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BRA Does NOT Guarantee "Harry" a World Record

He is doing it with rimfire.
If your tuning with positive compensation there is going to be a point when those bullets cross paths. You want that point to be at the target. We tune at the distance we shoot so we can find the exact powder charge that will make bullets of different speeds cross at the target. Some have tried to tune for a certain amount of vertical at a shorter range so the bullets should cross at the intended distance. Its all a crap shoot until you take it to distance. Wind is a fact of life and you just have to do the best you can with it. I choose to fight with wind vs fight with 100 yd tuning. To each his own.
As a novice
I struggle testing / tuning in the wind while at greater distances
for example a round or two are open more than I believe they should be, is it the wind, the load or my table manners.
My goal like most is to establish a load that maintains a repeatable tight group at the distance I'm competing. I feel once I have that consistent base line to judge from I will be able to begin compensating for wind effect.
I'm probably taking the long way around the barn however I relate this journey to my past experience
of playing competitive pool,
We called it the Tangent line which is the natural path of the que ball without influence (English) once a player understands the tangent line you may then begin changing that path to avoid a scratch or gain a particular position on the table.
So to wrap up my early morning ramblings '' I would very much like to hear how other shooters approach this aspect of LRS-tuning the load and learning wind at the same time or one thing at a time?
Regards
Jim
 
As a novice
I struggle testing / tuning in the wind while at greater distances
for example a round or two are open more than I believe they should be, is it the wind, the load or my table manners.
My goal like most is to establish a load that maintains a repeatable tight group at the distance I'm competing. I feel once I have that consistent base line to judge from I will be able to begin compensating for wind effect.
I'm probably taking the long way around the barn however I relate this journey to my past experience
of playing competitive pool,
We called it the Tangent line which is the natural path of the que ball without influence (English) once a player understands the tangent line you may then begin changing that path to avoid a scratch or gain a particular position on the table.
So to wrap up my early morning ramblings '' I would very much like to hear how other shooters approach this aspect of LRS-tuning the load and learning wind at the same time or one thing at a time?
Regards
Jim
Jim, Im happy to talk you or anyone else through how I go about tuning. I have posted alot here you could find by searching a ladder test or even better just call/email me. It can get long winded but I'll tell you everything I know about it.
 
Jim, Im happy to talk you or anyone else through how I go about tuning. I have posted alot here you could find by searching a ladder test or even better just call/email me. It can get long winded but I'll tell you everything I know about it.
Mr. Wheeler
That's extremely generous I am a quick study with desire, I listen to my mentors and learn as much as possible, while being considerate of there time. it's tough being a novice but very rewarding.
I will also be relocating to Montana in the near future -yeah!!
Reading wind will be a must have skill.
I'll be in touch
Regards
Jim
 
Reading the wind is the easy part, lol. Just watch the conditions with every shot, really pay attention to mirrage or flags and see what it does to the impact. In about 5k rounds you will get a "feeling" for what a condition will do to the bullet. ;) Seriously its just something that you have to work one, there is no quick way to teach it. Some of the best training is to have your buddy shoot while you make his wind calls for him. That way you focus on the conditions 100% Matches with spotters help alot as well.
 
I am posting this email from Captainmal because I feel like it could help someone struggling to tune. Its a great example of what most of have been though. I have a 338 edge that I fought with, powders, primers, seating, ext. I decided to try one last thing before pulling the barrel and it fixed that gun. It turned out to be one of the best shooting hunting rifles I have ever owned. I just was not seating the bullet where it needed to be. But MAN I was pissed, had I not tried a spot that I didnt think should work I would have pulled that barrel.

"Found something using Varget yesterday. Playing with new Target Vision camera and tried 4895 as usual in your BRA. Same old same old. Then tried Varget but not with Barts, Berger 108's. Wanted to do your .020" in but Steve told me it would pull if I had to remove cartridge. Had my portable press there and moved them in to a .010" jam.
At 31.8 gr. it started to "shoot" with a .7" group. At 32.0gr. I did a .5" group. Working as an RSO I held off but then the mirage got horrible with some gusts. Two more groups were each 1.5" at 600. All those are better than anything I ever did with 4895."
 
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Myron Cope, late announcer for the Steelers, likened ordinary pro football players as just another "Harry". My name is Larry but I shoot like "Harry". To be good at the BR game I feel you should be a machinist, chamber your own barrels, fit them to your actions and be superb in your testing procedures. Wealthy would also be another "must" on the list. Had one of the best gunsmiths build me a new BRA last year. To date my results are disappointing.

With way more than $10,000 in rifle, scope, mounts, dies, cases, various powders, bullets (Vapor Trail, Bergers, Barts, Hornady, Sierra), brake, new target camera, neck turner, hundreds of trips to the range, mega hours on the bench and more... my Dashers easily outshoot it on its best day. I am not alone. At Manatee I know three others who had BRA's recently built. Only one, BR1, has had success with his builds. The others are like me but with less than my 1,000+ rounds of testing. Two others on this forum also correspond with me to discuss their frustration with the BRA. We just cannot get it to shoot well.

Sure my gunsmith told me to trash the Krieger barrel at about the 400 round mark. I resisted because this next test would be the one. The next and the next have long come and gone. The gun is now good for fire forming.

New barrels and the work to get it chambered is both expensive and tough to source. Then after, there are no guarantees. While all the recent hype on the BRA seems to say is it's making good shooters great and great ones, world class. That may be the case but BRA does not take us "Harry's" into the realm of a quality shooter just like that.

I regret my recent foray into frustration with the BRA. It has taken much of the fun out of benchrest shooting for me. Think about this before jumping in with high expectations. You just might be another "Harry".

