Category Archives: Civilian Marksmanship Program Matches

Kicking Off The Season at York Riflemen

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Took at trip out to York, PA for their spring match. This was my third match at York riflemen my fifth with full pits including Camp Perry last year. If feel much more confident in the pit than I had the last time I was there. This match at four full relays I shot in relay one and then pulled for the rest of the match. It was in the high 60s, sunny and calm the perfect day for shooting. Everything move very smoothly they run a great match.

I found my “scoring cheat sheet” which is just a print out of the scoring indicator positions(below) taped to my clipboard to be very handy is match as I couldn’t read the numbers by the indicator with my scope. I would strongly recommend anyone who’s memory is as poor as mine to print this out and keep it handy.

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As far as the match itself I made the mistake of passing on my last 2 sighters and it turned out my elevation wasn’t nearly where it should and I struggled to hold over to compensate. I should have known better. Per normal I did fairly well in rapid prone, after I brought the rear sight up. I’m going to spend some extra time practicing this weekend.

Here are some pictures from the match.

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Have gun will travel

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Switching to 6 o’clock hold

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After years of insisting “point of aim” is a more realistic and therefore better way to aim I am converting to “6 o’clock.”

If you are not familiar with the different sight pictures CMP has a very detailed article with pictures and everything here: http://www.odcmp.org/0907/USAMU_SightPicture.asp

The short explanation is for point of aim you put the top of the post at the center of the black. For 6 o’clock you put the top of the sight post at the bottom of the black, like a “pumpkin on a post.”

I switched for constancy and my worsening vision. Too often I have been struggling to see how much black is at the top of my sight post. Hopefully this will help me get the same picture every time.

I have also made some bold changes to my prone position at the end of last season. I’ve been fighting with cheek weld and “muscling” the rifle in prone. Instead of keeping my hand all the way out against the sling swivel I have pulled it in to where the stock curves down to the mag plate. This allows me keep the rifle a bit higher which fixes my cheek weld. I also get better skeletal support and strain less to stay on target. This should give me a better natural point of aim, more constancy and hopefully better scores.

Four Months to Camp Perry!

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Registration is open for CMP week at Camp Perry. My wife has challenged me to practice once a week until then. Took the Garand out this weekend, it felt good to get back in the sling.

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Freezer Match

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I shot in my clubs end of year “Freezer Match” which is an unlimited match 40 rounds off hand, any rifle, any optic.

It was a beautiful day for a match sunny and clear around 50 degrees.

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I brought my hunting rifle a Tikka T3 30-06 lite. What a work out slinging 40 hot 180 grain loads downrange from a lightweight bolt action is. It turns out not to be great for matches, barrel heats up and finding the target with a glare off hand is a challenge. But it was a fun time I am looking forward to next season!

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The infamous kimberton glare

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Tikka T3 lite, Zeiss conquest 4.5X14, turner saddlery sling, DNZ one piece mount, Bernese mountain dog.

Last match of the season

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Shot my last match of the year in Sunday in the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Not planned but it seemed a fitting way to end the season.

I intended to take the 1917 for Armistice Day however with hurricane sandy and getting ready for deer season I didn’t have as much time as I wanted to practice and I didn’t want to end the season with 87 point. I shot pretty well the dry fire practice and changes I made to my sling really helped.

Now I just need to find some time to give my Garand a good detail strip and clean and start practicing for next season. I already have my hotel booked for Perry in the summer!

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Dry fire practice