Rain & accuracy

[bramble]

Another nebie question. After a weekend of hunting with no shots, I took Sunday afternoon to clear my rifle (T/C Hawken .50) and run a few balls through the barrel since I have to clean it anyway. It was raining (I was shooting from a covered porch) and I figured that it would be good practice for when it happens in the field. With the same patch, ball, lubricant, and charge my shots at 40 steps were in a 1 foot spread (from a rest they are usually 2" spread). Would the humidity account for the open spread? if so, could you explain the mechanism? Any help is appreciated.
bramble

 

[rabbit03]

Hello again Bramble.

When I was at Friendship this past September I shot some of the best groups ever in the pouring down rain. I was also shooting from a covered area on the firing line.

I do not think that the rain was the problem.

rabbit03

 

[bullofthewoods]

This may be a dumb question but, you said you shot 2 inch groups from a rest. When you were shooting from your porch at 40 steps, were you also shooting from a rest or off hand?

 

[paulvallandigham]

How much experience do you have shooting off-hand? With that gun? What were the lighting conditions during your shooting( obviously overcast, but how dark? ) Did you use a sighting card on the target to help you see that front sight better in the low light? ( I use a business card, stapled below the bullseye so that I have a diamond point in the lower area of the black to come up into with my front sight when I am shooting for groups off a bench. This helps eliminate human error.

When I shoot off-hand, I have an entire routine I go through to make sure my stance is correct.

see:[url] www.chuckhawks.com/off-hand_shooting.htm[/url]

Other shooters' routines vary, but all are similar in one respect or the other. There are lots of reasons for a group to open up, but rain is rarely much of a consideration at those short distances.

Paul

 

[roundball]

Would the humidity account for the open spread?

No, humidity wouldn't cause that

 

[guncobbler]

Paul - Thanks for your offhand shooting link! Lots of great tips. I had never thought of deliberately making the sights move in a figure 8 to make shooting offhand more precise. This is a great dryfire exercise that can be done every day. GC

 

[bramble]

The light was low, I was using the rail as a brace (not a benchrest, but it should have been stable enough). Since I know that the rifle will group them tight, and nothing changed with the load, then it must be user error. I'll just have to burn some more powder. THanks for the link for off-hand shooting.
bramble

 

[paulvallandigham]

Bramble and GunCobbler: When I was a kid, my dream job was to be a professional trick shot artist, with both handguns and rifles. But those careers disappeared when gun companies found they could get more people to see their products with mass advertising. I spent my years learning how to do the trick shots, one at a time. And, Ironically, I had more opportunity doing those kinds of shots in front of a crowd with my Black Powder Club doing demonstration shooting, than in any venue where modern cartridge guns are allowed. I am not a big fan of paper shooting. I find it boring. I do it to work up a load, or loads for a gun, to confirm that a load is still shooting to POA, and only occasionally to see how I stack up against other shooters. Its the old story about an education: By the time you get wise enough to be able to do something well, you're too old to do it at all! So, I decided, at the urging of my wife, to write it down, and put it out for younger men to read. I have always enjoyed teaching, and coaching shooters, so writing was an easy next step. I am glad my article has been a help.

 

[J.D.]

Since I know that the rifle will group them tight,
bramble

I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but a 2" group at 40 steps, which would probably measure 30-35 yards, is not a good group, especially from a rest. At that range, every five shot group should be through one hole.

IMHO, you need to work up a better load.
J.D.

 

[bramble]

When I say rest, I'm referring to resting the rifle on a fixed surface (rail, etc.) not a real bench rest. Even so, your point well taken. More practice, more load development. :bow:
Thank you
bramble

 

[arcticap]

Since I know that the rifle will group them tight,
bramble

I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but a 2" group at 40 steps, which would probably measure 30-35 yards, is not a good group, especially from a rest. At that range, every five shot group should be through one hole.

IMHO, you need to work up a better load.
J.D.

I disagree, not every shooter or rifle are of Olympic quality, and the type of sights and length of barrel & sighting plane are different on every rifle.
Even some of the highest quality target guns & shooting experts won't place every shot in the same hole at that distance offhand (even with Olympic small bore rifles), especially with a hunting load.
Lastly, I think that rain can affect trajectory too, depending on how heavy the rain (& wind) is.
"Practice makes perfect", but people aren't machine rests, and least not the last time that I checked. :grin:

 

[jderrick]

I've actually heard the humidity helps with accuracy, though I'm no physicist and it might just be an old tale....

 

[bob308]

most of the matches i have been to 2" groups at 25yd.offhand. would not get you much if any meat maybe a can of beans.