I got to talk to the 2010 Camp Perry Small Bore Irons national champ, Charles Kemp, and ask rookie class questions. Mr Kemp claimed that the rifle he used in 2010 would give consistent ten shot groups of 0.38” at 100 yards. That was with the favorite ammunition for that rifle. The rifle was based on around a Win M52 action, Benchmark barrel, and I think a Carl Bernosky stock. http://www.carlbernosky.com/index.html
Mr Kemp, Camp Perry 2010
In 2011 or 2012 I asked Mr Kemp about the rifle he was using that year, he had sold the 2010 Rifle. This rifle would group ten shots at 100 yards in 0.440 inches.
I found that Mr Kemp extensively tested his ammunition. He has a mechanical rifle rest, tests ammunition in the morning, before the breezes began, and when setting his tuner, he put targets out close in front of the rifle. He said these targets were one foot apart from 8 to 14 feet. He would examine the close in targets for evidence of bullet tipping. He would adjust the tuner (and I think the ammunition) till all groups were round and no bullet tipping was evident. It took about 2000 to 3000 rounds of the rifle’s favorite ammunition to set the tuner. Now assume he was shooting red box Tennex, which was the ammunition he won with in 2010, and it costs about $1850 a case, so he spends from $700 to $1000 just adjusting the tuner!
At the end of this, he has a combination of a rifle and ammunition that he is confident will hold half the X ring out to 100 yards.
After years of trying, I am finally shooting ten X cleans at 100 yards, this was done prone with a sling in a small bore match. And I am going to keep on trying till I shoot a 200-20X on one target.
Mr Kemp, Camp Perry 2010
In 2011 or 2012 I asked Mr Kemp about the rifle he was using that year, he had sold the 2010 Rifle. This rifle would group ten shots at 100 yards in 0.440 inches.
I found that Mr Kemp extensively tested his ammunition. He has a mechanical rifle rest, tests ammunition in the morning, before the breezes began, and when setting his tuner, he put targets out close in front of the rifle. He said these targets were one foot apart from 8 to 14 feet. He would examine the close in targets for evidence of bullet tipping. He would adjust the tuner (and I think the ammunition) till all groups were round and no bullet tipping was evident. It took about 2000 to 3000 rounds of the rifle’s favorite ammunition to set the tuner. Now assume he was shooting red box Tennex, which was the ammunition he won with in 2010, and it costs about $1850 a case, so he spends from $700 to $1000 just adjusting the tuner!
At the end of this, he has a combination of a rifle and ammunition that he is confident will hold half the X ring out to 100 yards.
After years of trying, I am finally shooting ten X cleans at 100 yards, this was done prone with a sling in a small bore match. And I am going to keep on trying till I shoot a 200-20X on one target.