Smallbore Metallic Silhouette, the REAL game!

(edit added 6-23-2023) If someone can tell me otherwise and provide schedule and results, I can update. Ditto 2020. Working to update the old blog. JD

2020 NH Silhouette Season

Mar 29 PEMI CLA

May 3 PFFG

May 24 PSI

Jun 7 PFFG

June 21 PSI

Jun 27 CLA

Jul 5 PFFG

Jul 14 PSI

Aug 2 PFFG

Aug 15 PSI Granite State Regional

Aug 16 PSI Granite State Regional

Aug 29 PEMI

Sep 6 PFFG

Sep 20 PSI

Sep 27 PEMI CLA

Oct 4 PFFG

Oct 25 PSI

2019 NH Silhouette Season

Apr 20 PEMI CLA (Cancelled snow)

2018 NH Silhouette Season

April 21 Pemi CLA

May 6 PFFG

May 20 PSI (Cancelled Due To Weather)

June 3 PFFG

Aug 16 PSI (GSSCC Practice)

Aug 17-19 (GSSCC) Results

GSSCC Pictures

Aug 26 Pemi (100 yd) SBCR & PCCLA

Sep 2 PFFG

Sep 15 Pemi CLA (200 yd)

Sep 16 PSI

Sep 23 Pemi (100 yd) SBCR & PCCLA

Oct 7 PFFG

Oct 21 PSI

2017 NH Silhouette Season

April 23 Pemi CLA (200 yd)

May 7 PFFG

May 21 PSI

May 27 Pemi CLA (200 yd)

June 4 PFFG

June 18 PSI

June 24 Pemi CLA (200 yd)

July 2 PFFG

July 16 PSI

July 22 Pemi CLA (200 yd)

Aug 6 PFFG

Aug 18 PEMI GSSCC CLA (200 yd)

Aug 19 PSI GSSCC PCCLA

Aug 20 PSI GSSCC SBCR

Consolidated GSSCC results

Aug 27 Pemi (Smallbore)

Sep 3 PFFG

Sep 16 Pemi CLA

Sep 17 PSI

Sep 24 Pemi (Smallbore)

Oct 1 PFFG

Oct 15 PSI

2016 NH Silhouette Season

PFFG (Pergatory Falls Fish & Game. 16 Upton Rd Mont Vernon NH)
PSI (Pioneer Sportsman Inc. 21 Farrington Rd Dunbarton NH)

PEIM (Pemigewasset Fish & Game Club Inc. 295 Beede Road Holderness NH)

Sunday, May 22, 2011

2,878 days later.....

I finally managed to hit the tenth ram! Way back July 7, 2003, I managed to clean 15 turkeys with my Winchester Model 74. Attempted a long run but after 3 shots I missed number 4 and ended up with 18 which sadly did not get me a long run record. Truth is, I did not shoot much SBCR after that because my 74 malfunctioned and I began the hunt for a used 39A. After a time I found one but right before I was relocated to Memphis, so I decided to leave it in Texas with Nomad where I knew it would be put to good use. When I moved to NH in 2007, I renewed the effort after Nomad kindly returned the rifle in person. That was an expensive day at Rileys!

Still, 800 competitive shots, 640 hits, 160 misses and 18 attempts later this blind hog found the acorn. I am unclear why I could hit 10 turkeys but not rams! Ammo evaluation was likely the largest contributor (CCI Mini-mag). A new firing pin may have been more placebo than anything else. Of course, "it's all about the spotta", thanks Handsome Dave!

