Hammerli 150 "wing" in the wind
Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 10:07 pm
I took again FP shooting after a 15 year hiatus. As I couldn't recover my trusty MC-55-1, I first bought a TOZ-35 that - while a fine pistol - gave me great trouble reaching the trigger,as I have a short index finger and a hefty hand.
So, I got a Hammmerli 150 which suited me fine. I shot today my second match with it, in somewhat strong incoming wind, and found it quite difficult to keep shots from vertical stringing, aborting many more shots than usual and finishing with a disappointing score, mostly because I shot very few 10's, hovering around the 9's and 8's with ocasional 7's.
Having finished shooting, a fellow shooter told me that he had removed the paddle from his 152 because of exactly the same trouble, meaning that part acting as a "wing" when faced with more than soft wind.
After that chat, I casually remembered that during the XII Pan American Games held in my home country I had the opportunity of a long talk with Mr. Darius Young, who had placed 4th. at the Barcelona OG in '92. He was shooting a Hammerli 160 (or 162, I can't recall) with the horizontal paddle removed. I don't remember if he had done it to save weight or because the paddle "floated" in the wind as the other guy told me.
Has anybody experienced the phenomenon I am referring to or it is only hearsay?? In spite of it being a very simple (and reversible) modification, I'd like to have some feedback on the matter before doing it because I like to use weight at the front, and without that piece I'd be forced to build a taylor-made weight riding on the barrel.
Thanks in advance for your input.
So, I got a Hammmerli 150 which suited me fine. I shot today my second match with it, in somewhat strong incoming wind, and found it quite difficult to keep shots from vertical stringing, aborting many more shots than usual and finishing with a disappointing score, mostly because I shot very few 10's, hovering around the 9's and 8's with ocasional 7's.
Having finished shooting, a fellow shooter told me that he had removed the paddle from his 152 because of exactly the same trouble, meaning that part acting as a "wing" when faced with more than soft wind.
After that chat, I casually remembered that during the XII Pan American Games held in my home country I had the opportunity of a long talk with Mr. Darius Young, who had placed 4th. at the Barcelona OG in '92. He was shooting a Hammerli 160 (or 162, I can't recall) with the horizontal paddle removed. I don't remember if he had done it to save weight or because the paddle "floated" in the wind as the other guy told me.
Has anybody experienced the phenomenon I am referring to or it is only hearsay?? In spite of it being a very simple (and reversible) modification, I'd like to have some feedback on the matter before doing it because I like to use weight at the front, and without that piece I'd be forced to build a taylor-made weight riding on the barrel.
Thanks in advance for your input.