Jelrod1, thanks for the number, I'll also try calling in the Morning. May have some luck that the guy has some, and I can grab a couple on my way out of town tomorrow.

Fritz, no worries. I figured you were busy, or busting clays. I was hoping to talk with you at the T3 match, but as ypu probably know, it was canx.

Shot my first legit tactical match today. Placed 7th out of 15. Went 7 for 9 on the long range stage and went 2 for 4 on movers at 615.

Learned a lot, but realized I have more to learn, and learned what I need to practice. Also validated my current gear setup and load out.

Good times.

Where was the match at?

Northeast MN

Haven't shot with a can on one of my rifles in a few yrs. After a local steel match yesterday, buddy let me screw on his TB can on my 6.5x47, shot prone off of a concrete slab at 300yds. POI shift .7 MILS low, .2 MILS right, no big deal there. Shooting w/o loading the bipod, tougher to stay on target, pushed me around a bit. Recoil pulse longer/slower compared to my APA Little Bastard muzzle brake. I won a 1/2 TB coupon a couple months ago at a match, sold it immediately, glad I did. For the style of comps I'm shooting, positional stuff....have to spot my own misses/hits....confirms to me a muzzle brake over a can is the way to go.

Yeah, and the guys on the line next to you agree.... lol

If Imcould own a can...I would. But I cant.

quote:

Originally posted by offgrid:
Recoil pulse longer/slower compared to my APA Little Bastard muzzle brake.

I agree with offgrid that a TB can reduces recoil differently than an APA brake. But are effective "brakes", but IMO the ABA Fat Bastard produces promotes easier shooting than the TB can.

Rumor has it that brakes are just a bit louder and that they blast nearby shooters.

After shooting a brake for the better part of a year, it will be interesting to see how my inbound TB can compares to the APA brake.

I borrowed Jacob Bynum's personal TB can in last year's Rifles Only course. Looks like I must do the same again this year, as my can still hasn't arrived. FWIW, there was only a click or two adjustment with my rifle, going from bare muzzle to can.

I'm not sure what you guys are shooting or how you are doing it, but I can shoot my 6.5x47 with a bare muzzle and have no issues spotting my own hits at 300 yards. I did it yesterday.

The only thing a can does on that cartridge, and I'm sure many like it, is make it easier to hear the steel because I'm not wearing ear pro.

quote:

Originally posted by exx1976:
I'm not sure what you guys are shooting or how you are doing it, but I can shoot my 6.5x47 with a bare muzzle and have no issues spotting my own hits at 300 yards. I did it yesterday.

Same here. Add a can or brake and you will likely decrease you minimum spotting distance to 200 yards. Immediately.

When I have my head unplugged from my backside, spotting impacts at 150 yards with a brake isn't uncommon. A few times I have even seen my impacts on shoot-n-see paper at 100 yards.

Jacob Bynum of Rifles Only states that he sees his own impacts at 100 yards something like 60-70% of the time when he's using a can on his .308. This changed my mind about "recovering" the sight picture while shooting. In Jacob's shooting, he essentially never loses the sight picture. Last year he did a demo where with some kind of electronic scope attachment, which replayed his shots to his wife's I-pad. His reticle didn't move a bit from recoil and the shots impacted exactly where the reticle was on the target.

Back to the original idea. A can or brake is even more important when shooting alternative positions, where we can't get our bodies behind the gun to control the recoil pulse like we can in prone. Shooting from a hog saddle on a tripod (or off a pair of sticks) is one of the better examples. The top PRS competitors shoot 6.0 or 6.5 chamberings with brakes or cans for a reason -- to reduce recoil.

Prone, I have no trouble spotting my shots and seeing impact at 100 with my 30p-1.

Yesterday I shot a stage that was simulated rooftop with a bare muzzle (damn you, MN) at 560 yards. I had no trouble spotting my own shots.

I'm sorry, I see NO benefit of a brake over a can, regardless the application. IMO, the only people making that argument are ones that tell themselves that so they can avoid the expense and having to deal with NFA branch, or don't live in a free state.

I have a couple cans, and mostly shoot my rifles without the cans. I prefer the muzzle brake as recoil reduction is immediate, whereas with the can I can get anything from a longer duration recoil pulse, to bipod hop with my 300WM. I think I only see a benefit when shooting my 338LM with a can, where it reduces recoil noticeably over the brake.

quote:

Originally posted by exx1976:
Prone, I have no trouble spotting my shots and seeing impact at 100 with my 30p-1.

Yesterday I shot a stage that was simulated rooftop with a bare muzzle (damn you, MN) at 560 yards. I had no trouble spotting my own shots.

I'm sorry, I see NO benefit of a brake over a can, regardless the application. IMO, the only people making that argument are ones that tell themselves that so they can avoid the expense and having to deal with NFA branch, or don't live in a free state.

