Here are the match scores for this past weekends Sonoran Desert GP in Mesa, AZ. The weather was fantastic, and the match went off smoothly. Thanks to the crew at Phoenix Airgun Club for hosting this getaway from the cold!
The wind was difficult....mostly switching from the 10:00 to 2:00 position on the course with false reads at the more open areas of the shooting box. Temps started out in the high 50s and quickly progressed to the 80s. Both courses were about 30T without wind... but the wind was always there. The yellow had easier offhand shots and more difficult kneelers... while the red had tougher standers and easier kneelers. Lots of reduced kzs in the low 40s. I think the red course had several more 50+ targets than the yellow. Wind was a little heavier on Sunday with times of gusting that were probably near 10mph or better. It was a lot of fun and a great time of year to enjoy the desert in AZ.
Posted for Garrett K.
Here some pictures from day 2 of the rifle match. After having problems with my piston gun, I switched to a PCP to finish up the match, so that's why it shows me with a QB58 in PCP. Even with my piston gun frustrations, it was an enjoyable match for me.
Great shooting guys. Thanks for the pics as well Scott.
I was also wondering what was up with your springer? If fixing it was insurmountable I can understand the switch, specially with a back up gun available. Though it was a perfect opportunity missed to come up with some creative solutions as you won't have a back up gun later this year in England.
Great shooting guys. Thanks for the pics as well Scott.
I was also wondering what was up with your springer? If fixing it was insurmountable I can understand the switch, specially with a back up gun available. Though it was a perfect opportunity missed to come up with some creative solutions as you won't have a back up gun later this year in England.
I had brought my portable spring compressor, spare spring, seals, etc. So I could have attempted to tear it down and fix it. But by the time I realized that it would require a tear down, it was too late. Partly because all the convenience features that I added to the gun would have lengthened the tear down and reassembly by probably 1/2 hour. I'll likely eliminate the integrated caddy/handle/stand/etc. They are nice to have but don't really improve the shooting and makes the tear down too time consuming.
Saturday before the match it seemed to be hitting low. It chronographed at 725fps on the match chronograph and 730fps on my portable chronograph (which I know reads lower than my shop Chrony). After sight-in, I fired a shot over the match chronograph and got 745fps. I decided to live with it for the match. I was missing the first shot low on most far targets, but would compensate and usually hit the second shot (I know that second shot comeback won't be possible in England). It actually shot pretty good.
Saturday afternoon, I had the pistol match so the rifle got put away. And I was too tired to deal with the piston gun after the pistol match. Playing with it in the motel room, I used the cocking lever to cycle the compression chamber back and forth over the piston. It felt like it was dragging. On the advice of my motel roommate, I tried some chamber lube (I never use that). No good. It was late, I was tired, and I decided to deal with it in the morning.
At the sight-in on Sunday, it was at 620fps over the chronograph. I doused it with more chamber lube and the velocity recovered but fell back to 600fps after 5 shots. I decided at that point to finish out the match with my pcp pistol.
I tore down the piston gun yesterday. The piston and cylinder had some heavy scoring on the inside bottom. It probably had a piece of grit (metal or sand) riding on the inside bottom of the chamber and damage got progressively worse with each cocking stroke. I probably could have gotten it to shoot better if I had torn it down at the match, but it really needed more than I could have done outside the shop (but I did not know that).
Today, I went to the shop, cleaned up the piston, and did some extensive honing of the cylinder. The spring was fairly new but it had a substantial kink (unusual for this gun). I'll replace the seal and spring. And I'm going to skip the Krytox this time and try some more conventional lubes.
You are correct in that I will not have a backup gun in England. If this had been the three course WFTF world match, I would probably have torn the rifle down after day one and fixed it best I could. I would have found some sand paper, smoothed things out some. Then relube, reassemble. I could have done that in AZ but I had other options and I was not that motivated.
Edit: This evening, I spent 5 hours tearing the gun down multiple times and trying different seals. With the amount of honing that I did to remove the scoring, the piston is now too loose. And I'm not sure if the walls are all that straight anymore. I have another tighter cylinder (too tight) but it's got a taper in it. As of now, neither cylinder is working well. It's going to take a lot more work than I first thought. Piston guns can be so aggravating!
Hi Scott, is it out of the question to take a second clone rifle to the worlds?
Not really, Mike. It all depends how you shoot and how you travel.
Rules allow you to change rifles in the case of catastrophic failure BETWEEN DAYS. You CANNOT change rifles during the SAME day, but you can finish the day and then change rifles.
Of course, this needs alerting the marshals and the MD, and getting the second rifle "certified" for competition before you start the next day's shooting.
Not out of the question, but not easy by any means.
IF you use a "solid stock" (something that will not break while in transit, or with some minor fall -like the EV-2's and other guns with very pronounced pistol grips-), then you can take one stock and two actions. That will save some weight.
IF you are shooting a "solid rig" then, taking a portable compressor, a spare compression chamber and piston (already mated to each other), and a spare guide and spring (again, already mated to each other), plus some seals, pins and small spares, you are ready for MOST contingencies.
TO ME, the most important part is not about how much you can take, but how confident you are that the rig will not fail. And that comes (as you well know), from lots of shooting with the same gun in its EXACT configuration, and learning to leave things well enough alone at some point in time that will allow you to shoot with confidence.
A three day shoot is an ordeal, more for the shooter than the gun itself. And loss of confidence is worse than a mechanical failure.
JMHO
Keep well and shoot straight!
HM
There is nothing wrong with having a spare gun or action on top of having confidence in your main gun.
I personally took two fully tuned HW97k actions, two scopes, a spring kit, seals lube and tools.
I remember telling a few people how often I was in my gun and how new of a spring and tune I was running just two weeks before worlds. They thought I was nuts. I didn't have confidence in my prior setup and had to make a decision. I'm running the same tune still with zero issues.
As of now, Jessica and I will be shooting the same action. Hers is slightly modified to suit her, but we will have three fully tuned actions going to England with us.
All guns will have a similar tune, same rail, same rings etc. The spare action will be placed in my stock and zeroed with the spare scope and set aside for an emergency.
Scott, I know your QB is far from factory, but if you wanted between Mark and I we have 5 qb58s. We can work it out so your can bring a spare action or parts. Also, I have two or three custom +10mm stroke pistons with parachute seals on them for the QB. I can have one in the mail tomorrow.
There is nothing wrong with having a spare gun or action on top of having confidence in your main gun.
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Scott, I know your QB is far from factory, but if you wanted between Mark and I we have 5 qb58s. We can work it out so your can bring a spare action or parts. Also, I have two or three custom +10mm stroke pistons with parachute seals on them for the QB. I can have one in the mail tomorrow.
As Hecter said, the rifle must at least get you through the day. Outside of a quick repair during the day, changing guns can only be done after the days shooting. Because of time constraints, same thing for a tear down. Maybe I'll include a spare cylinder and piston in the repair kit. I'm not going to bring a spare rifle.
I learned a few things about my rifle in the process and made a small change that improved it. Thanks to your suspicion about the spring guide axis.
I will take you up on the spare piston offer.
