Hello, everyone.  I know the old-time long range match shooters used to record Temp., Humidity, Barometric Pressure, as well as light, wind, etc.  Are there any of us who still practice this?  At 200yds, would it make that much of a difference?  Thanks!

I adjust my loads and sight settings for temperature extremes at 200 yards.  You can see 1 moa up or down cold vs hot most cartridges

Thing about the old shooters at long range they had few sighter shots available. Schuetzen like we shoot it today you can sight all you want, best observation is how the bullet prints on paper.

I do pay a whole lot of attention to the weather before a match. Old days you could not go on the Internet and get a report like we do now. A barometer is much more important if it's all you have to predict fronts and changes. When I first started going offshore in the late 60's we watched it like a hawk. Was the only reliable advance warning of shifts and changes. 

Long range shooting no different. I am sure the coach would have been watching for weather changes and nothing better than a barometer

Boats

I agree to some degree on all those variables but there is nothing like spending all the time one can afford to spend at their local range in an effort to try and figure out all the minuscule specifics of which could take ones life time and Dr. Mann comes to mind.

In all honesty and this is just my opinion from experience the bottom line is one would be hard pressed to find better results by just going out to practice, practice and to do more practice.

I have found that one's Bench Technique is the Holy Grail once an individual has spent the time and effort to get his rifle to shoot to best of it's ability through extensive load development.

Bottom line as far as I am concerned is there is no magic involved it is all based on ones dedication and where one would like to go by hard work and the sacrifice it takes you to get where you would ultimately like to be.

J.Louis

Agree with J. Louis' comments on technique. John Boy posted a beautiful 25 shot target in another post. Noted the fliers are low-right. Getting the same thing (but worse) and blaming humping the rifle, anticipating recoil and jerking the trigger. Comments would be appreciated.
Chuck  

Interesting thread but, can anyone tell me what to do if the barometer rises a 1/10th or lowers a 1/10th during a match. If it rises or falls the air will move. Your face and flags will tell you that. What would I do if it rises a 1/10th and the temp goes down 5 deg? Just to many variables to contend with!

If my load starts going away, I try raising or lowering the charge a couple of tenths to see if it comes back or starts coming back but, I don't do anything until something happens (yes, I know it's to late then) but, I can't see adjusting a powder charge based on some slight barometer reading change during a match. In difficult conditions, I try to get my shots off ASAP based on wind conditions. Or try to wait it out (time permitting) and do sighters before continuing.

Something that I see as more important is light changes such as clouds moving in and out. You don't actually see the target, you only see the light reflected from it.

Frank

I don't know if I am telling you guys how to suck eggs or not but the light, or lack of it has not been mentioned so far. 
Perhaps because the original post was about temperature and humidity and you already know the following.
I occasionally shoot a iron sight match at 300 metres which can comprise 50 shots and if its a cloudy day and then they clear and the sun comes out for a while before going back in again I have been told by better shooters than I am, that this will effect where your shots will hit vertically.
Regards.      

Schuetzendave wrote Quote:


Dave, 
I'm curious to hear the specifics about this procedure. 

How much change in seating depth is made by some people, and to what corresponding change in pressure? If the barometer rises by say 0.1 inHg, do they seat deeper, or shallower, and how many thousandths of an inch change in seating depth is supposedly made? 

Joe that's a good explanation.

We are talking apples and oranges when we talk about offhand & bench however for the Hudson match some things are the same.

Way I handle it is to look at the general weather forecast in advance of the match. Front going through which will produce a wind shift, extreme hot or cold. Etc. It's real important to predict what to expect over the 3 day match period. And when the major changes will take place.  Highest scores  I ever saw BPCS as Match Director our club was before a major tropical storm, dead calm, high humidity, black powder smoke hanging in the air so you could see every little movement.  I knew that condition was coming in advance

It's going to take me 10 or 12 relays to get off 100 shots for record. This is actually pretty fast shooting considering time to get sighted waiting out wind going back to the sighter target when conditions change. May also shoot a rimfire 100 shot match too, while faster than CF Breech seating still 4 or 5 relays.

Most matches are from 8 am to 5 pm 45 minute relays so about 30 possible relays depending on if the Schuetzen master shuts down for lunch. So you can pick when you are going to shoot your shots.

I try to make the most of expected good condition time of day and focus on working though the targets getting shots off when it's to advantage.  Most times consider the Rimfire match a throw away  or 2nd priority CF # 1. During the match if I see any change go back to the sighter to confirm whats going on. Always shoot some shots in the most adverse condition so I can see what it looks like

If temperature or pressure affects the bullets strike day to day it's not so important as long as shot to individual shot is consistent . And I catch shifts and changes through observation then prove on the sighter not the record target.

This is very different than long range were you have to be on the line at the set time and fire your shots with only 2 sighter shots available 

Boats