I like to put down my thoughts on the FT i do . so on here you will read of my results and testing .
OK today at the club was good but difficult . a very light wind , kept switching back and forth across the lanes . in the end i decided to up the power slightly to try to make the shots more predictable . next sunday is north oxon . a ground where a good score can be had . we will see ??? HOLLY
Well the plan fell apart on execution sunday . a lack of use of the shutz in a comp and cos i thought it was a gonna be really cold i did not wear my shooting jacket . i was a gonna leave of the shutz for a while . but no i have a cunning plan ??? HOLLY
Bitterly cold at the club today , i was shooting the shutz to get more time in on it . very difficult wind day . ??? HOLLY
Ok after thinking this through i think one of the reasons for my lack of stability in the sitting position is that i s that i am sitting too high with the rifle . gonna try a lower position sunday ??? HOLLY
Well that was a day to forget , shooting wise . i was looking to sit lower for more stability in the air sitting . yeah right . wobble wobble wobble in the wind . hit one miss one . aim out side the kill , miss aim inside the kill miss . Grrrr . i think i may take up tiddly winks like Big Bazza ???? HOLY
Ok in the race for stability before the GP season starts . i have added a thigh rest to the shutz . bit heath robinson at the mo but will sort it properly as i go . wednesday will tell . HOLLY
Well the rest worked well today . needs a few small mods . about 80 % there . it really does make all the difference if you can sit properly ? HOLLY
PS Sreyr out tomorrow . need to remark the side wheel . should be sunny .
It's alright for you retired oldies to mess about when you like, some of us only get a Sunday morning every other week, me jealous, yes
True of course , but like many others i worked from 15 till i was 69 . so yes i now enjoy my retirement . i def recommend it HOLLY
Good day but cold , cold . fingers were going numb early on at the club . sighted the steyr in and marked up the side wheel and sorted my lifts , 10 to 55 yards . myself and melv went out on the course . did about ten lanes . dropped two . the last lane 54 yarder . went out side on the left for wind . but it did not take it . i think much as i did not want to . i am gonna have to make a thigh rest for it . shame cos it has classic looks . but when all is said and done . it is about hitting targets . not looking good HOLLY
Well today we did not look good or hit many targets . a re think was in order . damn cold . our ground in the winter is a grave yard of FT hopes . once the leaves come off the trees and the wind blows , not good . today was one of those . not helped by the fact that the pellets i was using had been oxidised . gun was good over the chrono . running at 775 fps . the thigh rest did not work as it was just to difficult to hold in position . problem is the rifle needs you to be perfectly relaxed with no tension . trouble with that is that you need to confident in your shooting to get that . catch 22 . still towards the end . things started picking up as the day got warmer .tried some express pellets . but as usual around one pellet in 7 would drop out of the kill . onward and upward HOLLY
@David Hollingdale Keep at it and you will get there in the end. Cold here on the main land too, side note Bazza had his Daystate out with a new reg in it and said spot on so he was happy.
