Lewis & Clark Shooters Ass’n

by Jeffery G. Chosid

I have been trying to find the ideal eyeglass frames and lenses for years.  I own quite a few different types of frames and a wide selection of lenses, in many shapes and colors, the results of many different experiments and the search for a clearer sight picture.  Up until recently, I haven’t been overly pleased with the results.  I’ve worked with a number of Optometrists who were “Shooter friendly” but they really didn’t understand what I needed.  A vision professional who is shooter friendly will normally tell you to bring your gun in to the office and he will fix you up.  He’ll get you into position and try various lenses while you attempt to focus on your front sight.  Good luck.  I have tried this approach and knew there had to be a better way. 

Everyone said your eyes will start to go at forty.  Due to changes in lifestyle,  some now feel this can now happen as young as thirty.  I got to forty-five, which was three years ago.  I am nearsighted, which worked rather well for Highpower shooting.  My best focusing distance was about twenty-four inches, just about perfect for focusing on the front sight of an AR-15.  At about forty-five, I noticed that I could no longer focus on very close objects.  I also found that it was much easier to read in bright light.  Sound familiar?

Competitive Across-the-Course Highpower is shot at 200, 300 and 600 yards, with iron sights.  Most service rifles have a non-adjustable, but interchangeable, aperture in their rear sight and a post front sight.  Match rifles typically have an adjustable rear aperture sight and either a post or an aperture front sight.  Highpower shooters have very specific vision requirements.  1) The front sight must be in perfect focus.  2) The target should be in as good of focus as possible, without compromising requirement #1.  A fuzzy bullseye is more of an annoyance than a real problem.  You do not need to see the bullseye clearly to shoot winning scores.  3) Also, you must be able to see the graduations on the sights and see your scorebook.  For young shooters, none of these requirements seem to pose any problems.  I’m convinced my eighteen-year-old daughter can shoot in total darkness.  In addition, her eyes can change focusing distance so rapidly that she doesn’t even notice that she can’t focus on different distances at the same time.  One time she even asked me if I ever noticed how you could read the mirage without a spotting scope.  I just shook my head.

One sees the world through their own eyes.  It’s stating the obvious but many shooters take the advice of others without question, assuming that it will correct all of their own shooting vision problems.  We’ve all listened to the “Range Expert,” especially if he’s a High Master Distinguished Rifleman, and proceeded with his personal solution for his vision problems.  It might work for you but it probably won’t.  The proper selection of front sight width and rear aperture is a case in point.  Many suggest using the widest front sight possible, even up to a battle sight, while using an extremely small rear aperture.  Didn’t work for me but works for some.  I use a front sight that appears the same width as the bullseye, with a relatively large .052” rear aperture.  Unfortunately, there aren’t any easy formulas for deciding on sight sizes.  The shooter has to experiment until he finds what works best for him.  Without doubt, its best to use the smallest rear aperture possible, since it increases the depth of focus.  If the aperture is so small that you can hardly see the target on an overcast day, the increased depth of focus isn’t going to help you very much.

Just for safety, you must wear glasses while shooting.  If you do not require prescription lenses, just about anything providing adequate eye protection will work.  Older shooters, and those younger shooters not blessed with great eyes, will require prescription lenses.  There’s no simple formula for shooting glasses since everyone’s eyes are different and there are many variables pertaining to specific rifles; i.e., varying sight radius, different rear aperture sizes, etc. 

There are a variety of eyeglass frames that will work for rifle shooting.  A popular choice, for many shooters, are smallbore glasses, such as those made by Champion and Knobloch.  These frames are very adjustable, and can be configured in many different ways.  Unfortunately, these types of frames provide limited eye protection.  There are a number of other eyeglass frames that are excellent choices for shooting, such as those made by Decot and Zeiss.  Their frames provide excellent eye protection and are easily adjusted to the various shooting positions.

Vision Professionals

The “Three O’s” of the optical industry are Ophthalmologist, Optometrist and Optician.  An Ophthalmologist is an M.D. who specializes in the treatment of eye diseases and surgery.  He can prescribe medicine.  While an Ophthalmologist will sometimes refract your eyes (the test where he changes lenses while you look at an eye chart), this task is often delegated to an in-house technician or  Optometrist, who is the second of the “Three O’s.”  An Optometrist is the primary care provider for healthy eyes.  During a normal vision check-up, the Optometrist examines the eyes for any indication of eye diseases or problems and performs a refraction.  An Optometrist will refer you to an Ophthalmologist if he feels it is necessary.  The last of the “O’s” is the Optician who specializes in the fitting and manufacture of eyeglasses.  An Optician works from a prescription written by an Ophthalmologist or an Optometrist and does not perform refractions.

The Shooter’s Eyes

The human eye is one fine piece of engineering.  Referring to Illustration #1, the cornea is the transparent window at the front of the eye.  It is dome-shaped and provides two-thirds of the eye’s focusing power.  The iris is the colored portion of the eye that automatically adjusts to varying light conditions, allowing the proper amount of light to enter the eye.  The black center is the pupil, which is the aperture through which the light passes.  The lens is located behind the iris.  Tiny muscles, called ciliary muscles, change the shape of the lens to adjust to varying focusing distances.  The retina is located at the back of the eye and is made up of many light sensitive cells.  Information from these cells, in the form of electrical impulses, passes through the optic nerve to the visual cortex of the brain.  

An individual might have perfectly healthy eyes but still not have good vision.  The most common vision conditions are:

Nearsightedness or myopia (Illustration #2) is caused by a steeper cornea, a longer eye or a combination of both.  Instead of the image focusing directly on the retina, it focuses in front of it.  Nearsighted people see well up close but have difficulty seeing objects at a distance.

Farsightedness or hyperopia (Illustration #3) is caused by a flatter cornea, a shorter eye or a combination of both.  With this eye condition, the image focuses behind the retina, instead of on it.  Farsighted people see distant objects well but have difficulty seeing objects that are close. 

Astigmatism (Illustration #4) occurs when the cornea is not in the ideal spherical shape but is more oval ( pointed like a football) .  Most often the astigmatic cornea has two curves, causing the image to focus on more than one point in the eye.  Frequently, astigmatism occurs along with myopia or hyperopia.

Myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism can be corrected with prescription lenses.

Presbyopia generally develops at about the age of forty and now can develop as early as thirty.  Presbyopia is when the eye looses its ability to accommodate; i.e., change its focusing distance.  When the muscles in the eye are relaxed, the eye focuses at infinity.  When one focuses on closer objects, the ciliary muscles change the shape of the lens.  As the eye ages, the lens becomes less flexible and the ciliary muscles can no longer change the shape of the lens sufficiently to bring closer objects into focus.  As presbyopia advances, an object must be held further away from the eye to be brought in focus.  For a shooter, this becomes critical when one can no longer bring the front sight into focus.

In addition to presbyopia, older eyes lose some ability for the iris to dilate, reducing the amount of light entering the eye.  A young person’s iris can dilate up to 8mm.  An older person’s iris may only dilate 4mm – 6mm, reducing the incoming light by as much as fifty percent.  This is why older individuals require more light for reading and why older shooters often require a larger rear aperture.

