springy

Yikes!! Registration comes up in like 4 hours. Holey bullets. Are there any rules for this match? I don't see an option for a big, sorry, I mean Heavy Metal division. Like HML or HMT? Like HML with irons or 1x? Like is Limited ok to go with 1x, or do they have to be actual irons in the irons class. Magazine restrictions? Just saying, it would be helpful.

Alright, I am NOT interested in getting on any match directors "bad" list. It's hard enough for a super senior to shoot these matches when he's even getting whipped by his wife............ BUT, what happens if someone wants to shoot a rifle other than an AR-223 in Limited or Tac-ops? I've shot my m1a in many limited matches, with a 30 round magazine - same length as a Surefire 60. There are also a few of us that really want a taller magazine to bi-pod from. For me, a 40 rounder or the Surefire 60 is the perfect height. For this rule we can double the mags and screw a piece of balsa on the bottom of the doubler and the mag length will still be ok?

In years gone past, onct in a while you would run into USPSA rules, that you were only allowed 9 rounds in the gun, total, ever. So I'm thinking a lot of us had/have 8 round only tubes. Then we started bumping into matches that allowed 9 in the gun at the start, but empty chamber. So I'm thinking a lot of us had/have 9 round tubes. Now, as far as I can find, there are no matches where we are limited to anything. 9 in the gun at the start whether it's empty chamber or not, and after the start you can load as many as you can carry. Over the years, once in a while I've come across stages that you had to take 3 or 4 steps before the first shot was available. I use the 4 shell caddies so I wanted to be able to load 4 shells after the start, which for me demands a 12 round tube - 13 in the gun with 24" barrel. Lots of stages have a lot of shots at the start, then a gap, and a finale of 10 or 12 shots, and it's nice to load 'er up for the finish. I also have a philosophy when you bring the gun down to load, if you have a couple of steps, load it full. I haven't had any issues other than a ported wall maybe once a year. I was a little concerned with what was going to happen to the thin aluminum tubes taking a lot of muzzle blast. There is a 1/4" of carbon built up about 1" in front of the muzzle. I leave it on as a thermal heat guard. Every couple of month I take a rasp and cut it back to 1/16". And for all the skiiers out there, there is a thing call swing weight, which figures into how much tube, loaded with how many shells do you want to deal with while shooting targets left and right. Maybe you look at the stage and decide not to load up because it will slow you down. Maybe you walk the match, and see that target placement precludes the long tube, so you change out to a 10 rounder before the 1st stage. Maybe you think that long tube sticking 10" past the end of the barrel is really ugly, or maybe you think it's totally cool.........

Hmmm.... seems maybe you and I have shot.a rifle only match or two? It was fun, wasn't it? They were mucho fun, just not often enough to satisfy the desire.

Really nice post! Really nice Rambler in the background! If you guys are paying attention, there is a new game in town, that is even adverting their Championship match in the near future: USCA - United States Carbine Association. Matches are rifle and a little pistol to keep it honest. And the matches are popping up all over. http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=175129

I've heard there are some new quirks in the rulebook for 2013. What I heard was.....some rifle magazine restrictions. This is what I dug up, it looks about like what I was hearing. http://www.yorkiwlaipsc.com/forms/3g%20MATCH%20RULES%20Final.pdf

Oh man, I've got some feelings about this one! I have also shot a match with "muligans". When 2 or 3 shooters claim them, if it happens to be a long/hard stage, it WILL back up the next squads. You basically just added 2 or 3 shooters to the squad. There is always a lot of anguish when a shooter has a jamb or some other problem with a gun within the 1st 3-4 seconds from start. I'm pretty sure everyone is in favor of a restart for the unfortunate guy desperately trying to get his gun going. HOWEVER, we are talking about major championships. I'm sorry, but if someone comes to one of these matches with equipment that is not up to par, my opinion is this experience is the only thing that will get him in gear to fix his gear. Being a local match director for 5 years, putting on 14 stages per month, I saw it over and over again that guys would have the same equipment malfs match after match at the local level. It's a championship match, run what you brung, and go to the prize table accordingly. Or name me another sport that has redo's in their championship events. and from another angle: the guy that didn't clean/lube his gun the week before the match (or whatever he didn't think he needed to do) has a malf, and gets a reshoot. the guy that did all the prep work for the major match has no problems. at the end, the guy with the malf goes in front of the hard worker, and grabs the last gun off the prize table.... yes, that's how I really feel.

The ASC/CProduct SS 40s hold 43 and all of mine have been flawless. I've been using a C-Product 40 for a year (just the one mag), and also using it to mono pod on. Absolutely 100% I've also got a couple of Stoners, 1 is loaded up with 42 rounds for a month now just waiting to get to the range and see if it works. I'll report back. I almost can't mono off the doubled 30 pmags, but the C-Product stainless is plenty tough to lean into. Ha! just checked. when I posted the GunB link for the Pmag-40's, they were $21 ea, now they are $35 each. And the auctions for the C-Prod-40's have gone from 75-100 each to 21 with no bids. what an interesting world we are living in

They're already on GunBroker, from yesterday, with live pictures................. http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=348415212

I'm thinking there is a holdup trying to get the castor to not hang up in the sand........

