Finally got a calm day last week to dial in my new Eley Target ammo.
Rifle - CZ 452 Varmint
Scope - Leupold FX-3 25x40mm with 1/2 MOA dot





40 consecutive shots, so no picking the best groups to show you.
5-shot groups at 100m, 77m, 60m, and 40m.
Grid squares are 1 inch.




1 1/4" and 1"


5/8" and 1 1/16"


13/16" and 1"


7/8" and 5/8"

I've shot better 40 and 60 meter groups (about 3/8" at both distances) with cheap, cheap bulk ammo.
I am reasonably impressed with the accuracy at 100 meters and 77 meters.

We had NRA smallbore silhouette matches both yesterday and today at Hobbs Gun Club, Hobbs, NM.
Normally, NRA matches are on the first Sunday of the month. When a month has five Saturdays, we sneak an extra match in on the fifth Saturday. Yesterday was the fifth Saturday and today was the first Sunday.

Yesterday I shot 18/40 on a fairly calm day. Should have been better. Choked on the turkeys (not to be confused with choking the chicken). I started in rams and only got 3. Ok, no problem, moving right along. Got 6 chickens and 8 pigs. Mental discipline is my problem. I started thinking about how I've never ever hit 20/40 and today may be the day since I'm already at 17 and still have turkeys to go. Started looking at other people's scores and thinking that I might win this thing. I won the last one on March 3 and that was my first ever match win. I could make it two wins in a row.
Instead of concentrating on the business at hand.
I hit ONE turkey.
I was 1st A Hunter. I think I was 3rd overall. I know two people ended with 21.
(I think there were nine shooters.)

Today was a bit windier. I shot standard, with the same rifle, just to get some scores in my book in case I decide to go to Raton (still undecided on that).
Shot 13/40 and was match winner in Standard, though I know there were a couple of people shooting Hunter who scored higher. Hunter was won with 16/40.
(Eight shooters today, I believe.)

mgood, you should come to Raton for the nationals, worth the trip from your area. You are dealing with the winds now but it will prepare you for
weather that may happen at Raton.

Look forward to seeing you there, or maybe in El Paso sometime that I go through, may even make to Hobbs sometime. Nice range there.

Mary

Innocent wrote:mgood, you should come to Raton for the nationals, worth the trip from your area. You are dealing with the winds now but it will prepare you for
weather that may happen at Raton.

I've just almost decided to go. I've mentioned to my boss that I'll probably put in for vacation time for those days. My mind is about 90% made up.

Yeah, in West Texas and Eastern New Mexico you shoot in the wind or you don't shoot.
I was talking to a guy today who went to Nationals at Raton a few years back (2009?). He said there was a 4-5mph wind and people were asking "how do you shoot in this wind?" And he was thinking about how that was about as calm as it ever gets where we shoot. (We frequently have to clip the rams and turkeys, and occasionally pigs and chickens too, to the rails to keep them from blowing over.)

Innocent wrote: . . . may even make to Hobbs sometime. Nice range there.

I hope you do. We have a fairly nice setup. (I've only seen two silhouette ranges, so I don't have a lot to compare to.)
Recently double stacked the target rails so we can have three shooters at each animal.

I am amazed your 100y groups are about the same size as the 40's shooting Eley Target. Never would have thought something that grouped so poorly at that short range would hold up at longer range almost defies logic.

As for thinking about your score, checking other peoples scores, seeing how many you need to hit to maybe win or beat your previous best high score, or getting 5 or 10 in a row. DON'T DO IT!

Just shoot and don't look at the scores not your own, not someone elses, no trips to the leader board and if you feel like looking just look at the other classes scores not your own.

All those things will get into your head like a psycho woman without a prescription. Just worry about making sure you are all setup right and making each shot as best you can not taking bad shots or forcing shots. When you miss analyize what happened and let it go then move on to the next shot.

Then when you add up your score at the end and find it is your new personal best or that you won thats when you can start thinking about it all.

Besides that practice a lot

Dee

Dee wrote:..........All those things will get into your head like a psycho woman without a prescription..... Dee

Your so right Dee.... let me add one more or have a so called friend come over and say your in ..... place or whatever. It is justifiable to shoot that person... remember this well PPKNY.

good advice from Dee. All that matters is the next shot, not the one that is already downrange. Don't waste mental energy on things you can't control.

topclass

mgood,
I have not shot at Hobbs, but I have visited there with Mike B a few years ago. It well set up and a very nice looking range. Follow Dees advice about shooting for yourself and your best score and don't let us women get into you brain.
I have shot aT Raton more than once where we have had to shoot at swingers only. And yes we even have to clip the animals down here in Florida occasionally, but no where near as often as W Tx and NM. Look forward to meeting you at a match soon.

