by in2anity » 13 Apr 2021, 8:26 pm
Once every 2 months, our service rifle club runs a novel "telescopic sights" match, up to 400m. To keep things fair, it's further subdivided into different categories, including classic sniper rifles but also "sporter" and "state of the art" for modern rifles. Basically, Sporter = light barrel, SOTA = heavy barrel. For this match, we are allowed to use a light harris style bipod or a front sandbag. In many ways, these telo matches are similar to the new Sporter/Hunter F class (which I think Dallaskj is referring to). In fact I've casually shot a little bit of that S/H class myself, just for something different, over on the fullbore range.
In theses novel telo matches, unlike a regular service match, shooters are allowed unlimited sighters. Yet it's common for shooters with light hunting rifles (in the sporter class) to choose to expend only a single sighting shot, to help mitigate heat build up. In a sporter weight, it's very observable problem to see groups really open up after 5-10 rounds. After sighters, the match requires 20 rounds in under 4 minutes, so the barrels get hot.
Getting back to S/H class - for a time I used a factory Tikka T3 CTR with its "medium" contour factory barrel. Considering it wasn't a proper target barrel, that barrel was exceptionally consistent; vastly superior to any factory barrel I've ever used before (considering the profile). Very impressive indeed, Tikka. Nevertheless, it was hard work to clean that 5 ring, very hard work, harder than it should have been. I've since had it rebarrelled with a kreiger varmint, and it's notebly more consistent once it heats up. That little bit more wiggle room makes all the difference, especially toward the back-end of a match when the barrel is getting hot. It's also still under the 6.5kg weight limit, with the scope/harris bipod, in compliance with S/H rules.
At what point does lack of maintenance become patina?