Shiloh Rifle Forums

Greetings to all! I am pleased to join this forum...My nickname is Pete, was a U.S.N. Submariner for 36 years, of which I spent 8 years on carriers, 21 years on submarines (Nuclear Fast Attacks) and Submarine Tenders, and 7 years of shore duty, including schooling. I promoted E-1 thru E-9 (MMCM) and
0-1 thru 0-6 and retired as a Navy Captain. (36yrs.). Had 2 Commands. I started shooting (we don't do much of that on the subs except firing torpedoes) in 2015. I started reloading at the same time. SASS interested me, did that for a couple of years, but hated the downtime between stages. Shooting for 180- 200 seconds in a 5 hour period of time was tough for me. Loved the camaraderie ! AKA Colonel John Henri (J. Wayne in the Undefeated) Love the 1800's rifles and single actions. Marlins, Pedersoli, Ruger, S&W, winchesters, etc. 2 years and 2 months ago I became interested in Long Range shooting and the Quigley...who wouldn't? ordered my Shiloh Long Range Express in May 2020. I received the rifle last Thursday. It has been to the range 3 times since then. With 1 bullseye at 100yds with semi buckhorn rear and globe front sight (smokeless for now...... ) had to file the aperture to do that. The rifle is gorgeous! I want to especially thank the Shiloh craftsman/woman who produced this functioning work of art. My heart goes out to Anna/Onna ??? for being so patient as I called relentlessly about the birth of my rifle! I am thrilled. So I am a newbie, or what we call a SEAPUP when it comes to this sport. I looked in the massive forum trying to see if I could spot an answer to my very basic question...which is...

Does the rifle barrel rest on the sticks at the null point of the barrel OR should it rest on the forearm when shooting long range. Both answers are continuously stated as Fact...What say you all? or does it depend on the forearm bedding?
Again, extremely pleased to be a part of this sport, hobby, and culture. Pleasure to meet you all !! Pete

Most folks rest the barrel on the sticks. That's what I do. I've never searched for a null point I just have about 4 " of barrel in front of the sticks. I do OK that way. The way I see it the barrel is steady on the sticks. If I wiggle .010" the muzzle wiggles maybe .001". If I rest at the forend and wiggle .010 the muzzle wiggles the same amount the other direction. Therefore the angle of movement is much greater resting on the forend and accuracy will not be as good. That's my opinion. Others my see things differently.

I was Navy E4 ET 1966-70 DestroyerTender AD26 USS Shenandoah. You did well going in E-1 and out O-6 but now you are starting over at the bottom with much to learn.

Pete welcome, answer to your question is there are people who shoot either way. My preference is with the muzzle 4-5" in front of the sticks to minimize the teeter totter effect.

Welcome to the forum.

Ditto to John Bly's analysis of how the positioning of the barrel works, although I position my barrel so the fore-end is against the sticks. I've been shooting these rifles in competition since 1998 and have had some success over the years.

Richard A. Wood, 1SG, U.S. Army, Retired

bobw wrote: ↑Wed Aug 24, 2022 9:01 pm Pete welcome, answer to your question is there are people who shoot either way. My preference is with the muzzle 4-5" in front of the sticks to minimize the teeter totter effect.

Welcome Pete, I do the same as bobw

Thanks for all the quick responses. I just turned 70 and look forward to another 30 year career shooting my Shiloh. It is as much fun as driving Submarines/Ships/ Carriers and making things go BOOM. VR/ Pete

Also this will help you do searches on the forum
https://cse.google.com/cse?cx=008826067 ... oagmmgcm6g

Another former 'Nuc' here (CVAN-65 & DLGN-36). As John stated above, E-1 to E-9 and 0-1 to 0-6 is quite unusual and quite the accomplishment. Welcome aboard.
If you have not done so, suggest you subscribe to Black Powder Cartridge News by Wolfe Publishing. Interesting and informative articles. If you get the most recent issue there is a good article by Rick Moritz (one of our perennial top shooters - and a fellow engineer) where he discusses the importance of finding the null point on your barrel and how it affects your results. The article is primarily about load testing.
What part of the world are you in? Perhaps we can point you towards the nearest matches.

Pete, I would suggest you try it both ways. I used to rest my barrel on the stix at about 6" back from the muzzle. I now place the stix in front of my fore end and have not had less success as a result. I wipe my barrel between shots, so controlling the stixs is easier for me if I can reach them, as opposed to being on the end of the barrel. It works for me, but that may be because I was Air Force.

