Johnson Automatics Made Wildcat Cartridges?

[camstuff 0]

Great eye Whig, I didn’t pick up on the left shoulder pad.  
 

Art, your post about the M14 peaked my interest and jogged my memory of a chance to by a M14 at a gun show in Idaho about 15 to 20 years ago, I remember the price was $1600.  Was that a fair price?  I have no idea. But I did pass on it.  In 2013 I did purchase a brand new M1A with a walnut stock, 22” barrel. I have always preferred wood over synthetic stocks. I think mine is just a standard rifle, not a target type. I’ll have to dig it out and take a look at it, and will probably have to take it the range. You had a nicely set up M14, and so does Whig.

Art, loved reading your advice on setting up and sighting in the rifle. Your experience shows.  

[eb in oregon 0]

57 minutes ago, camstuff said:

Great eye Whig, I didn’t pick up on the left shoulder pad.  

Actually I did. But being left handed I thought nothing of it. 

[ArtR 0]

camstuff: The M1A at $1600 15-20 years ago was probably a fair price, for a used Match M1A. A super match might have been a bit more. I saw one today, on Gun Broker, with a synthetic standard stock which has about 19 bids and is currently at $1600. There were a few Super Match with walnut stocks, but they were starting $2500 and up.

I agree with the wood stock feelings. I too like the feel and look of a good piece of wood, who cares the finish.

The super match may begin to command a more solid price as Springfield no longer offers them. While not quite as popular today for many newcomers in the DCM matches, many old school guys still swear by them, and their scores prove it. As for a standard M1A, it still should shoot well. However, you cannot beat a 2 stage trigger and the plus of NM sights. Glass bedding is again a plus.

I no longer have ready access to a 400-600-1000 yard range. I truly miss that. There is nothing like the feeling of placing a good shot at 600+yds....threading the needle so to speak.

I know a lot of guys who are shooting competitively and on paper they sound like they are doing quite well, but they are shooting at 100-300 yd ranges and using reduced targets, so they never really have to deal with the wind. If you have ever shot at 500+yd ranges, you know full well what I am talking about. There is a real knack to learning how to 'read the wind' and compensate with your sights. I remember one year at Perry having to put 27 left on my windage to place a good shot. Without that, my shots would have been on the next target over. To get an idea what I am talking about...look at the photos for the 600 yd range and the MR target center in this link. The black repair center is 36" in diameter. The 10 ring alone is 12" diameter. The fellow on his belly, (prone), has to  read his target number (alternating yellow and black number boards beneath targets) and then pick his target, the tiny black dot above the number. If you have never heard of cross fires, you have not shot long distance. A real knack to avoid.

[camstuff 0]

I have to say a Super Match M1A sounds like it would fun. Back when I had good eye sight, I was pretty decent at shooting standard iron sights at 100 and 200 yards. I never tried anything greater than those distances. I do have access to a 1000 yard open range in our area, I can’t imagine threading the needle at 600 yds.  Art that’s some talent you have there.  

[ArtR 0]

Indeed. Shooting with good eyesight and iron sights at a distance is fun, just with an M14/M1A is more so. Probably  any M1A  would be fine. It is just that I am partial to longer barrels, and the Super Match had some really nice and enjoyable features. The added weight from the heavy barrel and oversize stock dampened felt recoil. The match sights and 2 stage trigger really helped improve accuracy.

We did all our VT State Rifle NRA matches at the VTANG  CEATS (Camp Ethan Allen Training Site) Firing range in Jericho Center, VT.   CEATS is a huge facility with numerous KD (known distance) ranges for pistol, small bore, biathlon, rifle, and also tank and aircraft gun ranges. The Army Mountain Warfare school is there as well.

We normally shot NRA matches on Range 4-1, which at 600 yds had the 200, 300, & 600 yd positions, as well as 100 & 500 yds.  If you go to Google Earth or Google Maps, and zoom in around the Nashville Rd-West Bolton area, you currently can see an image of a match being fired on range 4-1 from the 200 yd line. The CEATS facility is also in a mountainous area, which creates all sorts of wind issues at distance.

The 1000 yard range (KD 6-3) only had a few shooing points, as it was located  on one of the tank ranges, and was sort of reserved for USAMU snipers. I only shot the 1000 yard range once and then only by invitation. Those target centers are 45" and are very small at that distance. Shooting 1000 yards takes reading the wind to a whole new level.

I measured a USA Mid-Range (MR) target that is used at 600 yds, and it is 64"x72". I cannot find the full dimensions for the 1000 yd targets.