththeQueensFinalfollowedbyPrizeGiving.Contact(s):NRAImperialMeeting
1 JuneNRAShootingClubDay(NationalShootingCentre(NSC),Bisley)Multi-disciplineNRAShootingClubDay.TargetshavebeenbookedonMelvilleandat100,200,900and1000yards.Alldisciplineswelcome.Open toall fullmembersof theNRAwhohavecompleted and returned the registration formwhichisavailablebyclickingonthelinkbelow.
ContactHeatherWebbattheNRA
7 June to 8 JuneGreshamsandNorfolkOpenMeeting(Thetford(England))http://www.ncra.co.uk/fb%20entry%20form.htm
7 JuneHighpowerRifleAssociationMatch(NationalShootingCentre(NSC),Bisley)80roundXTC.Detailscanbefoundbyclickingonthelinksbelow.http://www.highpowerrifle.co.uk
12-13 June:HungarianFTOpen2010Field Target air rifle National Championship +Open.moredetails:http://www.fieldtarget.hu/ftob2010moreinfo:[email protected]
1-3 October: FieldTargetWorldChampionship,Hungarymoredetails:http://www.fieldtarget.hu/ftob2010moreinfo:[email protected]
26th July- 6thAugustRimfireandAirRifleBenchrestEuropeanChampionships2010.PlzenintheCzechRepublic-http://www.erabsf.org
26 Sep Somerset SBSA – Open Shoot. (Rifle)LongAshtonRanges.Tel.01275836442.Email.julian.withey@btinternet.com
11 to 13 June British International 50 MetreChampionshipsEmail:[email protected]:LordRobertsCentre,Bisley
5 to 6 July MLAGBPedersoliChallenge(Wedgenock,Warwickshire)AnOpenCompetitionforpistol,rifleandmusket.Contact(s):DavidSpittles
5-6 June WESTMIDLANDSREGIONALTARGETSHOOTINGSQUADWestMidlands10mAirgunChampionships3x60-shotmatches,finals,standardand5targetpistol.WMRTSCWolverhamptonKarenMorrisPhone(Ian):07970166457Email:[email protected]
27 to 29th Aug-UKNationalRimfireandAirRifleChampionship-heldatPaulLaneRifleandPistolClub.CotactviatheUKBR22websitehttp://www.benchrest22.org
5 to 6 July FClassLeague(NationalShootingCentre(NSC),Bisley)Contact(s):MikMaksimovic
3 Aug HighpowerRifleAssociationMatch(NationalShootingCentre(NSC),Bisley)80roundXTC.Detailscanbefoundbyclickingonthelinksbelow.http://www.highpowerrifle.co.ukContact(s):HighpowerRifleMatchEntries
23 to 24 AugGalleryRifleNationalChampionships(NationalShootingCentre(NSC).Someoftheeventsbeingshotare1500,BianchiMatch, Timed & Precision 1, 2 and 3, Multi-Target,Precisionat25and50,PhoenixA,AdvancingTargetandSpeedSteelChallenge.ContactBrianThomas
Target Shooter 9
Welcome to GT Shooting.The premier shooting sports shop in Surrey
Our premises are located at 53 Chipstead Valley Road, Coulsdon, Surrey, CR5 2RB
www.gtshooting.co.uk
Tel: 020 8660 6843 Fax: 020 8660 6843
We are conveniently situated near the M23 & M25. Opening times: Tuesday to Saturday 10.00am - 5.30pm
Fullbore & .22LR Black Power
Air Rifles and Pistols Used rifles and Pistols
OpticsAmmunitionReloading equipment and more...
Portsmouth Gun Centre Ltd 295 London Road
North End Portsmouth
PO2 9HF Tel 02392 660574 Fax 02392 644666
Opening TimesMon 9.30 - 5.30Tues ClosedWed Closed Thur 9.30 - 5.30 Fri 9.30 - 5.30Sat 9.30 - 5.30
E-mail [email protected] www.portsmouthguncentre.com
We stock a full range of Rifles, Pistols, Air Guns, Shotguns, Ammunition,Reloading Equipment and Accessories. All major brands stocked including BSA, CZ, Air Arms, Marlin, Ruger, Umarex, Uberti, Cometa, Pedersoli, Berreta, Lincoln,Webley, Pedersoli, etc.
10 Target Shooter
The Dolphin Gun Company is the result of acollaboration between two friends who are bothwell-knownshootersontheGBFClassscene.MikMaksimovicwillbeknowntomanyofyouasthemajor ‘mover’ intheGBFClassAssociationanditwasMikwhomastermindedtheTeamwhobeattheWorldatthe2009WorldFClassChampionshipsatBisley.Mik’spartnerisPeterHobson,anotherkeenFClassshooterandGBTeammemberandbothhavevastlong-rangeshootingexperience.Inlinewithseveralshootingventureswhichhaveemergedrecently,theCompanywasbornoutofnecessity.WhenFClassgot serious in theUK threeor fouryearsago,manyOpenClassshooters–particularlythose using the 7mmWSM – soon realised that abarrelwasn’tlikelytolastafullseason.Asidefromanycostconsideration,itwasprovingdifficulttogetqualitygunsmithingworkdonewithinareasonabletime-scaleso,theDolphinGunCompanywasborn–initiallytosupplyandfitbarrelsforMikandPeterandforafewfellowshooters.Then,asdemandandexpertiseincreased,theyweresoonbeingaskedtosupplycompleterifles.Settingup in thegunsmithingbusiness isnoteasyor cheap. Premises andmachinery in the form oflathes,millingmachinesetc.mustbeacquired.Fortunately, Peter Hobson is already heavilyinvolved in theprecisionengineeringbusinessandhasavastpremisessetinthebeautifulLincolnshirecountryside.Peter’sbusinessalreadyhadasortof
shootinglinkasheisinvolvedinbuildingarmouredvehicles and test-range facilities for a variety ofweaponswasalreadyinplace.Thisfacilitycannowbeextendedtothenewbusinessandallcustomerguns are fired and suppliedwith a test target andload data – pretty unique as I don’t know anyoneelseofferingthisservice.Most of the work currently in hand is concernedwithFClassriflesasthisisthefieldwhereMikandPeter have amassed a vast amount of knowledgeandamajor part of theirwork iswith theBarnardaction thoughof course, theywill build a rifle to acustomer’swishesandat the timeofmyvisit,Mikwastestingacustomer’stacticalriflebuiltaroundaSurgeonactionandMcMillanA5stock.With shooters’ requirements so varied, it’simpossible tomaintain an inventory of stocks andactions but they do aim to keep a good selectionof barrels in stock – mainly Bartlein – as thiscomponent is usually the ‘stumbling-block’ as asix-monthwaitistypicalatthemoment.Bykeepingagoodstockofbarrels, itmeans that re-barrellingcanbeturnedaroundveryquicklyandtheyarealsohappytosupplybarrelstoothersinthetrade.Theirindoorballistictestrangeiswellequippedwithaproperchronographandcalibresupto50BMGcanbe evaluated. Integral with the range tunnel is anextensive reloading and maintenance facility allproperly kitted out to provide a warm comfortableenvironment. Check out the website atwww.dol-phinguncompany.co.uk
‘Supportyourlocalgunshop’TheDolphinGunCompany
Mik Maksimovic sorts out another load for a customer
Target Shooter 11
Dolphin Gun Company & Ballistic Services (a division of Hobson Industries ) 2 Vine Street STAMFORD
Lincs PE9 1QE
Tel: 01780 481567 or 0774 7771962 Email: [email protected]
Website: www.dolphinguncompany.co.uk
Please feel free to contact us at any reasonable time to discuss any requirements that you may have.
Rifle Work Re-barreling work Fitting of Moderators and Muzzle brakes - Reproofing of
Rifle required Trigger work – See Trigger work
Ammunition Development Assistance in Ammunition Development up to and including .50 BMG
Ballistics Testing Offering Ballistics testing for research and development purposes to Stanag, NIJ and V50 testing of composite and steel materials. Including High speed photography and Certifiable Results of tests. Dolphin are now proud to announce that we are ISO 9001:2008 BSI certificate No FM32560 for our Ballistic testing.
12 Target Shooter
OvertheyearsI’vebecomequiteadeptatreachingformyoldmodellingpaintbrushtocarefullypaintnewnumbers on to elevation turrets of various scopesto represent quick reference points for 100, 200,300 yards, etc. Thiswasalways a small but vitalelement of Practical Rifle and Service Riflecompetition preparation – you really do not havetimetorefertoapieceofpapersellotapedontothesideoftherifleandthencounttheclicksforthenextrange.Bothdisciplinesinvolverundownsbetweenrangeswhereyouhaveapproximately30secondstoreachthenextfiringpoint100yardsaway.Usingany of these seconds to count clicks is a recipefor disaster – especially during a 600 yard to 100yard rundown when your brain starts to get a bit
scrambled due to lack of oxygen! When you areexhaustedandgaspingforairbeingabletoquicklymoveyourelevationturretontothenextCLEARLYINDICATEDrangeisvital.
You can imagine then how delighted I was whenI heard about Rangesports.Com – a small UKcompany that has spotted a niche in the marketandhasstartedtoproducesidewheel/turret labels,primarily for air rifles. The labels are printed onexteriorgradeheat laminatedadhesivevinylwhichishardwearingandwaterproof. Rangesports.comalsomanufacturescustomstickerssoaquickemailexplaining my need for a simple set of numbersfromone to tensoonresulted inacustompackof
Above - The self adhesive labels as they come in the packet. A rather innovative idea that may well prove popular with a lot of shooters
Below - Before and after
SelfadhesivescopeturretlabelsbyNigelGreenaway
Target Shooter 13
stickers.Youcanseefromthephotographsthatthelabelshaveavertical linebelowtherangenumberwhich can be aligned to your zero point for thatdistance. The air rifle labels start at 8 andmoveup in one yard or metre increments to 20 andthen change to 2 yard/metre increments up to 60.Thereareafewotherdistancesthrowninforgoodmeasurelike25,35,45and55.Thesedistancesarethenrepeatedforthesidefocuswheelthatairrifleshootersuseforrangefinding.
They are available in two colourways but customcoloursareavailable:
Blackwithwhiteletteringandmarkers.
LightGreywithblackletteringandwhitemarkers(moresuitableforaluminiumsidewheels)
Thelabelsizesare5mmx6mmfortheturretlabelsand8mmx5mmfor thesidewheel.Cost is£7.45which includes postage. Visitwww.rangesports.com formoredetails including informationontheirothershootingaccessories.
MycurrentCivilianServiceRifleisaSouthernGunCompany Speedmaster topped with a NightforceNXS2.5-10x24scope. This isagreat little scopewhichIselectedforitssize.Theelevationturretisnotverytallwhichleaveslittleroomforpainingnewnumberson–whichyoucanseefrommyeffortsinthe picturewhere I have painted new silver rangenumbers. I foundthat theRangesports labelshadto be cut down in height but thiswas no problemandtheywereeasytohandleandapply.ThelatestNightforcescopehasatallerturretsothiswillmakelifeeasier.
All inall agreat ideaand I look forward to testingthemfortherestoftheshootingseason.
Above - AR15 with Nightforce scope
14 Target Shooter
TIM HANNAM The Reloading Specialists
Peckfield Lodge, Great North Road , Leeds, LS25 5LJ Tel: 01977 681639 Fax: 01977 684272
Reloading Presses We stock a full range of presses by Lee, Lyman, Hornady and Forster
Scales We stock both electronic and beam scales from Lee, Lyman , Hornady.
Brass Cases From the most popular to the fairly obscure Manufacturers include
Lapua, Remington, Winchester, Starline and IMI
Reloading Dies We stock a wide range of die sets and individual dies by Lee, Lyman ,
Hornady and Forster
Smokeless Powders We carry a wide range of powders from Vihtavouri, Hodgdon, IMR
and Alliant
Case Preparation Accessories We stock a wide range of equipment, tools and kits.
Bullets Including Match, Varmint and Target bullets from Lapua, Hornady
Remington and Winchester. We carry a wide range of pistol bullets in both jacketed and lead.
Primers For both Rifle and Pistol calibers from Remington, Winchester,
CCI and Federal
plus lots more inc Pro-shot, Birchwood Casey, G96
Retail & Trade EnquiriesWelcome
New 3 in 1 Case
Mouth Cutter
Target Shooter 15
Thismonthwereviewourownwebsiteanditwouldbegreattogetsomeideasfromyou,thereader.Sopleasepasstheseontous.
One of the reasons for this review is thatmost ofourreaders,about9500permonthvisititforalltheservices we offer. We started off using Scribd asthemedium for Target Shooter magazine,but this becamecumbersome veryquickly. Whentaking on the newmagazine softwarewe thoughtinterestintheScribdversionwouldwanealittle.Justkeeping
the account on for ‘passing trade’, for want of abetterexpression!However,theinterestintheScribdversionsofthemagazinecouldnotbemorehealthy,standingatover5000readersamonth–wethoughtwewouldremindreaderswhousethissiteabouttheofficialTargetShooterwebsiteandthepastissues,videos and supportavailableviaourwebsite.
Notthatitmattersasreadersarereadersattheendoftheday,butforbestviewingofourmagazineandperipheral products, do tryanvisitushereatwww.target-shooter.co.uk.
Website Review
16 Target Shooter
Tel/Fax 01722782432 Email; [email protected]/ Website; www.westlakeengineering.com
The Taurus ML Revolver is converted from a Taurus .357 Magnum Long Barrelled Revolver. The cylinder is removed and a Yoke extension fitted, this contains the spring loaded plunger that frees the action when the yoke is closed. As this extension cannot be removed, it prevents the re-fitting of the original cylinder. The Barrel is shortened to approximately 5 ¼ inches and the wristbrace is removed. A new cylinder is made which has pockets for shotgun primers at the rear with a small flash hole through into the chamber at the front. The chamber is made to accept .357” lead wadcutter bullets. The conversion of your pistol costs £330.00. Extra Cylinders are £180.00 each. If you do not have a pistol I can order a new pistol from the Importers.
www.FoxFirearmsUK.com Tel: 0161 430 8278 or 07941 958464
PUTTING SHOOTING FIRST
VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO SEE THE VERY BEST VALUE CUSTOM PRECISION RIFLES FOR TR, MATCH, F-CLASS, AND BENCH-REST—WE ARE NOW SELLING A FULL RANGE OF HARRELL PRODUCTS
WE STOCK HUNTING RIFLES BY COOPER, KIMBER AND PFEIFER AND COMPETITION-WINNING RIFLES FROM KELBLY AND KEPPELER, AND ARE TRADE AGENTS FOR THE
SUPERB BARNARD ACTIONS, AND RECORD-BREAKING TRUE-FLITE AND BARTLEIN BARRELS
WE ALSO STOCK PROFESSIONAL BORESCOPES (from £533) AND A RANGE OF HIGH-POWER SCOPES FOR COMPETITION AT AMAZING PRICES (eg 8-32X50 WITH 30mm TUBES FROM £100) ALONG WITH
STUNNING BINOCULARS AND SPOTTING SCOPES
SEB LAMBANG BENCH RESTS AND ACCESSORIES ARE THE BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE. WE STOCK HIS FULL RANGE AT LOWEST POSSIBLE PRICES, ALONG WITH THE BUDGET
CALDWELL RANGE- BERGER BULLETS TO YOUR DOOR- EXPORT TO EUROPE, NO PROBLEM! SEE WEBSITE FOR FULL SPECIFICATIONS AND CURRENT STOCKLIST
EVERYTHING WE IMPORT IS BY FAR THE BEST VALUE IN THE UK
Target Shooter 17
www.FoxFirearmsUK.com Tel: 0161 430 8278 or 07941 958464
PUTTING SHOOTING FIRST
VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO SEE THE VERY BEST VALUE CUSTOM PRECISION RIFLES FOR TR, MATCH, F-CLASS, AND BENCH-REST—WE ARE NOW SELLING A FULL RANGE OF HARRELL PRODUCTS
WE STOCK HUNTING RIFLES BY COOPER, KIMBER AND PFEIFER AND COMPETITION-WINNING RIFLES FROM KELBLY AND KEPPELER, AND ARE TRADE AGENTS FOR THE
SUPERB BARNARD ACTIONS, AND RECORD-BREAKING TRUE-FLITE AND BARTLEIN BARRELS
WE ALSO STOCK PROFESSIONAL BORESCOPES (from £533) AND A RANGE OF HIGH-POWER SCOPES FOR COMPETITION AT AMAZING PRICES (eg 8-32X50 WITH 30mm TUBES FROM £100) ALONG WITH
STUNNING BINOCULARS AND SPOTTING SCOPES
SEB LAMBANG BENCH RESTS AND ACCESSORIES ARE THE BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE. WE STOCK HIS FULL RANGE AT LOWEST POSSIBLE PRICES, ALONG WITH THE BUDGET
CALDWELL RANGE- BERGER BULLETS TO YOUR DOOR- EXPORT TO EUROPE, NO PROBLEM! SEE WEBSITE FOR FULL SPECIFICATIONS AND CURRENT STOCKLIST
EVERYTHING WE IMPORT IS BY FAR THE BEST VALUE IN THE UK
Whenis‘big’toobig?IrememberwhenIboughtmyfirstrifle,aten-powerscopewasconsideredto be ‘plenty big enough’. In some respectsit was – for the rifles we were using then! Iremember buying my first 36 power Leupoldscope for benchrest competition.Weneed36power because we must be able to see ourshot-holes at 200 yards but, no one expectstoseeshot-holesat1000yards–dothey?At1000 yards, all we are doing is ‘quartering’ alarge circular target and yes, you can do thatquitewellwitha ten-powerscope.Whenyourshotismarkedwithaspotting-disk,youwillseeitwithyourtenpower.
Then along came Nightforce with their 12-42powerscope.Itwasexpensive,Iwashappytoignore it–untilsomebodyturnedupwithone.Weallhadalookthroughit–theworldwouldneverbethesameagain!IboughtaNightforce.We all bought a Nightforce!We all learned alittleaswell-biggerisn’tnecessarilyclearerandsomeshooterspreferredtheimageat32powerrather than 42. Amongst discerning shooters,the8-32Nightforcedevelopeda followingandthe optics onmy 8-32 Nightforce BR are justabout thebest of allmyscopesand I tend to
use it as a benchmarkwhen reviewing opticsfor Target Shooter. Having said that, I’ve justacquireda40XMarchsothatmightbecomethenew‘benchmark’.
In a world where top-end optics areapproaching£2000manyshootersarelookingfor the best possible value before they partwith their hard-earned. Over the past twelvemonths,wehavehadanewplayerinthequalitytarget-scope market – Sightron. AimfieldSportsistheUKimporterwhichformeisgreatbecauseCEOJohnDeanisalsoakeenFClassshooterandyouwillseehimatmostoftheGBFClassLeagueshoots.Inotherwords,heknowsabout the kit he is selling, unlike someof ourimporters who have scant knowledge of theirproducts– letalonetheexperienceofactuallyusing them!Sightron’s 8-32 has proved to bea very popular scope with F Class shootersandnowonder,when I tested italongsidemyNightforce, the Sightron matched it for imagequality and, if I remember rightly, offered aslightlymore contrasty image. Not bad, whenyouconsiderthatthe8-32Sightronisagoodbitcheaperthananythinginitsclass.
First impressions of the Sightron S111 Series 10-50x60 LRTD scope
by Vince BottomleyAbove - Here’s the 10-50 Sightron next to my 8-32 Nightforce NXS (top)
18 Target Shooter
WhenIheardthatSightronwereabouttolauncha 10-50 power scope I got quite excited andwhen I saw the first one to hit theUK on theAimfieldSportsstandattheNewarkShow,IjusthadtohaveitforareviewforTargetSportsreaders.Yes, we have already reviewed the 12-50Schmidt & Bender, a fabulous scope in everyaspect but at around £1750, it will sadlyremainoutofreachofmanyshootersbutJohnconfidently told me that he would be able toretail the new Sightron for under a grand –fantastic!What’smore, he agreed to lendmethescope–butonlyforacoupleofdays–alotofpeoplewant tosee it,so this reviewwillbemoreofanimpressionthanafulltest.
Eager to make the most of this opportunity, Iopted to use the Sightron in a 600 yardbenchrest competition coming up on EasterMonday. It’s just possible to see 6.5mmbullet-holesat600yardswithmyNightforcesothiswouldbeagoodtestforthe10-50Sightronbutbeforewedo,let’shaveacloserlookatthisbitofglass.Onthescales,theSightronweighsinat1 lb.13ounces–notbad–a tad lighterthan the Nightforce. Yes, those three ounceswillbeimportanttoshooterswhoareattemptingtomeetaweightlimit–likeF/TRat18lbs.2oz.or benchrest Light Gun competitors who are
restrictedto17lbs.Whenbuildingriflesforthesedisciplines,ouncesareimportant!
The Sightron’s 30mm body tube has theusual satin anodised finish and the 36 mmocularcomeswithaprotectiverubberringwhichwillnodoubtsaveafewofusfromthedreaded‘sniperskiss’.Theocularcanalsoberotated–aswithEuropeanscopes–tofocusthereticle.And,nowthatI’vementionedit,thereticleisanultra-fine crosshair-dot which will satisfy eventhe most discerning benchrest shooter and isexactlywhatisrequiredforaccuratelong-rangetarget work. If I remember, I did comment onthereticleontheearly8-32Sightronscopeasbeingjustalittleheavyformytaste.Thank-youSightron for addressing this –wenowhaveaperfect reticle. (They have also upgraded the8-32reticle).
The objective lens is a substantial 60mm indiameter - so be thinking about high rings,thoughifyouareusingaPicatinnytyperail,thiswillgiveyouausefulbitoflift.IntrueSightronstyle,allletteringistastefullyincisedingoldandontheundersideoftheturret,thatall-important‘MadeinJapan’.Controlsmovewiththatsmooth‘precision’ feel of a quality instrument and theturrets, which are protected by dust covers,
Not many scopes have a ‘50’ on the zoom ring
Target Shooter 19
adjust with a positive ‘click’ in eighth MOAgraduations. Long-range ‘effers appreciateeighthMOAclicks.TheirhalfMOAVbullisnowfourclicksacross–nottwo!
