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Post by Lee Martin on Jan 23, 2020 18:47:41 GMT -5
I have followed your project for years...now I have a question. Your recent piece on working brass and annealing was very helpful but makes me want to ask how that brass case can get too big to fit in the same chamber that prevented it from being destroyed? Chase - glad you've enjoyed the thread. But I'm not sure what you mean by the brass getting too big to fit the chamber. Are you referring to bolt click which happens once the FL sizer can't squeeze the base enough? -Lee www.singleactions.com"Chasing perfection five shots at a time" |
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Post by Lee Martin on Jan 29, 2020 19:20:22 GMT -5
Match #84 Cavalier Gun Club, Montpelier, VA IBS 200 Yard VFS _________________________________________________ IBS matches at Cavalier have a lot going for them. The event is well run thanks to good friend Chris Allen. The core group are laid back and great to shoot with. It also gives us a chance to compete more at 300 yards. But Cavalier presents some challenges. First there’s the sun. By late morning and early afternoon, it’s directly hitting the backs of the targets. It’s tough seeing bullet holes at 200 & 300 yards when light shines through. The benches are also tricky going. Constructed of plywood bolted to metal bases, they shake easily. And they’re not affixed to the concrete. Lean on the top too hard and you’ll see the reticle move a ring plus. So it makes you hone your table manners. Then there’s the terrain. Past the 50 yard berm, the hill nose dives out to 125 yards and slopes back up to bench level around 175. So setting flags between 50 and 150 doesn’t help much. Yes, they show wind patterns, but even with long poles you’re shooting 10 – 20 feet above them. Learning to shoot Cavalier well will pay off at other ranges. I’m convinced of that.   Sunday was cool and the wind was very switchy. It didn’t lay down much and there was a ton of bi-directional stuff. Right-to-left close in, left-to-right near the 200 yard frames. In spite of this, my gun kept me close. I shot clean on the warm-up and did the same on record targets 1 – 3. Wayne France and I were the only two not to drop a point after 3. That is until target #4. We both dropped, but he only lost one. I lost 3. Record target #4 - I fired 2 on the sighter under mild air and both appeared to be solidly in the 10-ring. Again, the sun made it really hard to pick up the holes. I moved to bull #1 and it leaked into the 9-ring. I touched the trigger just as my 175 yard flag tail lifted. No surprise the bullet moved a half inch out. Bull #2 was a firm 10, then the wind began to swirl. I came off the gun and waited for 3 or 4 minutes. It finally settled and I ran my shots fast. Bull #3 was almost an X (that dot is 0.125" at 200 yards):  Bull #4 was a center punch:  Bull #5 was a disaster:  The conditions looked the same as #3 and #4 so I shot quickly. There was still right to left and I held at 3:00 on the 10 ring; just as I did for the previous two. The gun recoiled, something didn’t feel right, and the bullet went the OPPOSITE direction of the wind. Straight right into the 8 ring. The only thing I can think of is I bumped the bench.  -Lee www.singleactions.com"Chasing perfection five shots at a time" |
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Post by Lee Martin on Feb 5, 2020 19:18:04 GMT -5
Match #85 Black Creek Gun Club, Mechanicsville, VA IBS 100 Yard VFS ____________________________________________________ I flirted with perfection last Saturday, but came up an X short. The gun shot beautifully and I was dialed-in on the wind...and there was some. Nothing too hard, but a fair amount of movement in every direction. I cleanly took all five dots on the warm-up and record targets 1 – 3. It appeared I got all five again on target #4. Even my friend thought so looking through his spotting scope. But the minute the paper came back, I knew I had a narrow miss (as Match Director, I score all the targets, even my own). I finished strong on target #5, again taking all the dots. The 250-24X score was good for the win and my 5th screamer award.  The only X I missed on the day. I, along with both referees, reticled it and agreed it was a 10. But it couldn’t have been much closer.  The 30 concrete benches at Black Creek. 1 – 17 are for 100 yards, 18 – 30 are 50 yard rimfire.  -Lee www.singleactions.com"Chasing perfection five shots at a time" |
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Post by bradshaw on Feb 5, 2020 22:16:51 GMT -5
Integrity & sharpshooting, can’t beat it with a stick.
David Bradshaw
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Post by squigz on Feb 6, 2020 8:41:29 GMT -5
Your signature on the site couldn't be more accurate to attribute this "nearly" perfect run. You've not only chased perfection, you've nipped it on the butt and almost got a whole bite out of it.
Great shooting! I love reading about the matches and your accomplishments.
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cmillard
.375 Atomic
MOLON LABE
Posts: 1,996
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Post by cmillard on Feb 7, 2020 6:21:24 GMT -5
Well done Lee!
