First 1,000yd match

[X-ring]

Question................................... Bipod or cross sticks ???

Heck, if I had a place to shoot a mile I'd be there shooting

The shooting part isn't intimidating, its being unaware of rules and procedures that can be intimidating. I remember my first trip to Friendship in 2015. I pulled up there and immediately wondered what I had gotten myself into! I damn near turned around and came back home. However a good friend now named Steve, took me under his wing and helped. 45-70 also helped even though he was extremely busy with the match.

The one place for certain that a person WOULD NOT want to screw up would be in the pits. I see now how dependent the shooters can be on that person.

Practice will start soon here at the home range to get used to shooting off the sticks. I have some plumbing stuff I need taken care of first. Need I mention I HATE PLUMBING!

Relax Encore. you will be among friends. Ask Hoppy if he will squad you with some people who have match experience. They will keep you on the right track. Remember these magic words........."OK what do I do now"? Works every time.
Pit duty is easy IF you
1. PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR TARGET.
2. Pull the target down when you hear a bullet go through it.
3. Pull the black/white shot marking disc out of the previous bullet hole
4. Put a paster over the old bullet hole
5. Insert the black/white shot marking disc in the new bullet hole.
6. Put the red shot scoring disc in the correct place around the edge of the target to indicate the value of the shot.
7. Run the target back up.
8. Sit back down and take another bite of granola bar.
9. Repeat from #1
REMEMBER THIS:
The spotter on the firing line may call down to you to "mark target #__ [your target]
Pull the target down and examine it closely. If you weren't paying attention and you see a fresh bullet hole, mark it as described above.
If you examine it closely and there is no bullet hole, place a red shot scoring disc in the lower left and lower right corners of the target and run it back up. That will indicate a complete miss.
If the spotter calls down to you to "re-disc" your target, it means the you have mistakenly put the black side of the shot marking disc in the black part of the target [or the white side of the disc in the white side of the target]. The spotter can't see the location of the shot. Just turn the disc around to the opposite color and run the target back up.
Stop worrying.............in 15 minutes you'll be a pro. X
1.

 

[BuffaloSoldier]

Thanks to everyone who has responded.

 

[ENCORE50A]

..............
Stop worrying.............in 15 minutes you'll be a pro. X

As long as those know I have no experience, no worries.

I don't know how many may show but, for a first trial shoot I hope there's a lot of conversation and helping one another.

AND............. another 2 to 4 inches of snow expected overnight

 

[ENCORE50A]

X and 45-70 .....................

With 3" of new snow on the ground, there' no shoot'n. Old man winter just doesn't want to let go up here.

K.I.S.S. Working on that

I figured I should put something together for a table and only have the bare minimum required on the table for the match.
Am I on the right track?

 

[45-70]

that should work and maybe something to put wiping patches in

 

[45-70]

When I first started I used an old card table

 

[ENCORE50A]

that should work and maybe something to put wiping patches in

Yup. I use a Folgers coffee jug. I have a small outdoor rug, about the size of a placemat, that will set on the ground under the rifle.

 

[X-ring]

X and 45-70 .....................

With 3" of new snow on the ground, there' no shoot'n. Old man winter just doesn't want to let go up here.

K.I.S.S. Working on that

I figured I should put something together for a table and only have the bare minimum required on the table for the match.
Am I on the right track?

View attachment 21032

View attachment 21033

View attachment 21035

I'd say that you have everything you need. I would suggest that you place your reloading table so it faces down range. That way you can reload and generally keep an eye on range conditions and take a quick peek through your spotting scope to confirm the location of your last shot.
Something I just thought of....................if it's windy...........like windy enough to blow that light table over, you just might want to have some short pieces of para cord and a few cheap aluminum tent stakes on hand to stake it down during your relay. You'd sure look funny reloading on your hands and knees while you sift through the grass looking for your wads and bullets. X

 

[ENCORE50A]

If its that windy, I'll just put the entire shoot'n box on the table and it'll stay in place. But if its that windy, we'll all be wondering where our bullets hit.

