1/5th NRA animals vs. Club in New Hampshire

I'll warn you, this post is my opinion and it may not be the consensus of other shooters.  Bottom line, two things inhibit the "real game" of 1/5th NRA silhouette in our NH program.

First, club rifle is analogous to learning to ride a bike with training wheels.  It builds confidence but not skill.  Yes, it is a great way to get exposed to the game.  Learn how the under appreciated 22LR is extremely accurate out to 100m.  I laughed when I first saw the big rams at 100m.  Until my mentor hit them and they all fell down.  Then it was my turn and now the joke was on me!

Some background:

My first silhouette match EVER was in Ft. Worth, Texas at the Haltom City Rifle and Pistol Club. The match was called the "FUN" match.  At this match, we got there at 8 or earlier and as a group we set up the steel.  Thin 1/2 scale targets, white, stood on stands.  We would set up 3 or maybe 5 banks depending on what the turnout looked like.  We'd pair up in squads of two shooters.  Every new shooter was assigned a veteran. If, and only if, all the new shooters had coverage, would a veteran shoot with another veteran.

After my mentor, EK, politely inspected the gun I brought, he told me to put it away and we would shoot his gun and his ammo.  A beautiful original 52B sporter and Lapua Club in a can similar to a can of Pringles. 

My point, there was a fun match with large targets to INTRODUCE shooters to the game.  Sure, veterans were there to shoot and they always fought to see who could hit and down 40.  Typically they all shot 37-39s.  But mostly, they were there to focus on exposing new shooters to the sport they love.  Loaning equipment, giving counsel, explaining scopes, advising how to pick ammo and lastly, having fun.  One guy had was what called the "2x4 gun".  An old Mossberg crudely fitted to a 2x4 and wrapped with fence wire.  The stock, a 2x4, looked like is was fashioned (I can't say inletted) with an axe.  He often was in the top 3 hitting 35+.  Although I did not understand the game enough at the time, clearly his point was, "this is not an equipment game!"  He gave me a brick of Eley yellow box and paper targets and told me to practice.  I was stunned.  Guess that was a good investment, I am still here 12 years later.  My point, the fun shoot was a time to nurture new shooters first and have some fun second.  And, because it was squadded, we all finished at the same time, put away animals and a small group would have lunch nearby.  I was always welcome to join them.

So, the 1/2 scale game was called the "Fun Match".  The 1/5th was called the "Real Match" and it was held the following weekend.  Their goal was to help shooters graduate from fun to real.

When it comes to the real game, now the 2x4 gun stayed home.  The real ammo, the real equipment, the spotting scopes on tripods came out.  The game changed from fun to fun but with greater focus on the task at hand.

Since EVERYONE was shooting 1/5th it was squaded.  Everyone had a spotter.  The NRA books came out.  Classification became real.  Pins became real.

1/2 scale is forgiving.  It will let you pull the trigger and "pass shoot" and still drop the animal in the sand giving you a false sense of improving your game.  The truth is or my concern is, you are getting positive re-enforcement of bad technique.  Yes, you can develop poor technique and still drop 1/2 scale animals.  When a shooter then tries to shoot small 1/5th animals, what was a "good shot" on 1/2, now can be below the rail on 1/5th.  Even worse, the shooter thinks they were robbed because what felt like a good break as on the big animals fails to come close to a small animal.  And that is why I think we have low participation in the 1/5th game.

The final obstacle is for new shooters to learn the 1/5th game without a spotter or coach.  

You won't get better if you don't take off the training wheels and practice on 1/5th to see what is really going on.  So few make the transition.  If everyone tired 1/5th, then maybe we would have a bunch of B shooters with 11 and 12 animals.  That is where everyone starts their long slow climb.  It's nice to have company.

Please be sure to come to my1/5th only squaded 60 shot match September 30th!  I will not require NRA books be purchased for this one match.  I will ensure new shooters have spotters and you will hopefully walk away with a better undestanding of the game.

Eye dominance and blinders

While at the last match at PEMI I was coaching a new shooter.  I noticed that the non aiming eye was closed or mostly closed and I decided to ask about eye dominance. 

For me, I happen to be RH dominant but Left Eye dominant.  Sure, experts would say, change to shooting lefty.  Although I did try it briefly, I was not ready for a two year investment in making the change.  So, I shoot RH with a blinder on my left eye.  But, it was some time before I ever tried a blinder.  I only tried it to see why others did so. 

My personal finding was that it significantly increased my "calm" and general "patience" when shooting.  My take, squinting takes muscle and therefore creates some form of stress when we are supposed to be relaxing EVERYTHING to find that bone on bone position.  Try it yourself.

The topic also comes up as to what color make the blinder.  I found THIS article to take my understanding of the human eye to a new level that may impact iron sight shooters re depth of focus.  Have a read and enjoy.

I strongly encourage shooters to try a blinder on the scope or a small piece of 3M Scotch tape on your glasses to "occlude" the non shooting eye.  Regardless of eye dominance.

Mirage

This is an advanced topic and one that only impacts SBR and SBHR in the 100m game.  I can't speak to the 500m High Power game as I have never shot that sport.  I suspect it applies there as well.  New shooters should not worry about mirage at this point but read and note the last paragraph.  It applied to us all. 

At the last match at Pioneer it was HOT and HUMID.  Walk out on the sand to set the animals and it was REALLY hot and humid.  I noted that two good shooters struggled with Rams.  Like 2 and 3 rams after hitting 9 chickens and 10 pigs.  My point, they know how to execute a quality shot but animals were not falling on the 100m line.  When I finally got to shoot I was having a fair day and after hitting 8 turkeys I was shooting well.  When I moved to Rams I was ready to shoot just as well.

Let's step back first before I get ahead of myself.

So what is mirage?.  Google it or go here.  In general terms, it is when the air and the surrounding environment are different temps and thus light rays are refracted. Or in layman's terms, are bent or altered from their true origination.  There are countless articles written on the topic so start here and click through to the read.  Or here.

(note:  there was a great article in USAShooting Sports before it went digital and it had a pencil in a water glass demonstrating how moisture refracts light.  I am trying to find that in digital form.)  Come back and see if I find it

Ok, so, now we're all well read on the issue.  What was going on at Pioneer?  I had the benefit of a good spotter and the use of some quality (Kowa) glass.  I took my first shot and it was a beautiful center break.  To my surprise I watched the bullet go right over the back.  I looked to my spotter who confirmed I was high.  I was so confident in calling my shot, what I saw and what my spotter saw that I took a full minute off my setting.  Took the second shot and It was another center punch break but the animal spun and it was hard for me to see the POI.  I told my spotter "center punch" but he reported rump.  Odd.  Third shot, I decided to hold front shoulder (left of center) and this time I saw the POI, still right of center.  Spotter confirmed.  Wow!  I held edge of sand/shoulder and NOW we get center POI.  I was lucky to a) have a good spotter, b) have a good hold and c) have great follow through so I could see the bullet so I knew something was up.

We both looked at the leaves after the first 5 shots and saw a gentle flutter left to right.  Not enough to move the bullet that much IMO.  I looked through the Kowa and saw mirrage moving softly left to right.  I decided to continue my left sand/casting edge POA and I ended up with 8.  First shot at 10 moa from chickens, changed to 9 moa and left hold.  I had one bad break and I missed.  Duh!

So, what in the world was going on.  I just can't imagine there was that much wind pushing the bullet to the right.  As I ran the mental tapes, I thought about mirage as the problem!


