Reliving the past ...

To start with a little background ... I did shoot competitively. I shot NRA High Power... made Expert with the M1 before moving on to the AR 15 and Camp Perry .

But I loved Smallbore the most ... 100 yds on your belly in a sling seemed so much more difficult that centerfire at 600 yds ....

This past year I told the wife that even though the eyes are failing hard I'm gonna do it.... I'm gonna make a comeback ..... she rolled her eyes ...

So after a hard hunt I found and purchased an absolutely pristine barely used safe queen Anschutz 1413 made in 1976 with all the original accoutrements. I mean this is the one ... this rifle can take me back to those wonderfull and happy glory days of "belly matches".

When I got it home I quickly dusted off the old Champions Choice shooting coat and spread the old shooting mat out on the living room floor.... the wife rolled her eyes.

I got slung in and adjusted the sling and butt to some old familiar positions. Once I got it all set to what I remembered and rolled into position snug and tight ... it happened.

I tweeked a friggin muscle just below the left shoulder blade and its been total agony for three weeks.

I still haven't shot this rifle prone... and though the 1413 is difficult to shoot from the bench .... it does show some serious promise .

But maybe at my age I should just stick to my CMP 40x.... or get a CZ and try my hand at silhouette...

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Originally Posted by Sandpebble

To start with a little background ... I did shoot competitively. I shot NRA High Power... made Expert with the M1 before moving on to the AR 15 and Camp Perry .

But I loved Smallbore the most ... 100 yds on your belly in a sling seemed so much more difficult that centerfire at 600 yds ....

This past year I told the wife that even though the eyes are failing hard I'm gonna do it.... I'm gonna make a comeback ..... she rolled her eyes ...

So after a hard hunt I found and purchased an absolutely pristine barely used safe queen Anschutz 1413 made in 1976 with all the original accoutrements. I mean this is the one ... this rifle can take me back to those wonderfull and happy glory days of "belly matches".

When I got it home I quickly dusted off the old Champions Choice shooting coat and spread the old shooting mat out on the living room floor.... the wife rolled her eyes.

I got slung in and adjusted the sling and butt to some old familiar positions. Once I got it all set to what I remembered and rolled into position snug and tight ... it happened.

I tweeked a friggin muscle just below the left shoulder blade and its been total agony for three weeks.

I still haven't shot this rifle prone... and though the 1413 is difficult to shoot from the bench .... it does show some serious promise .

But maybe at my age I should just stick to my CMP 40x.... or get a CZ and try my hand at silhouette...

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There is always handgun! Last year had cataract surgery and except fore reading glasses I can see again. Perhaps you can have this done for you, it is wonderful not to wear glasses all the time.:banana100:
Sam

Don't give up on prone, that muscle pull will heal. When you feel better, try it again but start with your sling a couple notches looser and slowly work into position. I've had a couple of long shooting breaks due to work travel and time with my kids. I got back into shooting when my son got old enough and we'd sling up in prone in the family room. Not really dry firing, just in our coats and slung up to stretch out. Man, I was tight for a while but you stretch out and when you start feeling loose, go up a notch or two on your sling. One of my best coaches told me that when you adjust your sling tension, you should feel pressure but not pain. I love smallbore, too! I shoot a lot of long range but smallbore still teaches a lot and there's no reloading. Our club has 200 yard smallbore matches and we shoot a midrange format, 3 strings of 20 with two sighters.

Started with rimfire moved on to M1, M1A, AR15 and now with grand kids I am back to rimfire. It was a real thrill to have my 9 yr old grand son shoot my M2 Springfield last summer that I learned how to shoot with in 1954. He shot from a bench and after a bit of coaching was doing dime size groups at 50 with the rec. sights. He has been shooting BB since 6 yrs old and the bulleye better beware with his Daisy. I build 22 03 sniper clones and he really likes shooting the full size rifle with Weaver 3/4" scope, again from the bench at age 10. This year I bought him a 22 Henry golden boy brass lever action, and both him and his 6 yr old brother like that one the best. Now as to getting this 72 yr old bag of bones down into a low prone like back at Parris Island, it would take a crane to get me back up!

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Originally Posted by holdover

Now as to getting this 72 yr old bag of bones down into a low prone like back at Parris Island, it would take a crane to get me back up!

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Have long had back trouble that made prone torture, but enjoyed sitting & kneeling positions. Then, after a very bad ankle break several yrs ago, found it impossible to get back up on my feet without using something like a chair to climb up on. So now, I'm limited to offhand alone--which, as a fringe benefit, I've gotten much better at, due to increased practice.

you can still fit in your Jacket??

that is a win right there,


ex high power (Garand , 1903, and AR ) shooter too,
loved shooting the 03 in vintage matches ,

been too long since I have shot a match

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lyman

you can still fit in your Jacket??

that is a win right there,


ex high power (Garand , 1903, and AR ) shooter too,
loved shooting the 03 in vintage matches ,

been too long since I have shot a match

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My thoughts exactly.

"you can still fit in your Jacket??"

If the thread on the buttons are real strong, maybe!

you guys make me laugh... and pleased. Yup... I can still fit into my 25 year old shooting coat... In fact in the early 70s I hit boot camp at 164 lbs and so far have only packed on another 20 lbs.

.... but now the shoulder hurts...

" 164 at boot camp" I was 206 lb. 22yrs old married and I considered my self fit, The USMC said I was a bit over weight, graduated 8 weeks later at 160, could jump over tall mountains in a single bound! Best physical condition in my life, and being that way got me home from Vietnam, little beat up but alive. I would like to lose about 30 lbs, but still shoot as good as I did 40 yrs ago, and compete shooting from April to October every year...