I've noticed a lot of the shooters are older than you. This just goes in the experience toolbox of things not to do in the future. When you're that age, the experience will make you untouchable
Man I love the Cortina screw ups more than any other Gun Tube. Jareds Guns&gadgets, Demo Ranch, Reno May, F Class John, Winning in the Wind, West Desert. Eagle Eye, Sooth, Hickock45, Warrior Poet Soc, 22 Plinsker. Maranda's Armed scholar. Johnnies Reloading Bench. Brian Kleckner. MAC, and many more. ( man I don't have a life) but thank you all.
Very impressive process, Erik. As Karl Popper said, “Science is basically trial and error” and Socrates, “The unexamined life is not worth living”. The utter heartbreak of making a mistake and the great joy of discovering why makes life worth living. Thanks for sharing.
I absolutely can't believe the difference from such a small amount of recoil management change. It blows my mind that such little changes have such an impact
@@doomfathertm8771 i wouldn't be surprised if it's both, but I do think the recoil is a big factor. Bryan Litz has a nice slow mo video of the muzzle of a rifle moving rearwards before the bullet exits. add some lube, now the rifle can move more than before. harmonics probably factor in when considering a lubed recoil is less friction.
Would have never guessed that but I can appreciate and respect you even more for figuring out what actually was the culprit and admitting that to us for our learning, great job Erik!! And thank you
Dang! Being an engineer, and looking at failures, that was a brilliant test!!! I was watching the match as time allowed and was bummed that the third day took you down. I bet that won't happen again. Best of luck next year.
I was told by a multiple world champion. (not rifle) NEVER change anything at a Match. It has served me well. Thank you for sharing. Not many would share that with others.
Amazing that something that seems so inoculous could cause such a difference! Kudos for the determination to figure it out and the mental fortitude to recall the details. Lessons learned!
Thank you for sharing this. I know it can be difficult to share these kinds of mistakes but it helps us all. Thank you for your dedication to the sport.
Mr. Eric i checked this video and i could not believe that a a bit of grease can do this but yet there it is!!! Just want to say a huge amount of respect from here thank you for sharing such great knoledge and hard work with us. Since ive watched your videos my reloading went cheaper my gun started shooting extremely well. So thank you sir. And dont worry the next nationals youll smoke the competetiin your a fenominal shooter. Take care
Eric, I certainly understand being frustrated with not performing at your absolute best at a competition, but you should be so stoked that you have so much knowledge that you could have actually analyzed the problem and figured it out. That in itself is amazing and I really believe you should be incredibly pleased with yourself that you were able to figure it out to be able to analyze that and be consistent enough of a shooter to realize the problem. Testing it back at home is incredible. You made a mistake but you're so good at what you do. You were able to figure it out and teach us all something. You are really an amazing shooter . don't feel too much frustration with that little mistake. You are human. Thank you for what you are doing for the gun community. You're shooting knowledge is greatly appreciated . Keep um small.
And those of us shooting long range with cheap bipods wonder why we can't hit anything. This is eye openning. Glad to know it was not the barrel. My varmint rifles both go through 1000+ rounds each season and usually get cleaned once mid season when I miss a few chucks. I can usually see carbon buildup on the crown when I miss shots. Good job.
Eric, I would like to thank you for all the great information that you share, i have learned alot from you and look forward to ever new video you put out. I look forward to meeting you one day! Russell Weeks
You know it kind of makes perfect sense, you developed your load with out the grease on the bag so your groups were based on a certain amount of friction between the stock and the rest. Then when you add the grease the co-efficient of friction changes and you wind up with a slight change in the harmonic response of the rifle and in this case the group opened up. That little change made a big difference. Great video!
So, are we seeing a shirt depicting a large shot group with " I lube my stock forend" soon? Just joking, love your videos. Amazing what seemingly trivial things might influence precision in top tier competitions.