Vision Testing For Shooting Glasses

The method described in this article is based on optical science and will provide the shooter with the best possible correction for shooting. This procedure was developed with the assistance of Chris Vogler, owner of C-Sports Optical, in St. Louis, MO.  Chris specializes in vision issues for a wide variety of sports, including all facets of shooting.  Visiting C-Sports Optical the first time is quite an experience.  This is not your typical optical shop.  As expected, there are a lot of eyeglasses on display.  In addition, there are stuffed animals on the wall plus lots of hunting and fishing items.  Chris is an active hunter and fisherman and is also a local radio personality, co-hosting a weekly outdoor show.

Most of the testing is done with a vision tool, or rail, specifically designed for the testing of vision for rifle shooters (Illustration #5).  The rail has a “Rear Sight,” with interchangeable apertures.  The rear sight can be moved along the rail to duplicate eye relief.   The “Front Sight” is a reduced size eye chart and is adjustable for sight radius.  Reduced size eye charts can easily be produced using a word processor and a laser or ink jet printer.  Use the Courier Bold font and experiment a bit with size.  The chart I use ranges from 14pt. down to 3pt. type.  Often, individuals attempt to select lenses while using their rifle, attempting to focus on the front sight.  Especially with a post front sight found on service rifles, this is quite difficult and often unsuccessful.  It is very hard to see slight changes in correction when one is looking at a tiny bar of metal.  A match rifle, with a front aperture sight, is not much better.  It would be like having an eye test performed looking at only the letter “I” or “O.”  A correctly designed eye chart has different letters or shapes that allow the individual to perceive very small changes in correction.  The test rail is light and easy to hold in position during the test.  Holding a rifle in proper position can be difficult.

Testing Procedure

The rear sight is adjusted to replicate the eye relief of a specific rifle and the correct rear aperture is inserted.  Interchangeable apertures are necessary so that the shooter can use the same aperture diameter of his actual rear sight during the test.  Using the correct rear aperture size during the test is critical since its diameter establishes the depth of focus.  Depth of focus is the range within which objects appear in focus.  The smaller the aperture, the greater the depth of focus.  There is no formula for selecting the rear sight aperture diameter.  For the test, it is important to choose the largest aperture one intends to use when shooting.  If one uses a smaller aperture during the test and later changes to a larger aperture, it is possible to lose front sight focus due to the reduced depth of focus.  The eye chart, or “front sight,” is adjusted to duplicate the sight radius of the rifle.

The testing procedure is performed while wearing your distance prescription glasses.  If you don’t require a distance prescription, the test should be preformed without glasses.  The test rail is held in a comfortable position with the user looking though the rear sight.  The eye chart should not be in focus.  The individual administering the test will place increasingly stronger +diopter lenses immediately in front of your glasses or eye.  Adding +diopter lenses will move the depth of focus towards your eye.  Each +.25 will move the depth of focus approximately 3”.  At some point the eye chart will come into focus.  Adding another +diopter lens will not improve the focus.  What one is looking for is the lowest +diopter that will bring the eye chart into focus.  Doing so places the front sight at the back of the depth of focus, with the front of the depth of focus range toward the target.  Your distance prescription, plus the additional +diopter, is your shooting prescription for that specific sight radius when using an aperture no larger than the one used during the test procedure. 

When lenses are ground, it is only possible to have the perfect correction at one specific area.  For normal glasses, the optical center of each lens is placed directly in front of the pupil.  Obviously, this won’t work for most shooting glasses used with rifles.  It is now necessary to get into position, with the rifle, to properly identify the location of the optical centers.  Normally, the optical center, for one’s sighting eye, will be placed near your nose.   For your non-shooting eye, the optical center should be located for comfortable viewing through your spotting scope. 

With the smallbore shooting glasses previously mentioned, the optical center is placed in the center of the lenses.  The lens holder is then moved into the proper position.  Decot frames can be ordered with an adjustable nosepiece, allowing up and down movement.  Zeiss Scopz frames also have this feature.  When shooting offhand, the lenses are positioned low on the face.  When shooting prone, the lenses are adjusted to a high position.  Adjustable frames insure that the optical center is in the correct location for all shooting positions.

In addition to clear, a wide variety of tinted lenses are also available.  Certain tints can reduce haze, increase contrast and improve target definition.  The negative is that the tint reduces the amount of light reaching the eye.   Keep in mind that the iris of the eye is an aperture.  In lower light conditions, the iris dilates, allowing more light to enter the eye.  Just as with a mechanical aperture, depth of focus will be reduced.  It is possible, when using highly tinted lenses, to reduce your depth of focus to such an extent as to lose perfect front sight focus.  If you do use tinted lenses regularly, you should go through this test while using them.  I have used clear, amber and vermillion.  I now only use clear lenses. 

With the proper prescription for shooting glasses, you might find that you can no longer easily see the graduations on your sights or see your scorebook.  Remember, your shooting prescription is set for the distance to your front sight, and beyond.  Neoptx makes stick-on reading lenses that you can affix to the lower portion of your shooting glasses.  These flexible plastic lenses are available in +diopters up to +3.0.  As mentioned earlier, adding a +diopter correction will bring the depth of focus closer to the eye.  They are available at most Walgreen’s Drugstores.

Using the method explained in this article, the shooter will have gained a number of vision advantages.  The front sight will now be in focus, with no usable depth of focus behind it.  Usable depth of focus will be in front of the front sight, bringing the target into better focus.  Add-on reading lenses will allow for close-up viewing.  Accept the fact, though, that we are never all going to have eyes like my daughter’s.

SOURCES:

Frame World Aluminum Components

Barrington Automation

780 Tek Drive

Crystal Lake, IL  60014

(815) 477-1400

www.frame-world.com

Interchangeable Apertures

Compass Lake Engineering

719 White Drive

Alford, FL  32420

(850) 579-1208

www.compasslake.com

Optx 20/20 Lenses

Neoptx

2205 152nd Avenue N.E.
Redmond, Washington 98052
(425) 644-2020

www.optx2020.com

C-Sports Optical

8920 Manchester Rd

St. Louis, MO. 63144

314-963-7567

csports@epconline.com

Stewart A. Leach -  a. k. a. “Colorado Grey Fox”  

These notes and observations are for the beginning highpower shooter. Highpower is an equipment intensive sport, though good training and practice count at least as much as equipment. Safety equipment purchases are absolutely and immediately necessary, while other items may be borrowed from others at matches and practice sessions. Highpower shooters are a generous and sharing lot, provided you ask in advance. Before making major purchases ask around and find out what is working well for local shooters. Used gear is often available; put up “wanted” posters or advertise in club newsletters.

In no particular order, here are the things a beginning shooter will need. In some instances the advice is to start with an improvised item rather than immediately buying an expensive item like a shooting coat.

Hearing protection: Most ranges require hearing protection, and you will shoot best when you use it. A high Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) is desirable, but a high NRR usually also means more weight, bulk and cost. The muff type protectors are conveniently quick to put on and take off. Many shooters prefer the ear-plug type protection, which is available as inexpensive foam puffs and more expensive custom molded versions. I personally prefer the bright daylight fluorescent orange foam puffs sold by Dillon, topped by a pair of Peltor shotgunner muffs.

Eye protection: Very, very rarely a cartridge may leak powder gasses or rupture, carrying bits of metal back toward the shooter. Eye protection is necessary, and usually takes the form of sunglasses, prescription lenses or special shooting glasses. Select for impact resistance. See eye care professional for special shooting lenses.