 

[45-70]

If its that windy, I'll just put the entire shoot'n box on the table and it'll stay in place. But if its that windy, we'll all be wondering where our bullets hit.

I have seen it that windy at Atterbury

 

[X-ring]

If its that windy, I'll just put the entire shoot'n box on the table and it'll stay in place. But if its that windy, we'll all be wondering where our bullets hit.

I forgot. Don't forget to have your countdown timer on your reloading table or your shooting mat.
The following is my OPINION only. If I had the option of pair firing where 2 shooters alternate firing/reloading in a 60 minute relay, or each shooter firing his relay in 30 minutes straight, I'd take the latter every time. Reason..........if the shooter you are pair firing with in the 60 minute relay is a little bit slow reloading or making sight corrections, he may be using up some of your 30 minutes. If you have 30 minutes straight, you will always know exactly how much time you have left. I realize that you may have to "blend in" with the accepted way they do things there. 45-70 can probably fill you in much better on how each squad decides. You will pretty much have to do it the way your squad wants to do it.
Also........[another OPINION] .If at all possible, make every effort to complete your relay in your allotted 30 minutes. The in-line M/L people who complete their relay on time will be setting unofficial records that set the bar for future L.R. in-line muzzleloaders. If some of the in-line M/Lers run overtime by 10 seconds or 10 minutes, it's all the same. How could you compare their [overtime] scores to the people who got done in the official time limit? It wouldn't surprise me if Hoppy ran the match according to the rules posted. 60 minute time limit. Period. Remember, you are firing with the ctg. guys too. According to NRA rules, anyone who is in the process of reloading a M/L when time expires is required to notify the range officer and fire the load into the berm.
At any rate, Hop will run things very fairly as he sees fit. I truly hope that this L.R. M/L. event catches on and becomes an annual event.
P.S. Encore................I remember coming off the last relay at Grayling once with 18 minutes of left windage on. Gusts to 35 MPH The wind actually broke some of the target frames in half. Be prepared. X

 

[ENCORE50A]

I would rather use up my 30 if I have the choice. A lot less likely to screw up a loading if you're not hurried by, or waiting on someone else. What ever the group decides will be fine.

X... you were the second person to suggest practicing with a .22LR. When the notice first came out, I had conversation with Levi and he mentioned shooting the .22 at 100yds.

That snow we had was gone and I found a dry spot in the yard

I gathered up the sticks, mat and standard velocity ammunition and posted a target. The mat ended up being 120yds from the target. I was actually shooting under my bench
With a 30yd zero it took a bit to be satisfied with the groups. Also shooting the standard velocity .22LR made a heck of a difference. The reason I shot STANDARD VELOCITY vs High Velocity, is at the recommendation of a friend who is a champion .22 shooter. He states that when shooting at or over 100yds, the high velocity will go sub-sonic and groups enlarge. What the heck, I'm listening.

FIRST TIME EVER SHOOTING PRONE
FIRST TIME EVER SHOOTING OFF CROSS STICKS............

Ruger 10/22
Fiocchi .22 LR STANDARD VELOCITY
Vortex 4-12x44 ............... SHOT AT 4X
Range 120yds.

 

[45-70]

I would rather use up my 30 if I have the choice. A lot less likely to screw up a loading if you're not hurried by, or waiting on someone else. What ever the group decides will be fine.

X... you were the second person to suggest practicing with a .22LR. When the notice first came out, I had conversation with Levi and he mentioned shooting the .22 at 100yds.

That snow we had was gone and I found a dry spot in the yard

I gathered up the sticks, mat and standard velocity ammunition and posted a target. The mat ended up being 120yds from the target. I was actually shooting under my bench
With a 30yd zero it took a bit to be satisfied with the groups. Also shooting the standard velocity .22LR made a heck of a difference. The reason I shot STANDARD VELOCITY vs High Velocity, is at the recommendation of a friend who is a champion .22 shooter. He states that when shooting at or over 100yds, the high velocity will go sub-sonic and groups enlarge. What the heck, I'm listening.