Thank you for this video. I never miss since I installed my E.C. Tuner Brake but if I ever do it will not be because I greased my rifle or rest. I'm sorry it was such a costly mistake for you but watching is a very cheap lesson for me I will not forget. Keeping them centered and Kind Regards, Tony
Sorry eric to say but watching your videos you talk and for the right reasons about consistency but you proof to us and i believe to your self that changing something from what you practise in something diferent in a competition does matters.very good video.
I am guessing the recoil is not pushing back evenly........its kicking a bit sideways at the butt when you fire......making the rest more "slippery" has allowed it the push back further, allowing that extra push at the Butt to move sideways even more than normal, hence the wider group.
0:43 😂 I totally understand bro I'd missed it my dope with a 6.5 creedmoor at 450 yards for the first time trying to shoot groups and was a foot under the target it's tough out here man
Consistency = Accuracy! Lol. it’s not a cliche! bravo mr cortina for sharing. U are a protectionist and this realization, I know, stings! U could have kept it private! I’m glad u didn’t.
I love watching your videos! So much helpful information! Got two questions for you though. What is that giant flat piece on top of your barrel? Second is could you touch base on reading groups on another video? Just a really simple break down?
There was a comment on this thread about the Mantrix. Using the Mantrix might be an easy way to check for torque variation. I use the Mantrix for pistols and never thought of using it on rifles, since it picks up only 2D variations. Would be perfect for measuring the torque on the barrel. Seems like a great idea.
At a 1,000 yards even the smallest changes make a big difference. With long range shooting half of your accuracy is the rifle and the other half is the shooter. With the shooter, repetitive muscle memory will give you consistency. Therefore with everything the same on your rifle the only variable would be the weather. Great video, enjoyed your troubleshooting process.
That's amazing that something you would think would improve consistency actually introduces variation. Really great content as always Erik. Really unfortunate that it impacted your competition. Best of luck on your next shoot.
I shot with a 40X in college. The range sergeant claimed my rifle fell out of the rifle safe and broke the front sight mount. The rifle was never the same after that, but I had no recourse for a new barrel and front sight. Now Remington's Custom Shop is a faint shadow of it's former self, so I'm going to have to follow you and F-Class John into the fully custom rifles.
What is the material on the sides of the rest. If it is a polymer, they react to grease and can become very sticky. Just the opposite of what you would expect. Hate to mention this but what is the perfect situation, every shot is like the last. True in loads, true in mechanics and true in equipment. Thanks for sharing this, reinforces what we do and what we do not want to do.
The only time I clean my barrel is when the groups start opening up but it's normally a bunch of rounds before that happens and when it does I clean it and shoot several rounds through it to foul it back up a little again... 10 cents of grease that's pretty freaking crazy it xouod change something.... Great video as always keepem coming brother!!!
@@ErikCortina Yeah I guess I said that wrong but what I was getting at is all my guns shoot worse after I clean my barrel... But I don't shoot competitively and when I shoot long range it's just shooting steel between 400-1200 yards... LOL All I'm wanting to do is hear the ring I'm not shooting itty-bitty groups at 1000 yards so I get what you're saying also. It's extremely interesting and impressive to see what you guys can do with a rifle it really is amazing brother!!!
I'm guessing it changed the way the rifle moved back under recoil and at 1,000 yds even tiny differences in recoil pattern will make a big difference. I don't know what the material is in the part of the rest that actually touches the forearm but some materials become sticky when grease is applied especially if the grease has and additive to make it stay put. Or it could've been the over way and made it slide easier but I think increased drag would effect the rifle more than less would. It will be interesting to see what Erik comes up with I'm betting he won't let this go until he knows for sure.
I've never participated or even seen a competitive shoot. I'm amazed that little bit of grease on the fore stock made that much difference. It was more than I would have thought. I wonder if it was rising in the rest?