The side-focus (not available on the lower-priced Nightforce BR scope) travels three-quarters of a turn from closest focus (which Ididn’tgetchancetomeasure)outtoinfinity.Bothlenseshaveagreeny-blueanti-flarecoatingandinternally, the body-tube has received aneffective anti-flare finish. Don’t look directlyinto the sun to check the effectiveness of thisbut, under normal use shooting towards thesun - but not into it - I couldn’t induce flare.Similarly,chromaticaberration–or‘fringing’–agreeny-yellow halo around high-contrastsubjects-wasminimal.
Normally I would carry out my opticalcomparisontestwithmyNightforceBRbut,notimesoit’sstraightintothe600yardcompetition.I decided to really test the Sightron bymounting it on my 22 Dasher rather than the6.5x47Inormallyuse.ThiswouldbearealtestoftheSightron’soptics–wouldIreallybeabletosee22bullet-holesat600yards?
Theanswer?Yes,Icould.Amazing!Sadly,the
Sightronisnowbackwiththeimporter,AimfieldSports and we will have to wait until the firstdelivery arrives from America before we cancompletethisreviewandcarryoutallourusualtests to check adjustment accuracy, return tozero,trackingandresolvingpowerofthelensesetc.
Meanwhile, I canonlysay that thisscopehascreatedalotofinterestandnowonder,ontheface of it Sightron are giving us a scope theequal of any for less than £1000. If you areinterested, get in touch with Aimfield Sportswww.aimfieldsports.com andmakesureyouhaveyournameononefromthatfirstbatch.
If you need another reason to buy a Sightronhere’s one of the best. Sightron are the onlyscopemanufacturersponsoringUKshooting.InadditiontogivingscopesasprizesattheWorldand European F Class Championships, theyhavealsogivenF/TRWorldChampionRussellSimmondsascope.Supportthosewhosupportus!
Yes – it was raining when I took these shots!
Target Shooter 21
InPart6,wewentthroughtheloadingprocedureforsingleshotpistols.Now,let’sseeifwecanactuallymake itgobang! Tomake itmoredifficult, Ihavechosentheflintlock.
Before every shot, I always drop the measuringroddownthebarrel,asshowninphoto1.Thishas‘empty’marksforbothmypistols.Imentionedinapreviousarticlehoweasyit istodoubleload-wehavealldone it,butbysticking to this routine, theproblemshouldnotoccur.
Next,putthedrop-tubedownthebarrel-seephoto
2 and give the barrel a good slap to make surethatnopowder isstuck in the tube.Then,placeapre-greased patch centrally over the muzzle, andplace theball in thecentreof thepatch -photo3.Thispistol isa.44cal.smoothboreandIuse.435ballwitha ten thou.patch. It just sohappens thatcottonhandkerchiefmaterialisideal.
Smoothbores seem to work best with substantialcharges and this one seems to give its bestaccuracywith30grainsandtightpatching.Havingasaw-handledgripeansthepistolcannotrollroundin the hand, so the recoil is fairly robust but not
by Chris Risebrook
Shooting the Black Powder PistolPart 7
Pic 1
Pic 2
22 Target Shooter
uncomfortable - or bad enough to induce flinch.However,youare left innodoubt that ithasgoneoff!.Conversely,the.36cal.percussionisatitsbestwith12grains,againwithtightpatching.
Photo 4 shows the ball being tapped into the
barrelwiththemallet.Notethatthemallet isfacedwithcorktosaveanydamagetothemuzzlecrown.Withatightfittingball,itrequiresalittlebitofforce.Thendrivetheseatedballdownthebarrelwiththeramrod - photo5.This is home-made frombrassrodwithanylontiponthebusinessendandadraw-
erknobontheother.Primitive,buteffective!Idon’tlike the ideaof usinga steel rod in a steel barrel,especiallywhenitisfullofgunpowder!Steelonsteelisnotlikelytobeagoodideaatthebestoftimes.
Next,sprinklealittlepowderfromtheflaskintothepan-photo6.Itisbestnottooverdothepowderandkeepitjustclearofthetouchhole.Closethefrizzenandset thetrigger-photo7- takeadeepbreathandfire.Photo8/9–nothing!Bother-orsomething
Pic 3
Pic 4
Pic 5
Pic 6
Target Shooter 23
similar-butlookonthebrightside,atleastyouwerenotfightingaduel!Werepeoplereally thatstupid?On a bad day my ratio of successes to misfiresis about 4:1 - nothing more frustrating for targetshootingandnot conducive toaccuracybut rottenodds foranythingmoreserious.Afteroneof these‘duds’, Iwaitoneminute tobeon thesafeside incaseofahangfireandalsotoregainmycomposure.Then, open the frizzen, brush out any powderresidue, clean the touchhole with the pricker,re-prime,closethefrizzen,re-setthetriggerandtryagain.
Photo9-result!JusttwelvemoreshotsforaMLAGB
scoreandwecangohomeandcleanthething.Thewholeprocedure ismessyand frustrating,but it isamazing the degree of accuracy possible from asmooth-borebarrelat25metres.
Pic 7
Pic 8
Pic 9
24 Target Shooter
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Target Shooter 25
Awhileago Iwroteanarticleonwindflagsandtheir uses within rimfire and air rifle benchrest.Theyareequallyimportantincenterfirebenchrestaswell.
Whennewshooterscomeintothesport,theyarenaturallyconcernedwithgettingtheverybestrifleand scope they can afford. Next up is usually aqualityrestandbackbagbutthewindflagisjustasimportantyetmanyshootersneverownasetofflagsandrelyonsomeoneelse toprovide them.Few of us are capable of building our own riflebutasetofwindflagsisadifferentmatterandasimpleflagcanbeputtogetherbyanyonewiththemostbasictoolsandskill.Ifyouwanttoprogress,pleasegivesomeseriousconsiderationtohavingyour own set of flags.And remember, practisingwithoutwindflagsisawasteofammunition!
Ihaveattemptedfurtherresearchonthetypesofflagsthatareavailableandwhatisneededtohelpyoumake thatvitalshot. I found,whilstshootinganumbercompetitions,thatthosewithandthosewithoutflagsdo tend tohavecontrastingscores,so there is no doubt that using wind flags doeshelp.Thishoweverisgoingtobedowntopersonaltaste,asIknowcolleagueswhoonlyuseribbonsas indicators,whileothersuse thebest theycanget their handson.Thestylesand sizeof these
flagsvarygreatly.
WithinthesenextfewarticlesIwouldliketooffersomeDIYknowledgethatmaystandyouingoodstead in developing your own flags.A colleagueandfriendintheUSA,DougWeeter,trulybelievesthatmakingyourownwindflagswillactuallyteachyoumore about what the wind is doing, as youare designing them specifically for yourself. (Hiswebsite can be found at http://www.thewind-isnotyourfriend.com/ on this website you willalso find the design offered below in imperialmeasurements).
ItendtoagreewithDougbut,witheverythingDIYyouwillneedsomeequipmenttomaketheflags.Where things become technical itmay beworthfinding out if anyone in your club has a lathe,as some parts will need to bemade on such amachine. I don’t havea lathe so I hadmypartsmadeupformetosavetime.
Thereareanumberoftypesofwindflagavailableon theopenmarket,singlevane,dualvane,360degree, 180 degree, etc. These all attempt toprovide information to theshooter regarding the
DIY Wind Flags
By Carl Boswell
Above - a standard match with a vareity of windflags
26 Target Shooter
speedanddirection/anglethewindiscomingfromatvariouspointsalongthepaththebulletwilltake.They can be made very simply - like the one I
made 8 years ago. (Pic1)
Theseweremadeusingabitofpolystyrenecard,cuttoshapeandaluminiumrodforthemainshaftwithamodelpropellerandsomeplasticrodasthepivotwhereitwouldbeheldinanaluminiumtube
PIC 1 basic windflag
Chart 1
Target Shooter 27
thatactsasthestand.Aribboncanthenbeaddedasatailtotheplasticvane.
Allthesematerialsareavailableatmylocalmodel shop or your local DIY superstore.Thisisasbasicasyoucango-cheapandcheerful! More information can be foundaboutthiswindflagontheUKBR22website,at; http://www.benchrest22.org/FAQs/windflag.pdfHowever,wecandofarbetterthanthat!
I haveopted for havingbetween threeandsixflagsavailabletomeatanyonetime,soIammakingupasetofsix,threedual-vane,two 360 degree ‘windicators’ and one 180degree ‘windicator’.Allof thesedodifferentjobsalongthe50mor25mbulletflightpath.Thewindicatorsshowthespeedofthewindand, inthecaseof the360degreeversion,alsothedirectionofthewind.Thelatterarenotsoeasytoreadbeyond35meters,sothe
180 degree windicator,which is larger, is tobe used at 50m. Thedual-vane flags will bespacedbetween these,showing direction andangleofthewind.So let’s get to making– the 360 degree first.Youwillneedthepiecesoutlines in the chartoppositeAll the metals requiredshould be availablelocally but if not, asearch of the internet,orawellknownauctionsite, will put you ontothose materials thatyou need. Even theCorroflute (sometimescalled Corex) isavailable in small orlarge quantities. Dohave a look at thediagrams includedwith this article. (Pic 2)Thewhole set of plansfor these and all theothers will be availableon the UKBR22website at http://www.benchrest22.org/rim-fireBRfaqs.htm
PIC 2 plan
PIC 3 center connector
28 Target Shooter
I would cut out cardboard templates of all thecorroflutepartsfirstsoyougettheshapethatyouneed. These can then be used as templates todrawround.Oncedone,thecorroflutecanbecutwithasharpknife.Thisisthensandedtoform.
With the easiest piecesmade, the hardest partsare the union joint elements which will need tobedrilled,usingapillardrillora lathe.Thesedotake some time and please follow the diagramsincluded in this article for sizes. You have fiveholes todrill along the lengthof solidbar.Somepiecesareeasycutandcouldbedonewithapillardrill, whilst others that allow the flag to rotateconcentrically will need quite precisemachining.(Pic3)
Asstatedearlier,makingall these things willmeanhavingaccesstoanumber of tools ormachinery - or like meyou ask someone tomake them up for you.I have made parts withsomething as simpleasa drillmountedonabenchactingasasimplelathe - useful whenforming and polishingsmall parts. It dependsontheskillyoualsohaveand how easily makingthingslikethiscomestoyou.Alternatively how aboutsharingtheeffortanddothisasaclub.
After you have createdtheunionjointtherestisquite easyas it is basi-callyjustassemblingtheparts thatyouhave justmade. (Pic 4) The trickhereistomakesuretheredpaddleslipsoverthemainwhitevainfirstandthenattached theunionjoint. This should befreetomoveveryeasilyandblowingonitshouldindicate how easily thismoves.A bit of grease,silicon spray or evenfreeing-up the endnut could allow better
movement of the wind paddle. Once everythingis in place and you are happy with yourassembly, tighten all set screws that hold thesupport rods andweight, as youwant these setfirmly inplace.Theonly things thatshouldmovearetheredpanel,viatheunionjointandtheflagitselfwhenyouattachittothestand.Thelatterpartwillbediscussedinthenextarticle.
There you have it. One 360 degree windicator(I did not choose the name) ready for action.(Pic 5) The last thing to do is experimentwith the weight on the bottom rod, as this willindicate the speedof thewind. Itwill take sometimetoadjustuntilyouarehappywiththereadingitprovidesandthatit isprecise.Ispentanhouror
PIC 4 windflag assembly
Target Shooter 29
twotestingminewithananemometeratthesideofituntilIwashappywiththesettings.
Even then I will look out for thecharacter of the wind on specificdays-ifitislightorheavy-aseachdaybringsitsownlittlequirks.
I have limited space in this articlesoifthereareanyquestionspleasefeel free to e-mail me via themagazine.OnelastthingtothinkaboutbeforeIleaveyouforthisfirstpart-dothinkaboutthecoloursofvinylortapeyouuse for these flags. (Please don’tusepaintsasthesewillflake).Itwillbeverysignificantforthenextseriesof designs, but can be consideredforthosedescribedabove.Whiteisvery important as the base colourasitcanbepickedupvisuallyveryeasily. Other colours that seem toworkwellareredsandblues.Ihavechosen green and orange for themainwindflags,asthisseemstobeusedbyanumberofmanufacturers.Blackalsoseemstowork.OthersintheUShavedonefurtherexperiments, hence I mentionreds and blues (Pic 6). Colour issomethingtoconsiderastheseflagshavetobeeasilyseenatadistancebetween0and50metres.Readingwhat these flags are telling youwithoutdifficultyandquickly isvitalin this game. Next time I will lookat other wind flag designs and themountings used between the flagsandthestandstheyfiton.Untilthengood(andstraight)shooting.
PIC 5 Homemade 360 degree speed and direction flag, courtesy of Doug Weeter
PIC 6 wind flag colours
30 Target Shooter
Weather Meters
�Easy to use�Accurate�Wind speeds�Cross Winds�Air Pressure�Humidity�Temperature�Dew Point�Wind Chill�Altitude�Time and Date�Graphical Display�Data Logging
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Knowing your conditionsHelps to keep your aim true
Knowing your conditionsHelps to keep your aim true
Target Shooter 31
Greg Thompson won the GB F Class League in2008and,asistradition,weconductedaninterviewwith Greg. These interviews follow a standardpatternandoneof thequestionswealwaysask is“WouldyouliketoseeanychangestotheFClassrules.”Greg’s(tongueincheek)reply–“Whatabout
nosighters?”Now that would really put the cat amongst thepigeons!MostUK shooting competitions allow thecompetitoracoupleofsightingshots–plusweevenhavetheluxuryof‘blow-off’shotsinmajorFClasscomps.Oneshootthatdoesn’thaveanysightersistheDiggleEggShoot.Withoutsighters,more thanhalf thefieldwill fail tohitanA3sizetargetat500yardsbutgiveaguysightersandhecanshootthegonadsoffagnat!At short range – out to say 600 yards, it’s prettydifficult to miss the six-foot square panel that isyourFClasstargetbut,at1000yards,it’sawholedifferent ball-game. Through experience, welearn,we record,weamassdatabothwrittenandrememberedthatwecancallonwhenweliedownat1000yardsonastrangerangewithasignificantwindblowing.Tothenaked-eye,thetargetappearsasatinywhitesquare-howdoweensurethatfirstshothitsthetarget?For me, if it’s a big competition, it’s a great reliefwhen the target goesdown followingmy first shotand sheer bliss when it comes back up with aspotting-disc in place. It doesn’t matter where thespotteris–it’snottoodifficulttoadjustforthenextshot. The main thing is being on target with thatfirst shot. If you’re not, youwill likely throwawayvaluablepointsthatyoucanneverrecover.Hopefully, we will have some data from the lasttimewe shot at 1000 yards.Data?Thatwould beour scope’s elevation setting andwind ‘zero’ for a
Making that first shot count
by Vince Bottomley
ThisCaldwellmeterusefullygivesthetemperatureaswellaswind-speed.There are similar meters from Kestrel which can get very sophisticated.
32 Target Shooter
familiar range that we shoot on regularly. Armedwiththisinformation,wecanhopefullymakeagood‘stab’atourscopeadjustment to take intoaccounttheprevailingconditions.Weneedtojudgethewindstrengthanddirection.Wealsoneedtoconsiderthetemperatureandtheelevationofthefiring-point.Example,Diggleis1000feetabovesealevel,Bisleyisperhaps200feet.Armedwith this information,afirstshothitshouldbeguaranteed–providingwecan‘translate’ourdataintominutesofangle(MOA)onourscope’swindageandelevationturrets!Most of us will have encountered the computerballisticprogram–theyarecheap(oftenfree)easy
touseandprettyaccurate.Fortunately, you don’t need to dragyourlaptopontothefiring-point-youcan download ballistic programmesdirect to your i-phone.Alternatively,we can print out our ‘desktop’ dataonasheetofpaper.Wecanevenlaminate it for weather protection –clumsy though, as we would haveto print several sheets to cover allpossible temperature and windvariations. Are there betteralternatives?Let’shavealookatafewaidswhichwill help both the field and rangeshooter to reliably make that firstroundhit.
The wind indicatorThe simplest wind indicator is thewind-flag - a familiar site on mostranges. If you are in the field, thenyoumust relyon ‘natural’ indicators–liketrees,grass,smoke–anythingin fact which will help you ‘read’the wind. Problem is - how do wetranslate what we see into scopeadjustments?
I’msureweareallfamiliarwithwindmetersliketheKestrelorCaldwell.Switchon,holdintothewindandthewind-speedinMPH(orKPH)appearsonthescreen.Veryusefulbutitonlyindicatesthe wind-strength at one point. A thousandyards away it might be doing something quitedifferent.Combinedthiswithaseriesofrange-flagshoweverandwecanbegintobuildupapictureofthewind-conditionsdowntherange.Finebutwhatcanwedowiththatinformation?
Palm-topsTheearlyballisticprogrammeswerequitebasicand
Unfortunately, the screen display
doesn’t show up in this pic – you need
to have a look at the website
The Horus will link to a range-finder, wind-meter and
your PC
Target Shooter 33
were initially meant to be installed on a desk-topcomputerlinkedtoaprintersonotmuchuseinthefieldbutoflate,theyhavebecomeverysophisticatedandcanbeusedwithyouri-phone,i-podorpalm-topandallowtheshootertoinputnotonlywindstrengthand direction but also your bullet’s BC, muzzlevelocity, elevation, temperature and atmosphericpressure. (See Chris Parkin’s review of an i-podballisticprog.elsewhereinthisissue).Armedwiththisinformation,wecancomeupwithaprettygoodguesswhichshouldguaranteethatfirst-roundhit.
I’verecentlyhadaplaywithafewofthesedevicesand the daddy of them all is the one whichreally prompted this article - the HorusATragMXBallistics calculator. At around $2000 this is theultimate ballistic palm-top and is intended for
serious military/professionaluse. I doubt that there aremany amateur shooterswilling to spend that amountbutifyoumusthavethebest,oryouareaprofessionaluser,theHorusdeserves tobeonyourshoppinglist.
It isan incredibledevice thatcan link to your wind-meter,range-finder and computerand covers just about everyconceivable ballistic input,including G1 and G7 BCvalues,Coriolisandspin-drift.When you’ve inputted all thedata for a particular weaponyou can even use it withyour computer to print out aballistics range-card, whichcould be handed to the
individualmarksman.On top of that, it is built likeatanktostanduptobattlefieldconditions–unlikeyouri-pod!
On a familiar rifle-range, shooting at a knowndistance, it was difficult for me to really test theHorus– itmerely confirmedmyBrianLitz ballisticprog.wascorrect.Ireallyneededtobeonanopenrangewithasteelplateatanextremebutunknowndistance.Undertheseconditions,IdoubtthatthereisanythingtotouchtheHorus.I’mgratefultoHorusinallowingmetoplaywiththisequipmentandIurgeyoutohavealookattheirextensivewebsiteatwww.horusvision.com Thiswill tell you farmore than Ican.Ifyouareaprofessionalshooterthenhopefully,youalreadyknowaboutHorus,ifnot,pleasemakeityourdutytofindout.
However, for the amateur, an i-pod loaded with adecentballisticprogrammeisagoodoptionbutwearestilldependantonbatteries,wetweatheretc.andthispromptedmetooptforoneofDougieLorimer’sTAS‘whiz-wheels’formyFClassshooting.
This is a non-electrical aid which is every bit asaccurate as the aforementioned i-pod devicesbut is specific toonebullet at onemuzzle-velocityand is dedicated to your rifle and ammunition bychronographing your ammunition at a specifictemperature, altitude and pressure and engravingthisinformationontothewheel.Theinformationonthewheelisexactlywhatyoucouldobtainfromyourballistic programme and print out onto a sheet ofpaper –well, several sheets of paper actually butthewheel is somuchmore robust– indestructiblealmostandallowsyoutocorrect forwind-strength,
The TAS (Tactical Adjustment Systems) whiz-wheel
The actual wheel – you could have one for each of your rifles
34 Target Shooter
direction, temperature and inclination (though thelatterwon’tnormallyberelevantonaformalrifle-range).
Itsadvantageover the i-pod isutter reliability. It isnotaffectedby immersion inwater, sand,extremeheat or cold, impact-damage or low battery – nomatterwhattheconditions,thewhiz-wheelkeepsonworking. Its disadvantage? It is specific to oneammunition/rifle combination but for say a policefirearmsunitusingthesameriflesandammunition,it’s ideal. Ifyouchangerifleorammo.oryouwantoneforanotherrifle,thengobacktoDougieandhewillmakeyouanotherdisc–they justsnap inandout in seconds.What could be simpler? I’ve usedmine for a few months now and I’m beginning tolearnthat,coupledwithmyKestrel, Icanrelyonitcompletely.HavealookattheTAS(TacticalAdjustmentSystems)websiteformoreinfo.www.globalsecurity-marketing.com
Oneoftheproblemsofusinganyofthesedevicesistheoldcomputeradage–‘Rubbishin–rubbishout’.Inotherwords, if theinformationyouinput intothepalm-top isnotaccurate, the informationregarding
elevation and windage settings won’t be accurateeither.TheKestrelwillgiveaprettygoodindicationofwind-speedbutdon’tforgettemperature.Playingwiththeseprogrammes,Iwassurprisedhowmuchasmallchangeintemperaturecanaffecttheelevationwhenshootingatextremeranges,sowemusttaketemperatureintoaccountthoughitneedn’tbetothenearestdegree– thoughobviously,moreaccuratethebetter.
Theotherproblemiswinddirection.Ifindthisverydifficulttoestimate.Yes–nottoodifficulttoestimatethedifferencebetweensaya90degreeor45degreewindbutwhocanreadittowithintendegrees?Thedifferencebetween thewind-drift of a10mphwindat4o’clockand5o’clockisthree-feetat1000yardsona308bullet–enoughtohaveyouoffthetarget!One of my shooting buddies who has had ‘someexperience’ -and Iwillsaynomore than that–oftraining military snipers has come up with a verysimple little device that is a great wind-directionindicator.