Some review and I think I may be on to something.  The first shot, high, certainly reinforced my belief that mirage was making the animal appear to be higher in elevation than it truly was.  And, the light left to right wind was also moving the image to the right making it appear more right than it was.  I need to do some more reading.  Another point made by Steve E., is that hot air is less dense than cold air and thus presents less drag on the bullet.  Another potential reason or contributor to shots going higher than what is normally expected.

So what is the take away?  The single most important take away is how important it is to develop your ability to call your shot and stay with the gun after the break to watch the bullet.  I know, when I was first told by veteran shooters you should see the hit and even watch the bullet go down range, I laughed...inside of course.  Well, they are right.  For rams, you should see the hit and often see the bullet go down range.  Sure, you need a decent scope.  Sure, it gets harder to see the impact on chickens and turkeys because they move so fast.  (I wonder if a 1/5th pig is heavier than a 1/5th turkey contributing to why they are so hard to see)  It just takes practice.  Practice on paper is key.  Note where the gun breaks and see where the hole appears.  Iron sights with spotting scope, air or smallbore, or any combo of the two.  This practice works!  Do that over and over and soon you will agree, you can call your break and see your shot develop on paper with a scope.  With iron sights, you make a mental note as to where the shot went and then look through a spotting scope.  Over time, you will be amazed at how good you get at knowing where the shot went. 

Now, if I would only do what I say and PRACTICE!

Note:  Here is a nice index to USAShooting Sports.  There are some good articles in here.  The issue I am looking for is not listed so I need to see if I still have it.  I may have given them all away.

A picture is worth a thousand words

On Sunday's Cowboy Lever Action 200m match, aka Pemi CLA match, I thought it would be illustrative to take a picture of all three rams together at the same time.  Since the full sized ram on the left weighs about 55 lbs, I brought the small animals to the big ram for a photo.

Left = Full size ram.  In NH, only shot in the CLA game as offered at Pemigewasset Fish & Game (Pemi).  This ram is shot with iron sights, lever gun, at 200m.  Only one thickness.  In Pennsylvania they shoot this same animal at 500m with a high power rifle and scope.  But not here in NH.  High Power Silhouette is the hardest version of this sport!

Middle = 1/5th scale ram.  In NH, this is shot at 100m at all three clubs with scoped, rimifre rifles.  Called Smallbore Rifle and Smallbore Hunter Rifle.  You can use iron sights but it is not recommended.  Also, most clubs are painting their 1/5th white.  A change to be more in line with the rest of the country.  It is black here for the picture and comparison.  Only one thickness.

Right = 1/2 scale ram.  In NH, this is shot at 100m at Purgatory Falls and Pioneer.  Pemi is now CLA only.

• There is a thick version that weights 14 lbs.  This is shot by Pistol Cartridge Rifle and Hunter pistol, scoped, iron. And, Scoped Club rimfire rifle Expert.
• There is a thin version weighing about 7 lbs.  This is shot by Smallbore Cowboy Rifle (SBR) and Smallbore Hunter pistol, scoped and iron.  And we tend to get youth in on the thin with whatever they bring because it is not fun having an animal not fall when you hit it.

 Hopefully that is helpful to new shooters working to understand the game.

Smallbore Cowboy, tips on how to shoot master scores.

I am happy to see so many folks shooting one category.  I think more shooters in one category makes it generally more interesting.  Shooters have something in common with one another and can swap tips and find out what works and what does not.

My effort here is aimed at helping those who want to improve their SBCB results.  With some focus and attention, I think the Cowboy Smallbore Grand Slam pin is the most achievable of all the Grand Slam pins.  So, with that in mind, here are a few tips I after my multi year pursuit of the grand slam pin..

Pair gun and ammo.
Adopt sight system you can see
Make sure your sight system is repeatable
Document sight settings and Sight Picture for each animal
Practice squeeze and hold post break.
Get a spotter to work with you at the match.

Pair gun and ammo: 
You need to do this with every gun and the no frills lever or tube fed pump gun is no exception.  There are two options.  Best option, put a scope on it and find the best ammo at 100m.  You can buy a little weaver rail for small money that lets you put a scope on a Marlin 39A, the most common smallbore cowboy gun..  The Winchester 9422 is similar but requires "tip-off" sights.  If you can't put a scope on it, you are going to need to be more creative and dedicated.  Find a sight system that lets you focus on a paper bullseye.  Target (globe) inserts are a good solution and are darn near as precise as a scope.  I will add, lever guns are not as "bench friendly" as a bolt gun.  Tip: Best accuracy can be had off the bench when the rifle is supported under the action, not the barrel/tube magazine.  Let's face it, that ram is not all that small.  But, YOU need to be confident your ammo will give you a group no larger than 3 MOA at 100m.  Until you finalize on your rimfire ammo, there is no reason to pursue step 2.  This might take three trips to the range to ensure you have the right solution.  Once found, buy 2x the amount of ammo you think you need.  That ammo is then dedicated to that rifle.  When I bought my ammo for my gun I also bothered the clerk at Riley's to ensure it was all the same lot as what I settled on.  It's just one more variable to rule out.


Adopt a sight system you can see.
Somewhat subjective.  But, if you are not happy with the sight picture and your ability to see what you are aiming at, you will only frustrate yourself.  Factory post? Globe with insert?  Post with fiber optic?  Upside down or right side up post?  Size of rear eyepiece? Rectangular eyepiece?  Everyone has different eyes and I cannot suggest what path to take.  I like having a globe front sight.  Yet my top score was with a simple fiber optic post.  Do some research, test out what others are using.  Make a decision and then stay the course for at least a season.  Search Norman Wong or go HERE to find a start to a long list of resources you can review and work with your eye care professional.

Make sure your sight system is repeatable.
Iron sights are no different than scopes.  They have to be repeatable.  The good news, they are 100% mechanical unlike a scope which is both an optic and a mechanical device.  With iron sights, it is their only function to move the rear eyepiece up and down.  Still, some of the new price point offerings are not made with the care of earlier sights.  Test your setup between chickens and rams and make sure nothing strange s going on. For those with the tools, try THIS.  I use an old Lyman 66MC made of 100% steel.  You can do whatever you want.  It was just one less variable.

Document sight settings an sight picture for each animal.

0 --><-- 30 and green dot

Here is where the rubber meets the road.  Here is what I did.  I made stencils for each animal out of luan.  Buy some black spray paint and use the stencils to make paper targets on white paper or corrugated.  Start with chickens working on just one animal per visit.  I would have a spotting scope or binoculars, a printed 1/5th chicken, pen and I will write and number each shot on my paper.  Take 10 shots and find the sight picture that is dead nuts on.  Look at your penned hits and see if it is telling you anything.  On average, too high?  Too left?   Adjust to a "zero/zero" setting and use nail polish on screw head if need be to ensure you can always return your gun to a chicken zero at 40m.  Take detailed notes of the sight picture that works for your setup, your eyes.  If that is a sliver of white under the animal than so be it.  Only you can find that sight picture that your eyes and brain can easily find and then execute.  Don't feel like there is some rule you have to follow.  Write a few sentences capturing what gives you center hits.  I was always amazed at how I would write a short note and come match day, I would have an "oh ya, right, I remember now" moment and kick myself for missing the first two chickens. 

Repeat at each animal.  You can do what you want but I strongly suggest working on just one animal per visit.  I practice belt and suspenders with my Lyman 66MC.  I note the number of clicks as well as what my pointer should be pointing at on the knob.  My nob has numbers and I write down via a small picture what number or hash mark the pointer should be pointing at.  Seems silly but it works for me.  If nothing else I don't doubt my settings, I can just doubt my shooting ability!

