Head Position on the optic.....
I have a Vortex PST 1x4, scope on my service rifle. Many competitors have found that if you take a butler creek scope cap cover, and drill a 1/8" hole perfectly centered, it helps with the scores.
I tried this, on both the eyepiece of the scope and the ocular 6-8 months ago, and was not impressed.
Well, recently Ray Vin has manufactured an ocular cover with a pre-drilled hole, tight fitting cover. Many of the hard holding competitors I know using a scope have opted to use the cover on the ocular and say it is working well.
Last weekend, I shot an NRA match at Bridgeville, DE. It was an 800 aggregate, 80 shots for record. 20 standing, 2 strings of 10 rapid fire seated, 2 strings of 10 rapid prone, and 20 slow prone.
In standing, I had no issues with shooting with the ocular cover on. Rapid fire, I got pretty freaked out, but...this is an NRA match and we get 2 slow fire sighters at each stage. My issue in seated was that the ocular cover had revealed a flaw in my head position on the rifle.
Ponder this for a second, it is a 28MM ocular (I think...or close to it), when you add the ocular cover, that goes down to 1/8" (approx) of an inch. So, in the sighters I worked my head position and was able to view the reticle and target.
Rapid fire, in an NRA match one does not transition, we remain in position. So, getting thru the rapid seated was OK and I posted up one of my best seated scores, 95 and a 96.
FFWD to yesterday. Decided to shoot an Excellence In Competition match up at FT Hill. EIC matches are CMP matches, we transition in the rapids and there are no sighting shots. One must have reliable dope for the range on the rifle for each yard line. EIC matches are matches where you cannot make any mistakes.
Rapid seated, in prep, I had the same issue. Could not find the reticle. I did manage to work it out, but...as I stated above, it has revealed and subsequently fixed an issue with my head position.
What does the ocular cover do? Well...a few things, here are what I believe the benefits to be:
1. Head position on the rifle will become more repeatable, and will result in more precise shots.
2. Parallax errors are negated, as there will be no parallax error induced.
3. Dry fire practice, with a smaller ocular, the target will not be so blurry at close distances, 10 feet (ish).
So, I HIGHLY recommend this. It may sound crazy, but it really does work and works well!
At that match yesterday, I earned my first leg points towards the distinguished badge. I came in 2nd for the match of non-distinguished shooters and got a 6 point leg. 24 to go!
As I mentioned, EIC matches are not the place for malfunctions/mistakes. Well, I put my best offhand in a match up, 92-1X, after that I knew I was in the hunt. At 600 yards, a strong line for me, at shot 16 I had a major malfunction! It is single load slow fire, and I am shooting long 80 grain AMAX's. Somehow, I single loaded the round and it got pushed back over the bolt and wedged between the bolt and upper receiver! Imagine this, hot/humid, pretty much exhausted, digging down DEEP and this happens! Well, my barrel has a birdcage flash hider. I started banging the flashider on my mat, and pounding the charging handle FWD. WHALLA! The round came out and I was able to finish. Anyways....figured I'd share that in this post, vice starting another.
Back to the ocular cover. If you want to step your shooting game up some, give that a try. At a minimum it will reveal to you possible sight alignment issues you may be having.
Highly recommended!
R/
Chris
Congrats on the leg, Chris! Aaron Loreman posted about it yesterday on the usrifleteams forum.
I also find that the big ol' hole on a scope allows me to be inconsistent with head position, but I can use shadowing to help keep it centered. My solution is just to keep using my A2, but I'm not old yet ;D.
Where can you get the ocular cover with the hole drilled? Sounds like something I need to try.
aj
Quote from: airplanejoe on July 05, 2017, 10:18:29 PM
Where can you get the ocular cover with the hole drilled? Sounds like something I need to try.
aj
http://www.ray-vin.com/tools/vtx.htm (http://www.ray-vin.com/tools/vtx.htm)
Thanks Maxwell, AAron is a good friend of mine, but also a prankster, I need to log into the Nat'l forum now to see what he wrote! LOL
AirplaneJoe:
The Ray-Vin one I am using, is manufactured for the Viper PST 1x4. Not sure if they have made any others, but it is worth a check to their website.
As stated above, one can easily make their own. Buy the correct sized Butler Creek scope cover for the ocular and drill a perfectly centered (as close as you can get it) 1/4" ish hole. That will be just fine as well and work the same. Shoot with the cover closed.
It really does work, awkward at first possibly, and that is where sight alignment errors will reveal themselves.
R/
Chris
Here is what it looks like. Goes on the front of the scope and remains on thru the course of fire.
Thanks navybowhunter,
Just ordered one from the web site. They say it will fit any 30mm tube. If it doesn't work, I'll go the Butler Creek route.
aj