Keep on hav'n fun!
MikeT

Thanks all. Just moved to Fernandina beach, Fl. in the past year. I lived in upstate N.Y. before that shooting SASS at Saratoga Springs. Hunted and Fished in N.Y. & Vermont. I still have a home in Texas in Sugar Land where I had worked for Noble drilling during its hay day (2006-2014 after retirement from the U.S. Navy.

SSShooter... Bainbridge , Maryland, (71-02) You?
As the head of of the Submarine Nuclear and Non Nuclear Mustangs (LDO/CWO) at Chief of Naval Personnel, Pers 42B, got to know a bunch of DLGN/CVN Nucs as I detailed them, but that was only Nuc Carriers due to our decomming all DLGN's early on. I ended up as Chief Engineer of the George Washington CVN-73 back in 1997-2000. (Mighty IKE CVN-69 as Aux. tech assist in 1982) Detailed personnel to CVAN-65 when she was in the shipyard. Knew a lot of Surface Nucs. My long time friend LCDR Bill McPherson was a Nuc DLGN sailor. Unfortunately he passed in 2013 from throat cancer. you might have known him, he had just turned 50 yrs. old leaving wife and 2 children.

Well, all of your inputs have been helpful and reinforce reading, safe experimentation, and practical application. Read one, see one, do one. Will give all a try and see what works for me. Thanks.

There are always many people to thank that have contributed to our personal success!
Pete

I rode the last of the DLGN's re designated CGN-25. The USS Bainbridge. Now just a memory.

JeffFaldo wrote: ↑Mon Aug 29, 2022 9:51 am I rode the last of the DLGN's re designated CGN-25. The USS Bainbridge. Now just a memory.

Actually, you missed it by a few. I was on the design/construction crew and am a "plank owner" of DLGN-36, USS California (built in Newport News shipyard - I attended design school at GE KAPL in early '72 and then on to the shipyard for construction, start-up, physics testing & sea-trials), followed rapidly by the DLGN-37, USS South Carolina, DLGN-38, USS Virginia and DLGN-39, USS Texas. All were built in the Newport News shipyard in the '70's and, eventually, like the Bainbridge, reclassified as CGNs. All were decommissioned in the '90's as the Navy deemed them too expensive to operate (not enough Nuc trained personnel). A seemingly common fate for Navy ships these days. Some last less than 10yr.

Capt. Petry wrote: ↑Mon Aug 29, 2022 8:17 amSSShooter... Bainbridge , Maryland, (71-02) You?
My long time friend LCDR Bill McPherson was a Nuc DLGN sailor.
There are always many people to thank that have contributed to our personal success!
Pete

Also Bainbridge, 69-01. Not much left of NTC Bainbridge these days. A few empty buildings and a bunch of foundations.
Was McPherson a red-head? Seem to remember our MPA, who become the Engineer, was McPherson, if memory serves.
Gordon Clefton, a name you may know (subs) shoots with us. He was academy, mid-60's and worked for the AEC (forgotten the subsequent name) for many years before retiring.

They shoot BPCR on a 'short range' (300yd) around Orlando somewhere. The nearest full-distance (500m) range will be River Bend in Dawsonville, GA or another in MS (forgotten the name). Tom Klinger, who posts here, is a good person to contact about BPCR shooting in the FL area. He is also a gunsmith if you need any help in that department.

The SE Regional is mid-Oct at River Bend. See the announcement for same in the 1st forum on this board. You should join us for all the fun and meet many, if not most of the BP shooters in FL & GA as well as several from as far away as TX, VA & PA. Its a great match.

Must be getting old. I don't recall any of the others still operating when I was on Bainbridge in the 80's. Were they actually operational or were they mothballed? OK I went and did some research and stand corrected. I sure didn't recall it that way but sometimes decades make a person forget.

Capt. Petry,
Welcome aboard! Here in Fl. We have a reduced silhouette match on the first Sunday of every month. It’s 300 yds. with reduced turkeys and rams. We have a small but loyal following. We’ve been at it since the late 80’s. Come join us sometime.
Central Florida Rifle and Pistol club.
Ben Bateman is match director,
Send me a p. m. for further info.
Tom Klinger