Rifles: In NRA competition, two types of rifles are used: the match rifle and the service rifle. Match rifles are usually bolt actions with heavy barrels, five round magazines and special stocks. Most commonly chambered for the 308 Winchester or 223 Remington families of cartridges, they bear precision adjustable rear sights with an aperture front sight. Most match rifles are built up by custom gunsmiths from standard factory actions. A growing number of match rifles are seen based on semi-auto actions such as the Colt AR-15 or Knight SR-25.

Service rifle means a US military service rifle or its civilian equivalent. This means the M1 Garand in 30-06 or 7.62mm NATO/308 Win, the M14/M1A in 7.62/308 or the M16/AR-15 in 5.56mmNATO/223 Rem. Military rifles from other countries or an earlier era are regarded as match rifles. As the service rifle may be fired in match rifle events, but not vice-versa, new shooters often begin with the service rifle.

Basic service grade M1 Garand rifles are available for sale to highpower competitors through an organization called the Civilian Marksmanship Program. Used to be Army sponsored, now a “government sponsored enterprise”. The process involves a lot of paperwork, takes several months, and is worth while because the rifle will be in much better condition than those being brought back into the country from the Philippines, Korea, etc.. Contact: Director of Civilian Marksmanship, P. O. Box 576, Port Clinton, OH 43452; (419) 635-2141; www.odcmp.com.

Many shooting clubs have a number of M1 Garand rifles loaned or sold to them by the CMP under a program to promote military-type marksmanship among civilians. Clubs use these rifles at club matches and training clinics. Limited supplies of surplus military ammunition may also be available. Some clubs are now selling off their Garands and replacing them with M16 clones.

If I were starting the highpower game today I would go with an M16/AR-15 type service rifle. Initial cost is less than for an M14/M1A, accurizing costs less, ammo costs less, they stay tuned up, recoil is lighter, parts are easily available, easily convertible to match rifle, etc. Besides, this is the service rifle of today!

Sling: For the match rifle, any type of one arm sling is allowed. The most common is a simple leather strap with two buckles allowing adjustment for length and a snug fit on the upper arm. The sling is not used in the offhand position, and is usually taken off the match rifle. Fields and Jensen make good match rifle slings.

Service rifle shooters have a choice of the military one-piece cotton or nylon web sling, or the two piece leather military sling. The leather sling is best; look for one 1-1/4″ wide, made of heavy leather, front strap at least 50 inches long. For the M16 clones get a sling at least 54” long. Brownell’s makes a good sling, Turner Saddlery makes the best; don’t bother with light duty stuff like Hunter or Uncle Mike’s. The cotton web sling is good, and easy to use; stay away from the slippery nylon one! The sling stays on the service rifle in all shooting positions, though it is used only in the sitting and prone stages.

Chargers, clips or magazines: Have at least three that work in your rifle. Only two are really needed, but what if one gets lost or damaged? Test each for smooth function. Be aware of local legal restrictions. For the M14/M1A and M16/AR15 rifles, you want the 20 round size magazines, or ten round capacity mags with the same outside dimensions as twenty rounders.

Gun case: Used to protect the rifle from damage and prying eyes. Hard cases offer the most protection, are lockable and required if you fly with a firearm. Soft cases are less bulky and more convenient.

Cleaning gear: Clean rifles shoot better and last longer! You need a sturdy one piece plastic coated steel cleaning rod, rod guide, bore brushes, a patch holder and an old toothbrush. Avoid aluminum or brass cleaning rods: the soft metal can pick up grit and damage your barrel. I like Dewey and BoreTech rods. Also needed are a powder solvent, a copper solvent, patches, gun grease, gun oil and some rags.

Ammunition: For the beginner, almost any safe ammo for your rifle will do. Various types of surplus are available, and will work fine for your first few matches as you learn the game. As skill improves, you may want to reload for economy and accuracy. The loads listed below work well for the author.

* * * DISCLAIMER: Reloading and use of reloaded ammunition can be hazardous. Read up on safety procedures, view videos and seek competent instruction. Wear safety equipment such as eyeshield and gloves. The author assumes no liability for other persons who may use data in this article. * * *

30-06: Military cases, standard force primer, IMR 4895 powder, 168 grain match bullet.

7.62/308: Military cases, standard force primer, IMR 4895 powder, 168 grain match bullet.

5.56/223: Military or civilian cases, standard force primer, Hodgdon 335 powder and 55 grain bullet, or, for 1-9 or faster twist barrels, Hodgdon Varget powder and 68 or 69 grain match bullet. Heavier bullets are available for specialized handloading. See latest loading manuals for more information.

Data book: Some sort of notebook to record sight settings, ammo used, windage adjustments. Special notebooks with pre-printed record sheets are available. I like the Creedmoor and Jim Owens books. A seed corn notebook or other small wirebound notebook will do.

Temporary score book: Important! Obtain one of these at the first clinic or match you attend. Until issued a formal classification card by the NRA, this booklet is your classification record for subsequent competitions.

Rule book: A current NRA Highpower Rule Book will guide you as to what is allowed and expected. The rules change a little each year. Contact at www.nra.org. and go to competitions division.

Timer or stopwatch: A countdown timer is a convenience, helps you pace yourself during slow fire matches. A regular wristwatch will also serve.

Clothing: Should be comfortable. Wear outdoor clothing suitable for the weather. From the ground up:

Shoes: Sturdy, with a fairly firm, flat sole. Athletic shoes are popular, as are hiking boots; no sandals.

Pants: Nothing too restrictive, as you must shoot in the sitting position. Blue jeans and chinos are a good choice. I like tan BDU’s, supported by carpenter suspenders. Shorts are not a good choice as a hot cartridge case on the back of the knee is somewhat distracting . . .!

Shirt(s): Shirt with collar (to keep sun and hot brass off), and a sweatshirt. I like old white dress shirts.

Hat: For sun protection and to cut glare while shooting. Needs to work in combination with your hearing protection. Ball caps are popular; I like the ‘Nam era “Boonie Hat”- full brim and chin-strap for wind.

Glove or mitt: Special shooting gloves are nice, but many shooters use a sturdy lined work glove on their forward hand. For years I used an old ski glove found by the side of the road while biking.

Shooting coat: A shooting coat helps stabilize the shooting positions, dampens muscle tremors and pulse beats, and softens the effect of rifle recoil. Coats range from inexpensive all fabric “USMC” types ($40) to custom sewn leather versions ($400). Most shooters use a coat made of leather or Cordura ™ fabric with quilted padding, rubber traction patches, sling hook and adjustable take up straps. I like Champions Choice and Creedmoor; my next coat will be a Creedmoor standard model in Cordura ™.

A shooting coat is a big investment. The beginner may want to improvise for a while by using a jean jacket or chore coat over one or two sweatshirts. Avoid slippery nylon fabrics!

Mat: Some sort of mat or pad is needed for the prone position, and is useful in the sitting position as well. Look for a water repellent bottom, padding, rubber traction patches and tie strings. Many shooters will let you use their mat if you ask. A five-foot length of self padded carpet runner or indoor/outdoor carpet can be substituted. I like the Champion’s Choice mat, with lots of Scotchguard or Camp Dry water repellent on the fabric. I don’t like mats with slippery plastic bottoms.