Like the whiz-wheel, it’s non-electrical, weather-proof andeasy to carry in your shootingbag (see
This mechanical wind-indicator is about six-inches in diameter and made of very tough plastic – robust and weatherproof
Target Shooter 35
pic)as thespinner just liftsoff. It’smadeofaverytoughplasticandinnormaluseitwouldbedifficulttodamage it. Itcouldn’tbesimpler touse–alignthe disc with your rifle’s line of sight, look at thesegment below the pointer and it tells you whatpercentage of the wind speed (indicated by yourmeter)toapply.Moreimportantly,itwillimmediatelyindicateanywindchangesduringyourshoot.Combine this with a Kestrel (preferably one thatreads the temperatureaswellaswind-speed)anda decent i-pod ballistic programme or the TASwizz-wheelandwearewellonthewaytothatfirstroundhit.
Incidentally,theHorususesthe‘clock-face’principalforwind-directioninputssotheyobviouslyfeelthatthisisaboutasaccurateasyouarelikelytobeabletojudge.
Another critical variable is the ballistic coefficient(BC)ofourbullet.Weall thinkweknowthis– justlookituponthebulletmanufacturer’swebsite.Notgood enough! At what altitude and velocity weretheBCsarrivedat?Youcanbetthemanufacturerschose themost favourableconditions. Ifyou reallywanttoknowyourbullet’strueBC,Iwouldsuggestpurchasing a copy of Brian Litz’s excellent bookApplied Ballistics for Long Range Shooting. Brianlists the real BC values for most popular matchbullets, arrived at by individual testing and therearesomevariations.Notonly that,heexplains thefolly of using the G1 ballistic coefficient (favouredbythebulletmanufacturers)asopposedtotheG7figure,whichisamuchmorerealisticBCforboat-tailmatchbullets.IncludedwiththebookisBrian’sownsimpletouseballisticprogrammeonaCDwhichisalsoveryaccurate,especiallyifyouuseitwithyourbullet’sG7BC value.TheG7BC values formostpopular match bullets are also given in the book.(ISBN978-0-615-27661-8)
Finally,wecanbuyanynumberofthesedevicesbutdon’tforgetthedeviceyoualreadyhaveandcostsnothing – common sense! Make sure you recordyour ‘still air’ zeros at all ranges so that you areonly making minor tweaks to your scope settingsdependant on conditions on the day. Remembertheobvious - if thewind is blowing from the right,then you know that if you miss the target, yourshotwillhavegonetotheleft.Lookatyourfellow-competitors’ targets and see how their sightersimpacted– thoughof course, youdon’t knowhowmuchwindtheywound-on!Beforeyouevengetoutyourwhiz-wheel,Kestralor i-pod–makeastabatreadingthewind–themoreyoudothis, themoreyouwillbecomefamiliarwiththewind.
Before I close this article, I must tell you of aninterestingdevice I received theotherday.Oneofthe problems which occasionally begets even themostexperiencedshootersisthatofbeinga‘fullturnout’ on the scope’s elevation turret.Many scopes,like for example the Nightforce BR have just sixMOAtoafullturnoftheturret.Thismeansyoucouldbe turning the turret four or five revolutions whenapplyingelevation–andhonestly,whohasn’tgotitwrongduringtheheatofcompetition?OnesolutionistobuyaSchmidt&Bender–abouttheonlyscopethatyoucanlookatandvisuallytellyourelevationsetting.
Alternatively,thislittledevicefromABTacticalcalledthe CSSS – continuous scale sighting system –doesthesamejob.Itfitsoveryourscopeturretsandusesaclevermethodtodisplayyourelevation(andwindage) settings from zero to - whatever yourscope’s maximum. It’s an interesting concept andonewhichABTacticalarecontinuallyimproving.E-maila.b@ab-tactical.comifyouwantmoredetails.
The foolproof S&B turret. Even from the pic I can see that we are on the upper yellow scale from the ‘light-house’ indicator and our elevation is therefore about 36 MOA.
The CSSS is similarly foolproof and can be fitted to almost any scope. We can see that we have 25 MOA wound-on. Never be a turn out again
Target Shooter 37
Whilst planning a recent trip to the WMS steelchallenge in Wales, I started to consider whatequipmenttotakewithmewhichmighthelpmeto
hitthelong-rangetargetsovervariableterraintypesand distances. Previously, when target-shootingor hunting, I always used a home computer andinternet-based software such as JBM ballistics tocalculatemy trajectorydata.Thisdatawasalwaysdone when a load had been chosen and prior toactual use. For target shoots, a range card wasproduced and for field use, a small ‘limited data’setwasprintedoutandstuckinsidemyrearflip-upscope cap for quick reference.Was there anotheroption?
Itrytokeepthingssimplewithmykit;Ialwayshave,as Ihate luggingaroundunnecessary items. Ihadjust changed frombinocularsanda rangefinder toacombinedLeicaunit sowhen I started to think Iwouldlikeasmallunittopreparereal-timetrajectorydata,Iwantedsomethingcompactandfairlysimple.Iimaginedreal-timedataratherthanpre-calculateddata would be an advantage and although myprevious calculations had always got me spot-ontarget, I knew that when shooting at differentaltitudes in different weather conditions and mostimportantly with variable winds and gradients, Iwouldneedhelp.
Ihadusedsimilarsoftwareformyarcheryshootingandithadgivenmeagreaterunderstandingofhowtrajectoryalterswithshotsupanddownhill-oneofthemainchallengesofthefield-archerydisciplineIprefer.Thissoftwarewaspalm-computerbasedandIlookedintothisoptionfirst,thentoamoreversatilemodern palm PC. The cost of the hardware andsoftwarelookedhighforwhatIthoughtmaybecomeanoveltywithnootherusethanthistaskandIgave
Photograph 1 Trajectory Input
Ballistic FTE: Field Tactical Edition SoftwareReal-Time Ballistic data for your iPhone or iPod Touch by Chris Parkin
38 Target Shooter
uptheideauntilIlearnedwhat‘Apps’were.
The iPhone and iPod Touch run softwareapplications and literally thousands are availableviaApple.Theyareusuallywrittenby independentcompanies or even lone programmers and if theyaredeemedgoodenough,canbegivenalicensebyAppleandsoldviaiTunes.
Well,therewerequiteafewprogramsavailableforthetaskandalthoughIwouldhavelikedaniPhone,I pickedupa used iPodTouch thatwould run thesoftware. After doing a bit of background internetresearch and logging into iTunes, I chose a pieceofsoftwarecalledBallistic:FieldTacticalEditionthatseemed toofferwhat Ineeded.Theprogram itselfused the JBM ballistic mathematical programmingthatIhadalwaysfoundreliableandthepricewasaveryreasonable£11.99.Wasittoogoodtobetrue?
It only tooka fewminutes todownloadand installthesoftwareontheiPodTouch.ItwasveryintuitivetouseandIwasimmediatelyimpressed,somethingrareforme-somyfriendssay.I’mnotmuchofan
instructionreadersoIjusttinkeredwiththesoftwareandwithinminuteshaddatasets installed in it forthree ofmy rifles.The data output agreed exactlywith my previously verified trajectory informationand, over the course of the next few days, Icontinuedtotinkerwiththenumerousextrafeatures.
Theprogramrequiredalltheusualdatatobeinput,bullet, calibre, BC,muzzle velocity etc. alongwiththedesiredoutputdatavaluessuchasscopeclicksin MOA, Mils or centimetres and the desired unitfor range in eithermetres or yards. If youwantedtobemorepreciseandspecifymorevariables,allatmosphericdata,globallocationandaltitudecouldbeenteredalongwithfurtherriflespecificdatasuchasscopeheightandbarreltwistrate.I’mnottoosuremyshootingskillsweregoingtobenefitfromCorioliseffectcompensation!
Aswellasofferingfullcustomspecificationsforyourload, the program also had a database of a largenumberoffactoryloadsforcalibresfrom.22rimfireup toAfricanBigGameandevenmilitarycalibres.Thedataheldforallspecificbulletsforhandloadinghad manufacturers G1 Ballistic Coefficient datagiven. Further to this, some of the more popularmatchbulletshadsecondaryG7ballisticcoefficientsprovided by Brian Litz, a noted US shooter whoworks for Berger Bullets and has done extensivescientific testing to produce further refined datausing long range chronographs and acousticsensorstofurtherenhanceknownBCdata.
When using the program there are five mainoperational functions all with shortcut keys at thebottom of the screen.Youwill have either chosena factory load or entered your own custom loadusing the ‘Trajectory’ function. This can then besavedandenteredintothe‘Favourites’sectionthatis the second function.Within these favourites, allspecific rifleandscopedata is integrated intoonefilealongwithotherdataandnotesyoumaywantto record - such as zeroing range, temperature,locationandtheconditionsatthetime.Asubsectionis specifically for reloadingdata that is veryusefulandanyof this informationcanbereturnedtoandeditedatanytime.
The ‘Distance’ function, to cut a long story short,allows you to estimate distance using either astandardMildotorMOAreticle.Theinputandoutputfunctions can, as usual, be entered anddisplayedin either metric or imperial equivalents. A ‘Rangelog’ is thenext featurewhichallowsyou to recordeveryvisittotherangeorothershootingopportunityand record all relevant data including scoring incompetitiononavastarrayof target formats.Thismay be useful in nicer climates but to be honest,
Photograph 2 - Head Up Display
Target Shooter 39
itmay be a bit fiddly in the heat of competition –especiallyifit’srainingbutmoreaboutthatlater.
The last of the five shortcut functions is titlde‘HUD’orheadupdisplayand isperhaps themostusefulandrelevant,certainlyformyneedsontheday,givingreal timedata.Again,any factoryorcustomloadcanbechosen,alongwithanypreviouslysavedfavourites. Once the load is chosen the screenalters to a minimally clear function display, whichis,astherestoftheprogram,usedexclusivelyasatouchscreen.ThisistheareaIwasmostimpressedwith.
Thedisplay issimilar toa fruitmachinewith threeverticalwheels -Range,WindDirection andWindSpeed. The dials are simply and quickly rolled tothedesiredsettings,e.g.870yards,3O’clockwindat15mph.Thescreencanalsobeset foraltitude,pressure, temperature, as well as humidity but Ihave left these set as standard for now.Once thedialshavebeenset,afteracoupleofseconds thedropandwindagearedisplayed,bothininchesandMOA although you can of course select whateverunitsyouprefer.
The functionality and simplicity of the unit is greatand quick to use, but the biggest surprise camelast.TheiPoditselfhasbuilt insensorsthatdetectthe angle the unit is held at once calibrated. Thisangledetectioncanbeturnedonoroffandcanalsobe entered manually but is incorporated into thecalculation for extra accuracy. Although we didn’ttakeanyshotsmuchbeyond10degreesdownhill,the few MOA that the software compensated forcertainlymadethefirstshothitsmorelikelyandthefeature was a very pleasant surprise. I knew thesoftwarewouldcalculatetheangles,butIassumedIwouldneedtouseaseparateclinometer.
Myoverallimpressionsoftheunitwereexcellent,asforthe£11.99pricetag,wellitwasamazingvalueformoney,sowhatarethe‘pros’and‘cons’?
Thebig ‘pros’ formeare thespeed,simplicityandintuitive functionality. The fact you do not need astylusforthescreenisgreatasitmeansitisastandaloneitemwithnothingtolose.The‘cons’asIseethemarereallyjustmyparanoia.I still printed rangecards to takewithmeanduseand did so for 80% of the shots. I only used theiPod for shots where I considered I neededmoredata,mainlythedownhilltargets.Thisisnocriticismof the device, I justwanted to keep it in a pocketjust incase.Ididn’twanttosuddenlyfindIhadnobatterywhenIreallyneededit,ordamageitand,tobehonest,nothing iseverassimpleorquickasawaterproofcardattachedtothescopemount.Comingbacktousingitfortargetshooting,asfarasIknowitisnotwaterproof.
DoIregretbuyingtheiPodorsoftware?Notatall,the iPodhasmanyuses thatwould takeweeks tocover and the software did more than I expectedwithaccuracyandsimplicitythatisadelight.Iwouldcertainlyrecommendittoanyoneinterested.TherearemanymorefunctionsthanIhavelistedand,likeany computer software, you can immerse yourselfintoitasdeeplyasyouwantorneedtoandnofurtherifthatsuitsyou.Ifyouonlywanttoinput90%ofthedata, that is all you need to do for 99% accurateresults. I am not sufficiently knowledgeable orexperienced to use some of the more advancedfunctions so I didn’t and did not feel I lost out.Some of the functions are automatic when usedwith the GPS equipped iPhone such as Corioliscompensation and location. The iPhone will evenuseinternetdatatoenteryourweatherinformationforyouifyouwantitto.Itisnowaconstantpartofmyrangekitandisalwayshandywhenyouwanttodispelamythaboutsomenewballistic ‘HolyGrail’calibre.
Checkitoutathttp://ballistic.zdziarski.com/
Photograph 3 - Trajectory Comparison Chart
40 Target Shooter
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Target Shooter 41
PELLETPREPARATION
byTimFinley
Inpartoneof thisarticle lastmonth Imade a pretty bold statement. I saidthat the benefits of spending hourson pellet preparation may mostly beinthemindoftheshooter.Imadethisstatement based upon the fact that Ihavedoneminimalpelletprep formypart since I started serious outdoorshooting in 1987. In fact the pellets IusedtowinaEuropeanChampionship,three Showdown finals, two Grand
Prix titles in Field Target andtwo“Gathering”titles inHunterFieldTargetshootingwereonlysubjected to one preparationprocess, and thatwaswashingand re-lubricatingwith pound abottle oil froma discount shop.Isimplydidnothavethetimeortheinclinationtospendhoursonpellet prep.When I first startedwe had to sort BisleyMagnumpelletstoremovetherougeonesformed in the manufacturingprocess,thisdidinvolvevisuallyinspectingandweighingsample
putting a pellet into a bic pen body
The test pellets - weighed and preped
42 Target Shooter
pellets form each tin. I movedonto Crosman Premiers andfound them very good out oftheboxso theonlypreparationprocess they got from then onwas a quick wash and re-lube.I saw other shooters spendinghoursweighingeachpelletandbuyingexpensivelubricantsandIwasstillbeatingthem,sowhyshould Ibothergettingonto thepelletprepbandwagon?WhenI started getting into full-boreshooting in a big way it soonbecameveryclearthattheonlyway towinwas tospendhourson bullet preparation. Carefuland precise home loading ofammunition is the key to thatgame. It got me thinking thatmaybeit’sthekeytooutdoorairgunshootingto?OnwritinglastmonthsarticlewhichwasjustgoingtodescribethevariousmethodsofpelletpreparationI decided to go the extra mile and to actually dosomerangetesting,asIstatedlastmonthIwouldbetestingtwotypesofcleaningprocessaswellastwotypesof lubricant, thecheapoone Ihaveused formany,manyyearsandapurposemadepelletlubefrom Napier. I personally think its name it wrong,callingit“Power”lubemaycatertotherunofthemillplinkerorwouldbeairgunhunterbutI feel itgivesthewrong impressionof theproduct. Itpurports toincreaseaccuracyandIknowalotofgoodshooterswhosayitdoes,manyofwhomIhavethegreatestofrespectfor.ButIhadnevercarriedoutadetailedtest of the red liquid formyself, asmentioned lastmonthIwouldbetestingthewashingandlubricating
of pellets using Accuracy Plus7.4 grain Falcon airgun pelletsin fivedifferentguises.Numberoneguisewasstraightoutofthetinwithabsolutelynothingdonetothem.Thentwobatcheswhichwerewashed using the systemI have always used, a plastictub,metal sieve and a dash ofwashing up liquid in warmwater. One of the washedbatches would be re-lubricatedwith oil from the pound shopand one with Napier “Power”lube. The last two batches ofpellets were cleaned using anUltrasonic cleaner, which I usefor cleaning my brass caseswhen home loading for my
full-borerifle.IntwoseparatelotstheUltrasonicallycleanedpelletswouldtheneachbere-lubricatedthesameasthepreviousstandardwashedpellets,oneinre-lubedwithNapierandoneincheapre-cycledlightoil.Ididnoticetheultrasonicallycleanedpelletshadquitea lotofdamagedskirts, thisentirelyduemeplacing thepelletsdirectly in thebottomof themachine. Idid try itwith thepellets in thecleaningtraybutitdidnotappeartobeworkingatallwhenIdidthat.ThetestriflewasmySteyrLG-110FieldTarget rifle fitted with a Schmidt and Bender FTscope.Ichose45yardsasadistancetotestatasthat ismyzerorange,anyshorterand itwouldbedifficulttoseeanydifferenceingroupsizesandanylonger youhave the problemofwind affecting theresultsunfairly,Ioriginallywantedtouse50yardsbutitwastoowindyonthetestday.Ihavealwaystested
Prem pellet below the mark
pellet on the MARK
Target Shooter 43
pelletsfromtheclassicFTsittingpositionratherthanbenchresting,I’veshota42mmgroupat100yardswithmyLG-110inthatpositionsoIknowitworks.Ihadthethreetestcardswithmultiple10mmorangeaiming spots at 45 yards alongwith awindmeterpositionedsoIcouldseeitinthebottomofthescope.Iwantedtokeepwindoutoftheexperimentasmuch
aspossibleandbykeepinganeyeon themeter Icouldseetheconditionschangesecondbysecondoverthecourseoftestingthepellets.IhadalsoworkedoutIwouldneedtocleanthebarreloutinbetween tests toensure the testwouldbeatruetestofthelubes.IcleanedthebarreloutwiththreeVFGdiscofeltpelletsanda fewCrosmanPremiers straight out of the box. Then I shotgroups with the Accuracy Plus pellets straightoutofthetin,Ihadtotakefourclicksoffthetopturret of the Schmidt and Bender compared tomy usual 7.9grain pellets. The Accuracy Pluspelletsare7.3grain’sinweightandflyflatterduetotheirlighterweight.AftershootingafewgroupswiththepelletsoutofthetinIthencleanedthebarrelagainandusedthepelletswhichhadmyown lightoilon them,onebatch thathadbeenwashed as I always have and the other was
ultrasonically cleaned andthen oiled. I knew the Napierlube would be more difficult toremovefromthebarrelsoIwouldshootthetwodifferentbatchesofNapierpelletslast,onefromthestandard clean and one whichhadbeenultrasonicallycleaned.Itwasfairlyeasytoseewiththenakedeye that thegroupsshotwith the pellets straight out ofthetinwereworsethanthefourshotwiththecleanedandlubedpellets.Imeasuredeachfiveshotgroupcentertocenteranddividedthespreadgainedoneachgroupbythenumberofgroupsshot.Theresultswereveryclearcut.
AVERAGEFIVESHOTGROUPSIZESCtoCAT45YARDSSTRAIGHT OUT OF THE TIN 31mmSTANDARD WASH LUBED WITH OIL 26.4mmSTANDARD WASH LUBED WITH NAPIER 24.4mmULTRASONIC CLEAN LUBED WITH OIL 36.5mmULTRASONIC CLEAN LUBED WITH NAPIER 25.9mm
The smallest three shot group shot was 2.9mmcentertocenterwiththestandardwashandNapier
watch out for damaged skirts
TestTargets
After preping pellets do not sotre them in a pocket
44 Target Shooter
lube.Iputthepoor36.5mmgroupwiththe ultrasonically cleaned and oiled pelletsdown to the damage on someof the skirtscaused by the harsher cleaning process.OverallthefiveshotgroupswerebiggerthanI expected but there was a touch of windnowandagainwhichcouldbeseenby thegroups being strung out horizontally, apartfromthetwoUltrasonicallycleanedbatcheswhichalsohadsomeshotsdroppedlowoutof the main group, which as I mentionedbefore was more than likely down to thedamageonsomeof theskirts.Mydecisiononthedaytoswitchto45andnottestat50yardsasIoriginallyplannedwasbornoutbytheuseableresults.Itisquiteobviousthatshootingwashedandre-lubricated pellets gives smaller groupsizes than shooting pellets straight out ofthe tin. The Napier lube also looks to givebetter performance than my cheapo oil
system. I still wonmany,manymajortitleswiththepoundshopoil but it has made me thinkabout switching to Napier lubecompletely.Once you have treated yourpellets thinkabouthowyouaregoingtostorethem,givenallthetimeandeffortyouputintothecleaning and re-lubing processdo not then dump then backinto a tin or carry them aroundinafluff linedpocketwhenyouareshooting.ThepelletsIhaveusedforyearsareinafoamlinedcardboardboxanywaysoIhavenoproblemswithstorage.Whenat a shoot I decant 60 or sopelletsatatimeintoaclothzip
shut neck pouch. These havea plastic lining and are lovinglymade by my mother. Thereare leather oneson themarketwhich are popular. The onlyother thing tomentionwhich isimportant with re-lubrication isnot toover lubricate.Toomuchlubricant and it will adverselyaffectthegroupsizes.As mentioned last monthweighingpelletshaslongbeenatechniquesusedbyFieldTargetshooters. I decided to test ifit had any affect on my ownCrosmanPremierpellets. Iwassomewhat shocked by thevariation in the weights of myprizedpellets.Ihavealwaysjust
Neck pouches protect pellets
Only one of these is kind to pellets
These are a very good idea
Target Shooter 45
washed,re-lubedandshotthemupuntilnow.Theyaresupposedtobeall7.9grainsinaboxof1250andwhenIstartedtheweighingprocessitseemedtherewerethreedistinctweights.7.7,7.9and8.0grains.Themajoritywereindeed7.9,withthe8.0grainthenextbiggestgroupwiththe7.7grainmuchsmaller.Oneshockwas findinga single7.6grainpellet, afull0.3grains lighter than theadvertisedweightofthepellets.Itestedeachofthethreeweightgroupsof pellets at 45 yards by aiming on a line drawnhorizontallyonthetestcards. I thenmeasuredthedifferencefromthelinewasaimingatandaveragedtheresults.IusedmySteyrLG-110andSchmidtandBenderFieldTargetscopecombinationagainwithitleftonmynormal45yarddialscopesettingwith7.9grainCrosmanPremierpellets.Ialsotookthesingle7.6grainpelletalongto therangetoo.Theresultswere:-
7.7grain 2.57mm below the line7.9grain 6.67mm below the line8.0grain 10.28mm below the line
Thesingle7.6grainpelletwas4.5mmabovethelineHere again I saw formyself that the results werestartlingandveryconclusive.Ihaveshotthesamepelletsforovertenyearsandonlynowseentherealreason for theodd flyers, pellets landingnotwereIexpectedtemto.Imerelyputtheseoffshotsandmisses in the heat of competition down to me. Iseenowtheyprobablyweredowntonotweighingmy pellets. I am going to look for some scales tomeasure to two decimal places but if these aretooexpensive then it isstillworthweighing toonedecimalplaceas Iproved in this test, thescales Iused were MTMmini digital powder scales whichareeasy touse small and less than thirtyquid soaregreatvalue formoney for theairgunner.Tobecorrect I should have washed the pellets before IweighedthemtoensuretherewerenostrayflecksofpelletsfromthemanufacturingprocessstillstuckonthembutIdidnotwanttohaveanyre-lubingtoaffecttheresultsoftheweighingexperiment.You are never too old to learn and I learnt that Ishould have beenweighingmy pellets years ago.Thebigquestion forme iswould IhavewonevenmoretrophiesandtitlesifIhadbeenweighingeverypellet and grading them by weight? I tested andre-testedpelletsandriflesbackwhenIstartedusingthe Crosman Premiers. I must have been happywiththeresultsandnottoharponbutIdidwinalotwithout weighing pellets. Making the time to testpellets andwhat and how to prepare them is onethingIhavenothadtimetodointhepasttenyears,IseenowthatIshouldhave,inabigway.OnethingIdoknowisthatIwillbeweighingmypelletsafterIhavewashedthem,thenImaygivetheNapierlubeatrytoo.
