I shot in my second NRA Sanctioned match today and while I really love it, do I stink at this game. I need to spend some quality time with my new CZ455.
Up till now the club held fun matches and I used a Kimber 82G which didn't meet the rules but it sure shot nicely.

This light rifle is a real challenge to shoot well.

Oh well, I have some time between now and the Nationals up at the NRA Whittington Center to get better.

I think we all stunk after just our second match. Cut yourself a break.

DavidABQ,
we all have our good days and bad days....especially when your kid kicks your butt. That is what is so addictive about this sport. Don't let a little inexperience get in the way of having fun, and going to as many matches as you can. Nothing like the opportuity for experience to help improve your shooting.

Mary

Don't worry, I am not discouraged........at least not much.


I just need to step up and practice some more before nationals in July!

I am hoping to practice a couple times a week instead of shooting once a week in 2012. I was wondering the last 4 weeks at our once a week winter indoor practice, whether I was able to shoot my normal A score. I finally made it last night!! I forget about butt stock shoulder pressure and follow through. I think now I have embedded. This is so much fun!

DavidABQ wrote:I shot in my second NRA Sanctioned match today and while I really love it, do I stink at this game. I need to spend some quality time with my new CZ455.
Up till now the club held fun matches and I used a Kimber 82G which didn't meet the rules but it sure shot nicely.

This light rifle is a real challenge to shoot well.

Oh well, I have some time between now and the Nationals up at the NRA Whittington Center to get better.

I'm planning on being in Trinidad, CO during nationals week. I'm not sure if I'll be able to shoot actually shoot at the Nationals but I'd sure like to at least show up and watch one day. Hopefully, I'll see you there.

By the way, I stink too!

Daddio...show up and pick on us at least. The range is beautiful.

Innocent

I know I am looking forward to the Nationals at Raton, NM.

DavidABQ wrote:I shot in my second NRA Sanctioned match today and while I really love it, do I stink at this game. I need to spend some quality time with my new CZ455.
Up till now the club held fun matches and I used a Kimber 82G which didn't meet the rules but it sure shot nicely.

This light rifle is a real challenge to shoot well.

Oh well, I have some time between now and the Nationals up at the NRA Whittington Center to get better.

I've had similar issues. I'm used to 12-16lb match rifles, both Highpower and smallbore. I can shoot groups from the standing, half the size with my Anschutz 1408 or my dedicated AR upper, of what I can shoot with my lightweight little CZ 452 trainer. The difference isn't the rifle's accuracy, it's my inability to get the lighter rifle to settle. I've been practicing a couple times a week now for almost a year, and honestly haven't seen near as much improvment as I had hoped to.

I've had similar trouble. With my match rifles, I could wait for the rifle to settle, then pull the the trigger for a ten. With the lighter silo guns and the shorter shooting time, the rifle never seems to settle. Most of the time, I'm trying to anticipate the direction of the cross hairs and slowly and smoothly pull the trigger. Snap shooting never seems to work and usually ends up in a miss. When I get those days when erratic up,down side to side movement occurs, I'm in for a rough day. The key to silo shooting i think is follow through and a smooth trigger pull. The targets, though small are not that small compared to the accuracy of the rifles. Like most sports, its in the genes. You can always get better by practicing more, but usually you reach a score and slowly gain a point or two every year. I'm always amazed at the shooters who can pin points spots on the animals to concentrate on, then pull the trigger. My cross hairs seldom slow down to do that. Keep practicing, have fun, but keep it in perspective. You may never win a match or a National Championship. Its all in the genes.

[/quote]
I'm planning on being in Trinidad, CO during nationals week. I'm not sure if I'll be able to shoot actually shoot at the Nationals but I'd sure like to at least show up and watch one day. Hopefully, I'll see you there.

By the way, I stink too! [/quote]

Funds and timing prevent me in going. Same with the Southern in June which I really had my eye on. June 16th we will be in MS, then over to AL and GA and back home. School summer vacation lets out June 8th. Then school starts back up in September in our parts. Even though I volunteer every day at one particular low income elementary school, I need to be there for 5th grade graduation. Then my wife goes to Phoenix in August. The Southern is a bummer as never been there and this being the last year. Oh, well, can only do so much and family and kids come first.

JDBraddy wrote:

DavidABQ wrote:I shot in my second NRA Sanctioned match today and while I really love it, do I stink at this game. I need to spend some quality time with my new CZ455.
Up till now the club held fun matches and I used a Kimber 82G which didn't meet the rules but it sure shot nicely.

