POSTAL MATCH PRIMER

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tturner53 posted this 01 January 2010

Today was a good day. The CBA 2010 POSTAL MATCH GUIDE arrived in the mail. This is a magical time for me, re-reading all the match information, thinking about which matches to enter, what to shoot, what loads/bullets to try. It's almost like making a Christmas wish list. Considering the post on the New Light Production Class has had over 2800 views and 78 replies in a fairly short time period, it occured to me this topic could use more air time. For the benefit of those of you who have not received a copy of The Guide, I thought I'd just pass along a bit of information here and there to maybe pique your interest. The match I think of most interest to a newbie would be the Spring Ice Breaker match, with targets due May 1. It is open only to first timers, shot at 100 yds. benchrest, scope only. The course of fire is two shots on each record bull for a total of ten shots in twenty minutes on each target. Three targets are shot, you send in the best two. It's the only match where you can eliminate a bad target. Rifle classes are; Hunting, Production, Heavy, and Unrestricted. Pistol matches are also available for this match. See the CBA main page for details

  I have been shooting postal matches for a couple years now, it's really fun and a motivator to develop accurate combinations and a good way to get your guns out and play with them. You do have to be a member of the CBA to shoot in the postals. If you're interested or would like to learn more check out the attached poll.  If you've already shot a postal, maybe you could share your experience here, maybe include a few details about your rig and ammo. Respectfully, Tim Turner

EDIT; A little clarification may be in order, based on responses received, the purpose of the poll is to determine interest in my continuing periodically to post postal match information. I think I may have confused one or two of you. What I was thinking was to announce match opportunities in advance with a little info to go with it. As I said, for all the details go to the CBA main page and you can see the 2010 Postal Match Guide. This will also be a good place in general to just BS about the postals, experiences, equipment, loads, etc.

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MKastning posted this 14 December 2016

Just bumping this old thread, and THANKS Tim for the original primer on Postal Matches.  I apologize I didn't know this was out here on the old forum. 

The primer still works, and I hope your enthusiasm is still as strong!

The 2017 postal season will be here before we know it, I already have a few target order letters on my desk.  I will fill them just as soon as I can close the books on the 2016 season at the first of the year.   For anyone curious where their awards are for some recent matches, they are right here on my desk.  I had ran out of check blanks.  Now that a fresh batch are in, I will have them in the mail this week!

 

Michael

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tturner53 posted this 19 July 2014

Work with the Remington SPS Varmint has been delayed due to having too many guns, so I will shoot the Savage M40 .22 Hornet this time in Little Bore. I wanted to give our Postal Match guru Mike Kastning a pat on the back and well done! My targets arrived in record time. Thanks Mike for giving your time helping us old farts have a good time.

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tturner53 posted this 22 September 2013

I should have mentioned the Tika I saw was some kind of Olympic freestyle gun or something exotic like that. I'm locked in on the Remington now. The 700 SPS comes in two flavors in .223, a Varmint and a Tactical. The Tactical has a 9” twist and a 20” barrel. I got the Varmint. Hope springs eternal. Besides CBA postals I wanted a tack driver squirrel gun. 40 gr. jacketed bullets work good for that. Out here we drive all day to shoot ground squirrels.

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John Alexander posted this 20 September 2013

turner 53 sez “I looked at a Tika .223. About double the $ of a Remington."

I think you are going to the wrong gun store or they have a heck of a bargain on Remingtons. My Tikka T3 lite cost quite a bit less than Rem 700, or Ruger 77 when I bought it three years ago.

I'll admit I haven't looked recently.

John

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delmarskid1 posted this 20 September 2013

I wanna!

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tturner53 posted this 19 September 2013

Sounds good to me. I'm hoping this new Remington will make all my other small bores surpoofoolus. Then I can sell them. Well, maybe not the K Hornet H&R.  It breaks down small enough to pack on a motorcycle. I looked at a Tika .223. About double the $ of a Remington.

