Ah hah, so it's not supposed to be steady. I've tried holding my breath I've tried exhaling first, either way I'm still drifting to and fro. I've just ended up trying to time my trigger squeezes to coincide w/ drifting over the target. I guess my instincts were spot on
Sounds to me like you had it right. That's what the smallbore sillouette guys advised me to do.
I went to the range a second time today, and my shooting was actually worse. I'd like to blame it on the American Eagle hollowpoint ammo I bought for cheap, but I think I was just more tired today. I had one group of four all within 1.5", but of course the fifth one was a few inches away from his buddies.
Another thing I picked up shooting sillouette... my club has two 40rd matches back to back, generally with a break in between. Most of the usually competitors there told me they do a few missed rounds worse in the second match. It does have to do with being a bit more tired. But it can go either way... you can do worse by being tired, but you can also use the edge being knocked off your energy to be more settled in.
I haven't shot American Eagle HP's to know their quality and consistency, but it really can't be bad stuff just for general shooting. Personally, in my Remington 521-T, I shoot that Winchester Xpert because it's a lead HP at standard velocity. It's more accurate in the match barrel than a hotter load. You might try some in your 452... might come closer to agreeing with your barrel's twist rate. That said, Ely is more expensive for a standard velocity match load, but the sillouette shooters I've been around all swear by it.
Next time I go I will see if I'm focusing the front sight or the target. I think I'm focusing on the front sight, but sometimes on the target.
My experience is that with a post/bead front sight, your focus point can change just like looking at a 3D drawing of a cube with the dotted lines. It's not hard for it to change like that.
In my last post, I mentioned having aperture inserts for my 17A front sight... this allows you to look straight through your sights and focus on the target. I know a match shooter who uses that sight picture on his '03A3 to real good effect. I shot my tightest group across the bench with the aperture insert in that 17A on my 521-T... eight of ten rounds were in the top half of the 1" circle of my preferred target- the one I posted the link to- and the other two rounds landed just a touch high.
My friend and his brother went with me, and at the end we swapped. Man, his Ruger 10/22 Carbine is uh, not even in the same league as my CZ 452 FS. His brother shot my rifle last and he was like, "Uh, it was weird having the bullets go right where I wanted them to. After I got used to that I was shooting much better."
My way of thinking... both my Remington and your CZ and your friends 10/22 all have their place. I've shot 10/22 too and it's not a bad rifle. It's just not a match rifle. But when you turn one into a match rifle, all you have left is the receiver and you will have sunk so much into it that you're a lot better off to buy your CZ or my Remington.
FWIW, before scoping the 10/22, I couldn't hit much with it. I couldn't do much with the Ruger factory sights. I do notice Cabela's has listed an aperture rear sight that bolts on to the receiver... I'd be half a mind to try one of those and see what happens.