Spotting scope and stand: Again, many shooters will let you use their scope if you ask, but you will soon want your own. Justify the expense by using it for big game spotting, bird watching, etc. Avoid discount store scopes- they are no bargain! Most shooters choose a scope of 20-25 power, with a 45 degree eyepiece. This will allow you to see 30 caliber bullet holes at 200 yards, and spotting disks at all ranges. A padded cover will help protect the scope from bumps, rain and dust. Champions Choice offers a good basic scope; Kowa are the top of the line. As newer scopes come on line, good deals are available on one-generation back equipment.

Stands for spotting scopes allow adjustment for use in all the shooting positions. A camera tripod makes an awkward substitute. The most popular bipod types are the old Freeland design and a newer design by EKL. Several tripod designs are now on the market, and seem more stable than the bipods. The Ewing , Giraud and Ray-Vin tripod designs are superb- strong, exceptionally stable, and convenient to use.

Rain gear: Necessary, even in sunny Colorado, for the shooter and his gear. Poncho or rain suit for the shooter, and a plastic tarp or 55 gallon size trash can liner for the rifle, spotting scope, etc.

Shooting kit: To help keep all of the above organized. A folding stool with a bag is most popular. Many shooters use a toolbox. A sturdy wood box or plastic storage crate will also serve. Bear in mind you may have to lug this stuff some distance! At park & hike ranges I use a clean trash barrel strapped on a light duty dolly.

Keeping It All Together: There is a lot of activity at a rifle match, and it is easy to misplace things. Put your name on every item of equipment and supply. After each match or training session reorganize your gear so as to be ready for the next event.

Final thought: When possible, trade with local merchants. Sometimes specialty items are available at major matches. Ask around about good used gear. Listed below are some reputable mail order suppliers.

Champions Choice, Inc.

201 International Boulevard    

LaVergne, TN 37086     

(615) 793-4066    

(Broad line supplier)

———-    

Champion Shooters Supply

P. O. Box 303

New Albany, OH 43504

(614) 855-1603

(Mostly smallbore)

———-

Mo’s Competitors Supplies

34 Delmar Drive

Brookfield, CT 06804 

(203) 775-1013

(Funky ‘catalog’)

———-

O. K. Weber

P. O. Box 7485

Eugene, OR 97401

(503) 747-0458

(Mostly match rifle and long range)

———-

Creedmoor Sports, Inc.

P. O. Box 1040

Oceanside, CA 92051

(888) 273-3366

(‘Software’- coats, gloves, etc.)

———-

Widener’s

P. O. Box 3009, CRS

Johnson City, TN 37602

(800) 615-3006

(Reloading tools & supplies

by Jeffrey G. Chosid

 

My daughter and I are competitive rifle shooters, specifically NRA Conventional Highpower.  Both of us shoot AR-15 Service Rifles.  In a season, we require 4,000 to 5,000 rounds of precision reloaded .223 Rem. ammunition.  My goal is to reload a LOT of match quality ammo in the least amount of time.  For our short line ammunition (200 and 300 yards), I have developed a system using both a single stage and a progressive reloading press.

 

When I tell fellow Highpower shooters that I load my short line ammunition on a progressive press, they are often shocked.  Many of them not only load on a single stage press but also weigh every powder charge.  I ask them the question, “If you were supplied Federal Gold Medal ammunition (.223 loaded with Sierra 69 gr. MatchKings or .308 loaded with Sierra 168 gr. or 175 gr. MatchKings) at the cost of handloads, would you use it for all of your 200 and 300 yard shooting, both practice and competition?”  Almost invariably, the answer is a resounding yes.  I tell them that this outstanding ammunition is loaded with production brass,  the primer pockets have not been uniformed nor have the flash holes been deburred.  The rounds are loaded on high speed equipment with thrown powder charges.  The cases are dimensioned to fit virtually any chamber.  This ammunition is not tuned to any specific barrel and the shooter has only one bullet choice with .223 and two with a .308.  It is interesting to note that the USAMU uses Federal Gold Medal for their short line ammunition.   

 

BRASS PREPARATION

 

I use G.I. once-fired brass for our short line ammunition.  I try to purchase large lots of the same manufacturer and year.  Over the winter, I prepare brass for the upcoming season.  I try to have about 5,000 cases prepped and ready for loading by the beginning of the season.  I choose to size and de-prime brass on a single stage press for a number of reasons.  A single stage press, using the process described, produces resized brass with the minimum TIR (Total Indicated Runout) possible and very consistent headspace.  In addition, I want to perform certain operations to the brass after sizing and depriming but before priming, throwing powder and seating the bullet. 

 

I work in batches of approximately 300 cases.  All of the containers I use will handle this number of cases.  For most operations, I use 9” x 5” x 2 ¾” bread pans, available from Wal-Mart.  300 .223’s is also the capacity of my vibratory tumbler and the one gallon Ziploc food storage bags I use to store the processed brass. 

 

My procedure for preparing brass is as follows:

 

Clean brass

It is very important to clean brass before initial sizing.  Abrasive dirt, grit and carbon do nothing good to the inside of precision reloading dies.  I clean brass in a vibratory tumbler using corn cob.  For the initial cleaning, I don’t add any metal polish although the media might have residual polish from previous use.  I have used walnut shells but I don’t like it as much.  The walnut shells seem to be quite a bit more dusty and do not polish as well as corn cob.  Separating cases from the polishing media is one of the most tedious tasks I can imagine.  With a rotary media separator, though, one can perform this operation in less than a minute.  Merely dump the cases and media into the media separator and crank the handle.  The cases remain in the rotating basket and the media falls into the container beneath the basket.  I use the Midway Rotary 7 Media Separator.  I have an additional bucket for different batches of media (also available from Midway). 

 

Lubricate cases

Place a batch of 300 cases in an 11” x 16” x 1” jelly roll pan.  Evenly spray the cases with Dillon Spray Lube, shake, and spray again.  Let the cases stand for a few minutes to allow the solvent to evaporate before sizing.

 

Size brass

To insure the lowest TIR in sized brass, avoid using a sizing die with an expander ball.  With an expander ball sizing die,  the case neck diameter is sized and then the expander ball is pulled through the neck, expanding the neck to the desired inside diameter.  The process of pulling the expander ball through the neck of the case will significantly increase the TIR of the case.  Instead, use a die that utilizes an interchangeable bushing to size the neck down to the correct size.  After trying a few different designs, I’ve settled on the Redding “S” full length die.  This die will full length size the body and shoulder area of the case but uses bushings to size the neck.  Selection of the proper bushing is simple.  One seats a bullet into a case and measures the outside diameter of the neck.  For uncoated bullets, the proper bushing size should be .002” less than that measurement.  Typically, a tighter neck is desired when using moly coated bullets; i.e., .003” less than the outside diameter of  the case neck.  Placing an “O” ring under the locking ring of the die will allow the die to self-align to the shell holder during the sizing operation.  This technique will reduce the TIR of the case.