I realize this is an old video, but here's my two cents: I think grease on the stock/rest not only changes the inertia moments of the firearm, but will slightly change the velocities. I think the change in inertia moments was more significant. Also, if you get any grease on the bullet/cartridge that is inconsistent with the previous round, then your bullet entry into the leade will be different.. So, my point is greasing the bolt may have more impact than you think if it is imparting onto the cartridge.
after seeing the vid , i think because of the grease and the faster movement back of the gun ,you got a differnt swinging of the barrel ,and also a gun thats not at the same time and place from the impact point ,shot after shot. with a springer airgun you have to do excactly the same ,to get groups. not a ferm hold and then a sloppy one . same as the grease did.
Sorry about what happened. But it shows, you don't learn from history, you learn from reflecting upon history. Thanks for sharing. Glad you found the problem.
Great tip, Erik!....say, I have two unrelated questions, guy: 1). How does that mirage/heat shield attach to your rifle, and where did you buy it? 2). What is the model/make of your front adjustable rest, and where can a guy buy it? THANKS, Erik!!! Keep your great.videos coming!!!
Hi Erik, if the lubrication on your rifle affected your groups you will need to torque the screws on your rest. A tighter or loser fit on your rifle will affect your groups as well.
For barrel cleaning it would be perfect if you could have a method of cleaning the barrel that wouldn't strip it back to perfect brand new condition, but rather back to the perfect fouled stage for best groups. So if your barrel takes 12 shots for example to foul it properly for the tightest groups, then clean it back to the 12 fouling shots. Basically if you fire 60 rounds you would then erase the particles from the last the last 48 rounds, so each time you're finished cleaning you'd be left with a 12 fouled barrel to start off with your tightest group. Of course each barrel being different it would only work for THAT barrel. When you replace the barrel you got to find the "fouled sweet spot" again. For that to work you'd at least have to know how many shots to perfectly foul the barrel for the tightest groups.
The proof is in the pudding. But I just don't understand the actual physics of why greace on the forehead would change your grouping. It's just amazing to think that you're shooting technique, reloading variables, environmental conditions, are so spot on and without variation that a little bit of grease is what makes a difference. Might as well call it the butterfly effect.
The Lesson? Never change ANYTHING at a match. Not even your laundry detergent. :) In seriousness, I would LOVE to hear your technical breakdown of your guess at why this caused the groups to open up. I have a couple suspicions, but like you I NEVER would have guessed it...
Although the grease is a suspect I don't think you have done enough testing to verify that theory. I wonder if the real culprit is the adjustment of the force on the forearm rest. Maybe it felt the same as without the grease but the grease altered the feel and the force was actually different than normal. I don't shoot competitively anymore, largely because I got tired of fixing problem A while problem B was getting worse. I once set a Colorado state benchrest record on Saturday and on Sunday placed 20th with the same rifle with group sizes that were 50% bigger due to a brand new problem I did not have on Saturday. It is an interesting issue you had but I prefer to watch you sort it out rather than do it myself. Great shooting in any event.
This should emphasize just how important consistent recoil management’s actually is. Everything U do behind the boom stick has to be the same every time! All the time. Change=change
I think most people probably don't understand the rifle is actually starting to move (backwards in recoil) the moment the bullet starts to move. It's physics. So consistent recoil control is essential for tight groups. Little things go a long way, they say...
That's very interesting Erik. My mind goes to railguns that slide pretty easily and shoot extremely accurate. I would think you'd want it to slide easily, not roughly, in the rest, shoulder pressure being the resistance. Would load development with a greased rest change your groups?
So is a straight back sliding barrel just a sign that a gun has been shot with good shooting disciplines and was stabilized well or has the bullet already left the barrel by the time the rifle reacts. Is your F-class support mechanism designed so that only a straight back reaction can occur after a shot? I can see how a sling stud can cause muzzle jump but I don't see how adding 'grease would hurt anything. Sorry just brainstorming some ideas, I am not into taking unethical shots but those poor groups would still be dead deer,at 1000 yds, if you were shooting a ray gun with unlimited energy and penetration. Your videos get better and better each time watch them, think Ill subscribe, thanks Cortina.