Practice:
Once you have your gun & ammo, sight settings, sight picture it is time to practice.  Stating the obvious I know.  Pick the animal that is giving you fits and practice that distance and only that distance.  Zero in on sight picture and good breaks.  Dry fire using the safety or just pull back the hammer and take 2 dry fires on each spent case and then cycle the lever for a fresh round.  Flinch?  Pulling not squeezing?  All the basics.


The match, it's all about the spotta!
Find a like minded shooter who wants to improve.  You can't play this game without a spotter.  PERIOD!  To the shooter, without a spotter all you know is the animal fell and therefore all you can do is try to repeat the sight picture.  It is possible the animal was hit on the foot and that feedback in invaluable as you prepare for the next shot.  When your buddy goes through, return the favor.  The sport is more fun when you can help your fellow shooter.

May a grand slam pin be in your future!

Entry level scopes for the scoped silhouette game

For the new shooter it can be a bit daunting when you look at the additional cost of a scope.  Scopes are like about anything else marketed in the mega market called the United States of America.  It's all about price point and leveraging brand image to maximize profits.  As a result, things are pretty murky when you try to figure out what is quality and what is not quality in today's market. One of the top brands has come under fire for quality issues.  Sure, their lifetime warranty will ultimately result in a satisfied customer but what a hassle.  Other top name brands have been gobbled up by holding companies and who knows if a Weaver is similar to the Weaver of yesteryear.  There is no clear decision even for the experienced shooter.  Ok, Nightforce is still a quality scope but who wants to spend $1,200.  Besides, they are too heavy for this game.

With all this marketing pressure the consumer is the victim.  My read today, seek out the old stuff.  The Japanese went after the German optics manufacturers where have historically the best lens grinders.  Early Tasco, Weaver and even Bushnell optics made in Japan are decent.  Taiwan and Chinese scopes are inexpensive but often disappoint.

Early Tasco World Class scopes are great.  But the name is also used on Chinese mfg scope.  Early Weaver scopes are an option.  Early Sightron scopes are too but they have developed quite a brand name and even their early scopes are selling for more than their original list.  The Bushnell 4000 and now 4200 Elite are excellent scopes.  Yes, I am beating around the bush.  So here are a few to look at.

Weaver KT-15 is a fixed 15 power scope.
Bushnell Elite 4200 6-24x40.  Excellent optics and mechanics.
Sightron SII 6-24x42 pre expensive "Big Sky" series.
Tasco World Class and other Japanese mfg scopes.

What do all the numbers mean?

In general, anything before the X stand for power of magnification.  6-24x means it is a variable power scope and the range of magnification goes from 6 to 24.  The number following that is the size of the "objective" or the the "light gathering" lens.  The larger the lens, the brighter the image you see.  I would try to be 40mm when you get into higher magnification. 50mm is too much.  I would not go below 32mm.  Some scopes just say 15x or 12x or 24x.  This means they are a "fixed power" scope.  In the silhouette game, it is all about repeatability and the less moving parts the better.  Many serious shooters will shoot a fixed power scope.

I am not well versed in the lower power 3-9x scopes.  But the rule of where they were made I believe still holds true.   I have a Bushnell Pronghorn 3-9x made in Taiwan on the purple youth gun and I am always amazed how it is both clear and repeatable every time I pull it out.  It just plain works.  It was given to me. I am sure they are under $100 used.  I guess that is a one thumbs up for Taiwan.

NH Silhouette clinic wrap up

Based on what I hear back from folks the first annual Silhouette Clinic was a big hit.  Everyone, whether a veteran competitor wanting to learn more about silhouette or the new shooter looking for a way to enjoy shooting with others, had a good time.

Given that we shoot so many different silhouette categories simultaneously, it is a daunting task to figure out what is what.  I think that we have 12 shooters who could explain it to anyone that asks.

Even more exciting we had youth as well as some very interested new shooters.  Not new to shooting, but new to Silhouette as a shooting sport.  I like this picture because it shows two new shooters, young and old, with some pretty darn good form just after half a day of coaching.  They were even hitting the animals and dropping them to the earth!

The Purple Gun:  Folks asked what it is.  Well, it is home made stock out of plywood and bondo.  The problem with youth guns with scopes is trying to help them get their head in the right position.  This stock has a high comb to help compensate for their smaller head.  I made the pistol grip too long and would shrink it to fit smaller hands next time.  I was not thinking.  The action is a bone stock CZ452 Scout.  I cannot say enough good things about the Scout.  Of the many recent offerings, it is the ONLY youth option unless you have more money than sense.  I would put this barreled action in an adult stock and shoot it.  I bought mine new in 2003 for $200. No idea what they are today.

Best birthday present ever, family help with my hobby!

I am pretty blessed!  My lovely spouse attacked our garage that was filled with junk that I just can't bear to throw out.  So, at the end of two trips to the dump yesterday, in the rain, I had a pile of "junk wood" in the driveway. 

I survey the mess and realized I had a convergence of need.  Get rid of wood via wood stove or utilization.  I had a fellow shooting buddy help me with some carpentry work.  He chided me over my poorly performing vintage Craftsman table saw.  In short, he got me to look at things anew and I found the problem.  Worn set screws.  Now, with his help, the saw works like a champ.

Last night my daughter came out and asked if I needed any help.  Well, we decided I would cut on the table saw and she would pre-drill everything and started the screws.  She made nice sets of pieces, prepped them, cut out the "hooks" and all Dad had to do was run the drill with his "bigger" hands.  2 hours later we had 7 new frames ready for Saturday.....all I need is corrugated.

As a bonus, the trimming went right into the wood stove and I melted enough range lead to make 20 lbs of ingots.  And yes, it was 90 degrees in the shop with windows and doors open!  DRY HEAT which felt kinda nice after a wet Monday!

One more item off the list for Satuday!  Hope to see you all there!  These frames are designed to hang on all Pioneer stands.  They hook onto the 2" wide bars and support paper once the corrugated is stapled on.  The best practice is on paper, not steel.  That is the only way to truly see where your bullet went.

Pioneer May 19th Silhouette Clinic Outline

Saturday May 19th Schedule

8:30    Pioneer Clubhouse Open (rain or shine)
9:00    Clinic begins
11:30  Burgers on grill.  Please bring your own drinks
12:30  How to sight in or "zero" your firearm at Chickens and so on...
           How to find the best ammo for your gun
           How to test a scope by shooting a box
           How to shoot off hand. 
           (There will be four veteran shooters at four stations demonstrating these topics)
1:30    New shooters buddy up with veterans to shoot for fun until....

Why a Silhouette Clinic?

The objective of this "first annual" silhouette clinic is to introduce new shooters to the fun sport of silhouette.  The best way to describe silhouette is organized plinking.  The sport can be an outlet for a number of interests.  You will find folks there who enjoy old lever guns.  For others it is an opportunity for a family to shoot.  For a husband and wife to share an interest.  Still others enjoy competition, to each their own.  We all have fun.


The objective of this clinic is to demystify what typically goes on three Sundays every month during the summer and let new shooters ask questions in a informal setting without timers and guns going off.

What We'll Cover

Here is an outline which will be updated right up to the 19th.  Consider it a "work in process" as I get input and come up with other ideas.

