[wanderinwalker]

Well sir, I did what you told me too. Tonight I went to the 300 yard (600 yd reduced) practice and managed a 191-2X. Not hugely better than last time, but I had one fewer round in the 8 ring! (Only one landed there this time. I called it left 7; it was an 8.) The trusty Armalite just keeps getting better and better. I've almost managed to decide what I'm saving to buy next. ;) And I did decide that I will take the AR to the range's high-power clinic October 5. Should be fun.

FWIW, my dad bought the butt and handguard weights when he bought the rifle. I put them in after getting home and cleaning the rifle. The extra weight should help steady the beast, I hope...

[Steve Smith]

Sounds good. You keep working on it!

BTW, what did I tell you?

[wanderinwalker]

"Do it again, and do it better."

[Steve Smith]

Lol. That's the mantra.

BTW, are you losing points due to elevation or windage?

[Nando Aqui]

Wanderinwalker,

If I may ask, what model Armalite and what ammunition?

Thanks -

Alex

[wanderinwalker]

Nando AquÃ*,

Of course. It is the M-15 National Match model. Ammunition is my reloads. Here is the recipe. THIS IS SAFE IN MY GUN, USE AT OWN RISK!

69gr Sierra MatchKing
24gr Winchester 748 powder
WSR primer
LC 99 or 00 brass (Got a bunch from a police shoot. Literally a bucket full.)
OAL 2.25"

Or you could use Federal Gold Medal with the same bullet. Shots about the same.

Mr. Smith,

I'm losing points on elevation, mostly throwing them low (looking at my plot). The 8 left and low I called at the shot. I felt a twitch and knew it went wild. I think I'm exhaling just as the trigger breaks (relaxing). One of the more experienced shooters advised me that elevation errors are common with the post front sight too.

[Steve Smith]

No doubt a Match Rifle shooter told you that. I bet you're using a 6 o'clock hold, aren't you?

[wanderinwalker]

Yes, a Match Rifle shooter told me that. And yes, I use a six o'clock hold, with a sliver of white showing between top of blade and bull. I'm also thinking that sliver-of-white might be part of my problem.

[Jon Coppenbarger]

let me say a few things on why you might be losing a few points.

first off the BIG rule on a post is you better watch that front post and what I mean by that is that you as a shooter will have the tendency to let the front post drop by either not properly centering the rear apeture EVERY time or not making sure you are releasing the shot with the post in the exact same position EVERY time.
the last part sounds easy to fix but its when the mental games comes into it. you need to make every shot the same and NEVER acept thats close like the rifle seems just not right but the target seems ok so you shot it and then there's your 9.
how to fix this? if at any time you feel the rifle does not fit exactly right stop and start over or fix it.
a good way to do that is to build your position in steps and at anyone of those steps if it is not the same as the previous shot build up stop and start over or fix the last step and continue on. like sling is a little lose or you find your eye just seems a little furture back or foward, fix it.
alot of 9's are lost to knowing you are going to shoot it in the center but you are acepting that and if you and this is important acept a 10 shot you wil get 9's and if you acept a 9 shot you will get a 8 once in awile.
the thing I'am saying is this never acept a shot unless it is a X and you can live with the 10's.

I have a personal saying that holds true for me (I never saw a shot I did not like) and thats what cost me most every point I lose.

now after all of that non-sense lets cover a few of the basic's of your sight picture and what you may be doing on the hold.

ok I will bet money that with your hold you find a pattern like this.
most shots centered faily well, a few shots high and a few shots low. we will not count the one's left or right as that is caused by your position and you not checking the front sight post for being perfectly center on your target.
now after you take out the mistakes for sight picture caused by a bad position on that shot what you are most likely doing is having the target change on you and you are not realizing it when it happens.
if you have a fuzzy front sight the tendency is to hold more into the black and that causes your shot to go high and acounting for most all shots lost to elevation.
now when your target gets clearer or alot of times it gets a little darker you naturally want to have a little more black on your front sight and that always will send your shot out the bottom.

thats why on a hot day your scores will go down and on a nice cool calm day like this time of year your scores go higher because the conditions are more stable.

I also use 69's alot in reduced matches as it makes me watch the wind more, you might consider 77's or 75's at 300 if the wind is up more than 5 or 6 mph's as at 300 it will move you across the 10 ring and if you happen to drop it low or high that 10 ring is round andyou will lose a few points at 11,1,7 and 5 that you need not lose.

the low x count is most likely as result of the top part of this post and if you work and watch that part then the bottom part will be easier to manage and you x count should really jump up.

I'am sure steve can help you on this alot more and please keep up that good shooting as those are good master scores.

thanks for letting me rant jon

[Al Thompson]

What's the current thoughts on the correct hold? Six O'clock was OK for 2700 competition way back when. Is there a better solution?

[Jon Coppenbarger]

there are alot of hold's but the two most folks use are the center hold and the 6 o'clock hold.

I would say most folks use the 6 hold as its a great hold but I have known alot of people switch or are taught the center hold lately at least around here.
two examples of that are me and steve as we both switched over to center hold. not sure if steve uses center for every position or not but I do know he has done the switch at slow prone.
I went to center hold in rapid prone and slow prone for most of the year and have played with center hold for off hand and rapid sitting and have totally switched over to it as of the last month.

having the same sight picture is important to me but my eyes are not what alot of folks are as at 49 they are getting old and if they were younger I most likely would not of changed.

but having said that I do know alot of great shooters who have said the center of the target is always the center.

use what works for you but do not be afraid to try a few new things and sometimes you have to go back to go foward.

I also have zero's for several different holds for different days JUST incase it is needed.