Went out to his gun club... and fired a few rounds at 50 & 100 meters... I've only shot this maybe 5 rounds on paper @ approx. 75 yards. And, that was more of a test of a load than of the rifle... I didn't even make not of where it shot. But... the 50 meter chicken beckoned... and one must shoot chickens... old guys don't run around fast enough to catch 'em and wring their necks. So... I laid it down on the rest, took careful aim... and was good elevation-wise, but several inches off to the right... Well, I knew my hold was good, let's do that again. Same action... go figure, same result!
Shasta sez... "hold on, I've got a brass punch and a hammer, we'll drift that sight over... see how it's off-center in the "wrong" direction." So... we do that. Closer miss this time. Time to drift some more. That's when we noticed the front of the sight was centered on the octagon flat... but the sight was all "catty-whompus" and not lined up evenly on the barrel. (That's a new technical term fellars)! So, again, Shasta digs in his stash of stuff... and comes up with a rear sight that's not just a near approximation of the factory sight... it's darnned near identical! But, this one lines up with the barrel very straight & true. So I shoot again... Splat! Lead on steel! So, then I try for the piglet at 100 meters! Splat, lead on steel!
I've been shooting this rifle in Cowboy Action for 3 years or better... and seldom miss... but, only because of technique... not because the rifle was sighted in! In general, I shoot from left to right, and as the sights come across the left edge of the target, pull the trigger... Several times during a match... I've jumped the gun, so to speak, and pulled the trigger before the sights are on the target... and still hit! Never even gave it a moments thought... you know... follow-thru and all, it makes sense that I'd hit when the barrel is moving the right direction! And have noted that all my misses were off to the right... just chalked it up to bad technique! I have an excuse!
Then I shot a couple of his rifles... And felt really proud to hit that 500 meter ram with the '03-A3... until he did it "off-hand"!!!! He tried to talk me into shooting a "2-Bore" flinter! I may LOOK stupid, but it's a disguise folks... I ain't! Now, I have video of him shooting it... and if you can outbid him, I'll post it up!
Had a grand time... I'd have like to have spent much more time visiting... but had to get rollin' and get to grandma's house here in OR before it got too late!
Any way... if you ever get the chance to shoot with Shasta... bring your "A" game... and that still might not get the job done! Thank you for an enjoyable break from the the monotony of my normal day!