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No need to sort or grade them, we have already done that for you.Expect improved accuracy, and consistency, it is likely that an increase in muzzle
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Target Shooter 47
The WMS steel challenge is a project run byAndrewVenables inWales tohelp instruct, trainandpracticeforallmannerofshootingchallengesinboththeprofessionalandrecreationalshootingcommunities. Andrew has built a large facilityamongstaveryruralfarmingcommunityinWestWalesofaround5000acresofshootableterrainsurroundedbynearly20,000acresofuninhabitedland.
THE PLANNINGAndrew set up the steel challenge for thosewantingto learn, testand improvetheirshootingskills, from military and police marksmen tosporting shooters either wanting to hone theirskills or perhaps raise their game a notch for aonceinalifetimetriptoAfricaorotherworldwidedestination.Myowndescriptionof thechallengeand facilities of the venue cannot help but besteered by what my friends and I wanted toexperienceonourvisit.Thefullscopeofwhatisavailable is so extensive it would be impossibletoexperienceinadaywitharound60largefixedtargetsand50morethatcanbemovedaround.AttheendofourdayAndrewsaidwehadcoveredapproximately20%of the targetsavailable. Weall felt we had had a great time and learned alot, itwasveryclear thatmorevisitsweregoingtobeon thecards.Thetargetswillwithstandallcentrefires in normal civilian use and we were
taking 6.5x55’s, 308’s, 270’s and 300WM sowouldn’tbepushingtoohardcomparedto338’sandsuch.
I went toWales on the Friday night ofApril 9thwiththetelevisionweatherforecasterspredictingthe first good weather of the year; I packedheavywaterproofs and thermals.Wemet at theBluebell Inn, a pub with B&B accommodationrecommendedbyAndrewasbeingbothclosetohishomeandthevenue.WhenChrisandIarrivedat thepub,mostofourpartywerealreadythereenjoyingadrinkwithAndrewanddiscussingwhattheyspecificallywantedtodothefollowingdaytoimprovetheirshootingability.
Frank and Dave were both very experiencedhunters who had shot all over the world butrarely at any range further than normal huntingdistances. Chris and myself were occasionalhunters who had more experience of shootinglonger ranges at target events although still injustarecreationalmanner.ThefollowingmorninganotherDaveandhissonTomwouldbe joiningus; they were also predominantly hunters up tothatpointintime.Wewereallkeentolearnmoreand the specific overall aim for our daywas forthehunterstolearntoestimatewindandhowtodial-in scopes for more accurate long rangeshootingattargets.ChrisandIwantedtostretch
TheWMSSteelChallenge
byChrisParkinAbove - Dave and Tom testing zero
48 Target Shooter
the maximum ranges at which we had shotand specifically learn more about shooting upand downhill as well as the ever present windestimation.
Andrew met us in the car park at 8:15 thefollowing morning the weather was very stillwith bright sunshine, no rain and moderatetemperatures.Agoodstart.
We drove in convoy about 3 miles from theB&B, turning off themain road onto a verywellmaintained gravel road up into the hilly terrainsurrounding the valley. Apparently as well asbeing a shooting venue, serious rally driversare able to hire the land for the day and testouttheirskillsandcars-afewofwhichwesawthroughout the day in the distance. The roostertailsofdusttheyraisedalwaysprovedtobeagoodwindindicator!
We came to a large flat, graveled area after acouple of miles and after sorting out all our kit,we assembled with Andrew and his assistantJohn for theall importantsafetybriefing.As thisvenueisnotaformalgalleryrange,ithasitsownuniquesafetyandgunhandlingregimesaswellasgeneralprocedurestoadhereto.Itisnothingoutof the norm and involves common sense - nodifferent to any normal trip into the outdoors forshootingsports.
THE SHOOTING
Afterthebriefing,thefirststageofthedaywasforeveryonetohaveaquicktestofzeroonanyriflestheyintendedtoshootthatdayandcheckallwasinorder.Afteralongtripitisalwaysreassuringtotestzeroincontrolledconditions.ThenightbeforeAndrewhadaskedusabouttheriflesweintendedto use and more importantly about our scopes,whetherwehadtarget turrets,whetherweknewourownballisticsornot,ourclickvaluesineitherMOA, inches,milsorcm.Afterzeroing, thoseofuswhoneededitwerethengivena‘dab’ofTippexontheirscopetomarkzero, if theydidnothaveturretsthatcouldbereset.
The first stop was a flat-topped gravel moundoverlooking a shallow valley with three setsof steel targets at the other side. The targetswererangedfrom350to600yardsandwereofvarious forms, Fig.11, plates, boar, deer andrabbits,allaccurately representedand incorrectproportion.Thetargetshadbeenplacedincutoutsin the banked earth to provide solid footing andalso toallow thesecutouts tobebackfilledwithsandtoallowforeasyshot-splashplacement.
Wewere told thedistancesalthoughmostofuswere equipped with rangefinders. Those thatknewtheirdataquicklydialed incorrectionsandwerereadytogo.Thosethatdidnotwerequickly
Set up ready to go at 350 yards
Target Shooter 49
helpedbyAndrewortherestofus.350yardstostartisalongshotforasportingshooterbutnotsomuch for a target shooter.Wewere advisedthebeststrategywastopairupandoneworkasspotterastheothershotandviceversa.
At the start of the day, we were all shootingslowly, getting used to working together andtakingadvantageofsixextrapairsofeyestospotthesplashinthesandiftheroundwasofftarget.At350yardstheriflehadnotsettledfromitsrecoilenoughtoallowtheshootertospothisownshotbuttherestofuswereabletoquicklygivethema ‘call’.Thesmaller targetscouldeasilybeseen
tofalloverwithanaudible‘clank’;thelargeronesrespondedtoahitwithaverysolid ‘bong’whichcould be heard even through our hear-muffs.Priortotheshoot,Andrewhadfreshlypaintedthetargets ‘icewhite’ and each hit left a large greyspot. The larger game animals all had a yellowkillzoneforarealisticshot-placementchallenge.Thereisnopointpracticingthiskindofshottojusthittheanimalanywhere.
So far we have not mentioned the wind. Anylong-range shooter will know that the wind isprobably the biggest single factor in accuratelyhitting the target but at 350 yards, the drift was
The 600 yard targets are just visible
50 Target Shooter
minimal, although the wind was running in a 3o’clockdirection, itwasvery light.Aswemovedout another hundred yards onto a turkey target,the wind came into playmore and we did starthaving to aim-off more and this is where thespotters really came in. Andrew had suggestedshootingoneshot,have thespottercall it,usinglanguage such as “Half a target left, goodelevation.” This enabled us to start hittingmoreaccuratelywithaquicksecondshot.Thiscarriedonuntilwehadhiteverything,knockeditoverorheatedupourbarrelstoanuncomfortablelevel!
THE FIRST CHALLENGEWeweretoldtoimaginehavingtraveledtoafarofflandwherewehadpaiduntoldamountsofmoneyforaonceinalifetimeshot.Herewasouronceinalifetimeopportunitytobagatrophyanimalandthere it was, 600 yards away.Wewere toldweallhad1shotandweregivenaminutetosetupfor thedistanceandestimate for thewindwhichhadnowpickedupalittleandwasblowingfromaround4o’clock.Shooternumber6wouldgofirst;therestofuswouldspot.Shooternumber6wasgettingreadytoshootandthentotrickus,Andrewsaid“NO,shooternumber2GO!”.Shooternumber2thenshot,scoredakill-zonehitandthentherestshotinturnwithvaryingsuccess.Wewerestartingtopickupthechallengethatthisdaywasallabout.
After some more paired shooter/spotter actionandallthetargetshit,wedecidedtohaveabreakand a quick discussion to plan the rest of themorning.Twoopted tostayat thissetof targetsandworkon trajectorydata,whichneededabitofatweak.Therestofuswouldgobackacrossto the zeroing range to try some shots fromsittingpositions,standingwithsticksandstandingunsupportedshots.Weshotat10inchplatessetup at between 100 and 200 yards.Andrewwasable to offer us some helpful tips on technique,especially regarding the unsupported shots. Uptonow,all of theshootinghadbeenproneso itwasgood to try somethingnewandchallenginginasafeenvironment.StandingshotsfromstickswerewellknowntousallfromDSCtestsbutonlyat100yardssoitwasgoodtotrythemfurtherout.
ForthesecondquicktestofthedayweweretoldtopickupourgunsandoneroundofammoandfollowAndrew.Hewalked to a spot overlookingshrub-coveredgroundextendingasfarastheeyecouldseeandtoldusthat therewasarustyredcoloured deer within reasonable shooting rangeinfrontofus,getdown,findit,shootit.Thedeerwastrickytolocatewithnobinosatthispointbutweall found it andeveryone shot althoughonlytwo scored hits. This surprised me a little andremindedmewhyeveryshootershouldconsiderwhathe(orshe)feelstobea‘reasonable’range.It was at 285 yards and even though we did
Tom and Dave overlooking the water
Target Shooter 51
range-find it, four of us stillmissed. It just goesto show that on a day when this should be aneasy shot, with no wind, no pressure and thetrajectory of our rifle fresh tomind, the smallesterrorinshootingisamplifiedbyrange.
Sofar,everythinghadbeendoneina180-degreearc, from shooting positionswithin 100 yards ofthemainfacilityandcarparkso,afterabreakforsomethingtoeat,weloadedupthevehiclesandmadeourwayouttoanothersectionoftheshoottotrysomeshotsdownhill.
Anyone familiar with deer stalking in Scotlandwill know the scenario of shooting downhill withwhat is usually a compromised position andneedingtostartthinkingabouttrajectory,withtheeffectiveshot-distancereducedtocompensatefortheslope.Unlike inmyfieldarcherydayswhereeverything had to be estimated, distance, slopeandwind,thistimeIcheated!IwasusinganiPodtouch with a clinometer that gave me a handyreadout of angle. I had bought the iPod to runballistics data realtime for this very scenario butup until it arrived and I started to play with it, Ididn’trealizeitalsohadabuilt ingyroscopethatcouldruntheclinometer.Iquestioneditsultimateaccuracybutwasprettydamnsure itwasbetterthan my brain and tests with normal levelingequipmentprovedtomeitwasveryaccurate.
Theshotwasatagroupof steelplates rangingin size from 10 to 20 inches, the range was461 yards, the incline 10 degrees down and Iestimatedwindwasfairlysteadyfromlefttorightat2or3mph.Theplateswereinfrontofalargepond so the bullets really did splash when youmissed.
Thedatawasgoodandalthoughittookacoupleof shots from the group to find their exactwindageweweresoonmoving fromthe20 inchplate to the 10 inch.Afterwe had a good ideaofthewindageneeded-astheslightwindebbedand flowed - we moved onto shooting someslightly closer but steeper reactive targets. Twoandfour-pintmilkcartonsarealwaysfunastheyexplodeviolentlywhenhitandAndrewhadlaidoutsomanyof theseoutwecouldpickandchoosewhatweshot-againaspairs,shooterandspotter.Thenextchallengewasshooting fromthesamelocation but in a perpendicular direction, againalteringthewinddirection.
Aswewereshooting invalleysallday, thewindingeneralblewinonedirectionbut,thecurrentsof air the ‘general’ wind created, blew in totallydifferent directions according to the terrain. Thetargets this timewereapairofFig.11sagainat450yards,perhaps5degreesdownhillofus.Thefig.11s were arranged close to each other and
The two Chris’s at the 1100 yard point. The brown oval on the far hill just above our heads in the cen-
tre is the target sand trap
52 Target Shooter
carehadtobetakennottohitthewrongtarget.
Obviously these targets are specifically createdfor the Police and Military marksmen who trainatthisfacility.Allotherfactorsasidetheyarejusttargetsanditisanincrediblechallengetohitoneofthese.Theintendedhit-zonewasaboutthesizeofanappleandwhenthetargetishit,weweretoldalargeyellowplatewouldriseupfrombehindtosignalit.Againonlyonepersonactuallygotitbutall thehitspointwere in theclosevicinity.Tobefair, thewindat thispointhadbeen learnedandadjustedforbuta3”x2”holeat450yardsisstillaverytestingshotintermsofaimingandshooting.
Now,backtothevehiclesandofftoanotherpartofthesitewhereweshotsolidlymountedfig.11sat800yardsinpairs.Bythistime,fourofushadnowrealised this was our limit aswe had either runoutofelevation,mil-dotsorconfidencetohitthesetargets at this distance. Again, hits were bothspottedandheard-itwastakingseveralsecondsnowforthe‘bong’toreturn,aclearindicatorofthelongrange
Frank, Tom and the two Dave’s decided to go
back to the central zeroing areas and continueto work on some of the more standard huntingrangesandtestwhethertheirscope‘returntozero’wasallthatwaspromised.ChrisandIwentwithAndrew and drove back to the 1100 yardfiring-point using the same targets we had justengagedat800yareds. Iknewmyscopewouldgetme out to 1200 yards andwith 20MOA onthereticle,Icouldstretchitouttoamaximumof1500whichwasthelimitofthesupersonicflightofmy300WinMag’s208grainbulletanyway.Chriswasshootinga6.5x55andknewthiswasgoingtobeabouthis limitashewasoutofelevation.His bullet though would still be well supersonicand,asthedaywasgettinglate,thiswasgoingtobeourlastsetupoftheday.Hitormiss,therewasnopointgoinghomewithout trying the longshotsandastheweathertodaywasprobablyasgood as anyone would ever get, it seemed anopportunitynotworthmissing.
This shooting point was a flat grassy area andsincetheseweregoingtobereallyhardshotstoconnect with, I was glad of what I have alwaysconsidered to be my favourite shooting style,prone on the grass. Andrew had set up a
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Target Shooter 53
spotting-scope behind us as it was getting hardtosee the fallofshotwithbinoculars.ChrisandIbothhad32poweronourscopes,sowecouldstillspotforeachother.Iwasprettyexcitedtobehonest because I have always loved to pushmyselfandeven thoughwehadbothshot1000yardFClassseveraltimes,Ihavealwaysenjoyedfieldshootingmore,withnothingbutarifle,scopeandammo.Iwasgoingtoshootfirstanddialledinmyelevation,Andrewgaveacallon thewindandmirageandeventhoughIhadneverhadthistypeofspottingadvicebefore,itmusthaveclickedsomething in my head because I squeezed thetriggerandcontrolledmybreathingmorecarefullythan I think ever before………….BANG……300WinMagdoestendtobealittlelivelywhenitgoesoffbut thegunsettledbacknear to the target intimeforthebullettoarrive.Ididn’tseethehitbutAndrewdid.Then the ‘bong’ arrivedback to us,I had hit the fig.11! I’ll forgiveAndrew for whathe calledme because I felt lucky too but threeof the next five shots connected aswell. Christhenhadagoandconnectedwiththetargetwithafewshotsbutfeltitwasabit‘hitandmiss’ashehadrunoutofelevation.FormynextfewshotsIdialled-inthedistancesIhadpreviouslyaimed-off–ahalfMOAofftheelevationandfourminutesleft
windage which is very little for 1100 yards andshowsjusthowluckywewerewiththewind.Andrew then shifted me onto a 10 inch platehanging on chains next to the fig.11, he hadchallengedmetohititwithinthreeshotsandthentomove onto a life size head-on fox. I got veryclose to thembothbut the little left to rightwindchangeswere hard to spot and at that distancemissingbyinchesisstillpleasingtomeontargetsthatsmall.MaybenexttimeIwillusearearbag.Weallagreedithadbeenagreatday,wellworththemoney.Iwilldefinitelybegoingbackassoonaspossibleandthistimemaybegoalittlefurtherback?I’mtoldamileisnoproblemand2200yardsispossiblealthoughthewindcanmakeitawasteofammo.I’dcertainlyliketotry1500yardsbutI’llbettheweatherwon’tbeaskindnexttime.
If you fancy a visit - and I would certainlyrecommendit–Andrew’scontactdetailsarelistedbelow:
AndrewVenables6Tanygroes,Llangurig,Llanidloes,Powys,SY186SQTel:01686440782Mob:07767365804Website:www.wms-firearmstraining.org
54 Target Shooter
I’ve attempted to classify the ballistic efficiency ofthematchbulletsavailable in theUK.MostpeopledothisusingBCs,butrememberthe‘weightissue’as half of this measure is derived from SectionalDensity which is entirely weight driven. Thereis therefore little benefit in comparing a 155gnbullet’s BC directly to a 210-grainer’s. Instead, Ichose the ‘form factor’ (i7) value that Bryan Litzapplies to each bullet (Table 1). It compares theefficiency of the projectile’s shape in terms of thedrag it produces in flight against that of the G7reference standard design. A value of 1.000exactly matches the reference standard – andthere is one such – anything with a lower valueproduces less drag; anything higher producesmore. I graded designs as Low, Medium andHigh [drag], which conveniently fits short andlong-range classifications, well mostly. Settingboundaries between classifications was trickier,eventuallygoingfor1.020and1.095,theformertoinclude the justlypopularnew155gnSierraPalmaMK (#2156) with an i7 value of 1.018 within the‘Low’ group; the latter to move the 168gn BergerBT and 180gn SierraMK into the ‘High’ category.I’ll stress these definitions are mine and lackscientific basis. There is a caveat in using thismetric –we saw inApril that two bulletswith onei7 value but different weights do not performidentically in the wind, the advantage goingdecisively to the heavier model even atcomparableMVs.
HANDLOADING ‘OLD FAITHFUL’ THE .308 WINCHESTER - 8
By Laurie HollandAbove - A drawing of the G7 Reference Standard bullet with dimensions in calibres. It has a
‘form factor’ or i7 value of 1.000 (courtesy of Bryan Litz).
Left - The 210gn Sierra MatchKing’s 1,000yd performance gives it an i7 value of 1.000 matching the reference standard, although it is not an identical shape
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Wehavearangeofi7valuesfrom0.967to1.163,so how do we calibrate this metric? I looked athow much difference 0.035 makes to wind-driftperformance taking threeBergermodels thathavea10gnweight rangeandwhose i7valuesbracketthe1.000norm–the185gnTargetBTlong-Range(0.972); identical design 175gn equivalent on0.999; 175gn VLD at 1.035. Table 2 lists theirretainedvelocitiesandwinddriftvaluesat1,000ydat comparable MVs based on a 155 at 3,000 fps(3,098 ft/lb ME). To remove the weight bias andprovide an example with a full 0.035 differencefrom the central 0.999 value, I conjured up ahypothetical 175gn Super-High BC model whosei7 is 0.964, this giving a G7 BC of 0.274. Notingthat this i7 is better than that of any 0.308”bullet actually available, it wouldn’t be feasibleto get such a low-drag shape from any practicallead-core 175gn model. What the results tell usis that a 0.035 step change increases or reducesthe ‘standard’ 10 mph wind drift at 1,000yd byfourandahalf inchesfor175satthisMV,andthesimulated misread wind change by just over ahalf-inch.Let’srunthefiguresfortwosimilarweightbullets at opposite ends of the ‘Low’ categoryrankingsinTable1,the208gnHornadyA-Maxand210gnSierraMK.Theiri7valuesarealsohelpfully
MK (#2156), 185gn Berger Target BT Long-Range, 190gn Sierra MK, 200gn Sierra MK, 210gn Berger Target BT Long-Range, 210gn Sierra MK (a VLD design), 208gn Hornady A-Max (a VLD design).
Left - The lowest and highest i7 values (that is, lowest and highest drag factors) of the 0.308” match bullets on sale in the UK go to the 208gn Hornady A-Max (left) at 0.967 and the 167gn Lapua Scenar on the right at 1.163, although the latter is no worse than a clutch of similar 168gn bullets.
‘Ballistics stars’ in respect of having low i7 values and/or known to perform well at long ranges. Left to right: 155gn Lapua Scenar, 155.5gn Berger BT FULLBORE, 155gn new Sierra Palma
56 Target Shooter
close to my chosen variation with 0.033 betweenthem, but we now get a smaller performancedifference–only3.2” reduction inwinddrift in the
10 mph crosswind and0.4” for the misreadwindchangeat1,000ydin favour of theA-Max.TerminalMVsare1,390fpsfortheHornadyand1,355fpsfortheSierra.Both performance
differencescouldeasilybeoutweighedbyindividualbullet model performance (group-size and MVs)
withinabarrel,sowecanseethatforanyparticularbulletweight,youneedaverylargechangeinthei7valuetomakeareallysignificantperformanceimprovementincompetition.However, as we’ve already seen, a
Left - ‘Old Hands’. Left to right: the 173gn US military M1 long-range FMJBT that gave the Browning M1919 machine-gun a sustained fire range of 5,900yd; the 185gn Lapua D46 that also started life as a machine-gun bullet; 190 and 200gn Sierra MKs. Note the similarity in shape (‘form’) of the two Sierras and the 1920s vintage M1 design. All of these bullets cope very well with transonic velocities making the three match designs excellent long-range choices for .308 Winchester.
