The local gun club has monthly rimfire silhouette matches. I’ve shot a couple and did ok, but nothing I’d call good. I don’t plan to buy anything for this endeavor other than ammo and maybe some scope rings. I’m basically documenting my tinkering to find the best rifle to shoot in the competition.
The competition is shot at 100 yards with optics. I have a Nikon Rimfire II 3-9x40 for the scope. I have three rifles, maybe 4, that might be suitable. One is a Glenfield Marlin 60 from 1979. Another is a later version Model 60 from 1981. I also have a Ruger 10/22 Stainless/Synthetic version and finally a Henry H001.
The competition course of fire is twice through a spinner rack of silhouettes. The rack has 15 targets, for a best out of 30 score. Front rests are permitted, but rear rests aren’t. Any hit on the silhouettes that moves them counts, including hitting the hanging stems. Targets start with a ram about 5”x8”, then pig, turkey, chicken, rat, and an assortment of shapes. The smallest is a square a little bigger than a postage stamp, maybe 1” or even 7/8” per side. I’ve got it once in about 5 tries. I don’t need to be able to hit it every time but I’d like to be able to about half the time. Of course more is better but keep in mind the limit of not putting more than a set of scope rings and maybe some match ammo into this endeavor.
I’ve been trying out my 79 Model 60 with various ammo types, as it already had the scope mounted. I typically shoot CCI SV out of it and considered it one of my more accurate rifles until I started this testing. So far I’ve tried CCI SV, CCI Pistol Match, CCI Green Tag, Aguila Super Extra High Velocity, and Eley Force High Velocity. I shot some Aguila Interceptor a while back but Marlin recommends against such ammo types.
The most accurate so far has been the Eley Force. It shot just under a 2” group at 100 yards for 20 shots. Second was the Aguila SE HV. That shot just under 3” at 100 yards for 20. All the CCI types shot over 3” and up to 3.3”. I just covered the Eley group with a quarter and 7 or 8 would have missed out of the 20. That is more than half, so Eley is the winner so far. The Eley also function better than all the other varieties.
I pulled the scope off during cleaning after todays range session. It’s still in its mout, I just have to attach it to the next rifle's rimfire 3/8” dovetail, which will likely be the Henry. I suspect the 10/22 will overall win. It currently has a set of Tech Sights and mounting the scope will involve messing with the 10/22’s fiddle receiver screws. Thus the 10/22 will be tested last.
As a runner up, I’ll test the other Model 60 but it hasn’t been too accurate over the years. However, after testing the last couple weeks, it might be a runner up. It absolutely will not run standard velocity ammo reliably, so Aguila, Eley, and some stashed Blazer and Aguila SE HV 38 grain hollow points.
I really don’t know where the Henry will fall. I’ve only really shot it with the factory sights other than some initial trials with a Simmons 4x red field scope, where it did tolerably well.
The competition is shot at 100 yards with optics. I have a Nikon Rimfire II 3-9x40 for the scope. I have three rifles, maybe 4, that might be suitable. One is a Glenfield Marlin 60 from 1979. Another is a later version Model 60 from 1981. I also have a Ruger 10/22 Stainless/Synthetic version and finally a Henry H001.
The competition course of fire is twice through a spinner rack of silhouettes. The rack has 15 targets, for a best out of 30 score. Front rests are permitted, but rear rests aren’t. Any hit on the silhouettes that moves them counts, including hitting the hanging stems. Targets start with a ram about 5”x8”, then pig, turkey, chicken, rat, and an assortment of shapes. The smallest is a square a little bigger than a postage stamp, maybe 1” or even 7/8” per side. I’ve got it once in about 5 tries. I don’t need to be able to hit it every time but I’d like to be able to about half the time. Of course more is better but keep in mind the limit of not putting more than a set of scope rings and maybe some match ammo into this endeavor.
I’ve been trying out my 79 Model 60 with various ammo types, as it already had the scope mounted. I typically shoot CCI SV out of it and considered it one of my more accurate rifles until I started this testing. So far I’ve tried CCI SV, CCI Pistol Match, CCI Green Tag, Aguila Super Extra High Velocity, and Eley Force High Velocity. I shot some Aguila Interceptor a while back but Marlin recommends against such ammo types.
The most accurate so far has been the Eley Force. It shot just under a 2” group at 100 yards for 20 shots. Second was the Aguila SE HV. That shot just under 3” at 100 yards for 20. All the CCI types shot over 3” and up to 3.3”. I just covered the Eley group with a quarter and 7 or 8 would have missed out of the 20. That is more than half, so Eley is the winner so far. The Eley also function better than all the other varieties.
I pulled the scope off during cleaning after todays range session. It’s still in its mout, I just have to attach it to the next rifle's rimfire 3/8” dovetail, which will likely be the Henry. I suspect the 10/22 will overall win. It currently has a set of Tech Sights and mounting the scope will involve messing with the 10/22’s fiddle receiver screws. Thus the 10/22 will be tested last.
As a runner up, I’ll test the other Model 60 but it hasn’t been too accurate over the years. However, after testing the last couple weeks, it might be a runner up. It absolutely will not run standard velocity ammo reliably, so Aguila, Eley, and some stashed Blazer and Aguila SE HV 38 grain hollow points.
I really don’t know where the Henry will fall. I’ve only really shot it with the factory sights other than some initial trials with a Simmons 4x red field scope, where it did tolerably well.
