Rimfire Madness: The Infection Begins

[doddg]

Start at 50 yards or even 25 yards, until you're doing the best you can and then reach out to farther distances. You want to get your basics down and see progress before going out farther where every little mistake makes an even larger difference. At least that's my opinion. Slow down, take your time and get your basics down and enjoy the shooting. Once you have all of that down the groups will start to tighten up.

Wise words!
Being impatient, and the newness of having 100 yards available to me, I jumped the gun: all puns intended.
Since I’ve had 25 yards available to me and was a little bored with that, I will go back to 50 yards.


Thanks for the input, WTB

 

[gmcttr]

...I don't even know how that's possible b/c of heartbeats.
I can see my crosshairs moving with every beat, which I never noticed at 25 yds.
I take breaths & breathe out slowly; I try to shoot after a beat.
I try to relax (if that's possible).

I have thought that perhaps I should go back to 50 yds & start there...

...400 rounds on average per visit...

A few thoughts...

1. You may be shooting too fast.

2. You may well be "slapping the trigger" trying to fire between heartbeats. Slowly squeeze the trigger until another ounce of pressure will break the shot and then add that ounce between heartbeats.

3. Loosen up on the rifle so you don't transmit your heartbeat into it...it's only a .22LR and has little recoil. Your right hand should be loosely gripping the rifle and it should be placed gently against your shoulder. Your left hand should be holding/squeezing (for elevation adjustments) the rear bag supporting the buttshock.

4. Yes it is possible to relax...why would you not be relaxed.

 

[Hookeye]

Shot between heartbeats?
Aint gonna happen here at 90 bpm.
Always been like that, but w low blood pressure.
Just relax and let er rip.....same way every time

 

[Hookeye]

Scientific American did a thing about shooting yrs ago. Micro athleticism....focus, movement, heart breathing etc..... shooters going into the zone

Chill......and drill

Do it enough to learn it......dunno how long that takes. It just becomes natural. And can happen on its own.........when?

 

[Hookeye]

I never really worked on it, just arrived years ago.
But i had excellent vision as a kid and think that was major advantage

 

[700 LTR 223]

The best consecutive 5 shot groups I ever fired include my best ever 50 yard group back in 2006. My 10/22 with Weaver V16 target dot at 9X . The 10/22 had a Volquartsen 16.5" muzzle weighted barrel and my own trigger job.

 

[wtburnette]

 

[doddg]

A few thoughts...

1. You may be shooting too fast.

Always. I've even looked at one and shot another single-shot .22LR this week (drove past Fort Wayne today), thinking it would help force me to slow down.

2. You may well be "slapping the trigger" trying to fire between heartbeats.
Slowly squeeze the trigger until another ounce of pressure will break the shot and then add that ounce between heartbeats.

I have read about that & try to to do so.

3. Loosen up on the rifle so you don't transmit your heartbeat into it...it's only a .22LR and has little recoil.
Your right hand should be loosely gripping the rifle and it should be placed gently against your shoulder.
\Your left hand should be holding/squeezing (for elevation adjustments) the rear bag supporting the buttshock.

Rala/Bob showed me about the hand positioning, but I find myself wanting to put my left hand under the forestock (hope correct term for the wood under the barrel).
I might be gripping too tightly with my right hand.
I don't have a rear bag support, just using my shoulder.
Sounds like I have much to learn: I can't imagine all the bad habits I have shooting alone.

4. Yes it is possible to relax...why would you not be relaxed.

Doesn't come naturally, that's for sure.
I'm naturally a 110 mph person, but age is slowing me down.

 

[gmcttr]

Get a rear bag to support the buttstock, your shoulder moves around. The intent is to take human movements out of the equation as much as possible.

Assuming you're shooting from a rest, get your left hand off the rifle. All it can do up front is transmit more movement into it. Get as few muscles as possible touching the rifle and relax them all.

Use your hold on the rear bag for fine adjustments to POA, not your trigger hand or face.

Just on example...

[video=youtube;o-G8jokYD04]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-G8jokYD04[/video]

 

[doddg]

Assuming you're shooting from a rest, get your left hand off the rifle.
All it can do up front is transmit more movement into it.
Get as few muscles as possible touching the rifle and relax them all.

Use your hold on the rear bag for fine adjustments to POA, not your trigger hand or face.

I need to address the issue of bags/supports.
I have a plastic adjustable rest that I use & I have 3 Caldwell-type bean bags of different thickness: a small flat one (2-3 inches), then 2 that are grooved (4-5 inch & 6-7 inch) to put the front and back of the rifle on, but they aren't tall enough.
I usually end up stacking two on top of one another for the proper front height or combining both systems.