Left - The differences in i7 values will pro-duce relatively little difference in external ballistics performance on the range between the 155gn old Sierra Palma MK (#2155) and the top of the line 155.5gn Berger paired on the left. The same stricture applies to the 210gn Sierra MK and Hornady A-Max paired on the right. However, the performance difference between the ‘old’ 155gn Sierra and 208gn A-Max will be very large thanks to the Hornady’s combination of increased weight and improved ‘form factor’ or aerodynamic efficiency.
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bullet that is both heavy and efficient shape-wise,performsmuchbetterinthewindthanalightweight/high-i7model.
AnalysisBefore making any judgements, I’ll mention bullettype– that is, tangentorsecantogive. I’veshownthesecant(VLDorVLD-type)bulletsinredinTable1andweseethatamajorityof thetopperforminghalf of the list (208gnA-Max to 190gnSierraMK)fall into thiscategory.VLDsarenot toeverybody’staste because of the difficulties encountered ingetting them to group well, in particular finding aCOAL that suits the barrel throating. The usualpractice of seating them well into the rifling landswhen the cartridge is chambered can lead toproblemsifalivecartridgehastobeunloaded,thebullet sometimes sticking in the barrel and beingpulled from the case. Somewill be surprised thatI’veshown the155gnLapuaScenar in thisgroup,butitsspecificationfitstheVLDprofile,witha10.7-calibresradiussecantnose.PerhapsbecauseithasashorternosethanmanyVLDs(Bergersrunningataround14-calibresradius),itdoesn’tseemasfussyassome,andismorelikelytoacceptasmalljumpintotherifling.
Looking at the bullets, I regard the five non-VLDmodelsinblacktypeastheoutstandingdesignsinthe‘Low’group,especiallyBerger’s185gnTargetBTLong-Range and the 155.5gn Berger FULLBORE.Who would have thought a few years back thattangent ogive models would match, never mind
significantly better, the aerodynamic efficiency ofequivalentweightVLDs?Thenewlong-noseSierra155gn Palma MK must also be described as anoutstanding design given its proven long-rangeperformance and reputation for ‘easy tuning’ inhandloads. Finally, I must add the 155gn Scenarto this elite list despite its secant ogive. Secant vtangent issuesaside,everybullet in thiscolumnisa very efficient design, and choice will be mostlydictatedbymatchingthebulletweighttotheshootingapplication, personal preference, andother factorsthatmightincludeavailabilityandprice–theLapuaaside,most are recent introductionsandgenerallycommandpremiumprices.
Attheotherendoftheefficiencyrange,wehavetenshort-rangedesignsintheright-handcolumn,sevenofwhich have short and steeply angled boat-tails,not a coincidence. (Incidentally, mentioning suchrearends,Ineedtomakeacorrectiontolastmonth’sissueTable1data–the208gnHornadyA-Maxdoesnothaveashortsteep-angleboat-tailandisatruelong-range bullet in every respect.) I wonderedabout the twoLapuaScenarmodels in this (‘Low’)groupgiventhe155gnScenar’sefficiency,andcanonlyassumethedesigner’sbriefwasverydifferentfor this pair, perhaps to match the performanceand appeal of equivalent Sierra MatchKings, ableto shoot (group)well inmost barrels and give topshorter range precision. Both have tangent-ogivefront ends at just over 6-calibres radius which isvery short for this class of match bullet. Subjectto theusual caveatsabout bulletsmatchingbarrel
Above - Seven higher-drag models that should be restricted to shorter range matches. Left to right: 155gn ‘old’ Sierra Palma MK (#2155), 167gn Lapua Scenar; 168gn Hornady Match, 168gn
Sierra MK, 175gn Sierra MK, 180gn Sierra MK, and 185gn Lapua Scenar. Some will perform out to 1,000yd but have trouble staying supersonic.
58 Target Shooter
characteristics,Iwouldexpectallofthebulletsinthissection tobeexcellentshort-rangeperformersandmanyareavailableatlowerpricesthanthoseinthe‘Low’classification.
Looking at the ‘Medium’ group, we have a trio ofBergerVLDswhoseperformancehasbeeneclipsedbythecompany’snewer155.5,175and185gnBTLong-Range tangent models, followed by sevenvenerable designs, all Sierras bar the LapuaD46.Theymight seem inferior to new low i7 / high-BCdesigns, but some are very solid long-rangeperformers. MR (Match Rifle, a 1,000yd plusdiscipline restricted to the .308W)shooters tellmethat190-220gnSierraMKsperformsuperblyinthetrans-sonic zone just above the speed of sound,where higher-BC longer nose designs may seeproblems.The LapuaD46’s ancestorwas a bulletdesignedfor7.62X54Rcalibremachine-gunsinthepostWW1periodwhenmilitarydoctrinepromotedultralong-rangemassedMGfiredroppingarainofplungingbullets onto targets up to 5,000metresaway.TheolderSierraslikelybuildonCol.TownsendWhelen’s
1920sFrankfordArsenalresearchthatsawtheUSdevelop the173gnM1 long-range .30-06cartridgefor the same purpose. Long-range sustained MGfire needs bullets tominimise the effects of goingtransonic, then subsonic, and that’s what thesebulletsdo.Nevertheless,it’sreallydesirabletostayasfarabovethespeedofsoundaspossibleinanyprecisiondiscipline.
TransonicThe speed of sound in standard environmentalconditions (59°F / 29.92in Hg pressure) is 1,122fpsandballisticianshave longknown thatpassingthrough or even approaching it causes stabilityproblems thanks to rapid changes in the shapeandamplitudeofshockwavesintheairaroundtheprojectile. Effects are not restricted to a few fpseithersideof1,122fpsasthereisatransoniczonefromaround1.3Mach(1,460fps)downto0.85Mach(950 fps). Let’s look at going subsonic, noting it’snot an issue with any bullet for shorter rangeshooters. For long-range competitors, it really hasto be guarded against as the bulletmight behave
If you have a 1-14” rifling twist barrel or shoot under Target / Fullbore / Palma Rifle regulations, these are the bullets for you. Left to right: ‘old’ Sierra MK (#2155) used in the current NRA issued ammunition and a good performer at all ranges but now overtaken in
external ballistics performance by the trio to its right; 155gn Lapua Scenar; 155.5gn Berger Target BT FULLBORE; 155gn ‘new’ Sierra Palma MK (#2156).
Target Shooter 59
unpredictably,becomeoverlysensitivetominorwindchanges, and in extreme cases, unstable. So, theHighi7bulletsinTable1’sright-handcolumnshouldnot be used even in 30” barrel rifles. The 155gncartridges used in TR / FR / Palma competitionareOKkeepingbulletssupersonicat1,000ydbyasmall but sufficientmargin (butonly inappropriaterifles).F/TRshooterswithlongbarrelrifleslikewisedon’thaveaproblem,particularly if theyadopt theheavierandhigher-BCbulletmodels.Itishoweverapotentialissueforshort-barrelrifleownersshootingatlongrangesandstrugglingtogetenoughMV,socarefulbulletchoicepaysdividends.Let’slookatthe1,000yd retained velocities of two bullets at eitherendofthei7rankingsatshort-barrelMVs.The‘old’155gnSierraMKat2,800fpsisdowntoasubsonic1,067fps,while the185gnBergerBTLong-Rangeatanequivalent2,563fpsMVremainscomfortablysupersonic at 1,228 fps. At another extreme, theGB MR team campaigned in Australia last winter(localsummer)andparticipatedina1,500ydshootat Coonabarrabran in New South Wales. Teammemberswho tried the210gnSierraMKat 2,750fpsMVfounditremainedsupersonicthroughout intheambientconditions(1,700ftASLandpresumablywithratherhighertemperaturesthanusuallyseenatBisley)!
Movingonto transonic flight, this is potentially badnews for.308W long-range shooters as it’s difficulttoseehowbulletswon’tdropbelow1,460fps, the
168gn Federal GM Match doing so just beyond600yd, the M118LR (175gn SMK / 2,580 fps) at700.Thereare two ‘get out of jail cards’ – severeturbulence that causes dispersion on the targetprobablyonly lies10%either sideof thespeedofsound (1,010-1,230 fps) giving us more latitude;some bullets are known to be more resistant toits effects than others. MR shooters know aboutdealingwithtransonicflight,andhaveasimplerule–heavyandfast.No155shere!Thenewbreedof208-210gnhigh-BCbulletsstayabovetheproblemvelocities inmost conditions even at 1,200yd (thenormalmaximumMRrange in theUK), the210gnSMKat2,750fpsMVsailingalongat1,273fpsunderstandardconditions.However,anoldMRfavourite,themuchlowerBC190gnSMKat2,860fpsisbarelysupersonic at 1,200yd having dropped to 1,147fps.Nevertheless,itandits200and220gnsiblingsare proven performers at this range despite theirrelatively high i7 / lowBC values and around halfourMRshootersstillusetheminpreferencetotheapparently more efficient VLDs. There havebeen suggestions that the 210gn VLDs and otherextendednosedesignsdonotcopewith transonicvelocities as well as SMKs, but the top places inthe1,500ydCoonabarrabranmatchwent toSierraandBerger210gnVLDusers.Thisprobablyseemsirrelevant to TR and F/TR shooters as that 200yd1,000-1,200ydgapisanenormousgulf intermsof.308W ballistics, but performance in the transoniczoneisavital issuetomany800-1,000ydusersof
Round 1 of the 2010 GB F-Class league series kicks off at Diggle at 500yd and conditions were initially so calm that the 167gn Scenar would have sufficed. It didn’t last long – high velocities and efficient bullets soon proved essential with F/TR competitors scoring ones
and twos.
60 Target Shooter
the cartridge, especially those with shorter barrelrifles or shooting in disciplines restricted to 155gnbullets. For instance, tactical and sniper riflespecialistsreportthatM118LRperformanceandthatofcomparablehandloadsusingthe175gnSMK‘fallsoffacliffjusttheothersideof800metres’(900yd).
ConclusionsBeforetryingtosumupwhatlessonswecandraw
from all this, there is a final issue to consider –rifling twist rates – it’s no good setting your heartonshootinga210gnVLDfroma1-13”twistTRrifle,I’mafraid.Table3showsratesandthebulletstheystabilise. (This isasubject I’ll touchonwhen Igetonto range results as I tried various ‘unsuitablyheavy’bulletsina1-13.5”twistBartleinbarrelonmyF/TRtubegunwithinterestingresultslastyear.)Sowhat lessonscanwe learn from thisstudyof .308
Low Medium HighHornady 208gn A‐Max (0.967) Berger 175gn VLD (1.035) Berger 168gn BT (1.096)
Berger 185gn BT L‐R (0.972) Berger 155gn VLD (1.039) *Sierra 180gn MK (1.099)
Berger 210gn VLD (0.979) Berger 168gn VLD (1.047) *Hornady 155gn A‐Max (1.100)
Berger 190gn VLD (0.982) Sierra 200gn MK (1.058) *Hornady 168gn A‐Max (1.101)
Berger 155.5gn BT FB (0.988) Sierra 190gn MK (1.061) *Hornady 178gn A‐Max (1.118)
Berger 210gn BT L‐R (0.988) Sierra 220gn MK (1.068) Lapua 185gn Scenar (1.130)
Lapua 155gn Scenar (0.988) Lapua 185gn D46 FMJBT (1.081) *Hornady 168gn Match (1.143)
Berger 185gn VLD (0.993) Sierra 175gn MK (1.084) *Nosler 168gn CC (1.159)
Berger 175gn BT L‐R (0.999) Old Sierra 155gn MK (1.092) *Sierra 168gn MK (1.161)
Sierra 210gn MK (1.000) Sierra 240gn MK (1.092) Lapua 167gn Scenar (1.163)
New Sierra 155gn MK (1.018)
0.308” Bullet Form Factor (i7) Values
* = Bullets with short, sharply angled boat‐tail sections
Berger 210gn VLD (0.979) Models shown in red are VLD or VLD‐type (aggressive secant‐form ogive)
Looking down the scenic if difficult Blair Atholl range from the 1,000yd firing point. F/TR competitors need every bit of ballistic advantage they can garner through bullet choice at this distance, but especially here when the wind comes up Glen Tilt from one o’ clock.
Table 10.3080” Bullet Form Factor (i7) Values
NotesValues compare the efficiency of the bullet’s shape (‘form’) to the G7 reference standard form which has a value of 1.000. Lower values produce less drag and higher BCs (subject to bullet weight); higher values more drag and lower BCs.Source: Bryan Litz’s long-range ballistics tests as reported in his book Applied Ballistics for Long Range Shooting.
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Win match bullets? First, forget external ballisticsperformanceatshort(upto300yd)ranges,insteadchoose bullets that are easy to fine tune for thesmallest possible group size. This approach issometimesadvocatedfor500and600ydshooting,but whether it applies depends on other factors –rangeconditions(‘difficultwinds’);targetringsizes;degreeofcompetition.Forinstance,LesHolgate’sreportonRound1oftheGBF-ClassAssocleagueshootsin lastmonth’s issuementions2sandeven1sbeingscoredat600yd–amodestvelocity168or175gnSMKloadwasn’tgoingtocutthemustardin this particular 500/600yd competition, nomatterhow well it grouped! Beyond 600yd, there is no
issue – you need precision (small groups), goodelevationconsistency(smallMVspreads),and lowi7/highBCbulletsatgoodMVs.Whetherthat’sthebestofthe155satveryhighMVs,thenew175,185and 210gn tangent-ogive Long-Range models, orthe out and out long-rangeheavyweights, the 208and210gnVLDsremains tobeseen. Isuspectallthreewillhavesuccessfuladherents,but therewill
beadrifttoheavierdesigns.Finally,I’dsaylookatthoseoldfavourites, the190gn,200gn,and220gnSierra MKs that obviously perform much betterat long ranges than their BCsmight suggest, andstabiliseinslowertwistbarrelsthanyoumighthavethought.Ofcourse, ifyouhavea1-14”twistbarrelrifle or are a TR, Fullbore or Palma competitor,bulletweightchoicehasalreadybeenmadeforyou–‘lessthan156gn’.Thechoicehereissimpler,butstillthreewayfor long-rangecompetitions–the155gnLapuaScenar,newSierraPalmaMK(#2156),orthe155.5gnBergerFULLBORE.Atshortranges,almostany155isviable,andtheoriginalPalmaMatchKing(#2155)remainsanexcellentchoice.
Effects of a Shift in Form Factor Value of ~0.035 on 1,000 yd Ballistics Performance Bullet i7 MV ME V1,000 D1,000 (1) D1,000 (2)
Berger 175gn VLD 1.035 2,823 3,098 1,282 90.6” 11.8”
Berger 175gn BT Long‐Range 0.999 2,823 3,098 1,326 86.1” 11.2”
Berger 185gn BT Long‐Range 0.972 2,746 3,098 1,371 80.0” 10.4”
[Hypothetical 175gn Super‐BC 0.964 2,823 3,098 1,370 81.6” 10.6”]
Note – the extra 10gn weight of the 185gn BT Long‐Range model produces a slightly greater improvement in wind‐reduction performance than would be obtained from a 175gn bullet with the same i7 value of 0.972.
Table 2
Table 3 ‐ Rifling Twist Rate and Bullet Compatibility
1‐10”: All bullets listed in Table 1, but may not give optimum precision with light bullets.
1‐11”: All bullets listed in Table 1, except possibly the 208gn Hornady A‐Max and 240gn SMK which are marginal. This twist rate may not give optimum precision with light bullets.1‐12”: All bullets bar the following: 208g A‐Max; Berger 210gn VLD and BT Long‐Range; Sierra 210gn, 220gn and 240gn MKs.1‐13”: All bullets in Table 1 except the following: those listed above as unsuitable for 1‐12” twist plus Berger 185gn VLD and Target BT Long‐Range (the latter works in some 1‐13” barrels) and 190gn VLD models; Sierra 190gn and 200gn MKs.
1‐14”: suitable only for 155s and shorter 168gn bullets including the Sierra MK version. The new generation longer 155s (Scenar, 155.5gn Berger, SMK #2156) will possibly perform better at long ranges in 1‐13” twist barrels, although it should be noted F/TR world champion Russell Simmonds used the Sierra #2156 in a 1‐14” twist rate barrel without harming his scores in 2009.
Target Shooter 63Target Shooter Magazine is a publication of Trinity Digital Publishing Ltd
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64 Target Shooter
Stuff your bag – properly!
by Vince BottomleyA few years ago, only serious benchrestshootersusedabackbag,nowFClassersusethemandevenplinkersuseaback-bag togetthebestoutoftheirriflebyeliminating‘humanerror’.Asaresult,therearemanytypesofbagavailable so it’s important to choose the rightone.
What dowewant our bag to do for us? Weneed a very stable support for the butt of therifle,whichwehopewillnotbedisturbedwhentherifleisfired.Howdoweachievethat?Firstly,buytherightbag.Ifthebagismadeofleather,it should ideally haveCordura ‘ears’ – whichhelps the rifle slide smoothly under recoil.Leatherearscanbecomeaproblemiftheygetwet!Ihaveseenonebagwherethemakergotittotallywrongandmadetheearsoutofleather
and the body fromCordura – do not buy thisbag!Corduracanbefurther lubricatedusingasiliconespray. If youdohave leatherears, trytalcumpowder.
Firstly, stuff your bag – properly. Benchrestrules state that bags must be filled with anaturalgranularmaterial–sandinotherwords.Weneedastablebagandtheheavierthebagis, themorestable itwillbe– in theory. Ifyouare just a plinker, you could use amixture ofsandandlead-shotbutifyoushootinbenchrestcompetition, lead-shot is not permitted as abag-filler.
Sand is a usefully dense substance and thefinerthesand,theheavieritwillbe-foragivenvolume.ThefinestsandIknowiscalledZircon
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butunfortunately,youwon’tfinditonanybeachintheUK,thoughitisavailablehere.Ifyoucan’tgetholdofZircon,tryfoundrysand.Thisisan-otherveryfinesand,usedinthemetalcastingprocessandifyouhaveafoundrynearbytheywillprobablybehappytogiveyouashovel-full.Thelastoptionisbuildingsand.Youcangetahalf-hundredweightbagfromB&Qforacoupleofpoundsbutholdon–thissandwillbedampandweneedit‘snuff-dry’forbagfilling.Youcanputitinthemicrowaveorovenorbetterstill,buykiln-driedsand–alsofromB&Q.
Thefirstjobistofilltheears.Usingthefunnel,pour asmuch sand into the ears as you can,tackling one ear at a time. Use the wrongendof the pencil to ram in the sanduntil youabsolutely can’t get any more in. This takesseveralapplications,addingasmallamountofsand and then ramming with the pencil. Nowtuck the filler ‘tail’ under the ear and do thesecond one. We may eventually find that wehave toomuchsand in theearsbut it’seasiertotakea littleout thanputmore in,shouldweneedto.
Beforewetacklethemainbodyofthebag,thereisonequestionIneedyoutoanswer–areyouabag-squeezer?What isabag-squeezer,youmayask.Well,intheolddays,whenbenchrestwas in its infancy, front rests didn’t have allthe fancyadjustments thatwehavetodayandjoystickrestswerenotevenadream.Thefrontrest was largely a fixed tri-pod pedestal andoncesetup,allaimadjustmentsweremadebysqueezingandmanipulatingtheback-bag.VeryfewUKbenchrestshootersarebag-squeezersbutseveraltopAmericanBRshootersstillprefertobag-squeeze.
Does bag-squeezing have any advantage?Before the ‘one touch’ joystick rests,bag-squeezingwasaveryquickwaytoadjustthe aim – rather than reaching forward andadjusting thewindagescrewandtheelevationscrewbutnow,with the joystick rests, it’sonequickadjustment-easilyasquickassqueezing
thebackbag.Theotherdisadvantageofbag-squeezingisholdingthebagperfectlystillwhilstyoureleasetheshot–noteasy, takesa lotofpractise.Thepreferredbagsforbag-squeezingwill have a pliable leather base as they don’tneed tositsolidlyon thebench–youprovidethe stabilitywith your hand! If you look at thepictureat thestartof thisarticle,onlytheBaldEagle and Equifix bags would be suitable forbag-squeezing–theothersaretoorigid.
ThejoystickrestisnowgainingpopularitywithFClassshootersaswellasbenchrest,soagain
wedon’tnowhavealotofbag-squeezersinFOpenbutwedoinF/TR,wheretheshooterhasonlyasimplebi-pod.Majoradjustmentscanbemadewiththebi-podbutoncesetup,mostwill‘fine-adjust’priortotakingtheshotbysqueezingtheback-bag.I’vefoundthattheCordurabagsontheleftofthepicturefromEquifixmakegoodF/TRbags.You can stack one on the other ifyouneed to and there is amassive choiceofshapesandheightsonofferatmodestproces.Checkoutwww.equifixshootingbags.co.uk
Ifyouareabag-squeezer, itmakessensenottofillyourbagtoohard,otherwiseyouwillneversqueezeit!Rememberthiswhenyouarefillingyour bag. I’m going to assume you are notbag-squeezingandwe’llfillourbagashardaspossible.Ifwedon’thaveahardbag,itcansagundertherecoiloftherifle–exactlytheoppo-site of whatwe are trying to achieve. Bear inmindhoweverthatyourbagismadeofleather,whichwillstretch,soevenifitfeelslikeabrickwhennewlyfilled,itwillsagandneedtoppingupoccasionally.
Manybags thesedayshaveavery thick, rigidbase.Thisallows thebag tositflaton the topofaconcretebenchwithoutrocking.Theolderbags generally have a thinner base made ofa single pieceof leather andas youpack thesand into thebag, thebasebecomesconvex.Notgood.ThismeansthatthebagwillnotnowprovideastableplatformoffaconcretebenchthoughitmaynotbetoodisastrousforFClass
We have a great variety of bags available today. From the left – two cordura bags from Equifix Shooting Bags, a Bald Eagle leather bag with Cordura ears, a Cicognani all-
synthetic bag with rigid base, an Edgewood leather and Cordura (probably the best there is) and finally, a SEB ‘gator bag with off-set ears. In the foreground a suede doughnut bag,
which improves stability if used as a base for your bag
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-offyourshooting-matonagrassyfiring-point.
