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Recomemded gear for Service rifle matches

2K views 9 replies 6 participants last post by  SWO daddy 
#1 ·
As far as ammo belts clips and other gear to shot in a competition what is authorized. I am looking at a table 4 for a JCG match the first three stages I see I should have 3 8rd clips and 3 2rd clips what about the 4th stage what is the breakdown for the last 20 rds in the prone. Is it two 8rds and two 2rd clips. Now what about bandoliers or ammo belts.

Thanks
 
#3 ·
Rounds fired during the slowfire stages (offhand and prone) are single loaded.

A SLED is a clip that's modified to stay in the rifle and is nice for single loading. The SLED will limit the speed that the bolt comes forward, just like a regular en bloc clip. This will minimize the risk of slamfire. Keep in mind that matches were shot for decades before the SLED came around. When you single load without one, it's a good idea to ease the bolt halfway forward before letting it fly.

Ty
 
#6 ·
OIFMP,

You actually only NEED 2 standard 8 round clips so shoot a HP event.

As .30 Cal alread said, you don't NEED a SLED for slow fire, but they are nice.

As far as the rapid fire events, load up one clip with 8 rounds and put two in the other. To do this, place two rounds in the clip and give the bullet ends the "X Twist"..... leaving the brass casings crossed and tensioned in the clip. They will stay put until you insert the clip in the rifle at the "Load" command at the beginning of a rapid stage.

As the follower pushes up on the rounds it will break them out of the "X Twist" and leave them flat in the magazine, as they should be. Push down with your thumb as you normally would while simultaneously pressing back against the op-rod handle with the heel of your hand. This will disengage the op-rod catch and allow you to slowly let the bolt close on the top round. You are now loaded with two rounds and ready for the start of the rapid fire stage.

You may want to practice this at home with a couple of dummy rounds before going to an event. It's not hard.... certainly a lot easier than riding a bicycle, and I'll bet you learned how to do that at one time. ;)

Just my thoughts,
Swampy

Garands forever
 
#7 ·
At a minimum, all you need are a quantity of 8 round clips equal to the number of rapid fire stages you will shoot and EITHER one 2 round clip, or an extra empty 8 round clip for loading two rounds with.

The trick for using an 8 round clip for loading two is to cross the cartridges so they bear against each other and the sides of the clip. Shove the clip into the rifle and the rounds will straighten out. Push down slightly on the cartridges with your thumb while closing the bolt over them. That will lock the partially full clip in the magazine. Then, to chamber a round, simply pull the bolt back and let it fly. With the Garand, unlike all other rifles used in NRA Highpower, you are authorized to close the bolt while standing waiting for the targets to come up for rapid fire.

The reason you only need one clip for 2 round loading is that it is very easy to refill a clip with two rounds between rapid fire strings. Refilling 8 rounders is a PITA when your are hurried.

As far as ammo belts, don't worry about it. You are not required to load from a belt pouch, like some of the military matches require you to. Any old range bag will suffice. You take the 2 round clip with you when you stand in preparation for rapid fire, and leave the 8 round clip on the mat somewhere where you can grab it for the mid-string reload.

Most beginners get a medium sized range bag, tool bag, gym bag, or similar to carry their gear around.

The slow fire stages are shot with only one round at a time in the rifle, so no clip is needed. A SLED is nice to have, but not necessary. The Army's FM 23-5 describes how to load one round at a time safely. Basically you insert the round in the chamber, and while holding the oprod handle push the follower down enough to unlock the bolt. Slide the bolt down to about halfway closed, then let it fly so that it locks up. That method does not generate enough momentum to create a slam fire. And that's how I used to load until I bought a SLED. Buy the SLED eventually, but don't let the lack of one stop you from competing.

As for the rest of the gear, here's the bare minimum:

A spotting scope with a stand or a pair of binoculars to see the shot spotters on target and to read the wind mirage.

Something to lie on. A piece of carpet long and wide enough to cover you is great. A purspose built shooting mat with a waterproof bottom is better.

A heavy glove for your left hand.

A sling. If you don't have a competition-grade M1907 leather sling, use the M1 cotton sling. Competition M1907s are very heavy duty, and the cheap GI replicas will not take the heavy use given in a match. You are much better off with a $5 cottong M1 GI sling. Have someone at the match show you how to rig it correctly. You have NO hope of shooting anything close to a good score without a sling in sitting and prone. The sling has to be on the rifle, but can't be used for support when standing.

A heavy jacket or coat, and a sweatshirt to wear under it. This will serve several purposes. While you won't get the support in standing that a true shooting coat will give, it will provide cushioning of your shoulder and bicep when shooting with a sling, and will give your elbows some protection and slip resistance when shooting prone.

Other than that, go and enjoy.
 
#8 ·
Swampy is right. Alot of folks at matches use the crossed rounds. I use a two round clip which can also be found at the Creedmoor site. I like to load up clips at home before the match - the two needed plus a spare "just in case".
 
#9 ·
The newbies that show up to our matches usually need 2-3 shoots under their belts before they bring the sling into action. If you aren't familiar with getting in and out of it and what length it needs to be set at, you will find it frustrating trying to monkey with it on the firing line with the clock ticking. With no sling, you won't have need for a glove.

If you want to shoot with the sling, you need to set up your firing position at home--complete with the clothes you intend to shoot in--and experiment setting up the sling and getting back out of it. Work on finding a sitting and a prone position that will work for you. Remember that you will have a 3 min prep period to snap in, then you must rise to your feet before the targets will come up. Practice standing up and getting back down while you're strapped onto the rifle--it's a clumsy maneuver.
 
#10 ·
30Cal said:
If you want to shoot with the sling, you need to set up your firing position at home--complete with the clothes you intend to shoot in--and experiment setting up the sling and getting back out of it. Work on finding a sitting and a prone position that will work for you. Remember that you will have a 3 min prep period to snap in, then you must rise to your feet before the targets will come up. Practice standing up and getting back down while you're strapped onto the rifle--it's a clumsy maneuver.
OIFMP, I strongly suggest you take this advice, and come to your first match with an idea of some functional positions.

Make a black dot about the size of a dime and post it on wall about 20 to 25 feet away. That will give you a very good idea of what a target will look like through your sights at the range. Then figure out your sitting and prone positions, including details like sling adjustments and hand positions.

If you have an M1 sling, I use a black permanent marker (Sharpie) to draw marks for sitting, prone slow, and prone rapid (a little bit tighter than prone slow). Don't make the marks too obvious at first, since your position will change with time as you get better at figuring out what works for you.
 
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