From back of 2011 score book

10-in-a-rows. For the newbies out there, here is the 411. Shooting 5 in a row is quite an accomplishment. To recognize the effort all shooters who are AA class or below get a 5 in a row pin. It is fun to see if you can get a 5 in a row pin for each animal. When you graduate to AAA class, 5 in a row pins are no longer awarded and are replaced with 10 in a row pins. A 10 in a row is a big deal and is officially registered with the NRA with what is called a "Grand Slam Form". Over time you keep working on collecting them for each animal. Once you get all four animals, you are awarded a Grand Slam pin by the NRA which is numbered and recognizes a significant accomplishment! When you get your first Grand Slam you should fill in the grid at the back of your score book as seen to the right. For more info on awards go here.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Hunter gun with 24x as comparison

I decided it would be interesting to run the same test with the Hunter gun as I did with the Standard gun. I am a fan of the "one gun" strategy but sometimes it is something I question. Even after a second day of testing I am tempted to return to two guns. But, I should not. I might shoot one match and see what happens.

1710 with 24x at 40m

Method: 15 shots at one small POA and use On Target to calculate the groups in comparison to the 15 shots with the Std gun. The trial is identical except I put a square aiming point so I knew what my aiming point was. Last time I kinda lost it as it was round. You can see a small bit of square ballpoint pen.

Once the hole started to open up it was easier to break on the larger aiming spot. Based on this data the 4 oz trigger and 36x scope is not aiding a tighter group, just the opposite. Hummmmm.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Objective data. On Target Calculator, Std gun with 36x

A few years back I worked hard to measure my groups while evaluating ammo at 100m. I found a neat little free tool called On Target Calculator 1.1. I was able to find it on an old hard drive but I see it has been updated to 2.1 and it now cost $11. But, if you look at the bottom of the page the freeware 1.1 is still available. It can be a little annoying when you try to manage images but it works.

Std gun vs hunter gun. The big debate. I also had a high power scope, another frequent debate. So, to TRY to get some objective data I decided to do my very best to group 15 shots and measure it. Try each gun and see whether there is any real difference. Can a 36x scope and a 4 oz trigger buy that better a group than a 24x scope and 2 lb trigger?


1808 with 36x scope at 40m

So, to the right is my best group. Two wild "duh" shots but the rest I was pretty satisfied with. I use junk ammo at 40m. Sure, better ammo might help a little but at 40m, not by very darn much. At some other time I will try my hunter gun and see if there is any significant difference.

And, I can always work harder on improving the ATC or Average To Center value. Although a 5.1 moa spread is bad news, I will take an average of 1.271 moa ATC given the minimal practice so far this season. If anyone buys 2.1 I would love to hear about it.

As info, it is hard to generalize, but a chicken is on average 3 moa. The big circle is 1.271 moa radius, thus 2.5 moa in diameter or thereabout. But, my POA was on the edge of the circle. Next time I guess I should use a chicken target. Practice is practice. It helps me to diagnose the practice.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Too hot, too cold, just right!

Custom built on Pharr stock, Remington action

Custom built on Pharr stock, Anschutz 54 action

Experiment, experiment, experiment. Ring height. At today's match it was interesting to note the two very different scope heights used by our out of state visitors. One very high and one not. Interestingly the "taller, lankier" shooter uses a low head position.

The picture top right is Jarred Perry. A top national shooter. Note his position in contrast to William Zander (left) who uses the same stock but MUCH lower rings. There are concepts and theories but ultimately you have to go with what feels right.

Why did I give up on my factory stock and buy a Pharr silhouette stock? Well, I had to borrow a gun one year at the Conard Cup (long story) and my first round was a 33 using one of these popular stocks. I had NEVER shot a score like that EVER. The gun just FIT! I had to have one. I finally got one a year later. See this LINK for a review of head position.

Custom built on Wooster stock, Finnfire action

And, if you really want to get that elbow down on your hip and keep your head high, try these rings on for size as used by Dave Imas.

Trivia: Notice two of these shooters are not using the standard Anschutz 54 action? That is a whole different discussion. These guys compete seriously and continually experiment looking for something new that may give them an edge. To do that you need to be ready to shoot 2,500 rounds before you make a decision to go a different route.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

eZine or FREE on line shooting reads

I have been busy getting ready to help the local BSA Troop complete some Riflery Merit Badges. I have decided to brush up on Air Rifle safety and leverage the existing excellent supply of air rifle training documents currently available. In the process I recall how much wonderful information has been published. And, with the click of a mouse, you can easily scan these publications.

