Gun weight/scale error question

Dick we also mark weights down on relay sheets so if there is a question about weight we can go back and look. Our scales have check weights so if there is a problem we can reweigh the rifle. This getting close to the weight limit is crap, I see light guns out shoot heavy guns all the time so weight is not were its at! Barrels and Bullets! so I say just keep them legal.

Joe Salt
 
Why worry about a 1/2 oz. or 1oz. rule ? went a few 1000 nationals and never saw a certified set of weights ever, one did say they had them on a sign. The sales were so old and worn or were sitting on a card table that leaned so bad you could hardly keep your bolt on it. My gun was weighed on a certified scale before i went and it weighed 4.5 oz. lighter than the certified scale. So i guess you could be 6 oz. over with no problem and the kicker is there is No over in long range...... jim
 
My question remains

at what point do folks trust the scales? If one can't trust a scale to repeat with a weight, any weight, how are we ever sure the scale will repeat after weighing a test weight? The real answer is to make rifles weigh an ounce or few less than the limit. Nothing is gained with even half a pound. I have been on the bad end of having folks disqualified for being over weight and in both instances, it was absolutely unnecessary. I like to have my rifles make weight with the scope caps on and the bolt in it's nylon holster. Don't feel like I ever gave up anything and it makes me smile inside when I get em weighed. The less one exposes themselves to limits, the easier it is to live, for everyone involved. I have seen gun makers whine to the effect that it wasn't that easy to make guns make weight. I say that is a fault of the maker.

Regarding the turret cap thing, If I were a ref weighing, I would wonder if the rifle was use or would be used with those caps on when the rifle was either shot or about to be shot. Not very practical to monitor those folks all day.


Pete
 
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I think that the main issues with weight would be with the LV and Sporter classes, particularly as heavier scopes have become common.

One option for weight removal that is not commonly seen is something that I did years ago to adjust the barrel weight of a rifle that was already at the limit, so that I could use a tuner. I had steps cut in the barrel. We left the muzzle at its original diameter, which was correct for the tuner threads, and cut the front of the barrel to a cylinder of that diameter back to the point where there was a difference in diameter of .100 with the original contour. At that point another cylinder section was started that ran back to the point of the same difference in diameters. From that point on, I left the original contour. If I remember correctly, the result was a weight reduction of about 5 1/2 ounces. The barrel was a Shilen (button rifled) and there were no resultant accuracy issues. As a matter of fact, it went on to shoot rather well for a couple of individual matches with the tuner in place. When cutting down the barrel we took our time, making many light cuts with a pointed tool and then smoothing with a file and a home made belt "grinder" at the end. I am sure that Paul Mauser would have been proud ;-)

I know that this is off topic, but since I have not seen this method used to pare weight, I thought that I would mention it in case someone is having a problem. Of course this would not be for everyone, particularly those who would be uncomfortable showing up a the line with something that looked unconventional, but from a purely functional perspective, it worked just as planned. I had done the calculation to determine the amount of weight reduction, and it came out right on the money.
 
Boyd, from a Machinist standpoint, the biggest fear in turning a barrel would be inducing some stress that might not be present in the finished blank.Tool pressure and heat can do this.

Of course, the trick is to take light cuts with sharp tools with just about no point radius, use a good coolant, and avoid any chatter.

With cut Rifled Barrels, there is no fear of actually opening the bore. Shooters say that with buttoned rifled barrels, there is a danger of that because of the presumed internal stress induced as the button forms the lands and grooves.

I haven't shot a buttoned rifled barrel in 20 years, so I don't know about that.
 
How many clubs have their own set of certified weights? I would bet very few due to the cost....... jim
 
How many clubs have their own set of certified weights? I would bet very few due to the cost....... jim

In the past the SE Region had a certified set of weights that got moved to each registered shoot. Nothing complicated about that. The local clubs scales got calibrated from them.

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Jerry, That is the point, and a good idea. What do they do for regular matches? I would hope other organizations would do the same ......... jim
 
That's the whole deal...right there. Some folks know what their rifle weighs and others have no idea...they all look similar! Get a set of check weights and a scale and have at it. If you haven't weighed for a long time, don't DQ folks for a time or two...unless maybe it's the same rifle and the owner has an attitude. It's a long way to most matches.
 
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