 

Proper headspace of loaded ammunition is a critical issue that is ignored by many reloaders.  If the headspace is too short, premature case failure can be a problem.  Insufficient headspace can cause out of battery firing, or “slamfires”.  I strongly recommend the use of  an RCBS Case Micrometer.  This handy tool accurately measures the case from the head to the datum line on the shoulder.  For semi-automatic Service Rifles, cases should be resized to about .004” under their fired headspace dimension.  Redding’s Competition Shellholders allow for precise adjustment of case headspace during resizing.

 

Remove sizing lubricant

Removing sizing lubricant can be quite tedious, especially when working in batches of 300+ cases.  The easiest way I’ve found is to tumble the lubed cases in corn cob media.  Throw the brass in the tumbler for about 30 minutes and then into the media separator.  I usually keep a batch of corn cob media specifically for removing lubricant.  One can process quite a few batches of cases before the media is no longer usable.

 

Remove primer crimp

Military brass has a crimp that prevents the primer from backing out of the primer pocket during full automatic firing.  This small crimp must be removed before the case can be reprimed.  It’s also desirable for the primer pocket to  have a slight radius at its mouth.  The crimp can be removed by cutting it away or by swaging, with the later being more desirable.  Although primer pocket swagers are available from a number of manufacturers, I’ve found the Dillon Super Swager to be the best.  Removing the crimp only needs to be done once; it’s not necessary on subsequent loadings.  This step in not necessary with commercial brass.

 

Uniform primer pocket

Most commercial and military cases have primer pockets that are not of consistent depth.   A primer pocket uniformer cuts the primer pocket to a uniform depth and produces a flat bottom with sharp corners.  When a primer is seated, it will be seated to the same depth, slightly below the surface of the case head.  I use a carbide Primer Pocket Uniformer (UN-8001), from Sinclair International, in a power screwdriver (using UN-8005 Power Screwdriver Adapter).  I use the same tool to clean the primer pocket on subsequent reloadings.  In addition to removing any primer residue, it will remove any brass that might have flowed back during the previous firing.

 

Uniform flash hole

When most cases are manufactured, the flash hole is punched out, leaving burrs on the inside.  The burr is removed with the Deluxe Deburring Tool (DB-1000), also available from Sinclair International.  This only needs to be preformed once in the life of a case.  I don’t like to do this job and I don’t do it on all of my brass.

 

Trim, chamfer and de-burr

For high production reloading, the Gracey Trimmer is the best choice for case trimming.  In addition to a clean and square cut, the Gracey chamfers the inside of the case and deburrs the outside of the case mouth at the same time.  It’s easy to process in excess of 300 cases per hour.  Because of its ease of use, I trim cases after every firing.

 

Final brass cleaning

The last cleaning in corn cob media removes any brass shavings that were produced by previous operations and gives the cases a final polish.  I use liquid polish, such as Midway’s Brass Polish, with the media.  I like my cases to look good.

 

Store

After the final cleaning, store the fully prepped brass in one gallon Ziploc food storage bags.  I keep brass segregated by headstamp. 

 

LOADING

 

A progressive press is designed to perform multiple functions on each pull of the handle.  The ram is fitted with multiple shell holding locations, referred to as a shell plate.  Above each shell location, a 7/8” x 14 threaded hole is positioned for loading dies and a powder measure.  After each pull of the handle, the shell plate is rotated, “progressively” moving the shell to the next process.  A finished round is produced on each pull of the handle.  Without much effort, one can produce over 350 rounds per hour. I use a  Dillon 550B Progressive Loading Press, which has four die positions.  In my loading operation, though, only three of these positions are used.

 

My loading process is as follows:

 

Remove media residue

On a Dillon 550B, the #1 die position is intended to be used for full length resizing, decapping and priming.  Since I load brass that was previously prepped, it is not necessary to use a sizing die.  In that position I place a RCBS Universal Decapping Die.  Its function is to knock out any tumbling media that might be lodged in the flash hole or primer pocket.

 

Prime

Also in the #1 die position, a primer is seated on the down stroke of the press handle.  One has to be careful to periodically remove any dirt or powder granules that might have fallen onto the primer punch.  If present, they cause unsightly dents in the primer cup.  I’m confident these dents don’t cause a problem but they surely don’t look very attractive.

 

Throw powder

A powder measure is mounted in the #2 position.  The standard Dillon powder measure is surprisingly accurate.  To illustrate its consistency, I compared the Dillon to a Bruno “Culver-style” measure, a Redding BR-30 and a Hornady Lock-N-Load measure.  From each measure I metered thirty charges of Reloder 15, weighing each on a digital scale.  The charges were in the 24 grain range.  The Bruno and the BR-30 were manually actuated while the Dillon and the Hornady  measures were automatically actuated on the reloading press. The results were as follows:

 

Measure     Actuation     Extreme Spread       Standard Deviation

Bruno        Manual         .5 grains                    .11141

BR-30       Manual         .4 grains                    .08847

Hornady    Automatic    .5 grains                    .11846

Dillon        Automatic    .4 grains                    .08172

 

The Dillon uses a slide bar and is best suited for ball and medium length extruded “stick” powders.  It does not meter very fine ball powder or long stick powders very well.  For those powders, I use a Hornady Lock-n-Load drum-style measure.  Hornady has a case activated adapter that easily mounts onto the Dillon press.

 

Both the Dillon and the Hornady powder measures are designed to only drop a charge when a case is in the proper position.  In other words, if you work the press handle without a cartridge case beneath the powder measure, it will not dump powder into your lap.   

 

Seat bullet

Bullet seating is performed in the #3 position.  I’ve used both the Redding Competition Seater and the Forster Benchrest Bullet Seater in the Dillon 550B press.  Both are similar in that the case is held in a sliding chamber while the bullet is held in close alignment to the case during the seating process.  The result is consistent,  accurate alignment of the bullet to the cartridge case.  Using these methods, the TIR of loaded ammunition, using Sierra 69gr. or 77gr. MatchKings, is always .001” or less.

 

Box loaded ammunition

Loaded ammunition is boxed in plastic boxes, bullet down.  After placing the rounds in the box,  one can easily verify that each primer is seated correctly and can mark the head with an indelible felt tip marker.  Various colors of markers indicate batches of brass and also help identify my fired brass on the firing line.

 

Using this modified progressive loading technique, it is possible to produce high quality match ammunition at a rate in excess of 300 rounds per hour. 

 

I dissected a box of Federal Gold Medal ammunition.  My progressively loaded ammunition compares favorably to this excellent factory loaded product. 

 

The tolerances of a box of Federal Gold Medal are (20 rounds):

 

                              Average        Maximum     Minimum      Ex. Spread   St. Deviation

Powder chg. (gr)       23.9                24.1              23.4                 .7                 .14096

Case weight (gr)       96.0                96.5              95.4               1.1                 .23458

Headspace* (in)         1.451              1.455            1.447             .008             .00290

        OAL** (in)         1.860              1.864            1.855             .009             .00238

 

The tolerances of my progressively loaded ammunition are (20 rounds):

 

                              Average        Maximum     Minimum      Ex. Spread   St. Deviation

Powder chg. (gr)       24.6                24.8              24.5                 .3                 .08645

Case weight (gr)       92.2                93.2              91.2               2.0                 .54913

Headspace* (in)         1.458              1.459            1.457             .002             .00055

        OAL** (in)         1.856              1.858            1.855             .003             .00103

 

*Measured from case head to datum line on shoulder

                       ** Measured from case head to bullet ogive

 

All cases used in progressively reloaded ammunition were randomly selected Lake City 92 once-fired brass.  Even so, the extreme spread was only .9 grains greater than the Federal Gold Medal.  Obviously, weight-sorted cases could be substituted, reducing extreme spread to far less than Federal Gold Medal.  I have found that a 2.0 grain extreme spread is not significant with short line ammunition.  In my rifles, my progressively loaded ammunition consistently produces sub-1 MOA groups at 200 and 300 yards.

