Don't outspend them, but out work em!

[Will Henry]

I've been involved in competing in various shooting disciplines for about fifty years. In general, if I worked at it a little, I won frequently, if I didn't put some time in, I could still get lucky now and then, but the wins were few and far between. Today, I mostly shoot metallic silhouette. Shooting off hand can negate the best shooting rifle so it's a little different.
In shooting 100-200 BR, the rifle and tune was, of course, critical. Just as important though was bench technique and concentration. I was able to transform a winning rifle into a complete turkey by simply getting sloppy on the bench, getting impatient, or forgetting to check conditions at the shot.
"F" class is, in many respects, just like BR but with the challenges imposed by longer ranges thrown in. In addition, shooting prone, rested or in a sling, is wearing on those of us who fit into the "more mature" demographic! You can tune your rifle from the bench but you had better practice prone.
I still believe it is possible to be pretty competitive with fairly pedestrian equipment, in "F" class but trigger time is critical. WH

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Well, I have been told I look 69!

Every bit!

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

I've been involved in competing in various shooting disciplines for about fifty years. In general, if I worked at it a little, I won frequently, if I didn't put some time in, I could still get lucky now and then, but the wins were few and far between. Today, I mostly shoot metallic silhouette. Shooting off hand can negate the best shooting rifle so it's a little different.
In shooting 100-200 BR, the rifle and tune was, of course, critical. Just as important though was bench technique and concentration. I was able to transform a winning rifle into a complete turkey by simply getting sloppy on the bench, getting impatient, or forgetting to check conditions at the shot.
"F" class is, in many respects, just like BR but with the challenges imposed by longer ranges thrown in. In addition, shooting prone, rested or in a sling, is wearing on those of us who fit into the "more mature" demographic! You can tune your rifle from the bench but you had better practice prone.
I still believe it is possible to be pretty competitive with fairly pedestrian equipment, in "F" class but trigger time is critical. WH

I think your post is spot on....just what I see and have been saying, too, but in br rather than F.

 

[JEFFPPC]

I think your post is spot on....just what I see and have been saying, too, but in br rather than F.

Practice is required but the best practice is to shoot all the matches you can. Competition hones champions.

 

[Will Henry]

Short range BR is different than everything else just because minutiae takes on greater importance. In addition, good wind reading won't turn a 3/8 rifle into a 1/8 rifle, no matter what. In "F" class, one can be successful with a rifle which is somewhat outside of the blueprint for the best performance; this as long as the outfit produces acceptable accuracy. You have to stay pretty close to established parameters to enjoy any success at short range BR (group or score). This doesn't necessarily mean you have to go crazy with the budget but you aren't going to do much good with an Enfield! WH

 

[JFrank]

Practice is required but the best practice is to shoot all the matches you can. Competition hones champions.

How many matches do you attend in a year ?

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

How many matches do you attend in a year ?

That's what I was thinking too. If 18 matches a year, that's quite a few matches but only 18 days out of 365.

 

[JEFFPPC]

This past season, 4 winter 200yd br matches, 2 steel matches, 6 UBR target matches, 6 groundhogs matches, 6 400 yard deer matches., 1 185 yard rim fire shiloutte bench match. Anderson creek Tackdriver Lite match. Total 26. That's about 12 less than most years as I only shot 1 match on a given weekend . Getting old. Oops I forgot, add 4 AIRGUN matches so 30 for last year plus 10 rim fire pistol matches, so 40 I can remember. That's why I am enjoying the springer airrifle....no loading or cleaning. All this makes me a happy old guy.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

This past season, 4 winter 200yd br matches, 2 steel matches, 6 UBR target matches, 6 groundhogs matches, 6 400 yard deer matches., 1 185 yard rim fire shiloutte bench match. Anderson creek Tackdriver Lite match. Total 26. That's about 12 less than most years as I only shot 1 match on a given weekend . Getting old. Oops I forgot, add 4 AIRGUN matches so 30 for last year plus 10 rim fire pistol matches, so 40 I can remember. That's why I am enjoying the springer airrifle....no loading or cleaning. All this makes me a happy old guy.

Bunch of matches. Keep up the good work

 

[JFrank]

This past season, 4 winter 200yd br matches, 2 steel matches, 6 UBR target matches, 6 groundhogs matches, 6 400 yard deer matches., 1 185 yard rim fire shiloutte bench match. Anderson creek Tackdriver Lite match. Total 26. That's about 12 less than most years as I only shot 1 match on a given weekend . Getting old. Oops I forgot, add 4 AIRGUN matches so 30 for last year plus 10 rim fire pistol matches, so 40 I can remember. That's why I am enjoying the springer airrifle....no loading or cleaning. All this makes me a happy old guy.

That’s pretty good for an older fella, we get five IBS sanctioned 1000 yard br weekend events at Deep Creek and one championship weekend for the Montana 1000 club, 12 total matches available starting in late March at 20* going until August 105* after that it’s all winter chores and hunting..

 

[wildcatter]

I haven't read but the first page here, I'm late to this thread. But being a SR BR shooter, both score and group, for years it's all I really shoot. Mainly because I don't have beyond 300 yards for practice, and many other hobbies!

But one thing that I think most overlook is Mirage, as well as wind reading. I was told one time by Fred Sinclair my mentor, learn to read the mirage, it won't lie to you like the wind will??? I'm still working on that. But I have to say, the top shooters all seem to complain about mirage, but on days it is most prevalent, they accel.

To me I believe without a proper tuned load and good bench setup and technique, them ghosts will have you chasing your tail reading wind. You have to have load and understand how to keep it in tune when other things beside wind changes, to be able to understand what that wind is telling you.