• Introductions and what you want to get out of the day
• Silhouette history
• Why all off hand?
• Why different types of targets and various sizes?
• Where to begin? (Family, competitive shooting, use what you own, try something new, cowboy/lever gun, improve your marksmanship, or just do it)
• Equipment options (Rifle or pistol or both)
• Caliber options
• NRA Classification book and pursuit of a Grand Slam
• Ammo is akin to women's shoes.  Vast selection and you can't every have too much!
• Sight systems.  (Iron sight vs scoped gun)
• Safety.  (Ears & Eyes & lead management.  OBI/ECI etc)
• QUESTIONS
• Course of fire and the Range officer.
• Primer on how to shoot off hand. 
• The role of a spotter or coach
• The importance of learning how to 'call your own shot'
• How to get your equipment (firearm) ready for a match.
• Want to really immerse yourself, a binder for each gun you want to shoot.
• Matching ammo to the gun (rimfire) or hand load development, cast or jacketed.
• How to practice or what to practice.
• QUESTIONS
• How you can help the game and the clubs that make the sport possible.
• MORE QUESTIONS

HEAD OUTSIDE to the covered Silhouette range or indoor 50' range as a last resort if a washout.

What should a new shooter bring?

Firearms: First, if you don't own a firearm that is not an issue.  I expect there will be some "loaner" equipment available and at least two youth sized guns.  Now, if you have some equipment bring it in your car, cased and unloaded.  We will review the proper method to remove your firearm from the car and bring it to the safety table.  Although the intent is not to make this an antiques road show, if you want some advice on how to best utilize what you own, bring it along and I suspect a veteran shooter will be more than happy to counsel you.  So yes, if you own something, bring it along.  If you are unsure or uncomfortable about how to handle it or use it, ask a volunteer for getting it out of your car.  When in doubt, ask.  Throughout this entire day there are no dumb questions!

Safety equipment:  Even if you don't have a firearm, coming with your own pair of safety glasses and ear plugs is HIGHLY recommended.  Visit Riley's Sports Shop as they support our club, or the sporting goods store of your choice.  If you are bringing a youth member, they make nice youth sized safety glasses which work much better than generic safety glasses.  If you bring a firearm, please also bring an OBI (open bolt indicator) also called ECI, (empty chamber indicator).  If you don't have one, you can buy one at the club for $1, our cost.

Ammo:  If you are bringing a firearm.  Centerfire:  Factory ammo is overkill for this sport but you have to start collecting brass sometime soon.  100% of all centerfire competitors reload their own ammo.  We will not have centerfire ammo available but we can advise you as to what your options will be.  Rimfire:  Bring your favorite.  If you don't have one, I find Federal Lighting 22LR to be a good start.  We will also have some donated CCI Standard Velocity ammo for you to test thanks to Riley's.  In short, bring what you have and we'll tell you whether you are good to go or not.  At my first match, my mentor reviewed what I brought and politely told me to put it all away and we used his gun for the session.  12 years later my ego is just fine.  Besides,  I learned a lot more that we would have trying to sort out my equipment.

Pre clinic day Questions: you can ask them here in this blog.  Or, email me at durantjud---yahoo----com  if you want to call me call 6ix 0ero 3hree 7even 4our 6ix 3hree 0ero 4our 0ero.

Please, let me know if you plan to attend.  Not required but helpful.

JD

PS:  All this fun on Saturday will be followed by a real silhouette match on Sunday where you can come and shoot, which after Saturday, you should be more than ready.

Pioneer Work Party

I want to thank Bob Poole, Paul Noyes and Mike Goumas who came on Saturday to help with the silhouette range.  There were many others who included Doug Bishop, Chris LeGros, Eric Harding and a big thanks to Doug Fuller for helping with the new door in the cook shack.  Rick Baker loaned us his generator which was a huge help. As always, any volunteer program is a team effort.  The range looks great.  We have a place to store a trailer loaded with animals. 

Thanks to all those involved!

My 1/5th gun story, Part II

As info, the majority of my competitive 1/5th shooting has been done with two guns and three stocks.  A NS522 with a Weaver KT-15 was my gun for the first three years shooting mostly Wolf MT.  I put on a custom rear pad cut out of a flip flop.  Not to dampen the recoil but to make the butt of the stock more "sticky" in my shoulder.  Heck, some people put sandpaper on the end of their pad.  After a few years a far more experienced shooter who also used an NS offered to tune the factory trigger by adding a sear adjustment screw as well as cleaning up the sear.  WOW!  That was a huge help and something I should have done at the outset.  For glass, I started with a Weaver KT-15.  Mostly because it was under $100 and had Weaver's "Microtrac" system which I was told affords excellent repeatability.  And, way back when I bought two cases of Wolf MT.  They were just $167/case.  Seemed like a lot of money when Federal Lighting was just $69/case.

In truth I was always making changes, upgrades, tweaks.  Some shooters say you're just going to chase your tail.  While I will say, understand the truth in that statement yet when you start off, you have to learn what does and does not work.  Experimentation is what will help you develop the system that works for you.

I decided that 15x was simply not enough power.  Or, like so many males, more had to be better.  I picked up a Sightron 6-24x44 SII with a dot reticle.  If I recall, the extra power caused my scores to go down.  But, my shooting buddy had loaned me his Anschutz std gun for the season and I needed a second scope.  So there I was, looking like everyone else, two gun cases, two supplies of different ammo, one for each gun.  I looked like a pro!  Truth is, I was running in place never really getting anywhere.  I reviewed my scores and with the NS522 I was getting on average 3 fewer animals.  We're talking 22 to a 19 on average.  Too much equipment, no focus!

I was at sea.  Progress had ground to a halt.  But I kept trying.  I decided to try air since that is what the good shooters were doing.

I started to shoot other shooters airguns.  They of course all had Leupold scopes.  WOW!  The clicks were tight and better yet, you could see the paint chips on the animal.  I convinced myself that seeing the details of the animal would help me and I purchased my first 6.5-20 Leupold with target knobs.  Silly money.  3x as much as my gun.  I liked it and it gave me more confidence.  Better yet, Leupold scopes don't seem to lose value.

I started to practice air at home over the winter as I had to give back the Anschutz std gun and re focused on my NS522 with it's new Leupold Scope.  Talk about bi-plys on a Ferrari!  In short, back to one gun, air practice, a good scope with clean optics, target dot, 20x power.  I Have 28 SB/SB Hunter matches recorded and 11 airgun matches.  39 competitive matches, shoulder to shoulder in 2002.  In 2003 I had 54.  My point, I went to every shoot I could find and shot a lot of airgun.

Nomad invited me to go to a big match in Pe Ell Washington.  Yes, FLY to a match. I did and managed 33+27+28+23=111.  For AA class that was enough to win a Nesika Bay Fiberglass stock which Nomad coached me to take off the table after HOA, First M, First AAA took the Kowas and Leupolds.  He then introduced me to John C. who wanted my stock and would trade a Anschutz 1710 toward the stock.  So, in 2004, four years into my journey, I retired the NS and moved to a 1710 in a black MacMillan stock with a two stage trigger.

I moved up to an Anschutz 1710 in a MacMillan Monte Carlo stock with a Leupold 6.5-20x40mm scope still shooting Wolf MT.  The score books do not tell much of a story as I moved from Dallas to Memphis shortly after acquiring the Anschutz.  In 2007 I moved my 1710 action to a Mark Pharr designed Silhouette RT stock.  At this point, all problems are caused by the shooter.  This is a mental game, a shooter skill game, not an equipment game.

To substantiate that statement here is a story.  I was shooting well one day at Pemi.  It happens sometime.  As I was encouraging a fellow shooter who was not having as good a day as I was, I offered to shoot his gun to see if I could find the cause of this problems.  After I emptied the 5 round magazine on 5 rams which all now rested in the sand, the gun, a CZ, was exonerated from any wrong doing.  It's mental, not equipment!  Don't get sucked up into the equipment vortex.