Me planning a competition: "I am going to check the gun shoots and then do nothing about it, it is good to go." Me, a week before competition: "The rifle, scope and suppressor have been completely cleaned and everything possible has been tampered with, I am off to rezero the rifle and see if it still shoots the same"
Can you explain why that grease would affect your group negatively? The rifle should still be tracking straight back under recoil? I can’t figure out why this would affect accuracy?
I can't shoot for toffee, but as a process statistician, I have learnt you never introduce untested variables into a process. I used to work in Six Sigma process engineering where you try to create less than 3 out of tolerance outcomes per million. If you could introduce that into shooting even Erik would be happy. Great video to watch. Thank you.
Hi Eric. I just watched this very interesting post. Could it possibly be that some grease found its way into your chamber by means of the chamber flag you inserted after greasing the action? Best regards from South Africa
It's amazing such a small change could cause that much deviation, thanks for finding me just one more variable to consider :) Quick, someone design a tool to measure recoil friction !
Change in recoil must have changed harmonics enough to take you out of your sweet spot / node. Wonder if you could tune it while greased and get back to consistent shooting.
Before this video, how many of you would have guess grease would have caused that much variance? 🤔
Nope!
nope
So did the grease allows the gun to jump upwards out of the rest ever so slightly?
I would never have suspected such a small thing would make so large an impact.
I've noticed a lot of the shooters are older than you. This just goes in the experience toolbox of things not to do in the future. When you're that age, the experience will make you untouchable
That's why I love watching "the Cortina". Honesty from start to end. Respect, Erik and thanks for the aftermath.
The precision required in this 1000 yard grouping boggles my mind.
So true. I am fascinated by long range precision shooting, but so far Eric’s worst group at 1050 yards looks about like my best at 100.
Absolutely.
Man I love the Cortina screw ups more than any other Gun Tube. Jareds Guns&gadgets, Demo Ranch, Reno May, F Class John, Winning in the Wind, West Desert. Eagle Eye, Sooth, Hickock45, Warrior Poet Soc, 22 Plinsker. Maranda's Armed scholar. Johnnies Reloading Bench. Brian Kleckner. MAC, and many more. ( man I don't have a life) but thank you all.
😂
Very impressive process, Erik. As Karl Popper said, “Science is basically trial and error” and Socrates, “The unexamined life is not worth living”.
The utter heartbreak of making a mistake and the great joy of discovering why makes life worth living. Thanks for sharing.
"The difference between science and messing around, is writing stuff down"
I absolutely can't believe the difference from such a small amount of recoil management change. It blows my mind that such little changes have such an impact
I don't believe
its not the recoil but the barrel harmonics
@@doomfathertm8771 i wouldn't be surprised if it's both, but I do think the recoil is a big factor. Bryan Litz has a nice slow mo video of the muzzle of a rifle moving rearwards before the bullet exits. add some lube, now the rifle can move more than before. harmonics probably factor in when considering a lubed recoil is less friction.
Very impressed with the dedication to finding the error of your last day at Nationals. Respect
Would have never guessed that but I can appreciate and respect you even more for figuring out what actually was the culprit and admitting that to us for our learning, great job Erik!! And thank you
Dang! Being an engineer, and looking at failures, that was a brilliant test!!! I was watching the match as time allowed and was bummed that the third day took you down. I bet that won't happen again. Best of luck next year.
I was told by a multiple world champion. (not rifle) NEVER change anything at a Match. It has served me well. Thank you for sharing. Not many would share that with others.
As Paul Harvey would have said, "and now you know the rest of the story" as you know Erik the hard lessons learn are the ones you'll not make twice. 👍
Erik as usual you never disappoint thanks so much for posting, learnt so much from you, regards from Western Australia.
Damn your accuracy is phenomenal. 4 inch group at 1000 is impressive.
Not accuracy, precision!!!
Amazing that something that seems so inoculous could cause such a difference! Kudos for the determination to figure it out and the mental fortitude to recall the details. Lessons learned!
