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In this issue:

Re: Hammerli AR50 tube problem
Re: Hammerli AR50 tube problem
Re: Hammerli AR50 tube problem
Re: Hammerli AR50 tube problem
Re: Hammerli AR50 tube problem
Re: Hammerli AR50 tube problem
Re: Hammerli AR50 tube problem
Re: NPA and breath control
Re: NPA and breath control
Stuff for Sale List Input
Positioning buttplate - look vs feel?
Re: Positioning buttplate - look vs feel?
Re: Positioning buttplate - look vs feel?
Re: scopes vs irons
Re: scopes vs irons
Any sights?
Mental efforts during the shooting technique

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Hi Øyvind,
Thanks for your response to my AR50 question on Michael Ray's
mailing list. Like you said, the finest air rifle made.
The picture below shows the plastic tube I was referring to in the
box. This tube holds the front sight and is attached to the actual
barrel. On my AR50, it's definitely plastic.
This tube has considerable movement, and it's getting worse. I
tested it with a Noptel, and by now I can move the point of impact
from one end of the black circle of the target to the other end just
by gently pushing on the end of the tube. (with the rifle itself fixed,
that is.) This is not what I expect from my finest rifle made... [:-(]
The arrow points to what seems to be a small screw hole. I think I
see some thread, but no screw is present in my rifle. On the
bottom, it's just steel, looking like barrel to me. Perhaps this is the
source of the problem…

If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them.
Thanks a lot,
Best regards,
Jeroen Hogema
The Netherlands

[Editor - the pic was posted to the online version. See the photo section.]

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I have a new Hammerli AR-50 which is configured as yours is, the front
sight extension tube is comprised of some sort of composite material,
probably the same material as the pistol grip, cheekpiece and forend riser
block. The hole you mention should in fact contain a socket head allen
screw which is designed to tighten into a drilled blind hold in the bottom
surface of the rifle barrel near the muzzle. It takes a 2mm allen wrench.
If you cannot find the screw, try to twist and pull on the sight extension
tube a bit to see if it will move. It will probably come off in your hand.
A replacement screw should be easy to find and install to solve that part
of the problem.
It is true that it is possible to deflect the front sight by bringing
pressure against the end of the sight extension tube but this kind of force
is absent during the normally intended use of the sight extension tube
which is but to bear the weight of the front sight tunnel and insert.
During those conditions, I am certain that the flexibility of the sight
extension tube is of no consequence.
I do intend to machine a new front sight extension tube for my rifle, but
for a different reason, I want to extend the sight radius to the legal
limit. I will likely make the tube of metal when I do.
I certainly hope this helps you with your question.
Sincerely,
Ed Knutson

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> The hole you mention should in fact contain a socket
> head allen screw which is designed to tighten into a drilled blind
> hold in the bottom surface of the rifle barrel near the muzzle. It
> takes a 2mm allen wrench.

To my embaressment, the screw was right there. I completely
missed it when looking into the hole.
The good news: the screw was loose. After tightening it, the tube
felt rigidly attached to the barrel.
The bad news: a just-to-make-sure test with the Noptel showed
that the up-down play was eliminated, but left-right still had too
much movement possible: several rings on the target, with merely
gentle bending of the tube.
Apparently, there is too much room for movement between the tube
and the barrel, and the screw (coming from below) only blocks the
up-down movement. Perhaps it's possible to fill the gap that exists
between barrel and tube (with what...?).
A MEC-Tube is not a solution, as that's not available for the
Hammerli.
Once again, I'd appreciate further advice... As I have it now, the
tube is fixed pretty much OK, but I don't like having to worry that an
occasional bump against a low ceiling at a range will cost me
points.
Jeroen Hogema - The Netherlands