CMP publishes On The Mark which is simple yet useful articles like how to manage "floaters" and how to manage back pain. Just good basic stuff. Go here.

USA Shooting sports has killed the print version and is now 100% electronic. The good news I guess is it is now 100% Free. Go here. Click through the archives if you have some time on your hands.

Friday, May 13, 2011

39A pre and post pin strike picture

Click on image to enlarge

I have read that pin strikes should be sharp and on the rim of the cartridge. This may be "much to do about nothing" but it is one variable eliminated. I think the new pin strikes look just as good as some of my brand A bolt guns. Top row is original, bottom new.

Of course another veteran lever gun shooter said why I blamed the pin and not the spring? I have a spare spring. Maybe I will mess with that in 16+ months. I tend to like to change one variable at a time. Let's see how this one goes.

39A firing pin, 16+ months later

Two years ago, 2009 I guess, I made it my mission to ENSURE my 39A was sorted for rams. Obviously the reason I missed 3 attempts at 10th ram was due to a sub standard equipment as the shooter is always perfect :)

Scope bolted on, ammo, targets, notes, I head to the range for nothing but 100m testing. Found the most accurate ammo to be CCI Mini-Mags in my gun. Your gun may or may not like this ammo. To confirm my ammo choice and the gun/shooter ability, with the scope on I moved to my two feet. Spotting scope, target by elbow to mark POI vs POC (point of call) etc etc. I was not going to skip any of my tips and tricks! No holding back!

A funny thing happened. Some bullets seemed to leave the barrel with less of a report than other shots. And, these shots tended to have POI well below POC unlike prior shots in that same training session. Could some off the Mini-Mags be duds? I had purchased a case and this was not a happy discovery. I embarked on a quest with John Bartlett's Beta Master Chrony. That is an entirely different topic. Results showed the 39A and the Mini-Mags were just fine and of course, the "soft report" would not repeat. Grumble grumble and then grumble some more!

I had talked with a mentor and he asked me the basic question, "what did the struck case look like?" I felt stupid I could not offer an answer to such a basic question. Clearly I had jumped on blaming the ammo. So, next time I felt as though the gun, ammo, shooter had a "soft report", I saved the cartridge to see the pin's strike. As can be seen in an earlier post, the strikes were somewhat dull and not on the rim. Diagnosis, order a new firing pin. I did and promptly tossed it in my gun kit and did nothing as I was defeated by my 39A and had moved on to other more rewarding challenges.

Fast forward to yesterday. I drug the pesky 39A out of the safe and decided to forget about the past. With my new spare time, I settled down to fit the new pin. I can tell you it must be fit to the gun with the use of a file. It ships designed to not be installed by the owner and I recall reading somewhere only "Gunsmiths" can order a pin. Well, they are not "drop in and go" but anyone with a good hand, eye and patience can shape the new pin to fit. A square piece must have a radius filed in to fit "into" the bolt correctly. The more steel you remove when putting this radius on, the further the pin travels forward to strike the shell. Go slowly on a spent shell until you like the strike depth.

What I found interesting was the geometry on the new generation FP. (right in picture) One could conclude my 1985 mfg blunt FP has been updated to perhaps solve the very issue I was having. A big mushy strike would yield inconsistent ignition. Look at a case struck by an Anschutz! It is narrow and sharp quite opposite of what my old 39A pin was producing. The new 39A pin has a rather small yet sharp "point" which is biased to the outer rim of the case. Looks good until the smaller surface wears faster? Only time will tell. Brass is soft so I can't see much wear. See pics.

Test at the range today suggests all is well. Now back to shooting SB Cowboy after a year off.

(Note: To see larger picture, click on the picture for a full size image. This can be done on all pictures.)

