yhtomit
Member
Today, I finally got to shoot my new Saiga - and it was a hoot! However, I had other obligations today, so after a while shooting handguns (and scrounging brass), I spent only about forty minutes at the rifle range with the Saiga. This range (public) has a 3-round limit for rifle magazines, and since I spent some of the time walking the 600 feet to and from the target holders, some of the time double-checking everything about the rifle and convincing myself that I'd read the manual correctly, that F means "fire," etc, I must admit I was rather frugal with the ammo, and shot only 18 rounds in total. (At the cost of ammo, I do try to enjoy the puttering-about aspects of shooting.)
1) My shooting was weak (alternate: "I am not yet used to the sights."); I had set up a couple of targets, in the hopes that misses of my actual POA could be used to calibrate. However, my vision isn't great and my prescription needs updating, and the moon is in the wrong house, etc, so my clever "giant target" system wasn't giant (and therefore wasn't clever) enough. I need to go back with an old bedsheet for a target, I guess
Also, I think I need to bring a small telescope. A certain number of my rounds (which number I am not yet prepared to admit, but it's under half of what I fired) *did* hit my target (the one I was truly aiming at, that is, which was the upper-right hand target of the three I set up), and none hit the upper-left or middle-lower target, so I sure hope my flyers were going to the right (Otherwise, I'd be missing by a whole lot farther!)
2) WOW this rifle throws brass. I pride myself on being a thorough hunter of brass -- I hate to leave my cases unclaimed -- but today my recover rate dipped below 50 percent. It took me a long time to even find *any* of my shells; those I did find were tossed slightly rearward but mostly 20-25 feet to the right, perhaps some of them were closer to 30 feet. The case mouth looks a bit bashed on most of them; perhaps later I will attach a picture and ask whether those who reload .223 would consider it salvagable. If not, perhaps I ought to just starting shooting Wolf ammo in it.
3) It was great fun! Industrial strength, no-frills rifle, a trigger that isn't exactly subtle, easy to shoulder, and very positive feeling moving parts. Nothing "silky," "refined" or otherwise reminiscent of a wine review. I just need to work on understanding where the rifle would most like me to point when I would like it to rain destruction on a particular point.
All in all, a fun introduction, however limited.
timothy
1) My shooting was weak (alternate: "I am not yet used to the sights."); I had set up a couple of targets, in the hopes that misses of my actual POA could be used to calibrate. However, my vision isn't great and my prescription needs updating, and the moon is in the wrong house, etc, so my clever "giant target" system wasn't giant (and therefore wasn't clever) enough. I need to go back with an old bedsheet for a target, I guess
Also, I think I need to bring a small telescope. A certain number of my rounds (which number I am not yet prepared to admit, but it's under half of what I fired) *did* hit my target (the one I was truly aiming at, that is, which was the upper-right hand target of the three I set up), and none hit the upper-left or middle-lower target, so I sure hope my flyers were going to the right (Otherwise, I'd be missing by a whole lot farther!) 2) WOW this rifle throws brass. I pride myself on being a thorough hunter of brass -- I hate to leave my cases unclaimed -- but today my recover rate dipped below 50 percent. It took me a long time to even find *any* of my shells; those I did find were tossed slightly rearward but mostly 20-25 feet to the right, perhaps some of them were closer to 30 feet. The case mouth looks a bit bashed on most of them; perhaps later I will attach a picture and ask whether those who reload .223 would consider it salvagable. If not, perhaps I ought to just starting shooting Wolf ammo in it.
3) It was great fun! Industrial strength, no-frills rifle, a trigger that isn't exactly subtle, easy to shoulder, and very positive feeling moving parts. Nothing "silky," "refined" or otherwise reminiscent of a wine review. I just need to work on understanding where the rifle would most like me to point when I would like it to rain destruction on a particular point.
All in all, a fun introduction, however limited.
timothy
