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Match shooting

CharlieNC said:
Jim, Eley Match shoots just as well for me and is readily available. Nice to have options.
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My CZ 457's were picky about lot numbers of the Eley, some shot well, and some shot like CCI Std Vel. The Vudoo is too new to tell but it so far it is looking promising, the Benchmark barrel and Vudoos chambering does not seem to be picky at all. I have a couple of bricks of CX and a brick of Eley Match I want to test next calm day. Using $7 a box SK in its first match I shot an 1875, 1975, and finished with a 2200. The first card was a 1475 because I had the rifle locked down in the rest and it let me know it did not like that at all. I figured I would use the cheap ammo first match to get my feet wet and it was the last match of the year. I was pleasantly surprised with the ammo, the rifle, and my overall performance.
 
JimSC said:
My CZ 457's were picky about lot numbers of the Eley, some shot well, and some shot like CCI Std Vel. The Vudoo is too new to tell but it so far it is looking promising, the Benchmark barrel and Vudoos chambering does not seem to be picky at all. I have a couple of bricks of CX and a brick of Eley Match I want to test next calm day. Using $7 a box SK in its first match I shot an 1875, 1975, and finished with a 2200. The first card was a 1475 because I had the rifle locked down in the rest and it let me know it did not like that at all. I figured I would use the cheap ammo first match to get my feet wet and it was the last match of the year. I was pleasantly surprised with the ammo, the rifle, and my overall performance.
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Just think what you would have scored if you had not used cheap ammo!
 
I love productive threads like this. If you have read through this post you saw one of the guys early on was saying what i figured meant practice was a waste of time. I am sure that when you get your rifle and ammo and equipment dialed in then I am certain you dont need to practice as much. For me in the early stages of this game I practice as much as possible simply because I enjoy the sport and dont like coming in last.
Each day I have been to the range I have learned something new.
I would like to point out that while practicing today with my match ammo I noticed some fliers or some shots that didnt go where I expected them to... I am now back in the same boat I dont know if it was the ammo or if it was me or the wind, and at $15 a box thats an expensive lesson.
 
CharlieNC said:
Doc I'm a rimfire newbie too, and I started a couple of years ago shooting prone as practice for Fclass. Using a CZ457 MTR and moderate grade ammo I became frustrated after two years because I could not consistently shoot 1" at 100yd and sold it. But I had a custom built and even purchased my first bench rest earlier this year. Along my fclass and rimfire journey the only mentors I could find were contemporaries at my stage, so we were simply observers for each other.

Being retired I have been able to practice as much as desired, but without the benefit of a mentor. I learned to get the best equipment possible and use the best ammo in order to have productive practice meaning shooting to evaluate setups, recoil control, hard vs soft hold, etc. Ammo that averages 0.5" groups does not facilitate learning to shoot 0.1" groups, and can lead you astray with false conclusions. Practice smartly with objectives in mind.
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Hey Charlie, clear objectives is great advice, I think I get a little hard on myself sometimes. I shot a 1inch group today at 100 yards and was upset by the shots that were not x's.

The mentor thing is only a testament to the group of guys at my Range, our President will talk your ear off and he gives me some great advice. Everyone keeps preaching about learning wind, so that has been my number one objective as of late. I am shooting ARA bench and NRA F class so I am certain I will have a learning curve, I am hoping my range time will benefit both disciplines. I am certain it may up the learning curve but I figure do it now and get it (the learning curve) out of the way
 
Doc22 said:
Hey Charlie, clear objectives is great advice, I think I get a little hard on myself sometimes. I shot a 1inch group today at 100 yards and was upset by the shots that were not x's.

The mentor thing is only a testament to the group of guys at my Range, our President will talk your ear off and he gives me some great advice. Everyone keeps preaching about learning wind, so that has been my number one objective as of late. I am shooting ARA bench and NRA F class so I am certain I will have a learning curve, I am hoping my range time will benefit both disciplines. I am certain it may up the learning curve but I figure do it now and get it (the learning curve) out of the way
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Progress is great, a step at the time! Currently I'm working on a new stock and in a few weeks will need to assess individual aspects related to learn the best setup in the rest and on the rear bag. For groups and score.
 
Reading the wind is important especially beyond 50 yds. It is important to take time to think about what went wrong at the time you shoot an unexpected flier. In practice you have that time, at a match you don't.
I believe the guy you are referring to as posting "practice doesn't help" shot 4 matches a month or one every weekend. So he didn't have time to practice other than at the matches. That works for some shooters, practice works for others.
 