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

New mould for 44 mag

Due to encouragement by the much missed John Livingston, I decided to have a try at casting. Others were using cast bullets for Cowboy Lever Action Silhouette (CLA) so why not try something new for my Marlin 30-30 Cowboy. I started with a single cavity Ideal/Lyman mould from eBay, a 31141. I had read that the new Lymans tended to drop a skinny bullet and I had already learned a .309 would not cut it. Needless to say I found a old die and a .311 sizer makes bullets that out shoot copper jacketed factory loads.

Since I had such success with a .30 cal bullet why would anything be different with a .44? I trolled for a while on eBay looking for an old 429215. Hard to find and when they did silly $$$ won the mould. I got a two cavity mould of Lyman era. And, I later learned it has seen some cycles!

When it arrived it had two bullets in the cavities and no rust. Some form of lube which smelled familiar. Marvel Mystery oil is what it was! First session at a buddies shop yield mostly junk! The mould would not close all the way and we were not able to get the bullets to "fill out". Hummm.

Bullets from a 2 cavity Lyman 429215

I took the pot home and waited for another day. Last night I first cleaned the mould with mineral spirits as suggested to get all that old oil out of there. Soap and water with a tooth brush. Dry on wood stove. Lead and water DO NOT MIX! Then onto the handles. I saw that the outside hole had a burr and decided to take a very very fine file and ensure the face is flat. This, coupled with knocking the pin in just enough to the blocks would not move when held together. POOF! The two halfs now mate perfectly and it drops nice bullets.

I struggled with temp management a bit and found the mould got too hot at the base but good temp on the nose. Click picture for close up. I will have a wet rag setup next session. Can you believe that gas checks are $.03 each plus S&H? I am optimistic I might be able to skip the gas check given the low pressures being used.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Approaching the target

While in Texas I had some discussion about how folks approach the target. I shared my approach and it was kindly suggested my method was sub optimal. My approach has been to move up from the bottom of the animal. For chickens, I come up from the bottom and POA is the leg, POI is the body. Pigs, ditto but POA is the hole in between the legs. I commented that I often struggle to get the dot to "move up" and it seems to stay glued right below the animal. Once I do move it up it appears to move around more than it was below. And, sometimes when I do break on the animal, if my follow through fails me, I will often overshoot the animal. Think think think!

Here is one person's advice. By starting at the bottom and moving up, I am fighting gravity and therefore I am using muscles, never a good thing when shooting off hand. Instead, start at the top and settle in through either letting air out and/or relaxing muscles. This may be a better approach than trying to muscle the dot up to the animal. I tried during the match but found it "unpracticed" relative to my "come up" approach. Still, it is something I am going to try. I also did some searching to see if this has already been exhaustively covered by someone else. I read a Tubb article that covers it a bit but it provides yet another approach. Grist for the mill. YMMV.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

When did the shot break?? It's called 1,000 dry fires per month.

I have always been in awe of the relative lack of movement when Bill Motl executes a shot. I decided to capture this lack of movement using video using my point and shoot. Nothing HD about it but it tells the same story. I should have put the camera on a tripod as I think I was moving more than Bill was. Watch the firing pin and notice how little the gun moves when the pin on the back of the bolt moves forward.

Guess that is why he can shoot a 38 and my BEST score all weekend was a 28! Practice, Practice, Practice! He likely dry fires 800 shells per week every week, every month of the year. And yes, that is a Weaver T36 on an Anschutz 54 action in a MacMillan stock which is his "heavy" or Standard gun.

Pics of the Bayou Rifle Gun Club Silhouette range

Some folks were asking about the range. In NH, we shoot animals off of rails with dirt/sand berms. Two clubs have permanant stands and one club must put up and take down the stands for every match. A major effort each month! In the TX/LA area it is fairly common to shoot on targets with a steel backstop. Green or black with white animals. NH shoots black animals on light colored sand as a point of interest, or non interest as the case may be.

