Service Conditions - Connaught - July 28, 29 report.

Keebler750

Keebler750

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Anyone with some interesting stories from the weekend feel free to chime in!

I've just started shooting Service Matches with my new Bushmaster AR-15 16" flat top and am VERY inexperienced. The following is through the eyes of a newb.....

I am really starting to appreciate the depth of talent and experience at the Connaught Service matches run by the Operational Shooting Association. It's a very challenging and rigorous course of fire. It can demand alot from you and your equipment. It WILL teach you something or test you every time you show up. One of the things that really impresses me is how friendly and helpful everyone is. The military guys were especially helpful with technical matters, and I really appreciate it. This civvy needs all the help he can get!!!

I had some things put into perspective this weekend. I was shooting with young soldiers doing some training prior to being shipped off to the Two Way Range over in A'stan. Meanwhile, there I am, playing the game as a civvie. I don't really feel worthy of the priveledge, under the circumstances.

My last Service match, which was my first ever, in May, I scored a 289 out of 600 possible points. Typical top scores are around 570. I had never shot from kneeling, sucked at standing, and couldn't get more than 6 shots out of 10 out of the rifle in a 30 second Rapid match.

I had work to do.

I built up some new 69gr SMK's that shot well, and practiced alot of position shooting, esp. kneeling. My goal was to come back and do it all better this time. I wanted to beat my last score, and test what I had learned.

.......you know how just when you think you have something figured out, you realize how little you know? Well.........

Saturday looked like rain in the early morning, and I had never shot in rain. Also, I hampered myself with a little bit of a personal psyche-out due to a mistake I made prior to briefing. I wasn't in a very good mood, and during my 200M Deliberate, the rains came down. Straight down. In buckets!

I started shooting well. I don't know the scores I actually shot, but it went something like this: 5....5.....4....5....(raining harder)....4.....3...(harder still....my pants are a heavy, wet blanket....) .....3.....2.....UGH!!!!

So, that's what Service Conditions means!

Well, I got through the 200 series of matches with some points and went to lunch. On the 300 mound, I was surprised at the glare from my front sight post out in front of my scope. Hmmm. That's weird.....

As the 300M matches progressed I had more and more trouble seeing the target, until I was almost guessing when the targets were up. I did take a few shots, struggling with it, but left alot of ammo in my mags or in the backstop BESIDE the target. DOH.

My Bushnell hunting scope was fogged on the INSIDE!!! Lesson #387 - bring TRUE all-weather gear, and make SURE it works before hand.

I was pretty surprised in the evening to see the Saturday Aggregate scores showing me with 241 points, almost as many as I got the whole weekend of my first outing. Wow!

Unfortunately, I was still trying to figure out how to dry out my scope to get some more points for Sunday. I tried a hair dryer (Thank you to the owner!) and hoped for the best. No scope would mean the Big Goose Egg on Sunday.

Long story short, my scope was pooched, but I managed to have a spare scope donated to me for the 500M matches. It wasn't what I was used to, but once I got it dialed in and on paper with some more of that all important teamwork, I did OK with it, scoring another 132 points to add to my total. I'm pretty sure I was given an uncommon amount of latitude to get that scope dialed in. Thanks to the FPO, TimK.

I had a rifle malfunction that cost me points in the Rapid match, when I finally looked like I was going to get all my shots away. I heard "click" on an empty chamber, racked it, got back into position, and got to watch targets going down! Damn! Well, six good scoring hits was better than nothing.

The Run Down.........OMG!!! How about 'The Fitness Test' ?!! Well, I'm officially out of shape. That match seperates the wheat from the chaff. Lets just say I missed a few targets. ;)

At the end of the day? 372 points, achieving my goal nicely, with everyone safe, and me with more things learned and ready to practice for the next match!

I have a long way to go, and I finished very near the bottom of the list again, but look out boys, I'll get there!!!

(In ten years...... ;) )!!!!

