How do you slow your benchrest rate of fire down?

Ignition Override said:

Only a guy/gal craving the need to put a video on YouTube needs to fill an AK mag with ammo-unless you are hunting feral pigs in the US or joined the Peshmerga to hunt feral swine overseas.

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Pretty anti-American sentiment in this.

I’ll load my mags how I choose. Thanks.

I'm a pretty laid back guy so I don't really have to concentrate on not rushing. But a couple of suggestions. Get some 4/0 steel wool and wipe your case necks down like you mentioned. There are a few types of polishing cloths that work well also. Another idea is to get some wind flags, learn how to set them up, and use/watch them. This will shrink your groups too!

When I'm shooting for group, or score, I take advantage of conditions. Sometimes shooting faster than is good for my barrel life. But if I'm just at the range playing around I just naturally slow down. Heck, nowadays you could play on your phone to kill time!

Load and shoot a blackpowder revolver between strings. That should slow you down.

Shoot 3 over 3-5 minutes. Open bolt. Sit back with spotting scope or binoculars and study group and consider effects of posture and aiming. Sit back and relax. Maybe run patch through barrel. 5 minutes min killed between shooting. 18 rounds per hour. Minimized barrel heating. More relaxed posture. Minimize involuntary mental errors from perceived time restraints. Efficient ammo use.

Park as far away from the range as you can. Only take one round with you to the shooting position. Shoot that one, then walk back and get another round. Repeat.

1KPerDay said:

Only bring 20 rounds

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Per Caliber

Get off the bench - shoot from field positions - and care about hitting.

Snappin'-in for 50 rounds?

...is a pretty good day of shooting.




GR

Bring a book, read a chapter between shots?

Either a deliberate routine you don't break or a stopwatch.

I shoot a great deal off the bench....being kinda broken shooting off hand is pretty hard on me and prone....well it hurts to tilt my head that far back....so bench it is.

A couple of questions....you say you reload...I do as well, and keep pretty detailed records of each "batch" or recipe that I work up.

Do you have a data book, and do you chrono your loads.

I find that keeping these records really slow me down a bit...plus it is real nice going back and looking at trends.

I was not about to spend the $$$ on a "shooting data log book" or whatever it is called, so I just got a tracker keeper....like from high school, with some internal folders, zippers, 3 ring....all kinds of stuff to hold pages and even your wind and my tablet.

I am trying to convert and move to the tablet....it is hard being paper so long, but I can see its advantages, you can take real photos of your group, all the same info is there and some I think are searchable. I have yet to move to an electronic version yet, but have been looking at them.

This might slow you down.

Discipline

try one of these?

http://barrelcool.com/product-category/barrelcool/

I always bring a minimum of 3 rifles to the range. When one barrel heats up too much to hold on to I switch to the next rifle.

Don't take any complete ammunition to the range, only components and a press.

I usually take at least 4 or 5 guns to the range and rotate between them to keep the barrels cool.

Matt

If nothing else suggested here works for you, try loading one round at a time directly into the chamber. There's something called a 'Bob Sled' designed just for this purpose -- it gives you a convenient loading platform and locks the action open after each shot:

https://www.eabco.net/Original-Bob-Sled-AR-15-Match-Single-Shot-Conversion-Magazine_p_15811.html

I use a timer. No faster than one shot per minute.

In between shots I sing old Broadway show tunes.

Loudly. With panache and feeling.

No body ever wants to come shoot with me. I don't know why.

Bring 5 or 6 guns.

morcey2 said:

Don't take any complete ammunition to the range, only components and a press.

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If you're developing a load, that might actually help. Unless your range is where wind effects your powder scale.

Back in the 1920's-30's, Ed McGivern, shooting revolvers to extended ranges, had a press bolted to his car's fender.

Hopefully, your range has a cover to keep the sun off the barrel. If not, make some means of shading it, especially if your barrels are black. The exposed portions of your barrel, if in the shade, will heat more slowly and cool more quickly than those in the barrel channel. Unless in the sun, they will also warm more slowly. Heating may cause POI to disperse vertically, especially if shooting a centerfire...and full-charge hunting loads.

I'm also in the group saying to rest your rifle vertically in the shade to help cool the barrel more quickly. Some people have created a forced-air system to cool the bore more quickly, but that may also create uneven barrel temperatures.

Unless there's a good reason to speed things up, take your time and enjoy the "ride". If you're sighting-in a hunting rifle, get it on paper quickly by bore sighting, if necessary, then shoot three shots to confirm, then let it cool and shoot a rifle that doesn't heat up as quickly, like a .223 Rem or rimfire. Feel the temperature of your rifle often, for a centerfire, after a no more than 3 shots and for each shot with a warm barrel. If you can't keep your hand on the barrel, it's too hot!!

If possible, let hunting rifles cool to the touch before testing the POI after the barrel cools.

Dave DeLaurant said:

If nothing else suggested here works for you, try loading one round at a time directly into the chamber. There's something called a 'Bob Sled' designed just for this purpose -- it gives you a convenient loading platform and locks the action open after each shot:

https://www.eabco.net/Original-Bob-Sled-AR-15-Match-Single-Shot-Conversion-Magazine_p_15811.html

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When I am working up loads I also single load....depending on the rifle might or might not have a magazine or clip in the rifle.....I will single load the automatics as well as the bolt guns....Garand, carcano, and some of the Balkan rifles use a clip, just single load those....then read your FPS numbers, make your notes, put the old brass away....or go hunt for it if it is an automatic, and go again.

Really it is pretty easy to go pretty slow if shooting an automatic if you go hunt for every hunk of brass. If you shoot some odd ducks you want to find every case....finding brass for 30 remington is not something that you get off the shelf at Cabelas. So I want every part back....plus you are fooling with old cartridges and working up your own loads....you have a good idea what is the pressure and such, but you really don't know how that rifle is going to eject....is it going to fall at your feet or fling it into a low earth orbit. Some guns like my G43 (a real gun not that plastic thing) will fling standard loaded 8mm into the next county....that gun is so over gassed. There is one guy that makes a "kit" that you can calm it down, but I also down load the cartridges for that rifle....really to me there is no point in pushing these old guns that hard.

But anyhoo....

As you reload, and you collect the data from both the chrono and what the brass is telling you, then record it all....this all slows me down enough that I really don't worry too much about shooting too quick.

Discipline really is the answer.

Unfortunately, we live in America (most of us at least), where 40% of us are obese, so self-discipline isn’t really a common trait.

Skgreen said:

Does anyone have any 'special routine' or methodology to help you SLOW DOWN?

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When firing a centerfire rifle from the bench i some times take a .22 rimfire. Between groups i fire at swinging targets 78 yards away with the .22.

I hate trying to squeeze my shooting into a short period of time. Even when the club was close to home....i tried to never rush things. Load testing is pretty mellow and drawn out. My resting heart rate for decades was 90 beats a minute. It was last checked at 85. My new club is 30 min drive. That mellows me. Of course the Mountain Dew Quickstart from the corner store 2 miles from the club might not help. I just chill at the bench......been at it so long it just happens. But i always plan on having a relaxed time to my shooting and dont put time limits on getting what i need done