Backstops are helpful because it helps you judge the miss. Backstops at Bayou were particularly useful because there is expanded steel beneath the rails to catch the animal making it easy to reset. They have another range for the cowboy. One range for 1/5th and one range for cowboy. Got to like that setup!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Results for the Hunter gun, day two.

I will try to write more. Here are the shots of the score boards.

(updated) Click on it once, then again to get full sized image. My take away is that for the first time ever, I shot better for the last 121 to 160 shots at a big match than I ever have. I usually slide down the scoreboard due to lack of sharp focus and rest. So I guess that means the first 120 shots were just warm up. Expense warm up but I am not discouraged!

What keeps the sport alive.

We had some good fun with the local 4H BB gun club. For those who are not aware, there is a very serious BB shooting program using a Daisy 499B. We had a Senior/Junior guts match at the end and fun was had by all. The 4H team also spent both days setting animals and they are fast.

We have four relays shooting on 4 of the 6 available positions. 56 total competitors on day one which was a 80 shot standard gun. 40 shots in the am. A wonderful lunch put on by Brenda and Bill Motl and then it continued after lunch with no practice between the matches. I think it worked quite well. It also means if you can only make one day you can still compete in the Texas State SB Championship. Sunday is the Hunter gun. It is hard to tell but I would say 60% of the shooters shoot the same gun. I was surprised to see the number of traditional standard guns on the line. One animal left for everyone and then we wait for the shoot offs.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Day one, Standard gun results.

Well, I would like to say I rose to the challenge but I dd not. I could make a bunch of excuses like wind, exhaustion, heat, but I won't. I managed a meager 24 in the am and the wind picked up and I tanked to a 22. Still, 6 pigs is a disgrace in this game. And, others did just fine, like a 38/40 against my 22/40. It is called practice, practice, practice which I have not made the time to do. A good wake up call.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Why I like shooting squadded!

One of the long debates in NH has been around squading or just letting people shoot whenever they are ready. I much prefer squaded shooting for many reasons. First, it allows the match directors to shoot. Second, it is difficult to improve your skills without a spotter helping you confirm your break. Many top shooters credit their spotter for their success. I can honestly tell you Nomad has on more than one occasion helped me put more X's than O'x on my score card by helping me analyze what was happening down range vs. what I was seeing when I broke the shot and make the needed adjustments.

I told Bill Motl I was lamenting the fact that neither Nomad nor Mark were able to join me at the TX SB Championship. I figure I had better start now on excuses. Bill would have nothing of it and said he would find me an experienced Texas style spotter to help me through the match and sent me her picture.

Thanks Bill!

DIY gun stock tips and inspiration

As if I do not have enough going on right now I have a dream to improve my skills at working on my shooting equipment. Metal or wood. Messing around with my toy lathe and learning what it can and can't do. Getting all the parts and pieces together. In my searching the web for ideas and inspiration I found a fellow shooter's website who has taken on a number of projects which I thought others might find interesting. Check it out. I have to give Rick three thumbs up if I could. I simply sent a good job note to him and before I know it we're discussing the issue of how to and when to commit to the action screw holes on a stock blank. He updated his website just based on my question with some good info. I think I am going to make a guide for my NS522 and see if I can finish my plywood Pharr copy.

Great fun getting caught up!

Toto, we're not in NH anymore

Well, it is 2:10 am my time and we are just wrapping up a long jaw jacking session solving all of the problems of the world and remembering past times when things were easier and fuel was $.99/gal. If gas had not been so affordable back in 2002, I'm not sure I would have ventured to so many matches when I lived in Dallas.

Thanks to Bill and Brenda for hosting me. Brenda was not able to join us for dinner but Bill and I had a wonderful TexMex meal at the renowned Pappasito's. Yum! They just don't have these in New Hampshire.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Phew, glad I weighed my ammo!

Cold NH see ya!