@k.pitman50 Yep tried to ring him tonight to find how he got on today . i think as long as it is sorted . that the daystate is the way for him to go . very well balanced rifle and elegant to . it really is too cold for much in the way of practice . i like to do twice around the course . once was all i could manage . wonder how long this cold snap will last HOLLY
OK so stability must now be found in a Gimp Coat . gonna be chilly . may give the H&N Snipers a run out wednesday . the rifle is very stable power wise at 775 in this cold weather . also should get the side wheel back shortly . i had some mods done to it as it every now and then would slip off in the bag , not good . HOLLY
Right bitter cold so a late start tomorrow at the club . the wife wants to get down the club as soon as the weather sorts it's self out and get's warmer . so tomorrow is sorting the wife's Steyr . over the chrono and check the ranges and lifts . couple of hours should do it . have been considering a sightron scope . dunno . very small exit pupil on the sightron . makes it difficult to pick up the target . i will see ??? HOLLY
OK out today at the ground . cold , cold , cold . urgggh . fingers were to cold to load a pellet after an hour . so all i got done really was zero the wife's rifle for 35 yards . have a couple of cups of tea and after two hours go home . i have been cleaning the barrels of my rifles with dry 4 by 2 ( cut to 2 by 2 ) for a while . so to see if the barrels were getting dirtier than usual . i used a wet patch in each . so far so good . each patch came out with an average amount of dirt on it . so i will carry on dry pulling through . the small side wheel came back for the march . with the mod done . and was fitted tonight . bit fiddly but hopefully i won't have to do it again . heavy jumper tomorrow and gimp coat . later start around eleven i think . i am hoping it will be a bit warmer . HOLLY
Much nicer day today . cold but very little wind . gimp coat worn for half of my shooting . there is no doubt that it is better for most of my shooting . the problem now is that my standers have gone down hill using my 2002 shutz . the weight is the problem . when i was working . i was shifting weight all day long . now retired the muscles are not what they were . i am not what i was . so it is back to the steyr . only thing is now . do i put the lupe on it or the march . decisions , decisions . ??? HOLLY
As i have said before , stability is what i seek . to make up for my less than fit frame . so i have added a forward pistol grip . may not look to much . but i am hoping it may add something to my sitters . sunday will tell . weather permitting HOLLY
It does not look promising for tomorrow . very windy . but will have a go anyway . get out the house at least ??? HOLLY
Well i was pleased with that , lousy shooting weather but a good day to test stability . the forward pistol grip seemed to work well . i did not use the gimp coat . as i wanted to see how it would work out naked so to speak . on the long shots and the 15 mil kills it did seem to add something to my shooting . will see how it goes wednesday if the wind drops .HOLLY
PS am i on a roll , or a cheese roll . hmmmmmm .
Ok ready for tomorrow . lupe scope fitted . tomorrow i will try the rifle with the bits fitted and get my ass out on the course with the gimp coat to see what i can do . check the scope lifts and chrono and see how it goes / HOLLY
Interesting day . damn cold . i found i had to much under the Gimp coat , so had to take it off . try again tomorrow . after doing the course . i sat down on the zero range and tried some Exact heavy pellets . 10.03 . slightly less wind on the 55 yarder but not enough to change pellets . i also spent some time checking power settings to see at which speed the pellets group best . normally in air rifles the pellets stabilise and group best at around 800 fps . the BFTA limit is 795 for 8.4s so that is out . but on the steyr i found that 769 gave the best combination of accuracy and windage . talking of windage . very difficult today to judge what to give it . the wind would just stop ??? HOLLY
Too cold again for Gimp coat . so shot around as was . adjusted the forcing cone in the muzzle brake . gotta say this is the best grouping rifle i have used . as said not a great wind fighter . wind was getting stronger by the hour . but no snow or rain . worked on my standers and sitting position . i have bought a pair of golf shoes of flea bay to see if that will stop my feet slipping in the mud . will see how it goes sunday ??? HOLLY
Well no golf shoes yet . so just plain practice tomorrow . gonna be even colder i am told . had a bit of luck winter wear wise yesterday . picked up a british army fish tail parker at a charity shop . better still it was a fiver . well £4.95 actually cos there was five P in one of the pockets . not bad a a good one is £45 up on flea bay . ordered a air cylinder mounted windicator from Rowan Eng . the old one kept snapping . let us hope the snow stays away . onward and upward . ??? HOLLY
Sunday and club day . most enjoyable . course done and shot quite well . got all my standers . tricky wind . confidence coming back as the weather got better today . tried my gimp coat as it was warmer . def better overall . took my forward pistol grip off as really it only helps on steep down hill shots . but i will keep it in my shooting bag , in case i come across a ground with this sort of target . power went up slightly as it got hotter . i am afraid you have to live with that with steyrs . just gotta keep an eye on em . Holly
Well got the Golf shoes today . got no spikes on em just some plastic pimples . so i don't know how good they will be . will give em a try wednesday if poss . blooming stiff that is for sure . stil you cannot really expect a lot for a fiver off flea bay . ??? HOLLY
Well practice tomorrow , not gonna be to good weather wise . so down to club . chech chrono as it was up slightly last sunday and it is a bit warmer . zero range and straight onto the course to hopefully complete the whole course . gimp coat on if it is not raining . HOLLY