M3 22 cal shooting JSB Redesigns at about 914 fps. Vortex Diamondback FFP at 18X, Accutac Bipod on the front, just a cheap bag at the rear. Yes, I have level on the scope also. One thing is my shooting table is an old folding card table. lol
My shooting table is extremely flexible, definitely hinders me but its what I’ve got.
18x is about the bare minimum for this challenge, I’m usually at a higher magnification. I have used 14x but never shot over 193 with 14x
I’ve got an Athlon Midas Tac 6x24 FFP - its great glass even on 24x. However for precision target shooting I’d recommend a 36x Sightron SII 36x42. They sell for around $500 and it will completely blow your mind vs. your Vortex Diamondback scope.
I’m using a precision lab lift table at the rear with a sticky sunglass mat on it. I found that the fewer forces you apply to the rifle the better, so eliminating the rear bag helped. Its great to practice squeezing the trigger with a 36x target scope while trying to keep your crosshair still.
Finally I suggest dropping your velocity a bit. I have a Daystate Wolverine R HP that shoots the MRDs lights out at 895-900fps. The milder your tune, the better for precision target shooting. I know the MRDs do well at higher velocities than most pellets, but you are trying to hit a .12” 10 ring here, so a mild tune with lower velocity will help keep your M3 as mellow as possible.
This challenge has really helped me improve my shooting. I use a very light hold and my trigger pull weights are under 10 ounces on all my rifles. I prefer about 5 ounces. FX triggers are the worst I’ve encountered - lame design that makes it impossible to drop below about 10 ounces unless you get rid of the 1st “stage”.
When I started in February, a score above 190 was a good card. Now a score of 196+ is a good card. Keep practicing, light hold, feel the pressure you apply to the trigger, do it exactly the same every shot - its that trigger interface thats the key.
Just some thoughts,
-Ed
