I just came back from a long range session. I made a stand for the steelchickens. Actually was mostly already done.
Some years ago I had made a jumping bar for our dog to practice agility training. Turns out that he loves jumping but totally resists doing anything that's not his idea. The stand is made out of 3/4 inch pvc. Looks like an "H" with feet. I removed the pvc piping above each upper joint, so it now looks like a "C" on its side. I then added steel angle iron which is just about the exact length of the horizontal bar. The top of the stand is about 2-3 feet off the ground.

I had five steel chckens/1/3 scale/ spray painted white. Due to range rules, I placed it front of a plinking pit at 50 yards rather than 43-45 yards.

I started with a cz 452 16 inch barrel, weaver V 6-16. I think there is something to be said for short barrels. The balancing point is closer to the trigger guard. Two of three of my first shots were successful. This freaked me out. Never came close to doing it again.

(An aside...unfortunately, I had to share the pit with some bangers. So, I went to paper targets in another lane. Large caliber fragments ended up shattering the pvc. Easy enough to replace but glad that the guy could not shoot well enough to hit the 1/4 inch steel chickens. He asked, but I didn't realize that he might put down his .22 and pick up a military firearms. Leaving this club after less than one year and paying an initiation fee. They make a big deal about etiquette and rules, but the vast majority come out to shoot rather than refine and improve shooting skills. Keeping my fingers crossed that I will get into another club more dedicated to small bore and camp perry type training.)

Back to the rifles..all ammo is aquila sv super extra. That's all I have, and I really do not want go down the path of trying to buy better success with more expensive ammo.

I later went to three different rifles
1712...no brainer...the weight helped a lot to hold the target picture, and I found that the stock allowed small motor adjustments better than other rifles. The scope helped as well, Big skyII sightron 6-24.

cz 452 sil model....3x9 sightron scope...maybe the scope put me at disadvantage...but it shouldn't at that distance.
I had higher hopes. The lightest of all the rifles. The stock is modeled off the the 1712. Plastic. Not well balanced.
Curious if others have had more success. Maybe this is the kind of rifle that would do better if tweaked with a faster
strike spring....speaking of which is it standard operating procedure to replace the strike spring in the 1712?

Then I tried brno aperture sights on cz UL 452 with a stock known as "Klinsky". It 's a light target target stock with a thumb hole pistol grip. I would need a lot more time to figure out this one. A real reach. Do others use aperture sights to compete? Needs a palm rest but that would be illegal. Shouldn't be considering the level of difficulty with open sights?

For this sport, only need the 1712 and I do think it's better to just practice with one rifle at a time. Today, it was more of a wish to do some sampling and then return to one rifle at a time.

If there was one thing I learned today, I need to figure out feet placement. Natural point of aim eludes me. I start with feet lined up as if a connecting line goes to the target, but when I close my eyes and open them the rifle is aiming to the right.

If you have 1/3rd scale chickens putting them at 50y is actually to close anyway. If you meant 1/5th official size Chickens then 44y would be correct. Forget the CZ you have a 1712. My CZ452 was sold a few days before I even got the 1712 in my hands

I would imagine enough .22 splatter much less edge hits would eat up PVC all by itself soon enough as well. I've seen paint cans get hit and burst from several feet away from the rack of animals.

Have fun messing around. But go with the 1712. Not that you can't win with a CZ but you have the Anschutz. I used a CZ all the way to AAA before getting my 1712 so I know they can shoot. Oh and the little teenage girl beats me with hers pretty regularly too lol.


Dee

Dee,

Yes, must be 1/5th scale.

All rifles have their personality and with rifles it's more trial and error, after being bought.
Buddy shooting a brno model one today increasingly did better. He has a real shooter in that
rifle. But, like you say, I have a 1712. The others, though, sure helped this neophyte to appreciate
it. Now, it's up to me to learn how to make the best of it.

I need to figure out feet placement. Natural point of aim eludes me. I start with feet lined up as if a connecting line goes to the target, but when I close my eyes and open them the rifle is aiming to the right.

Try moving the left toes towards the target (assuming you are right handed). In other words move the forward toes opposite the direction you are pointed in...or use the rear foot, whichever works for you depending on your balance. Typically only slight adjustments with the toes are all that is needed. Experiment some, and also just for kicks experiment with placement of the stock in your shoulder up and down.

Mary

[/quote] T Experiment some, and also just for kicks experiment with placement of the stock in your shoulder up and down.

Mary[/quote]

Well...the shoulder placement is another variable that needs to find consistency. After watching a dvd about offhand shooting I noticed how the rifle was brought into the shoulder socket (for loss of a better descriptor) from being at a point forward and above the shoulder. The ideal position once purchased on the shoulder seems to be where it's high enough that I can keep my head erect and positioned in such a way that recoil is straight back rather than twisted off target. If the recoil is not straight back, there's poor follow through and an inevitable stray round.

Mary, Is that done with or without shoes? Someone told me you learned without shoes.

If the recoil is not straight back, there's poor follow through and an inevitable stray round

Follow through needs to come back to be on the target. As for where to place the rifle in the shoulder, depending on the caliber it can either matter or not. WIth smallbore you can place it fairly high in the shoulder and get away with it. What is important is to be able to feel balanced, and have the rifle sit in your tripod (body tripod that is) of forearm, hip and legs.

Jerry, barefoot or with shoes, guess it depends on how big of a hurry you are in, as for how I learned, I don't think I had or even needed shoes until I was in my teens!!
Innocent

Innocent wrote:What is important is to be able to feel balanced, and have the rifle sit in your tripod (body tripod that is) of forearm, hip and legs.

Innocent

Ummm... Hip?