If you do end up with a convex base, thesolutionistosititupononeofthosedoughnuts– usually made of rubber or better stillsuede-leather,filledwithsand–seepic.Obviously rubber can be bouncy and this isexactly what we are trying to avoid so, if youare going to buy a doughnut – get a leatherone.Youwillneedtofillitwithsandbutit’snotessentialtopackitdrum-tight.
ItmightbetemptingtosityourbagonapileofwoodenblocksorwhathaveyouandIhaveseensome horrendous rear bag supports amongsttheFClassfraternity.Inbenchrestcompetition,there are restrictions on such contraptions. InallfairnesstotheFClassguys,theyareoftenfacedwithsteeplyslopingunevenfiring-pointsand I have occasionally needed to resort todrastic methods to obtain a stable shootingplatform.
Fill the main body of your bag with sand aswe did with the ears – slapping the bag to
encourage thesandtosettleandcompact.Asyou are reaching the stage where the bag isgetting full, bring the pencil into play and ramthe sandbetweenfills via the filler tail.At thisstage you will be getting about a teaspoonfulofsandinatatime.Bepatient,ramthatsand,keepslappingit,getitsofullitfeelslikeabrick–unlessyouareabag-squeezerofcourse!
Once it’s absolutely full, tuck-in the filler-tail.Youmighthavetocarefullyusethebladeofascrewdrivertodothis.Now,havealookattheears. Are they too full? They need to mouldslightly to the shape of your butt-stock andshould not lift the butt as you track the riflebackandforth.Lookthroughthescope–ifthecrosshairskeepdroppingonyourtargetasyou‘track’therifle,theearsaretoofull.The proof of the pudding is of course in theshooting.Setupyourrifleandseehowit‘runs’inthebags.Beatthetopofthebutt-stockwithyour fist to settle it in the ears and run theriflebackandforthinasawingmotion.Setyourcrosshairson the targetand run the rifleback
Here’s what you need to fill your bag – sand, small funnel, a pen or pencil for ramming the sand into the ears and a tablespoon is useful for handling the sand
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and forth some more and keep checking forreturn to point of aim – we are looking for aset-upwhere,aftertherifleisfiredandyoupushitbackagainstthefore-endstop,thecrosshairsaresomewherenearyourpointofaim.
If you are using a front pedestal rest –whatabout the front-bag? Firstly, there is norequirementtouseZircon–thebagisfixedtoaheavy rest.Secondly, fill asabovebutdon’toverfillit.Youshouldbeabletopushyourfingerinto thebagaboutaneighthofan inch.Don’tgetittoosolid.Useasmallspirit-leveltoensurethefrontbagislevelbeforeyoumounttherifle.Doup thesidescrewstoencouragethesidesofthebagtogripthestock–butnottootight.Theriflemustbeallowedtorecoil freely.Lookthroughyourscopewhilstgentlyattempting tomove the fore-end fromside toside–as longas the crosshairs don’tmove, the grip is tightenough.
Aperfectset-upisessentialtogetthebestoutofyourrifle.Ifyoushootbenchrest,trytoavoidtouching the rifle – except with your trigger-
finger.Donotwrapyourhandaroundthestockorholdontothefore-end.Free-recoilisusuallythe bestway to shoot but this becomesmoredifficultwithlargercalibresweusein1000yardbenchrestorFClass.
Some shooters initially don’t take to shootingbenchrest-style but please, persevere, it isthe most accurate way to shoot. Not only dobenchrestersachieveoutstandingaccuracybutlookat theFClassguyswith their five-inchVbullat1000yards.Even inperfect conditions,such accuracy can only be achieved with afaultlessset-up.
Check out www.foxfirearmsuk.com for SEBproducts, for Cicognani, go to www.varide-cicognani.com Bald Eagle and Protectorbagsareavailable fromwww.sinclairintl.comand see www.edgebag.com for Edgewoodproducts.
Note the stitching between the ears – single row on the left, three rows on the right – for wider stocks. Buy the right bag for your stock.
68 Target Shooter
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Target Shooter 69
How many times when you are practicing downrangeonvariousknock-downtargetssomeoneelseknocksdownyourtargetjustasyouaretakingaim?Howmanytimeswouldyouliketoresetatargetbutthepulling-cord ismannedbysomeoneelseandheistoolazytore-setthetarget?Howmanytimesyoupullthecordanditbreaks?
DefinitelynotabigissuebutIreckoneveryshooterwill smile when they read that introduction. Oneshooter inour club (MaltaAlliedAirgunnersClub)decidedtodosomethingaboutit–bybuildinghisownautomated knock-down target.Of course, bytoday’smicro-electronicstandardsit’snotthelatestinhigh-techbut it’sworthamentionandacloserlook in appreciation of our shooter’s dedicationtowardshisfavoritehobby.
ThecreatorisoneNazzarenoScorfna,alongtimeair rifle enthusiast. Nazzareno is also a foundermember of our shooting club and he is alwayskeentohelptheclubinanywayandisadedicatedcommittee member in the MAACAirgun Section.NazzarenoisalsoakeenFTshooterandhadhiswishcometruein2009whenheparticipatedintheWFTFWorldsinSouthAfrica.NazzarenoisaproudWierauchownerandallhisairriflesexceptoneareHWproductsandhewillneverchangethemforanyotherbrand.Hisfulltimejobasanautoelectricianhelpedhimtoapplyhisskillsinthisproject.
NazzarenoishisrealnamebutisknownasRenieby all his friends and he always had a fixation inhismindtohaveafull-sizeknock-downtargetthatwillautomaticallyresetafterbeinghit.Heisalways
busy with targets. He buildstargets forairpistoland targetsfor air rifles, usually with somekindof innovation.He likesandtries to make life easier for allexcept himself. However it’sRenie’s passion to makesomething work and to help allmembers old and new feel athome.
For his automatic re-set target,Renietellsusthatall isneededwas a standard knockdowntarget,amicro-switch,abicyclebrake cable, a 12V solenoidfrom a scrapped diesel engine,tworelaysandthetimerusedondiesel engines and a 12V
The Lazy Man’s (Auto Reset) Knockdown Target
Lazymans Auto Reset Target - All the mechanisim is well protected.
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battery.According toRenie’s ownwords you caneasilypurchase these itemsorevenget them forfreesince theseareeasilyavailable fromascrapyard.Rene decided to construct his own knock-downfrom scrap metal. The cable, timer, solenoid,coveringandeven theknock-downall came froma scrap yard. Rene’s contribution to recycling!He only bought the relays and the micro switchbecausehetellsusthat these itemsarethemostcriticalpartsanditsbettertogetthemnew.Hedidnot find any great difficulties in constructing thetargetandtheset-upbutheencounteredaproblemofhowtoreversethetimerfunction.Hewantedtomakethetimerfunctionworkintheoppositewaytohowitworksonthedieselengines.Reneexplains tome that timer inadieselengineworks in the following way. When the ignition isswitched on, the timer supplies current for a setnumber of seconds on the heater-plugs and thenautomatically breaks the circuit. He wanted thetimer to work the other way around. When theknock-down kill-zone is hit, the face-platewill falland in turn will activate the micro-switch. Thisaction will supply current and trigger the timer toinitiateacountdownbeforethecurrentisappliedtothesolenoid.Thesolenoidwill thenstarts topull thelinkbymeansofapull-cablewhichwillinturnpullto re-set the knock-down. Once the knock-downre-setsandlockstheface-plate,themicroswitchisreleasedandthiswillcutthecurrentsupplytothesolenoidmakingitfreesothatthetargetisreadyfor
thenextshot.
Renetellsmethatbeforehedecidedto introducetheelectriccircuithetriedvariousattemptstomakea fully mechanical auto re-set target. In fact hemanagedtodoitbuttheproblemisthatthetargetautore-setsatonceanddoesnotallowanobserversuchasa lanemarshal tonotice this, ifhe isnotdirectly observing the target. Rene wants thingsdoneinafairwaysohewantsthetargetdownandto stay down for a few seconds then auto re-setitself.
His problem was how to conceal the electricalcircuitandmakeitlessnoticeable.Healsowantedtoprotectcertaincomponentsfromanyaccidentalshots so he decided to fit and protect all thecomponents intoametalbaseanddoubleprotectthe critical components. I reckon the constructionisstrongenoughtostopa9mmround–that’ssafeenoughforRenie!WellRene’s project is now complete but I bet hecomesupwithmorerefinements tohiscreation–don’taskmewhatbuthewillcertainlyshareitwithusoncehecompletesit.OnethingIamcertainof-wewillseemoreoftheseunitsinthefutureonourrange.
It’s Renie’s wish to share his little project andhe happy to help others who want to build thissystemfortheirownuse.Heisnotseekingpatentsorprofit,it’sjustfunforhimbutalthoughhelikestosharewitheachandeveryshooterhewouldnotlike
Nazzareno the man behind this project.
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anyone to take commercial advantage of this. IfanyoneisinterestedforpersonaluseorcommercialapplicationandwouldliketocontactRenie,[email protected].
Theshootersat therange liketouse itespeciallyforstandingshots.WhenRenieunderstoodthisheimmediately painted it red with a yellow hit zoneto please his fellow shooters’ request. The full
operationof this target canalsonowbe seenonYoutubebyfollowingthislinkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHZ-2Fdv9vg.
This article is just my way, as Club Chairman,to give my little contribution to Renie and hislazy-man’sknock-downtarge
Rear View showing the neat arrangment
Testing by club members
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The Natural Aiming Point of the position.
As an ongoing system of progress concerningsettingupthepositionforproneshooting,theNAPis thenext point of concern for any shooter, bothnewchumandexpert.Letmestaterightnow,thatoncetheinitialpositionisfinalised,therealdetailstartsingettingtherifletopointatthetarget.
Everyposition,beitthatofabrandnewshooteroraworldchampionhasaNaturalAimingPoint(NAP)encasedwithin.
Thetrickwiththis,istogettheriflealignedexactlywith the target, without any extraneous forceappliedtobringtherifleonaimbyuseofmuscles.
Ihavealreadyexplainedthecorrectuseofthesling,whichprimarily isanaid tohold the riflestill,andthesourcesofthemanyproblemsthatcandevelopuntiltheslingissettofavoureachposition.Within the forward geometry, using the slingcorrectly,largelyinfluencesthecontroloftheNAP,buttheprimarycontrolisentirelytheplacementofthebodyonthefiringpointforproneshooting.Alsoconnectedwithinthis isbreathingcontrol,andtheevolutionofthepositionroundthefulcrumpointoftheleftelbow.(RHshooter).The forward elbow becomes the single mostimportant placement factor in a successfulposition,andtheshooterwillsoonlearntoleaveitfirmlystuckinplace!Yousee,thecontroloftheleft,andright“point”oftherifleisdictatedbythebodymovementaroundthatfulcrumpointoftheforwardelbow.
I have explained also the importance of the leftsideof theposition (straight line from the forwardhand,directlythroughtheforwardelbow,shoulder,hip,knee,andthefoot)anditisthispositioningonthefiringpointthatenablestheshootertogainthecorrectleftandrightnaturalaimingpoint.
IftheshooterwillfollowalongwithmeasIwritethis,andassumeapositionthatyouhavedevelopedthatiscomfortable,andhopefullypointssomewhereincloseproximitytothetarget, Iwould likeyounowto place the rifle up into your position and dropyoureyebehindthebacksightonthecheekpiece,gettingreadytoaimtherifle.Now,justbreatheinandoutsteadilyandcloseyoureyes.Continuebreathingasyourelaxtheforwardpositionwithemphasisonthearms,andshoulders,foraboutthreeorfourbreaths,thenopenyoureyesbehindthesightstoaimtherifle.
There areTWOhighly important areas to look atnow!
“A”…Istheriflepointingeither leftorrightof thetarget?
“B”….Isyouraimingeyedeadcentre in thebackpeepoftherearsight?lookingdirectlythroughthepeep?
Inrelationto“A”above,wheretherifle ispointingeither left or right of the aiming mark, is theLATERALNaturalAimingPointof theposition. Ifthisdoesnotcoincidewiththeaimingmarkthroughthe sights, you need to alter the body positionaroundthefulcrumof theforwardelbow.DoNOT
ThisSmallboreBusiness
ByDonBrook
Target Shooter 75
movetheelbowpositionunderanycircumstances.Thewholeof thepositiongeometry isdictatedbythestandardpositionoftheforwardelbowinbothplanes,asIwillexplain.
Sayforinstancetherifleisaimingleftoftheaimingmark.Tobringtherifletotheright,tocoincidewiththeaimingmark,youjustsimplymovethehipstothe left.This allows the position tomove the riflefurthertotheright,andoncemoreundertheeyesshut,relaxedbreathingsequencethelateral“point”issearchedandfound.
Itisimportant,thatthefinestincrementisobserved,particularly when searching for that elusive finepieceof positioningas your skills develop. Eventhe slightest amount off the centre aim in theforesight is not acceptable under the attentiontodetail requirement I have continuedwith inmywritings.Conversely, if therifle isaiming to therightof theaimingmark,thenyoumoveyourhipstotherightaround the fulcrumof that forwardelbowuntil theNAPisfoundwithoutanyformofmuscleinfluenceinBOTHplanes…..
Shooters reading this, I must state that theseexamples are mandatory if you want to getanywhere with this fascinating sport. You simplyHAVEtodothisasyoudevelopyourshootingskills.
Now, concerning “B” above, “Is the eye lookingdirectlythroughthesights?”If you study the photograph #1 you will see aclassiccaseoftheeyeunderthepeepaxiswithintheposition.Theaimingeyeiswellunderthepeepaxisasanillustration,andislargelyatfaultwiththeelevationofanadjustablecheekpieceontherifle.The remedy is quite simple here, as the cheekpiececanbeadjustedupwards togain thepeepaxis(Seephoto#2)
However,iftheshooterpersistswiththefirstphotoadjustment, itwillbeseenthat theshooterhastolifttheheadupwardsfromthecheekpiecetogaineyecentrethroughthepeep.Thismeansthatthecheekpiecepressureontheriflevaries,(insomecasesconsiderably)so losingcontrolof the facialposition and the recoil factors on shot release.Thevariationsencasedwithinthisfaultcanleadtoexcessive group size on the target, and totallyunexplained shots in the scoring rings for anotherwisequitewellaimedshot.
Ifyoursmallborerifledoesnothaveanadjustablecheek piece, then you need to make sure thatadjustmentsaremadetoenablepeepcenteringonaim. Ihaveseenallsortsof ingeniousmethodsto achieve this factor, from carving the shape ofthe cheek piece woodwork itself (my own early
Have a look at the position fault here, where the eye is well under the peep centre. (See text) This is a simple cheek piece adjustment requirement but is so often seen!
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Anschutz rifleswereallaltered insomeway,as Ineverfiredastockstandardriflestockinmylife.)orinsomecasesacheekpiecebuiltupwithbuildersepoxy“Bog”thatenabledtheshootertogainpeepcentrewithoutvaryingthecheekpiecepressureontherifle.
Theobviouscureallforastocklikethisistohaveastockmakerbuildanadjustablecheekpieceforyou,youwillbesurprisedat thebenefits. It isnotrocketscience,andagoodstockmakercandothiseasily.
“RifleFit”willbediscussedfurtherdownthetrackin future articles, and I have seen, in my travelsaroundtheriflematchesintheworld,someprettyingenious devices to gain rifle fitting. Therewaseven one instance of a prominent shooter fromFinland with a 12mm Dowel (Approx the samesize as a “Dolly” clothes peg) employed as acheekpiece!
It should also be noted that modern target riflesare fully adjustable, and this was no accident ofdevelopment,believeme!Thiswillbethefirstarticledevotedtonaturalaimingpoint,anditmustbeacceptedthateveryposition,nomatterhowstandardised,or radical itmaybe,
needstohavetheaimingpointfoundprettyquickly.The second series of the Natural Aiming Pointselection devoted to elevation control by positionandbreathingwillbepromotednextissue.
Thesedays,withelectronic targets,singleaimingmarktargetmachines,andthefinalessystemsinplace, at least you only have one aiming markpresentedtoyou.Spareathoughtforthoseclubsallovertheworld,that still use multi aiming mark targets, such asthe 50m five bull target in Australian clubs thatpresentthissetofproblemstoeach20shotstringfivetimes!
Fromwhat I knowabout shot releaseorientation,this is probably one of the major causes ofdiminished skills levels in all forms of proneshooting, letalone thedemandsapplied for threepositionshooters!I do know, that when I first ventured out ofAustralia to international competition, I am quitesure the increase inmy personal standard camefromsingleaimingmarktargetsinfrontofme.SomuchlessIhadtobotherabout!Anotherlittlegemforyouall….“Ifyouhit it inthemiddle,itdoesnotmatterwherethelinesare,doesit?Brooksie.
This photo shows the correct cheek piece height, which as you can see, allows the eye to be centered in the peep. This is crucial to correct cheek piece pressure. (See text)
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Matt has been involved in shooting now forjust three years, having come to the sport viaTetrathlon.Priortotakingupshootingasastandalone event, Matt competed regularly in theTetrathlon for the pony club, and for those whogetconfusedastowhichdisciplinestheTetrathlonincludes-itis,running,swimmingandhorseridingaswellofcourseasairpistolshooting.WhenhewasfifteenthecoachatthelocalrifleclubwhereMatt’sshootingtrainingtookplaceaskedifhehadconsideredsmall-boreshooting.Matt’sresponse
to coach Richard was to return to the club thefollowingweekandhaveago.Quiteaniftymoveconvertingapistolshootertorifle!Thatwasthreeyearsagoandhisinteresthasgainedmomentumalong with his skills and success . Now agedeighteen Matt saw his move to small-boreshootingasastepupfromairrifleandairpistolwhichhehadthoroughlyenjoyedbutfeltthisnewdisciplinerepresentedanewchallengeandawayoffurtheringandbuildingontheskillshealreadyhad.CurrentlyMattisconcentratingon.22prone
ProfileonMattMilson
ByHayleyPlatts
Target Shooter 79
with his small-bore rifle but this may inevitablyleadtolearningthenewskillsrequiredtobecomeathreepositionalshooter.
Matt is starting to emerge as a young shootingtalent and has for the past two years attendedtheYorkshireRegional trainingsquadaswellasbeing as competitive as possible shooting innationaleventsatBisley,andtravellingtoScotlandandtheIsleofMantohelpbroadenhisknowledgeof good and demanding ranges in the UK. Italwaysamazesmehowwehaveagoodnumberof outdoor ranges dotted around the UK whichgounnoticedbythegeneralpublicandnonlocalshooters unless you are heading there! butonce you arrive at these little clubs to competethere is a community feel often in themiddle ofnowherecompletewithsecureclubhouseandcosyenvironment to mull over those shots that gotaway!
So far Matt cites clinching the Scottish JuniorChampionship last year in Scotland as his bestachievement, although he is also very proudto have represented the England Juniors alsoin 2009 at Bisley and bring home a gold in theannualmatchversusScotlandandWales. WithregardtohisfutureintheshootingMattsaysthathewantstocontinuetolearnandalsotocompetetothebestofhisability,andmostimportantlystillenjoyit.
Matthasplentyonhisplateacademicallywiseashe is in the throesofcompletinghisALevelsatCollegewherehehasundertakenMaths,PhysicsandBusinessStudies.Goodluckwiththoseandalso congratulations toMatt for recently gaininghis Private Pilots License for Helicopters,something which he tells me is what he hopeswill turnout tobeacareer forhim in the future.Justthinkingaboutthoseacademicskillsandhisaptitude for learning to fly, I wonder if thoseanalyticalskillshelpMattconsiderhisshotsandthe mathematical decisions on wind speed anddirection etc - quite an interesting topic to mullover, itoften intriguesmetodiscoverwhatskillsand talents people bring to the range from theirnonshootinglivesandhowthathelpsorhinderstheminlearningtoshootandcompete.
Anyhow to sumup, I hopeMatt turns out to behigh flyer with his shooting career as well asturninghis hobby into a career choiceandwishhimwell incombiningbothof these talentsoverthenextfewyears.
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Insteadofmorecoachingtipsorlookingatdifferenttypes of equipment etc I thought I’d take a lookthismonthatoursportasawholetoseewhathashappened,whatiscurrentlyhappeningandwhatweneedtoplanforandimplementinthefuturetohelpensurethegrowthanddevelopmentofGalleryRifle&Pistol(GR&P).Ihavethefeelingthisisgoingtobeabit likepokingastick intoahornet’snestbutitseemsthatthereisagreatdealoftalkingontheranges,butverylittlecommunicationgettingoutsideof itsoI’llstart theball rollingandjusthopethat itdoesn’tturnintoatenpinbowlingmatch.
Startingatthebeginningin1997,manyofuswantedtocarryonshooting the typeofactionevents thatweusedtoshootwithourpistolsandtheonlytypesoffirearmsthatwereavailableatthetimewerethe10/22’sand leveraction rifles.Manyofusupuntilthis time were members of the National Pistol
Association (NPA) which was the governing bodyfor pistol shooting and theBritishFifteenHundredandActionPistolAssociation(BFAPA).Itwastheirjobtorunprettymuchevery1500oractionpistol/revolvermatchthatwaseitheratBisleyoranywhereelse around the country anda very good job theydidof it tooatthetime!Unfortunatelyforus,whenGR&PshootingstartedtotakeoffsodidtheNPAandthisleftusallwithnogoverningbodyoranyformalstructuretocarryonwithintothefuture.Thankfullythough, a few of the stalwarts from within ourshootingcommunitymanagedtokeepoursportaliveand set about rebuilding what we had left, whichwasn’tmuchwhenyouthinkofit.Quiteafewpeoplejustgaveupatthispointastheyeitherdidn’twantto shoot rifles, or found that they couldn’t performat the level they were previously at shooting theirpistols but the rest of us were determined to seewhatwecouldmakeof it. Itdid takequiteawhile
By Gwyn Roberts
Good healthy competition
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toachievebuttheNationalRifleAssociation(NRA)waseventuallypersuadedtohelpusoutandtookthedisciplineofGR&Punderitswing.Forsomeshootersitwaslike“turningtothedarkside”withthemhavingtofallundertheNRA’sbanner,butthenlookingatitfromtheirpointofview,whyshouldtheyhavetakenusonboardanyway?Wasitbecause£signswere
beingwavedaroundinfrontoftheireyesfor lotsofnewmembers, were they weretryingtohelpsafeguardTR,orwasitbecausetheyweresimply trying to help outfellow shooters within thesport? Quite frankly noneof us really cared becauseit meant that we could stillcarry on with our shootinginsteadofhavingtotakeupfishing or something elseinstead! This partnershipgave GR&P the credibilitythat it needed as arecognised NRA disciplinewhich would ensure thatit was fully accepted byboth the Home Office andA.C.P.O so that we couldcarry on shooting with ourold competitions albeit withournewtypesoffirearms.