In the group game, .1" on an agg is huge! In score, pretty much the same, most understand 10's are given, the X count is what it takes to win. I have found I can't win at either by reading the wind right when my load is shooting .2's unless the wind, or mirage is terrible.

Once your equipment is competitive, your ability to read not just wind, but all conditions is the biggest thing separating average shooters from the ones consistently at the top.

I just started shooting LR this year, It creates more challenge as reading the wind is spread out over such a long distance. I make that conclusion knowing my loads are good for low .2"'s or better consistently. But have seen no matches won grouping less than 1.25" at 600 yards yet. This tells me, if I want to win those matches, I need to learn how to read the wind better, or I would be winning?

Intend on finding that out next year, as I have two rifles now, that are shooting well enough to be competitive, this means my rest's and bench technique are working as is my tune,,,, now there should only be one loose nut keeping me from at least being a top competitor, I'll let others decide what that could be.

 

[Fuj]

I can attest for JEFFPPC's match count, I don't shoot their winter match's
due to winter road conditions, but come May to October, I shoot about
13 match's with him. And note.....quite a few of these he's doing registrations
setting and pulling targets, then doing the scoring. After all that, he normally
walks off with the prize money !!

 

[JEFFPPC]

I can attest for JEFFPPC's match count, I don't shoot their winter match's
due to winter road conditions, but come May to October, I shoot about
13 match's with him. And note.....quite a few of these he's doing registrations
setting and pulling targets, then doing the scoring. After all that, he normally
walks off with the prize money !!

Fuji drives I'm guessing close 3 hrs each way. It's only half that for me, so I have it easy Lol.I am in the process of setting up another winter indoor 25 yard Springer AIRGUN match. I have the range lined up and even have a volunteer to help with them, and he doesn't even own a air rifle. I hope to get posters done this week to take to some local clubs to advertise plus the owner of the range has daily internets ads and he is putting it out on them. Just takes a bit of effort to get things rolling.

 

[JEFFPPC]

Your list places tune above flags(wind reading). Is that how you feel? I think you soot short range mostly, like myself??? Part of the reason I posted this is for feedback sr vs lr. I'm gonna put something to together soon just to play with the long range crowd a little. A bunch of them are customers and I love them all...Just wanna get out and play with them a bit.

No I did not place them on order, just as they came to mind. But I think #1 is the beginning of the life of a barrel so yes, #1 is #1. Now without #2 and #4 there is little need for #3. I hope that puts things in order.

 

[JEFFPPC]

This is a good thread that has the potential to get into some good content
SRBR for me
in my experience tune is first without that you can’t steer it
next and almost as important as the first comes the flags
it takes years to start to really see your flags and begin to see when to start shooting

One thing I can offer on the flags take the head or tail wind as opposed to the cross wind every time.
Wait for it as long as you can

another thought. wait for anything except the straight cross wind

Nope, head and tail winds are evil snakes. Only if I must, especially head wind. It does not take years for flags to make sense just a commitment to them, that is the hard part for many. It is important to know when to start but just as important when to stop and wait. I thinks lots of shooters miss opportunities to go because no one else is shooting. I know what I am looking for when I sit down. Important to know how long it will take you to fire 5 aimed shots. But I am believer there is usually more than one way to skin the cat, so to speak. I think to many shooters listen to too many shooters seeking advise and end up confused.

 

[Eric Leonard]

Practice is required but the best practice is to shoot all the matches you can. Competition hones champions.

1st couple years I shot UBR score I practiced at home all the time and shot 1 match a month and made very little progress in my scores, the last 2-3 years I have shot very little to none practice but have shot a lot more matches at different ranges and the scores are getting some better

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

I remember just 2 or 3 years ago at I think the 1st match of the year, you came out of nowhere and kicked all our asses in some tough conditions. The story I heard, don't know if it was true or not, is that you burned up 2 bbls over the winter before that match. You know better than I do so I'll take your word for it but that's what I heard and how I remember it. Was happy for ya and am happy to see you shooting well still.

 

[Jager]

I can attest for JEFFPPC's match count, I don't shoot their winter match's
due to winter road conditions, but come May to October, I shoot about
13 match's with him. And note.....quite a few of these he's doing registrations
setting and pulling targets, then doing the scoring. After all that, he normally
walks off with the prize money !!

I'd just like to thank all the folks like Jeff. The guys who month in and month out do the heavy lift to get matches done. Without you guys running things there would be no matches.

Thank you!!!

 

[dcali]

Depends on the discipline. There are
For F Class (and I assume benchrest, which I don't do formally):

Winners tend to:
-have a naturally curious/scientific mindset.
-shoot a lot
-have exceptional rifles

To win consistently, I think you need all three. An exceptional rifle is spendy, but it doesn't have to be crazy like a lot of guys go for. The rest isn't so expensive. Just ammo components.

For sling/xtc:

Just shoot a lot. A LOT. You can have garbage equipment and zero load development and win if you just practice a lot.

 

[greisdor]

Depends on the discipline. There are
For F Class (and I assume benchrest, which I don't do formally):

Winners tend to:
-have a naturally curious/scientific mindset.
-shoot a lot
-have exceptional rifles

To win consistently, I think you need all three. An exceptional rifle is spendy, but it doesn't have to be crazy like a lot of guys go for. The rest isn't so expensive. Just ammo components.

For sling/xtc:

Just shoot a lot. A LOT. You can have garbage equipment and zero load development and win if you just practice a lot.

and it helps to have a range in your back yard or at work…..