First, a big thanks to Bob P. who kindly and somewhat last minute drove me to the airport to save 6 days of parking! That sure helps! Got to airport about 12:15 and everything was going normal. The agent even knew I had a firearm and was helpful about it. As it was open and I was filling out the form she asked me to take all my ammo out and weigh it on the adjacent scale. All 18 boxes of it. That was a first! I advised her is was under 11 lbs but that made no difference. So, I weighed it and there was 8 lbs. Repack, lock and hang around in the event TSA might have any questions. After 15 minutes I headed up to the flight. That was that. Sure glad it was 11 lbs. I thought it was 7 lbs but to write this blog I double checked and found it to be 11 lbs 8 lbs of ammo should be more than enough. There are only 160 competitive shots after all. 900 rounds should be more than enough!

Step 1, the equipment

Blaze ready to go

Traveling with a firearm. It is not that bad if you go with a full understanding of the FAA and airline laws. Domestically at least, the FAA has an umbrella law but the Airline or captain of the vessel has last say on what will or won't go on the plane. SWA allows 11 lbs of ammo in its original packaging. I swear is used to be 7. Firearm must be in a locked in a suitable but not approved case.

I have had two tangles. One their fault, one mine. First, many think that the gun and the ammo cannot travel in the same case. Well, review the airline rules and if you with, have them with you. SWA clearly states ammo and gun can travel together. One time I was forced to pull ammo from gun case and put it in my suitcase which then went over the 70 lbs. Some stressful repacking in front of all the world was not fun but I got it sorted. 20 minutes later the agent came up to me and acknowledged I was correct and appreciated my cooperation.

Last year I won 2500 rounds of ammo. As such I rolled the dice and packed it in hopes of no one enforcing the 11 lb rule. NOT! Had to pull all my ammo out and weigh it and we cut a deal. I tossed out some cheap stuff and she let me go. Lesson learned, don't cheat too much. TSA blew the whistle after I was checked in but differed the issue to the airline. The airline then had to do their job. I don't hold it against them.

In this picture you see 19 boxes or 750 rounds which is 7lbs 5 oz. Insurance, you just take your chances I guess. I think the max per "fare paying passenger" is $3,300 and I am traveling on a FF coupon. I suspect there are options. This particular case is a very strong Cabella's aluminum shotgun case I was given by a friend after a company dove hunt. Best dove hunt ever! Fits in rental cars more easily than a beautiful Pelican 1750, the best case on the market. Just no one has given me one yet!

Snow snow go away

Monday morning, maple sugar shack across street

As you may have heard, NH got yet more snow. Sigh. I talked with folks in Texas and they say bring some with you, it is almost 90F. Phew. Not sure the last time I have been in temps above 70F let alone 90F.

Time to start packing. Kids off to school. Liz left at six to take my Mom to funeral in RI. Crazy day and it is only 8 am. More later.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

NH Silhouette Schedule 2011 and then some.

Here is a link to the schedule for NH Silhouette matches which includes three clubs. Purgatory Falls Fish and Game (PFFG). Pioneer Sportsman Inc, (PSI) and Pemigewasset Valley Fish and Game Club (PEMI). This will get updated and I collect my links.

NH Schedule
(Mont Vernon, Dunbarton, Holderness)

NY Schedule
Albany, NY (Hendrick Hudson Fish & Game) Schedule (150 miles from Manchester, NH)

Staten Island, NY Schedule (270 miles from Manchester, NH)

PA Schedule
Factoryville, PA (Scranton Area, 350 miles from Manchester, NH)

Nationals.
Ridgeway, PA August 7 to 13th.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Dots, size of dots, what am I blabbering about they ask?

Quick post, questions beginning to flow in. Holding drill. I mentioned I use a "Avery 7/8" dot" and then something about a "bingo marker". Ok, ok. First, the best true silhouette targets are HERE. Thanks Sam! But, if you don't have access to a nice laser printer or just don't care to print targets, use dots. Why? Well, for me it is based on what I learned about a holding drill. I had the pleasure of getting some coaching from Troy Lawton, a Silhouette National Champion. He told me to take the bolt out of the gun and work on squeezing the trigger and releasing the trigger and repeat while keeping the sight picture on a "dot". Or circle. See his article HERE and learn about another tip on how to improve your hold. The concept is you train your muscles to stay on target as you cycle the trigger back and forth as well as tighten up your hold. A poor man's SCATT!