Mary

Hey Dee, tell me how to get that psycho woman out of my head AND my house. I'm going to start working on Baby Huey's girlfriend, he's been going to Starbucks where she works so often he's starting to smell like a giant frappuccino.

hambone49 wrote:Hey Dee, tell me how to get that psycho woman out of my head AND my house. I'm going to start working on Baby Huey's girlfriend, he's been going to Starbucks where she works so often he's starting to smell like a giant frappuccino.

Hammy.... I believe your spending far to much time with Baby Huey and what with this sniffing him stuff

hambone49 wrote:Hey Dee, tell me how to get that psycho woman out of my head AND my house. I'm going to start working on Baby Huey's girlfriend, he's been going to Starbucks where she works so often he's starting to smell like a giant frappuccino.

Your just envious of the "tebow" cut. Also, you can try all you like. You'd probaby have better luck of hitting 10 in a row turkeys than getting her though, and considering you've never done that I'd recommend giving up now.

Dee wrote:Never would have thought something that grouped so poorly at that short range would hold up at longer range almost defies logic.

Yeah, me too. It is possible that it was me. Getting fatigued by the time I shot the 60m and 40m groups or something. Who knows? (I started far and worked my way nearer because I didn't know if or when the wind would come up and wanted to see the 100m groups with no wind.) I'll want to do a similar test one or two more times before I pass judgement. Also planning to get a brick of Eley Team with my next ammo order and compare it side-by-side with the Target. (I think Team is about twice the price, but still not the really high-dollar stuff. Target is fairly low-end Eley.)
From Midway: Target and Team.

Dee wrote:As for thinking about your score, checking other peoples scores, seeing how many you need to hit to maybe win or beat your previous best high score, or getting 5 or 10 in a row. DON'T DO IT!

Just shoot and don't look at the scores not your own, not someone elses, no trips to the leader board and if you feel like looking just look at the other classes scores not your own.

All those things will get into your head like a psycho woman without a prescription. Just worry about making sure you are all setup right and making each shot as best you can not taking bad shots or forcing shots. When you miss analyize what happened and let it go then move on to the next shot.

Then when you add up your score at the end and find it is your new personal best or that you won thats when you can start thinking about it all.

I know, I know. (Though I do still appreciate advice. Thanks.)
Knowing it and being able to do it are not entirely the same thing.
I have trouble staying focused for 40 shots. I start thinking that I'm going to get 10 in a row, or beat my high score, or so-and-so only hit x-number and I can beat him . . . and I miss stuff I should be hitting. And I KNOW WHY, and trying to force myself not to think those things makes me think about them even more.
Like shooting free throws in basketball. I could shoot the same shot with someone guarding me and make a higher percentage of them than when standing on the line by myself with no one in front of me.

I know the only one that matters is this one. Counting hits and stuff like that messes me up, but it always manages to sneak into my thinking.

Dee wrote:Besides that practice a lot

Wish I had time. Range is almost 40 miles away and I'm working 60+ hours a week.
When I first got into this in 2009, I was working at a gun store in Hobbs and going to the range just about every day. I went from pretty bad to, um, mediocre pretty quick.
I thought I was a good shot before I started. But lots of people who think they're good shooters are humbled when they start competing in any shooting sports.
Anyway, I got out of it due to time and distance [and fill in any other excuse I could come up with]. This year I'm getting involved again as much as time allows.

Innocent wrote:I have not shot at Hobbs, but I have visited there with Mike B a few years ago.

Mike Bostick?
I know the name but I don't know the person. He got out of it shortly before I got into it. Apparently he was king of the hill around here before he stopped.
Some improvements have been made to the range in the past few years.

mgood,
Yes, I am referring to Mike Bostic, quite a shooter and a lot of fun. He gave me a tour of the range last year.

Mary

Aug 18 &19, 1984, Robert Massey, Roy Cole and I shot the NM State Championship at Hobbs. We had some luck but Robert knew I failed to see the wind changes and cost him the match. It is alway difficult to spot for Robert, he likes to yell at his spotter. Found my old score card to see what year we shot that match, how many of you have your old NRA Silhouette Classification Cards (not the books)?
C-Ya,
Charlie

Dee wrote:I am amazed your 100y groups are about the same size as the 40's shooting Eley Target. Never would have thought something that grouped so poorly at that short range would hold up at longer range almost defies logic.

Yeah.
Same rifle, same range, back in August, much cheaper ammo, and using rolled up towels instead of sandbags:









But the next day, on a different part of the same range, I couldn't keep them inside an inch at 50 yards. Go figure.