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2mm sounds way too fine a screw to secure something that size and remain
structurally solid, and even then its only in one direction it needs 2 screws
at 120 degree spacing really
OK .. If it was my tube I would simply take a hacksaw and cut a slot running
underneath the tube, and possibly cut a radial slot in the tube near where
the end of the barrel meets it. A couple of 'jubilee' clips ( I believe they
call them 'hose' clips in some parts ) to clamp the tube firmly to the
barrel, perhaps replacing them with something a little more 'professional'
when time allows. ( eg get a gunsmith to weld some lugs across to gap to put
tightening screws in )
of course if you are sure you are happy with the tube and don;t want to take
it off again for transportation etc you could use one of the Loctite
engineering adhesives ( they glue barrels into actions with them so they
should hold ...:) I'd suggest type 641 or 638 ... maybe even a decent epoxy
resin.
-- 
Robin Szemeti

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Re: AR-50
Back to issue,the front part that is marked is definitely(bloop tube) metal. The little hex screw highlighted could have a small plastic band attached to it to keep it better in place.The hex screw should be pointed and should also be an exact match for the hole in the barrel.By tightening the screw the tube should be in place ,always.I never get a change of impact when I take mine off.I also swap between the 450 one and the AR-50 one.Weight and size differance, but fitting better than a glove!!

You are barking up the wrong tree!Shoot tens and forget about everything with the equipment.It shoots straight all day and given the chance it will do so for You too.
On occasion I bump(quite hard, I've noticed) my rifles against whatever is in the "way" when things aren't up to standard.Must be for punishment, I guess!?
Then I remember what I'm doing and keep on doing what I think is fun,shooting.(The rifles still hit the bull.)
Ø

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> 2mm sounds way too fine a screw to secure something that size and
> remain structurally solid, ....

(The screw is a bit larger that that: 4x5 mm; the 2 mm refers to the
allen wrench you need to tighten it).
Suppose (just suppose...) I am considering to get a replacement
for the composite tube. This offers the possibility to extend the
system length to the allowed max. of 85 cm. What are the pro's of
extending the sight radius?
If you use the same front sight and move it foward along the barrel,
you'll decrease the amount of white between sight and target.
Suppose you compensate this by using a slightly wider front sight.
Is there a difference then compared to the original configuration?
Talking about the con's of extending to 85 cm: if I do that, I'll need
a larger rifle case. And when I get that, I'll need a larger car to
transport the case in. So it should better be worth it ... [:-)]

Jeroen Hogema

[Editor - Increasing sight radius increases the sensitivity of the sight adjustments so one click will
move the POI less than it did. It may help increase depth of field but I
doubt you would notice that much in air rifle.

If you use a larger aperature to get the same amount of
white you had before, I doubt it would look any different. It may be
noticeable if using a junior model rifle and then going to the max 850mm,
especially with older eyes.

If you weren't kidding and really had to get a new car to fit a longer
case, I wouldn't do it. However, I would take the action out of the stock
as Oyvind suggests below and just get a wider case so you are just out a new case
if both pieces could not fit in your current case.]

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Hi there Dutchman!
When I travel with airrifle I split the action part from the stock part.This insures the workability for the rifle in case of mishaps during airtravel.Waiting on a plane in Paris back in1990 I saw a guncase dropped from a plane.It crashed and broke the neck of the pistolgrip.Several other airrifles have been destroyed due to bad handling by loadmasters.I have gotten a smaller guncase(for shotgun I think) and always split the rifle for travel.The size of it makes it go inside the Sauer shooting kit bag.Neat and easy!With two rifles in the case the safety for the stocks are better.My guncases have a hard time during travel.It looks like they are thrown around everywhere.
Regarding the 850mm action rule, go for it, it helps You if You think so.Make sure that the opening around the black is clear.Right now I'm using 4,6, but I make changes over time.From 3,6 up to 5+.
Ø

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I find this whole breathing thing fascinating. I was taught years ago
to hold just the smallest amount of breath in my lungs so that I
wouldn't have the urge to breathe in or breathe out for the next 15-20
seconds until I could get the shot off. This method has worked very
well for me. Of course, I am not at national level or higher mostly
because of a lack of practice time and money. I am sure higher level
shooters use different techniques, which I am ALWAYS willing to learn
and try out to see how they might suit me.
Someone let me know if my approach to this is OK, or is it hindering my
shooting more than helping it?

Vince

[Editor - IMHO you shouldn't hold any breath but I know there are those who will disagree with that. If it works for you, it may be better to not change it.]