Hi Larry,

For those who have struggled at times with the 6BRA I would be grateful if you could share how your journey has went since posting this initial thread. I was very grateful that you shared your initial difficult experiences and I would be equally grateful to hear of any success you are now having and what changes have brought this about?

We are all here to share and learn :)
 
I am posting this email from Catpainmal because I feel like it could help someone struggling to tune. Its a great example of what most of have been though. I have a 338 edge that I fought with, powders, primers, seating, ext. I decided to try one last thing before pulling the barrel and it fixed that gun. It turned out to be one of the best shooting hunting rifles I have ever owned. I just was not seating the bullet where it needed to be. But MAN I was pissed, had I not tried a spot that I didnt think should work I would have pulled that barrel.

"Found something using Varget yesterday. Playing with new Target Vision camera and tried 4895 as usual in your BRA. Same old same old. Then tried Varget but not with Barts, Berger 108's. Wanted to do your .020" in but Steve told me it would pull if I had to remove cartridge. Had my portable press there and moved them in to a .010" jam.
At 31.8 gr. it started to "shoot" with a .7" group. At 32.0gr. I did a .5" group. Working as an RSO I held off but then the mirage got horrible with some gusts. Two more groups were each 1.5" at 600. All those are better than anything I ever did with 4895."
@Curious. I think this is his answer .
 
Like I tell people! This is a new season! I myself have to learn to shoot all over again, because I don't have the pleasure of shooting all winter. I know i made a big rookie mistake and forgot to tighten my front rest down in H.G. class. L.G. I know I wasn't holding the rifle the same and ended up with two groups one above the other but small groups. Five shots I would have been happy. So don't blame the rifle. you still have to do your part. Some of you have to say to yourself I'm here to shoot and have fun, not my rifle is a piece of crap and won't shoot. Seen more guys quite shooting because they have to win all the time. relax and just enjoy shooting!

Joe Salt
Hey Joe and Rushty, You are so very right.Went to a 600 BR match a couple weeks ago and at the end of the day everyone was smilling. The people that I know that were there are still talking about it. It ain't like they're trying to forget a bad time. The worst day at a range/match is better than the best game of golf you ever watched.That guy that can't quite get competitive can be found on the range trying..........something. The people doing it aren't griping, they know it could be worse.
 
Heres my home range where I tune. This is a typical day. There are rare days it is decent and you have to capitalize on them. 1k tuning is not an easy way to go. I have shot small here. Not often. Montana is a windy sob. Glenn Kulzer who is leading our LG agg also tunes here. Its not ideal but we manage. I have though of holding a match here. But I dont know who would want to shoot here.

That's some range. What reccommends it? Use of available territory? However if you have a match "They will come". Sure is a nice firing line to put out in the middle of......... What is that in the middle of anyway? LOL Nice piece of work and I'm sure it was a lot of it too.
John
 
That's some range. What reccommends it? Use of available territory? However if you have a match "They will come". Sure is a nice firing line to put out in the middle of......... What is that in the middle of anyway? LOL Nice piece of work and I'm sure it was a lot of it too.
John
John, its not my range. Its just my local range. I use it out of convenience is all. If I was closer to any other range I would go there LOL. Although this year has not been as bad as normal if your there at 5am you get about an hour of decent condition. Id never hold a match there.
 
Postscript on this. I re-barrelled that BRA rifle Alex built for me. After speed-up at about 25 rds., I found a couple nice Varget loads making one hole at 100 yards. Went to the 600 yard range and started testing. With less than 80 rds on that barrel, I stopped and feel ready for Ga. in October. Multiple 1.1" groups and one .8" one at 600 on the notorious Manatee mirage range. Easiest tuning I ever did.

Using 108 Bergers as Bart has been near 4 months with no notice he has anything for me.

Liked the results so much I just put another new BRA barrel on one of my Dashers.
 
Postscript on this. I re-barrelled that BRA rifle Alex built for me. After speed-up at about 25 rds., I found a couple nice Varget loads making one hole at 100 yards. Went to the 600 yard range and started testing. With less than 80 rds on that barrel, I stopped and feel ready for Ga. in October. Multiple 1.1" groups and one .8" one at 600 on the notorious Manatee mirage range. Easiest tuning I ever did.

Using 108 Bergers as Bart has been near 4 months with no notice he has anything for me.

Liked the results so much I just put another new BRA barrel on one of my Dashers.
Curious what speeds you are finding your accuracy node....Thanks

Regards
Rick
 
Thanks Capt.
I have been playing up top with RL-15. 32.9 to 33.1 5 shot strings with fine accuracy 32.9 es8 sd3 av3152...33.0 es11 sd4 av3154... 33.1 es12 sd3.9 av3171. Not sure what it is going to do for the brass life. The primers are fine as is the bolt lift......28" 7.5tw Lederer 103VT's with 300 down the tube. Seems like a lot of potential from 2900ish to 3150ish......
 
Hi Larry,

For those who have struggled at times with the 6BRA I would be grateful if you could share how your journey has went since posting this initial thread. I was very grateful that you shared your initial difficult experiences and I would be equally grateful to hear of any success you are now having and what changes have brought this about?

We are all here to share and learn :)
I posted my struggles earlier in another thread that's lost somewhere. I'm not a bench shooter, or F-classer. Just another "Dope behind the scope" I will say I was getting ready to pull the barrel and screw another one I had chambered at the same time when I tripped on to something with mine. I know it's not right, but I bumped the shoulders back .005"! whatever Guff! It is the most accurate rig I own. I just killed an Elk couple of weekends ago in Wyoming at 1720! First round hits at stupid distances the little 6 shouldn't do. 105 hybrids @ 2977 single digit. h4895, br4 in mine. Got a Nice Dasher for sale now.
 

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