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Post by Lee Martin on Feb 27, 2020 20:13:42 GMT -5
Match #87 Cavalier Gun Club, Montpelier, VA IBS 300 Yard VFS _____________________________________________ 300 yard competition hasn’t been kind to me. Or perhaps I haven’t been kind to it. My showing at Cavalier was again poor. I’ve just never done well there. The wind was switchy but that’s why our targets have sighter boxes. I shot a lot of them and often thought I had it figured out. Yet the record bulls proved me wrong. We call it being lost. I couldn’t find one or two holds that worked for one or two set conditions. I finished 6th out of 9, but can’t blame the gun or the load. These three shots were quickly fired into the sighter using a center aim. The wind was mild left to right. A half-inch spread at 300 is tight.     -Lee www.singleactions.com"Chasing perfection five shots at a time" |
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cmillard
.375 Atomic
MOLON LABE
Posts: 1,996
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Post by cmillard on Feb 27, 2020 21:28:27 GMT -5
Lee, do you shoot in the let offs or the top of the gust? I found that in f-class, my relays where I sent it at the top of the gust, my scores were much better than when I shot in the let offs.
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Post by Lee Martin on Mar 11, 2020 20:23:42 GMT -5
Lee, do you shoot in the let offs or the top of the gust? I found that in f-class, my relays where I sent it at the top of the gust, my scores were much better than when I shot in the let offs. I've shot both. It depends on how quickly the changes are occurring. Because we're moving around the target, it's tough to run shots really fast like in short-range group, F-Class, or 600/1000 yard. Either one can bite you. Hard blows that all the sudden let up move bullets just as bad as hard pick-ups from a stand still. -Lee www.singleactions.com"Chasing perfection five shots at a time" |
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Post by Lee Martin on Mar 11, 2020 20:27:05 GMT -5
Match #88 Black Creek Gun Club, Mechanicsville, VA IBS 100 Yard VFS _______________________________________________ Saturday’s match was eventful. By far the worst conditions I’ve experienced at Black Creek. Sustained winds were 15 mph gusting to 25 – 30 mph. And those gusts were frequent and multi-directional. A few guys set out wind probes that would peg far left then immediately peg far right. Those switches sometimes happened within a matter of seconds. Even the tin roof over the benches buckled under the hard blows. In spite of all this, my gun was off to a good start. I found consistent holds, was patient, and cleaned all five X’s on the warm-up. Target #1 began just as well. I dotted two sighter X’s and moved to the record bulls. #1 & #2 were center punch wipeouts. Then mechanical gremlins hit on #3. When closing the bolt, I noticed the action didn’t cock. I slowly lifted the bolt and tried to re-cock it. No dice. I had to pull the bolt all the way back which is risky. I jam bullets and run very light neck tension. Sure enough, the bullet stuck and powder flowed back into the chamber and lug abatements. Because I had waited so long for the wind to subside, time was getting short. Using a bore rod and canned air, I cleaned the gun. Yet there was still enough powder in the chamber to prevent rounds from seating. The timing tape sounded “1 minute left to fire”. I figured my day was over, until good friend Chris Allen gave me his daughter’s .30 BR (Tori was on 2nd relay). I had less than a minute to shoot sighters and complete three record bulls. I pulled it off with 5 seconds to spare, but only scored 10’s. In a rush, I didn’t have time to properly adjust my rest and rear bag for her rifle. No complaints though. I was grateful to finish the target, staying clean in the process. I suspect either the trigger took on a piece of grit or the sear engagement loosened. A thorough cleaning and tweak of the sear screw fixed everything. The gun went right back to hitting X’s. I finished in 2nd place behind Tori Allen. And had it not been for her rifle, I would’ve finished last. As Match Director, I enjoyed handing her the winners patch even more than usual. Saturday was also the 5th and final match of our 2019-2020 Black Creek Winter League. Tori Allen and Wayne France tied for 1st, I took 2nd, and Wayne Wadlington was 3rd. Thanks to a mild winter, we got all five events in.  -Lee www.singleactions.com"Chasing perfection five shots at a time" |
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Post by bradshaw on Mar 11, 2020 20:37:01 GMT -5
Lee, do you shoot in the let offs or the top of the gust? I found that in f-class, my relays where I sent it at the top of the gust, my scores were much better than when I shot in the let offs. ***** cmillard.... please describe your technique and how it is you shoot better at the top of a gust. WIND & LIGHT are two monsters of outdoor marksmanship. It’s good to hear from others who face conditions head-on. David Bradshaw |
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Post by bradshaw on Mar 11, 2020 20:45:06 GMT -5
“..... closing the bolt, I noticed the action didn’t cock. I slowly lifted the bolt and tried to re-cock it. No dice.... bullet stuck and powder flowed back into the chamber and lug abatements.... bore rod and canned air.... figured my day was over, until good friend Chris Allen gave me his daughter’s .30 BR (Tori was on 2nd relay). I had less than a minute to shoot sighters and complete three record bulls. I pulled it off with 5 seconds to spare, but only scored 10’s....”