Saturday I shot off a simulated roof top as well in a match. 5 different targets/5 hits in 28 seconds. With the longer recoil pulse of a can, I very much doubt I could have shot that in 30 seconds.

The T3 match fritz and I shoot, I can get off 5 quality shots on one pass of the mover. Doubt I could do that with a can. The video rduckwor posted of the guy with 25 hits on that mover at the Cup, doubt he would have been able to do that with a can. The other T3 stage I see a benefit of a brake over a can is the long stage, 1150-1350yds, 2 shots at each. The faster I can make a follow up shot, increases the hit percentage I believe. On the 1350yd target, I'm able to shoot, rack the bolt while the bullet is in the air, up against the second stage of my trigger, watch the impact, make a wind adjustment if needed, folow up shot. Doubt I could do that with a can.

As some of the matches have tighter and tighter times, see several fellow match shooters around me who own cans who haven't shot matches with them in a couple years. And now regret buying them.

I do have a can, It's on my 22lr trainer. Even though I live on a acreage, bought it out of respect to my neighbors. Also like being in stealth mode regarding how much I shoot. It is a ton of fun, click..........ding.

fritz, it will be intresting to see your take on all this after you get your cans.

Interesting. Hopefully t3 gets everything sorted out for next month's match and I can see all this firsthand.

Here's the latest AR-15 toy -- over 2.5 years in the making. Things started when Colorado's and DC's finest made waves about EBRs. I bought the receiver set just before the panic, then s-l-o-w-l-y picked up parts as availability, prices, and budget allowed. I still want to upgrade bolt gun glass and hand-me-down those optics to this AR, however that's currently not in the budget.



SI Defense matched billet upper & lower, Krieger 1/7.7 twist 20" barrel, threaded and capped, Wilson NPC coated BCG, Wilson single stage TTU trigger, Wilson rail, Magpul PRS stock, BCM grip, Atlas bipod, (currently) NF NSX 2.5-10x compact, and NF unimount.

Most of my emphasis yesterday was chrono testing various ammo, but I also recorded 5-round groups. The Krieger barrel seems fast -- producing MVs way faster than my 18" Wilson and pretty darn close to my 24" (don't recall that barrel maker). Given the emphasis on chrono recording and shooting at a 12"x12" black-with-green grid shoot-n-see target, I figured groups wouldn't be stellar. Six hours of digging weeds and chopping yucca earlier in the day didn't help. But groups were acceptable, 14 separate groups from .8" to 1.2" -- FGMM 69 the best and Hornady Vmax 55 the worst. The 75 and 77 grain pills (Hornady, Federal, Fiocchi) were all right around an inch.

The rifle shot well on steel out to 500 yards, although the 12-15 mph winds from my 3 o'clock didn't make for optimal conditions. This is definitely an easier gun to shoot than my 16" and 18" ARs. It is uber smooth. In less windy conditions, with arms that aren't dead tired, this rifle should shoot well beyond 500 yards, even with the current 10x glass.

Kudos to TJ's Gunsmithing in the Denver area to putting together yet another great firearm.

quote:

Originally posted by offgrid:
fritz, it will be intresting to see your take on all this after you get your cans.

True, but don't hold your breath. Evidently Thuderbeast is struggling with titanium supplies and their estimated delivery times have slipped. Originally my 223 can was supposed to ship in April, the 308 in May. Currently, no real idea on delivery. By the time the paperwork goes through, I likely won't be able to shed much light until early 2016.

I did order an APA Micro Bastard for the 223, so my can vs. brake comparison won't be just 308 and 6.5.

I just called TBAC.

The woman who answered the phone told me that the Ultra 9s ordered by my dealer have already been serialized and F3s were sent to BATFE on 6/2. She said they are currently seeing 4-6 weeks on approvals, so that puts me at mid-July, then another 12 weeks for the form 4, so..

Yeah, it'll be winter.

Been working on a dual mount adapter so I can have the spotting scope and laser range finder on the same tripod. Finally wrapped it up today

It started life as big block of aluminum and was carved up on the mill till it hit the right proportions. Everything is still on quick release plates and the two co-witness perfectly. A quick coat of Cerakote and it's ready for the field.

Looking forward to pushing out some distance on private land and other non ranges.

You have a mill?

I can't decide if I'm more jealous of your setup there, or the fact that you have a mill.

How much was that LRI mount for the Leica? Leica wants $100 for their mount...

quote:

Originally posted by exx1976:
You have a mill?

I can't decide if I'm more jealous of your setup there, or the fact that you have a mill.

How much was that LRI mount for the Leica? Leica wants $100 for their mount...

I paid like $87 shipped for the mount. The mill belongs to work but it primary use is these type of little side projects