How did I get there (my story)

P

PedroS

Active member
A great friend of mine challenged me to tell my shooting story.
After a couple of days thinking about it, I realize it could be helpful to others to not make the same mistakes I did…

So let’s go.

It was back on 2014 when I shot my very 1st rimfire benchrest match...
So, no more than 9 years ago, till a present that, I cannot deny, has many successes.

I have to say that before benchrest I had my share of high-level competition in several disciplines, ones more successful than others, of course. Aeromodelling free flight, in F1B and F1C; Badminton; R/C Touring electric cars; Karting; Archery and lately, rifle shooting and R/C F5J gliders.
As you see, competition, is not new for me, and this experience had, and still has, helped me a lot to cope with different needed psychologic behaviors, and methodologic approach to gear.

Why should I share my story? Why it could be interesting, or useful, to you? Well, those answers can only be yours, but my approach to sport has been always an experience sharing one. I'm a truly believer of honest sharing, and through it, someone could learn and be a better deliver. Once my music teacher told me: " you can only know good music if you know bad music". This applies perfectly to our sport, you cannot do it right, if you don't know how to do it wrongly.

Back to rimfire benchrest...
Before I bought any gear, I did what I always do, look at the what's the others are using the most. And I went for my 1st mistake... I bought an Anschutz 2013 BR rifle. Not that Anschutz is a bad rifle, but because it's not the most adapted to our discipline. However, at that time, all in my, and others, clubs are using them. The same applied to rests, tuners and ammo. What a waste of money... But you can only know afterwards. Not so! If we shared experiences often, beginners will progress quicker.
The other two key success factors were also sought for: specialist forums presence (even if I know that like Dr. Google, there’s a lot of “noise” in those); acquiring specific knowledge (wherever I could find it); and, shooting technique.
Quickly I realize that benchrest shooters are a special breed of shooters… older, like me, and almost totally dependent of gear, should I say, fully dependent? So, I went for a gear guy approach. Every new item on the block I had to have it, knowing heartly that it will bring my shooting to another level.

Yep, you nailed, another mistake…

As I keep records of all my sport career, and always looking back to see and understand my path, I started to notice that my progressing was not directly related to how much I have spent, but mostly to how much I have shot. Wonders of IT, I know, eheheh, my previous competitions thought me to be humble and questioning myself all the time.

Shooting a lot, noticed, I did not say practicing, I started to climb in the rankings but got stuck around 245/247. Looking around, the panorama was the same, with the usual suspects outshooting me by 1~3 points, being a 250 a rare thing. The sharing was none, and soon I realized I have to go out to learn and progress, mostly based on an answer I received from a top Portuguese shooter of that time: “Why should I teach you to shoot in the wind? To win from me?”…

Just with one year to go (?) I established my plan to achieve my best possible result in the upcoming Worlds to be held in Lisbon in 2016, but mostly, to meet and talk to the best shooters around. I knew then (and now), if I was (am) smart, I could (can) learn more in those 6 days than in a full year’s shooting.

And the 2016 Worlds arrived.

To be continued.
 
It was in the early morning when those masters (Gods) shooters arrived to our Lisbon range. I can never forget my excitement to start talking with them, not without a certain fear to be rejected (bad previous local experience…), but full of enthusiasm and questions. Don’t laugh, but I really had a question’s listing…

In fact, having a question’s listing shows my methodological approach. Reading the most about the matter, the participants, thinking about what should get me higher, and putting the ideas on the paper, questions in that particular.

From my homework, I targeted Elliot’s family, and Australians couple, that still today is shooting strongly. I always preferred the Anglo Saxion sport approach rather than the European, and specially the south Europe one, more on the passion side than the pragmatic look.

To my surprise talking to Stuart and Annie was so easy and enlightening that they became my mentors at that time. I asked Annie, about my gear and shooting technique… she looked and asked if she could be 100% honest… of course, please do, I replied. The following words echoed on my mind, but were the best ones until then. “You got everything wrong, Pedro!” Annie’s said. Please go on, I anxiously replied.

Stuart approached us, and very kindly said… your flags are no good, because not reacting correctly, your rifle puts you a double strain to reach the X, the front rest is too slow, your shooting stamina should be improved and where did you get the ammo?...

