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Messages - Fergus

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1
WBSF - World Benchrest Shooting Federation Events / Re: New Zealand 2017
« on: February 14, 2014, 12:58:26 PM »

Have a question,  How do you manage a world shoot with only 20 benches.


Dave

You also have to remember that you are only shooting one yardage per day, so 6 targets including the warmer. In Australia we ran 6 details per day, so even with 20 benches NZ could probably manage the WBC given the attendance southern hemisphere matches seem to attract. But as Ian mentioned, the rules require a minimum of 25 benches.

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Let me know if you have any questions about the WBC 13 range. I have been shooting BR matches on that range for 12 years.

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Centerfire Discussions / Re: Jewell Trigger Tune Up
« on: February 01, 2013, 01:48:55 PM »
Bill & Calvin

Thanks for your comments. I will keep on with my experimenting. So far, I definitely can not remove the creep solely from screw adjustment - I think some kind of polishing might be the answer. Certainly don’t want to kill a trigger though - they are hard enough to get here as it is.

Very happy to talk BAT bolts - still trying to work through their mysteries. The firing mechanism seems critical to BR accuracy, and the whole cock on opening / cock on closing / travel / hand-off / trigger to firing pin tuning is making my head hurt! From my observations, it certainly seems like some BAT bolts benefit from work, though I know of several that shoot very well with no work done on them at all.

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Centerfire Discussions / Re: Jewell Trigger Tune Up
« on: January 31, 2013, 12:31:53 PM »
Hi Calvin

I would be interested to know what material/s you are using to polish, and what surfaces you are polishing if you would care to share. I have polished the side plates inside the trigger, but was worried about taking anything off the actual surfaces of the levers inside the trigger. I would be interested in any tips you have to offer, as I am keen to have a go at improving the feel of the trigger pull on the 6 or 7 jewels that I have spread across my various target rifles.

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Photo And Video Gallery / Re: My benchrest stock making
« on: December 29, 2012, 01:07:47 PM »

Fergus, Have you considered trying a Surfoam rasp style tool to do the rough shaping of the balsa?

Still thinking about the whole approach to building stocks right now. I have plenty of ideas, but haven't really had the time available to make a start. I think I need to just make a start experimenting, and be prepared to toss out a few early failures.

Part of the problem is that I want to make a scoville style stock, so need to get the correct core shape, and also get decent at laying up the carbon fibre. Probably too much thinking and procrastination on my part - I really should just invest some time and get going.

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Off Topic / Re: Aiming Point
« on: August 24, 2012, 11:50:28 PM »
I was told the black square goes back to the days when very low power scopes were the norm, and it was the only positive point of aim given the optics in use at the time. I was cured of any interest in shooting the black square early in the BR shooting. I was shooting sighters using the black square as the aiming point, and somehow I lost a shot vertically over the border, and almost into the record portion of the target. After that, I have never really been comfortable aiming at the square.

There are a few things to consider about point of aim, and also where you want the group to form. There are multiple opinions on this, with some preferring to have their shots impact at point of aim, and others preferring to have the shots impact above or below point of aim. I have tried both, and I prefer to have the shots impact below my point of aim. I find that having the shots impact on my aiming point is too distracting.

Deciding on a point of aim can be influenced by the scope reticle. A dot, especially the 1/8 dot in a Leopold scope centres up pretty well in the centre ring (mothball) of the target, whereas a fine crosshair can make bracketing the ring easier. You also want a point of aim that lets you use the rings for hold off (IE the black square gives you very little to work with in this regard).

Lastly, you need to think about the habits you form while shooting the BR target – they can either help or hinder you. I like to use the mothball and hold on either the 9:00 or 3:00 position, depending on the wind (IE hold on the 9:00 position for a left-to-right wind which will let the group form around the centre of the mothball). I use this hold, unless there is enough push in the condition to move the bullet impact half or more of the target (more relevant at 200). In that case, I will hold on the 10 ring (outer most ring of the target) or even hold on the border if needed. This is what I mean about habits – there is not too many different holds to remember.

To give an example of how habits can trip you up, another shooter was at a nationals match a few years ago, and shooting in bad mirage. He decided to hold on the black square for better visibility, and ran the group pretty fast. On the 5th shot, old habits kicked in, and he held on the mothball. Instant 2.00 inch group!


