Shooting Situations

S

smoke

Guest
These threads seem to deal almost exclusively with "hardware" issues, guns,tuners, ammo, scopes, bedding etc. etc. It seems to me that there could possibly be some interest in addressing issues that come up during the course of shooting of a target during a match. For starters, let's say you are halfway through your target - everything has been ok so far, solid 10s and Xs, then with no perceived change in conditions, you fire and get a scrath 9 low. The question is "what do you do now"? There are, of course, many possible answers since we have all had this happen at one time or another but it might be interesting to hear some of your ideas. More situations later.
 
Instantly check the flags for a let off. Then, straight to a sighter for several shots to make sure all is well with the equipment and that the condition is gone. Then back to a record target and if it does the same thing, cuss and cry.
 
Ha!

I have found denial to be the best policy. I tried crying but it makes my eyes puffy and my wife won't let me cuss, besides, my flags lie and since I built the guns myself they can't possibly be to blame and considering what ammo costs it can't be the problem. Nope, never happened!

Dennis
 
Smoke, you want to know what you should do, or what I do? I usually figure I just missed something and shoot another low 9 on the next bull. Truth is, I did miss something, just don't know what. If I'm smart enough to go to a sighter, may shoot a couple or three shots in the same hole. Then whatever is going on changes back and original point of impact returns. Go back to record and everything is fine until the next miss.:(

Ken
 
Smoke:

Been there and done that.. Usually I'm going along with 10's and X's and shoot a 9, or even a 8. First thought is "where the ---- did that come from.. Then I go out to the side and put three in the same hole right at the point of aim.. Everything is cool. Slide back to the next bull and shoot another 9.:eek:
Flags were all the same. Only thing I can blame it on is the ammo. We cannot control the ammo like the centerfire shooters do,. We are at the mercy of what is in the box.. I have had flyers with every brand of ammo, Eley Ultimate, Eley Black Box, Lapua Midas and Master..

Answer..... Shake your head and say "incredible".. That is because my mother always taught me to say "incredible" instead of "bull----" :D

Dave
 
Yes

Ammo will cause this but all too often shooters are not seeing a very slight change in the condition. Having your arm just brush your rear bag as you squeese one off will do this and many more tiny things that we do without thinking at the bench. Just be awhere what your doing and what's going on around you on the bench.
 
Fiddler is right. Unless there is something mechanically wrong with the gun or scope it ain't the gun. Some lots of ammo have been known to have a flier on occasion. That said, usually it ain't the ammo either. Kinda leaves the nut behind the trigger. Have seen guys shoot several great scores. Have one bad day, time to rebarrel. Seen it several times, guy pisses and moans sells rifle, gets hammered by said rifle. Musta been a tighter nut behind the trigger after the sale. Guess it pays to watch the flags.

Ken
 
Here's one that is real simple and holds true most of the time. If the shooter on either side of you is shooting right along and right after a shot begins using colorfull terms about somebody's parentage, something about his dog, etc., often real low under his breath be VERY CAREFUL about where you put your next shot. I'd suggest the sighter and no, I'm not kidding about this.
 
Or when the flags SAY it's dead calm, but gun/ammo whatever just shoots AROUND the 10 ring? Seen this several times and since there is no condition to read, it seems as if you just have to suffer through it.

On a 1 pointer, 99% of the time a flag has changed and I did not catch it. On a 2 pointer I seriously screwed up.
 
TangoTwo said:
Fiddler is right. Unless there is something mechanically wrong with the gun or scope it ain't the gun. Some lots of ammo have been known to have a flier on occasion. That said, usually it ain't the ammo either. Kinda leaves the nut behind the trigger. Have seen guys shoot several great scores. Have one bad day, time to rebarrel. Seen it several times, guy pisses and moans sells rifle, gets hammered by said rifle. Musta been a tighter nut behind the trigger after the sale. Guess it pays to watch the flags.

Ken
Click to expand...

Yeah, but what if the flags lie, like mine do?:D
 
Mooseyard,

I got this tip from Cliff Keese, he told me he took his flags to the local sherriff and put then on the lie detector. Got rid of the ones that couldn't pass the test. Just don't spread it around, I wouldn't want everybdy to do this. It's better if the competion's flags lie occassionally.;)

Ken
 
It's the dropped point, followed by 3 clean sighters, and then another dropped point in the same position as the first, with nothing apparent in the flags, that lets me build the most character. I always assume it is something in the rifle's position in the bags. I usually change rows and run a sighter or two. When stuff gets weird, I often change rows. Sometimes it helps.
 
Random thoughts...

I too have had shots go elswhere, and no idea why. I am new to this game this year and chalk it up to operator error. But reading these posts makes me think about what else may be going on. Last shoot in New Hampshire had some flat spots of no wind, and bullets going strange places for me and some of the other shooters. It made me think of how Tim Wakefield throws his pitches with no spin on the ball and the ball just dancing around unpredictably and I wonder if zero air movement could do the same thing to our little small and light bullets ? I also wonder if sometimes the air is moving up or down and not showing on the flags as they are not designed to pick that up. Somebody with the time and equipment might set up some smoke pots along the flag line and do some shooting and see something interesting. Or maybe set up a couple of big fans, like they use to dry out a wet house, opposite each other and blowing towards each other at right angles to the shooting path. The air would meet and some would deflect upwards. Could be some of that happens on what seems like zero condition times. I still need to remember to exhale, hold the sight on target and release the shot without moving the rifle. When I can do that on a regular basis, I can work on where to hold the dot based on what my flags tell me. Then I can more seriously ponder why I am not shooting perfect scopes.
 
I know a guy who occasionally puts out a commercial bubble machine....the bubbles do some funny things that the flags don't show.
 
I'm noticing that only the young dogs of the top shooters are contributing to this thread. Hmmm........
 
I have only been into RFBR for a year, but it seems as if there is alot that needs to be said that isn't.

The last match I shot, the first 2 cards went very well. Then on the the third card the rifle would give 2-3 X's and then a '6' at 12 oclock. When this happened the first time I thought it was just a bad bullet so I went to the sighter and nailed 2 more X's. Then back on record got another '6'. Back to the sighter and an X, then the next record was a '6'. I hung it up and did not finish the target since I had dropped 12 points in 13 bulls. All the '6's were at 12 oclock. Turns out that it was leading at the throat.
 
B. Harvey

Isn't it funny how that "leading at the throat" knew when you were shooting scoring shots verse when you were shooting sighters!

Don't worry, my leading rings are at least as smart as yours!;)
 
I have had the opportunity many a time this year, Smoke, to shoot next to you. Too often my scores reflect the lack of patients and ability to read subtle changes in the wind. You are often the last one on the line, patiently waiting to clean that 25th record target. I just make a few mental notes as I go along, gleaning wisdom from the "schooling" I usually get. I built a new set of flags this year, and as a result, I`ve shot my personal best. A good amount of trigger time is the best answer I have. You know if you have confidence in your equipment and its repeatability. All that is left to account for is a dirty bore or a bad round!
Jeff
 
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