Dry Fireing practice reveals bad Leupold Mark4

[Boss Hoss]

I will just throw this out there for consideration and do not get mad at me for saying this…….

The first thing that I do when setting up for a shooting session whether it is a formal competition or working up loads is to set up the rest and bags properly!

Let’s skip to the bag part shall we because the subject of set up would take several pages to go over in detail lol?

This is a critical step that will define if you come home with wood or just wish you had wood all thing being equal! First the bags used on the rest must be settled and I use graded pool filter sand for all of my fills. Then the rear bags must be settled completely! My bags are all Edgewood and when settling them you would swear I was tearing them up they are slammed down so hard sometimes!

Without going into more detail the final test to check if the rifle is ready to be used is the DRY FIRE it and if the crosshairs move when the firing pin hits then you have not done your job properly. When I finish my set up during 1k competitions the dry firing does not move the crosshairs any period and this is with a 05 oz trigger on a 17lb rifle. You can bet you azz that it will move if the setup is not done perfectly.

Can tell you that without exception----the folks I have shot with on a social basis (not competition) had no idea of how to set up the bags and in all fairness had so many other technique and equipment issues that it was only one of many problems. Even with that said all variables have to be eliminated one by one and this one is an easy one to fix.

AM NOT SAYING THE SCOPE IS NOT A FAULT…. It could be.

[Mikecr]

This is where it pays(back) to hold a reference scope in the safe. By reference, I mean best damn scope you've ever shot with.
It's too valuable for field use, and NEVER sell it..

[SBruce]

Thanks for the additional suggestions.
Feel free to offer any other suggestions, it won't bother me a bit.

No offense taken here Boss. I know what you are saying. I used to shoot some local bench comp back in the early-mid 90's, then a ton of prarie dog shooting from the bench in the mid-late 90's. I always tried to settle in the bags before I began shooting too........although I don't recall slamming them down on the bench, LoL. No seriously, I would like to see the setup you use. I'm sure I could learn something.

In this particular case, I feel they were probably pretty well settled in by the time I started the dry-firing. I had just finished shooting about 60 rounds across them over the period of a couple of hours.

The rifle in question isn't a full fledged benchrest style stock, but it's close and it does ride the bags very well. Much better than the other rifle I was testing loads with that day. Ironically, the other rifle (the light one) it's worst group was equal to the questionable ones' best group.

I just want a one hole prarie dog gun again, is that too much to ask?

I used to have a few of them, but the barrels finally shot out of them.
Here's a couple of factory rifles I was able to get shooting real well in the 90's
..................maybe I just can't shoot like I used too.?....................

[Gary Kaney]

Not to change the subject, but how do you guys like the TMR reticle? I chose the MK4 with that reticle over the PST. I'm just waiting for a set of Burris Signature rings. It's going on my FN TSR 223

[SBruce]

Originally Posted by Gary Kaney

Not to change the subject, but how do you guys like the TMR reticle? I chose the MK4 with that reticle over the PST. I'm just waiting for a set of Burris Signature rings. It's going on my FN TSR 223

I wish it were moa instead of mil, especially since my adjustments are in minutes, but it's the most precise reticle Leupold offers in the MK4 in my opinion. I particularly like the opening at the very center.....nothing to cover up your target. The opening on mine appears to be about the diameter of a 22 caliber hole at 100 yds on 25X. It's a little too fine for shooting at night, especially on 25X, but the fine reticle is not an issue when shooting at prarie dogs or paper during the day.