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Gibbs good shots

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Zonie said:
Maybe a wine race is what is done after the competition is over and the scores are all tallied up?

After the winner is declared, everyone races to the winery and pops the corks out of the bottles for a tall glass of vino. :grin: :grin:


I like that idea. :wink:
And, Gianluca, keep the results posts coming. We enjoy seeing good shooting and your post was very informative. :thumbsup:
 
After a few months of whims of my Gibbs, I got another good result at 200 meters.
This time I used PP 540 grains of pure lead and 65 grains of Vectan PNF1.
The first two shots went high, then I lowered the diopter.
After a few centers the barrel was dirty and I got 3 shots down, the ball didn't rest well on the wad and I had to change the loading system.
Clean before putting the powder and the flyers have disappeared.
JCx4fS9
Gibbs 200 mt Bagnolo Mella 2019.jpeg
 
Gianluca, my understanding is this is a problem in much of Europe. A friend in Belgium only gets to shoot at long range when he travels to Bisley in Britain.

Yup, it's true, as Bill notes. There are very few ranges in continental Europe, if any now that the British have, for the most part, left Germany, that are as long as 300m, except for Switzerland, where ALL rifle ranges are 300m. This is the required distance for the annual 'Obligataire' shot by every Swiss service person. UK has literally DOZENS of ranges up to 1000 yards, and many of 1200 yards and over, sometimes by a considerable margin, like Sennybridge - almost 4000m, and Orion, another Welsh site of around 5000 acres of hillsides...
 
so what is your normal cleaning routine?

Recently at the Oak Ridge TN mathch a few weeks ago I switch up mine the second day. I started to simply pour the powder down a dirty bore, wads, then a damp and wet patch pushing the crud on top of the wads, then my bullet. I did two 1,000 yard matches with that routine and it worked well. No ignition problems. I usually use a damp and dry patch, on a dirty bore before I load. But it pushes the crud to the bottom and it builds up in the flash channel.

Fleener
 
I always put the powder before and then cleaned pushing the dirt over the poor, but with the PP I noticed that after a while the ball doesn't sit well on the load, that's why I reversed the loading / cleaning operations.
Soon I try to remove the wad too and I put the wrapped bullet directly over the powder
 
Confusing group out of my Volunteer at 100 yards , still need to tweak the windage.

80 gr , Swiss 3f with the standard .450 bullet.
 

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Most I know that shoot long range (including me) load powder, then a snug fitting stiff card wad to sweep the bore. The barrel is then wiped with damp then dry patch, and the wad seals the bore preventing moisture reaching the powder. Paper patch bullet then loaded.

David
 
The original 1850s English method was powder, wad, wipe bore , dry patch, then the bullet.

If I'm shooting at 100 I shoot a 5 shot string , then wet patch on an empty bore, dry patch then I pop a cap to clear the flash channel. I dont feel cleaning after each shot is critical at 100.
 
The original 1850s English method was powder, wad, wipe bore , dry patch, then the bullet.
Interesting. What's your source for that please? Although it's common practice today amongst long range shooters, I don't think I have found contemporary descriptions of that method of loading.

Source to hand, Heaton (1864), Metford (c1866 and 1876), Russell (1869) and Young (1878), essentially refer to place false muzzle on barrel, pour powder, carefully place the (lubricated) wadding 'square' in the false muzzle, with the rod centered on it push the wadding slowly down to the powder, then push the bullet smoothly down, remove the rod and false muzzle.

David
 
I'll have to find the website , there's a guy who's a Special Forces vet who reviews all kinds of firearms, and he reviewed two Whitworth rifles.....one the familiar full stock hexagonal bore "military" type rifle and one a rarer half stock version, also with .451 hexagonal bore and he cites some info about the Victorian English loading procedure that was used at the English rifle clubs.
 
Saturday May 25th I participated in a shooting competition, I am very happy, I won at 100 and 200 meters, while at 500 I finished second.
There was a lot of wind and it was raining a lot, I feel lucky to have gotten these groupings.
I tried an old charge with 540 grains PP and 100 Swiss No. 4 grains.
It worked!
100 meters
100-Valbella.jpg


200 meters
The wind from the left moved me the first 4 shots to the right, I tried to correct the diopter for steps
200-Valbella-84-pt.jpg


500 meters
Too damn too much wind
500-Valbella.jpg
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At the end of the three tests I had a sore, bruised shoulder and a nipple to throw in the garbage :oops:
 
good for you! Are you using a shoulder pad? If not, you should. If you are and still have a sore shoulder, perhaps you are getting setup wrong. It is easy to get off on your setup and once that shoulder gets sore, there is no going back.

Fleener
 
I wonder if your nipple had burnt out by the time you got to the 500m. I assume you were not using a platinum lined version? I load powder, then lubed wad, card wad, wet patch dry patch then lubed cannelures bullet ( not paper patching as yet) in my old .451 volunteer. No ignition issues once I get the first shot away. I got what would have been a nine ring group last time if it had been in the right place ! at 200m . 85 grains of Goex FFg with a .475 grain whitworth bullet. You seem to have your rifle working well, some ver nice groups.
 
Saltner

The next world long range matches are in 2021 and in Hungary I believe. Being the home of Pedersoli, I would think that Italy would put together a team and come shoot!

Fleener
 
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