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Photo And Video Gallery / Re: My benchrest stock making
« on: August 20, 2012, 02:26:17 PM »
Done !

Next step is learn how to shoot free-recoil. I adjusted the trigger as low as I could, more than that and it shoots when I close the bolt.


Hi Bob

These are just some observations based on what I see in the photos. You may know this already, so take this as general comments that you use or ignore as you feel appropriate.

I notice the rest is a long way back on the forend, although that may be just the table you have it sitting on being too short. Ideally you want to set the forend on the front bag with about 1" over the bag, although the rifle will tell you where it shoots best. A light trigger is a key part of free recoil, so you will need to be very careful with you technique in letting the shot go. I know you have limited funds, but ideally you want a firmer, heavier rear bag. You will really need to watch that rear bag pictured to make sure you do not bump the gun off line with your shoulder, or when you open the bolt. You may find it easier to find the stock with your shoulder if you have an inch or so of the but sitting back past the bags.

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Photo And Video Gallery / Re: My benchrest stock making
« on: August 20, 2012, 02:15:40 PM »
I use the grinder that is on the picture beside the stock. Grit 50 sandpaper, dust collector, and I finish with an orbital sander

Thanks for the information. That looks like good work for "free handing" the dimensions.

Do you think the same tools would work for balsa laminate? I want to make a carbon fiber stock along the lines of a Scoville, but need to make up the core to be wrapped. I am not too sure how best to shape the balsa core. I guess I will just need to make one up and give it a try.

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Photo And Video Gallery / Re: My benchrest stock making
« on: August 17, 2012, 04:22:13 PM »
Started the shape yesterday

Hi Bob

What tools do you use for shaping?

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Centerfire Discussions / Re: 6PPC - .262 or .269 (or to turn, or not)
« on: March 17, 2012, 09:44:29 PM »
I think one reason that .262/.263 necks remain so common is that people are hesitant to change something that works for them. Nothing wrong with that, but a lot of people continuing to use a .262 neck doesn’t necessarily prove anything about whether a .269 neck can compete.

Also, for people with a lot of barrels, it becomes a bit of a pain to go through the transition of making cases for both. If you only run one or two barrels, this is not so big of a deal. In my case, I have 3 PPC bag guns and a rail, so once I committed to the change, I either had to dice the barrel, or rechamber with the bigger neck to keep everything in my gear consistent.

I always used to turn .263 cases with 2 passes. I never liked turning brass, so the option to cut my workload by 50% had some appeal. If there is any cost saving in running bigger necks, it is the fact that I only needed to dedicate one turning tool with carbide mandrel, whereas the tighter necks I was using required me to dedicate 2 neck turners preset to the two different cut I needed to make.

After seeing results from some early experimenters that seemed to be getting aggs consistent with thinner necks, I made the decision to order a .270 neck reamer. As noted, a .272 neck is basically “no turn” with Lapua brass. I believe my actual reamer dimensions give a neck cut closer to .269 than the .270 I specified, but I’d rather that that be out the other way. I run several thou clearance in my loaded rounds, so I still take off plenty of material from the case neck. There is no way I am only making partial contact over the full neck length.

In terms of effectiveness, I am convinced the .269/.270 neck gives-up nothing to thinner necks. For example in South Africa for the WBC in 2009, many will know that Australian teams placed 1st and 4th. What may not be so well known is that I believe 10 out of the 12 Australian competitors were using .269/.270 necks. Just highlighting this as I don’t think the case neck thickness was any kind of a handicap. I went to a .270 nominal neck in 2007, and have personally shot my best aggs in that time.

Another benefit of thick necks that I never anticipated is that necks seem to grow at about half the pace of thinner necks. One other consideration – if you are planning to use Norma 6PPC brass, you may want to stick with a .262/.263 neck, as a .269 will pretty much be a no turn neck.

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Centerfire Discussions / Re: Beginner questions.
« on: November 27, 2011, 12:31:06 PM »
fine cross hair or target dot?

The answer depends on what you shoot, and how you hold. As others have said, personal preference and what you get used to come into this as well.

When I first started shooting group, I was recommended to use a dot by my mentor as it is easy to centre the dot in the mothball. I shot this way for the first year or two, then changed my hold to three o’clock or nine o’clock on the mothball, as I find that it gives me a better reference for holding-off for shots while I am forming the group. With this hold, the dot is less relevant, and may even be a liability to a very precise hold on the point of aim (I dont waist time with a VERY precise hold, so this is a nonissue for me). However I have continued to shoot the same scopes with dots for years since changing my hold, and do not feel it is a problem, nor any particular advantage over a plane fine cross-hair reticle.