Basics not just for beginers

As I coach a few new comers I came across an old web site article that is as valid today as it was 12 years ago.  Although the title is a little condescending, I strongly recommend you ignore the title and read the rest.

What I find are the golden nuggets would be...

• Gun/ammo matching...or....how well does your ammo & gun combo group?
• Shooting the box to test scope. Key!
• Keeping a record book for later evaluation
• See if CBS is an issue for your gun

Rifle Testing For Dummies

New CZ 455

Since I seem to have invested too much time in this topic, I figured I would at least get the link to those who read my blog.  As you have read, I put the CZ-452 as the best entry level gun since my beloved NS522 have all but dried up.  And yes, I plug the Remington 580/581/582 as a good used option.  But, out of no where comes the CZ-455.  Huh?

Well, the CZ-513 is a cheap version of the 452 and you can't get the trigger where you need it to be.  The 453 with its set trigger is not legal for Silhouette hunter class.  But now it would see there is a CZ-455 which seems to be the replacement to the 452.  The challenge, 452s seem to be drying up and 455s are yet to be fully evaluated.  I am just arm chair speculating.  I hope someone will buy one and tell us what it is all about.

Here is a good review on line.  Let me know what you hear. 

10 meter air match #7 and end of season

I have been quiet about my air rifle efforts this season.  Mostly because I have been working on other more pressing topics.  But, to send off the season and see if I could leave with my head held high, I gave it one more try.

First, I practiced little if any.  My matches were practice.  This is a case of do what I say not what I do.  Practice works.  I just did not have air as a priority.  It is a vexing game.  I can be focused and in the zone and then for some inexplicable reason shoot a 6 after shooting four confident 9s in a row.

I think in my effort to take that perfect shot I force the rifle and that is the end of a good shot.  If you have to consciously make the rifle stay on bull, then you have not practiced enough.

When match #6 was 517 I gave up.  The more I tried the deeper the point deficit.  Went in cold turkey today and shot a 524.  First 20 shots netted me a 82 which killed me.  Otherwise I will take the results.  The question is, will this translate to smallbore silhouette?  Next year my goal is to shoot another 539 which would seem to be my best ever true shoulder to shoulder score.  I would hate to think I am going backwards!

Original 10m air post with updated results.

Starter scopes and then some.

So, the starter rifle question has been hot and heavy.  If it were an easy decision there would not be so many people asking the question.  After we get through the "what rimfire" to buy, we get to the next question, "what scope to buy?"

First, you have to ask yourself, what do you want to shoot?  What do you intend to use the scope for?

I am not a hunter and due to that,  I don't own a darn thing that is suitable for a deer hunt.  From what I can tell you want low power and high light gathering ability for hunting.  That means a 50mm objective and power levels in the 3-9 category.  Or at least in the woods of NH. If you plan to hunt 51% of the time and shoot silhouette 49% of the time....well....this post will not be helpful because it will be somewhat silhouette centric.  But, I have been beat by folks using old Weaver 12x scopes.  More power, bigger, badder glass does not equal more animals. I've been through that rodeo.

In the game of Silhouette the key issue is REPEATABILITY!  Because you are going from chickens at 40m and then Rams at 100m and back again, you want your scope to be what we call mechanically repeatable.  Price point wallyworld scopes just don't give you that.  Next in priority is the adjustment dials for elevation and windage.  It is nice to have a scope with "clicks" or "detents" so you can count the clicks up and down.  In theory, you should be able to run the scope up 12 clicks and down 12 clicks and return to the same POI.  Lastly, it is handy to be able to affect these 12 clicks with the apposed thumb and index finger and not a screw driver on coin substitute.  Then you have optical clarity.

You can spend $75 or $2,500 on a rifle scope.  Yes, research Nightforce, Schmidt & Bender, Swarovski if you don't believe me.  We won't go there!

Here are a few brands that have a good reputation.  Leupold, Bushnell Elite series, Weaver T and KT series and Sightron.  You also can look at Tasco but only the older scopes with Japanese optics.  So, who have a slighted?  BSA, Bouch & Lomb, Redfield, and I am sure a slew of others.  It is really quite dicey as many venerable brands have turned into outsourcing companies and no longer make or control their product.

Leupold has been the historical leader in optics and mechanical performance.  Over the past five years or maybe longer they have done what so many brands have done, tried to reduce cost at the risk of sacrificing quality.  They still have a life time warranty and will fix any issue you have.  But, after a while, it's nice to not have to worry about shipping your scope back for repair.

Sightron has been on the heels of Leupold and has perhaps passed them with their "Big Sky" line.  I own both and I prefer the Leupold because it is optically cleaner, brighter.  But, I looked through a new Sightron and WOW!  My point again, who knows who makes what for whom.

Next would be the Bushnell Elite 4200 family.  They have a 6-24x scope that is optically better than the Leupold and mechanically works well.  Just be sure you get a 1/4" MOA click scope.  Bushnell and Weaver offer some in 1/8" for the benchrest market.

Then you have Weaver.  Weaver used to be made in El Paso, TX and there they developed something called MicroTrac.  Great system.  Then, like so many others, things went off shore and there are good Weavers and not so good Weavers.  I am a fan of two that I own.  The KT-15 which is no longer made but excellent mechanics.  And a rare T-24 with 1/4" clicks.  All the T-24s now are 1/8" clicks.

So, what to look for?  Weaver KT-15 is what I tell all new shooters to find.  They are on eBay.  Used guns stores, pawn shops etc etc.  Great bang for the buck.  Then, I would look at the Bushnell 6-24x.  I have seen very good deals on eBay.

Sightron has evolved from the entry level upstart to the high dollar scope.  I think they deserve strong consideration but my old Sightron and thus experience is not the same as what is on the market today.  In this one instance, the new stuff is better than the old stuff.

A word about weight.  Some scopes are heavy and can make it hard to pass the 8.5 pound rule for Hunter class.  Although Nightforce scopes are the defacto scope for F-Class, Field Target and I gather some bench shooting, they are too heavy for the silhouette game.  When doing your research it is prudent to know the total sum of your parts from a weight perspective.  Scopes can vary from 14 to 18 oz or more.

Cheers!

Colt Woodsman Box SN 103002-S

Here is the second Colt Woodsman Box without it's gun.  Somewhere out there you know this gun 103002 is looking for it's box.  Wonderful test target, Colt screwdriver "thing" and some grip parts.  Based on my research it looks like this belongs to a second series gun manufactured in 1950.  For a 4" barrel, that group at 15 yards or 45 feet is pretty darn impressive even with an arm rest.  WOW!

Wonderful old piece of history. I have not heard from anyone yet looking for this or the other box, First series, SN 100193 as I wrote about HERE.

Lyman moulds 429215 vs 429421

Well, I have been in search of a non gas check bullet for the 44.  Seems the gun does well w/o the GC so why not find a mould that is a non GC mould.  Well, I got one but wow.  Huge lube groove and, 251 to 252 gr.  It is a bigger bullet no doubt.  I am questioning if I should even mess with it.

Here are some of the issues.  First, it is heavier.  Second, it drops a full .434 vs the 429215 which drops .4305 to .431.  You can really see the sizing push the lead around on the 429421.  The good news, it makes for much more driving band surface area.  So, it will eat lube, kick like a mule and perhaps get better engagement in the barrel.  This bullet, if I had the dies, could be sized .431 or .432 and I think it would still engage in the sizer.  More variables to chase.  I figure I will load up 10 and see if the results warrant further investigation.  I also find it odd that two Lyman 429XXX moulds drop such a different diameter bullet. I guess that is why serious shooters move to custom moulds.

