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Looks like table shooting matches have come to an end for 2017. I checked my calendar and I made 17 table shoots this past year plus the NMLRA Spring and Fall national shoots.
I've had a grand time going to all of the different clubs, meeting a lot of very fine folks and enjoying some very competitive shooting along the way.
For me, table shooting came along at just the right time. My offhand shooting was slowly declining and suddenly here was a black powder rifle match that I could be competitive at again.
There are 3 of us(69-70 years old- all retired) that get together here at my place every Tuesday afternoon to do a little table shooting. I have a covered firing line wide enough for 4 shooters and a metal bullet trap(lined with AR Plate) that will handle 4-6 sighters set up at 30 yards. It allows us to shoot rain or shine and hopefully with enough practice we will get a little better at this sport. We would welcome anyone who would like to come shoot with us. We are 35 miles south of Cincinnati and only 2 miles east of I-75.
We are looking forward to 2018 and making as many table shoots as we can next year and seeing all of our new found friends.
Carl
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That is a lot of table shooting have your strings gotten shorter and shooting more consistent?
RB
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I would say that the shooting has improved some and I'm a little more consistent than last year.
I shoot in the 3's more often than in the 4's and I have managed to get down in the high 2's a couple of times.
I've settled on one load combination for my .40 and practice now is trying to concentrate on the shot. Trying to make sure sight picture, hold, trigger pull are as consistent as possible. Trying not to lean on the table but simply rest on it.
I'm considering changing my loading procedure to see if I it will improve my scores. I currently shoot a slightly dampened patch and do not clean between shots. Going to try cleaning with a alcohol mixture a friend uses,he is a very good offhand shooter and see if it will help.
Practice, Practice !!!
Carl
Last edited by cking (11/20/2017 9:03 PM)
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Carl,
Have you evaluated the effect on your groups using a Dry Patch, then wiping between shots with a slightly damp patch of "wiping material", that is thinner than your shooting patch material. In my case, the material I use for that damp wiping patch is even thinner than my normal flannel cleaning patch.
With practice on my part to get all the other factors under control..(breath, sight picture, trigger control, etc, etc), shooting dry patch gives me results nearly indistinguishable from shooting Teflon.
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Don,
I had tried the "dry patch" method before(1 part soluable oil and 7-8 parts water) and was not able to see a measurable improvement. I have changed sighters and settled on one load combination since then so it should be given another try.
If wiping between shots with what I'm shooting now does not help I will visit it again.
Right now I think the mechanics of the shot are having more effect on accuracy than the load combination. I can get a very tight 3 shot group to place my target but then I'm not able to keep the following shots as close as I would like. I have been able to reduce the number of wide shots I would shoot during a match but I need to get a few more spiders so I think it is practice, practice and then look at what's happening and adjust one component at a time and see what changes make for a tighter shot.
It's a long time till the first table shoot in March so hopefully I'll have worked out all of the bugs by then and will be ready to make every shot a spider. 😁😁😁
Carl
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Carl,
I think you're right about the mechanics. 90% of my shooting through the year is done offhand with my longrifle. Every now and then however...I'll pull out the rifle I put together for Table/Chunk and do some shooting from a rest. Over time, I've found a good load combination, so that doesn't change. I use 1:7 Ballistol: water (or the Mobilmet S122 the Bevel Brothers had in pint jars in their booth at Friendship). I've also discovered an effective sighter target for the sights on this barrel, so that isn't changing either. What I have noticed though is that my groups inevitably tighten the more I practice my technique for getting off consistent shots from the rest.
Technique...technique...technique..
Good Luck, see you in June.
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