F/TR with Irons

[FroggyOne2]

Well, no one showed up but I went ahead and tried it anyway. It has been years since I have shot any F/TR. So here is the rig. One thing, it was a lil wobblely, due to the fact that this one forgot to back bore the hole for the adaptor (the stud actually) to fit properly, so I had to makeshift a spacer for it to tighten up. It was half donkeyed of a try, but I made due with it. So I would have to load it up like a Harris, over all it felt at least a lil solid. Recoil was consistant, though the front sight came down just a lil to the left, leaving only the left side of the target frame in the front iris, it was consistant with each shot. I can not say that I had too much variation in that.

Don't know if any of you all have ever shot at Oak Ridge, but the winds can get brutal here. And today was no different. There is a front moving in and the winds were changing up from around 10-15 mph, with gust enough to blow my shooting stool over serveral times. With out a pit pig to pull the target, nor any flags or mirage, I attempted want I surely thought would be totally futile.

So I took a sighter, not having a good zero on the rifle and it was up near the top of the target. (After each shot during sighters, I would shoot one and then drive down to the pits to check the target) So I got back to the 600 yard line and made an adjustment on the sights, both front and rear. Shot another sighter, this one was an 8 at 8:30. So then I came up 3/4 and right one minute. Each shot was executed when I could not feel any wind blowing on me or around me, next sighter was a 12 o'clock X! So I go back to the 600 yard line again.. this time, I shoot a string. It was difficult to say the least, without the flags and no mirage to go by. There were were times I was just laying there, waiting for the wind to not swirl or blow me and my equipment away. Most times it was coming in at 3:30 to 5 o'clock, then just gust up into your face, blowing crap all over the place it seemed. Considering the conditions and that it has been a long time. I feel that I didn't do to bad, though there was one mistake that I did realize I had made, but only after reflecting on it after seeing the target. When I was laying there waiting for the wind to be friendly with me.. (ha!), I made the mistake of eyeing the sights instead of looking at something else while waiting for the what appeared to be good conditions to shoot in. It was a battle. I am not sure if laying on the sights cause any of my elevation, but I do know that it could have been a part of it. Though I bet the wind was mostly the criminal.

So at the request of ImMike, a member of the forums, I started this thread. It would be interesting to see how much others would like to try it.!

 

[FroggyOne2]

LOL!!!

 

[broncman]

Nice! Sounds like you need a target cam! Trying to piece one together for the same reasons.

 

[Immike]

Randy - few men and no boys take on such a challenge as you have. You have inspired me with your fearless attitude but I didn't expect anything less from you. I use a similar method to train for fclass. By reducing the target you only intensify your focus. This is good work and I'm sure you will be the first to jump in with the sharks before others will follow. Mike.

 

[FroggyOne2]

Bronc,

No man, don't need a target cam, a big part of the whole exercise is to evaluate myself in the fact that I am reading the conditions and wind correctly.. more people should try it.. it will make you harder! There are many shooters in F Class that while they may be very good at holding off, a lot that I have talked to, don't have a clue as to the value of that hold off.

Doing it this way, you can't hold off, you have to make good wind and condition calls..

 

[Cody Richardson]

I tried it a few months back with my 6BR tube gun. I really enjoyed it, great training tool. To be honest my next match had my highest irons scores to date. It really makes me focus on my sight picture and not settle for what I think is an X, this makes you certain it's there.

 

[FroggyOne2]

Well I went out and played some more today, the wind was coming in from the right. Once I get it zero'd up, I shot a string of 20. The first sighters were at 9 o'clock about 3.5 moa out. Then I shot 3 more one right after the other, they are at 9:30 and 10 o'clock in the 9 ring. From there out, I made the last wind correction and then shot the string.. ended up shooting a 193-7X. Not too bad for shooting blind and my second time out with this set up. The rifle was the same as before, Eliseo stock, Remington action semi-trued, X-Treme trigger, Rock Creek 7.2 twist 30 inch barrel. This barrel has about 4200 rounds on it and it still is shooting pretty dang good. The load is a Hornady 75 Amax with 24.0 grs of H4895 powder, Lapua brass that has about 12 firings on it and Tula primers. If it weren't for the Tula primers, I would not be using this brass anymore!

 

[Immike]

That's a good target for a one man show. No puller or flags? What changes did you make to your sights for the Fclass target? With less black did you have to change front insert? Mike

 

[FroggyOne2]

Mike,

I use a Centra 30mm front sight, it is set at 4.5mm on the iris it's self with a .5 diopter lens. The rear is a Warner #2 long range rear sight. It has a total moa of 72 minutes from top to bottom and left to right if I remember right. Once I started the string for score, I didn't make any adjustments to the rear sight at all, just tried to shoot the conditions. It is sometimes very hard to see a half minute's difference in the wind or mirage. As for the front sight, I didn't make any changes to it as to compared to shooting sling, it was at the same setting, one line of white around the bull.

Randy

 

[FroggyOne2]

Cody,

I went back and reread your statement about knowing that it is there, I agree, you deff get a aspect of knowing what a really good sight picture looks like.

Randy

 

[M14AMU]

What's the point of this? Seems like with irons you'd want to shoot with no support other than a sling cuff! ?????

 

[FroggyOne2]

Have you ever heard of having fun?

 

[M14AMU]

Have you ever heard of having fun?

Yes sir....that's why I shot irons and used a sling for 45 years!!

 

[Dgd6mm]

Randy, I believe there is something to learn doing what your doing that can cross-over to other disciplines.

I shoot many different disciplines, may not be near as good as others, but I do have fun.

 

[FroggyOne2]

One thing that is for sure, the discipline to be still is greatly need to let the rifle recoil on its own with man handling it.. and that can be transposed to sling as well.. it was a good reenforcement

 

[Rtheurer]

Randy

Challenge for you. Take that silly bipod off. Sling up and put a scope on and see how your hold is on the FClass target?

Couple of days before I headed out again, I went to the range to test some 6SLR ammo and took my 6BR to compair at 600 yards. I also wanted to shoot up my "odds and ends" 6BR ammo from diffrent boxes loaded at diffrent times throughout the year.
If I had been shooting the FClass target it would have been a 198 with scope and prone with sling on an absolutely prefect shooting day.

Too things I left with that day.
1. I have a good 6BR load
2. My position and hold is well inside the Xring.
3. Confidence in my equipment and ammo.

Lil fun match for ya.
RussT

 

[FroggyOne2]

Russ,

I don't have a scope.. but I don't mind shooting on the F/Class target.. i have done that a few times.. with good scores..

Randy

 

[Rtheurer]

What no scope??? Come on now.. Quite pullin my leg.

Here is a post form you about a week ago in reguards to using the wonderful QRW rings I also use .

"Yes i have, the Leupold QRW's. Never had a problem with them and used the same scope on three different rifles. I just kept a recored of the zero's for each rifle."

RT

 

[Perk]

I have a bad shoulder and can't support a rifle. Sounds like fun to shoot with bi-pod and open sights. Perk

 

[Bob3700]

Randy,

A couple of Summers ago we did something similar but different.

We took a 40 XR in 22RF and put it into a return to battery rig. Lined it up on a target at 200 yds and put out wind flags.

The trigger on the rifle was set up with a camera release for the trigger so no one ever really touched the rifle once it was zero'ed.

Doing nothing but watching the flags, we tried to judge the conditions when they were the same. We fired only in "OUR" condition. The results on target were pretty interesting.

Like you were saying, it improves your wind reading skills a bunch.

RGDS

Bob