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My first experience in a competition with an Eddy/Eddy was a Metallic Silhouette match in Sacramento CA. It is the full distance 200, 300, 385 and 500 meters but since we are using battle rifles (there is an open class for the Arms Race rifles) we shoot prone off of sandbags. My luck of the draw was to start out at the 500 meter Ram silhouettes and I completely forgot to flip up the ladder sight. My first two shots were in the dirt about 50 yards in front of the targets with 150 grain "Hotshot" factory ammo. A moment of introspection and "mer&e!#". The rest of the string using the 600 yard setting had five hits with three knockdowns. We set the rams in the center of the stand not on the edge and a low shot which is is plunging, may not tip the 70 lb steel animal over every time. My best one time string is eight of the 385 meter turkeys out of 10 using the 400 yard setting and good hand loads. I would love to try a PH sight sometime but they seem scarce and pricey.
Wineman
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09-08-2010 02:09 PM
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Just discovered this forum - (alas, one more to monitor)!! But this place looks interesting.
CX
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I have a sporterized Winnie 1917 I traded for in 1970 (the damage was done when I acquired it) and have hunted with it in Alaska and the deep south since. The original military barrel was pitted but the rifling was strong. In the late seventies I chopped off four inches and recrowned it and then glass bedded it to the stock. It would consistently shoot into about 1" at 100yds with my hunting handloads - even with the pitted barrel. I have since restocked it, again glass bedded it, and installed a new barrel (old one was long on headspace). Here it is today. And it is still my favorite deer rifle.
CX
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I have an eddy sporter I bought over thirty years ago as my first hunting rifle. It's not as nice looking as yours but still shoots better than I can. I would be hard pressed to ever sell it.
john
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Unexpected accuracy at 100 yards - the first group from the Eddystone (not Winchester) 1917 today from 4 rounds of ammo that were rattlingly around in the bottom of the shooting bag before I started loading with 5-round strippers - 1 1/2" spread !! Of course things went to he** after this with all sorts of groups in the 3-5 inch range; horizonatal, vertical, all over the dang place, etc. - but at least I know it's possible to do this with this rifle at 100 yards It's something to shoot for (pun intended).
Last edited by levallois; 09-25-2010 at 01:16 AM.
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A very good group! But don't load with stripper clips if you ever want to see that grouping again!
The recoil can shift the bullet in the case, thus slightly altering the seating depth (unless you use a heavy crimp, which is usually not helpful for fine-tuned accuracy).
Reload with neck-sizing only, and load one round at a time.
And Eddys are just as good for shooting as any other M1917!
(I could have written better, but I would not like to endanger the health of any Winny fans out there)
Patrick
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Patrick,
The problem is when shooting a timed vintage military bolt action rifle match (which is why I bought the 1917), loading singles really isn't an option. So a stripper clip is necessary. I just need to learn to be a better, more consistent, shot. The rifle is obviously capable of pretty desent accuracy.
John
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Levallois, you wrote
Originally Posted by
levallois
timed vintage military bolt action rifle match
As we don't have such a competition here, I am curious. What are the conditions - no.of shots/time/ start with loaded or empty magazine etc?
The thought immediately strikes me - could you gain an advantage with a 6-shot clip (never seen one, but the M1917 magazine will hold 6) ?
Patrick
---------- Post added at 11:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:00 PM ----------
Correct last message! Of course I have seen 6-shot clips! I have a fistful of them! Unfortunately, they are for the Carcano and would look a bit odd if one tried to force 30-06 cases into them.
Patrick
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No 6-shot clips are available for the M1917 that I've ever heard of. And having never shot a vintage match, I was wrong about needing clips though most of it. It pays to actually read about something before spouting off about it. Anyway. most matches are held at 200 yards with 5 sighting shots and then 10 shots prone over 10 minutes - obviously loading one at a time is possible - and then rapid 10-shots prone from standing over 80 seconds which may still be possible to load singles but I would think easier to do with a clip, and finally 10 shots standing over 10 minutes - again loading one at a time is easily possible here too. So I'll have to try the loading one at a time and see where that gets me. Thanks!
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Originally Posted by
levallois
....Anyway. most matches are held at 200 yards with 5 sighting shots and then 10 shots prone over 10 minutes - obviously loading one at a time is possible - and then rapid 10-shots prone from standing over 80 seconds which may still be possible to load singles but I would think easier to do with a clip, and finally 10 shots standing over 10 minutes - again loading one at a time is easily possible here too!
A typical Over The Course High Power match Course of Fire:
The first stage is the Standing or Offhand match, fired at 200 yards. Standing is fired “Slow Fire” which means loading and firing one round at a time. You will fire 2 sighting shots and 10 shots for record in a time limit of 12 minutes.
The next stage is fired from the Sitting position, this stage is also fired at 200 yards. Like Standing you will be allowed 2 minutes for 2 sighting shots. Unlike Standing, the Sitting position is fired “Rapid Fire”. In Rapid fire Sitting, you will have 60 seconds to get into position, fire 2 or 5 shots, reload and fire your remaining shots to complete your 10 shot string.
For the third stage you move back to 300 yards and shoot from the prone position. This position will be fired just as in Sitting. You will have 2 minutes for 2 sighting shots than 70 seconds to get into position, fire your first 2 or 5 shots, reload and fire your remaining shots to complete your 10 shot string.
The fourth and final stage is fired from 600 yards and like the last stage it is fired from the prone position. Unlike the last stage this match will be fired “Slow Fire” as Standing was. You will fire 2 sighting shots and 20 shots for record in 22 minutes.
CMP M1 Garand matches and Springfield/Vintage Military Bolt Rifle matches shot at 200 yards usually consist of 5 sighters and 10 shots for record prone slow-fire, 15 minute time limit, then 10 shots standing to prone rapid-fire with reload, 70 seconds time limit. 10 shots slow-fire standing, 10 minute time limit.
For the rapid fire sitting and prone stages you will need to load from stripper clips.
It takes time to drop from standing into the prone or sitting position, and you can't afford additional time to break position to single load rounds. Seventy seconds goes by pretty fast.
As far as accuracy from my M1917 Eddystone... 150 or 165 grain Remington Core-Lokt PSP rounds give me a good balance between accuracy and economy from readily available commercial ammo. Typical groups bench rested over sandbags at 100 yards is 2" to 2-1/2" if I do my part. Win 150 grain PowerMax rounds shoot closer to 2".
I've just started to handload and found that Sierra 150 grain SPBT over 44.8 grains of IMR3031 (my attempt to approximate WWI ball ammo with supplies my dad had at his reloading bench) also shoots approaching 2" groups.
Last edited by eldowerks; 10-10-2010 at 01:29 PM.