Lesson learned: Never introduce a new variable (grease) and expect the same results. Tough break, Erik, but at least you solved the dilemma.
Thank you for sharing this. I know it can be difficult to share these kinds of mistakes but it helps us all. Thank you for your dedication to the sport.
Man I'm just getting into lr shooting, well trying to 😂, and loading for myself and your content has been a great help. Thanks for what you do bud
Wow Erik, impressed that you went thru this journey segment still learning. Kudos Sir. Much Respect from Wisconsin.
Mr. Eric i checked this video and i could not believe that a a bit of grease can do this but yet there it is!!! Just want to say a huge amount of respect from here thank you for sharing such great knoledge and hard work with us. Since ive watched your videos my reloading went cheaper my gun started shooting extremely well. So thank you sir. And dont worry the next nationals youll smoke the competetiin your a fenominal shooter. Take care
Eric, I certainly understand being frustrated with not performing at your absolute best at a competition, but you should be so stoked that you have so much knowledge that you could have actually analyzed the problem and figured it out. That in itself is amazing and I really believe you should be incredibly pleased with yourself that you were able to figure it out to be able to analyze that and be consistent enough of a shooter to realize the problem. Testing it back at home is incredible. You made a mistake but you're so good at what you do. You were able to figure it out and teach us all something. You are really an amazing shooter . don't feel too much frustration with that little mistake. You are human. Thank you for what you are doing for the gun community. You're shooting knowledge is greatly appreciated . Keep um small.
Next time use Crisco. It'll glide so smooth that it'll turn your 4" group into 1". If it fails you can always fry up some chicken.
KY jelly so it dont hurt so bad.
Sorry to hear your loss, but your 10 hour drive gave us a look at your excellent process and analysis. thank You Eric
I am in total disbelief that the lube could make that much of a difference! Just crazy to imagine. Thanks for making a video about this!
And those of us shooting long range with cheap bipods wonder why we can't hit anything. This is eye openning. Glad to know it was not the barrel. My varmint rifles both go through 1000+ rounds each season and usually get cleaned once mid season when I miss a few chucks. I can usually see carbon buildup on the crown when I miss shots. Good job.
Eric, I would like to thank you for all the great information that you share, i have learned alot from you and look forward to ever new video you put out. I look forward to meeting you one day!
Russell Weeks
I'll buy that T-Shirt. "I Lubed." LOL
“I lubed and got fu**ed” 😂
You know it kind of makes perfect sense, you developed your load with out the grease on the bag so your groups were based on a certain amount of friction between the stock and the rest. Then when you add the grease the co-efficient of friction changes and you wind up with a slight change in the harmonic response of the rifle and in this case the group opened up. That little change made a big difference. Great video!
It wasn’t harmonics. It was rifle torquing
@@ErikCortina Thanks for the info.
yep totally believe it ,shoulder pressure bag friction it all makes a difference
Thanks you share a ton of info, and it just boggles the mind. Thanks again and Merry Christmas!
So, are we seeing a shirt depicting a large shot group with " I lube my stock forend" soon?
Just joking, love your videos. Amazing what seemingly trivial things might influence precision in top tier competitions.
😂👍
Thanks Eric for the update, 20hr drive stewing on it! at least you can sleep easy now. Can’t trust the Cat’s Pyjamas 😂
Thank you for this video. I never miss since I installed my E.C. Tuner Brake but if I ever do it will not be because I greased my rifle or rest.
I'm sorry it was such a costly mistake for you but watching is a very cheap lesson for me I will not forget.
Keeping them centered and
Kind Regards,
Tony
Sorry eric to say but watching your videos you talk and for the right reasons about consistency but you proof to us and i believe to your self that changing something from what you practise in something diferent in a competition does matters.very good video.
I LOL’d hard at the cowpie, been there before! Great video, glad you figured out the issue.
Thank you for being humble enough to share your folly with the rest of us.