Today, I used a shorter bench to sit on which helped lower me, so I didn't have to raise the rifle height as much which helped (I was at a range above Ft. Wayne that had different sized benches/chairs you could use).
I'll try to come up with something with what I've got to lift my rifles up high enough that I don't have to bend my head down too low to see through the optics.

 

[Clay Pigeon]

I need to address the issue of bags/supports.
I have a plastic adjustable rest that I use & I have 3 Caldwell-type bean bags of different thickness: a small flat one (2-3 inches), then 2 that are grooved (4-5 inch & 6-7 inch) to put the front and back of the rifle on, but they aren't tall enough.
I usually end up stacking two on top of one another for the proper front height or combining both systems.

Today, I used a shorter bench to sit on which helped lower me, so I didn't have to raise the rifle height as much which helped (I was at a range above Ft. Wayne that had different sized benches/chairs you could use).
I'll try to come up with something with what I've got to lift my rifles up high enough that I don't have to bend my head down too low to see through the optics.

They just came out with a thing for that... Its called a Harris Bipod....

 

[Hookeye]

[FONT=&amp]

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[/FONT][FONT=&amp]Nothing fancy. 50 yards. Repeatable.
Was not gonna try for better, goal was 5 shots sub half inch at 50 for under 500 bucks (not counting scope).
Achieved. Bored.

[/FONT]

 

[Clay Pigeon]

[FONT=&amp]

[/FONT][FONT=&amp]

[/FONT][FONT=&amp]Nothing fancy. 50 yards. Repeatable.
Was not gonna try for better, goal was 5 shots sub half inch at 50 for under 500 bucks (not counting scope).
Achieved. Bored.

[/FONT]

Sure you didn't swing left and shoot that at the 25 yard berm? Tidler must not have been yelling at you when you shot that.... LOL

Nice shooting.

 

[Hookeye]

Normally set in the middle to do 25 or 50 w no bench change.

And usually only one there.

Sometimes a fat grouchy bastard w a black HHR shows up to annoy the hell out of me

 

[Hookeye]

I got no prob w changing benches.
Like to go in morning during week when less people around.
Afternoons.....that sun is brutal

 

[doddg]

I have never used a support for the stock just my shoulder.
It was recommended that I do.
This is what I've have to use: 3 bags (only 2 showing) & a plastic piece.
Go ahead and laugh, I'm cringing myself.

I tried using about 3 combinations of what you see there & ended up with the adjustable one upfront like it's supposed to be used & then the flat & medium sized bean bags used under the stock today.
Can't say there was much improvement in my shooting, but at least the heartbeat issue wasn't plaguing me, but today was only 50 yds not 100 yds.

 

[doddg]

Only took the RPR to dial in at 50 yds & might just leave the 10/22 at 100 yds for now.
B/C of the heat, I was glad I didn't have to deal with 2 rifles today.

This was my 2nd target after practicing on the other.

 

[Clay Pigeon]

Normally set in the middle to do 25 or 50 w no bench change.

And usually only one there.

Sometimes a fat grouchy bastard w a black HHR shows up to annoy the hell out of me

The Greek is good people for sure. How is his walking? Is he back to doing the local show circuit?

You could shoot on tues mornings with the really miserable old farts and witness some really good gun handling skills.......
Thats the ones that argued HARD about having a mandatory safety class with all members a few years ago.

 

[Hookeye]

Well it looks like my old fingergroove 10/22 responded to free float. It shot way low LOL
It had huge forend pressure when I got it.
Exhibited first shot flier too.
First 5 shots went around .75" @ 25 yards w the flier. The other 4 into proly .3

I was a bit excited.

But the next 5 ran an inch, and the bbl heated up, still floated and w first shot flier now and then, avg'd 1.25" for 5 or 10 shots.
CCI HV, WW HV HP and CCI Segmented Quiet (the latter making it a straight pull bolt action).

OK, so it needs the firing pin pinned, maybe headspace adjusted.........and or a new bbl (or CPC rework orig).
Well then I'd have a cool beater.

Aint worth any more time or money. Its just a reg 10/22 unfortunately. Already yanked the scope off.
Trading stock.

My CZ lacks the feel, and look. Now wears a synth stock (actually looked cool w hog back beech original).
It is better for scope usage and won't ding up as easily.
I'm content with just having one decent .22 rifle for varmint patrol.

Yup, just one. But then that leaves me open for a .22 pistol doesn't it ?

And the Leupold 2-7x back in the box...........awaits a new centerfire of some sort LOL

 

[doddg]

Took my first friend to MCGG today for .22LR rifle competition (only 50 yds).
He had a 30 odd year Remington & $40 Weaver scope I sold him, so it was fun.
I used Aguila Super Extra SRN while he was using some crap ammo.

These groups were a little better than my first foray back to 50 yds.
I'll have to remember to save the pics in a smaller field.