Can you help? Pointing out how can I improve? Sure, was the answer. It was the best shooting week I had, not because of the results, I shot lousy the first 3 days. But then, after so many questions, that Stuart always replied with kindness and like he had all the time, having spent most of my time looking to the others, especially Stuart’s approach to shooting, I decided to try his technique on the last competition’s day. And a fantastic thing happened… I win the last day with a 744 33x, with a total of 1476 64x to clinch a 13th place overall, and best Portuguese shooter.

Remember what I said at the beginning? Learning from others?

My gear at that time was:
• Anschutz 2013 action with Shilen barrel fitted by Martin Menke (a German fellow shooter that have already passed away)
• Cicognani precision tuner
• Cicognani geared front rest
• Nightforce scope
• Eley tenex ammo

2016 Worlds were the turning point of my shooting approach. I immediately understood I could be like the great shooters if I put my resources (human and budget) on the right quests. And since then, I seek the answers to these three questions:
• If I won that last day with everything wrong, where could I be with everything wright?
• Where and how can I get the best gear?
• How can I improve my shooting, meaning, technique and wind reading?

Based on these 3 pillars, I started, again, working on a plan. Not for the next year, but for the future. I learned that a plan has only one certainty, being wrong. But, having a plan, point you a direction, being adjusted/corrected as you drive. In my karting days, my coach said “you can only be as quick as your slowest curve” … the very same approach to shooting “you are as good as your lower score”.

So, back to the plan, I established a real practicing method, a methodic approach to gear, a goal by goal progressing to break the comfort zone.

Gear, was (is) based on the “buy once, cry once”, and the best my budget allows. And benchrest has a lot of gear. Too many, for the faint of heart to be lost, and hidden in technical matters (and excuses) that will hurt the progress. The human plan was (is) to do the very best at every moment. Being happy, irrespectively of results, with what you have done, is more important to your mental growth than winning at all costs. Very soon on my competition path, I learned to win, not because the others committed to more errors, but because I did better than the others. What’s the joy winning with a 247 34x, comparative to being 3rd with 250 19x?

In 2017 I decided to go in a different route, gear related. I decided I should go to US rifles. At that time, I shot Grunig ones, great ones, no doubt, and I’m already preparing the upcoming 2018 Worlds. Of course, it will take time to make the shift, so I targeted after the World’s only working and shooting with specific rifles built for benchrest. Make no mistake, those are the US ones.

So, big question, how could I get such rifles? At that time, I went through the US forums trying to understand the best way to buy one. Suddenly, one day, I received a PM… it came from a person, that soon turned to be a great friend of mine, and even without him knowing, became my mentor. That person is Tony Harper. He opened me the chance to have not one but two fantastic rifles from his collection. Knowing EU, and especially Portuguese firearms law, they could only land at my home middle/end of 2018…

In between, I knew that the 2018 Worlds have to be shot with my trusty Grunig, and I had to go testing ammo. Can you believe I was the pioneer to go testing in my Country?
That’s right, and I went first to Eley, and then to RWS. I knew nothing about testing, what to seek, what to expect, how many to bring. But again, I had a plan… I have to test, bring home the better group possible, and practicing hard with those.

Meanwhile, I have changed my flags (bought the BRT ones), changed the front rest (from geared to joystick), learned to fill the front and rear bags (trial and error), stick to a routine in everything so it became second nature, and never more going to practice without a goal.

The 2nd pillar that I worked hard, came from evidence. Being a physician, I’m used to, and shooting is no different. Think with me… if all shooters have the same high-quality material, how can you make a difference? You got it, when everything is the same, is up to the shooter to stand up in the crowd.



To be continued.
 
As you might know we shoot two different Federations, the WBSF; one discipline with a max weight of 6350g, and WRABF/ERABSF; 5 disciplines – 2 air, and 3 rimfire, sporter, Light Varmint (max weight 4762g) and Heavy Varmint (max weight 6805g). They both have their Worlds Champs, every other year. So in 2016 was WBSF (Lisbon), 2017 will host WRABF (Plzen).