 

I don’t know whether my ammunition is better than Federal Gold Medal but the tolerances are closer so it’s certainly just as good.  Best of all, once the brass is prepped, I can do it at about 12 seconds per round.

 

Using the precision methods explained in this article, it is not difficult to produce excellent quality match ammunition on progressive reloading equipment.  The Dillon powder measure is capable of dispensing short grain extruded powder with an extreme spread of .4 grains (powder measure comparison).  Headspace extreme spread was .002” and OAL extreme spread was .003”, far tighter than the Federal Gold Medal.  Benchrest style bullet seating dies consistently produce bullet TIR that does not exceed .001”.  This level of precision should satisfy the needs of the most demanding competitive shooter.  

 

 

Reprinted and distributed electronically with the permission of Precision Shooting, Inc.

 

 

PS- My daughter has a small business making custom wind charts.  If you have a moment, check it out at www.cabdesigns.8k.com.

 

JC

by Jeffrey Chosid

THE ESSENTIALS

Often, new shooters ask me what they need to purchase to start shooting Highpower.  On the New Shooter page, you will find a list of the basic equipment required for competitive Highpower shooting.  Here, I will discuss each item in detail.  I’ll make personal recommendations and include sources.  With most of my recommendations, I tend to be quite specific.  Over the years, I’ve bought a lot of equipment and made a lot of mistakes.  I’m trying to prevent you from making the same mistakes.  When I say that you should buy a certain item, I am inferring that many of the alternatives might not acceptable.  In other words, buy exactly what I tell you to buy. 

Rifles

The most expensive and important piece of equipment is a rifle.  Highpower is shot with either a Match Rifle or a Service Rifle.  A Match Rifle is a rifle specifically designed for target shooting.  It can be a bolt action or semi-automatic.  Discussing the wide variety of Match Rifles is beyond the scope of this article.  A Service Rifle is an M1 Garand, an M14, an M16 or their commercially available equivalent.  For all practical purposes, this means you can shoot an M1, a Springfield Armory M1A or an AR-15 rifle.  Almost no external modifications are permitted.  You may, though, use a stainless steel barrel.  Almost all new shooters start shooting with a Service Rifle.  Many never switch to Match Rifle, preferring the challenge of competing with a Service Rifle.    A brief description of each Service Rifle is in order.

M1 Garand

M1 Garand is the least expensive rifle alternative.  They can be purchased from individuals or from the CMP (Civilian Marksmanship Program).  CMP rifles are from the U.S. Government and have never been owned by individuals.  These rifles are a great bargain at about $500.  The M1 shoots 30-06 ammo, although they can be converted to shoot .308 Winchester.  30-06 is no longer used by the U.S. Government so ammo and brass can be expensive.  In addition, 30-06 cartridges use a lot of powder (you will load less than 150 rounds per one pound of gunpowder). When accurized, the M1 can be quite accurate.  Accurizing is expensive and the rifles do require periodic maintenance.  The M1Garand is the least competitive of the three allowable Service Rifles.

M1A

The M1A, manufactured by Springfield Armory, is the civilian version of the M14.  The M14/M1A has been the dominant competition Service Rifle for the last thirty-plus years, only recently being eclipsed by the M16/AR-15.  The M1A is expensive to purchase, accurize and maintain.  A basic rifle will cost well over $1,000 and a completely accurized rifle will range from $2,000 to $3,000.  The M1A fires the .308 Winchester cartridge, will is still used by the U.S. Government as the 7.62 NATO.  Reasonably priced new and once-fired brass is still available.  Being .30 caliber, bullets are expensive and powder yield will only be slightly better than the 30-06, mentioned in the previous paragraph.  Brass life is short, typically lasting only three or four reloadings.  If a shooter is determined to shoot a .30 caliber rifle, the M1A is the best choice.

AR-15   (Us Californians can skip this part—sq)

The AR-15 has become the dominant rifle in Service Rifle competition.  Excellent rifles can be purchased for under $900, while custom rifles from the best gunsmiths will cost approximately $1,350.  The AR-15 is easy to shoot, with almost no recoil.  They are amazingly accurate and require little to no maintenance.  Since the .223 Remington is a standard military cartridge (5.56 NATO), once-fired brass is plentiful and cheap.  Brass can be loaded numerous times. .223 bullets are far less expensive than the .30 caliber bullets used in 30-06 or .308 Winchester ammunition.  Also, much less powder is required, yielding approximately 280 rounds per one pound of powder.  The CMP, in a partnership with Bushmaster,  has a program where shooters can purchase AR-15 rifles at a very attractive price.  As of this writing, they are priced at $865.00.  While competitive, there are certain features of these rifles that I find less than ideal.  Other manufacturers, including my favorite, Rock River Arms, offer excellent off- the-shelf competition AR-15’s.  Certain manufacturers offer special purchase programs for competitive shooters.  Contact me for details.  Two custom gunsmiths stand out above the rest – Compass Lake Engineering and White Oak Precision.  While both companies build excellent rifles, I would have to give the nod to the latter.  White Oak is owned by John Holliger.  John is one of the top Service Rifle shooters in the U.S. and personally builds each rifle that leaves his shop.  Unless you want to be part of history (M1 Garand) or want to spend a lot of money and get beaten up by a heavy-recoiling rifle (M1A), buy an AR-15.

Additional Magazines

When shooting an AR-15, the magazines must have the external dimensions of the GI 20 round or GI 30 round magazines.  Almost everyone uses the 20 round magazine since the 30 round mags get in the way.  Do not buy commercial magazines.  Only buy GI surplus 20 round magazines, which are available at gun shows.  Dave Schrank, an Illinois Highpower shooter, sells used GI magazines for $20.00 each.  Contact Dave at 847-662-4034 or dschrankjr@aol.com.  Don’t pay extra for Colt magazines.  Colt never made their own magazines but purchased them from outside suppliers.   Often, AR15.mag displays at shows in the St. Louis area. 

Spotting Scope

A lot of new shooters don’t fully understand the use of the spotting scope.  Actually seeing bullets holes is secondary to seeing the mirage, which indicates air movement downrange.  With experience, a shooter can look at the mirage and make sight adjustments to compensate for wind drift.  Also, even through the best spotting scopes, you cannot consistently see bullets holes a distances over 100 yards.  Ideally, a spotting scope should be between 25x and 30x.  Anything higher will magnify the mirage to the point that you can’t see anything.  The scope should have a long eye relief eyepiece so that you will have a full field of view when wearing glasses (always wear glasses for safety).  Lastly, a 45° design is best.  While many shooters start off with an inexpensive spotting scope, they will eventually upgrade to a good scope.  Kowa Optical seems to dominate Highpower, with their TSN-821M and the discontinued TSN-1 being the most common scopes on the firing line.  I prefer the TSN-1 and they are often available used.  Kowa also offers some smaller, less expensive scopes.  The best source for Kowa is Jim Owens.  Jim is a retired Marine and is well-known among Highpower shooters.  He has written a number of excellent books that every Highpower shooter should read.  Jim’s a real good guy.  If you don’t want to take the plunge for a Kowa, Champion’s Choice, in LaVergne, TN, has a small spotting scope that does a decent job. 

