Phoenix 2013 - The 'Wailing Wall'

[Dougan]

Centrefire on sunday and shot some good scores some could and should have been better but one individual gold and another gold on the team event with Mike357 along with nine various standard medals with enough points for a grand master.

Very well shot Sir!

...If you're now 'Grand Master', does that make Mike 'Grasshopper'... razz

[GazMorris]

With wind whipping across Stickledown now that there's no treeline on the left people seem to be experiencing more wind-induced vertical dispersion than before, so don't assume that issues are necessarily due to ammo, technique etc until you've had a chance to establish a baseline in calm conditions.

That's an interesting observation Bob, as I seemed to hold very well at short range (1/2 moa core group in the 2+7s to 3/4 moa in the 2+10s and 2+15s) but much worse at LR (~1moa at 900 and 1.5moa at 1000x.) I was getting a little buffeted at 1000x, which probably won't have helped.

Gaz

[User702]

The score cards are very interesting - Without doing the plotting* it's hard to say exactly what is happening (can't judge the actual group without accounting for the adjustments) - One thing I did notice, is that you tend to go out to the right (also low with one exception) towards the end of each shoot...this could be down to technique or tiredness...I've noticed a recent pattern in my TR shooting, where I tend to drop shot 8 or 9 (of 10), which corresponds to when I start to get uncomfortable in my position.

I did notice that myself and made a conscious effort to correct more to the left with the windage, but the results speak for themselves; it was not enough. I was very tired by the end of it and by the time I started shooting at 900 I had a sore neck and my left arm was going to sleep, so I think you are probably right that this had something to do with things.

The wind reading amy well improve with practice and so will the tiredness I think. Technique-wise though, I think I may need someone to beat the bad habits out of me before they get too ingrained.

Thanks for all the feedback though.

James

[Dougan]

I did notice that myself and made a conscious effort to correct more to the left with the windage, but the results speak for themselves; it was not enough.

I had a go at the long range .22lr competition (200/300/400) earlier this year - The conditions were very challenging with gusting wind and even hail at one point - It was the first time I've ever had to make windage adjustments with a scope, and got quite muddled...at one point, I remember thinking "why aren't these adjustments bringing me left", and then realised that I was turning the turret the wrong way

The winner of the competition was a previous Grand Aggregate winner (TR), who has a lot of wind-reading and plotting experience (obviously)...at 300 and 400, when the wind was blowing the little bullets all over the place and causing us mere mortals serious problems, he managed to keep his group (which is naturally quite big anyway with .22 at that range) the most central...thus winning...

...I came in the lower half of the scores (if that helps ), and can think of at least half a dozen thing to do/not do next time...


Btw: I still think there's a possibility that HPS (though good ammo) through a 26" barrel may drop out of supersonic before 1000 yards

[rox]

The winner of the competition was a previous Grand Aggregate winner (TR)

More to the point, of the last 12 Hoptons he's won 5, came in the top three 9 times and top ten in all of them. After all, the long range .22 was said by one of the creators to be similar to Match Rifle, and there is probably no one alive who is more accomplished in that discipline.

..

[Dougan]

Well the results are now posted on the NRA site...

...My Gallery results weren't as bad as I thought - I keep forgetting there's classes, so managed a silver and bronze standard in A-class...but the Advancing man score was still worth a 'wail'...

...the .303 result was much as expected; the kneeling and prone was competitive, but the standing practice was very poor...so some gnashing of teeth there also...

...so more lessons learned and more practice needed...roll on the next meeting

[The Cupcake Kid]

The conditions during the Phoenix on Century and Stickledown were some of the trickiest I've ever seen, so don't feel bad if any of you feel you shot below your potential.

Friday would have been a write-off for anyone on those ranges. I don't think there was much to choose between Sat. and Sun. although possibly Saturday was a little less devious.

It is a shame there can't be some sort of sub-classification on the score sheets so you can see who shot on which details, because then at least you can see how you did against others in the same conditions.

[User702]

Well, the scores are in... 14th of 21 at 4/5/600 and 10th and dead last at 8/9/1000 yards.

Next year will be better.

[Steve E]

I shot all day Saturday on Century and on Sunday on Stickledown. I honestly do not think that the conditions were too difficult.
Saturday morning on century saw winds generally from the right early on gradually moving round to come from the left. For about 30mins there was a fishtailing wind that caught people out but was very readable. I was shooting 400/500/600 .303 As issued (No4) and found that the conditions suited me just fine. (won the 400/500/600 .303 class). Others on the same detail as me seemed to be over calling the wind. i generally aimed 'on' for wind but did use a righthand bias every now and then.
Saturday Afternoon the strength on Century got up with a faster fish tailing wind. I was shooting at 100/200/300, .303 As issued so the wind had very little effect down on butt 19. (came 3rd in that match).

Sunday morning on Stickledown saw a gentle fishtailing wind of between 2left to 2right. Very easy to spot the changes as the wind was coming from 11o'clock through to 2o'clock. The mirage gave you all the information that you needed. With a .303 ( P14 with target rearsight and blade foresight) I generally shot most shots on either zero or 1/2 left at 800yds. At 900 yds needed a little more left wind and again at 1000yds the left bracket was slightly higher needing up to 3 left but no more than 1right. The mean of my plot was 1left.
I felt that I could have shot better and finished with a 202.12 to win the 8/9/1000 any .303 class. Most shots were within the diameter of the bull but using a blade i suffered from elevation rather than windage losses. At 800 shot a 70.5 at 900 a 68.4 and 1000yd 64.3. As an aside I only got 4 shots out of the black (all magpies) so feel than I redeemed my self quite well.

All in a good meeting 2 firsts and a 3rd. Will do better next year.

[Mike357]

My scores are incorrect. REFEREE! wtfwtf