Of course, I targeted the 2017 Worlds, but a health issue held me at home more than expected… that’s life. I used all the resting available time to redirect my shooting approach towards 2018, mainly:
• Gear preparation (key success factor)
• Gear tuning
• Shooting stamina

It was a period of relearning my gear from rifle butt end to the tuner’s front, not forgetting all items on the top of the bench. Every item deserved a closed look and I applied (still do) the KISS technique. The simple and easier are the items that put together your gear, the simple and easier they became to shoot. I also developed a photographic view of how my bench should look like ready to shoot, so it became easy to see and realize if something’s missing or not correct. My bench has to be set always the very same way…
1. Rear bag
2. Front rest
3. Elbow “pillow”
4. Ammo box
5. Level
6. Clock
7. Cleaning rag
8. Ear protection

You will also find on my bench two tiny items that a learned the hard way they should be there. A syringe with anti-seizing grease (to lubricate bolt lugs), and a small screw driver to extract stubborn capsules.

Then the rifle comes to rest on front and rear bags, always same position, level the front rifle bottom (a note here… everywhere I see shooters leveling their front rest… I don’t level my front rest, I do level the rifle front bottom, the face that rides on the front bag, because leveling the rest does nothing to level your rifle, just think the front sand bag is not level…)

Setup my stool so I have a slight front lean position and in a such way that my dominant eye easily reaches the right scope position. I think it pays at the end to spend the needed time to setup your seating position, so it’s comfortable and the same every time. I practice this at home first and then at the range.

I have tried to debate in this forum the mental approach to shooting, but realize it’s not interesting to the majority. I spent many hours during that 2017 year developing my mental approach and establishing a routine. Shooting is a very complex process, and when a competitor doesn’t care about one thing, mainly mental, I know he’s already trailing behind... Just think about it.

I knew then, I had two main issues. One was, and should admit still is, but to a lesser extent, my ability to read wind, and the other was, tunning correctly my rifle.

Wind reading is a lengthy process, more and more I believe it’s a talent. A lot think and say rimfire benchrest is an art. I don’t think so. I have a methodic, and repetitive, approach to shooting, much like a science. This means you can come to the range with a plan, remember planning? Today I will practice just my bench setup. Tomorrow, mw bags alignment, and so on. Use a methodic approach to all, and you’ll develop a memory. The less you have to think to setup, the less mental strain. Of course, it does apply if you believe in mental preparation…

Tunning… looking back I was erratic on my method, having read all I could reach, I had a bad time producing those gold standards small groups. Tried more than 4 or 6 different tuners, then settle down on a Cicognani precision, an EU Harrels version. But even then, the groups were no good. I shot RWS at that time on my Grunig. Of course I had my wins and defeats, I felt I was progressing, but I didn’t have that confidence level I was expecting to have. In despair I bought a couple of Papas tubes, learned how to use them, and suddenly my groups came together. I struggle to make LV weight, but didn’t care as the upcoming Worlds have a higher weight limit (WBSF).

I know what you are thinking… but we all had/have our specific path, and mine is very, but very pragmatic. If it works, I’ll use it. Also on my previous competition days, mainly archery, I learned that anything works the first day you use it. The following day is what counts, and with RWS with Papas the rifle rocked.


To be continued.
 
My target routine, started to be an obsessive way during 2018. Tony Harper told me to divide the target in two parts. 1st 3 rows, and 2nd 2 rows. After completing the 1st 3 rows, I stop, take a breath, relax, recompose myself, and when felt ready, and only then, I start the last 2 rows.

Another important point… I must say here, that many of my opinions are controversial, but, if you still remember what I have written, I’m pragmatic. If it works, I stick to it. Returning to another controversial point. This one comes from Stuart Elliot during the 2016 Worlds after seeing my targets. Pedro, he said, you lost too many tens on the sighters. Do you know they don’t count, do you? Wow… this changed my wind reading approach for good!

Finally, my Tony rifles landed at my home. What great pieces of gear! Let’s face some facts. European brands, like Grunig, Bleiker, Walther and Anschutz, produce great rifles by this order. The Swiss ones are the best, with so close tolerances that closing a Grunig or a Bleiker bolt is like a watch mechanism. Precision. Issue is (?) they do not built rifles targeting benchrest. This is changing, thought. US rifles, either Turbos or Stillers don’t have the same precision, the same feeling, nor the same beauty finish. However, they have been designed from scratch to benchrest, and this is an ace that put them higher in the ranking. That said, there I was with two beauties.

I had my share of ruined barrels due to bad cleaning procedures, so, another topic to be revisited and corrected. I bought a borescope, not to see the barrel guts, but to establish my cleaning routine. I have to have control over what, and how I was doing. That learning molded my cleaning technique that I still use today, and I never ruined another barrel (fingers crossed).