An interesting side note. When the Leupold Competition series of scopes first came out, a number of Aussie competitors wanted a finer dot in the reticle than the 1/8” offered from the factory, so had Premier Reticles add a smaller dot (this is back when PR did such work on Leupold scopes). I was talking to one of these guys, and he didn’t like the smaller dot in the heavy mirage we can get here in Australia – he found it too difficult to quickly find the small dot in the less than ideal atmospheric conditions after the recoil of each shot. He sent his scope back to Leupold and had the factory 1/8” dot reinstalled. So like I said at the outset, personal preference plays a role.


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Centerfire Discussions / Re: looking for a Cartridge block
« on: August 20, 2011, 02:29:43 PM »
There is a guy offering a line of these on BR central classifieds that look to be tailor-made for the JJ rest:
http://benchrest.com/class/index.php?a=2&b=2904

I have one of the Bruno offerings which appears to be very similar to the Scott Crawford model that Calvin mentioned. This is the Bruno block set up on my Farley rest:



The Bruno model has gone up in price since I bought mine, but it is a very solid, well made unit:
http://www.brunoshooters.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=BSS&Product_Code=BACCS

I did consider the Joe Cowan model, but was worried I might grab for a case in a hurry and bump it off line - that it was maybe not as rigid as the Bruno model. Having said that, there is a video of what appears to be this cartridge block and it looks to operate fine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2QSXmY7S6Q&NR=1

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WBSF - World Benchrest Shooting Federation Events / Re: 2011 Worlds
« on: August 16, 2011, 02:24:31 PM »
You have to see this range to believe it.

I imagine most will have already seen these, but for anyone that hasnt, photos are available at http://www.wbc11.com/en/the-range.html

I hear the baffles make it a challenging range for BR. Plus I dont think the bench line is permanent. Hopefully the competitors will give us some better pictures.

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Centerfire Discussions / Re: 6PPC reamer recomendation
« on: August 14, 2011, 02:18:24 PM »
James

I left an answer on BR central with some very similar comments to Dan O, so wont repeat any of that here.

However your comment about inconsistent neck tension really stands out to me. You may well be having a problem, but it is not the neck thickness causing it. Over the last 5 or so years, I have seen a lot of 6PPC shooters go to a neck of .268 to .270. I have used a .270 neck 6PPC reamer (although I believe the actual measurement of my reamer is closer to a .269 neck) since late 2007 and have shot my best aggs in this time. I know that in the 2009 World Championships that 10 members of the Australian team, only 2 were using necks of around .262/.263. All 4 in the gold medal team, and also all members in the 4th placed team were using thicker necks. I make this point not to say that thicker necks are responsible for these achievements, but just to highlight that they didnt hurt aggs.

I do find some benefit to using the thicker necks, including the ease of turning which was my primary reason for trying this spec. One resalt I did not consider was the slower growth of case necks. Since using the thicker neck, I find the case length grows a lot slower than the .262/.263 necks I used in the past.

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Photo And Video Gallery / Re: New BAT
« on: July 17, 2011, 02:15:30 PM »
Hi Rick

Yes, Australia will be hosting the WBC in 2013. It should be a good match. You can’t see many photos of the range or details yet, but there is a site set up to provide information about the host range and the event here http://www.wbc2013.com.au/

I hope to see you there.

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Photo And Video Gallery / Re: New BAT
« on: July 09, 2011, 12:12:17 AM »
Rick

Unfortunately not. I had work and study commitments that meant I only shot once last year, so my results at qualifying matches were pretty bad. I am only just getting back into any kind of regular shooting schedule now. The only good news is that if I was on the Aussie WBC team, I would completely stressed about getting my new rifles tuned.

Right now, nothing seems to be working for me. But where I live, this time of year can be like shooting in the middle of a hurricane, so it’s hard to tell how the tuning is going.


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Photo And Video Gallery / New BAT
« on: July 01, 2011, 02:18:33 PM »
Hi all

I thought for my first post here, I would start with a picture of my one of new BAT/Scarborough BR rifles. Sorry its such a crappy picture, it was taken with my phone at a very dull bench line. I will try and get some better ones at the range.




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