Try a club match in the summer of 2023! Every summer, hundreds of “fun matches”, or local club matches, are held across the country. Club shoots are great because you don’t need to spend a fortune to have fun. We’ve seen many club shooters make mistakes with their equipment or pay little attention to details when reloading. Here are SIX TIPS to help you avoid making these mistakes and build more accurate ammunition for your club matches. Align the Front Rest and Rear BagMany shooters have their rear bag angled to the left or right in relation to the bore axis. This can happen if you rush through your set-up. Even if you carefully set up the gun, the rear bag may twist due to recoil and the way your hand contacts the bag. After each shot, check that your rear bag is properly aligned (this is important for bag-squeezers who can actually pull the bag from alignment as they squeeze). Forum member ArtB says: “To align both my front rest and the rear bag with the targets, I use an older golf club shaft.” I run it through the slot between my two ears and from my front stop to a line that crosses my speed screw. I stand behind the set-up to ensure that I can see a straight, pointing line at the target. I have also placed a piece on the golf shaft to indicate how far back the rear bag should go from the front rest stop.”2. Avoid Contact Interference
Three common types of mechanical interference or contact can seriously affect accuracy. If your stock has sling swivels on the front and/or the rear, make sure they do not contact the front or the rear bags at any time during the gun’s travel. A sling swivel digging into the front bag can cause a shot that is high or low. To avoid this, either reposition your rifle so that the swivels do not contact the bags, or remove the swivels prior to the match. Watch out for the rear grip area of the stock. Ensure that this does not rest on the bag when you fire, and that it cannot come back to touch the bag during recoil. This lip or edge on the bottom of the grip could cause problems if it contacts the rear bag. Third, be aware of the stud or arm that is on the front stock. This can limit forward stock travel. This can be so high on some rests that it actually touches the barrel. Recently, we met a shooter who complained about “vertical fliers” during his match. It turned out that his barrel was actually hitting the stop! You can lower the front rest or twist it to the left or the right with most front rests. Weigh Each Charge
It may seem obvious, but some people still use a powder measuring device. We know that many short-range BR shotgunners throw their charges without weighing. However, if you are going to pre-load your charges for a club competition there is no good reason not to weigh them. You might be surprised by how inconsistent your powder measurement is. One of our testers recently threw H4198 charges for his 30BR from a mechanical measuring device. Each charge was weighed twice on a Denver Instrument laboratory scale. Our tester found that the thrown charges could vary by as much as 0.7 grains. This is with a premium measuring device. Measure Your Loaded Ammo – After Bullet Seating
We recommend that, even if you have checked your brass and your bullets before assembling your ammunition, you weigh and measure your loaded rounds from the base of the case to the bullet ogive with a comparator. If you find that a round is “way off” or has a weight difference greater than.005? Set it aside for a fouler if the base to ogive is more than.005 off. If the weight is off more than 6 or 7, you may want disassemble the round to check the powder charge. We’ve found with premium, presorted bullets that we can keep 95% loaded rounds within a.002? range, measuring from the base (of the case) to the ogive. With some bullets you may not be able to keep everything within.002? but you should still check each loaded match round. Check Your Fasteners
You should double-check the tightness of your scope rings and iron sight mounts before a match. You should also check the tension of the bolts and screws that hold the action. Even with a low recoiling rimfire, action screws or scope ring can come loose while shooting.6. Make a checklist and pack the night before
Have you ever driven 50 miles to a match, only to discover that you have the wrong ammunition or forgot your bolt? Even the best of us can make mistakes. Make a list of everything you need to avoid making these mistakes (and reduce your stress at matches). The night before the match, organize your firearms, range kits, ammo boxes, and shooting accessories. Be prepared, just like a Boy Scout. Bring a jacket or hat with you if it’s going to be cold. Bring windflags (even if the rules don’t allow them). Bring extra batteries and a spare rifle with ammo. If you only have one gun, even a simple mechanical failure (such as a broken shooting pin) can ruin the whole weekend.
Similar Posts:Tags: Alignment, Groundhog Match, Rear Bag, Reloading, Shooting Tips, Varmint Silhouette