As you see, 2018, was a very busy year in developing a lot of stuff towards my shooting stamina. Let’s resume:
1. Establish a benchrest routine
2. Establish a correct seated position
3. Established the rifle tuning
4. Established the cleaning routine
5. Established a target routine
6. Seek everywhere to better wind reading ability
7. Established my mental routine
Two must use words on the above, have you noticed? Establishing and routine.

Well, again, I’m a believer of simple and automatic gestures on sports. The more automatic and routine they are, the less you have to think about them. Mental economics here… so, when a procedure is good and established, I don’t change it, and it becomes a routine. If I’m always changing, I know I cannot understand what’s good or bad.

In the meantime, I started to shoot my new rifles, and funny enough the 1st sporter match I shoot, I broke the National record. Don’t be a geared mind, and immediately think, of course with such a rifle… you know the story. Think about rifles, gear in general as tools to accomplish your goal. Like a Nikon Z9 doesn’t make you a better photographer, a fantastic rifle won’t put you in the winning circle if you don’t do your part. So, the big smile on my face after broking that record, showed me I got a great tool, but more important, my shooting stamina was in the right direction. That was the feeling I was (still am) always seeking.

I didn’t work much on tuning the rifle, because I reached a good compromise of the whole. More on that later.

My cleaning routine reach a good standard, based om my borescope inspection, but mainly, by score results. I started using just Boretech stuff, not saying the only good option, but easily available around here. All rods, jags, bronze brushes and patches of rimfire or .22lr caliber. The best patches I found, are the 1/8” squares.

My normal cleaning routine:
• Only clean when needed
• Always using breach protector
• 1 patch with rimfire blend
• 2 patches with carbon remover
• 1 patch of rimfire blend
• 2 dry patches

My intense cleaning routine:
• Only clean when needed
• Always using breach protector
• 1 patch with rimfire blend
• Bronze brush from crown to breach
• 1 patch with rimfire blend
• 2 patches with carbon remover
• 1 patch of rimfire blend
• 2 dry patches

I normally clean, every other card, or when some unexpected Xs miss, or funny 10s shot. I take my time cleaning, never rushing. Also, it depends of how many shots per card, but after Stuart’s warning, I don’t shoot anymore many sighters. Controversial it might be, but works wonders for me. After cleaning, most of my barrels return to life after 5 rounds.

And the 2018 Worlds came.

A couple of weeks before I asked Tony some advice. The answer went in simple terms… believe your gear, shoot with confidence, do the math only at the end.

Wise words!

The day came, and when the time to say goodbye to my family arrived, my youngest asked me: Dad, what are you expecting there? Son, I’m not going there to lose, was my answer. Kiss, and I went to the airport.


To be continued.
 
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More Than A Story

Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge and experiences with us. I found your writings both informational and inspirational. Many shooters can improve by following these guidelines.
Bill J.
 
Thank you!

Pedro, thanks very much for sharing your experiences, techniques and strategies. It is refreshing to read your story and learn a thing or two (or more) that I can apply to my shooting. I look forward to your experience on tuning, in particular!

I had one question on cleaning. You said you clean after every other target. Do you at least push a dry patch through the barrel to remove the solid debris that builds up when you don't clean after every target?

Thanks again!

Larry
 
This has been a very interesting read, and enjoyable. Thank you for taking your time to post it. Best of luck in future events.
 
There I was, Manresa 2018, where I just want to play like I had practicing so hard. I meet many friends, some new, some from 2016, and I understand a certain tension among competitors, towards the range, but mainly the wind, calm in a moment, roaring in the next. In fact, everybody is complaining about the wind.

Looking back, I took a much more reserved attitude, doing my stuff, and not being constantly talking or socializing. I learned it was(is) my best competition’s way. In a competition I took my time and my moments to focus, and to do that I need to be alone, and if in need calling my wife to calm down.

1st individual target I shot a 247… with no wind. There were a bunch of 250s. Really didn’t care, but thought about that target and how I lost the points. The very same mistakes, no, not anymore. I composed myself and went for a straight 4x250 targets.
It was then the 1st time I looked at the scoring board, and wow…. My name was there, and in the 1st line… then we went for the very last card, I was shooting 10 after 10, with such a wind I was not thinking Xs just 10s. Did a 249. I started to realize, as the wind is not giving any chance that it could turn in my favor. And it did. I became World Champion with 1496 99x. Three shooters did 1 point less, so it was close.

