another lesson learned from a big match

[shooterbenedetto]

i shot preety solid mentally and physically but a few things happened at the match

1) Gun gave me jams to at least 6 stages!!

problem? I reloaded with used BRASS..(result were longer times but solid points)

2) Got to the match late so there were no preparation on how to attack the stages!!

3) Didnt get a walk through my last stage? and shot the stages preety solid but, there was an orange line that I did not know because you can hardly see it from the sand? and I crossed it? recieved 5 penalty..Got 21 a's and only 3c down on this one too!

Lesson learned from all this:

1) Always reload a BRAND NEW brass for a big match!! and chamber check all ammo.

2) Always arraive a day before so you can plan and take notes for the stages!!

3) From now on, on the walk through, I will always ask th RO to walk through with me and show him how I will engage all the targets and make sure I dont break any rules!! then I will take my stand and MAKE READY!! if not, I will replan and ask to shoot last because I'm simply not prepared and DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE COURSE OF FIRE!!

THIS WILL NOW BE ADDED TO MY SHOOTING REPETUA!!EVEN IN PRACTICE!!

4) Shoot as fast as I can see A"s!!

5) Do not take anything for granted. write down all notes and check thouroughly before the big match!!!

OVERALL i TANKED 1 STAGE ,HAD 2 MIKES OUT OF 10 STAGES AND A FEW LONGER TIMES ON SOME STAGES BECAUSE OF JAMS!!

[LPatterson]

I think you should rethink the shoot new brass for a big match idea and change it to shoot the brass in your gun then reload it for the match after you have chronoed some rounds. I bought some new Star brass and loaded it for practice then on the first reload the bullets were impacting 6" from where I zeroed the gun with the first loading. YMMV

[big_kahuna]

Shooterbenedetto,

I met you for the first time this weekend (I was the pudgy guy in the Hawaiian Shirt keeping score on stage 8). I really enjoyed meeting you, and your shooting was damn good. I think your "lessons learned" are great reminders for me as well.

Glad to have met you, and I look forward to seeing you (and your crew) again soon.

Kindest Regards,

big_kahuna

Caesar Santiago

[Flexmoney]

I'm with LPat on the brass. I know lots of shooters like the idea of new brass for big matches. To me, new brass means untested. I'd rather use brass that has been shot once through a known gun.

Your brass issue sounds like it ought to have been caught through case gauging your ammo (or chanber checking it). It also sounds like your reload setup could use some work. Jams on six stages is waaaay too many. Something isn't right with your setup.

Why didn't you get a walk through on the last stage ?

What was the deal with the fault line? Was it painted in the sand, or was it a board that got buried?

[Singlestack]

+1 more on not using new brass at a lost brass match. Your used brass should be every bit as reliable as new brass. If its not, check your setup. Somethings not right.

[aerosigns]

My rule for students is:

"NOTHING new on race day!"

Not new brass, new underwear, new rangebag, New food. Remember the Olympic runner a few years ago, who decided to wear new running shoes for the Gold Medal run. He got creamed because his shoes hurt his feet.

We were at a match one time and went to dinner. A bunch of the guys were trying out fried alligator and stuff. The morning of the big match is not the time to realize your allergic to alligator or something.

[vluc]

+1 on nothing new.

Have a shooting partner who insists on using new brass for big matches. There is an issue, it seems, when you use new brass and you do not chrono it. Going off of his old loads, he thought he was good. One match he ended up minor open, the other, just barely made open.

Shoot what brought you to where you are.

I make no distinction between practice ammo and match ammo. I can grab any container I have, and it all will shoot the same.

[dajarrel]

The only concession I make to brass is that it is the same head stamp. It doesn't have to be once-fired, and I have never bought any new brass. It really doesn't matter which brand for me to use. I use Winchester because it is the most plentiful in my buckets.

The reason I shoot loads using one head stamp at a match is for consistency, particularly at the chrono stage.

YMMV

dj

[shooterbenedetto]

I GOT IT, I will chamber check all loaded ammo at the range with no firing pin ( for safety). I will load up and eject every single ROUND!!