As Lanny Bassham says. "Luck is where preparation and practice come together". Every shooter should read his book, With Winning In Mind.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Photo test and musings about my misbehaving 39A

Marlin 39A firing pin strikes. Off rim, dull or weak spring?

This is more of a picture test and a test of my skills to manage the various tools that are available to me on Blogger. I was advised I could 'upgrade' my account to a new and improved tool set. So, like the typical lemming, I clicked OK. Well that was stupid! Now things are different and I have to re-learn various aspects of managing the appearance of my posts. I am sure there is much more I can do to make them look better but for now, with all 16 folks that have viewed it, this will have to do.

This picture was just an old one from when I was trying to figure out why my 39A was having issues with "ignition". I would get fairly constant "bangs" but at times I would get what I would call either a delayed bang or soft bang. Work on the CHRONY (thanks JB) told me it was not ammo dependent which was my first thought. CCI Mini Mags to my surprise shot great. I took the old girl apart and gave her a deep clean which was needed. This did not solve it. For some reason I got pulled in the direction of the "sharpness" of the strike and the location of the strike which is not on the RIM. As with any of my blog's pictures, double click on the picture and they will blow up to full size to see the detail. In this post you need to. The left shells were from my 1710, the center and right set are from my 39A, CCI and Federal.

I have a new pin but have not fitted it yet. Then some other sage from TX asked if I had inspected the SPRING! Why that was never on my radar I do not know. Think! Distractions, distractions! The 39A is a safe queen until I sort it all out and that is just not high on the list at this point. It should be! I have more chance to shoot it than a short action Remington 700!

SCAT vs SCATT

I was accused of using some potty vocab. For a moment I wondered if I had a senior moment! Phew. It all comes back to me now. I am shocked to hear folks actual are reading this stuff, even my old 2009 stuff. Alas only one follower...sniff sniff.

Ah, the wild world of electronic trainers! Where do I begin? Well, first, SCATT is a high tech training device that captures and shows you your EXACT movement as you acquire a center shot, the execution or "break" of that "center" shot and then follow through after the break. It is pretty amazing to watch a computer capture your exact faults in order to help develop a better technique. The hitch, they are EXPENSIVE! To learn more about the options, SCATT, RIKA, etc have a look at PILKGUNS. His Hitch Hikers's guide to better shooting is very good material. Read his two write ups about electronic trainers and then soak up his other good stuff depending on your interest level.

Since this is my blog I guess I am allowed to muse a bit. I find it interesting how so many shooters, myself included, will spend $$$$ on guns, scopes, stocks and ammo even though we can only shoot one gun. Sure, the list price of a SCATT is $1,300. And the list price of a Leupold FX-3 25x scope from Midway is $650. My point, these are list prices for NEW stuff and my second point is, why not invest in a RIKA or SCATT to improve shooting vs. that next "must have" gun that could just sit in the safe after the initial thrill of acquisition? No ammo, no gas to range and REAL feedback! Plus, I bet a group of 2 or 3 shooters could share or even rent out such a device. Pistol and Rifle types would even get along for once! What strikes me as funny is how I have become distracted with collecting and learning about guns vs learning how to shoot guns. Both are equally challenging. I suspect one is more fun than the other. When in Rome...

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Prius and long trips for those big matches

A fellow shooter asked me about the Prius and how can I carry everything for those big matches. The Prius is odd. People think it is a small car but it is not. It is quite roomy and if there are only 2 passengers there is PLENTY of room. That is a 53 inch CONTICO full size case and two soft cases, tripod, boots, and there was zero "packing" required.

The question is are you ready to carry 2,000 rounds of High Power for each gun. SB, HP, 8 guns and how much ammo? Weight is the issue. But we drove back from DC with 5 passengers and LUGGAGE! It was snug to say the least but it worked just fine and still got 54 mpg.