Doc22 said:
I love productive threads like this. If you have read through this post you saw one of the guys early on was saying what i figured meant practice was a waste of time. I am sure that when you get your rifle and ammo and equipment dialed in then I am certain you dont need to practice as much. For me in the early stages of this game I practice as much as possible simply because I enjoy the sport and dont like coming in last.
Each day I have been to the range I have learned something new.
I would like to point out that while practicing today with my match ammo I noticed some fliers or some shots that didnt go where I expected them to... I am now back in the same boat I dont know if it was the ammo or if it was me or the wind, and at $15 a box thats an expensive lesson.
Click to expand...
You will start seeing some of the reason these fliers happen when you start shooting over your new flags. It will take some time and practice but you'll get there.
 
Ccrider said:
Just think what you would have scored if you had not used cheap ammo!
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who knows, probably about the same. On the first card I just went plain stupid and locked the rifle down tight. From my practice sessions, I knew it did not like that and I still have no idea why I did it. Nerves I guess. First public appearance with a new rifle so I think nerves played a part. That cheap stuff has shot consistent .5inch verticals at 100 for me I won't point the finger at it for my screw-up. Nope, those scores were all me, the ammo and the rifle did their part once I relaxed and did mine.

Funny part is the last card just reinforced the reputation that I can't shoot worth a darn unless the wind is blowing lol. First two cards the tails were hanging straight down, by the last card we had some moderately nasty wind shifts to deal with. I think I just tend to take my time and concentrate better when I know the conditions are tricky. Consistent concentration is something I need to work on in 2024
 
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JimSC said:
who knows, probably about the same. On the first card I just went plain stupid and locked the rifle down tight. From my practice sessions, I knew it did not like that and I still have no idea why I did it. Nerves I guess. First public appearance with a new rifle so I think nerves played a part. That cheap stuff has shot consistent .5inch verticals at 100 for me I won't point the finger at it for my screw-up. Nope, those scores were all me, the ammo and the rifle did their part once I relaxed and did mine.

Funny part is the last card just reinforced the reputation that I can't shoot worth a darn unless the wind is blowing lol. First two cards the tails were hanging straight down, by the last card we had some moderately nasty wind shifts to deal with. I think I just tend to take my time and concentrate better when I know the conditions are tricky. Consistent concentration is something I need to work on in 2024
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yeah there is definitely a mental aspect to this sport its not just puling triggers.
 
Doc22 said:
I love productive threads like this. If you have read through this post you saw one of the guys early on was saying what i figured meant practice was a waste of time. I am sure that when you get your rifle and ammo and equipment dialed in then I am certain you dont need to practice as much. For me in the early stages of this game I practice as much as possible simply because I enjoy the sport and dont like coming in last.
Each day I have been to the range I have learned something new.
I would like to point out that while practicing today with my match ammo I noticed some fliers or some shots that didnt go where I expected them to... I am now back in the same boat I dont know if it was the ammo or if it was me or the wind, and at $15 a box thats an expensive lesson.
Click to expand...
Don't get discouraged if you are shooting the expensive stuff and get some random fliers. If you feel your gun is in a good spot tune wise, and there wasn't a big condition change, it was more than likely just the ammo. Matches and records have been won and broke with Eley practice 100 through Lapua Xact. This is where lot testing comes to in to play. There are going to be lots you find that will shoot killer tight groups/scores but you will get a few random WTF moments per box. And those WTF's can hurt you worse scoring that a looser lot. Personally, I consider a better lot is one that may be a little looser, but it doesn't give you any of those random drops.

Then at some point if you keep testing you will stumble on the "Lot" and if you're lucky you will have more than 2 boxes of it and be able to purchase more.


Welcome to the ammo chase.
 
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plinker4life said:
Don't get discouraged if you are shooting the expensive stuff and get some random fliers. If you feel your gun is in a good spot tune wise, and there wasn't a big condition change, it was more than likely just the ammo. Matches and records have been won and broke with Eley practice 100 through Lapua Xact. This is where lot testing comes to in to play. There are going to be lots you find that will shoot killer tight groups/scores but you will get a few random WTF moments per box. And those WTF's can hurt you worse scoring that a looser lot. Personally, I consider a better lot is one that may be a little looser, but it doesn't give you any of those random drops.

Then at some point if you keep testing you will stumble on the "Lot" and if you're lucky you will have more than 2 boxes of it and be able to purchase more.


Welcome to the ammo chase.
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Wow that is funny you said that, I was just talking to myself this morning and said that now that i have some decent equipment this sport feels like an ammo chase.
 
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VLNBYR said:
Yep get your decent equipment, some good ammo, and your major worry will be finding frames for all those 2500's.
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With the way they rack up 2500s in ARA Factory Class I happen to know guys who's biggest problem is having enough wall space to display them all
 
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