Back With Another Screwy Video

[Rifleman]

I posted a video a week or so ago but could not hit the "one shot, one kill" shot on the 400 yard target... I did it this time and feel confident of hitting it with first shot every time now.

Win94ae 30-30, 400 Yards, 6 Inch Target

I had been experiencing a height issue and thought it was my adjustments or marksmanship. But enough was enough and I tightened all the screws on the rifle, with the main focus on the barrel band screws, to see if that was the problem. I loosened the barrel bands, aligned the tube magazine then tightened the forward band first. I tightened both pretty stoutly, which may have changed the harmonics a bit; it did change POI height.

I wanted to mention this, maybe it'll spur a discussion on the tightening of barrel band screws?

[Tycer]

Mine are loose, my fore stock does not touch the barrel.

[FWiedner]

That's cool seeing the bullet in flight.

Good shot!

[Griff]

Using a scope... now that just ain't right! Actually, with a cold barrel, it should be good... whether bands are tight or no. But... once that barrel warms up, those tight screws (& therefor bands), will become even tighter, making repeat shots much more of a "hit or miss" proposition!

'Bout some 16 or 17 years ago, a friend and I were the last shooters in a Levergun shoot-off, and after neither of us missed at 200 yards for some 20 or so rounds, the match director decided to up the ante... "Hit that 18" square at 400 yards, most hits out of 10 shots wins." Which we both did, for 9 of 10 hits...

He then said, "let me go out there and take that 18" square down, and put the 6" gong I've got laying on the ground. We looked at each other and both said, let us try that 18" gong off-hand... first unanswered hit, wins.

The match director later told me that all 10 of my hits were in a 6" circle he had on the target. My competitor's were not. We were both using tang sighted 30-30s, Winchester 94 rifles (as opposed to carbines as your's is), with 26" barrels. Up until our last shot, we'd been using x-sticks from the prone position.

But, then again, I didn't wear glasses to see back then either!

Congrats, that's some excellent shooting. Factory or handloads? If you don't mind me askin', what was your ammo?

[Rifleman]

Mine are loose, my fore stock does not touch the barrel.

I tried it loose just before this video. It was doing fine I thought then I kept seeing varying POI heights with tried and true loads.

I used to always have them tight but I'd tighten the rearward band first.

[Rifleman]

Using a scope... now that just ain't right! Actually, with a cold barrel, it should be good... whether bands are tight or no. But... once that barrel warms up, those tight screws (& therefor bands), will become even tighter, making repeat shots much more of a "hit or miss" proposition!

That is why I tried the bands loose for a few weeks there. During load development when it was hottest I suspected tension with the barrel. But now that I have looked it over, I can keep the tube magazine a bit forward of the action. There will sill be tension between the barrel bands, but all the years I have had them tight I never noticed a change in POI.

When I first suspected tension in the bands as a problem is when I noticed the magazine end a bit askew, which was probably my only problem.

I"ll have to keep my eye on it.

Congrats, that's some excellent shooting. Factory or handloads? If you don't mind me askin', what was your ammo?

Thank you! I was using my special handload; 150gr FMJ loaded directly into the chamber.

[Rifleman]

That's cool seeing the bullet in flight.

Good shot!

I'm getting good at getting the right camera angle at the right time of day to get the glare off the sun.

Thank you!