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 19 September 2013

TT : 2 moa !!!!!!!!!!! for more than 3 shots occasionally !!

i call that near to over-achieving ...

ok, it's time to start a quick-turnover smallbore forum-postal right here ... we can't allow john alexander be the only cba blaster to shoot mini-bullets under a quarter-foot ...

besides, i have my hornet project almost ready to go ..

whatcha think ?

ken

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tturner53 posted this 19 September 2013

After another discouraging round with the 'little bores' I have been forced to use the old method of buying more guns and molds.  That's the ticket! I have a Remington 700 SPS Varmint on lay-away. It's a .223 Rem., 26” barrel with a 12” twist. It has the old style trigger, not the new model they've brought out.  Hopefully I can clean up the factory trigger a bit, I want to keep it original if possible. Latest mold purchase is an RCBS 22 55 gr. SP. Between now and next summer maybe I can come up with a load that will get me in the money. By the way, that RCBS mold is a joy to use. Just cleaned it and went to town. Perfect bullets, easy schmeezy.

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tturner53 posted this 02 June 2013

Still trying to find a match load for the 'Little Bore' match. It's getting very frustrating. Tried a lot of combos, every mold I have, some store bought cbs, even some gift bullets from a friend. Now I'm down to the last mold, an ancient Ideal 225438 with no vent lines at all. Can't get a good cast to save my life. Tried everything. Pulling my hair out over here. Using .22 Hornet, K Hornet, .223 Rem. and .243 Win. Nothing goes under 2 MOA even though some will shoot factory ammo around 1/2". My expectations for this match are getting low.

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linoww posted this 20 December 2012

22-10-45 your 22 Hornet is shooting well enough to win those UNR postal matches from what i see posted elsewhere.Take the plunge and show them what an accurate 22 with cast can do.John Alexander has bee doing it for years.

George

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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.22-10-45 posted this 12 December 2012

I like Jon's idea of a pre-WW1 rifle match..good reason to dust off those old British Rook & Rabbit rifles! On another note..What about those custom rifles out there? I have a pre-WW1 Scherping 7X57 I am shooting cast in, as well as a Sharps-Borchardt actioned .22 Hornet..But with either..I am forced to shoot in unlimited class due to non-production status?

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tturner53 posted this 21 September 2012

I've set a new personal record, entered 8 (9?) postal matches for this year. I'm going to take all my prize money and take a trip to Cozumel. I can't make up my mind what gun to use for #17. My offhand is improving, with the help of some friends shooting CMP with a 03a3 w/cbs. Been a busy beaver rescuing every beat up old milsurp I see. Latest find is a '91 Argie 7.65x53 in pretty good shape. It's a 1892 so qualifies for the Antique Military Rifle match, #20. If it shoots I'm retiring my RB 7mm which I used in this match for several years. Right now I gotta go to the range and do final sight check for #19, 200 yd. Military Rifle Benchrest. My new to me 03a3 is a real tack driver, outshoots me easily.

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tturner53 posted this 25 October 2011

Job? I don haf to git no stinking job. It does look like we have a new add space salesman. Good on ya. Postal matches, oh yeah.  #17, the BIG ONE in my book, is coming up. Targets are due postmarked by Dec. 1, so there's still time to order target. This is my anual 'deer hunt', a substitute for going out there. I've become much less blood thirsty than I was and have let the California deer have a break. So much work and mess. All those damn meat bees! Anyway, it's a mental game for me. Will I get my deer this year? #17 will decide. The target is a picture of a full size running deer, shot offhand at 100 yds. Cast only, of course. We have an international element to the match, foreign cb shooters like this one too. So, if you only shoot one postal, this is it, the way I see it. As long as I can still make a clean shot in this match I know I can bring home meat. (That's what she said!).  Gotta get going on #20 too, Antique Military BR, 100 yds. Must be pre=1898 gun. My anual romp with an old Remington Rolling Block 7x57. It's a shooter.   (I haven't given up big game hunting, just Cal. deer. I still walk my gun around in good bear country and would like to get a fat cow elk one of these days. I've shot at a couple in Colorado, missed. Hawken .54. Maybe 75 yds. The uphill/downhill thing has been my curse for 25 yrs., always shoot over them on a steep hill.)

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pat i. posted this 05 August 2011

Tim,

With your enthusiasm, great attitude, and promotional skills you should really think about looking into a job (don't know if calling something you don't get paid for a job) on the CBA board if something becomes available, which there always seems to be.

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tturner53 posted this 05 August 2011

JeffinNZ wrote: Not only did I shoot at 100m but I was upside down aswell!

