I know Middleton Tompkins and Creighton were friends. Seem to recall that Mid said he had fired BR matches on occasion (and won a few), not sure if Creighton did. Will try to remember to ask Mid in early February when I see him next.was Audette a competitive bench rest shooter ?
Most likely, Winchester Model 70. Service Rifle in his era was either the M-1 Garand, or the M-14.And "accuracy testing" with Rock River AR????
Berger Southwest Nationals long range match (not a benchrest event) in Phoenix starts on Thursday, Wednesday's event is 3x 600 yard matches (mid-range), which is not part of the long range aggregate. (NRA definition of "long range" competition is any match or series of matches which only occur at distances beyond 600 yards.) Will ask Mid about Creighton and BR shooting then.Will try to remember to ask Mid in early February when I see him next.
Believe one intent of the ladder test was to quantify the effect of case volume on bullet performance downrange. IIRC, the conclusion was given a case of uniform external dimensions to its kin, but weighed more, the result was the weight difference (in grains) was equal to about a 12% grain weight change in powder charge due to less internal volume. Note that brass in a lot may not have identical external dimensions, so differences in the extractor groove cut can be the cause of a weight change.Developing a ladder test doesn't sound like a benchrest thing to me, it sounds like it's more of a "finding a way to test your rifles" kind of a thing.
...old thread. But I thought I'd add something for the record.
What is now commonly called a Ladder Test or Audette Test was not "invented" by Creighton Audette. In one of his articles he writes that it was shared with him by a benchrest shooting friend in California and he referred to it as the "20 shot method". As used by Audette, it was shot at 300 yards with a scope off a front bag, but off his shoulder prone in early morning, windless conditions. Audette as a highpower competitor probably had someone in the pits marking shot numbers.
Other's over the years have used variations such as ILD (Randolph's Incremental Load Development Method) where a chrono at 100 or 200 yds was substituted for POI changes that were not as discernable at short range, or OCW where three shots at a given charge were used instead of one.
I think the beauty of the 20 shot method is the simplicity of a minimum number of shots that satisfied the high standards of one of the most critically thinking shooters of our generation.
FOR ALL YOU FOLKS THAT WANT THE AUDETTE STORY HERE YA GO.
CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW.
http://freepdfhosting.com/bd7fee7eed.pdf
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I WAS FORTUNATE TO HAVE KNOWN CREIGHTON AND ABLE TO TEST HIS THEORIES INDOORS WITH A RAIL GUN. BEFORE HE PASSED AWAY HE SENT ME THE REMAINING CASE CHECKERS HE HAD LEFT IN HIS INVENTORY AND SAID "I WAS THE ONLY BENCHREST SHOOTER THAT APPRECIATED HIS EFFORT INTO CASE SELECTION FOR ACCURACY!" I CAN TELL YOU THIS FOR SURE "IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!"
KEEP'EM SMALL,
SPEEDY GONZALEZ