Aim small-miss small

[Eric Johanen]

As I have been improving my skills and loads I have taken to using the SR42 bull at 200 yards. This is the 300 yard reduced target. I think it improves my mental concentration because the scoring rings are tighter and a group looks better when all in the X/10 ring on this small target. Mental part of the game is important and becomes part of the preparation prior to letting the first round off. Shot a pretty good target today using 3 different loads with three different bullets. Once finished with sighter's, they all landed near center. On the SR42 the X ring is 1 7/8 inches and the 10 ring is 4 1/2 inches. Knowing that the rifle, load and you will shoot well builds confidence and plays a big part in match preparation. Ended up with 5 outside and middle 9's. 2 inside 9's, 4 outside 10's, 7 inside 10's and 1 X. All shots blow tubed today due to very good humidity. Ammo was odd rounds with a BACO 545 grain swaged greaser, BACO 545 grain reduced band Creedmoor and a Sagebrush PJ 540 grain Creedmoor. Loads were 70 to 72 grains of OE 1.5fg. This Shiloh 30 inch standard barreled 45-70 seems to shoot just about anything well.

[Don McDowell]

looking like you and that rifle has something special going on.

[Eric Johanen]

The original owner bought it for CAS single shot long range and had it about 10 years with never a shot fired. Ordered with extra finish, pewter fore end, and wood up-grade. Sporting Rifle with standard octagon 30" barrel. Really did not need it but....could not pass it up! It seems to shoot everything very well and when a shot is thrown, it is always due to my poor sight alignment. That poor guy never did know what he missed by never pulling it's trigger. Shooting it this season with the target sights and will use the Shiloh Military Rife in 50-70 for barrel sight competition.

[Rick Mulhern]

Find you ONE LOAD....that works well at all ranges....and STICK WITH IT!!

[Eric Johanen]

Rick, that is good advise and that ammo was left overs from load development and needed to be used. I think it somewhat depends on the rifle, cartridge and intended uses. With this rifle, it is a dual use project: Hunting and target. I have worked up a very accurate hunting load using the BACO 458/500 round nose bullet with 70 grains of KIK 2 fg and the semi buckhorn sight is set for 100 and 200 yards. I can change out the front sight from target to blade if needed for a hunt. With the target sights I have worked up 2 loads: One uses a BACO Money bullet pp and OE 1.5 fg and a BACO Money bullet greaser with OE 1.5 fg. Both loads shoot very well and can be used on steel, midrange and long range paper. The 50-70 Military rifle uses a BACO 511/500 flat nose with KIK 2 fg and the barrel sights are set for 100 and 200 yards. Shoots just at the top of the front blade at both ranges. For gong matches I have a great load that uses the Accurate 511/465S. With 1.5 OE it shoots just a whisker higher that the FN hunting load at both 100 and 200 yards. I am close to a 500 grain pp load that places them in the same spot at both ranges and I'll have 3 loads for hunting using the same sight setting and 2 loads, paper patch and greaser for steel matches. Shiloh 45-90 can use 3 loads for Creedmoor: BACO 535 grain Money bullet with 1.5 OE or Swiss, BACO 545 grain reduced band Creedmoor and 1.5 Swiss and BACO 535 grain pp Money bullet with 1.5 Swiss. The Money bullet greaser when wiping, the Creedmoor when blow tubing and with a bit more tweaking the BACO Money pp. I do like having the options depending on what powders are on hand and what bullets I have a good supply of. Beyond 200 yards, sight settings/range notes are in my note book and the system is working pretty well.

[Rick Mulhern]

Eric

I understand what you're doing and your method! I should have been a little more specific in my post meaning that.....find ONE LOAD that works for whatever usage intended. I've seen guys in center-fire competition ALWAYS chasing some new load and in the final analysis they never have a solid zero or know what their rifle is going to deliver!!

[Eric Johanen]

For High power with the M1A I started with the 168 Sierra HPBT Match and IMR4895. Switched to AA2520 and it remains my load of choice still. Also 1/2 MOA out of my bolt guns. When I transitioned to the AR 15 I started with the 69 Sierra HPBT Match and W748. As my skill improved I went to Varget, later using the Sierra 77 HPBT Match. Now I use the 77 Sierra with IMR8208. As my skill improved it required better ammunition. I am finding the same pattern with the black powder cartridge rifles. What worked well several years ago is not good enough today. Improved skill level needs better ammunition. Last season I really worked with them and have developed some pretty good loads for different uses. One really interesting thing I've noticed is that with optimal loads the cold bore shot is in the group or very close. This may not be true for all rifles but with mine it is proving true. Elevations are repeatable and for the first one downrange I just have to dope the windage and things work pretty well. My 50-90 is still a work in progress....1 good greaser and 1 good paper patch load that are very close to the same point of impact. I will be using these loads until I can out shoot them and a need arises for even better quality ammunition. The confident feeling when you send that first one off is what it is all about. These rifles and loads shoot very well but the shooter still needs to improve reading range conditions to get the hits or the scores up. It is a never ending process but loads of fun!

[Rick Mulhern]

Eric

"Elevations are repeatable"

And THAT IMO is one of the most important items in shooting great scores in any discipline!! On many days here at home I shot 1000 yards under 'hairy conditions' just checking elevation deviation! I wasn't worried much about windage on those days; rather just checking to see how the elevation held up!! IMR4895 was my favorite powder in both the M1A and my Match Rifle! I shot a lot of cleans RF 300 with high X counts using it...in both rifles! A few groups which could be covered with a 2" white spotter!!

[Eric Johanen]

Rick, one of the things I've noticed is I no longer wonder about elevation settings at several matches I shoot because the elevations are known with in a few points. Depending on the conditions. light or tail/head winds swag a point or two and the elevations hold the 10 ring. First sighter at 1000 yards at Lodi was a 10. Things went to hell during the string due to very complex conditions (varying head and tail winds, mirage switching constantly, wind flags and mirage not agreeing). Being short on experience it took a long while to identify the dominate condition. One of my spotter's figured it out for the 800 and coached me to a very good score. My fault a miss on the last record shot. Got a little excited and got on the trigger just a bit too soon and dumped that one into the dirt! Well we do learn something every time out.