Wow. It just illustrates that you don't ever deviate from the process unless tested first. But who would have thought. I feel your pain
I am guessing the recoil is not pushing back evenly........its kicking a bit sideways at the butt when you fire......making the rest more "slippery" has allowed it the push back further, allowing that extra push at the Butt to move sideways even more than normal, hence the wider group.
0:43 😂 I totally understand bro I'd missed it my dope with a 6.5 creedmoor at 450 yards for the first time trying to shoot groups and was a foot under the target it's tough out here man
Consistency = Accuracy! Lol. it’s not a cliche! bravo mr cortina for sharing. U are a protectionist and this realization, I know, stings! U could have kept it private! I’m glad u didn’t.
I love watching your videos!
So much helpful information!
Got two questions for you though. What is that giant flat piece on top of your barrel?
Second is could you touch base on reading groups on another video? Just a really simple break down?
There was a comment on this thread about the Mantrix. Using the Mantrix might be an easy way to check for torque variation. I use the Mantrix for pistols and never thought of using it on rifles, since it picks up only 2D variations. Would be perfect for measuring the torque on the barrel. Seems like a great idea.
At a 1,000 yards even the smallest changes make a big difference. With long range shooting half of your accuracy is the rifle and the other half is the shooter. With the shooter, repetitive muscle memory will give you consistency. Therefore with everything the same on your rifle the only variable would be the weather. Great video, enjoyed your troubleshooting process.
That's amazing that something you would think would improve consistency actually introduces variation. Really great content as always Erik. Really unfortunate that it impacted your competition. Best of luck on your next shoot.
No, it do not introduces variation, It change the harmonic of the system.
@@konighansen9062 changing anything, including system harmonics is literally the definition of variation.
@@murder0ne whatever einstein, believe what you want.
I shot with a 40X in college. The range sergeant claimed my rifle fell out of the rifle safe and broke the front sight mount. The rifle was never the same after that, but I had no recourse for a new barrel and front sight. Now Remington's Custom Shop is a faint shadow of it's former self, so I'm going to have to follow you and F-Class John into the fully custom rifles.
Always enjoy the vids.......still beleive in ya!!!!! Keep it rocking
Man the little things that really can screw with a guy! Glad you figured it out though! Thanks for the video
What is the application you are using to mark your shots?
I'm also curious about that
What is the material on the sides of the rest. If it is a polymer, they react to grease and can become very sticky. Just the opposite of what you would expect. Hate to mention this but what is the perfect situation, every shot is like the last. True in loads, true in mechanics and true in equipment. Thanks for sharing this, reinforces what we do and what we do not want to do.
💥
Often Teflon.
That is astonishing to see. Who would have thought.
The only time I clean my barrel is when the groups start opening up but it's normally a bunch of rounds before that happens and when it does I clean it and shoot several rounds through it to foul it back up a little again... 10 cents of grease that's pretty freaking crazy it xouod change something.... Great video as always keepem coming brother!!!
I can’t afford to wait for accuracy to drop off. That’s too late by then.
@@ErikCortina Yeah I guess I said that wrong but what I was getting at is all my guns shoot worse after I clean my barrel... But I don't shoot competitively and when I shoot long range it's just shooting steel between 400-1200 yards... LOL All I'm wanting to do is hear the ring I'm not shooting itty-bitty groups at 1000 yards so I get what you're saying also. It's extremely interesting and impressive to see what you guys can do with a rifle it really is amazing brother!!!
Just think how great you would feel if it work in your favor!
Thanks for taking us along with you! 👍
...lesson learnt! Introducing new variables is never a good idea but great idea to test your theories!
Wow Erik that is so crazy! At least you figured it out, we’ve all learned something. Good luck next time Sir!
Any idea why the grease on the stock made such an impact?
I'm guessing it changed the way the rifle moved back under recoil and at 1,000 yds even tiny differences in recoil pattern will make a big difference. I don't know what the material is in the part of the rest that actually touches the forearm but some materials become sticky when grease is applied especially if the grease has and additive to make it stay put. Or it could've been the over way and made it slide easier but I think increased drag would effect the rifle more than less would. It will be interesting to see what Erik comes up with I'm betting he won't let this go until he knows for sure.