the 55 moves around a lot more in the wind than a 69-77gr the 55 is $70 per k, 69-77 is 200 per k at 350 yds the 55 just barely moves the flash, the 69-77 a lot better chance to see the flash move the 55 coefficient is much less than 69-77 which makes them much more accurate at 300+ when a match costs 1000+ for total expenses, I want the cheapest ammo I can get to hit at 15 yards, and I want instant confirmation that I hit the 375yd flash both .085 and .872 are fractions

If you were napping in the back seat, and I was navaigating, I'd stick with the Union Springs/Eufaula. Watch the signs closely at the intersections or you'll be driving all night. Looking at my handydandy McNally, 82 looks to be a better road than 10. Out of Eufaula you go across the river and it's about 2-3 miles to the 39 cutoff. When you go thru Ft Gaines keep an eye on the signs. It's all really nice 2 lanes thru the cotton fields, with maybe a deer or 3 wondering around. When you finally hit 27 (there is a Huddle House on the corner) hang a left and it's about 3 miles to the range road: Sherman Road (only on the right) be safe!

They for sure are an interesting target. They are also a very expensive target. They are also 10 pieces of steel to reset, plus knowledge of the required procedure to get them reset, plus the fooling around it takes to get the thing to stay still at exactly horizontal until the next shooter gets a chance to deal with it.

He did, but it was a stage gun.

I did the RO and the CRO schools. I built Area 6 pistol stages in the back yard, tested them, painted them, and then loaded them up on a trailer and hauled them 200 miles to the range, reassembled them, and then ran them. I'm just saying this wasn't my first rodeo. Back in the day (that's intended as a ha ha, so have at it) my CRO instructor (John Hurst) taught us that the Score Keeper called out the Shooter and Division as the shooter came to the line. That caused several things: the RO could address the shooter by name, the shooter and the score sheet matched, and the Score Keeper and the RO knew what division the shooter was competing in. A quick glance at the shooters equipment along with knowing the declared division was all it took to keep everyone straight. Are today's RO/CRO's not taught that procedure? If not, what did they replace it with?

Would you please quit saying Mike, Mike, Mike? It's depressing.......

Looks like there is going to be a bunch of us "experienced" HM guys in the match.

I'm in the market for a new spotting scope. Tried the big Leupold, found it to work about the same as my Bushnell 25-75-80. Both were barely acceptable for 30 cal at 300 yards. I see lots about the Vortex spotters, but I can't do $1500 for the big one. Has anybody got any comments/experience with the Vortex Diamondback 20-60x80, Vortex Viper HD 20-60x80, or Vortex Viper 20-60x80. These run in the $400-800 range, and would be acceptable pricewise if they would let me see 223 hits at 300. thanks, michael

as per usual - great fun looking stages!

Revo-8 Division and Revo-6 Division. There, that was easy, now everybody's happy and everybody shoots.

You may call that a personality trait, I call that good planning!! On the pulled powder, not being paranoid (ha), but I suggest running it thru some kind of screen. You don't have to be weird about it, but I have found several pieces of brass brush wire in the jugs. They clean the equipment with brass brushes, and sometimes they shed. good luck!

The projectile is magnetic. A little rough on the barrel, sparks when it hits rocks and steel, sometimes sets fires. A lot of ranges get a little agravated. Most of the steel bullets have a copper coating. Some think that is enough to protect your bore, but for a few dollars per 1000, I'd go with copper jackets. I've seen some steel cases, not sure if they are burden or boxer primed, but for sure will not do your sizing die any good at all.

I used to use a Carbine for 3gun matches, years ago when just about all local matches were shot in pistol bays. 75 yards was about it. Had a ball with the rifle. Reloaded with cast lead and pulled surplus powder, and ran them around 1300 fps. Welded up a nice 42 round mag. Lots of fun until everyone started reaching out to 300 yards, and that was the end of that. The casing is a straight wall pistol case. However it's tough and long, even with a carbide resizing die you need to lube the cases. With that long resizing stroke, the cases get shortened. Pushing bullets from 1300 to 2950 fps, the cases get stretched. Where I'm going here is the cases are all kinds of sizes. I found for reloading, there is a minimum case length and a max case length, and the same goes for each rifle. They ain't all the same. If the case is too long, the bolt won't lock. If it's too short, the extractor won't hook. I took a caliper and measured the brass until I found both limits, backed them off a couple of thousandths, and checked them after each load/fire sequence. Never had any problems. There is not much carb brass left laying on the range these days. For brass that is too short, you're gonna have to trash it. And of course you can trim brass that is too long. For accuracy work, with no crimp, I feel that case length is not that critical, but oal would need to be closely controlled. Other than controlling the case length, the rest was pretty much the same as pistol except for lubing the cases. You can still find surplus military powder WC820 from Pat's reloading for CQB blasting, the only commercial powder I remember was IMR4227 for accuracy work. Bullets are here and there, commercial and mil surplus. Most of the mil surplus was magnetic jackets. If that concerns you, you always have to ask it they are magnetic before you buy. and I'm sure there are several others that have experience to pass along.

That's because m1a's are timeless........

There are more than a few of us in Florida that would be interested in a good 3gun match in Central Alabama. Yes! please post it up.