Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Notes from the range...

This past Sunday I shot a varmint pistol course at Stonewall Rifle Pistol Club. This is some sort of pistol, no more than 9-power telescopic sight, off a rest, at 50 and 100 yards. It was interesting in that:
- I did not prepare but used some loads that I'd loaded for the 21" Contender barrel some years ago
- I was able be zeroed at 50-yards in 4-shots.
- I was hanging in there after the first card at 50-yards
- I was not adequately careful with my 10" barrel on the rest and let it come back too far and it opened up the bag on which the forearm was resting. That shot was a zero and the deconstructed bag probably cost me placing in the match.
- I have already come up with a better rest solution that will prevent a repeat of this act.

If you are open to learning every experience can offer a lesson to learn. I learned something here.

On Monday Nana said I should go to the range so I did. I am going to reiterate that one has to experiment with rimfire guns to find ammunition that is reliable AND accurate. The SIG Sauer 938-22 greatly preferred the Winchester bulk hollow-points that you find in the 333 and 555 boxes to the Federal round-nose equivalent.

Monday, May 16, 2016

.22 Benchrest

I started a couple of years ago. Wasn't really interested, didn't have an appropriate firearm but Nana "made" me do it. Got a 1955 produced Winchester 52C, mounted a Weaver 36X and got some moderately priced (relatively) .22 LR target/match ammunition, and a rest. I've had some success, in other words I've improved. Then again, I am just in the middle of the pack, an average shooter. Some of it is equipment, I don't have a one piece rest, don't use the most expensive ammo, haven't tweaked the rifle, etc. Some is me, my eyesight, my technique, my level of interest/commitment. However, I still enjoy it. Good people, a problem to solve without any more pressure to solve it than I choose to put on myself, time away from life's concerns, all good to me. The game isn't particularly physically challenging either. With planning and enough interest to get adaptive equipment a person who was confined to a wheelchair, missing limbs, and having who knows how many other physical challenges can participate. Gender is absolutely not an issue. Turns out to be great fun.

Yesterday I shot at our club. The wind was whipping with gusts of 45-50 mph but mostly at 15-25 mph and the temperature never got over 56°F. Challenging. I was still able to shoot better than I did at the season's first shoot a month ago. A good day all around.