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I shot the new to me Browning in my second match yesterday.
I had a few areas I wanted to improve on after last months match where I shot a score of 17. One problem was the 4 pound trigger. That was easy to improve by replacing the spring. It is now 2-1/2 pounds which is similar to most of my other rifles. Another problem I had was poor follow through when the trigger broke. I did well on that yesterday. I don't believe I lost a target due to follow through. The other major issue was fouling control. This match I wiped with a damp patch on a 35 caliber jag between shots. Point of impact was very consistent, that is, I didn't have shots climbing as I fired a string.
In addition I sacrificed an aluminum arrow and made a drop tube to load the powder. I also think that helped. The other improvement I made was to clean the half of the bullet mold that wasn't filling out well. Now it fills out better than the other half - I will have to clean the other half better too. I still haven't used a wad. The rifle seems to be grouping at about 1-1/2 MOA now. I am not sure what a wad will do for me.
It was a very satisfying day when the scores were in the book. My goal was to break 20 at this match and I ended up with a 28! We were lucky with the weather. It was about 70 degrees with light winds. I have some more things to improve now and the goal is to break 30 at my next match. I lost a couple targets due to moving the sights when I should have left well enough alone. I lost some chickens because I put the wrong sight setting in and hit my sighter target with my first shot. I then started to shoot for record and found I was to low. After raising the elevation three times to get on the target I ended up where I should have been if I had put the right sight setting in to begin with. I lost two targets because my eye went blurry, maybe because of a floater. Going to use a timer next time so I know where I am at - maybe I have time to let floaters get out of the way. We will see!
Marc,
When I shot silhouette I never used a spotter.
To keep time I had a small cassete player and wore the plugs under my muffs.
I listened to " Sympathy for the Devil " by The Rolling Stones, I knew right where the 2 1/2 minute mark was.
Congrats on your shooting,
Black Powder Silhouette is still on my to do list.
I'd love to get into a Silhouette Match, but there is only one place within reasonable driving distance, and it would cost me $500 to join the club, and $250 a year after that. And, it's an hour and a half drive from me.
That's excellent shooting Marc! A high 20's score would easily win the match where I shoot. I've been shooting BPCR for over 20 years, first with a Palmetto Arms Gemmer rifle in .45-70, then a Shiloh Sharps in .45-100, and then a Browning BPCR .40-65 like yours, but my scores haven't gotten out of the teens for a long time. I still have not found the perfect loading for my Browning, and I recently had my Shiloh re-barreled to .45-70 in hopes of reducing recoil. I have to shoot from a sitting position as arthritis in my spine prevents my shooting from a prone position. I use a blow tube, but I probably should switch to wiping between shots as it gets really hot and dry here in the summer time. Now that the weather is improving, I hope to work on both my loads and my technique.
Keep us posted on your BPCR shooting! I find the information very helpful.
SHASTA
California Rifle & Pistol Association LIFE Member
National Rifle Association BENEFACTOR LIFE Member
Excellently done Marc! I shot BPCR for a few years, but never seem to be home the proper weekend, or it conflilcts with a cowboy match... choices, choices! Chickens are the devil incarnate!
TedH, there should be NO reason you should have to join a club just to shoot a match. For a place to practice at, etc.., sure, but not to compete. I've shot from NJ to WA, FL to CA, and a few places in-between; yes, have been invited to join, but never made a condition to compete.
Griff,
SASS/CMSA #93
NRA Patron
GUSA #93
There is a fine line between hobby & obsession! AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
Mescalero wrote:Ted,
That is just outragous,
it should not be so expensive.
Shoot one match and you are a silhouette guy for life, nothing like it.
It's a real nice place, but I'm not going to pay that kind of money.
Griff I might shoot them an email and see if a regular guy can come just shoot a match. Didn't see anything like that when I was checking out their website, but it's worth asking.
We always accepted walk ups for the match fee, which was not much.
They did have to shoot in a special class untill they got 3 matches under thier belt and could be properly classified.
Griff was right. I sent them an email and you don't need to be a member to shoot a match. I guess I should have done that in the first place. I won't be able to go to the match this month as the date conflicts with other plans already made.
I am indeed fortunate to get such an accurate rifle. Got lucky there! The rifle is amazing! I am shooting from prone with my left hand supporting the butt. I am real solid in that position, but I did have a sore back after the match. I wouldn't be as steady from sitting so I will put up with the sore back.
One of the other shooters told me that a blow tube doesn't work in our dry climate so I haven't tried it. I based my load on information I found on the internet. I am not resizing the brass. I am using a Winchester WLR primer because that's what I have. I ended up with 57 gr. of Swiss 2fg dropped through a drop tube. I read that Swiss doesn't like much compression so I just set the bullet on top of the powder and compress it a little bit. I haven't measured the compression exactly, maybe .020" to .030". The bullet is set into the lands as far as it will go. I would have to seat them deeper if I used a blow tube.
On the tang sight I come up .48" from chickens to rams.
I thought the normal procedure was to put new shooters in Master class(the highest class) for their first shoot and then classify them based on the results of that shoot. I suppose different clubs have different procedures.
Always wanted to shoot some silhouette. Tried it with T/C contenders a time or two but had trouble with my back and with my bifocals, which wouldn't be an issue with a rifle. Shooting a 28 your second match is something to be mighty proud of! Those Brownings with the Badger barrels have a great reputation.