[adiksaputok]

SB, you are not the only one complaining about the jam that day my gun function 100% on practice but not on that day i got 3 or 4 stages with jams all of us in the squad had jams and i spoke to 2 other shooters having the same problem i am guessing that it had to do with the powdery dust (i will keep all equipment clean and inside my bag next time) it was a good day the crew are friendly, overall it was a very good match.....we will do better next time.

regariding chamber check w/o f. pin i dont know if it is a good idea: when bullet hits the chamber your OAL might get shorter and causes change in velocity it might be minimal but still. just my .02

Edited May 28, 2007 by adiksaputok

[sfinney]

Just take your barrel out and drop the rounds in the chamber.

Whatever you do, don't hand cycle any rounds at a match even with the firing pin out, in a safe area etc.... match DQ for handling ammo in the safe area. I guess it would be ok at your range in practice, but it seems easier just to remove the barrel or use a gauge.

[Azone41]

Buy a Dillon case guage and run all your reloads through it the NIGHT before the match. The case guage is normally a little tighter then your barrel so that makes sure your ammo will work on match day. As shaun said untill you get a guage you can use your barrel. The Dillons are stainless steel and are the best I have seen.

[pjb]

+1 on the new stuff.

I used walnut for the first time and polished my brass after reloading. I did not clean the walnut off the enough well enough. Sure as s!%$t, I had jams.

Additionally, I did a very good clean job on the gun but did not get the mag well quite right. The mags with the Dawson base pads dropped right out.

Then on the second day, I decided to to a top end clean the night before. I did not get the slide release all the way in, it started working its way out on my first stage.

Lessons learned!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ffl]

NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER Tumble you loaded ammo.

You will remove the retarder on the outside of the grains of powder and it could possibly blow up your gun and you. You could also reduce the grain size of the powder which leads to more surface area to ignite and cause faster bullet speeds.

david

[wide45]

NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER Tumble you loaded ammo.

You will remove the retarder on the outside of the grains of powder and it could possibly blow up your gun and you. You could also reduce the grain size of the powder which leads to more surface area to ignite and cause faster bullet speeds.

david

Yes, I've seen that warning. For pistol ammo, tumbling a short time to remove lube is often done with no powder issues.

I have seen a bunch of factory ammo that was obviously tumbled after loading.

A little bit of One Shot is all it takes. I don't goo up my brass with excess lube, so I have never tumbled after. I would have no problem with doing it, if there was ever a need.

Edited June 8, 2007 by wide45

[Steve Anderson]

Lee factory crimp die.

Throw the case guage away.

Actually, I chamber checked my whole nationals ammo batch in the car right behind flex...I told him i was using the barrel and coughed to hide the sound of me hand cycling the gun.

(the last sentence was a joke. I was using the barrel only... )

It is important to trust your press...check your dies often and put some ammo to the calipers before a big match. That's a dumb problem to have...

SA

[shooterbenedetto]

Funny thing is, i never had any problem at my local range? i will now do this every week to my local shoot.

Lesson learned, never take anything for granted. always check your loader, Mic all ammo and chamber check

all of bullets EVEN WHEN IT IS ONLY A LOCAL MATCH!! I believe this would be a good practice!!

[Bret Heidkamp]

+1 on the One-Shot. Also, once fired or more fired. I remember one of the top GM's once posted about a piece of new brass that caused a jam at the Nats. Turns out it was missing the flash hole. The only way you know it goes bang is to fire it first.

[Bret Heidkamp]

FYI the Dillon or Wilson gauges are generally tighter than most chamber jobs. Just got done with a chamber job - per my gunsmith the factory "short chamber" was .018" out of concentricity. Yikes.

[gino_aki]

You might add "clean your mags inside and out" to your pre-match routine to preclude jams. And to your reloading development you might want to find the cleanest burning/most accurate load that makes power factor rather than softest shooting/least muzzle rise.

[shooterbenedetto]

Gino Aki, i do have the most accurate load my bullets runs 1420s in chrono with IMR and 125g.