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Airgun at 100y Rimfire BR Match

thomasair

Member
Manufacturer
Nov 6, 2016
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Colorado, United States
I got invited to shoot with the Orchard Mesa Gun Club guys at their monthly 100y Rimfire match. Everyone there was really nice and very inquisitive about my slug gun. Great group of guys.

They shoot 2 cards at 100y. The first is the IBS Hunter 200y target, and the second is the IBS 100y Hunter target. The 200y target has a 1” ten ring, and the 100y is a 1/2” ten ring.

There were a total of 14 shooters. The wind ranged from 3-8 or 9 at times and covered about every direction except a tail wind. It was pretty overcast, so at least there was no mirage to contend with.

I was able to take 1st place with a score of 488 8x. I shot my Thomas Slug gun using 39 gr slugs at 850fps. I was really happy with how the gun shot and didn’t have any shots that went somewhere unreasonable for the conditions.

The cards were 5 record bulls and one sighter bull. 5 shots into each for score. I had 3 instances where one of my shots went into an existing hole and was a little worried that the scorer would think I only took 4 shots, but he was very experienced and identified them all.

I measured all the 5 shot groups on both cards when I got home just to get an idea of average group size. All 10 5 shot groups averaged .66 MOA. That’s about right for this gun.

I had a good time and it was only 40 minutes from home. Although I normally don’t shoot at 100y…I’ll probably go next month because it was really nice to shoot with others instead of practicing by myself.

Mike

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Hi Mike!

It's been a long time and I got away from BR, but still follow you and the guys. Amazing results with your air rifle - if anyone could beat RF with an AR I knew it would be you!

Presumably there is no theoretical reason an AR can't beat RF, but I'm curious about the details. Both will need great barrels, but are there harmonic differences because the impulses are different? Do you still index?

How does velocity spread / standard deviation differ? Are precisely valved air bursts more consistent energy than powder loads?

Your slugs are 39gr , RF is 40. RF shoots about 200FPS faster than you are. Do you know how the BC's compare between your slugs and (say) Tenex bullets?


Best

Kim
 
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I got invited to shoot with the Orchard Mesa Gun Club guys at their monthly 100y Rimfire match. Everyone there was really nice and very inquisitive about my slug gun. Great group of guys.

They shoot 2 cards at 100y. The first is the IBS Hunter 200y target, and the second is the IBS 100y Hunter target. The 200y target has a 1” ten ring, and the 100y is a 1/2” ten ring.

There were a total of 14 shooters. The wind ranged from 3-8 or 9 at times and covered about every direction except a tail wind. It was pretty overcast, so at least there was no mirage to contend with.

I was able to take 1st place with a score of 488 8x. I shot my Thomas Slug gun using 39 gr slugs at 850fps. I was really happy with how the gun shot and didn’t have any shots that went somewhere unreasonable for the conditions.

The cards were 5 record bulls and one sighter bull. 5 shots into each for score. I had 3 instances where one of my shots went into an existing hole and was a little worried that the scorer would think I only took 4 shots, but he was very experienced and identified them all.

I measured all the 5 shot groups on both cards when I got home just to get an idea of average group size. All 10 5 shot groups averaged .66 MOA. That’s about right for this gun.

I had a good time and it was only 40 minutes from home. Although I normally don’t shoot at 100y…I’ll probably go next month because it was really nice to shoot with others instead of practicing by myself.

Mike

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Very nice. What model Thomas were you shooting?
 
Fantastic shooting Mike!

That’s some mighty fine ‘wind reading’ in 3-8 mph winds to achieve those scores. 850 FPS with a 39g slug vs. a bunch of Rimfires shooting match ammo ( I.e., 40g) in the 1060-1100 FPS range. Just goes to show what many of us knew already; that faster velocity doesn’t always equate to better accuracy. .66” CTC at 100 yards in no wind would be amazing. This just blows my mind!

My daughter had her third baby Granddaughter ( Annabelle Graye ) born last Thursday on August 11. Papa (me) is going up to DC this Friday to recscue my wife with babysitting duty.

Enjoy Utah!

Tom
 
Thanks

Kdog….nobody was shocked by the looks of the gun. These guys were all long time BR shooters with most being active in centerfire BR too. That particular gun has a solenoid type hammer system with a switch to activate.

Lou…..I think someone was planning to give BS a call, but I don’t know if he ever got a hold of him.

Kim….my slugs have the same BC as a typical 40gr Rimfire bullet. The wind resistance does not diminish at the lower velocities that I shoot. My gun holds less than 10 fps spreads. Many think that is a big advantage over Rimfire. I don’t. The firing pulse is everything …and getting it “in phase” is the key to managing vertical. Rimfire guns use barrel tuners to minimize the vertical. I have recently found I can accomplish the same by manipulating valve action.

Jearly….a couple of the guys have pcps, but not the sort that would do any good in a BR competition.

Hodauh….I just call it my slug gun.

Mike
 
Thanks

Kdog….nobody was shocked by the looks of the gun. These guys were all long time BR shooters with most being active in centerfire BR too. That particular gun has a solenoid type hammer system with a switch to activate.

Lou…..I think someone was planning to give BS a call, but I don’t know if he ever got a hold of him.

Kim….my slugs have the same BC as a typical 40gr Rimfire bullet. The wind resistance does not diminish at the lower velocities that I shoot. My gun holds less than 10 fps spreads. Many think that is a big advantage over Rimfire. I don’t. The firing pulse is everything …and getting it “in phase” is the key to managing vertical. Rimfire guns use barrel tuners to minimize the vertical. I have recently found I can accomplish the same by manipulating valve action.

Jearly….a couple of the guys have pcps, but not the sort that would do any good in a BR competition.

Hodauh….I just call it my slug gun.

Mike
Hi Mike:

Do you have any plans for producing an self contained (untethered) versionof that gun? The major BR 100yd air rifle tournaments do not permit a gun to be tethered, or shoot slugs for that matter.

Thanks
Joe P.
 
Hi Mike:

Do you have any plans for producing an self contained (untethered) versionof that gun? The major BR 100yd air rifle tournaments do not permit a gun to be tethered, or shoot slugs for that matter.

Thanks
Joe P.
I think some of them are planning to introduce an Unlimited class so they would be allowed there.