I also read that the 429421 is too long to cycle through a Marlin 1894CB.  Well, I put this in two empty cases and it has no handling issues.  Fast, slow, careless, careful.  Cycles fine.  I do see some marks on the bullet but I loaded them through the tube feed and that very may well have been the culprit.

As I review the options for my "skinny" 215 mould, I found this Beagling PDF which seems worth at least a short experiment.  Others might find it to be an interesting read.

Colt Woodsman Box with SN 100173

Going through old stuff of my Dad's and buried amongst all the artifacts in the attic of 60 years, I found a bit of history.  To my amazement, he kept the box for a gun that had been stolen out of his car almost 70 years ago.  He had purchased the gun before WWII but it was stolen sometime after the war but before he married my mother.  Let's assume late 40's the gun was stolen but that is a guestimate.

The only reason the story came up and I have any recollection of what happened was because whenever the replacement gun was brought out for some plinking, the loss was remembered.  I assume in an effort to replace what he lost, he picked up the best possible facsimile which was a 4 1/2" barreled "Sport" version mfg in 1937 vs the one he lost which had the "Target" 6 1/2" barrel.  I learned the story only through hearing how the replacement was not half the gun his first one was.  And that is about as much as I can remember.

I decided the old box, manual and price tag would be fun to share with others.  Almost akin to opening a time capsule.  The SN on the box is 100173 and it is labeled TARGET with an additional label of PARTRIDGE SIGHTS.  Something I may research should time permit.  There is a wonderful Woodsman website HERE which tells me the box and gun were produced in early 1936.  It would be fascinating to attempt to locate the original gun with today's modern marvels courtesy of the internet.  I am trying to flush such fantasy and continue on more pressing projects.  I hope you find these pictures as interesting as I do.  As always, click on the image for the full picture.

Cheers!

Vintage NH Match Results from 2003

John sent me some great old results including the 2003 NH State Pistol Silhouette results.  Way cool!  Check out some of those results!

Got some old score sheets?  Scan them in and send them to me to post.  It is interesting to see old and new names.

Go HERE to see all NH Silhouette results, 2003 at bottom.

10m update Match #3

I finished my 3rd Monday evening match at Pioneer.  Starts about 6:00 every evening.  I hope I can keep the attendance going.   Here are the details.

I started this blog years ago to fight winter gloom.  I am going to have another run at it.  Since this is a blog and not a "website" I am just going to comment on my learnings and then update the original airgun post with my progress or if nothing else, journey.

Last week I had practiced, trained, prepared and it did worse than when I showed up cold turkey.  That was an emotional blow.  So much so, I did not even post about match #2.  Now, a week later, I reflect back on things and my general conclusion is, I tried too hard.  Vs. just letting the shot happen I was trying to make the shot perfect.  As a result it ate my lunch.

Week 3:  I took the week off from practice and just went cold turkey after last weeks results.  I got there a bit stressed due to some family issues at home.  I had low expectations.  I was there to stick with my plan to shoot air each Monday.

To my surprise things went better than week 1 or 2.  I just shot.  I took my time.  I avoided as much as possible taking the shots that were forced and instead took shots feeling natural. 

So, I learned or noted the following issues:

• Don't get too aggressive on the trigger.  Squeeze is still king even with a light trigger.  Aggressive or confident breaks resulted in poor follow through.  Wait for the trigger to break.
• Don't fight for the perfect look to the point you get tired.  Rest the gun if your not getting a natural good look.  Work on NPA.
• Don't rush even when the pistol guys walk out.  Fight the urge to rush.
• Work on "re-entry" after changing the targets after 20 shots.
• Validate accuracy of current pellet.  I had three shots that were perfect IMO and the printed 2 rings away from break.  Whoa!
• Bring stapler to get the target at max height.  I fight the low bulls.

Original 10m air post with updated results.

My 1/5th gun history, Part I

So often the people I socialize with in the game of Silhouette ask me about my equipment.  It's always about equipment, equipment, equipment.  Sadly I fall into the same trap.  Good equipment just puts more of the burden on the shooter.  But, entry level equipment does not "remove" the burden from the shooter. Good shooters will still shoot high counts with average equipment.

A story first.  Winnsoboro, LA.  Friday before the match there must be 30 shooters practicing, confirming zeros.  And why not, they put up 400 1/5th animals, yes, 10 banks!  I have my NS522/Weaver KT-15 shooting Wolf MT.  I was on turkeys with a young girl from Florida.  I knew her a little as we were squadded together at the Sunshine Classic a few months earlier.  She had a beautiful factory Anschutz 1712 in a Miestergrade wood stock.  Leupold scope and shooting Eley EPS.  After a year of shooting she was already a master shooter and boy could she shoot! 

Anyway, I turned a turkey and I invited her to show me her stuff and knock it down.  She replied shyly that her Dad sent her with just one brick so she had to conserve ammo.  I acknowledged her response, but to make things fun, I offered her my gun and ammo.  Her eyes lit up and happily took me up on my offer.  One shot later the turned turkey was on the ground.  After I picked my jaw off the ground, I smiled and offered her to continue shooting.  She politely and said "thank you, one was enough."  Obviously it was not the gun, ammo or sight settings.  It was the jerk behind the trigger which limited my performance.

Lesson learned.  It ain't the equipment dummy!  Or is it?

Struggling with new Anschutz

Another story.  Pe Ell, WA.  1710/MacMillan/Leupold 6-20x/Wolf MT.  2005 as seen to right.  In short, I was having one of those crappy days.  Managed a horrible 23.  Fighting something.  One of those times when I should have stayed home but home was 2,800 miles away.  I was shooting with the TX gang, Motl, Kuney, Pharr, Clark.  Mark Pharr, in an effort to cheer me up, offered to let me shoot his gun.  Seeing as how Mark Pharr is one of the top Silhouette gunsmiths and competitors, he never shows up with the same gun twice.  Needless to say, he had a new very nice rig.  A custom Ultra Light Action (ULA), repeater, Lija barrel, Timney trigger and his prototype stock in wood.  I knew nothing about Ultra Light Arms at the time or that his stock would become the basis of a popular fiberglass mould.

I declined, knowing I had to grow up and figure out my own gun.  But, after another horrible Saturday afternoon match, I asked him Sunday morning if the offer still stood?  He said sure but there would not be enough ammo for any practice.  No worries on my part, the weekend was now just a learning trip as I was out of the running for any sort of prize.

ULA in prototype Pharr stock, click to enlarge

To make a long story short, I went from a 23 Sat morning to a 33 on Sunday morning.  Although the ULA, pictured to the right, had feeding issues, which is why Mark does not use them anymore, it shot lights out.  It was like a laser beam.  I broke on the animal, the animal fell.  Stock was awesome, it just stayed put.  After that, I knew it was time to upgrade my gun.  But, a $2,000 custom gun???  If I had the money it would have flown home with me!

In summary:

So there you have it.  Conflicting stories.  There is no right answer.  It is a journey.  But, a journey where you must proactively seek out information.  Experiment, take notes, filter emotions from fact.  The best advice is to shoot what you own and travel to as many matches as possible and talk with EVERYONE. This hobby is more about information collection, socialization and discovery than it is about winning.  You will find the silhouette gang quite helpful and will often let you try out if not use their equipment.  The 1/5th game is not easy.  After a year of practice on the 1/2 scale animals my first 1/5th score was a 12.  Today, I am a solid AAA shooter but not a master.  There are many shooters who never shoot less than a 35.  I have never been there and not sure I ever will.  But I keep trying.