Spotting Scope Stand

You can’t use a normal tripod but will require a spotting scope stand.  I will only recommend three scope stands, the Giraud the Ewing or the stand from Ray-Vin.com.  All are excellent.  The Giraud is only available from Giraud Tool Company. Giraud Tool also makes the best high production case trimmer available.  The Ewing is available from O.K. Weber.  Recently, Ray-Vin.com has introduced what I think is the best scope stand available.  It includes many innovative features including internal storage for a Dewey cleaning rod.

Shooting Coat

A good shooting coat has two functions.  All Highpower coats have rubber pads placed in specific locations on the arms and torso of the garment.  Some pads are to reduce slippage.  Other pads protect the shooter’s arm from the sling.  More expensive coats are quite stiff, providing torso support when shooting offhand.  Creedmoor Sports sells the best coats and is the only company I would consider.  The best coat is their Hardback model.  It’s available in Cordura, combination Cordura and leather or all leather.  Any of these will do fine.  If you don’t want to spend that much money, they offer a “Basics” model that still gives support.  For even less money they offer a cloth coat, which provides minimal if any support.  Most of the top shooters and military team members use Creedmoor shooting coats.

Shooting Glove

A shooting glove protects your hand from the sling and provides a non-slip surface.  There are a number of styles available but the most common are full-fingered or open-finger mitts.  A lot of the available gloves are junk.  If you want a full-fingered glove, buy a smallbore glove made by either Gehmann Anschutz.  Each company makes a number of different models.  Don’t let someone talk you into another brand; insist on either Gehmann or Anschutz.  My favorite is the Gehmann No. 468, which is available from Sinclair International.  For an open-fingered mitt, none compares to the Freeland Mitt.  Both of these gloves are available from Champion Shooters Supply.  When just starting out, you can use a heavy work glove.

Shooting Mat

A shooting mat provides a padded surface when shooting in the sitting or prone position.  In addition, certain areas are covered with rubber, providing a non-slip surface.  Buy either the Creedmoor Deluxe Fold-up or Creedmoor Roll-up mat from Creedmoor Sports.  I prefer the Roll-up Mat because you can carry it on your scope stand by slipping the rolled-up mat over the shaft of the stand.  New shooters often use a piece of carpeting.

Shooting Stool

A shooting stool is similar to a camp stool but it also has a large storage compartment.  Most of your shooting accessories, at least the one’s you might need while shooting, are carried in the shooting stool.  I don’t think there’s a big difference between the various available shooting stools.  I happen to use the Service Rifle stool, from Creedmoor Sports.

Rifle Slings

One uses a sling when shooting from supported positions; i.e., sitting or prone.  With a Service Rifle, you are permitted to use either a M1 web sling or a Model 1907 leather sling.  The web slings can be purchased at military surplus dealers or gun shows and are available in nylon and cotton.  Only buy the cotton sling; the nylon slips.  Far more popular is the Model 1907 sling.  There’s a big difference in the quality of leather slings and most of them are junk.  Only buy the one made by Turner Saddlery.  You can purchase them direct from Turner or from many of the shooting supply companies.  Even though the AR-15 is a short rifle, the front sling swivel is farther out than on the other rifles.  Buy a long sling.

Ammo Holder

When shooting from the offhand position, you will fire between 10 and 22 rounds.  You will have to place you ammo where it can be reached without changing your position.    Shooters use a leather holder that slips into their coat pocket. The Creedmoor Leather 20 Round Cartridge Box Holder is well made and available from Creedmoor Sports. It will hold 20 + 2 cartridges.

Glasses

For safety, you must wear some sort of glasses.  They can be as inexpensive as industrial safety glasses or as sophisticated as Champion or Knobloch shooting glasses.  I prefer Decot shooting glasses.  They offer a lot of protection and are adjustable.  Zeiss also makes excellent shooting glasses.  The Champion or Knoblochs, while infinitely adjustable, don’t offer as much eye protection.

Hearing Protection

A firing line is a rather noisy place.  Typically, I use both plugs and muffs.  I use disposable foam plugs, preferring them over custom-made, molded plugs.  A lot of the ear muff hearing protectors are large and bump into the stock.  AO Peltor makes a thin “Shotgunner 6″ that is perfect for use when shooting a rifle.  They are available from many shooting suppliers.

Data Book

You should always use a data book to record your groups, sight settings and shooting conditions.  Many different styles are available and the all work.  I prefer the Creedmoor Data Book, available from Creedmoor Sports.

Sight Black

You must darken your sights, making them non-reflective.  Aerosol sight black is available but is not very black.  Quite popular is the Gun Smoke carbide lamp, available from a number of suppliers.  If you want the best carbide lamp available, get the Super Smoker from Ray-Vin.com. 

Timer

Buy a small electronic kitchen timer.  You’ll need it to time both slow fire periods and rapid fire strings.

Additional Equipment

Carrying Equipment

Unless you have descended from pack mules, you’ll probably need some method of carrying your equipment on the rifle range.  The simplest solution is to add a wheel kit to your shooting stool.  Kits are available from Creedmoor Sports, for their stools.  The best solution, and the one that I use, is the Foldit Cart.  They are available from a number of sources but the least expensive is Northern Tool Co.  Often, one will see home-made carts that work quite well.

Rain Gear

If you spend much time on a rifle range, you are going to get wet.  At a minimum, get a poncho.  Ideally, but expensive, get a Gore-Tex rain suit.  You will also need a rain cover for your equipment.

Wind Charts

Custom wind charts are available from CAB Designs.  A wind chart will provide the wind correction required for various wind vectors and velocities.  When shooting at 300 and 600 yards, on unprotected ranges, a wind chart is a must.

Wind Gauge

A wind gauge is a tool to measure wind velocity.  If you are using a wind chart, the wind gauge is a very handy accessory.  Although electronic wind gauges are available, they are quite expensive.  The Dwyer Wind Meter, available from MidwayUSA, is inexpensive and works well.  It costs less than $20.00.

Tools

I always keep a few tools in my shooting stool.  I carry a Leatherman multi-purpose tool plus a set of Allen wrenches.  At some time or other, you will need them.

Trigger Hand Glove

Many shooters  wear a light leather glove on their trigger hand.  On hot days, when you’re sweating, you maintain a good grip when using a glove.   I use a golf glove, with the trigger finger tip removed.

Brass Bag

Have some sort of bag for your fired brass. 

Scorebook Cover

It’s nice to have a cover for your scorebook.  You can buy aluminum receipt book covers at an office supply store.  Creedmoor Sports has a nice one that fits their scorebooks.

