Over 2000 rifle, pistol, and shotgun shooters will converge on Granada, Spain, later this week for the 51st Annual ISSF World Championship. This prestigious event, the biggest multi-discipline, multi-national shooting competition on the planet, kicks off on September 6th and continues through the 20th. Actual competition begins September 8 as athletes take to the line in Air Rifle, Free Pistol, and Trap.
America will field a strong team of 81 athletes (28 rifle, 23 pistol, 30 shotgun) representing 37 states. Team USA includes 15 past Olympians. Per usual, there is a large military presence on this USA Shooting Team with 15 USAMU members from Fort Benning, Georgia.
With more than 2,000 competitors set to compete, the Shooting World Championship is by far the biggest shooting event every quadrennium and the competition will be intense with the start of Olympic qualification and 64 quota spots available. Two times more quota spots will be available at this World Championship than in any other competition in the period leading up to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
In terms of demonstrating actual shooting superiority, the World Championship stands alone for its prominence and competitiveness. At the 2010 World Championships, 35 nations finished on the podium of the 50th ISSF World Championship in 2010 from Munich, Germany. The People’s Republic of China finished atop of the medal standings, securing 21 Gold, 20 Silver and 11 Bronze medals, while Russia followed in second with 21 Gold, 13 Silver and 12 Bronze medals, for a total of 46 awards. The United States finished third in the medal standings with 11 gold, six silver and seven bronze for 24 medals. The U.S. also set four World Records during the 50th World Championships.
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While many folks enjoy the convenience of an electronic powder scale/dispenser such as the RCBS Chargemaster, some hand-loaders still prefer to use a traditional balance beam. Balance beam scales are simple, compact, and don’t suffer from electronic “glitches”. Morever, even if you use a digital dispenser at home, when you’re doing load development at the range, a balance-beam scale may be more convenient. A scale doesn’t require electrical power, so you don’t need to bring battery packs or string long power cables. Just bring some kind of box to shelter your beam scale from the wind.
While designs like the RCBS 10-10 are decent performers as built, they can be made much more precise (and repeatable), by “tuning” of key parts. Forum member Scott Parker optimizes a variety of popular beam scales, including the Ohaus 10-10 (USA-made model), RCBS 10-10 (USA-made model), RCBS 5-10, Lyman M5, Lyman D5, and others. You send Scott your scale, he tunes the key components, tests for precision and repeatability, and ships it back to you. The price is very affordable ($65.00 including shipping in USA).
Scott tells us: “I have tuned several 10-10s. They all have turned out very sensitive, consistent and hold linearity like a dream. If only they came that way from the factory. The sensitivity after tuning is such that one kernel of powder registers a poise beam deflection. For repeatability, I remove the pan and replace it for the zero 10 times. The zero line and the poise beam balance line must coincide for each of those 10 tries. I then set the poises to read 250.0 grains. I remove and replace the pan 10 times with the calibration weight. For linearity, the poise beam balance line and the zero line should coincide within the line width. This is roughly one half a kernel of powder. For repeatability, the poise beam balance line must return to that same balance point ten times. I then adjust the poises back to zero and recheck the zero. I have a master’s degree in chemistry, thus I am very familiar with laboratory balances. Email me at vld223 [at] yahoo.com or give me a call at (661) 364-1199.”
The video above, created by British shooter Mark (aka 1967spud), shows a 10-10 beam scale that has been “tuned” by Scott Parker. In the video, you can see that the 10-10 scale is now sensitive to one (1) kernel of powder. Mark also demonstrates the’s scale’s repeatability by lifting and replacing a pan multiple times. You can contact Mark via his website, www.1967spud.com. To enquire about balance-beam scale tuning, call Scott Parker at (661) 364-1199, or send email to: vld223 [at] Yahoo.com.
Video tip from Boyd Allen. We welcome reader submissions.
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The Hots Shots TV show was broadcast on the NBC Sports Network (formerly Versus). This show followed four competitors — three shooters and an archer — as they trained for, and competed in, matches around the country. One of the featured shooters was 3-gun and revolver ace Jerry Miculek. Here’s a sample from Episode 4 of Hot Shots. In the video below, Miculek explains how he prepares for a major match — in this case the Steel Challenge, held each year in Piru California. Jerry explains: “Put in some practice, but don’t get burned out. You don’t want to have your best runs on the practice range. I want to try to wait for the match… staying a little hungry for a good performance.”
NBC Sports Network assembled some of the best shooters on the planet for the Hot Shots series: Jerry Miculek, K.C. Eusebio, Patrick Flanigan, and Randy Oitker. Miculek, an expert with rifle, pistol, and shotgun, has won 14 International Revolver Championships and is a top 3-Gun competitor. Our Friend K.C., formerly with the USAMU, was the youngest USPSA Grandmaster at the age of 12. Patrick is a world-class shotgunner who has re-defined the world of exhibition shooting. Randy is a true phenom with bow and arrow, having won over 17 National Pro Archery titles.
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America will field a strong team of 81 athletes (28 rifle, 23 pistol, 30 shotgun) representing 37 states. Team USA includes 15 past Olympians. Per usual, there is a large military presence on this USA Shooting Team with 15 USAMU members from Fort Benning, Georgia.
