In this issue:
Junior Int'l Rifle Postal
Re: Machine rest comparison
Re: Machine rest comparison
Re: Winchester 52
Re: Rumor on Olympic shooting demise
Re: Rumor on Olympic shooting demise
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I'm organizing a postal match for juniors, especially for beginners.
It's a team competition and I'm trying to find teams from all around the
world. I hope it will motivate them at the beginning of a new indoor
season. All the details can be found at
http://www.multimania.com/tirfrib/international/
Take care,
Pat
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Just a follow-up on the rests-
I purchased a rest from Marcus Rabb at the first trials at FT Benning. I have had several opportunities to test this rest, both indoors and outdoors to 50M. It cost a little over $300- exactly what local machine quoted me to copy it!
This rest is basically a copy of the Russian rest- a cylinder riding in V-blocks. It is similar to the Barazani rest, but without the large undercarriage and uses a one-piece, rather than a two-piece rod. The Russian rest uses brass bearings and Marcus' model uses teflon. I decided upon this rest after talking with Ken Johnson at the AMU. Ken showed me their rest (a Russian model) and suggested that Marcus rest would be as good or better.
After several months, I have to agree. I have been able to test several rifles and types and lots of ammmunition. Also, this rest has worked very well testing air rifles simply by turning the rifle upside-down and letting the barrel itself take the place of the cylinder.
The major issue using this rest (and I assume any other) is that the surface to which the rest is attached must be completely stable. I think the best choice for most of us is to fix the rest to the floor. I know that concrete benches are in use in some places, but my guess is that is not an option for most ranges. It is also essential that the target not move- something often overlooked when hanging targets from indoor carriers.
Also- and maybe I shouldnt give away the store, but I have found that ammo and torque does matter at 50 ft. I think the more we test our ammo, torque, rifle combinations under controlled conditions, we are going to discover that there is a measurable and scorable difference- even at 50 ft. Experimenting with torque settings on our teams rifles, I have found that group size can change significantly.
In addition, pellet selection in air rifles is critical. It is not the size, but matching the lot of pellets to the rifle. It is a mistake to think that the same brand, type, and size pellet will always produce the same results from lot to lot. Unless the shooter has serendipitously stumbled across the right combination, they may be losing many close points over the course of a match.
I apologize for the lack of apostrophes in my mail, but my keyboard is sick. Maybe I should have bought a new computer instead of a rifle rest!
Bill Kelley
Rifle Coach
US Naval Academy
[Editor - I'm quite surprised you can notice differences in torque at 50 feet. I haven't gotten diff ammo to test yet, but I would be surprised that I would see much diff between good brands at 50 feet, let alone trying to find the ideal torque for that rifle/ammo combo. I guess fortunately for me, my kids aren't that good to make the diff worth it in most cases.
Out of curiousity, do adjust both (or all 4) bolts to the same settings on each trial or change them independently?]
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A couple of comments:
Teflon pads tend to be very tough. I ran the structural engineering lab at Cornell University a number of years ago, and we used 1/8" thick ones to allow ease of movement of our test stands. We were testing full size concrete and steel panels up to several thousand tons of load. If you are really using Teflon, I seriously doubt the weight of a free rifle would actually deform the pads. I am surprised that you found any indication of contact, at all.
You noted that you intend to continue testing machine rests during the holidays. I would suggest that if you use the same lot of Eley and the same rifles for the second series of tests, that you will have a basis of comparison for any new modifications you make to the rests used in the first tests. Using a different lot of ammo will invalidate any comparison between the first and second series.
So long,
Lt. Stephen B. Flatt, USNR
U. S. Naval Reserve Shooting Team
[email protected]
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I have had three Winchester 52s, a B, and 2 C's. Currently I still have two. I have 52B heavy barrel with about 250 rounds through it and a 52C with un-counted number as I am the third competitive shooter to own it. My opinion is, that until the Anshutz 20xx, the only action that would compare was the BSA.
The problem with the stock 52s is the barrel band (excluding Es). The barrel is directly linked to the sling, (I can pull a 7 out the top to a 7 out the bottom depending on tension). So to make a competitive rifle you needed to buy a different stock among other things. It was like buying a car off the showroom floor to make a race car, you had to do a lot of work to shoot it well. Anshutz offered a "race car" out of the box. Its not that Anshutz shoots better, the shooter can shoot it better. It is that you get it all in one package. Winchester was not willing to offer what the customer wanted and lost out to Anshutz. They made a feeble attempt to gain back the market with the 52E, but it was too little too late.
Chuck Whipple
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Re: demise of Olympic shooting
A possible answer is on the ISSF web site where you can download a copy (24 pages) of the, Provisional Special Technical Rules for the 10m Air Pistol Rapid event and 10m Air Pistol Standard event.
So that's why we have 5 shot Air pistols.
Further try this, in Australia as of August 18 , gun shops can only stock 10 new target or other handguns on the premises, only one of each model, these are for demonstration only and must be registered to the shop owner and not for sale. If for any reason he wishes to dispose of one of these guns it must be destroyed or exported out of the country. If you wish to purchase, a gun has to be imported.
We were told by the politician responsible that legitimate target shooters would not be penalised but already they have tried to block the importation of a number of target air pistols/rifles, that were ordered before the legislation was implemented.
There is no doubt they will try, and it will be sooner than later.
Doug Probert
[email protected]
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Michael, I would like to know what you mean when you write in the last UIT
mailing list:
"It hasn't helped that the shooting community screwed themselves out
of quotas the last 2 Olympics"
I don't understand !!!
Thanks, Michel Dion
[Editor - From the ISSF President's report from the General Assembly that was discussed on p20 of the 2/2000 issue of the ISSF News: "Originally, the quota for shooting had been 430 individual shooters. In 1992, only 419 participated so the quota for Atlanta was reduced to 420. Only 410 participated and so now for Sydney the shooting quota was reduced to 410." That is why they have been so adamant about countires actually using their quotas or turning them back in if they won't use them. I understand now that 1 extra quota was recently awarded from the IOC so the total is now 411.]
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End of UIT Mailing List #1
Michael Ray - Systems Engineer
Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech. Rifle Coach
UIT Shooting Page - http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/1190/index.htm
