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Return to the Range ....and another X!

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britrifles View Drop Down
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    Posted: May 29 2020 at 4:03pm
Much better results at the range today with the two No. 4 rifles I shot last week.  After about 10 weeks of no range time, the results last week were borderline ugly.  3 to 4 minute groups at 200 yards.  Today was better, 2 to 3 MOA 10 shot groups slung up prone.  

The “new to me” 1941 Long Branch Mk 1/2 I purchased from A Square 10 is a hammer!  Had one string of fire with 6 shots in a row in the X ring.  This rifle rivals my center bedded Fulton Regulated match rifle.  I stocked up the forend with the standard method, 4.5 lbs barrel pressure at the muzzle.  I had to adjust it after shooting last weekend, the barrel pressure had relaxed to about 2 lbs.  

I wasn’t quite up to snuff yet, I threw the occasional round out of the 10 ring, but for the most part, cleaned the Short Range target in prone slow and rapid fire.  Did a few dry runs of the 30 round course of fire for the CMP Vintage Military Rifle Match and scores now back in the Gold Medal range: 285, 287 and a 292-11x.    Can’t win the Nationals with that score, but getting very close.  I had been psyching myself up for the D-Day Match but they canceled it due to COVID-19.  

Here’s a few of the 200 yard SR Targets Shot with the LB Mk 1/2 I bought from A Square 10.  Never expected it to shoot this good!  



Dropped two shots low on this next target, One just out of the 10 ring, totally me, called both low.  This rifle probably shoots 1 MOA if fitted with a scope and shot off the bench.  2 to 3 MOA prone unsupported with aperture sight, under 2 MOA on a good day for the shooter.  



Proper fitting of the forend is very critical to accuracy on these rifles.  


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Honkytonk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 29 2020 at 4:08pm
Very impressive marksmanship!
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britrifles View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote britrifles Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 29 2020 at 4:32pm
Thank you HT.  But my skills pale in comparison to Goosic.  I enticed him to shoot in the VMR matches, but unfortunately, COVID19 got in the way and the western games matches were cancelled.  Crap, they even cancelled the National Matches in Camp Perry this year.  

I was talking with a fellow competitor today who I’ve gotten to know over the last few years, a great guy.   He won the National Springfield Match at Perry last year.  He has wone many matches over the last several years.  Cancelling the matches this year really sucks because we know we don’t have many years left in this sport and probably have reached our peak.  Clarity of eyesight with irons is a limiting factor.  I’m 59 and Keith is 62, tick tock....I wished I had taken this sport up 30 years ago when I wanted to, but couldn’t afford the cost of ammo or reloading to the amount needed to reach the top tier of competitive shooters. 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Stumpkiller Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 29 2020 at 7:12pm
Impressive.  Thumbs Up
Charlie P.

Life is not about how fast you run, or how high you climb, but how well you bounce.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote paddyofurniture Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 30 2020 at 5:08am
Very cool.
Always looking for military manuals, Dodge M37 items,books on Berlin Germany, old atlases ( before 1946) , military maps of Scotland. English and Canadian gun parts.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Pukka Bundook Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 30 2020 at 6:14am
Very good work, Simon!
 
I wonder if A-Square regrets selling the rifle?.  I bet I would if it was me!
What ammo were you using for this?
Whatever it was, really works!...Plus You certainly did your part.
 
Congrats Simon.  Lovely to see!
Thanks for posting.
 
Richard.
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britrifles View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote britrifles Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 30 2020 at 8:22am
Hi Richard, 

This is my usual match load.  PPU case, 174 gr SMK, 40.0 gr Varget, WLR primer, 3.06 inch OAL.  Powder charge is as thrown from my Redding measure, typically +/- 0.1 grains. No crimp on bullet.

My PPU cases are holding up well, have about 8 to 10 reloads thru my 69L Fulton Long Branch now.  Had to do the first trim on length after yesterday’s shooting.  Only 3 reloads on the PPU I set aside for the 0L Mk 1/2 I bought from A Square 10.  Hopefully he doesn’t regret selling the rifle, that is sure not my intention!  But I did tell him it was my plan to fully restore it and change the barrel if necessary to make it a shooter, fortunately, I did not have to do that, that barrel has a lot of life left in it.

I will be tracking the number of reloads shot thru the 0L Mk 1/2 accurately and will ensure that brass is never mixed in with other PPU brass I use for the other .303 rifles I shoot.  I’m curious how many reloads I will get before case head or neck cracking appears.  




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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Whitjr Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 30 2020 at 12:36pm
very nice shootin!  

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote britrifles Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 30 2020 at 2:49pm
This sport is such a mind game.  

