My comp guns actually get use less use in proper competitions than they do in matches. Running in, or getting past the speed up hump is pretty much always done either by new shooters at the local club or for pest control culling off the back off a Polaris. I also have a swag of old competition barrels which see use in fire forming (actually initial firing new cases) in club shoots or pest cull shoots when screwed back into my main guns. I do have a few not quite top notch barrels which I use for occasional club shoots or small regional prize shoots but I get the guilts when I use my hummer Bartlein magnum barrels for little inconsequential local shoots.
role of your less accurate rifles?
- Thread starter kzin
- Start date
About eight months ago, I loaded up ~200 rounds of B185BTs for my main FTR rifle. The idea was to use up my remaining supply of the B185BTs before transitioning to a new bullet/barrel/chamber combo.
The new barrel was ready before I'd used any of my remaining B185BTs, and as I was eager to get started with the B200.20Xs, I swapped barrels and began load development, figuring I could always swap barrels again and use the B185BTs later (neck dimensions precluded using them in the new barrel). Quickly realized that wasn't happening anytime soon.
Last week, I decided to ship the scope off my main rifle to NF for a turret upgrade, so it's out of commission for at least a little while. Feeling kind of naked without an FTR rifle that was ready to go, I pulled my first ever FTR rifle out of the safe which I hadn't shot in well over five years, a Stiller Predator on an A5 stock with no cheek piece/adjustable butt plate and topped with an older NXS scope w/.25 clicks. It's barrel had the same neck dimension issues as my current rifle, but I did have an older barrel for the Predator laying around, 26" and 2900+ rds down it, the last one fired over seven years ago. It had a chamber compatible with the B185BTs I had ready to go, so I figured 'what the heck' and put it back on.
Wasn't expecting much, but thought it'd be an interesting exercise. Took it out to the local range where we have 500 yds to play with and got this out of it (shooting prone w/no flags):
...a score good enough for 14th place with the guys I typically shoot against. Still, not bad considering the load was developed for another rifle, and the barrel in question had been pulled because it wasn't getting the job done.
Point is the rifle was gathering dust and I'd been considering parting it out. Amazing what you can stumble on by accident, and how a couple of changes here and there can produce decent results.
The new barrel was ready before I'd used any of my remaining B185BTs, and as I was eager to get started with the B200.20Xs, I swapped barrels and began load development, figuring I could always swap barrels again and use the B185BTs later (neck dimensions precluded using them in the new barrel). Quickly realized that wasn't happening anytime soon.
Last week, I decided to ship the scope off my main rifle to NF for a turret upgrade, so it's out of commission for at least a little while. Feeling kind of naked without an FTR rifle that was ready to go, I pulled my first ever FTR rifle out of the safe which I hadn't shot in well over five years, a Stiller Predator on an A5 stock with no cheek piece/adjustable butt plate and topped with an older NXS scope w/.25 clicks. It's barrel had the same neck dimension issues as my current rifle, but I did have an older barrel for the Predator laying around, 26" and 2900+ rds down it, the last one fired over seven years ago. It had a chamber compatible with the B185BTs I had ready to go, so I figured 'what the heck' and put it back on.
Wasn't expecting much, but thought it'd be an interesting exercise. Took it out to the local range where we have 500 yds to play with and got this out of it (shooting prone w/no flags):
...a score good enough for 14th place with the guys I typically shoot against. Still, not bad considering the load was developed for another rifle, and the barrel in question had been pulled because it wasn't getting the job done.
Point is the rifle was gathering dust and I'd been considering parting it out. Amazing what you can stumble on by accident, and how a couple of changes here and there can produce decent results.
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