Shiloh Rifle Forums

I use a 40 caliber wad punch to cut my Primer wads and drop them in my 45 caliber cases.

I use a 38 caliber wad punch for my 40-70s.

Kenny W.

Johnny V wrote: "A super low ED (and SD) is what allows Kenny and these other shooters to have that tight of a vertical spread at distance."

Johnny, I know you meant ES instead of ED, however, it was a good chuckle.

Surprised though that Kenny did not catch it. Or did he?

Oh and that SEMTAV wrote:

"One factor you are missing, DD is there are a lot of shooters out there, who for various reasons, just are not sub 2 moa shooters. Trying to get that last moa can be an effort in futility. Learning to interpolate your results can help a lot."

Might the problem be a high ED as Johnny V. suggested?

Oops!! Well it’s all funny until someone loses an eye…

Learning the ropes on BP is good fun. Smokeless knowledge “sort of” translates…I’m hopeful that I can catch up and maybe become a decent shot at some point in the near future.

desert deuce wrote: ↑Mon Dec 06, 2021 12:01 pm
The question I am asking is this, if you cease your load development at two minutes of angle are you engaged in lowered expectations.

Now Zack, don't spread these crazy ideas all over the internet. Someone might start paying attention

Chris.

As I see it, the problem with never ending load development is the two or three steps backward for every increasing small step forward that one suffers in the process. At some point the law of diminishing returns says, “Stop fiddling with it!”.

It sooner or later becomes time to put the effort in to shooter development where the grains seem to be more forward than backward and is truly a never ending process.

It’s hard at times to keep an eye on that goal with all the distractions that a match can bring. I find if I start preparing mentally before the match begins that my focus is more easily maintained. For me, the long drive to the match is a good time to start getting in the shooting frame of mind. There is a bit more to it than just point and shoot and thinking through different scenarios and how best to deal with them is good exercise. I think about things that have happened at past matches and what I did or didn’t do and what worked best.

Don’t get me wrong, I all about the journey including the load development and that’s where a new rifle comes in. Both my Creedmoor rifle and my silhouette rifle are already more accurate than I can utilize if my head is not fully in the game.

So when topics like this come up I read every post and weigh what is said against what I believe I know to be true. One of the things that continues to absolutely amaze me is how simple this black powder cartridge loading is and how accurate these rifles can be if a few basics are followed. There are an infinite number of variables and things people do to make it work for them, but I would rather keep the variables to a minimum and by doing so keep the chance of error down. That works for me to an extent, but nothing in this game seems to be an exact science.

If adding a wad under my powder will reduce ES, SD and even ED I’m willing to have a look and I would tolerate the additional step in my loading routine. The first test I did showed some promising results, but one group is a small sample size and more shooting needs to be done and at longer ranges. With 10” of fresh snow and a temperature of 0 degrees this morning that will have to wait.

Thank you to all who freely shared what has worked for them and keep the info coming.

We should all be grateful for DT sharing his philosophical approach to shooting and yes the mental aspect of shooting must be in tune with the moment to achieve success in competition. I still posit that 96% of successful shooting in competition is the shooters mental aspect and about 4% is execution. I am saying if the mind is right so will be the shooting and no I am not suggesting that the shooting will be perfect rather the best it could be at that moment in time. As in do not expect to shoot a 100 at 1,000 yards if during that relay it rains, sleets, snows and a blizzard wind blows. For Example: If your 62x0 is high score that relay you are good to go. Just because the previous relay did not have those conditions and high score was a 92x4 is a contingency for which there is no remedy. Of course the 92x4 won the match but you won your relay.

The old saying that: The sun does not shine on the same dog every day because both the sun and the dog will move tomorrow, applies.

Successful shooting in competition may be something like having the courage of your convictions in that you have done everything within your control to be as prepared for that moment when you take the first sighter shot as possible. Then as you recover from the recoil of that first shot you more or less go on auto pilot wherein match preparation, muscle memory, shot execution, follow through and economy of motion take over. The foregoing requires that you accept and work with the conditions.

And, most importantly, you will only know your own level of improvement when you compete against other shooters in competition. Because in a match there are no do overs. Only scores.


PS & BTW DT, 78F here yesterday and less than 6 mph winds SE-SW. (Bummer, had to do yard work.)

We didn't quite make 78 degrees yesterday, but there was some sun and wind!

DD, I had to do yard work also. Mine was covered with snow that needed to be removed, that is the driveway and walks. But it's fun walking back and forth behind my snow blower, or so I tell myself.

Paul

Paul,

I don't need to spend any time at the gym on a treadmill running nowhere, I put 3 hours in yesterday doing the same thing you did and I was outside in the fresh air showing the snow who's boss! It's part of life up here in northeast Wisconsin and I like it here. Shoveling snow off your roof is considered a winter sport around here and everybody joins in.

78 degrees, HA! What kind of winter is that?

I've been under the wx for the last week + so wife got to go do all the playing in our first 2" of snow for the year this morning.

My friend and hunting partner lives up in the UP Mich at Dollar Bay.
One day walking down town I noticed doors on the second floor with no stairs coming down so I asked if those doors are for fire escape and he said no. In the winter the snow gets so deep that in the old days they put planks on the snow and that is where the sidewalk was. He said that it's not unusual to get 300" plus snow fall up here by the lake.
After spending a night at deer camp it started to snow in the late afternoon and when we turned in for the night in a slide in camper in the pickup bed the next morning we pushed snow getting the door open.
I love those northern woods, except when the skeeters show up when it gets warm.

Looking out my front door (but not today).

When I lived in the mountains of Northwestern Colorado, I had a 6 foot blower on the three point of a tractor to keep the drive open. I would also blow a path from my shooting bench to the target because the snow was so deep that I couldn't see the target from my bench. As I recall, 450 inches that last winter I was there. If you live there, you have to have a method of dealing with the snow. Here In Southern Indiana, it doesn't get deep enough to slow down my pickup and doesn't last long enough to warrant a blower or even a plow. It's the ice storms that cause us the most issues.

Woody

December often starts out with a little snow!