Trigger Control

I've been asked to comment on trigger control.  The question is, do you hold and wait for an unexpected trigger release or do you hold, and when you like the sight picture, do you deliberately squeeze the trigger?  The shooter had been advised or was of the opinion that a surprise or "unexpected" break was better than a "deliberate" break.  But, recent results at the range was disproving his belief that "unexpected" was better than "deliberate".  And, the concern was, "deliberate" trigger technique would create bad habits.

Because silhouette is shot outdoors, we have wind to contend with.  The likelihood of success by holding on the animal and waiting for the trigger to break while the wind is calm is low.  I support a concept put forth by Lanny Bassham, the subconscious yet deliberate release.  This is far more sophisticated than what I would call "snatching" at the trigger while the sights are on the animal.  I think this is the bad habit the shooter is worried about by adopting a deliberate break.

When I started out with my NS522, which had more creep than my Anschutz, I developed what I called the "boa constrictor" trigger release.  With a solid 2lb trigger I would gently squeeze the trigger just a little more each time I had a good sight picture.  Eventually, the trigger would go off while on the animal with trigger SQUEEZE, not pull or "snatch".  This worked very well for me and broke the tendency to "snatch" at the trigger.

When I moved to the Anschutz two stage trigger, I found this technique unnecessary.  Either it broke cleaner or I improved my technique.  But, my technique comes from a great deal of practice in order to develop what Lanny calls the "subconscious" shot.  You really need to read the book discussed here or an article that can be found here.  Navigate to [Document Library], scroll down to [Training] and click on 1.  Truly, buy the book used from Half.com. 

The general concept i'll compare to driving a standard car.  When you need to shift you don't think about the timing of the clutch.  You subconsciously depress the clutch, shift, release the clutch.  It should be the same with shooting.  You have to practice so that when the sight picture is right, you subconsciously squeeze the trigger without thinking.  If you have to think about squeezing the trigger then unwanted results will occur.

The next major issue is the isolation of the trigger finger from ones hold.  This is my biggest challenge.  Clean breaks where there is no movement after you break the shot.   You should watch the bullet in the scope go down range, see the animal fall and hopefully the paint fly.  This is where we all want to be.  Yes Virginia, you should always see the animal fall in your scope!  And, now you know why white animals are preferred.  You can see your hits as they happen.  Much harder to pick up the point of impact on fast moving black animals.

The only way to work on this is by using various drills.  Here are a few that I have picked up but I am sure there are others.

• The Troy Lawton circle drill as found here.  This was covered in post found here.
• The modified Troy Lawton drill.  I met with Troy when I was first starting off and he watched me shoot.  His counsel, at home, take the bolt out of the gun and hold on a dot and simply work the trigger back and forth and discover the hold, the whatever, to ensure the gun does not move while your trigger finger is moving.  Whether technique or muscle memory, work through it to reduce any movement of the rifle when the trigger finger breaks the shot.
• Dry fire, dry fire dry fire at home.  And, at the range.  Chris Winstead also coached me and he gave me two big nuggets.  First, never take your finger off the trigger after releasing the shot.  Stay with the trigger.  Any muscle movement that close to follow through is a bad thing.  Second, when practicing with live ammo, always shoot once and then dry fire on the shell three times noting any issues and taking corrective action.  Then shoot another live and repeat and repeat and repeat.....
• Practice practice practice to build up the subconscious.  It works!
• See this POST and watch the trigger finger.  Bill dry fires 100 shells every lunch break.  At home, he has 33 feet and dry fires whenever he can.

So, in short, in my opinion, you have to break deliberately on the animal using your subconscious trigger finger. And, to do that, you have to develop a serious at home drill regimen.

2012 New Hampshire Metallic Silhouette Schedule

After some this and that with our respective clubs, your fearless match directors, John, Dave and Jud have hammered out the schedule for this year.

2012 NH Silhouette Schedule.

Please print one out for yourself and a friend.  Of note would be the following:

• The first match will be CLA at Pemi, April 29th
• Pioneer is going to have a clinic for new and aspiring shooters May 19th
• There are some rule changes for Cowboy as noted HERE.
• PSI program for NRA Approved monthly matches HERE. 
• Granite State Regional program is work in process.
• NRA rule book Pistol HERE, Rifle HERE.

Have questions, suggestions, ideas, offers?  Send me an email durantjud [at] yahoo.com

See all blog posts, go HERE.

What is Silhouette you ask? 

The short version is this.  Silhouette shooters shoot from the standing position without any support.  We shoot at profiles of four steel animals; Chicken, Pig, Turkey and Ram. Each at a set distance as per the NRA rule book as per the links above..  There are typically 10 of each animal making a total of 40 possible "hits" or points.  If the anmal falls off the stand you get a point.  The shooter with the highest points wins.  The shots are taken in string of 5, each string is allowed up to 2 minutes and 30 seconds.  A line officer calls the line giving range commands.  After your two strings on the first animal is completed, you move to the next animal, adjust your sight settings and have another go at it after you return from setting up your fallen critters.

The challenge:  Shooting off hand makes this a shooters sport, not an equipment sport.  Learning your rifle, ammo and your ability is fun.  I like to call it organized plinking.  Plenty of folks say it also helps their hunting season.

Here are a few links.

Pioneer Sportsman webpage with details of how the game is played in NH.
An excellent website put together by a shooter.
An older website which I used when I was trying to figure out what I just saw.

Inspiration Video on 1/5th turkeys

I watched this video and at first I was confused.  Usually shoot offs are sudden death here in NH.  But, I gather at Nationals, it is best of five.  If by some chance you tie in the bank of 5, you start a second bank of 5 and so on and so on until the winner is determined.  If you can believe it (read the details under the video), they were tied hit for hit up until the 15th shot.  Yes, they needed three banks of 5 to settle a tie which in itself was 35 animals.  It can be done!

Fun video once you tune out the background noise.  It took me a second viewing to wrap my noodle around what was going on.  It starts at the beginning of the 2nd bank of 5.  Notice the gender of the top silhouette shooters in the country!

10 Meter Air Rifle, first time out in 2012

Target #5, two of five 10's.  And almost a pinwheel.

New Hampshire has had an odd winter. No snow.  Can't say I miss the pre sunrise frolic with the snowblower, but lack of snow comes lack of revenue for the State.  Today is the NH Primary, so what better time to blow the dust of the old Silhouette blog and see if anyone is out there.

Pioneer Sportsmen in Dunbarton, NH is trying to revitalize the air program.  We can hang 8 steel backstops from the ceiling in the indoor 50ft range. They also act as target holders at 10 meters from the 50 ft firing line.  It works quite well every Monday night.  I decided to go last night and see just how rusty I am.  My benchmark was from a 2008 shoulder to shoulder team match against Reading Highpower's Team October 8th.  We fought and clawed to get 4 shooters to represent Pioneer.  Glenn G., John M., Mark M. and Jud D.  It was a timed event shooting side by side.  I managed a 539 (93 90 90 85 87 94). Better than my usual.

Last night, Match #1, ouch.  515 (87 83 87 88 90 80).  I lost my zen at the end allowing an AD leaving me with a 5.  That is a good way to throw away points.  I had three ADs for the night.  5, and a 6.  The other was on target when it broke and was an 8.  I managed eleven 10s, five of them on my 5th target!  The key to that moment, catch yourself doing something right and repeat it.  Obviously I failed to follow my own advice.  Those pistol shooters shoot fast.  I need to block that out of my head.