I'd like to give a big CONGRATS to CGN's own Ton45 for shooting a 505(!!!) with a scout-scoped Norinco M-14 and getting a really gorgeous plaque for Top Tyro at the match!! I am SOO jealous....and impressed.
 
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I couldn't make it (family stuff) besides i am doing CFSAC this year and the wife gets whiney
glad to hear your liking it, don't get discouraged it takes a few years to get good at it

are you going to be on board for sept?
 
I'd like to join the DCRA and do the NSCC (or whatever it is) and the final round in September. I'm a little worried about my Screw-Up level though. I don't like making mistakes in front of Real Men. :D

I feel like quite the fool sometimes.

Also, I need a new scope!
 
The shooter who wins the match makes the fewest mistakes. What I try to do is make notes on what went right, what went wrong and what could be better. It helps remind myself of what NOT to change.
 
Keebler750 said:
Anyone with some interesting stories from the weekend feel free to chime in!
I started shooting well. I don't know the scores I actually shot, but it went something like this: 5....5.....4....5....(raining harder)....4.....3...(harder still....my pants are a heavy, wet blanket....) .....3.....2.....UGH!!!!

So, that's what Service Conditions means!.
Click to expand...

Keebler,

That's a good post. I was the wanker over on lane 29,,.

At one time, the rain used to bother me. Not any more though. I see the rain as being an advantage now, makes the ground softer, etc. Also, the rain mentally affects a fair chunk of the competition in a negative way (which is a postive for me).

Anyway, skin is water proof. If you can keep your optics clear, then you are good to go. Just take it a little more cautious on the rundowns.

I hope you can make it to NSCC. You need not worry about the newby'ness. We were all there at one time.

Kudos to Quiet for shooting the match with an old wartime Mauser 98 with stock barley corn iron sights. That took some balls,,

Shelldrake
 
Shelldrake said:
Anyway, skin is water proof.
Click to expand...

HA! Haven't heard that one in a few years!! LOL :D


Sounds like a good match you had there. Unfortunately, it was my better halfs birthday, and even though I asked nicely, it was not in the cards for me to go on the weekend.. :(:mad:

Are you going to the practice on the 18th at Milcun?

I'm developing a few loads for the 180 Bravo that I want to try out then.
 
Shelldrake said:
don't worry about the newby'ness. We were all there at one time.

Kudos to Quiet for shooting the match with an old wartime Mauser 98 with stock barley corn iron sights. That took some balls,,

Shelldrake
Click to expand...

WOW....Well done Quiet! That did take some gumption to try!

We have our 500m matches this weekend, so that should be a good go. I've not shot SR at 500 since last summer at the NSCC.

Yeah, the noobness will fade. I still have my first SR match (1-12) score card hanging on the wall of my gun room. Score was 294/555 (Back then the deliberate matches wer out of 35 points, not 50)

I've come a fair ways since then, but each match, I try to pick something new up.

NS
 
I am trying to figure out how to deal with the rarity of 223 brass, and loss of same at matches and practices....it's costly!!!

I DO want to go to the Aug 18 practice though. Sounds like a total laugh. I was thinking of shooting Hornady VMAX so as not to waste my SMK's.

Say.....where's Hungry Barney, anyway? ;)
 
I'm lurking here. I've been on a cruise ship to Hawaii since 17 Jul to 01 Aug. I'm at my folks' house in Vegas right now. Did lots of gardening to my dad's desert plants since they are getting older. Gun shops have been a disappointment. Prices are better on our CGNutz EE Forum, and that's a great testament to our shooting community. No joking. I'm flying back to Kanada on Tues 07 Aug or something like that... then I can flesh out the course of fire for the Fun Match. Bring many magazines !! Lots of ammo !!

The cruise was fun, but I had to workout 2x a day to avoid gaining weight. Damn that food was plentiful and always re-appearing at the buffets and dining rooms. If it wasn't for the exercise room and weights, I would have gained 15 lbs on the 13 day cruise.

Okay, no more hijacking of this thread....

