Why wouldn't an off-hand shooter want to shoot the most accurate load possible, or "how far do you want to miss. It takes maybe fifteen seconds more to breech seat than fixed. When you score your target you count rings-the shot either touched that ring or it didn't.  Ledball

A good OH shooter is giving away points if they don't BS. In general I would say that grouping will at least double shooting fixed at 200 yards and I can think of only two guys that ever were competitive with fixed. Merrill Martin was one of them and I'm not sure if he ever won a ASSRA match but, I do know that he placed in the top three at times. His chamber and throating were of the CBA BR style with a straight neck, ball seat and a long lead. I don't know if anyone chambers the 32/40 with a straight neck but, if they don't and don't use the above type throating, accuracy with fixed will be severly lacking. Even with that type chamber/throat, I doubt that you can get better than 3" for 10 shots at 200 and I would think that one or two of the ten would drop out of that.

I believe that even if your a poor OH shooter like me, that fixed will hurt you. You may luck into a better shot because the "angle of despersion" went opposite of you unsteadiness but, it will also go in the same direction of it as many times as not

Back in '93 when Jim Feren shot the still standing, record OH 241- 5c, I do not think he would have even considered a good fixed load, even with his skill it would have probably cost him at least 5 points.

OT but, BTW, just for the record his 241 - 5c was not a re-entery match as is listed, it was part of his record 100 shot score and just think what it could have been with a rifle that would shoot 250's instead of a 245 - 246 rifle.

Frank

Quote:


Man, I've been going to the wrong matches 

Pictures, please.

Frank

I'm well aware of the "shoot the best possible ammo you can" argument. And for many/most breech seating provides a little better accuracy than shooting fixed ammo (Assuming the gun is mechanically set up for it)
All I can report is what I have seen on the line at EG.  Almost all of the offhand shooters who turn in the top scores are shooting fixed ammo even ones who breech-seat when shooting off the bench.
When I've questioned some about this I have had varying answers; one I get frequently is that the variations in movement as they sight and trip the trigger gives a larger group than breech seating would cure---so they figure it is pretty much a waste of their time and effort. Another is that shifting stance and position to go through the breech-seating routine would cause too much disruption to their learned "routine".  Others that putting the rifle down into a position to perform the breech seating steps and then lifting it back up (figure a 12-14 or more pound rifle in a 100 shot match-it adds up) would get too fatiguing.    
Take any or all of that for what they are worth---its just what I have been told as I am starting on the CF offhand learning curve.  I have been shooting rimfire OH for a few years now, but no OH experience prior to that. Next year will be the first I will actually be trying to shoot centerfire offhand.   I have mixed thoughts on thus and will most likely try using both methods.

FWIW: some of our top bench rest shooters who normally shoot by breech seating may also keep a group of fixed rounds on the bench; just in case a "condition" situation pops up where they feel they need to get a group of shots off in rapid sequence before the condition changes.

Joe,  Dave and Bob Glenn are almost strictly off hand shooters, don't do much bench to speak of.   I may be wrong but I think both are shooting fixed now,  or at least I see boxes of fixed on their benches.   We have 3 or 4 other good offhand shooters, most of whom have migrated from either high-power offhand or ML.  We do have other offhand shooters and some are breech-seating shooters. I'll really be paying more attention this year to who is shooting what, and how since I'm starting a whole new learning curve.
As Frank said  "A good OH shooter is giving away points if they don't BS".  (My emphasis on the "good" ) 
 
So many different and variable factors go into making a winning score.  I dare say that an offhand shooter who can "hold" to a 2 MOA or so is going to win with any decent ammo, whether he breech-seats it or not.

BS!  Lol! Internet shooters!!   

   Joe.

ain't it fun    
but beats sitting and staring at the snow drifts. and the basement is way too damn cold to go down and cast bullets.