I enjoy to compete, and there’s nothing like attending big International Meetings to learn and to grow in shooting terms. 2018, was, definitely, my turning point. I proved myself that with the right practice approach, good gear and correctly prepared, hard work, and mental stamina, I could win from those great shooters, and becoming one of them. Don’t take me wrong… I just wrote it, to show you could do the same. Always approach your shooting based on these 3 pillars:
• Right gear (well prepared and fine-tuned)
• Right practice (2~3 times a week at least 3 cards)
• Right mental attitude

2018 was a year full of rewards, National Champion, World Champion, Hamminkeln cup Champion, granted Lapua’s sponsorship, that I maintain until today with no willing to part with, but also full of decisions.

I decided to be even harder on my practice approach, strengthen my mental stamina, perfecting my gear, setup and tuning, and most of all wind reading ability. Part of my Lapua contract ask me to develop benchrest across my Country, which I start preparing workshops north and south. Remember sharing? Yes, I do share what I know, controversial it might be, but it’s my way. Understand that if you do the same, others will too, and sooner than later we’ll develop our shooting. And, no need to repeat, but, every time you share and teach, you learn too.

Off-topic, or not so… have you realize outside ISSF disciplines, coaches are a rarity? Benchrest is very strange. Why don’t we need a coach? Why don’t we need a technique teacher? I do have my answer, but think about that. Maybe yours will match mine, and along the answer’s lines, there is the reason why Benchrest is not so popular as it deserves.

Once a started drawing my plan (!) for 2019/2020, I knew I could not continue to develop the shooting just on my own… I needed to start a dedicated shooters Team. Coincidence or not, ST2, a very important Lisbon club, invited me to be part of their shooters. It cleared my picture and I start to develop Benchrest on ST2, that didn’t have rimfire benchrest at that time. I invited two great shooters (Ricardo and Luís) and Team ST2 A was done and ready.

You nailed it again, my plan from that date, started to have my part, and the Teams part.

And 2019 was prepared and about to start…


To be continued.
 
Rimfireshooter said:
Pedro, thanks very much for sharing your experiences, techniques and strategies. It is refreshing to read your story and learn a thing or two (or more) that I can apply to my shooting. I look forward to your experience on tuning, in particular!

I had one question on cleaning. You said you clean after every other target. Do you at least push a dry patch through the barrel to remove the solid debris that builds up when you don't clean after every target?

Thanks again!

Larry
Click to expand...

Larry, thank you for your kind words.

I will talk soon about my tuning that was refined after I started working with Lapua.
About cleaning, a couple or two sentences to better put things in perspective. As I said, I don't shoot much sighters, and to give you an exemple, during the last Iberian Match, my 250 22x was done with 35 shots, and the wind was bad.
During my practice I learned very well, for every rifle, how many shots each could do, before starting to go out of X. That's about between 75~90 shots. So to be on the safe zone, and if I don't shoot much sighters, I clean every other card.
Now to your question. Simple, no, I don't. I know it could be irrelevant, but why should I clean, or remove any debris, if the rifle always shoot well much more shots? Also, any solid residues, are potential abrasives. I could do nothing shooting, but pushing a dry patch is, for me, one more non needed abrasion.
 
PedroS said:
That's about between 75~90 shots. So to be on the safe zone, and if I don't shoot much sighters, I clean every other card.
Click to expand...

I am curious, if that is the range of fouling that hurts accuracy, it seems that it is risky to try two cards. My shot count would almost always exceed that on two cards. If it's real calm or very switchy, I may get by with that, but in more normal conditions I usually hit about 45 to 50 per card. Do you think pushing a patch through for the first time will cause abrasion? It seems a single wet patch after firing would take out the debris and not allow enough outward pressure on the grit to abrade the barrel. Personally, I push one wet, 3 strokes with a bronze brush, a few wets and a dry on every target. I may be overdoing it, but I have also noticed drop of of accuracy in a similar range as you and don't want to risk getting there. Have you ever cleaned more and what was your experience?
 
stiller said:
I am curious, if that is the range of fouling that hurts accuracy, it seems that it is risky to try two cards. My shot count would almost always exceed that on two cards. If it's real calm or very switchy, I may get by with that, but in more normal conditions I usually hit about 45 to 50 per card. Do you think pushing a patch through for the first time will cause abrasion? It seems a single wet patch after firing would take out the debris and not allow enough outward pressure on the grit to abrade the barrel. Personally, I push one wet, 3 strokes with a bronze brush, a few wets and a dry on every target. I may be overdoing it, but I have also noticed drop of of accuracy in a similar range as you and don't want to risk getting there. Have you ever cleaned more and what was your experience?
Click to expand...

