stagpanther
New member
Consistency like that is what earns dedicated customers.CSS was right - different lots, even years apart, don't seem to matter to Lapua.
Consistency like that is what earns dedicated customers.CSS was right - different lots, even years apart, don't seem to matter to Lapua.
I've tested 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, and 25 inch barrels (and 26?). With, at a minimum, 3-4 types of bulk ammo, boxed Aguila, boxed Armscor, Federal GameShok (boxed), Federal Champion Target (boxed), CCI SV, Wolf Match Extra, Blazer 40 gr RN, Eley Rifle Match, Norma TAC-22, and Aguila SSS. (Most also saw a few SK loads and some other Eley ammo, but not all.)Full disclosure--prevailing opinion about the jaguar's unusually long 28" barrel is that it is a detriment to velocity and performance compared to shorter barrels, especially around 18". I have 16 and 18 inch barrels in addition to the jaguar's 28" and have not noticed any performance advantage with the shorter barrels, in fact I always shoot the jaguar if I can because it's generally more accurate/consistent than the others for me.
I went out again yesterday when the winds dropped a bit to around 5 to 10 mph but still a switchy headwind that went back and forth from left to right quartering cross and shot at 231 yards. I don't know why, but I've found the SV and "just above super" (like R-100) ammos if they do well to 225 yds--they will do well past that. The reduction in wind velocity that I shot in turned out to make a really big difference and my 5 shot groups were reasonably tight considering the switchy winds. Lapua's Long range placed around 1.9 MOA and X act placed just under 1.5 MOA--both beating R-100 which was over 2; R-100 being my best longer range ammo previously. I'm going to go out again at dawn or dusk calm conditions (if they ever happen here) and shoot again as I think they will all do better, but I suspect the Lapua ammo will beat the R-100. In my experience premium ammo will always beat the lower-priced stuff at and past 225 yds out of my jaguar.It looks like I am going to need to run my backup rifle, the 18" 10/22 in this month's X match (for various reasons). With advertised ranges being "long" on average, and out to 300 yd, I am seriously considering working up all new dope with Blazer 40 gr RN. That scope only has about 36 MoA of elevation left and only a few subtensions in the reticle (2.3, 5.3, 8.8, and 12 MoA). With CCI SV, I need about 46 MoA to make 300 yd. But with Blazer 40 gr RN, I can get to 300 yd by dialing 36 MoA.
Sounds very intimidating to me! Do these things go no matter how strong the winds are? I probably wouldn't even bother showing up if the tasks call for long ranges and strong winds. ; )NRL22 on steroids. (And for championship points, but I'm not at that level.)
Longer ranges.
Smaller targets.
Harder stages.
Higher round counts.
Shorter time limits.
Difficult props and shooting positions.
Blind stages.
Unknown distance stages.
Stages with crippling gear limitations.
Whatever else a match director can dream up.
And overall longer matches. (8-10 hours, or more; vs 2-4 for normal NRL22)
This match says they are only shooting to 300 yd. But it is not uncommon for longer ranges to be encountered. The X match that our club held last year, for example, went to ~420 yards. Even with a better scope and base, I had to "max out" elevation and hold 22 MoA in the reticle.
(I never shoot with a scope adjustment against its stop. "Maxing out" elevation, for me, means hitting the stop and backing off a few MoAs/Mils.)
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Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.
You gotta love that in a rifle!Oh yes abused--I've used it for lead factory ammo as well as a testbed for my monolithic handloads of dubious pressure and headspacing qualities which every so often led to a case head detonation and very stubborn copper streaks in the bore. It's also been exposed to the finest snow and rain storms that Maine can offer up.
All that said, she's still a honey of a shooter.
The only things that aren't stock are the chassis and yodave spring job--otherwise she's a true blue CZ 457 action/barrel with conventional add-ons. The Leupold vx5 HD doesn't hurt, either.
Sounds a lot like where I live in Maine! I have lots of experience shooting in those kinds of conditions--but instead of benefitting me to pursue something like that I've learned it's mostly a waste of my expensive ammo--at least at my [meager]skill level. You have my most sincere admiration!Unless the weather poses serious risk of injury or death (on site or during travel), the matches are held. Rain or shine, wind or calm.
Ours, for example, saw sustained winds of 12-27 mph, gusting to 30+ mph; with 8+ inches of snowfall and 18-24 F temps. And stages were arranged such that we shot almost 360 degrees. The only portion of the compass that was missing was about 290 to 330 degrees. So every stage had a different (and/or multiple) wind direction(s) to deal with.
Many frozen optics, frozen magazines, frozen rifles, frozen feet, and accidental scope foggings while on the clock.
The day started by pulling cars out of snowdrifts on the road, and ended by pulling cars out of the ditch outside the gate to the range.
Many shooters from places with generally calmer winds had very, very bad days. Several asked me how we deal with it.
Short version: "It's always like this..."
(I still often forget my wind holds while on the clock. I'll even mentally note a wind flag shift in my scope, and do absolutely nothing about it.)
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Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.
I heard from some 22lr shooters that basically I made a mistake buying the jaguar when I bought it--I sorta politely said my rifle never got the memo it shouldn't shoot well compared to the short-barrel ones.(Full disclosure--prevailing opinion about the jaguar's unusually long 28" barrel is that it is a detriment to velocity and performance compared to shorter barrels, especially around 18". )
in my exp. velocity yeah, but generally a plus on accuracy,
and the velocities being a little slower seem more consistent. but that's just me.
Thank you.Sounds a lot like where I live in Maine! I have lots of experience shooting in those kinds of conditions--but instead of benefitting me to pursue something like that I've learned it's mostly a waste of my expensive ammo--at least at my [meager]skill level. You have my most sincere admiration!
Probably not true--my idea of competition shooting is to enter one of the mrrevolverguy's contests where I can pick and choose the conditions at my leisure and then shoot a 1,000 targets knowing the odds are good that one of them will turn out to be pretty good eventually.But I believe you have more skill than myself.
I'm curious--in this base class are you allowed to do any bedding and trigger work--or must it be "absolutely stock, not messed with at all?" I agree the stock it comes with isn't ideal for shooting off of mixed bases.I really want a Jaguar (and want to shoot matches with the iron sights), but I dislike the stock.
But I cannot restock it without breaking out of Base class in NRL22 (no stock changes allowed, unless sold by the manufacturer, but MSRP still comes into play). Wouldn't matter in X matches or PRS22, though.
I get it--they want to use the class as a ladder drug for kids that have $200 10-22's and other cheapos. But how do you limit $5,000 factory stock race guns? You can see where this starts to get kinda sticky--sorta like ATF regulations trying to limit assault guns. Anyway, you got me curious and I popped my action back on the original stock and will try it out. LOLRelated, but needs to be a sidebar:
It is a whole can of worms that should not be fully uncorked here. But... They have been polling members about thoughts on rules for Base class in the future (possibly 2025 season [starting June 2024], but likely 2026), and it is very obvious that they want all "experienced" shooters (3+ matches) in Open class, with Base becoming more like "Intro to NRL22, with bone-stock factory rifles only." Aka, "Welcome to club CZ457. It is all CZs, all of the time." Because that is the only competitive option in the proposed new rule set.