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NRA light rifle - rimfire
- Thread starter GAgunLAWbooklet
- Start date
I had Fun at this match, but I'm disappointed that my wobble area was so large. When I managed to get tens and nines, it wasn't because I was holding the rifle that steady but, rather, I got good hits because my shot broke while the crosshairs happened to be swinging near the middle of the aiming black.
On all of these targets, within seconds before I fired the shot, my crosshairs were drifting around what was probably 4 inch diameter circle. Trigger Control is what let me break most of them over the eight or nine rings but when I didn't have trigger control in my shot fired while the crosshairs were around the outside edge of my wobble area that's where I got some 7's (in the white).
I'm confident that having a good crisp and light trigger on my rifle helped a lot. I've tried offhand shooting at small targets using standard factory plinker grade 22 rifles and it doesn't work so well. Because those other guns have triggers that weigh 4 to 6 pounds and have a lot of grit and movement/travel in them.
On all of these targets, within seconds before I fired the shot, my crosshairs were drifting around what was probably 4 inch diameter circle. Trigger Control is what let me break most of them over the eight or nine rings but when I didn't have trigger control in my shot fired while the crosshairs were around the outside edge of my wobble area that's where I got some 7's (in the white).
I'm confident that having a good crisp and light trigger on my rifle helped a lot. I've tried offhand shooting at small targets using standard factory plinker grade 22 rifles and it doesn't work so well. Because those other guns have triggers that weigh 4 to 6 pounds and have a lot of grit and movement/travel in them.
For reference, if you can shoot a 3/4" (penny sized?) group at 50 feet, you can do very well, maybe win the match.
If you can shoot a 1.5 inch group, about the size of a golf ball, you'll have a good score and you can be proud of your final result.
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If you can always hold a 3 inch group or better at 50 feet you might get a couple of sevens but you'll get a lot more 8's and 9's and it still won't be a bad score.
But if you are getting groups bigger than 4 inches at 50 feet, some of your shots will be zeros and that will really hurt your score.
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P.S. Holding "10 m.o.a." group size would be awesome from the unsupported standing position,
because that would correspond to about a 1.5 inch group at 50 feet.
If you can shoot a 1.5 inch group, about the size of a golf ball, you'll have a good score and you can be proud of your final result.
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If you can always hold a 3 inch group or better at 50 feet you might get a couple of sevens but you'll get a lot more 8's and 9's and it still won't be a bad score.
But if you are getting groups bigger than 4 inches at 50 feet, some of your shots will be zeros and that will really hurt your score.
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P.S. Holding "10 m.o.a." group size would be awesome from the unsupported standing position,
because that would correspond to about a 1.5 inch group at 50 feet.
About 1/3 of the shooters used rifles that had open sights-- usually fancy peep /target sights.
They needed to have a spotting scope or at least a pair of binoculars handy to check their shots especially if they landed in the black.
I thought my scope set to 4X would have been good enough to shoot accurately at 50 feet, but it was not enough magnification to see bullet holes in the black part of the target, so I cranked it up to about nine power and stay there at 9X for the rest of the match.
Of course I had to refocus the ocular lens of my scope for this short distance and that new magnification setting.
Previously I had adjusted the front adjustable objective lens to the factory setting of 15 yards, which seem to eliminate parallax error at 50 feet.
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I thought about using a fixed 6-power scope, but when I tested it at 50 feet a week ago I found the parallax error was huge and that scope did not have an adjustable objective / parallax correction.
They needed to have a spotting scope or at least a pair of binoculars handy to check their shots especially if they landed in the black.
I thought my scope set to 4X would have been good enough to shoot accurately at 50 feet, but it was not enough magnification to see bullet holes in the black part of the target, so I cranked it up to about nine power and stay there at 9X for the rest of the match.
Of course I had to refocus the ocular lens of my scope for this short distance and that new magnification setting.
Previously I had adjusted the front adjustable objective lens to the factory setting of 15 yards, which seem to eliminate parallax error at 50 feet.
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I thought about using a fixed 6-power scope, but when I tested it at 50 feet a week ago I found the parallax error was huge and that scope did not have an adjustable objective / parallax correction.
At 50 feet, you are at 1/6 of the distance of 100 yards...
...so if your scope adjustments are 1/4 minute of angle and it would normally take you four clicks to move your shot an inch at 100 yards,
it will now take you 24 clicks to move it an inch at 50 feet.
...so if your scope adjustments are 1/4 minute of angle and it would normally take you four clicks to move your shot an inch at 100 yards,
it will now take you 24 clicks to move it an inch at 50 feet.
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That's how you shoot standing. Nobody is holding center up. You have to time that wobble and try to keep said wobble consistent. Don't feel inadequate having to shoot with a wobble.
Couple pointer I can see from your stance. Get rid of that chicken wing with your right arm. Pull your left arm back towards you and try to get more of your elbow and or arm into your body for support.
Hard to tell, but the Pic makes it look like your trigger finger is really reaching. Try shooting thumbs up and get your hand closer to the trigger. Removing your thumb from the top of the stock will also reduce unwanted movement caused by your grip.
That "chicken wing" thing you speak of was the standard way to hold a rifle for about the last 300 years, and only in the last 20 has it fallen out of favor among the people that shoot rimfires and AR 15s with no recoil. They usually perch the toe of the stock up on their collarbone not deep in the shoulder pocket. So having your right arm angle downward helps you position the gun up high like that.
I like the right arm position as used by master champion David Tubb all through the 1980s, 1990s, and mid 2000s.
I like the right arm position as used by master champion David Tubb all through the 1980s, 1990s, and mid 2000s.
The greatest sniper of World War II,
and the greatest sniper of the Vietnam conflict, might have taken a different view towards the chicken wing.
and the greatest sniper of the Vietnam conflict, might have taken a different view towards the chicken wing.
- Joined
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- 15,498
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- Metro Atlanta - Buford to Buckhead
It's working extremely well for you. No need to change a thing.
The next NRA "light rifle" match
at Riverbend is this Saturday,
August 6th.
If nothing more important comes up I'll plan on shooting that match again.
I haven't done any offhand rifle practice not even dry firing over the last couple months, but what the heck-- it'll still be fun!
at Riverbend is this Saturday,
August 6th.
If nothing more important comes up I'll plan on shooting that match again.
I haven't done any offhand rifle practice not even dry firing over the last couple months, but what the heck-- it'll still be fun!