So Keebler749, now you know why I used to shoot with Bushnell optics and now I shoot with Trijicon ACOG or Leupold MR/T glass. Been there, done that. Save up your money or work a few more shifts at GM (factory in Oshawa, right?) plant, Generous Motors, I mean, then buy yourself some reliable glass.

Ton45: 505 points ? Didn't I tell you that your M14 was gonna kick some ass ? I warned you from the beginning that you would improve once you got your magazine situation and optics selection dialed in. Well done. I hope you like the food at the mess hall.

Cheers... Going gambling tonight... Dollar slots and 25 cent slots.....
 
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OK....I gotta ask....why "Keebler749" ?????

Hungry here: Whoops... using my mother's laptop to type up this message and my fingers are too stubby for the tiny keys.... Back to scopes... I'm having super success with the Leupold Mark4 M1 MR/T scope... same one(well kinda anyways) that the SPR mounts. It's a 3 x 9x 36mm version that's desined for the the AR flattop. Then again, my wife loves her Donut of Death ACOG TA31F and she's threatening to shave my eyebrows if I think about selling it.

I was out looking at scopes today, but I wanted to check the EE here first before I buy something.

Any suggestions?
 
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I was surprised that I scored points with the 3.5X scope I tried at 500M. It has caused me to totally rethink this game....again! My dead Bushnell is 4-12X, and I was shooting at 12 for the deliberates, and 8 for everything else.
 
Keebler,

Something to consider with variable power scopes....sometimes, if the manufacturing quality isn't the best, the crosshairs will shift as the magnification is adjusted. To check this, lock the rifle into a vise (or the scope) sight on an object through the scope, and get someone to carefully turn the magnification adjustment for you. If you see the cross-hairs shift, then you've got an issue.

Solutions for this...

1. Buy a higher quality variable scope.

2. Zero at the lower magnification, and the higher magnification, see if they're the same/different, know the offset.

3. Go with a fixed magnification scope.

YMMV,

NS
 
Waaay too much informaton.
If you want to torture a scope, you can put it is a freezer, or a pot of hot water.
 
Keebler750 said:
I was surprised that I scored points with the 3.5X scope I tried at 500M. It has caused me to totally rethink this game....again! My dead Bushnell is 4-12X, and I was shooting at 12 for the deliberates, and 8 for everything else.
Click to expand...

When I started shooting SR in the 80's I, and everyone else, used to compete with AR15's using the iron sights. Yes, that fig12 looked mighty small at 500y. However, the scores were not that much less, surprisingly, than today with optics. I remember when the first Elcans were issued to the troops. Some were competing with the Elcan and some with the irons. More often than not, the soldiers using iron sights outshot the ones with the Elcan. Of course, these were the ones with Gen1 mounts :evil:

To shoot well with iron sights, you have to have "young eyes" though. Being an old fart now, I'll stick to my ACOG :rockOn:
 
Ton45 reporting with some pics

I went ahead and did the identity cover on the faces. Gotta be safe.

Anyways, yes indeed it was fun. Food was good as usual. The kids ate all the chocolate ice cream with my luck. You guys really don't know what you're missing. I was able to hook two new recruits and now they're shooting the next match on September. I was even more pleased that one of them won the prize draw.

Equipment worked flawlessly in the rain. TimK showed me how to do mag change for the M14 with one stroke. It was incredible and saved me allot of time during the rapids. I'm telling you guys, this is the place to see if you stuff works. It's like, nice hot looking rifle but will it handle the s**t. I'm still shooting with the original chu wood. The cosmoline saved it from the rain. I guess it's purpose was indeed revealed.

I was impressed with the mauser bolt shooter, tom. Inspiring indeed. I think I might do the next match with one.

On behalf of the civies who participated in this match, this is a gold mine. We are lucky as Canadians to have the liberty to join in such an event. Join and help us guarantee that such an event will continue running.

The pic with a circle was requested by Keebler. He thought it was a quite a blast to see an Ottawa police cruiser slowly patrolling the grounds while all these guys where cleaning and passing around ARs like it was nothing at the DCRA front porch.

Ton45

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