Snow.....March 19th....Texas March 26th.

Biathlon anyone? Yup, this is what we are looking at when we walk out to the silhouette range at Pioneer. Had to knock the snow down in front of the chicken stands so we could see the whole target.

Mud Season....dang it!

Well, Mark joined me in the first trip to the local range in 2011. Yes, we still have plenty of snow. 12" in some places and nice old gooey mud under the firing line shelter. I guess snow is a good thing as the range is not yet a pond. Maybe in a few weeks.

We trudged from the parking lot with our gear and it was only 36F and blowing. I think we only spent a hour shooting as it was just not that fun with cold wind, boots stuck in muck. And the wind! Good practice for Texas but I could use a few more degrees on the mercury. But, darn few hits and 24x and wind is a problem! I found I was snatching at the trigger which does little to deliver a good shot. SQUEEZE and just work on that hold if you can. I shoot at 7/8" dots from Avery found at Staples. Or a bingo marker but those are too small for me after no real practice.

The picture you ask? Of course the one time I wish my magazine well was too tight which is usually is, it just fell right into the mud when I pushed the release forward. Argh! Thank goodness I had an extra. A small project to work on shortly.

One tip I will pass on is how to get the most out of this type of practice. First, although some find it boring, paper is the best thing to practice on because you SEE your exact POI vs where it broke. Seeing an animal fall is fun but who knows where you REALLY hit it. And, misses are always by 1/64th when on steel ;). Paper helps bring out the truth! The new tip is to shoot once and then just cycle the bolt and dry fire to see your follow through. Just pop the bolt up and then back down and take a second shot. Some even take 1 live shot to every 5 dry fires. Saves ammo and helps you see what you are doing.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Header photo credit and questions.

Ok, questions about the photo at the top of the blog. The "header photo" was taken one or two years ago at CBC. (Conard Bernhard Cup) in Pe Ell, WA. I find the equipment to be fascinating. This beast is a custom build based on a Swindlehurst rimfire action by Kelby's of OH. Their website makes no mention of it anymore. IIRC there were 300 made and that was enough for the discerning SB benchrest crowd. It is in the hands of one of the top current shooters. It is fitted in the standard MacMillan fiberglass stock that so many Anschutz 17XX came in. I suspect it is the same stock she was using just a new color and new action. The scope is a one of the new Leupold 25x FX3. I guess they are not new anymore. I am old school and enjoy the old M8 BR 24x Leupolds but many report satisfaction with the new 25x and 30x silhouette scopes. (Photo credit: Mark M.)

I hear Cathy is back shooting a standard Anschutz 17XX (1700, 1710, 1712) in the same MacMillan stock. She continues to be a phenomenal shot based on her performance at Pe Ell.

10 years later

I have enjoyed shooting since I was a kid. Took about 30 years off but in 2001 I started it back up when I lived in shooting sports meca, Texas. I worked hard, read tons, practiced. Got an airgun to practice, shot in my garage, drove to range, I mean PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE.

10 years later.

I guess things have changed but I struggle to put my finger on it. Sure, I have a list of excuses. Mostly that there are more complex demands and stresses in life than back in 2001. But from what I can tell, it will only "more so", not better. And I don't want my hobby to float into oblivion.

Today someone asked me to blog about my impulsive trip to Houston, Texas to participate in the smallbore State Match. Why not I guess. If someone asked maybe there is interest. I know I had a blog at one time and I found it. Ironically it was about shooting, not robots, not bikes, not Prius. But my original core hobby.

Forward this to people you think might be interested. I am not sure the shooting gang in NH is spending their hours on a blog but it is worth a whirl. I might learn something so I can keep up with my kids.

So why not, I will blow the dust off this and see if I can have some fun with a blog not being the blogging type.

&gt;&gt;&gt; 2023 Schedule and results as match is completed

Tuesday, May 24, 2011