Present:TurningourattentionthentoourNationalGoverningBody for GR&P, the first question you wouldprobablyaskisaretheyactuallydoingagoodjobofit?IthinktheNRA’simmediateresponsewouldbe
Our sport needs more Juniors & under 21’s
RO’s & CRO’s wanted, apply everywhere
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isyourhomecluborrangebeingrunperfectly,andifnot,whynot?Ithinkit’sfairtosaythattherearevery few, if any clubs or associations that are runaswellas theycouldbe (orevenanywherenearinsomecircumstancesIcanthinkof)butIthinkthepotential is there if therightdecisionsaremade inthefuture!MaybeI’mbeingunfair,orjustplainwrongbut there has always seemed to be a bit of a “usand them” thinggoingonwithsomeof thepeoplewhoshootatBisleyandthisthoughtalsoextendstosomeofthepeoplethathavebeenwithintheNRA/NSCovertheyears.It’salwaysstruckmeasbeingaretirementhomeforexBrigadiersandthelikewhohave found that they have way too much sparetime on their hands so they thought they wouldjoin the “old boys” club just for something to do.Unfortunatelythishasprovedtobethecaseonmorethanoneoccasionovertheyearsastherehasbeenanumberofindividualsonthecampwhohavebeenallowedtoreignfreelyforfartoolong,withlittle,ifanyaccountabilitytoanyoneelseforeithertheiractionsor thedecisions that theyhavemade.Selfishnessorsimpleincompetenceovertheyearsbyahandfulof people has probably been themain reason forthe slow development of Bisley as the centre ofexcellenceforthewholeoftheshootingsports,butthankfully the process of change is already taking
place. This should be good news for every typeofshooterandtheappointmentorreplacementofsomestaff,alongwiththeaccountabilitymeasuresbeingputintoplaceiscertainlyencouraging.Outsideexpertise, help and advice in some areas anddisciplines is also being utilized along with thesetting up of additional committees and workinggroupswhich isallhelping to takeaverypositivestepforwardintherightdirection.
Other questions that often pop up duringconversationregardingtheNRA/NSCiswhathavetheyeverdone forus,what’s in it forme,orwhyiseverythingsoexpensive?Thefirstanswerwouldhave tobe theyhavehelpedusget towherewearenow,witharound600competitorsenteringthePhoenix and many international GR&P Teams tocompeteagainstbothathomeandabroadsotheyhave obviously helped accomplish many things.TherewillhopefullybeothercountriesjoiningusinthenearfuturebutIthinkthisisbestreadasworkinprogressforthetimebeing.ReadingtheNRAlistofbenefits,thesecondquestioncouldbeansweredwith not a lot really to be honest if it isn’t yourprimaryclubas I thinkmostof thesebenefitsarecoveredbyyourownclubaffiliation. Notbeingamember though means that you will not be abletorepresentGBasamemberoftheGR&PTeam,you cannot vote at theAGM which could be thedifference between someone who may beblinkered or someone who is open in their viewsbeingelectedintopositionswithintheNRA,sothisiscertainlysomethingforyoutothinkabout.Iagreethat certain things are considered expensive andamongsttheseareentrycostsingeneral,aswellasthedifferencebetween thosecostschargedat theGR&PeventsandthesamematchesshotatsomeoftheothermeetingsatBisley,butthiswillhopefullybeaddressed in the future.On theplusside thereisofcoursenowa20%reductioninentrycostsforthePhoenixifyouenter12ormoreevents,andthisisdefinitelyabonus for thosepeoplewhoactuallymakeaweekendofit,asopposedtothosewhoonlyturnupforamorningorafternoonofshootingsoaneffort is definitely beingmadeon this point. If youarenotbotheredaboutreceivingyetanothermedalyoucanofcourseoptfora£5giftvoucherinsteadwhichmeansyoucouldendupshootingtheshortsmatchesforhalfpriceandstillgettherecognition,aswellasaqualifyingscoresoagainit’sanotherstepintherightdirection.
Future:Aswell as askingwhat theNRA /NSCare doingforGR&P shooting,we should also ask ourselvesthesamequestionsaswellastheclubsandrangesthat we regularly attend. Does your club or rangeencourage other clubs to attend for either an
RO’s & CRO’s wanted, apply everywhere
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informalgettogetherorafullblowninterclub/opencompetition,and ifnot,whynot?Surely this is thebest way to get more people actively involved inall of the disciplines and it will also help educateeveryone involved in aspects from safety to thefunfactor,andthisiswhatit’sallaboutsurely?Ononehand therearemanyclubsdottedaround thecountry with some fantastic facilities but theyare “closed” to outsiders or any form of change,whereas others have very enthusiastic andexperienced members but have poor facilitiesmeaningthattheyhaveeitherlittleornoopportunitytopassontheirexpertiseandknowledgetoothers.Either way, both scenarios are detrimental to thefuture of our sport and unless things can changepretty soon, the future of all forms of shooting islookingprettybleak!I’vementionedthismanytimesbefore,butifwecouldalljustgetonemorepersonfromourclubtotraveltoBisley(oranyanotheropenshoot) then the Phoenixwould instantly havewellovera1,100entrants,andthiswouldbeahugeboostandgetusbackuptosomewherenearthenumbersweusedtogetattheoldAnnoDominimeetings.AswellashavingaccesstogoodfacilitieswealsoneedtomakesurethathelpandadviceisreadilyavailabletothosethatneeditregardingeveryaspectofGR&Pshootingandthiswillbeavailabletobothindividuals
aswellasclubsinthenottoodistantfuture.
Aswellasattractingmoreshootersandcompetitorsinto GR&P we also need to increase the numberof competent R.O and C.R.O’s to ensure that wecan carry on providing good quality and above allelse,safematchesand thisagain isproving tobesomewhat of an uphill struggle. There are alwayspeoplewhoarewilling to takeall they can fromasportbuttherearefarlesswhoarepreparedtogiveanythingbackinreturn,andthisisanotherissuethatneedstobeaddressedinthefuture.Ifyouarenotwilling to help out in some small way at an eventthen Idon’t reallyseewhyanyoneelseshouldbepreparedtohelpyouonthedayeither. It’snot theend of the world to turn up earlier to help scoretargets,paintsteelorhelpwithR.Odutiessogivethissomethoughtifitappliestoyou.IfwehadalotmoreR.O’savailable tous itwouldmean that theduties could be shared throughout the day orweekendandthiswouldmakeitmuchfaireronthecurrentpeoplewhodoitasitwouldgivethemalotmore time to shoot their ownmatches in (or eventakepartinsomecircumstances).
RunninganassociationthesizeoftheNRAcannotbedonebyjustahandfulofpeopleanditrequires
a huge number of volunteers towork together in many differentareas. There’s a small minoritywho view those sitting on thevarious committees or beingresponsible for certain positionsas being on some sort of powertrip, or simply wanting to be incharge of everyone else but inmost cases, this is very far fromthe truth. If you actually saw theamount of paperwork involved,thenumberofmeetingsthathavetobeattended (and thedistanceinvolved to actually get to them)alongwith thesizeof thereportsthat have to be written etc, etcthen these individuals wouldcertainly change their opinionsof thosewho help run our sport.Thesepeopleputinatremendousamount of their (unpaid) time,effort and commitment intohelping our sport develop andgrow and it is up to all of us tohelp them in anywaywe can. Ittakesfarmorethansomeonewhoisonanegotriptorunoursport,where much has been promisedinthepastonlyforverylittletobeactually delivered but I think the
Your ultimate goal perhaps
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key people that we currently have in place withintheGR&P framework (bothGR&PandNRA/NSC)aredoingahugeamountofgoodwork forus, themajorityofwhichusuallygoestotallyunnoticedbutit is certainly being done.Themain tasks that theGR&PCommitteemembersareworkingonat themoment iswritingandputting together thevariousmanuals for Skills, Training, Coaching, R.O’s andClub /RegionalDevelopment.This is ahuge tasktoachievebutitisalreadyunderwayandalthoughit will take time to complete, the end results willbenefit everyone from probationary members tonationalstandardshootersandtheywillhelpustotakeour sport up to thenext level.Youwill noticethatnewruleshavebeen introducedregardingtheclassification/ typeoffirearmsthatcanbeusedinGR&Peventsandthiswillhelptoensureafairerandmorelevelplayingfieldasnewtypesoffirearmsarebecoming available on the market. It is alsoopeningupoursport topeoplewhoshootwiththeoldertypesofriflethatusethestandardironsightsetc and this can only be good for GR&P. It hasinvolvedalotmoreworkforthestatscrewbutthereare now individual classifications for the differentcalibers in the individual shorts events, and againthisistoensurethateveryshootergetsasfairadealasispossible.
Ithinkattheendofthedayalackofcommunicationprobably creates more problems or distrustwithintheshootingsports(oranyothersportforthatmatter)thananyotherspecificpointandthisiswhatweneedtoaddress,now!TheNRA/NSCalreadysendoutregulare-mailsandtheGR&P’sgalleryr-ifle.com website has pretty much everything elsecoveredbut they canboth be improvedon.Thereare obviously many people out there who aresatisfiedwiththewaythatoursportisbeingrunanddeveloped, and there are also a few who aren’t.Theremust be lots of people out therewith somegood ideas about what can be done to improveareas or points within Gallery Rifle, but it’s not ofmuch use if you don’t put your ideas forwards toanyone. In order for us to progress we mustcommunicate,sopleasegetintoucheitherwiththeNRA/NSCortheGR&[email protected].
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The Lichfield Target Shooting Club was formed asWeefordAirgunClubin1976and,soonafter,movedtopremisesatLichfieldCricketClub,changingthenameintheprocesstoLichfieldAirgunClub.Forthemostpart,certainlyover15years,theCricketClubwastheshootingclub’sbasealthoughtherewerebriefspellswheretheclubmetattheOfficer’sClub,SwinfenHall,in the grounds of the prison, and another period oftimeattheOldSchoolhouseinthenearbyhamletofFradley. However with the demise of the Cricketpitchand it’sclubhouse tomakeway forahousingdevelopment, necessitated another move and theLichfield group of shooters now rent the ScoutHut at Hopwas where they have been located forapproximately3years.
The name was changed to the Lichfield TargetShootingClubin1988toreflectsomeofthechangesinclubactivities,andatthesametimethedemographicof themembershipwas changingwithmembers notonlyfromthecityitselfbutthelocaloutlyingareasaswell.
The club is always happy to welcome newcomersto thesportofair rifleandairpistolshootingaswellasestablishedshooterstotheclub. Ifyouarenewto the sport the club in the first instance has goodhonestequipmenttogetyoustartedaswellassomevery patient and knowledgeable members who areonlytoohappytoseenewcomersimproveandthriveinthesport.
Primarily Lichfield was always a club for 6 yardshooting (target and bell) as it did not have thenecessary room size available to extend the rangetoshoot10metres. All themoreextraordinary thento think that it was Lichfield Target Shooting Club
who resurrected the Staffordshire Open 10 metreChampionships -anational10metreeventwhich inthefirstfewyearswasheldinthebigSportsHalloftheFriaryGrangeSportsCentreinLichfield.Members pulled together to organise the meetingas well as compete in it themselves, and with thecombination of a new venue for shooters to travelto and compete at, and thewonderful array of localcrystalprizes,the‘Staffs’becameahugelysupportedand well loved annual event, which eventually washeldat theAldersleynational range,Wolverhamptondue to astronomical room hire rates at the SportsCentre.Init’sheydaytheeventattractedinternationalshooters from as far afield as New Zealand andcomprisedof2daysofdouble60shotcompetitionsplusaqualifierandOlympicFinalontheSaturdaynight,withStaffordshire confined champions being crowned inconjuctionwiththemainshootingevents.
Atthispoint Imustdeclaremynon-neutralstatusasfarasLichfieldisconcernedasitwastheclubwhereIlearnedmyshootingtradesotospeak,andbenefitedenormously from the experienced and enthusiastichardcorebunchofmemberswhoweretherebackinthe80’s.AsmallgroupofustravelledmostweekendstoeventsallovertheUK,sawhowcompetitionswererun,whatscoresyouneededtowinandgenerallylearnhowtoshootincompetitions.IthinkIlearnttodo10metreshootingatsomeofthesecompetitionshavingnoaccesstoarangewith10metresatthetime!ManyofthesepeoplehavebecomelifelongfriendsandIstillshootshouldertoshoulderwiththemmostweeks.
Anyone in the locality looking for a small friendlyclubshouldcontactKenBeddowson01543253734.TheclubmeetsonTuesdaynightsfrom8.00pmuntil10.00pmon10metretargetchangers.
Club Feature
LICHFIELDTARGETSHOOTINGCLUB
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CompetitionsOursecond100yardbenchrestcompetitionoftheyearwasratherpoorlysupportedbutnonethelesscompetitionwas as keen as ever and, for once,conditionswerequitegood.
At100yards,wehadournewmoving-backerupandrunningandwethankJackSearleforall thework he has put in to get the system built andinstalled.Themoving-backerrecordsthenumberofshotsfiredinagroupasthiscanbeverydifficultforthescorertodeterminewhengroupsizesgetdowntotheone-tenthofaninchregion.Yes,thebacker is there to prevent cheating but it’s notimpossibleforshooterstogenuinelylosecountoftheirshotswhen‘running’aquickgroup–it’snotunknownforsixshotstobefired!
Ian Dixon continued his run of form – almostagginginthe‘ones’–totakeanothercomfortablewinbutinspiteofthreegroupsinthe‘ones’fromIan, it was Eddy Robinson who took the small-group award with a stunning 0.131 incher. InFactory Sporter we had only two shooters andDarrel Evans cruised to another win and small-groupaward.
Results:HeavyVarmint1stIanDixon6PPCWalkerBAT 0.2078in. (av
offive,5-shotgroups)2ndPhilSammons 6PPCStolle 0.28493rdBruceLenton 6PPCStolle 0.3167
SmallgroupEddyRobinson 6PPCStolle 0.131
FactorySporter1stDarrelEvans 6PPCSako 0.60552ndAndyWoolley 6PPCSako 0.7167
Smallgroup DarrelEvans 0.305
ForSunday’s1000yardshootwehadanothergoodday,ifalittlebreezy.AmongsttheentrywehadthreeFClassshooterswantingtotryouttheir308F/TRrifles and loads before the Blair Atholl F ClassLeague shoot the following weekend. LaurieHollandwasamongstthethreeandhemanagedtoshootastunningfive-inchgroupandaggingjustover ten-inches for his four, 5-shot groups. Thiswas an excellent performance and gave Lauriethirdplaceoverall–exceptofcoursehisriflewasover-weight for the Light Gun Class! For therecord,LauriefinishedfourthatBlairAtholl.
Mal Roberts took the overall win with his MikeBryant smithed BAT and Phil Sammons shotsmall group of the day with a four-incher. InFactoryclass,currentChampion IanKelletcould
VINCE’S REGULAR COLUMN WHEREBY ACCURACY NUTS CAN KEEP UP TO DATE WITH THE ACTIVITIES OF THE UKBRA
This is septuagenarian Eddy Robinson. He shot smallest group at 100 yards on Saturday with his 6PPC Stolle. Here he is at 1000 yards with his 7mmWSM BAT
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donobetterthanthirdandanon-formToniYoungtookagreatwinwithherabsolutelystandard308Remington and also scooped the small-groupaward.
Results: LightGun1st MalRoberts6.5-284BAT8.607in.(av.Offour5-shotgroups)2nd PhilSammons6.5-284PRSStolle9.1353rd LesHolgate 6.5x55RPA10.656
Smallgroup PhilSammons 4.438inches
Factory1st ToniYoung 308Remington 13.0132nd AndyCarter 308SakoTRG 15.0753rd IanKellett 6.5-284Savage 17.6
Smallgroup ToniYoung 9.886inches
New StuffGot an e-mail the other day asking where I gotmystock tape from. Ifyouarenot familiar,stocktapeisaself-adhesiveTeflontapeandisusedbybenchresters to reduce the friction betweenbags and rifle. We usually stick a piece on theundersideofthefore-endandtheundersideofthebutt tohelp it slidebetween theearsof the rearbag.Theriflemustrecoilfreelywithout‘stiction’if‘shot to shot’ consistency is to bemaintained. Ifyouareshootingarestedrifleandnotusingstock
tape,youcouldbemissinga‘trick’.
I get my stock tape from Russ Hayden www.shooters-supply.com in America. Not veryconvenientas thepostagecostsasmuchas thetape!Foraroundatenneryougetfoursquares-enoughfortworiflesbutpostageandpackingtakesitstollandmycreditcardwasdebited$28.00!
Applying stock tape it is easy – just peel-off thebacking and stick it on your stock. Be warnedthough – it is very, very sticky and, if you get itwrong, there’s no second chance – believeme,thisstuffissticky!
Anyway, back to our reader’s e-mail.Clearly nothappywiththeAmericanconnection,hesurfedthenetandmanagedtolocateaUKsupplier.Obviously, this tape is not made specially forbenchrest shooters – it must have anotherapplication,however, Jonhassentmeasampleand I can confirm that it is identical to theRussHaydentape.
So, Jon at [email protected] is the guy tocontact if you would like some tape. The tapecomesonafive-inchwiderollandhewillsellyoutwo five-inch squares for £7.95 or four squaresfor £10.95, p&p included. Contact Jon (mob.07717277314)forfurtherdetailsbutpleasenote,hewillbeawayuntilJune9th.
Toni Young with her 308 Remington
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Inassociationwith
MynameisScottGrayson,I’msixteenyearsoldand I shoot for Buxted Rifle Club which I havebeenamember for the last fouryearsandhaveverymuch enjoyedmy time there. I handled anair rifle for the first time four yearsagoand I’venever looked back since.MyDad,Alan, boughtmy brother his first air rifle, an s200 in a GnBstock and this is when he and my brother firststartedshootingatBuxtedRifleClubandIfollowedshortlyafterwards.
AftersomelessonsinthewaysofshootingfromGaryMorisson,mybrotherandIstartedshootingHunterFieldTarget.ThisiswhereIfirstmetGarryKingaby who has been a loyal shooting partnerand, shooting alongside him, I have won thefollowinginHTFandbenchrest:• SouthernHuntersJuniorChampionship 2008-2009• ThirdintheWorldHFT2009• SecondintheSussexOpen• FirstJuniorHunterClass-Nationals2009• FirstJuniorUnlimitedClass-Nationals 2009
IwouldliketotakethisopportunitytothankGarryKingabyfortheamountoftimeandeffortheput
into my shooting to get me whereI am today. Alongside my success,alsocame thesuccessofmybrotherwho,withthehelpofhismentorGaryMorrison,haswonthefollowinginhisthreeyearsofshooting:• SussexInterclubJuniorChampion 2008-2009,2009-2010• SeventhintheWorldHTF2009• ThirdintheWorld2010• SussexOpenFirstJunior
HTF became a major part of myfamily’s life andwas great funwith alotofcompetitionbetweenmeandmybrotherwhichwasputtothetestattheSussexOpen where it went down to
Members of the UK team Above - Scott Grayson, one of our juniors Below - Colin Rose
Happy times at one of Scotts many competitions, with the rest of his team and Dad Alan
With winning in mind - Scott is on a winning streak
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thewire in a nail-biting standing shoot-offwhichendedwiththesatisfactoryvictorybeingclaimedbyCraig,leavingmeaproudsecond.
Throughoutmineandmybrother’sHTFseasons,I was injury-stricken due to a knee problemwhichhasnowbeenresolvedaftertwicebeinginsurgery. Through the periods of time where IwasunabletoshootIcouldhardlybarewatchingmybrothergoingontosucceedaroundthecountry,winning the 5th Round of the UK HFT inBasingstoke. I felt that I needed to find anothertypeofshootingandsoonfoundbenchrestthankstomyDadandGarryKingaby,whoaskedme ifI’d like tobecomepartof thebenchrest teamatmyClub, which I graciously accepted and soonfound myself in a completely different shootingdiscipline.
I started shooting benchrest with my Dad andGarrywithoutanyrealsuccessbutIwentthroughthefirstmonthsimproving,learningandaboveall,havingfun. InAugust, thebenchrestcompetitorsfrom my club all headed up to Bristol for theNationalswithgreatexpectations.Theexperienceof takingpart in theNationalswasbrilliantand Ilearnedalotfromit,alongwiththelaughswhichkept our competition stress- free and enjoyablethroughout.Ourteamallstayedinthesamehoteland the atmosphere was buzzing with the
ongoing excitement of shooting along with thehappy feeling that surrounded all the men fromtheClubwhoareallfriendsandgavetheplaceaheartyfeel.DuringmystayinBristol,lIhadsomefantastictimeswiththeguysfromtheclubaswehadarelaxed,happytimewhichtookthestressofshootingoffusandhelpedustoachieveahighstandard,withGarryKingabyandmyselffinishinginthetopthreeintheairriflecompetitions.
Benchrest shooting has now become a familysportwithmyMother andSister,who shot theirfirst season this year winning four Goldmedalsbetweenthem.It’samassiveswitchfromHFTtobenchrestsomyDadputmeincontactwithGaryCaneofTechwoodDesignLtdwhodesignedandbuiltastock forDad’sAirArmsMPR.ThestockitselfhasthecharacteristicsofbothaHTFandabenchreststock;it isabeautifulstockandatthemomenthe ismakingmea .22 rimfire ready formetouseintheEuropeansintheCzechRepublicandiftheendproductisanythinglikemyDad’s,Iwillbeexceedinglyhappywithit.Finally, Iwould like tosayabig thanks toGarryKingaby for allowing me to use his rimfire rifle.Ihave learntanawful lot fromhimand,as Iamanewmember ofNovioMagnumPistolClub inChichester,Ihopetocontinuelearningnewskillsthere.
