Been trying to get out to do this for weeks now. I managed to get set up yesterday and was ready to start when the neighbour messaged that I could come and collect the trailer load of cow bits and spent the rest of the day sorting that.
I couldn't be bothered printing a target and burning all that ink so I drew a 100mm circle on an A4 page, taped it off and sprayed it with black line-marking paint. I decided to use the RPR so I could drop the scope and shoot it with the irons as well. It was zeroed at 200yd from practicing on the .303 Figure 11 so I re-zeroed at 50m first. Today was my first attempt at mag changes and positional changes "on the clock" so I really didn't know how smoothly I might manage it. It was pretty gusty which made the offhand a bit more difficult but overall it wasn't bad. I did three attempts with the scope, but wound back to 6-power to make finding the target easier. Then I pulled the scope and did three attempts with the iron sights. Then I put the scope back on and confirmed zero hadn't shifted.
The actual shooting and cycling the bolt takes between two and five seconds, averaging about 12-16 seconds per five-shot string, and about 65 seconds over the twenty shots. The mag change and position transition is in the area of 12-18 seconds.
My first attempt was better than I expected, but slow. My fourth offhand shot was thrown well wide by a gust as I fired, and I noticed later on that I fired six rounds in the second string. I only found 19 holes so I must've thrown another one elsewhere though there weren't any holes in the 900x1200mm board - it's possible one of the blacks is a double.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukTr7a0zoxA
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My second attempt was cleaner but with less success at the target. Short-stroked the bolt on the first mag change, a common side-effect of moving around with the bolt open, it can move forward just enough that when you put the mag in it's not behind the round. I think I'll practice counting the five shots, then change the mag while the bolt is closed, get into position, and then run the bolt. I have zero muscle memory for rapid mag changes on this rifle as it's not something I've ever practiced.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYdYyx5umf0
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My last scoped attempt was pretty good. I wasted time on the first mag change thinking I'd only fired four, realised it was a clear mag and counted the five remaining rounds, then after the kneeling I forgot I had to transition to prone. These mistakes alone might have been worth 20-30 seconds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjomS9OU5pA
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Then I pulled the scope to use the iron sights. The first one was a pretty neat group with some fliers around it. The Archangel mags do take some force to fully seat when the bolt is closed, and the second mag came loose after four shots. I assumed it was dry and tossed it even as I noticed it still had ammo, and realised I'd only fired four. Grabbed it again, had trouble seating it with the bolt closed, but eventually got it in there and finished the string, losing about 14 seconds to it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tfb5xJb0boI&t=52s
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My second attempt with the irons was fast despite some silly issues. I fumbled the bolt in the second string and ejected a live round, costing me 3 seconds, then fired a sixth round to make up for the one I'd ejected but already replaced, costing another three seconds
Then in the final string I grabbed that same mag that was now two rounds short, requiring another mag change and costing another seven seconds. All on the page though so not at all bad.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xc20o2VfVI&t=1s
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My last attempt of the day felt like a good group to me, they mostly went off when I had them pointed where I wanted them, but it turned out they were all low on the target, bugger
When I pulled the trigger on the first round of the second string I saw the bolt handle drop and it didn't fire. I assumed I'd short-stroked it and ejected the round before I processed the bolt handle being up - I should've just flicked it up and down to re-cock it. I pulled the mag and reloaded the round, which cost me about 13 seconds. Then I fumbled and ejected another round, picked it up, cleared the mag, then had to pull the mag again to reload it to finish the string - costing me another 12-15 seconds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tTj99whB2k&t=8s
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My "scores":
135 sec 11 hits 40pts
109 sec 8 hits 36pts
113 sec 12 hits 53pts
111 sec 10 hits 45pts
104.5 sec 8 hits 38pts
123.5 sec 2 hits 8pts
All in all bloody good fun and very educational. I'll add this to my practice sessions. I'll try it with the Henry lever as well. I have a magazine that holds ten tubes of five rounds that will help enormously to speed up loading the tube mag.
The beauty of this "competition" is that it is aimed entirely at yourself, you just practice and try to improve your own skills without worrying about trying to beat anybody else.
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