Goal?  To shoot a 540 before the air season is out.  If I shot a 90 once, I can shoot it 6 times in a row if I work at it.  I figure this is good practice for Silhouette although the triggers are vastly different.  I struggled with my trigger last night.  It seemed to behave differently.  Rough in a word.  Sometimes it was clean to the 2nd stage which you could feel.  Other times it was rough to the second stage and as a result I could not feel it.  I made sure I felt for it when I was close to center.  I few times that saved me.  Twice it cost me.

Match #1  515 (87 83 87 88 90 80)
Match #2  510  (85 89 85 86 82 83)
Match #3  532  (94 87 83 91 89 88)  (season high, 94/100 tied best ever 10 shots)
Match #4  530  (87 90 90 93 89 81)
Match #5  524  (86 84 88 91 85 90)  
Match #6  517  (88 85 88 87 90 79)
Match #7  524  (82 91 88 91 84 88) 

    

Toughts about the trigger, its shape and use.

Anschutz trigger shoe

At the last match of the year we took some time shooting different rifles to get some relative comparisons.  One such rifle I shot I found it hard to work the trigger.  Try as I might to squeeze the trigger I could not make it work for me.  Each "snap" of the trigger resulted in a downed animal.  Odd I thought to myself.

At the time the issue bothered me.  The entire pad of my finger engaged in the wide, curved trigger shoe is what felt different.  I am not going to suggest I understand the physiological make up the of the human finger pad, but for me, I like to feel the trigger pushing through all the "flesh" right to the bone.  Not sure that makes sense to anyone but I will expand.

When I shoot my gun I actually put the very tip of my finger pad on the bottom of the trigger.  Effectively I am pushing on the bottom "point" of the crescent shaped trigger shoe.  Sure, sounds odd, but it works for me.  Not only does it give me a different point of leverage, but it gives me a very certain engagement of the pad of my trigger finger.  I don't like to have 160 degrees of my finger engaged in the trigger.  I want just 5 degrees of my finger pad engaged so I can really feel what is going on.

As I think back to various exposures I had, this preference does make sense to me.  For those fortunate enough to have the 5018 Anschutz trigger, you can fit all sorts of trigger shoes to it because it has a "rail" on which the trigger staff and shoe can be fitted.  This enables adjustment forward and back as well as cant.  In short, you can hang just about anything off the trigger due to the handy rail which might be a reason so many people fit this trigger to other actions.  The caption picture came from the Anschutz website and I recall one gentleman raving about this trigger.  At the time I was a novice and I did not even try it, but I filed it away in the memory banks for this blog entry 10 years later.  Back then I was still trying to figure out how to sight in my rifle let alone the arcane world of changing out your trigger shoe!

You don't have to have an Anschutz to try this concept.  Put your finger on the very end of the trigger.  See what it feels like.  See if you can get a non "fleshy" 5 degree engagement of the trigger and whether it feels better for you.  To me it is crisper.

Tubb trigger, see article

For more on trigger technique your can read the article below.  See that they too get away from the crescent shape and strive for a smaller "contact" patch of your trigger finger.

This entry is getting a tad obscure but I am running out of new material.  If you have something you want discussed shoot me a comment.  Of course you can always use a bent nail.  :)

Enjoy!

Tubb article on trigger technique.

Air guns as a practice tool

With the temp just at freezing this morning it is a good sign that outdoor shooting will soon be less than optimal for both equipment and human.  I will say that my buddy John C. in Alaska shoots year round.  Hint hint.  But, for now, NH is a fair weather crowd and given the amount of effort it is to put on a match, that is fine with me.

But I am going to work hard on air this season.  Most of what I would write is available on other sites so I will keep it brief and share only one personal experience and then provide some links for ongoing reading.

When in Dallas I had a three car garage.  Keep in mind your garage was also the only storage you had.  I was able to create a nice 33 ft range and I practiced all the time.  At first I had a cheap Chinese knock off which I tuned as best one could.  In other words, I learned a lot about spring airguns.  I shot it a bunch and finally took it to an airgun silhouette match and shot well enough to start in AA.  I was hooked.  I did the math as to range fees, ammo, miles driven, time etc and justified the purchase of a TX200 mfg by AirArms.  This gun could be used as both a practice tool and was appropriate to shoot in 2 of the 3 MS Airgun divisions.  Why not!  I spent 3x on an airgun than what I had spent on my first rimfire!  CRAZY!

I started shooting it in my garage and wow what a difference!  What a beautiful instrument.  My at home scores went up but more importantly, I TRULY had a revelation of what Lanny Bassham writes about.  The subconscious or "reflexive shooting".  Meaning, you don't think about taking the shot, you just reflexively take the shot.

I was at some match in small bore and my practice took over.  It is hard to describe but effectively I envisioned my dot on the animal at home and simply repeated what I was doing at home at the match.  Dot here, wiggle there, finger squeeze.....pow....ding.  I was not thinking about anything, I was just repeating what I had been doing at home over and over.  Sadly, that level of practice has not been attained again.  But I know it works and I know what I need to do if I want to improve.

I am a huge advocate of at home air practice.  It would be best to use a scope on some form of scaled animal.  I will see if I can include a link to the scaled 10m animals for air.

Here is one by Dave Imas, a very good shooter and coach on the left coast.  He is also the one with mile high scope rings under Too hot, too cold.

Imas

Second, is one of the best off hand shooters in Silhouette.  David Tubb's review of how to get the most out of an airgun for at home practice.

Tubb part 1.   
Tubb part 2.

10m scaled Silhouette target

10 meter air in Munich 2011

Tom W. recently asked me to do a write up for the Pioneer website regarding our fledgling air program.  There are a few blogs which I also watch which are heavy to Pistol Bullseye. Tom is working very hard to improve the indoor range and the overall condition of the PSI club house.  Under the basic rule of thumb, people will take care of something that looks nice, we are not only improving the mechanicals but also the cosmetics..  We are also doubling the air handling equipment which has an advanced "multistage" air filtration system.  They are being installed this week.

In my write up I mentioned that in Europe, 10m air is a huge sport.  Although I am only a web based spectator and reader of what goes on, I believe my assessment is accurate.  To demonstrate, I thought I would include the photo above.

To give proper credit, the photo came from the below link under the Munich 2011 album.

https://picasaweb.google.com/110058510710131713019

Evapo-Rust continued

Evapo-Rust helped my mould but I did not take any pictures.  I was organizing tools, inherited tools.  Trying to have the tools I need at the ready and the tools I own but don't need in storage so they won't rust.  This nice antique Stanley carpenters square sadly got left in a drawer where mice made a nest and their pee destroyed some nice stuff.  In short, mice can ruin just about anything with either teeth or their waste.

Click one, then again to enlarge

I put the square in a open container and let it sit for about 18 hours.  For me, the experiment is done.  it works well and the non toxic part is a plus.  But it ain't cheap.  $9 for a quart.  Small pieces , it is great.  Big stuff, you have to buy a lot to get it immersed.

To the left is a picture demonstrating the results.  My container would not let the square lay flat so only half of the square was in the liquid solution.  This exercise was more for experimentation than the desire to return this square to its original condition.  There is not much I can do about the pitting.  Right side is basically a "before" and left is an "after" illustration.  As always, click on the picture  to enlarge.

I would give it two thumbs up.  The appeal, it ONLY goes after rust and not the rest of the metal or wood or brass.  Just the iron oxide.

I guess I could test out electrolysis rust removal on the other side some day.