I think I actually have mac to thank for this because 5 years ago he talked me into my first $630 Garand from the CMP. Once again, it was a race against the clock and I watched the sun all but set on my way from work to WP&R Club while racing down rt. 140.
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Ran my target down and loaded up an enbloc...tightened up my web sling and I was ready to rock! I REALLY took my time with my shots and concentrated on my breathing because 1.) I wanted a good gauge of where I was going to be at on paper so I could make corrections, and 2.) my glasses kept fogging up every time I would hold my 'respiratory pause' for too long (I think hot air comes up from my nose and it basically makes the target invisible).
Some of you may recognize this rifle as the one I shoot in Pembroke most of the time. It has zero modifications other than a barrel peening to get the gas cylinder to fit a little tighter...may have swapped out for a gas lock that timed better at one point too. Other than that, she's a bone stock Springfield with at least one rearsenal under her belt.
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No 'fouling' or 'settling in' rounds...I locked the trigger guard back up about 15 seconds before I started shooting.
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MIGHT just be my best score yet...like, ever! Looks like a 97 4X and I have NO idea how it happened! I think I might be trying to spend some more time this year on breathing though, because it's really the only thing I did differently.
REALLY chasing range 'closing time' by the time I was done fluttering over my score and pastying up my target...time to see if I can duplicate this phenomenon!
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Hot DAMN if I didn't come close enough to at least rule out my being temporarily possessed by Carlos Hathcock! It was a 95 1X and I realize it looks like 11 shots, but one of my outer 9 ring shots pulled a pasty inward with it and exposed an existing hole.
Looks like my breath control didn't work so well to keep my rifle stock from getting all moist :/
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By the time I found 19 of my brass it was so dark I couldn't see the ground. I had to turn my truck around and drive down the hill a little to find the last piece (yes...I'm a brass rat, tried and true). All this ammo came from a fresh batch of 250 rounds of Nosler 168CC's loaded with 43gr of Varget with Winchester LR Primers in Remington Commercial once-fired brass I bought off Big-Al a couple years ago.
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I never could have imagined I would have shot so well in the light I was working with (I know I still have my eye sight for the most part and I don't need a pill to get a hard-on so I'm preaching to the choir)...but still felt this was deserving of a little celebration
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I know I'm going to spend the rest of the winter chasing that score, but I'll have fun doing it! Plus...there's a few in the back corners of the safe that need some love too!