Just recently got a 10" 22rf Contender..could use some

[Robert]

What kind of scopes are people using on these?  I am assuming a rifle scope....Is competition freehand or bench OR both? I dont know anything about IHMSA...I just like this barrel..I couldnt beleive how accurate this little thing is with irons, so I figured I would try it with a scope.  So far, I have only put a 2x on it, but it seems that it would be very accurate with a high-power rifle scope.  Somebody fill me in please.

[Sixgun]

 Robert,

I use a BSA Contender in 3x12 on my 10 inch Contender Match Barrel.  All of the guys that I regularly shoot with use one type or another rifle scope.  Most use scopes with an adjustable AO and target knobs.

I shoot NRA Field Pistol and it requires free standing, unsupported shooting.  With the rifle scope, we use what is called a "taco hold" where the the left hand holds the bell of the scope, the end of the barrel, or a combination of both, and the right hand holds the grip, if you are right handed.

After shooting this way for a few years, I have discovered that I can shoot from this position almost as good as I can from a bench rest.

Give it a try.

Sixgun

[Dino32H&R]

Robert,

I used a 4 MOA red dot for IHMSA SB & FP last season on my T/C 10" Match .22 LR & .32 H&R magnum barrels.  However, I am thiniking of going to a scope on both just for the magnification capability (the eyes ain't what they used to be!).

I use a Taco hold and a rifle scope will work fine for the .22.  I also have a 7mm TCU barrel that I have a 2.5x shotgun scope on it that has a 6" eye relief, which allows me to Taco that without denting my forehead.   A rifle scope for a BB won't typically give you enough eye relief resulting in multiple cuts, dents and openings in your eyeball or forehead.  A pistol scope has TOO much eye relief to let you Taco it.

If you are just starting out with offhand, unsupported, scoped-pistol shooting, let me warn you about magnification - you get into too high a power and you will never settle in and take the shot.  It'll look like you're in an earthquake.  My advice is to start with single-digit x factors and as you build confidence and ability, move into the double digit powers.  Bret has been doing this for some time and he's got it down pat.  I tried to shoot at 16x offhand and it took me forever to get on target !!  In time, I'm sure I'll work up to higher powers as I transition from 1x red dot's to scopes, but for next year - I'll be under 10x on all barrels !  A good reason for buying a zoom scope - you can grow with it.

And ditto on what Bret said on ammo - TRY it ALL out.  I've testing ammo that cost .90 a box up to that costing $5 a box.  The $5 a box stuff grouped a hair better than the best cheap stuff, but not enough to justify the cost.   Guess what - the best I found in my barrel was $1 a box.  They all vary.  Just because your buddies' .22LR Match barrel loves CCI Match, doesn't mean yours will !  Don't discount the cheap stuff.  Remington Thunderbolt  and Federal Lightning give me VERY good groups.  At around a buck for 50, you can't go wrong !

[Sixgun]

I will second what Dino32H&R has to say about the ammo.  My 10" Contender 22LR Match loves the cheap, bulk, Winchester XPert stuff.  I get it on sale at Walley World for $7 per box of 500.  When I started shooting Cowboy Silhouette with my Marlin 39 I tried it and it shot good but not real good.  I finally started useing CCI Standard Vol and it did great.  The only problem was it was hard to find regularly.  I decided to try CCI Blazers and they did just as good as the CCI Standard stuff at less than 1/2 the cost.  My source of CCI Blazers went belley up so I went to the competitor who drove them out of business and asked them to start selling Blazers and got the song and dance about how cooperate does all of their buying so I went back to Wally World and got some of the bulk Federal and Remington stuff.  The Remington shoots great in my 39 so now I am useing it.  Now the Cooporation store that I went to and tried to get them to sell Blazers is carrying them but I will stick with the Remingtons.  They are a dollar cheaper per brick and there is 550 in a brick.

Anyway, the moral is:  Every barrel will shoot good with some ammo but very seldom does one ammo shoot good in every barrel.  Also, don't overlook the cheap stuff.  If it shoots good, you can save the money for more guns. :gun4:

[Robert]

I guess I am a natural...I didnt know I was doing pretty close to the right way....a semi taco hold over the hood.  I have been shooting my .22 exactly like that but over the hood of my rig...just seemed to make sense to me for accuracy...and I was talking to a guy in a gun shop today that shoots competition and he also told me to NOT start with the higher power scopes....he said after a certain X you start to LOSE accuracy and that I would be good to start with a  3-9.  These guys dont use rules much.  I asked him if they are shooting freehand or bolted down, or sand bags, and he said the bunch of guys he shoots with are 'anything goes'...whatever it takes to get the most points. Get this...he said their best shooter is using a Ruger 10-22 with about 800 dollars of improvements.  Sonds like a natural transition for me.  First I learned to shoot...then I learned to get meat in the freezer...now I am interested in learning to shoot 'better'.  The end result should definately turn into more meat in the freezer via better shot placement, more humane kill, less tracking, and a lot less time and work in general.  Thanks guys.

[Robert]

I have used other scopes set to the higher range and even though it looked wobbly..they were right on the mark.  I think it is true that with lower X , you just cant see the movement as well.  I would think that ....the more movement that you can see...the better off you will be to compensate for it.  I will be using a 3-9 for now, because that is what I have, but will keep my eyes open for a higher power scope, there isnt any big hurry.  Also going to look into some sort of rain fly that I can attach to the side of my van for foul weather shooting, so I can enjoy target shooting when my work slows down in the winter.

[vmthtr in green bay]

Robert,
I shoot IHMSA here in WI and am the only INT class shooter in US, (which is Unlimited Standing) and the class you are talking about shooting in.  I use a Ken Light high rise scope mount and a *choke* simmons 6-18 scope.  I only use the simmons because I don't have to adjust it.  With the high rise scope mount, it moves the scope 3" above the barrel, I just aim center on the C, belly on the P, center on the T, and back hold on the R.  I use a 13" BB barrel and Wolf ammo.  Groups right at 1" at 100 yards.  Most of the guys here in WI use higher powered scopes, the higher the power, the better you can see, granted the wobble of the shooter is more pronounced, but if your crosshair covers half the target, what is that getting you?

Mike

[Nobade]

Hi Robert, I think that you'll find there aren't many folks shooting the unlimited standing class with .22 in IHMSA. You can certainly do so, as the previous poster does so well (congrats on that INTL!) but you won't have much competition. If you keep the iron sights, you'll be in production class and you can shoot either freestyle (laying on your back) or standing, depending on how much challenge you're up for. If you are considering starting out in IHMSA you would be well advised to get a copy of the rule book (I think it's available online now) and study the different classes and what gun qualifies under what class, then pick the one you'd like to start out with.

[redfred]

Well it's like this here. Go to a shoot with what you have. Plan on spending the day there. I have never gone to any of these shoots where people were not friendly and helpful. BUT you have to ask.  If you show honesty, and purpose most if not all will let you shoot their guns. It might be after the match is over (the reason I said plan to stay the day).  If you do just go and buy a scope I'd keep the high power between 12-18. About ammo I keep cci,win,fed,wolf,elly,rem,and some others on hand just for barrel try outs. A taco hold is the way to go. After you learn the hold it's surprisingly steady. After you learn the hold then a higher power scope might be what you want.

[Dino32H&R]

Robert - Don't listen to Dino  :-)  I've only been doing this for two years.  quote]

WELL Bret . . .  your scores look like you've been doing it for YEARS !!  :wink:

I guess there IS something to those high-power scopes.  :grin:

Keep 'em straight and true.