That's a much interesting question... and I don't have a clear answer, to why I shoot so few sighters? In fact, since Stuart's words I tried to reduce them, but never being stubborn, what costs me 3 points on the 1st 2018 worlds card...

Returning to cleaning. I gave you my normal approach and it's rare I clean between cards. if, like you say, you normally shot 45~50 rounds a card, you'll be in the red zone at middle/end of 2nd card. You can only control cleanliness, that's a fact. However, I think overdoing cleaning is worst than not cleaning at all, regarding barrel life. Looked at the score sheet, overdoing cleaning is better, no doubt. So a compromise is to be established. Also, we have to burn that Urban Myth, that bronze brushes are evil to barrels. Improper cleaning technique does hurt the barrel, another fact.

A couple tricks more I do during cleaning... maybe irrelevant, but for me, anything you can control, please control it.
1. I always take out the tuner to clean the barrel
2. I always clean carefully the crown first with a light oil before any barrel cleaning
3. I always clean my tuner (dirt there with time will change your tuning)
4. Cleaning is a relaxing time for me, so no rush at all
5. I learned to reposition the tuner at the very same spot and with the same screws torque

So, to answer straight to your cleaning question, with so many rounds per card, I will clean between cards too, but not with a bronze brush. Normally, I use a bronze brush when I'm in doubt, or just between matches.

I learned my technique using a borescope. When a barrel has no dirt, it's of no use to continue hurting it with cleaning. Apply strict economics here. That knowledge, can only be obtained seeing through the barrel, and knowing what to look for.

Now, for an eyebrows rising... on the last Iberian Open (couple of weeks ago), where I shot a 750 60x with terrible windy conditions, I just used 2 ammo boxes and cleaned only after the match.
Why? Let's face it, with those conditions, the precision you'll gain with cleaning is not significant vs wind drift and POA precision. So better to take your time studying the conditions and establishing your shooting strategy. As, you see, I need fewer cleanings than some.

I will address my wind reading soon.
 
Goals:
1. Individual
a. Increase wind reading ability
b. Rise my comfort zone
c. Never give-up technique
2. Team
a. Lead the “melting” process
b. Start a continuous learning process
c. Periodic meetings
d. Practicing together

Then I work on the strategy to achieve those goals.

…………………..
2019 was full of ideas, dreams and deliverables. The “glue” that bonded all together was(is) simple. Sharing, honest sharing!

But 2019, also had a difficult decision taken. It was the South Africa 2019 WRABF Worlds, and we didn’t go for personal reasons. Life is as it is.

Our biggest Team asset is communication. Letting others understand your experience is a rich time spent, because every experience has at least one potential spark ignitor… we start talked to each other in a daily basis, whatever the subject, melting personalities, creating an attitude core that soon will deliver. I must say, the key goal behind my Team creation was the need to gain more tittles. That tittle hunger, if correctly manage, is a fierce power, that can drive you to a very high level. However, you have to have a perfect control over emotions and negative feedback, otherwise things will go wrong very quickly.

Let’s start from the beginning… I needed to be in the Team champs, because me and a bunch of others shooters didn’t have any change to form a Team among their clubs. In fact, only one club provided permanently a Team, a winning Team to be true. So, I approached some shooters with good potential to invite them to join. I knew that the tittle under my belt was an ace that will trigger reactions, but being a small Country, changing clubs is, to say the least, a heart hound… With the exact timing, we all three, belonging to different clubs, and willing to go win those tittles, we decided to change all affiliations to a new one, that happened to have invited me at the beginning.

I know, that was complex and hard to understand to some, but we know ourselves and to do some things, being a diplomatic helps a lot, thought.

