I’ve been tinkering with a new optics equip service rifle for the 2016 season for around a month now. While I’ve been playing with it at the range a bit and have been dry firing with SCATT the past couple weeks, I have been anxious to finally try it out in a match.

My club, Kimberton Fish and Game,  has an annual “any rifle” freezer match in January. It’s a 40 round off-hand charity match, with a raffle, prizes, and best of all, chili.  Course of fire was 10x10x10x10 with 2 sighters and a brief break for scoring before each 20. It was a beautiful day for January. There was still over a foot of snow on the ground but it was down right warm in the high forties.

I shot about my typical off-hand posting a 356/400 and coming in 6th over all. Not so bad, however, I was hoping to do a little better with the scope and with the practice I’ve been putting in with SCATT. My shooting buddy did very well besting me by 10 points and coming in 4th with his A2. Don’t write off the A4 just yet, it’s a rare day if I beat him on our feet.

Observations on optics.

Since this was the first time on the line with this rifle I noticed a few differences. While a 4x scope does not make one a better shooter, it sure make shooting more comfortable, specifically less eye strain and a faster sight picture. With a nice clear view of the target it is much easier to see the “wobble” and call shots. Long-term this should be a valuable tool for improvement.

We brought some new shooters with us to this match. One brought his FAL and the other, a 1917. There were a few other odd rifles on the line, some good old A2s and a couple of folks trying out their A4s for the upcoming season.

A couple more practice matches and then the Eastern Games will be here soon!