Stewart A. Leach – a.k.a. Colorado Grey Fox  

Targeting is the process of adjusting the front sight of an M1, M14 or M16 service rifle (or their civilian equivalents) so that the shooter can get the most benefit from the adjustability of the rear sight.  It is not the same as sighting in or getting “zeroes” (I prefer the term “standard sight settings”).  The objective is to center up the shot group with an optimum elevation setting and the windage set at mechanical center.  Targeting should be done with a new rifle, when a new barrel is installed or when starting to use a significantly different load.  In this article the M1 and M14 rifles are addressed first; the M16 is targeted using the same basic procedures, but with a few special considerations as discussed in an added section.

Targeting is best done at two hundred yards on a calm day.  In addition to the M1 or M14/M1A rifle and your standard target load you will need the following:

Allen wrench to fit sight locking screw(s)              Nail polish or paint pen (white or red)

Narrow fine cut metal file                                                New front sight, or one that is quite high

Dial caliper                                                                    Ruler or tape measure

Light hammer                                                                Targets, stapler and pasters

Brass or nylon tipped drift punch                          Cleaning cradle or vise to hold rifle

The adjustments to front sight height and lateral position could be done on a trial and error basis.  Just shoot and file, or shoot and move.  The method described here uses a dial caliper to save considerable time and ammunition.

We will adjust the front sight for elevation first, and then deal with the windage setting.  Hang a big target, or a large backing sheet with a target centered or just above center.  Install the new full height front sight approximately centered on the pedestal on the gas cylinder or flash suppressor.  Fire a few shots from a good solid supported prone position, adjusting the rear sight to get more or less centered hits.  Be sure to use good sight alignment.  Paste the holes.

Run the rear sight elevation knob all the way down, and come back up 6 minutes, which is six clicks on most rifles.   This is so we can still lower the rear sight to shoot 100 yard matches, or  use ammo with a much higher point of impact than our standard load.  A few years ago I found IVI ball ammo we were using for practice hit 2-3 minutes higher than my handloads.  Fire a careful five shot group, which we expect will strike quite low on the target or backing paper.

Go down range and mark the center of the group.  Measure (don’t guess, measure!) the vertical distance in inches from the group center to the target center.  Now do a little math to calculate the amount we must shorten the front sight blade.  Multiply the number of inches from group center to target center by .008” and divide by the number of hundreds of yards from rifle to target.

Example:  If the group center is 20 inches low at 200 yards the equation looks like this:

(20”)(.008”)    =  .080”  (the amount to take off the top of the front sight)

     2

Using the dial caliper like a depth micrometer, measure the height of the front sight blade.  First, place the bar end of the caliper against a flat surface, slide the rod or  wire to contact and re-zero the dial. Then, resting the end of the bar against the top rear of the post, move the rod to contact between the bottom of the post and the protective wing and read the height.  Subtract the adjustment to get the final desired height.

Using the file, slowly remove metal from the top of the sight post.  Keep the top square as viewed from the rear, and create a slight slope from rear to front.  Work slowly, avoiding contact with the wings on either side.  A file with  safe (no teeth) edges is a convenience; the file edges or the wings can also be masked with tape.  For best results position the rifle with cleaning cradle or sand bags while filing.

Measure progress frequently.  When close to final calculated height, fire more groups and fine tune a few light strokes at a time.  It is better to finish with the front sight a bit too tall than too short.  When done refinish the raw surface with cold bluing.

Now to the windage.  Center the rear sight by cranking the windage knob until the single indicator notch on the moveable sight base is aligned with the long notch in the center of the row of notches on the receiver.   Fire another good five shot group and measure the horizontal distance to target center.

Do the same math to find the amount we need to move the front sight laterally.  Use the dial caliper as a depth mike again, but in the horizontal position this time.  Measure from the side of the pedestal on the gas cylinder or flash suppressor to the bottom of the sight itself, and calculate the final setting.   Remember, as we are working at the business end of the rifle we move the sight in the opposite direction from how we want the group to move on the target.  To move the group left, move the front sight to the right.

The easiest way to get close to is to set and lock the caliper at the desired final measurement, loosen the sight clamping screw and then move the sight to contact.  Tighten the screw carefully and fire another group.  Usually this group will  be within one or two clicks of dead center.  If more than four clicks off, measure and adjust again.

The last thing to do is mark the front and rear sights with nail polish or a paint pen.  Before proceeding, use alcohol and clean paper towels to degrease the front sight and pedestal, sight mounting area of the receiver, sight base, and windage knob.  Mark a single vertical line about one-eighth inch wide on the front side of the front sight from the gas cylinder or flash suppressor up onto the bottom of the sight.  This will aid in relocating the sight if it ever comes loose.

On the rear sight we will make several  marks, one for elevation management and the rest for telling us where we are windage-wise.  The elevation mark applies only if your rifle is equipped with the one-half minute rotating hood.  Paint a narrow stripe from the notch in the rear rim of the hood to the front.  This makes it easier to note whether the hood is in the up or down position.

Fill the notches on the sight base and receiver with paint or nail polish.  Apply lightly, wait a few minutes and wipe off the surface, leaving color in the notches.  Next, with the sight at mechanical zero, mark two narrow vertical lines on the back of the rear sight, one at each side.  Start on the receiver, and continue the lines up onto the sight base.  Finally, start a line at 9:00 o’clock on the right ear of the receiver and continue out across the serrations of the windage knob, around the corner and across the face of the knob to the center.  These large, sharply contrasting marks are easier to read than the notches on the base and receiver.

Get new zeroes with your standard match load, write ‘em down, and proceed to favor center!

-oOo-

The M16 and its many civilian clones are both easier and harder to target than the earlier designs.  Targeting for elevation is simple if the rifle is equipped with the A1-type round post with five detent notches in the flange, or the A2-type square front post with four notches.  Each A1 notch represents approximately 1 minute of elevation change, about 2 inches at 200 yards. The A2 adjusts in approximately 1.25 minute increments, or 2.5 inches at 200 yards.  Clockwise rotation raises point of impact.  Front sight posts that have been tapered on the sides and top to present a sharper profile should only be adjusted in full 360-degree rotations, which will result in nearly five minutes of change.  Finer elevation adjustments will have to be done M1/M14 style, with a file.  Target for center hits at 200 yards with the rear sight three to four minutes above bottom when using your standard short-range load.

Windage targeting can present a problem.  If the front sight base is attached to the barrel with two tapered cross pins, then no targeting is possible.  You just have to hope the sight base is installed close to where it needs to be.  Most are.  Many custom service rifle builders modify the sight base by eliminating the pins and using setscrews.  Some use one or two screws bearing vertically against the bottom of the barrel. Vertical setscrews allow windage targeting by rotation of the base around the barrel.  Due to the short sight radius of these rifles, and the sight line being way above the barrel, minuscule amounts of rotation will cause a lot of displacement on the target.  The math of irregular conical shapes is complex, so just slightly loosen the screws, tap the top of the sight base very gently, tighten and shoot until things are centered up. Another method drills and taps the taper-pin holes so that there are opposing pairs of set-screws.   To adjust point of impact, very slightly loosen one side, and very slightly tighten the opposing screws. When finished, use wicking grade LocTite ™ on the screws and between the barrel and sight base.  It wouldn’t hurt to scribe register marks on the base and barrel in case things come loose.

Mark the elevation wheel with a dot or vertical stripe aligned with the roll pin when the elevation is set at one click above the lowest setting.  Mark the top of the windage knob when windage is set at mechanical zero, e.g., the notch in the aperture aligned with the middle mark on the base.