FIRST TIME EVER SHOOTING PRONE
FIRST TIME EVER SHOOTING OFF CROSS STICKS............

Ruger 10/22
Remington Thunderbolt LR
Vortex 4-12x44 ............... SHOT AT 4X
Range 120yds.

View attachment 21049

nice

 

[ENCORE50A]

When I finished up, I took that junk Vortex off and replaced it with a Nikon Monarch I had laying around. Never liked that Vortex one bit. The Nikon is zeroed.

 

[45-70]

When I finished up, I took that junk Vortex off and replaced it with a Nikon Monarch I had laying around. Never liked that Vortex one bit. The Nikon is zeroed.

what model junk vortex?

 

[ENCORE50A]

what model junk vortex?

Crossfire II

 

[45-70]

yep waste of money on low end vortex

 

[X-ring]

I would rather use up my 30 if I have the choice. A lot less likely to screw up a loading if you're not hurried by, or waiting on someone else. What ever the group decides will be fine.

X... you were the second person to suggest practicing with a .22LR. When the notice first came out, I had conversation with Levi and he mentioned shooting the .22 at 100yds.

That snow we had was gone and I found a dry spot in the yard

I gathered up the sticks, mat and standard velocity ammunition and posted a target. The mat ended up being 120yds from the target. I was actually shooting under my bench
With a 30yd zero it took a bit to be satisfied with the groups. Also shooting the standard velocity .22LR made a heck of a difference. The reason I shot STANDARD VELOCITY vs High Velocity, is at the recommendation of a friend who is a champion .22 shooter. He states that when shooting at or over 100yds, the high velocity will go sub-sonic and groups enlarge. What the heck, I'm listening.

FIRST TIME EVER SHOOTING PRONE
FIRST TIME EVER SHOOTING OFF CROSS STICKS............

Ruger 10/22
Fiocchi .22 LR STANDARD VELOCITY
Vortex 4-12x44 ............... SHOT AT 4X
Range 120yds.

View attachment 21049

When a supersonic bullet goes trans-sonic [drops below the speed of sound] there is a brief period of instability before the bullet "goes to sleep" the rest of the way to the target. The goal for high power competitors is to keep the bullet above the speed of sound all the way to the target. That is impossible with the BH 209 loads you are going to shoot as well as the B.P. loads I shoot. It's just a fact of life so I don't worry about it.
Did you notice how important it is to get the X-sticks at the right height to feel comfortable? Never settle for "good enough". Get them perfect for your natural P.O.A.
It's too bad you don't have someone to practice prone X-stick shooting with. The home boys and I usually get together with our .22's and shoot at golf balls, bottle caps, etc. at 100 yds. to keep in practice. It's a hoot to shoot at something that reacts rather than paper all the time. Keep up the practice. It will pay off. X

 

[ENCORE50A]

.........................
Did you notice how important it is to get the X-sticks at the right height to feel comfortable? Never settle for "good enough". Get them perfect for your natural P.O.A.

Yes. It made a significant difference, even a 1/2". When I had them adjusted to what I felt comfortable with, I marked them with tape. However, the Ruger 10/22 and DUNAMIS are two different beasts. I did get the muzz out and things look pretty good. The eye relief "could" be slightly closer but I'm not moving anything.
From this point on it'll be the muzz. I'll start here at home with light loads of 70grs W and 300gr bullets until they open up the club range roads. I need to get used to getting up and down with the muzz, which is a LOT heavier than the 10/22. Need to use the timer also.

I would imagine.............. that they're going to want you to prime once in the prone position??? Can't imagine that they'd allow you to prime before getting into position.

 

[45-70]

you would be correct, on priming, some leave primers on the mat to prim when down on mat. good trick for body alignment is when you get on target close aiming eye and open if you are still on target , if so body alignment is good. If not move your body until you are on target, not the rifle to target.