Would love yo see exactly how you do clean your rifle barrel !!
I've never participated or even seen a competitive shoot. I'm amazed that little bit of grease on the fore stock made that much difference. It was more than I would have thought. I wonder if it was rising in the rest?
I realize this is an old video, but here's my two cents: I think grease on the stock/rest not only changes the inertia moments of the firearm, but will slightly change the velocities. I think the change in inertia moments was more significant. Also, if you get any grease on the bullet/cartridge that is inconsistent with the previous round, then your bullet entry into the leade will be different.. So, my point is greasing the bolt may have more impact than you think if it is imparting onto the cartridge.
after seeing the vid , i think because of the grease and the faster movement back of the gun ,you got a differnt swinging of the barrel ,and also a gun thats not at the same time and place from the impact point ,shot after shot. with a springer airgun you have to do excactly the same ,to get groups. not a ferm hold and then a sloppy one . same as the grease did.
Sorry about what happened. But it shows, you don't learn from history, you learn from reflecting upon history. Thanks for sharing. Glad you found the problem.
what caliber rifle is that?it's a beautiful gun!
Great video live and learn. God Bless you for honesty 😅
Great tip, Erik!....say, I have two unrelated questions, guy:
1). How does that mirage/heat shield attach to your rifle, and where did you buy it?
2). What is the model/make of your front adjustable rest, and where can a guy buy it?
THANKS, Erik!!! Keep your great.videos coming!!!
It attaches with Velcro. I don’t remember where I got it.
SEB NEO rest.
Thanks for sharing your experience and what you learned. It's tough being human sometimes.
Hi Erik, if the lubrication on your rifle affected your groups you will need to torque the screws on your rest. A tighter or loser fit on your rifle will affect your groups as well.
Great you figured out the problem.Things happen.
For barrel cleaning it would be perfect if you could have a method of cleaning the barrel that wouldn't strip it back to perfect brand new condition, but rather back to the perfect fouled stage for best groups.
So if your barrel takes 12 shots for example to foul it properly for the tightest groups, then clean it back to the 12 fouling shots. Basically if you fire 60 rounds you would then erase the particles from the last the last 48 rounds, so each time you're finished cleaning you'd be left with a 12 fouled barrel to start off with your tightest group. Of course each barrel being different it would only work for THAT barrel. When you replace the barrel you got to find the "fouled sweet spot" again.
For that to work you'd at least have to know how many shots to perfectly foul the barrel for the tightest groups.
Erik.that is ,amazing, shooting at 1000 yards
Eric you’re still the best to me man
WOW, that’s crazy how that grease made such a difference
The proof is in the pudding. But I just don't understand the actual physics of why greace on the forehead would change your grouping. It's just amazing to think that you're shooting technique, reloading variables, environmental conditions, are so spot on and without variation that a little bit of grease is what makes a difference. Might as well call it the butterfly effect.
At least you figured it out. Good to know.
So what actually happened? Change in harmonics?? Thanks for bringing us along Erik! Much appreciated!
I’ll do a video on it.
Torque is my guess.
The Lesson? Never change ANYTHING at a match. Not even your laundry detergent. :)
In seriousness, I would LOVE to hear your technical breakdown of your guess at why this caused the groups to open up. I have a couple suspicions, but like you I NEVER would have guessed it...
Although the grease is a suspect I don't think you have done enough testing to verify that theory. I wonder if the real culprit is the adjustment of the force on the forearm rest. Maybe it felt the same as without the grease but the grease altered the feel and the force was actually different than normal. I don't shoot competitively anymore, largely because I got tired of fixing problem A while problem B was getting worse. I once set a Colorado state benchrest record on Saturday and on Sunday placed 20th with the same rifle with group sizes that were 50% bigger due to a brand new problem I did not have on Saturday. It is an interesting issue you had but I prefer to watch you sort it out rather than do it myself. Great shooting in any event.