On the second target I posted, after the fifth sequential shot in the X Ring, I began to worry about my typical error of letting the front sight creep up on the black resulting in a high shot, so I deliberately lowered my POI just a hair below the black 9 ring aiming mark.  The result was the low 9.9.  Then I purposely raised my POI just slightly, the result a high 10.2.  I then lowered the POA back to where it was on the previous shot, a low 10.0 resulted.  I then put this error chasing out of my head, relaxed, and took up my normal POI and the result was that last dead center X.9 shot.  There is a lot to learn by keeping a score (data) book and taking notes.  

I’m sure you guys who hunt laugh at this, think I’m crazy to waste all this ammo on a paper (in my case, an electronic) target.  Maybe I am.  I can’t really explain it, it’s addictive, striving for that perfect 100-10x score with a rifle essentially “as issued”, service sight, no support except a sling and your elbows.  I still have not been able to do it, 100-9x was the highest score I’ve shot so far. 

How well you shoot is based on what goes on between your ears.   Of course, the rifle and loads have to be capable first.  And if you have the slightest doubt, it shows on the target.  



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Honkytonk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 30 2020 at 2:55pm
3.06" OAL caught my eye, britfifles. My last Enfield day at the range with my L42A1 clone in .303 made some nice groups @ 100 yds with 150 Hornadys. OAL at 3.04", which I thought looked goofy as it was seated above the cannalure, seems to work well punching paper. Same OAL I've switched to with my 180 gr bench Enfields. Would you use this OAL in a hunting round? Thanks!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote britrifles Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 30 2020 at 3:33pm
Edited to correct the COL shown in the Hornady 7th Ed. Manual for the #3120 bullet.  

HT, it depends on the bullet.   

First thing to start with is reloading data for that specific bullet, if available.  

Most LEs will have a long throat, so it’s unlikely you will risk a 150 gr Spitzer bullet contacting the lands of the rifling when chambering (which can result in high chamber pressure).  

Without any OAL data for the specific bullet you are reloading, you should begin with a seating depth that gives one caliber of bullet gripped by the neck, so for the .303, approx .30 inches of bullet length.  For a BT bullet, this may result in too deep a seating, so be cautions here.  Seating bullets deeper than what the load data was developed for can result in increased pressure.  You can then experiment with seating bullets further out, keeping to the 3.075 max for magazine loading. 

Hornady 7th Ed reloading manuals gives a COL of 2.935 inches for the #3120 SP flat based 150 gr.  Seating to 3.04 will not likely risk getting anywhere near the lands on a LE, but that may not the case for a heavy round nose bullet, so always be cautious.  

If you continue to seat further out, you will eventually loose sufficient neck tension on the bullet for consistent ignition and accuracy may fall off.  

I’ve found my No. 4 rifles to be relatively insensitive to seating depth of the 174 gr SMK, from 3.03 to 3.11 COL.  Sierra recommends 3.075 (magazine length), but I’ve settled on 3.06 as this ensures reliable feeding during the rapid fire stages of the vintage military matches. 





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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Whitjr Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 30 2020 at 7:00pm
Britrifles- well, I hunt...  i don’t think you’re crazy to go to the range as much as you do.  When the hunt is in season, i regret having not spent more time on the range.  Lots of time to think about stuff in the deerstand.  Mind games...  did you know that in the pre- dawn light -in my stand- if to stare at some thing in the woods waiting for Bambi, stare long enough...  it will move!  LOL

I never ihave that problem in full daylight, tho.   

All you guys that are match shooters have my respect.  Your accuracy standards are a bit higher than my hunting standards, I just strive for a kill shot, and have that attitude on my range shoots.

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303 Hunter View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 303 Hunter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 30 2020 at 7:19pm
Originally posted by Whitjr Whitjr wrote:

Britrifles- well, I hunt...  i don’t think you’re crazy to go to the range as much as you do.  When the hunt is in season, i regret having not spent more time on the range.  Lots of time to think about stuff in the deerstand.  Mind games...  did you know that in the pre- dawn light -in my stand- if to stare at some thing in the woods waiting for Bambi, stare long enough...  it will move!  LOL[DIV]
[/DIV][DIV]I never ihave that problem in full daylight, tho.   [/DIV][DIV]
[/DIV][DIV]All you guys that are match shooters have my respect.  Your accuracy standards are a bit higher than my hunting standards, I just strive for a kill shot, and have that attitude on my range shoots.[/DIV]

Well said.
The Lee Enfield is to the Canadian north what the Winchester repeater was to the American west.   Cal Bablitz
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