canoeguy
US Veteran
Attended our clubs monthly Bench Rest .22 Match this morning, I have no rifle that is really appropriate for shooting bench rest, most shooters have scoped CZ's, Anschutz and Winchester target rifles. Expensive rifles, with expensive scopes.
I figured I would shoot the match with my scoped Marlin Model 60, with 3X9 Tasco. I knew it wouldn't compete, but would be better than staying home. I packed my French MAS 45 rifle as a backup, as I have been shooting it a lot lately, and if the Marlin didn't work out, I'd use the MAS.
Got to the range, couldn't get the Marlin to group, vertical stringing, flyers, you name it, so went with the MAS. The match was shot in two stages, ten shots from a rest at 50 yards, then five shots at five steel chickens at 100 yards.
Did OK at the 50 yard stage, had a couple leak out into the nine ring so I didn't shoot it clean, so I was "Middle of the Road" at the 50 yard stage, those with the scoped CZ's were shooting clean. Shot 100% at the 100 yard line, five shots, five kills on the steel chickens. Only four shooters shot 100% at the 100 yard line, so to break us out, determine a winner of that stage, the idea was to shoot a paintball at 100 yards. We each would take turns shooting at the paintball, first to hit it would be declared winner of the stage. Since I was the only one shooting iron sights, the paintball was placed on the target board on a piece of blackened cardboard, so I could see it.
The round robin commenced, I hit the paintball on my third try. If you look closely at the target, you can see how close we were coming:
The MAS 45 is an excellent rifle, extremely accurate. As most of you know, they were made in France from 1945-1947 on captured Mauser equipment. If you see one at any decent price, pick one up, you won't be sorry!
I figured I would shoot the match with my scoped Marlin Model 60, with 3X9 Tasco. I knew it wouldn't compete, but would be better than staying home. I packed my French MAS 45 rifle as a backup, as I have been shooting it a lot lately, and if the Marlin didn't work out, I'd use the MAS.
Got to the range, couldn't get the Marlin to group, vertical stringing, flyers, you name it, so went with the MAS. The match was shot in two stages, ten shots from a rest at 50 yards, then five shots at five steel chickens at 100 yards.
Did OK at the 50 yard stage, had a couple leak out into the nine ring so I didn't shoot it clean, so I was "Middle of the Road" at the 50 yard stage, those with the scoped CZ's were shooting clean. Shot 100% at the 100 yard line, five shots, five kills on the steel chickens. Only four shooters shot 100% at the 100 yard line, so to break us out, determine a winner of that stage, the idea was to shoot a paintball at 100 yards. We each would take turns shooting at the paintball, first to hit it would be declared winner of the stage. Since I was the only one shooting iron sights, the paintball was placed on the target board on a piece of blackened cardboard, so I could see it.
The round robin commenced, I hit the paintball on my third try. If you look closely at the target, you can see how close we were coming:
The MAS 45 is an excellent rifle, extremely accurate. As most of you know, they were made in France from 1945-1947 on captured Mauser equipment. If you see one at any decent price, pick one up, you won't be sorry!