I had a hoot and will be entering more postal matches that suit my 'toy cupboard'. Thanks Tim for encouraging me. Now, where was I? Wow, a year has zipped by and #17 is coming up again. There's still a lot of fun matches to shoot if you want to try a Postal Match. It really is easy and fun. Something for everybody, handguns too. Jeff in NZ has survived the quakes and says he may shoot this match with his famous .303 Pygmy this year. I'm hoping for another picture of him in his purple tights with his Pygmy. Interesting mental picture, if your imagination is as overactive as mine. Hey, shooting is for fun, right?! This year I will again salute our funny talking brothers from all over by shooting #17 with a .303 British, this year an issue 1915 Lithgow. Last year I used a bubba'd #5 Jungle Carbine and didn't do too bad. I have several targets coming for more postal match fun, another one of my favorites is #20-Antique Military BR. Check it out if you have an OLD WARHORSE you'd like to play with. Targets must be in by Nov. 15, so plenty of time. I love the postal matches, it gives me a chance to put the rubber to the road and stop theorizing for a while. Jump in, it's easy, fun, and you get to join the CBA, if you're not already in. Then you get the Fouling Shot magazine too.   (EDIT; I should have mentioned #16-Lever, Pump, Auto. Just the ticket for all you levergun nuts I see on here. Plenty of time, targets due in by Oct. 15.)

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CB posted this 01 January 2011

FYI I will be working on the new postal guide today and hope to have it up before days end.

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JeffinNZ posted this 01 January 2011

Not only did I shoot at 100m but I was upside down aswell!

I had a hoot and will be entering more postal matches that suit my 'toy cupboard'. Thanks Tim for encouraging me.

Cheers from New Zealand

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tturner53 posted this 01 January 2011

Happy New Year from sunny California! I have good news, for me anyway. I squeaked out 2nd place in my class in match #17!  That's the one you shoot offhand at 100 yds. at a large picture of a deer. Hunting rifles are the thing, and handguns too. This year I made a deal with Jeff in NZ that if he'd shoot the match I'd shoot a .303 too. Broke out the modified No. 5 carbine with a 17” barrel and Williams open sights. I shot a NOE 316299. Gutshot the poor thing twice but got enough heart shots to pull it out of the bag. This match is my anual reminder to not attempt offhand shots at live game past 50 yds.  Jeff also shot a .303 for 2nd in his class, with a very high score. Over there they shoot at 100m which is about 110 yds. here. I had to explain to him you don't get any extra points for doing it the hard way! Interesting to note he was aced out by another SMLE, only a Gibbs 45-70 conversion shot by Kansas Carl. It was a big year for the sporterised old English warhorses in #17. Congratulations to all the shooters in Postal Match #17, the scores were all high and close. The pistol shooters racked up some amazing scores too, those boys can shoot and pick some very interesting cartridges and hardware to get the job done. I did notice Tom A. just doesn't know when to quit. Better luck next year Tom! If you want to have some good clean fun get your deer the easy way next year, shoot a picture! Thanks a bunch to the guys in the CBA that make these postal matches happen and to Dan Hudson for running #17 for us. It was fun.

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nimrod posted this 29 October 2010

Well I'll be danged years back when I spent a great deal of time shooting offhand I also spent about equal time in a beer bottle didn't realize there was a direct relationship connecting the two. Then throw in a couple of crazy girl friends it's a miracle I'm still alive.

Anyway hope this thread keeps going as I'm planning on shooting some postal matches this year. Want to try the light production and got me a new Mosin new to me anyway model 38 Finn and she's a shooter maybe get into some of the military stuff. The subject came up else where but I think a plain base military bunny match shot at 50 yards offhand would be fun.

Richard Missourians for Mosins

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tturner53 posted this 29 October 2010

According to a recent study by the Sothern California Institute for the Very Very Nervous, offhand shooting is the #2 leading cause of drinking too much, only surpassed by women trouble. Their statement of “...in fact not all men are created equal...” reveals the bitter truth which drives us lesser types to the bottle. That said, this year will be different as I have found a loophole in the rules. Whilst firing this match my 6'5” son and 6'6” nephew are going to hold me while I hold the gun. California is a 'codified' state, if it's not specifically forbidden then it's legal here. I have high hopes and hope to have my 30 day chip next week. Keep coming back, it works!

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