----Lee Martin
*****
Lee.... lessons from the FIRING LINE. Hard corps, Lee. Go for broke. This is where it’s at.
David Bradshaw
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cmillard
.375 Atomic
MOLON LABE
Posts: 1,996
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Post by cmillard on Mar 12, 2020 7:39:53 GMT -5
Lee, do you shoot in the let offs or the top of the gust? I found that in f-class, my relays where I sent it at the top of the gust, my scores were much better than when I shot in the let offs. ***** cmillard.... please describe your technique and how it is you shoot better at the top of a gust. WIND & LIGHT are two monsters of outdoor marksmanship. It’s good to hear from others who face conditions head-on. David Bradshaw Bradshaw, where I shoot, the wind is extremely tricky, but can be predictable. I have found over the course of several matches that when I figure out the wind pattern, that when the wind is reaching the peak of it's gust, I send that shot and my score always were better. I have tried shooting in the let offs, but my scores always suffered. I don't really know why, maybe I am weird. Maybe the lack of mirage or barrel heat distortion when I shoot the peak of the gust aids in a clearer sight picture? |
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Post by Lee Martin on Mar 18, 2020 17:23:31 GMT -5
Match #89 Fairfax Rod & Gun Club, Manassas VA IBS 100 Yard VFS __________________________________________________ Match Director Wayne France pretty well summed up last Saturday’s conditions:  As with the prior week, I shot solid on the warm-up and stumbled on record #1. At Black Creek it was mechanical. At Fairfax it was me narrowly missing some flag reads. Hitting only 2X’s at 100 yards among those competitors put me in a hole. But I trusted the gun and clawed my way back. Finishing 1X off the lead with the second best score made for a good day. Three of us finished with 19 X’s, but my weak first target dropped me to 4th. -Lee www.singleactions.com"Chasing perfection five shots at a time" |
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Post by Lee Martin on Apr 14, 2020 20:33:00 GMT -5
New .30 Stingray Barrel ________________________________________ Matches have been canceled due to COVID-19. I’m using the downtime to work-in a new barrel. Krieger #2 has 2,600 rounds on it and shined when fed another grain of LT-30. Instead of burning it out, I’ll save it as a known performer if ever in a pinch. Should be good for another two to three thousand. I decided to try Brux for blank #3. Fellow competitors speak highly of them and the last three IBS "Score Shooter of the Year" winners used Brux. I have two 1:17 twist Heavy Varmints on hand and chambered one last week. Tolerances were remarkably tight. Every groove and every land zeroed on a ten-thousandths indicator:  I skipped varying charge weights and seating depths and went to the top node from the first two Kriegers. Sounds risky since not all barrels act the same. However I wanted to dial one load, and only one, with the tuner. 34.0 grains at 0.010” off hard jam was that load. Barrel break-in: I touched on this many posts ago and reiterate its importance. Barrel break-in has nothing to do with the lands and grooves. I’ve seen guys all over the internet say things like, “My barrel is match grade and hand lapped. There’s no need for break-in”. Oh, but there is. Reamers make radial grooves in the lead which are perpendicular to the bore’s axis. No amount of slow feed or oil can overcome this. The goal of course is to cut the smoothest chamber possible. I grade my chambering with a bore scope and microscopic marks always show in the throat. The grade isn’t tied to whether or not they appear. They’re going to be present. The grade is tied to how many shots it takes to eliminate hard copper fouling. My break-in procedure: • Fire one shot and clean. Cleaning entails 2 wet patches of Butch’s Bore Shine, 10 strokes with a soaked bronze brush, 2 wet patches of Butch’s, and two dry patches. This is repeated five times in a row • Fire three shots and clean x 3 • Fire five shots and clean x 1 Usually somewhere between 12 and 20 rounds, the blue disappears from the wet patches. The radial machine marks are worn down and copper isn’t being stripped from the jacket. A quick peak with the bore-scope confirms this (note – there’s a big difference between normal copper fouling and the hard stripping seen with a fresh chamber. I’ll illustrate that in a future post).  I backed the tuner off the shoulder a half turn and fired three shot groups. This was done over very breezy conditions. The wind averaged 8 mph, gusting to 15+ (measured on a Kestrel). It also swirled a lot as it came off the mountain and into my range. Really, those are the sort of conditions you want when assessing a new barrel. Nothing obnoxious, just stout current with change in direction. The first 3 shots went into a nice tight hole. I moved the tuner to another mark and vertical started to appear. That vertical repeated on the next mark and shrunk on the third. It’s likely a half-turn out was on a node and the first movement bounced it. The next move printed well with a wee bit of vertical:  I moved the tuner again and the vertical decreased even more. The slight horizontal was all push and expected. I don’t hold off when testing. One more move looked good and beyond that the vertical crept back. I centered the node between the first and third good marks, which was this group:  I’ll see how this load and setting hold up in the coming weeks. -Lee www.singleactions.com"Chasing perfection five shots at a time" |
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