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Vince,
Generally, the breath balance time is determined by the physical and mental elements. The time is around 2 seconds total. Any longer you violate the biosystems and this causes bad chemical things to happen like the build up of lactic acid. Of course the brain is the first to feel the negative effects of lactic acid. The counter to this is oxygen intake.
Chet Skinner, Coach

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Shooters, Parents, Camp Followers All!
Most of you will recognize the timing of this e-mail as my periodic
solicitation of input to the February '02 Stuff for Sale list. If you have
anything for sale (not already listed), please send me all the usual
information. [Operative word in that last sentence is "all."] If you have
something on the list and need to change the parameters (read "lower the
price"), contact me. If an item has sold, please so advise. Please let me
have your input, by, say, February 16th.
Negative replies aren't necessary. Really.
Thanks to all,
John Crossman
jcrossman@thurston.com

[Editor - sorry for the late notice. I'm sure John will at least add anything you send to him to his website.]

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When placing the rifle to my shoulder, I go by feel (without looking),
to make sure it is in the correct position rather than looking down at
my shoulder to set up. Are there benefits/drawbacks to either method or
should I stick with "feeling" the correct position? When I first began
shooting I used to look every time, but now that I have done it over and
over and over... it seems I shouldn't HAVE to look, right? Any thoughts
would be appreciated! =)
Vince Joaquin

[Editor - For smallbore I go by feel because I'm confident I can get the hook into
the same place each time. In air rifle I have always looked where I'm
placing the butt because it can vary up to a 2 cm range and still feel the
same in the shoulder though I will notice it in the cheekpiece / head
position. Even looking it into the shoulder, it sometimes slips out as I
move into position if I'm not careful and then I start again. I would guess
I would do the same thing with one of the new-fangled metal buttplates
common on air rifles today. I see no benefit to not looking; it's part of
my routine so I won't be changing it unless they allow hooks on air rifles
someday.]

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As any experienced shooter can tell you place the butt hook using your thumb. This way you do not have to look but feel the location and placement. Using your right hand place the butt into the shoulder location you want and then check to see if the cheek bone is placed correctly by using the thumb again. The cheek bone is placed one thumb width from the front of the check piece. You can check this by checking the distance from the rear sight to the eye (6 inches or less.)
Chet Skinner, Coach

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Vince, I did the same thing when I stared, I looked at how I was placing my
gun on my sholder. Now I do not, but I dont see any real diffrence. Now I
make sure I'm doing the EXACT same thing over and over again. I make sure
that it feels the same. In my standing I cant the gun, and to do that the
buttplate is canted in my sholder. once I got that straightened out I focus
more on NOPA. I managed to calm myself down and check my NOPA every shot,
and did very well at a match this week. My feeling is that if anything feels
diffrent in your sholder PUT THE GUN DOWN!!! Start all over again, and shoot
a good shot.
Well thats what I do, but I am looking forward to what others say about
this.
-Ross Miller

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> Why wait for the scope when the same movement can be detected at the start
> by monitoring the front sight for movement right from the start...? If
> you wait for the scope then you are going to attempt stabilizing through
> muscle flex with excessive tension. This is a major error in technique.
> Every human has the ability at birth to stop this movement by mental
> technique. It is very simple to accomplish. Watch the front sight for
> movement and when it swings past the bull three times it will stop its
> movement for 3/4 of a second and them regain movement again. Because this
> swing is stopped by mental control, the whole body and the internal
> functioning comes to a stop for that 3/4 of a second. For those using the
> mental checklist, the trigger pull will occur in-between heart beats while
> the lungs are also balanced. This is really easy to accomplish.

[note: when referring to 'scope I mean telescopic sight mounted on the rifle,
not a spotting scope ]
yes ... but ... the use of the 'scope is to make the error *obvious* to the
shooter. Once you can see the errors its easier to correct them ... I am
*not* saying that you use muscle tension to try and keep the 'scope still ..
simply that by observing the target through the scope you can see what it
does and learn to pull the trigger at the right time .. or try slightly
different positions and see if they improve stability. Maybe your eyesight
is good enough to see the subtle movements of the foresight that make the
difference from a 9 to a 10 .. mine isn't.
For what its worth ... a freind of mine has a Leupold 36x that he bought off
a guy who used to practice this technique with it for 50m standing!!

