not!! by this fellow at the range yesterday who told me my
Ultramatch AR would never be a shooter. This comes from someone
who has his $5000 Stolle Panda in 6mm PPC practically bolted
to a concrete table, ultra hi power scope, portable reloading
setup, and a weather station surrounding him. Of course he was
putting them thru one hole at 100 yds while I was shooting around
2MOA from a bipod and my elbows. Well, to each his own, but I
would like to see him haul that 20lb rifle over the hill to find
the next hog. I prefer to practice in the real world...

I think the Oly should do better than that.  What kind of ammo were use shooting?

Martin,

Guy, I can sympathize in a big way.  I played in the very long range crowd for a while.  That PPC of his has the same disease that the 1000 yard crowd has that turned me off (acutally 2 different diseases).  First is, if it shoots a projectile and cannot be effectively carried, it is not a rifle.  It is artillery, and thus requires a jeep, halftrack or horse to tote it around.

The second problem is something that seems to permiate many in the ranks of competitive shooting that harms the sport as a whole.  A big fat ego, usually attached to a big fat butt.  I don't know how many times I've had someone approach me behind my bench five minutes before the relay begins and started the conversation by saying "You know what you should do...", etc.  I don't mind advice at all as we constantly learn in this sport.  But dang, at what point does the line between teaching and being pompous start to blurr?  All this usually from a person who shoots his best groups when aiming at a burger king drive-through window.  I've met many a good person at the range, but the folks out there that fail to treat each other as equals make certain that the new folks never come back.

And you observation is exactly why I don't shoot in 1000 yard competition much any more.  I have a rifle 15 feet from me right now that has shot four inch five shot groups at 1000 yards on multiple occasions.  However, it's right at 17 pounds.  It's what I call a "ballistic test-bed".  Next to it is an AR10T.  It shoots the same size groups at five hundred yards, which is fine by me, plus I don't compress vertibrae carrying it (well, not many).  Guess which one I would pull first ;)

Have fun!

Oh yeah, I know the problem is me, I'm shooting
at 5.5" shoot n see with a 3-9X scope at 100 yds. The rifle seems to like 50gr Vmax with
26gr Varget, at around 2.260 OAL. Some of my shots touch each other, the next round I will be off a little. This is off my elbows, and I ain't the most steady trigger. Speaking of triggers, this is where I could stand a little improvement, I am using the factory 4.5lb unit while I save my pennies for a JP.

I have shot an older Oly UltraMatch(10 years old).  It has a factory supplied set trigger from Williams Trigger Specialties, 111 East South St., Box G19, Atwood, IL 61913.  Phone 217/578-3026. "Un-set" it is stardard AR trigger.  On "set," 2lb let-off.

Search the Precision Shooting Magazine archives.

About a year ago a fellow shot a Screamer with an AR based rifle.  I think the article was something like Plumbers Nightmare.

Won the match (bench rest, hunter class I believe).