That said, there we were (and are), ready to start on the club to grow Rimfire Benchrest, again based on pragmatic pillars:
• Team building
• Knowledge sharing
• Winning desire

The welcoming club is ST2, and the Team members are Luís Pereira, Ricardo Serápio and myself.

You couldn’t find more different personalities… but the “glue” is the same, desire to excel. Joining such a Team is more challenging than matching by personality, but remember, Benchrest shooting is just a solitary dialogue between the shooter and the card, nothing else. So, personalities didn’t interfere in the Team progression, rather on individual one. And for that, there is a Team to help.

For me, it was the beginning of rising awareness of Benchrest in my Country, bringing Lapua to Portugal. Never before it was available in a regular basis. As I said, part of my contract was linked to competitions results, brand Ambassador and sharing knowledge.

All this interesting and very personal rewarding panorama, studying, learning, questioning the status quo, teaching, sharing, knowing people, enlarging international network, brought me some strong issues in BR shooters relationship. TKH had already told, me, if I continue to win, I’ll made enemies fasters than friends. Even today, and with my competition background, I still don’t understand… if someone is doing better than me, I have to work harder and better, not bashing the other to win… That’s the progression and growth pathway. There’s no other. So, if you are going the same route, prepare yourself for this drawback.

Man, I remember looking everywhere to learn the wind, to understand its dance, and realized that what’s in the books applies, but differently to our shooting ranges. The main difference is a tricky one. Wind books let you know the wind way through the range, fundamental to be able to read it, no doubt, but they don’t develop much about how a bullet travels across the same range. See? Think about that.

The wind runs in corridors, that’s why you’ll need several flags. However, flags, could be the biggest trap. If too many, you are just bringing noise to your brain, if too complex only the noise will increase. Flags are used to give you key data, not info noise. I quickly recognized that I only need 3 types of data from each flag:

• Main wind direction (vane)
• Wind strength (tail)
• Fine wind direction (prop)

They are bulleted by importance and reading process. One after the other. This is a good process, because if you miss the order, you are going to fail, that’s a fact.

Another interesting aspect of flags, is that, they are liars… yep, they can only show the gone wind, the one through them, never the upcoming wind. Misery, because for the shot the upcoming is more relevant. Once I realized this, should confess took me some time, an upwind reading is mandatory. Be careful here, because wind swirls, and in a moment can came from the left, and sooner than later, will change direction.

I use 7 BRT flags. My tails are Icarex ~27gr/m2. Several colors in the box, using either depending of the background. Distribution is from muzzle to target, being the former ones the more important. Well, that’s by the book, but not always. It really depends which corridor is the dominant one. I put my flags before and after obstacles, knowing generally the trap is on the after flag. Look at those. Study them. Depending of the obstacle, and wind speed, sometimes the after flag shows a venturi effect, lying about real wind effect on bullet. Understand that the wind has patterns, organized, irregular, in waves… practice and learn to each pattern what flag shows the most and where you should aim.

Another urban myth… the faster my ammo, the better on wind. No! It’s the opposite.
Learn to shoot with right winds as well with left winds. Only train on windy days, not necessarily typhon days… but reserve calm days for tuning practice. Shooting outdoors during still conditions only shows you an easy waste of ammo.

All of these, and other shooting variables have been taken more seriously during 2019, already preparing 2020 Worlds. Didn’t knew what is about to arrive that changed our life…

Also, learned much better my gear. I disassembled fully my Lenzi rest, hand mirror polish everything, lube all surfaces and took my time to tune it. My rifles took the longest to learn, control and tune.

I approach my rifle in three blocks:
• Stock and all related hardware
• Action, bolt, bases, barrel and tuner
• Scope and rings

Each block has to be perfect, and the best you prepare them, the better they pay off.
More on that later…

2019 ended for my Team with 2 tittles in 3 for the individuals, and 2 in 3 for Teams!
2020 was well prepared.

Evil was about to land…



To be continued.
 
Last edited:
Hello Pedro,
It's really great to share in detail your story and your approach to rimfire.
I learned a lot reading you and I look forward to the sequel!
I'll ask you a few questions when you're done.
thank you very much
 
Fredix said:
Hello Pedro,
It's really great to share in detail your story and your approach to rimfire.
I learned a lot reading you and I look forward to the sequel!
I'll ask you a few questions when you're done.
thank you very much
Click to expand...

Thanks Fred, please be my guest
 
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