mauserand9mm
.400 member
Reged: 03/09/09
Posts: 1069
Loc: Queensland, Australia
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I was curious to see what the effect was on the rifle accuracy and point of impact when a torch was attached, so tried it off a bench at the range last Sunday (was looking for an excuse to go down the range  ).
This is the set-up that I use (these are not photos from my range trip, but an earlier hunting trip):
I fired 3 x 10 shot groups and 1 x 5 shot group at 50yards for each arrangement:
- without torch fitted (35 shots total),
- with torch attached (35 shots total), as shown in the photos.
I mixed the target positions so that each arrangement was fired in the same position as each other, and I took the torch off once and then put it back on. The sequence was:
- 10 shots position 1 - no torch;
- 10 shots position 2 - with torch;
- 10 shots position 3 - with torch;
- 10 shots position 1 - with torch;
- 10 shots position 2 - no torch;
- 10 shots position 3 - no torch;
- 5 shots position 1 - with torch;
- 5 shots position 2 - no torch.
Fortunately the wind was consistent - it normally picks up in the afternoon but didn't this time.
I did seem to get more fliers without the torch, oddly enough, but, either with them counted or discounted, accuracy was similar (they weren't bad fliers).
There was a trend, that surprised me, for the rifle to shoot slightly more to the right (3mm average) and slightly higher (7mm) with the torch fitted. This is largely insignificant but the trend was obvious even by looking at the target by eye. Not sure how this happens - maybe if I had fired many more rounds, the average points of impact would have coincided?
Edited by mauserand9mm (12/06/14 12:33 PM)
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Ripp
.577 member
Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA
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That is really interesting..doesn't surprise me a ton but great you took the time to do this..it seems anytime you add additional equipment to a rifle, bow,etc..it changes things ever so slightly..
Ripp
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ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..
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NitroX
.700 member
Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 40554
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
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I will have to do the same with a torch re-mounted on my barrel and see the difference. From a simple test, as previously mentioned it was noticeable. Will have to see if it is replicated.
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John aka NitroX
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Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"
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John303
.300 member
Reged: 16/11/06
Posts: 243
Loc: Canada
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Surprised & not, I'm no expert but it's I believe in the vibrations that happen
through-out a rifle upon firing. Any added / taken away, mass especially on the metal,
should in theory impact these vibrations and there fore point of impact / accuracy.
Like Ripp states "changes things ever so slightly". JMHO-FWIW --- John
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mauserand9mm
.400 member
Reged: 03/09/09
Posts: 1069
Loc: Queensland, Australia
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To be honest, I was expecting that there was going to be minimal changes because:
- torch is mounted away from the barrel, so I didn't think that it wasn't going to affect the vibrations and hence accuracy;
- although extra weight, I didn't think the recoil of the 22 was enough to have it affected by this extra weight. I know that high power rifles shoot lower if they are heavier - very pronounced if the extra weight happens to be a bayonet.
I can't understand how the extra weight made the rifle shoot (marginally) higher in my case.
I have suspicions about the flyers - there were all low. I think maybe I was pulling the rifle down more onto the sandbags when the flyers occurred, and this may have ever-so-slightly bent the barrel upwards (it is a long skinny barrel). I tend to relax as I release the shot, so the barrel would have bent down to its neutral position when this occurred. The flyers were typically between 5 and 10mm low at 50yards so would've only required approximately 2 to 4thou" bending at the rifle - plausible?
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