Scott on his way upwards in the air rifle benchrest leagues
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AlthoughtheBlairAthollshootwasthefirstlongrange competition of the F Class League thisyear, itwasactually thesecondLeagueshoot–thefirstonebeingheldatDiggleinAprilover500 and 600 yards. If you have never beento Blair Atholl you should go because this isthe most picturesque range in the country –possiblytheworldandalsooneofthehardesttoshooton.
SimilartoDiggleinlayout,itisonthesideofavalleywithflagsmainlypositioneddownthelefthandsideoftherange(althoughtheflagscanbe so confusing andmisleading, theymay aswellbebehindyou!).
Normally there would be a practice/zeroingsession on the Friday but with long-rangedays limited at BlairAtholl this would now beSaturdaymorning,May8th. (Themain reasonforthisisthatwhenthelong-rangeshootstake
place,thepathsandtheroadsinGlenTilthaveto be closed to walkers for safety reasons).
Thecompetitionwassettocommenceat10am,so theblow-offsandsighting-insessionwouldbe immediately before this and would not besquadded,socompetitorsjustfoundaspacetoshootandgotaroughzero.
Whentheshootcommenceditwasfourdetailswith12shooterstoadetail.Withtheentrysplit19/29 in favour of theOpenClass shooters itmeant two full details of Open class, one fulldetailofF/TRshootersandonemixeddetail.
The other point to mention is that Blair haveelectronictargetsandeveryoneishappyaboutnothaving todobuttduty! If youhaven’t shoton these targets, they are great but you dofindthatyouareshootingmuchquickersoyou
The Long View News from the GB F-Class Association by Les Holgate
What a great place to shoot – note the monitor for the electronic targets – targets can be seen just above the monitor
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sometimeshavetoforceyourselftoslowdown.Theyalsoshowyourscoretoonedecimalplaceso you can see exactly how far you are fromthe line.Looksgreat ifyougeta5.9butsoul-destroyingwhen3.9isindicated!
When the first 2/15 shoot got underway, thefish-tailingwindwas confusingmany shootersandOpenscoreswereinthemidsixtieswhenthey would normally be in the seventies withF/TR not far behind. This was a pattern thatcontinued for the rest of the day with moststruggling to come to termswith the big windchanges.However, itshowshowfarF/TRhascomeinthatseveralshooterswouldhavefairedquitewellintheOpenClass.BytheendofthedayJohnCampbellwasleadinginOpenClassand IanDixonwasahead inF/TRbutmostofushad tobecontentwith thesun tanwehadgainedfromthegloriousweather!
FortheSaturdayevening,matchorganiserDesParrhadarrangedaShootDinnerintheAthollArms Hotel, which was also the venue thatmost competitorswere staying in.Most of theshooters attended and enjoyed a great meal
inthebaronialdiningroom,washeddownwithsomegoodwineandchat.
For Sunday, the weather seemed to bepromising more of the same but not quite assunny.The other downsidewas thewind - itwasgoingtobeevenmoretesting.Behindtheraised firing-point it seemed to be fairly calmbutassoonasyougotontopofthepoint,thatwasn’tthecase.Thewindwasstrongandwhenitdidchange it reallycaughtusoutwithmanycompetitors wondering how they could havemissed the3or4minutewindchanges -withsomemissingthetargetcompletely.
With John Campbell holding a slender leadovernight, could anyone catch him or maybehewould‘dollop’.Eventhoughtherewassomeexcellentshooting-thehighestscoreofthedaybeingastunning74fromDannyBrough–withsomecompetitorsatlastgettingtogripswiththewind, nobody couldmatch John’s consistencyandhetooktheoverallwin.
F/TR looked like it would be closer, with IanDixon’sleadslippingfrom5pointsovernightto
World F Class Champion Gary Costello (check shirt) gives first-timer Paul Harper a few tips
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only2pointsaheadafterthefirstSundayrelay.Ian hasa longhistory of ‘dolloping’ and couldwriteabookon itbutwhenthe lastF/TRshothadgonedowntherangenotonlyhadhenotdollopedbuthehadactuallyturnedhistwoshotleadintoa9shotlead-superbshooting.
FortherecordIanhadalsowonthreeofthefivematchessoyoucouldsayhehaddominatedtheweekendforF/TR.ForthoseofyouwonderingwhatequipmentthistopF/TRshooteruses,hehasmadehisownstockandbi-pod,aBarnardactionfittedwitha34inchbarrelshooting185grain bullets - all gunsmithingwork byWalkerCustomRifles. Itmaynotbe theprettiestgunbut ‘beauty is in theeyesof thebeholder’andhisscoresprovethatitshootsandalsoprovesthatitisn’tjustabouthowmuchyoucanspend.
So, with the shoot over, all that was left wastheprize-givingandanothersurprise - theGBFClassAssociationhasnowinvestedinsomesolid silver salvers at a cost of £1000 each!So at last, F Class shooters can have somehigh-qualitytrophiesoftheirown.
If youarenot already shooting in theFClassLeaguebutliketheideaofwhatwedo,whynotgetyourentryinforRound3atDiggleRanges12/13thJune.MoreinformationontheFClasswebsiteat www.f-class.org.uk
Both winners – Ian Dixon in the fore-ground with that home-made stock and bi-pod and John Campbell in the background. John builds his own rifles, this one a Stolle in 7mm WSM
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THEANNUALQUIGLEYSHOOTINGASSOCIATIONTIGHTGROUPSHOOT.
Saturday 15thMay and the annualQSATightgroupcompetitiongotunderwaywitha reduced field, mainly due to holidaysandafewmemberscompetinginthelongrangeeventsrunsimultaneouslyinBisley.Run on the lines of UK Benchrest stylecompetition the formatgenerally followedthat of Benchrest, but with some minorallowances due to the unique nature ofthese19thCentury longguns.Eachfirerwas to fire four separate groups of fiveroundsat100ydsonastandard25ydpistoltarget,atimelimitof10minutespergroupwasallowed,whichgavetimetowipethebore between shots.The resulting groupsizesrecordedwerethenaddedtogether anddividedby4,togiveanaveragegroupsize.
As per Benchrest rules, firerswere allowed to rest the riflesfront and back, although notused to thisposition,somesoongotthehangofitandsomeveryreasonable groups began toappear.However,asitturnedout,almosteveryoneshotatleastonegrouplargerthanwewouldhaveliked,duetotheoddflier.
It soon became apparent that aBattle Royal for smallest groupwasbrewing,withseveralgroupsbelow 2 inches. It finally camedowntolastyear’swinnerRichardHealeytojustbeathissonJake,whoincidentallyshootsbenchrestrimfire and is to competein the European and World
AregularcolumnwherebyKenHallkeepsusuptodatewithblackpowdercartridgerifleshootingintheUK.
Dennis Richardson with his Browning High Wall
John Noble used the only original rifle .43 Egyptian
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championshipslaterthisyear.
Jake’ssmallestgroup,at1.30 inlookedasurewinneruntilRichardachieved amagnificent group at1.25inchescentretocentre,thiswithleadbulletssizedto0.459in.
Overall, the results wereencouraging and show thatfirersaregettingtogripswiththe“DarkStuff”.Thankstoeveryonewho entered, we should contin-
ue tostrive towardsachievingsmallergroupsatthis distance; otherwisedecent scoresat longerrangeswillcontinuetoeludeus.
RESULTS.
Competitor BestGroup Average
RichardHealey1.25in 1.72in
DaveBownass1.72in 2.53inDennisRichardson 1.74in 2.60inDaveMalpas 2.04in 3.06inKenJones 2.08in 3.75inDougHerod 3.5in 3.86inKenHall 3.05in 4.25inJohnNoble 4.14in 6.49inJakeHealey1.30in Didn’tfinishGaryLee 1.67in Didn’tfinish
Ken Jones and Gary Lee
Winner Richard Healey and organiser Ken Hall
Young Jake Healey swabs the bore between shots
Richard and Jake’s winning groups
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THE QUIGLEY SHOOTING ASSOCIATION.
MAY QUIGLEY COMPETITION.Saturday 8thMay and still no improvement in theweather(OK,sothesnowhasmelted!)onceagainitturnedouttobemoreakintoNovember,withafierceandbitterlycoldwind.Stage 1 at 400 yds as usual, consisted of twosighters and fifteen shots to score at the Quigleybucket at 400 yds.Aswebroke for lunchRichardHealeywasleadingwithacreditable63pointsbeingchasedbyDaveColemanandGaryAllsoppwith55and51pointsrespectively.Afterlunch,stage2wasthebuffalosilhouetteat600ydsandtopscoreronthisstagewasRichardagain,with40pointsfollowedbyDaveSimmons, IanHullandDaveMalpaswith36pointseach.
Thefinalscoreswereasfollows.Pos. Shooter. Score.1. RichardHealeySharps45/901032. DaveMalpas Sharps45/70833. GaryAllsopp Remington45/9080
Dave Coleman gets his own back. Smoke that is.
Jake and Gary peer through the smoke
What a beautiful setting for a range
Winner and Runner-up Richard Healey and Dave Malpas
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The season is off to a good start with theMattersey Ten, Basildon 1500, the WesternWinner 1500 at Bristol, Joint Services PC inScotlandandtheSpringActionWeekend.Record numbers at the National ShootingCentre for the last, which currently looks likebeingthecaseforthePhoenixMeetingtoo.Thesportisaliveandwellandnewfacesarejoiningthecompetitioncircuitateverymeeting.
This month you have the Derby 1500. Thisis a popular and well attended meeting withcompetitors from beginners to national teammembers attending. An excellent place to tryyour first open competition in a friendly andrelaxedatmosphere.
SomeofyouwillhaveseenthenewDisruptivePatterntargetsattheNSCandelsewhere.Don’tworry if you still have stocks of the old onesleftasthescoringringsarethesame,withtheexceptionof thenewXringon theDP1,keepusingthemasthescoresare justasvalid. (Itmaybeagood ideatomakeupatransparentoverlaytomatchtheXringontheDP1soyoucanproducescoresthatcanbecomparedwithothersnationally.)
The Phoenix Meeting at the end of May wasthe first outing for the national teams and theresultswillbeoutbynow.TheGreatBritainGRTeam,leadbythisyear’sCaptainAshDagger,willbeofftoIrelandnextmonthandtheEnglandScotlandandWalesTeamswillalsobemeetingaround the country formorematches. If youwanttoknowmoreabouttheteamsgetintouchusingthecontactdetailsbelow.
Finally, if you want to use the same rangeofficerreferencecardsandscorecardsasusedatBisley and elsewhere, the new editions areavailablefordownloadfromthewebsite.Usefulifyouhaveprospectivenewcompetitorsinyourclubandtheywanttoknowwhattoexpectwhen
theyturnupatanopenmeeting.DATES FOR 2010
June26-27 Derby1500DerbyJuly10-11 FermoyInternationalGR IrelandJuly10-24 TheImperialMeetingNSC BisleyJuly18 MatterseySteelShoot MatterseyJuly24-25 FromeThreeGunShield DorsetAugust7-8 Stourport1500andShorts StourportAugust28-29 GalleryRifleNational ChampionshipsNSC BisleySeptember19 MatterseyBianchiand ShortsMatterseyOctober17 ShieldSteelChallenge GR&PDorsetOctober23-24 TheTrafalgarMeeting NSCBisleyOctober30-30 AutumnActionWeekend NSCBisleyNovember12-14 LeitmarInternationalGR GermanyDecember30 ShieldChristmasShoot Dorset
(Either contact the organisers direct or go towww.galleryrifle.comforentryforms.)
GR&P = Gallery Rifle Centre Fire (GRCF),GalleryRifleSmallBore(GRSB),LongBarrelledPistol(LBP)andLongBarrelledRevolver(LBR)
PleasegototheGalleryRiflewebsitewww.gal-leryrifle.com for more news and informationor [email protected] or [email protected].
GalleryRifle&PistolNews
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UKPSA Contingent attend the SK Bayern Cup Level III Shotgun Match in Germany
Friday 7th May dawned clear and bright.Across theUK,whilemost decent folkswereprobably still in bed, a fourteen-strong bandofUKPSApracticalshotgunshooters jammedammunition,guns,andahastilypackedbagofclothesintoaconvoyofcarsandheadedfortheFolkestoneEurotunnelterminal.
TheirdestinationwasPhillipsburginGermany,a six hour drive away once on French soil.The reasonwas theSKBayernCupLevel IIIShotgun Match with a planned attendanceof around 200 internationalshooters.
Itpromisedtobealongthreedays.TravelallFriday,shootthematchonSaturday,travelback on the Sunday.A longway for a single competitionperhaps, but the Britishspirits were high and keentoshootagainstsomeofthebest shots in Europe. Newmatch shirts were createdandproducedbyacoupleofthememberstogiveastrongidentity to the UKPSA’spresence.Coffeefuelledand
nourished with bacon butties, the contingentarrived in the quaint German town of
Phillipsburg,northofKarlsruhelatein the afternoon and settled in thefriendly Phillipsburger Hof hotel inthecentreoftown.
The Phillipsburg ranges are anelegantmodelofGermanstandardsandefficiency.BuiltbytheGermanArmy and now in civilian hands,the open air ranges are splitbetweenseverallongriflerangesandumpteen smaller pistol / shotgunranges.Theycoveralargeareaontheoutskirtsofthetownwithampleparking and communal eatingareas.
Stepping into the cavernous pistol rangecomplex for the first time, you begin toappreciate the design. It feels like a coveredindoorrangebutis,inactualfact,largelyopentotheelementsthroughaseriesofheavyroofbafflesdesignedtoensurethataroundcannotleave the range.On the larger ranges, in thislabyrinth, thesuncanstream thoughcreatinga bright, airy shooting environment that is apleasure to use. If it rains, it has an almostsurreal quality as you watch it lightly dampdownthesandfloor fromthecomfortableand
Squad Photo with IROA Official Keith Marshall
Mick Flatley shooting 50m slug with his Benelli M2
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drycoveredspacesatthebackoftherangeasyouwaitforyourturntoshoot.
IfCarlsbergdesignedshootingranges...Irestmycase!
Unlike us, the German civilians still have theluxury of being able to responsibly own andshoot semi-auto centre-fire rifles and pistols.Like us, they can also own high capacityshotgunsbutonlyifthemagazineislimitedto10 rounds maximum. This rather limits theirOpenandModifieddivisionsbutisfineforbothStandardManual(pump)divisionandthemorepopularStandardAutodivision.
The German hosts were as welcoming asalways.Overtheyearsstrongfriendshipshavedevelopedand it isalwaysadistinctpleasureto renewoldacquaintancesanddevelopnewones.Shootersaremuchakintobikersinthatway.The match kicked off early on the Saturdaymorning. Those shooters who haveexperienced justification issues in theUKwiththeir slug ammunition allowances would bewell advised to take the match round countsalongtotheirnextFEOmeeting:SolidSlug72,Birdshot 84, Buckshot 32… almost as much
slugasbirdshot!Highslugcountsaren’tunusualinEuropeand,bythetimeyouhavehadtotop-upformisses,perhapsputadozenortwothroughforzeroing,andapossiblestagereshoot,mostwouldtakeaminimumof150Slug(sixboxes)withthem.
GeorgeGranycome,thenewRegionalDirectorof theUKPSA,attended thematchalongwithfellowseniorshooterGrahamHill–the“GrumpyPumper”ashe’sknown.GeorgehasattendedandRO’dmanyUKPSAshotgunmatchesandyou’d be hard pressed tomiss him, standingatalmostsixandhalf foot tall,withawrygrinandamischievoustwinkleinhiseyes.Botharepumpshooterswithex-RoyalNavymanGeorgepreferring to use his beautiful, wooden-furnitured,Winchester1200whileGrahamuseshismorecontemporaryBenelliSuperNovawithnaturalplasticfurniture.
George commented on the slug shooting,in particular a 50m slug stage that reallyseparated thegood from theugly: “OhBritishShooters; we are not used to long rangepoppers – two stages with those beasties at50metres; wearenotusedto32roundslugstages,where,ifyouhadtotopuponthefourpoppers at 50 metres, and then some more
One of the UK Squads working out Team tactics for Stage 4
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on the hanging clays, you very quickly ranoutofammo.Ididnotfeelreallycomfortablewitheven9inthegunand42onthebeltafterwatchingthefirstshootersinmysquad.”
GeorgeandGrahamhavetraveledaroundforyearsonthecompetitioncircuitandoftensquadtogether and their good natured banteringcan always be heard over the noise of theirshotguns. George quipped: “The competitionitself was a blast! There were ten stages inall andmostweredifficult – in fact therewasnothing that could be called easy. Severalpeople lost the plot on the 32 target birdshotstage which boasted moving clay targetstriggeredbytheshooterbreakinganInfraRedbeam,andindeedoneoldgentlemanbecamesoconfusedandforgetfulthathehadtobeledoffthestagebythecompetitionnurse.OnthenextstagehisfriendGrahamdidlikewise.”Asalways,George’sfacebreaksintoagrinasherelatesamyriadoftalesaboutthetrip.
EnteringamatchinEuropeancountriessoundsdaunting,butisactuallymuchmoresimplethanyouwouldthink.BeingamemberoftheUKPSAandhavingsuccessfullycompletedthetwo-daysafetycoursemeansthattheshootercantakepartinanIPSCmatchanywhereintheworld.Apartfromyourfirearmslicence,youalsoneeda European Firearms Pass (EFP) which is
currentlyfreefromyourlocalfirearmsoffice.ItliststhefirearmsyouholdonyourFACthatyouwouldliketouseabroad–soitdoesn’thavetonamealltheonesonyourFAC–justthegunsyouintendtotakeoutoftheUK.You also need a match invitation that youmay need to show at any customs or bordercrossing, and certainly if you happen to bestoppedby thepolice inanyof theEuropeancountriesyouarepassingthroughorstayingin.
itallusedtobedonewithpaperworkandpost.Increasingly though, technology is making itsinevitable impact. Registering for this matchwas all done online. George explains: “Theorganization of thematchwas superb. Theyused theMatch Organisation System (MOS),anonlinesubscriptionservice”[See it at http://www.ipsc-dvc.org].
Hecontinued,“Shootershavetofindsomewayofgettingtheirentrymoneyto theorganisers,buteverythingelseistakencareofonline.Theshooterputsinhisdetails,division,gunetc,andselectsasquad.Justbeforethecompetitiontheorganisersprintoffalltheinformationsothatoneach stage theROhasanenvelopewith thescore sheets for the squad, all in the correctshootingorder. It isbrilliant. It takescareofalmostallthepaperwork.“
Alison Hatchard enjoying some pistol shooting after the match
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After the intensity of the competition, the UKshooters were able to relax with some pistolshootingcourtesyoftheGermanhostswhoarealwaysreadytomakeusBrits feel justa littlejealousoftheirSTI’sandGlock17’s.Thiswasfollowedbyapostmatchbarbecueattherangewithallbeerandfoodincludedintheentryfee.Can’tendthedaybetterthanthat.
When the results came out, the Brits hadmanagedsomerespectablescores:
Jim Starley came 12th in Standard AutoRelativenewcomer toPSG,MickFlatley shothiswaytoasuperb14thposition.Mike Scarlett came second in Open (Senior)class.Neil Smith chose to shoot pump and shot afantastic 7th Place in Standard Manual (justa shade behind the current European pumpchampion)
Winnerswere:Dirk Frey (GERMANY) from Team Brenneke
won 1st place in OPENDivisionBranislav Raketic (SERBIA)won 1st place in StandardAutoPaulo Zambai (ITALY) won1stplaceinStandardManual(Pump)As always, the UKPSAcontingent would like tothank their German hostsand organisers and aimto see many of themagain at the British OpenChampionships Level IIIPSG match this year inCarlisle.
Neil Smith with his Benelli M2 taking careful aim at a distant clay target
Jim Starley shot an excellent match with his Winchester SX3
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NewsNextmonth we continue with reviews and bringing you updates on what is happening in thetargetshootingworld.Hopefullybythemtheporrweatherwearehavingwillhavegoneandpeoplecancomeoutofhibernation-startingtoprepareandshootinthespringweather.Untilthen,goodshootingandkeepwarm.
customer.services@targetshooter.co.ukHappyreadingandwehopeyouenjoythemagazine.TheteamatTargetShooter.Ifyouhaveanylettersornewsthatyouwouldliketoaironanationalbasisthenpleasecontactusatthemagazine.Thiscouldbeforthosebuddingwritersouttherethatwouldliketosubmitafullarticleonspecificfirearms,competitions,shootingsports,etc.TheaimofthemagazineistoincludeyoutheshootersintheUnitedKingdomandfurtherafield.Sohavingaregularletterspageorevenaquestionandanswersectionwouldbereallyusefulforalotofpeopleoutthere.Letusknowwhatyouthink!?Wewouldalsoliketohaveagunofthemonthsection-sosendusyourpicandspecandwe’llincludeitin‘gunofthemonth’.Anynewsthatyourcluborassociationthinksisworthviewingcanalsobesentinforselection.Whatwewouldlikeistogetaletterspagestartedwithyourviews,newsandperceptionsaboutallall theaspectsof targetshooting.So letsseethose letterscoming inandwewill readyourthoughtsinthesepages.
Action Air Shooting 40 Napier 45AIM Field Sports 20 NSRA 79Benchrest Directory 24 Phoenix League 23Bratton Sound Gunsafes 68 Portsmouth Gun Centre Ltd 9Bulzeye Pro 72 Richard Paul Russell Ltd 30Dolphin Gun Company 11 Roedale Precision 46Eley LTD 73 Rude Fat Dog 84Fox Firearms 16,24 & Website Shooting Bags 36G T Shooting 9 South Yorkshire Gun Supplies 62Green Leopard 11 Tim Hannam 14Indelfa industrial electronics 73 UKBR22 - Rimfire and Air Rifle Benchrest 77Intershoot 77 Viking Arms LTD 2Low Mill Range 24 & Website Westlake Engineering 16March Scopes UK 53 WMS Steel Challenge 52Merseyside Armoury 73 Zeiss Optics 3
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