This light rifle is a real challenge to shoot well.

Oh well, I have some time between now and the Nationals up at the NRA Whittington Center to get better.

I've had similar issues. I'm used to 12-16lb match rifles, both Highpower and smallbore. I can shoot groups from the standing, half the size with my Anschutz 1408 or my dedicated AR upper, of what I can shoot with my lightweight little CZ 452 trainer. The difference isn't the rifle's accuracy, it's my inability to get the lighter rifle to settle. I've been practicing a couple times a week now for almost a year, and honestly haven't seen near as much improvment as I had hoped to.

To overcome a "light" rifle move your non shooting hand farther back toward the receiver and move your elbow lower. That will make the rifle "seem" heavier.. Archimedes..The prinicpal of positioning levers and the fulcrum for the best effect.Hope this helps...Dave....Deo Vindice.

1stlttightwad wrote:

JDBraddy wrote:

DavidABQ wrote:I shot in my second NRA Sanctioned match today and while I really love it, do I stink at this game. I need to spend some quality time with my new CZ455.
Up till now the club held fun matches and I used a Kimber 82G which didn't meet the rules but it sure shot nicely.

This light rifle is a real challenge to shoot well.

Oh well, I have some time between now and the Nationals up at the NRA Whittington Center to get better.

I've had similar issues. I'm used to 12-16lb match rifles, both Highpower and smallbore. I can shoot groups from the standing, half the size with my Anschutz 1408 or my dedicated AR upper, of what I can shoot with my lightweight little CZ 452 trainer. The difference isn't the rifle's accuracy, it's my inability to get the lighter rifle to settle. I've been practicing a couple times a week now for almost a year, and honestly haven't seen near as much improvment as I had hoped to.

To overcome a "light" rifle move your non shooting hand farther back toward the receiver and move your elbow lower. That will make the rifle "seem" heavier.. Archimedes..The prinicpal of positioning levers and the fulcrum for the best effect.Hope this helps...Dave....Deo Vindice.

I'll try it. Thanks.

1stlttightwad wrote:

JDBraddy wrote:

DavidABQ wrote:I shot in my second NRA Sanctioned match today and while I really love it, do I stink at this game. I need to spend some quality time with my new CZ455.
Up till now the club held fun matches and I used a Kimber 82G which didn't meet the rules but it sure shot nicely.

This light rifle is a real challenge to shoot well.

Oh well, I have some time between now and the Nationals up at the NRA Whittington Center to get better.

I've had similar issues. I'm used to 12-16lb match rifles, both Highpower and smallbore. I can shoot groups from the standing, half the size with my Anschutz 1408 or my dedicated AR upper, of what I can shoot with my lightweight little CZ 452 trainer. The difference isn't the rifle's accuracy, it's my inability to get the lighter rifle to settle. I've been practicing a couple times a week now for almost a year, and honestly haven't seen near as much improvment as I had hoped to.

To overcome a "light" rifle move your non shooting hand farther back toward the receiver and move your elbow lower. That will make the rifle "seem" heavier.. Archimedes..The prinicpal of positioning levers and the fulcrum for the best effect.Hope this helps...Dave....Deo Vindice.

Very True! I actually put my hand that I hold my rifle with all the way back to the trigger guard.

Archimedes findings play a roll in weight distribution but Pythagoras dictates more to me where my non shooting hand gets placed on the stock. I actually prefer a little further out down the forearm to place my split finger hold as it gets my arm/elbow in tighter to my body. All ranges are different some with racks stacked one over the other and some with the entire banks on straight rails, some shooting up and down due to the topography of the range. When I shoot the ones stacked I find a definite need to move my hand position on the stock slightly to allow for my natural settle point to come to a rest along that plane. Just like L/R NPA adjustment it is a vertical NPA that you don't want to be fighting either to get onto the animal. Regardless of where my hand ends up I hold the stock with the same dead hand stick technique and split fingers. Mind you this is not a whole lot of movement up and down the stock to adjust but I find it is something I need to pay attention to closely. This also prevents me from having to use the butt of the rifle to change the angle so that my shoulder spot and check weld are never changed.

Should also add the I use the front of the trigger guard all the time as a reference point to align my fingers under the stock a set distance based of the tip of my thumb against the gaurd. Once I do that if I am someplace I need to scoot down the forearm a tad it doesn't take long to get a feel for how much it needs to go further down and becomes easily repeatable so long as you remember to add that little extra push down the forearm.


Dee