Robin Szemeti

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See below (///) and hi Robin

----- Original Message -----
[note: when referring to 'scope I mean telescopic sight mounted on the rifle,
not a spotting scope ]
yes ... but ... the use of the 'scope is to make the error *obvious* to the
shooter. Once you can see the errors its easier to correct them ... I am
*not* saying that you use muscle tension to try and keep the 'scope still ..
simply that by observing the target through the scope you can see what it
does and learn to pull the trigger at the right time .

///When a shooter makes a conscious effort, the decision to pull the trigger is a random result. In the mental mode the trigger is pulled automatically without the shooter relizing it was fired and this is good technique.///

Or try slightly different positions and see if they improve stability. Maybe your eyesight is good enough to see the subtle movements of the foresight that make the difference from a 9 to a 10 .. mine isn't.

///The eye sight has little to do with it. However, you can see the barrel in movement and you can feel its movement.///
Chet Skinner, Coach

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this is more of a curiosity question than anything else. The US
National Championships for Smallbore are conducted as a 6400-point
aggregate match with the first 3200 shot with iron sights, and the
second 3200 shot with any sights. I realize that most people fire
the second half with a scope, but could it be fired with iron sights
as opposed to a scope?
Jim Bongiovanni

[Editor - yes, any sight means you can use any sighting system you'd like.]

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A response to Professor Gerschier, a Psychologist involved with the German National team:
The quality of the idea of a movement influences
the execution of the movement. So if a shooter concentrates on the idea (Perfect bull's-eye goal and mental check list) of a technically clean performance (one-shot-match) in delivering a shot (perfect bull's-eye), the shooter is certain to execute it in accordance with their idea of the shot (one-shot-match), even if they do not entirely fulfill the other supplementary elements. On the other hand the mere idea of an un-concentrated (conscious) movement can and will be the cause of just such a conscious random movement even by an experienced shooting athlete.
For instance, the shooting athlete consciously thinks about a twitch in the forefinger or a trembling of his wrist, while aiming or firing, this fault (if unconsciously transferred to the unconscious via a pictorial representation) will occur immediately. An un-concentrated (consciously) or sloppy idea of the movement will also cause the arm to waver across the line or out of the bull when raised to the sights or move beyond the aiming area, careless aiming or carelessness will result in badly snatched, firing. A positive way of thinking free from doubts and fears is therefore absolutely essential for mental training.
The negative conscious resolution or idea, 'I must not snatch the shot', must be
replaced by a position one, 'I must fire cleanly' (the perfect one -shot-match), so the shooting athlete will not be reminded of the snatching in any way and therefore setting up a very negative conscious condition of fear or self doubt during the shooting sequences.
In order to prepare yourself for competition and the competitive atmosphere,
it is advisable to shoot the competition course right through in your mind,
with all the conceivable eventualities, without exceptions or idea of counting the scores and results to be achieved (calling the shots).
While I found this out through competitive experiences, I was very
pleased that it is also verified with other sources. Of course this information was developed around 1830 with words inserted to make it apply to shooting sport. The first person to write such was Charles Baudouin, MD, who confirms and attempted to show how, by a simple process of education, a latent power may be made kinetic. It is this transformation, above all, that is important.
The idea of an idea gives birth to this idea.
THEREFORE:
The idea of a movement or non-movement gives birth to this movement or non-movement.
AND:
The idea of a movement or non-movement, or let us say the image or pictorial representation of a movement or non-movement, can be clearly distinguished from the movement or non-movement itself.
NOTE: The term 'idea' will be used here in the widest sense of 'representative sensations', and will denote the 'image' or 'pictorial representation' as well as the concept.

Good shooting
Chet Skinner, Coach
Entity International

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End of UIT Mailing List #17

Michael Ray - DBA & Systems Engineer
Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech. Rifle Coach
UIT Shooting Page - http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/1190/index.htm