I love this video! First comment after watching LOTS of your videos. ACTUALLY shooting in this video! Knowledge! A+++
Let's see more videos like this!
I reckon by having the grease it's introducing very little muzzle jump
I thought you started neck sizing 😂 keep it up love the videos
This should emphasize just how important consistent recoil management’s actually is. Everything U do behind the boom stick has to be the same every time! All the time. Change=change
I think most people probably don't understand the rifle is actually starting to move (backwards in recoil) the moment the bullet starts to move. It's physics. So consistent recoil control is essential for tight groups. Little things go a long way, they say...
This is such a great channel.
Thanks for the information and sharing
That's very interesting Erik. My mind goes to railguns that slide pretty easily and shoot extremely accurate. I would think you'd want it to slide easily, not roughly, in the rest, shoulder pressure being the resistance. Would load development with a greased rest change your groups?
Rail guns have rails that keep them from torquing. These rifles don’t.
Great job tracking it down!! Occum's razor! Way to show your mistake......but, I expect that from you:) None of us are perfect! Have a great weekend!
Thanks for sharing
and a least you know what got you in trouble
F class is a new phenomenon to many of us..5 shot strings measuring just over 1an inch at 1,000 yards. Shall we redefine m.o.a.?
So is a straight back sliding barrel just a sign that a gun has been shot with good shooting disciplines and was stabilized well or has the bullet already left the barrel by the time the rifle reacts. Is your F-class support mechanism designed so that only a straight back reaction can occur after a shot? I can see how a sling stud can cause muzzle jump but I don't see how adding 'grease would hurt anything. Sorry just brainstorming some ideas, I am not into taking unethical shots but those poor groups would still be dead deer,at 1000 yds, if you were shooting a ray gun with unlimited energy and penetration. Your videos get better and better each time watch them, think Ill subscribe, thanks Cortina.
Didn't believe it at first would have thought it make the group shift but not affect group size so much
What electronic target system are you using? @Erik Cortina
I've been looking for the same information - hopefully some insight soon - thanks
R.I.F... I see it now. Silver Mountain Target. - Thanks
Just to clarify for anyone wondering. It's the SOLO E-Target system by Silver Mountain Targets www.silvermountaintargets.com/
Insane to think that made that much of a difference! Well, now ya know. Better shooting next time.
What target camera are you using?
Oh no - thanks for sharing your findings so others can learn from this
Me planning a competition:
"I am going to check the gun shoots and then do nothing about it, it is good to go."
Me, a week before competition:
"The rifle, scope and suppressor have been completely cleaned and everything possible has been tampered with, I am off to rezero the rifle and see if it still shoots the same"
Thanks for this one. Interesting
Can you explain why that grease would affect your group negatively? The rifle should still be tracking straight back under recoil? I can’t figure out why this would affect accuracy?
Nice after action. Erik try furniture polish when you clean your stock.
I can't shoot for toffee, but as a process statistician, I have learnt you never introduce untested variables into a process. I used to work in Six Sigma process engineering where you try to create less than 3 out of tolerance outcomes per million. If you could introduce that into shooting even Erik would be happy. Great video to watch. Thank you.
Shouldn't those front rest glides be teflon to start with? What kind of front rest is that?
Did you see any difference in the velocities between greased and ungreased?
Hi Eric. I just watched this very interesting post. Could it possibly be that some grease found its way into your chamber by means of the chamber flag you inserted after greasing the action? Best regards from South Africa
It's amazing such a small change could cause that much deviation, thanks for finding me just one more variable to consider :)
Quick, someone design a tool to measure recoil friction !
Change in recoil must have changed harmonics enough to take you out of your sweet spot / node. Wonder if you could tune it while greased and get back to consistent shooting.
What is the carbon plate over your barrel? Is that to stop mirage from the hot barrel?