I will preemptively address any hate mail by clarifying the point of my previous post, MOA Accuracy Out of the Box
Legions of gun owners, especially hunters, would greatly improve their shooting and hunting experience by abandoning all use of the bench and all efforts at load development. As the quoted article points out, the “holy grail” of field rifle accuracy (1 MOA) can now routinely be had over the counter and off the shelf. The battle has been won. Equipment is now good enough that it is no longer a factor, yet, hunters persist to shoot exclusively off the bench. They have finely tuned rifles and completely lack the ability to use that precision in the hunting environment they claim to be preparing for.
“Formal Benchrest shooter” doesn’t have to be a registered IBS or NBRSA competitor. I know shooters that aren’t formal BenchRest competitors that enjoy precision shooting and load development, using purpose-built rifle built exclusively for bench shooting. Varminters that take portable bench-like supports to prairie dog towns fit this category, too.
Raw precision is their goal and end game, with no intention of ever shooting that equipment in the field from position. There is no delusion that this work at the loading or shooting bench magically translates to more dead deer.
Colorado Pete
May 06, 2012 @ 20:03:14
You sound like you’ve read my Chapter 1….
Men just love gadgets. We love buying them and playing with them and one-upping our friends with them. We don’t like working hard to gain skill, and we don’t like having our existing skill put on display in front of others. (And that’s why so few shooters indulge in competitions.) We’d rather brag on and show off our latest gadgets. We see someone shoot extremely well and most of us want to know about his rifle and scope, not what technique he uses.
Amazing how sensitive a man’s self-image can be.
Everybody these days tends to think a 1 MOA rifle is too inaccurate, but give them a 1/2 MOA rifle and if they aren’t on a bench or bipod, too many rifle shooters can’t hit a 10″ paper plate at 300 (or even 200) from a field position, which is about a 3+ MOA target at 300 and about 5 MOA at 200. Give a true expert a 1.5 MOA rifle, and he can hit that paper plate from standing at 100, sitting at 200, and prone out to 400 (or further) with boring consistency. And the average guy watching will then walk up and ask, “What kind of rifle is that? What kind of scope is that? What cartridge is that?”. NOT “Where’d you learn to shoot like that?”
Most men have no clue anymore how to really shoot a rifle from an unsupported field position, unless they’ve been taught by the few authorities remaining that teach it well. Such authorities and their trained students are in the distinct minority these days. Appleseed is a good and inexpensive starting point.
As Bolivar said, “I have plowed the sea.”
LikeLike
John M. Buol Jr.
May 07, 2012 @ 17:33:25
+1
>> I have plowed the sea
Aye, but keep plowing.
LikeLike
bill price
May 07, 2012 @ 19:22:14
Pete, I can’t wait to read your book.
Stay well,
-bp
LikeLike
Colorado Pete
May 08, 2012 @ 22:29:10
Bill P, have you investigated here: http://artoftherifle.blogspot.com/
Lots of good stuff there.
LikeLike
John M. Buol Jr.
May 09, 2012 @ 10:32:27
+1 to http://artoftherifle.blogspot.com/
“Rifle Slinger”, as he likes to go by, has great stuff there!
LikeLike
Jewish Marksman
May 27, 2012 @ 18:09:11
Even in competitive position shooting, like High Power, this goes on more than it should. If you can’t out shoot your current load, there is little to be gained by load development versus shooting practice.
It typically takes several years for a serious competitive shooter to develop a 1MOA hold in any position, let alone sub-moa.
LikeLike
John M. Buol Jr.
May 28, 2012 @ 08:40:43
It’s interesting to note that members of the military service teams winning at Perry do NOT conduct any real load development work. In fact, all short line ammo is factory loaded and mass issued. Even at the long line everyone is using the same load. For example, the USAR team hand loads long line ammo in bulk and seats the projectile long so each shooter can finish seating the bullet based on the dimensions of their specific rifle’s chamber. Other successful shooters don’t even bother with this. Some even use that same factory loaded short line ammo across the course at the long line as well.
For those of you not familiar with High Power, “short line” is 200 and 300 yards and “long line” is 600 yards. The 600 yard MR target has a 12 inch ten ring and 18 inch nine ring.
I have not met or heard of any member of these same winning teams that ever uses a bench rest with their High Power rifles.
LikeLike
bill price
May 28, 2012 @ 10:47:26
You guys–this is the best information in the fewest words I’ve seen in a long time.
Lately, i’m shooting nothing but a (decent quality) air rifle, with .177 pellets, and honing my skills at 50 yards (which is a lot for a springer air rifle).
I still can’t outshoot my gun, but it is now time for a scope that holds its zero better (springer airguns are really hell on scopes–worse than any .308)
As I improve, I try for more difficult and demanding shooting, including aperture sights.
The good thing about a springer airgun is that it almost can NOT be shot from a bench, because of the double (aft and then forward) recoil which occurs BEFORE the pellet leaves the muzzle. An artillery (howitzer) hold is required. Very light contact with the gun; it must be allowed to move, and your technique must be extremely consistent. I do use shooting sticks, but still work on my offhand, standing on my hind legs, too.
The airgun lets me shoot two or three hundred rounds a day without putting a dent in the food budget, and lets me do it within a few steps of the back door.
Any of you readers near Fauquier County VA are welcome to get in touch and try some airguns with me.
-bp
LikeLike
Colorado Pete
May 29, 2012 @ 01:35:32
And the “MR” on the 600 target stands for “Medium Range”. Long range started at 700. Old rifle bullseye guys don’t fool around!
My match M1 was always twitchy with likes/dislikes, so I had to do load development off a bench with a globe front sight for best precision. Paid off for me (too bad I couldn’t shoot as well as my rifle!)
LikeLike