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I've been shooting High Power for about ten years now. I started with the Garand and tried to get this one particular Garand to shoot. No luck. I must have a sign over my head that says, "cheat me and wreck my rifle" to these so called accurizing shops.

I started to shoot the M1A and it wasn't bad but I found out that it takes a lot of maintenance, the mags are way too expensive and would always get stuck in the well.

A friend wanted to get into high power with an AR and I was given a good price because he was a dealer. The first time out I shot a Master score but after, that the scores kept on getting lower and lower. I think my worst was a 455. I went to the Texas State Match and after losing a hundred points[really!] off my average, the range officer told me that the reason I couldn't adjust to the 300 and 600 stages was because the rear sight had 1/3 clicks on the early Eagles. I sent the rear sight back to Armalite and they sent me the correct National Match sight base. 1/2 elevation and 1/4 windage. The next thing that my son mentioned was whether the front sight was correct. I found out that the front sight was reversed. I had the taper facing the wrong way and it was creating a shadow. It was also loose. I locked the sight using a 8/36 set screw on the bottom and I'm knocking on the door of the Master scores again. I know I can shoot, I just didn't know enough to blame the rifle.

I started with my rack grade DCM Garand in '85. Shot that for two seasons and maxed out at about 425 out of 500. Bought the M1A Supermatch, got it zeroed at 200 yards and at the first match (Illinois State Championship)with the M1A, shot a solid master score and I was in marksman class. Had my first clean in sitting (100-6X). I've never heard the word sandbagger (and a lot of expletives deleted with it) used so much since. So far, that was my highpoint.....I'm still an expert.

The AR15 types are interesting. The low recoil has got to be an advantage in rapid fire. Several of the guys I shot with went up a classification when they switched from the M1A to the AR. For me with the .30 calibers, if my position is tight and natural point of aim is correct, when I come down out of recoil my front sight is at 6 oclock. Take up the slack, and let it go.

Regards

J.R.