30-Yard Challenge

Shot 5 cards today. Light wind at 8:30am, one near flag deployed.

Shot three 30 yard cards and two 40Y Masters. The 40Y Masters were 185’s, so therew them in the range bin.

RAW TM1000x .177
Sightron ED 45x Fixed
FX 13.4g Pellets

197-16X 30Y Masters
199-15X 30 Challenge

200-20X 30Y Masters ( LEADER BOARD)
If I counted all 24 bulls, it would be a 240-20X

I have a pellet probe alignment issue that occurs too frequently. May send the action back to Martin to check pellet probe and alignment. Way too many fliers and I think the pellet is getting ‘tilted’ going into chamber.

It’s under warranty, so I may just call Martin and see if he will take a look see.

This gun is a laser if I could fix the pellet loading issue.

Tom

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Great card Tommy !!

You cannot submit as a Masters, as you shot more than 20 targets.

You have 20X scores on Target Pairs #4, 5, 6 and 7.

Submitting the card as a 30-Challenge, you drop two of the 20X pairs.

This would score your card as a 30-Challenge of 200 18X…

… do you agree?

-Ed
 
Great card Tommy !!

You cannot submit as a Masters, as you shot more than 20 targets.

You have 20X scores on Target Pairs #4, 5, 6 and 7.

Submitting the card as a 30-Challenge, you drop two of the 20X pairs.

This would score your card as a 30-Challenge of 200 18X…

… do you agree?

-Ed
I guess I am not sure.

Even though I shot 24 targets, do I have to throw out the two pairs if I submit for a 30Y challenge? My penalty is that I can’t use as a Masters., which is a real bummer.

Hoever, Is it a mandatory req’t to throw out two pairs if someone wants to use all 24 bulls for a 30 Y Challenge submission?

In other words I shoot a 240-20x card and now I settle for a 30y Challenge 18X? Doesn’t feel right.
 
One other idea as we progress the 2022 Inception of this Challenge. To make it simpler and possibly attract more new shooters….

What if we had only two cards?
A 30Y and 40Y Challenge with a scoring change. Get rid of the Masters Cards.

Make it optional for the shooter if he/She wants to use the two pair of Mulligans or, let the shooter count all 24 bulls if he wants to try for a 240-24X perfect card.

In other words, change the scoring to allow for a 200 or a 240 perfect score.
 
I guess I am not sure.

Even though I shot 24 targets, do I have to throw out the two pairs if I submit for a 30Y challenge? My penalty is that I can’t use as a Masters., which is a real bummer.

Hoever, Is it a mandatory req’t to throw out two pairs if someone wants to use all 24 bulls for a 30 Y Challenge submission?

In other words I shoot a 240-20x card and now I settle for a 30y Challenge 18X? Doesn’t feel right.

Yes. It is mandatory. 30/40-Challenge rules have always been to drop your two lowest scoring target pairs.

30/40 Masters rules have always been 20 targets - all count.

Maximum score has always been 200 - as we always use just 20 targets to count towards score - whether Challenge or Masters.

If the group wants to consider another Challenge card/leaderboard where all 24 targets count (max score being 240), I’m open to suggestions. However, I’d say we start any new categories at the beginning of next year - 2026.

-Ed
 
Tommy I don’t remember if you have a BM with a thimble or a TM where the pellet is seated right into the lead of the barrel directly? But the pellet probes have some movement “play” inherently in them which is ok, plus the probe will center itself as it seals (delrin grommet) against the barrel.
I have never considered it as a cause of flyers? I’ve owned many TM’s and BM’s both seem self centering as seated. Now the pellets I consider more of a flyer issue! or wind direction or rest and table stability or… you get the Idea😂
I will say for instance if I shoot 13.4 redesigns they seat much tighter than standard and will give the impression of tilting? But seem to center fine? (They just don’t shoot!).
 
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Yes. It is mandatory. 30/40-Challenge rules have always been to drop your two lowest scoring target pairs.

30/40 Masters rules have always been 20 targets - all count.

Maximum score has always been 200 - as we always use just 20 targets to count towards score - whether Challenge or Masters.

If the group wants to consider another Challenge card/leaderboard where all 24 targets count (max score being 240), I’m open to suggestions. However, I’d say we start any new categories at the beginning of next year - 2026.

-Ed
Here are the original rules Ed:

Here are the scoring rules:

If the hole touches the next higher ring, score to the higher ring. Use a pellet, skirt down, if the hole is ragged.

To score a 10, you just need to touch the gray ring surrounding the black dot.

To score an X, you just need to touch the black dot in the center. (This is different than the instructions on the bottom of the target, due to us shooting at 30-yards)

.177 shooters are allowed to use a .22 pellet or a .224 scoring plug to score their targets, to compensate for the smaller diameter of a .177 pellet.

Once you shoot all 24 bulls, you get to eliminate your lowest two sets (mulligans) see the target above how I slashed out my two lowest pairs.

Score the remaining 20 targets for a Max score of 200. Also add your X's if you have any.

So a perfect score would be 200 20X. Please post up your scores and what rifle you are shooting. Have fun!!
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It’s vague to me. No word of ‘mandatory’ being mentioned. He said we “can’ eliminate two pairs, not that it’s required. Not sure Tom Carlson was mandating using the two pair mulligan option. I think we all did it to help our scoring. As an example, why penalize someone who shoots a 240 30Y challenge card because he did not want to eliminate two pairs. Tom did not envision so many folks would be scoring so high.

In any case, I think we should vote on a rules change for next year as more shooters are scoring 200‘s
and very high 195+ scores regularly.
 
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Tommy I don’t remember if you have a BM with a thimble or a TM where the pellet is seated right into the lead of the barrel directly? But the pellet probes have some movement “play” inherently in them which is ok, plus the probe will center itself as it seals (delrin grommet) against the barrel.
I have never considered it as a cause of flyers? I’ve owned many TM’s and BM’s both seem self centering as seated. Now the pellets I consider more of a flyer issue! or wind direction or rest and table stability or… you get the Idea😂
I will say for instance if I shoot 13.4 redesigns they seat much tighter than standard and will give the impression of tilting? But seem to center fine? (They just don’t shoot!).
Joe, I. have a TM1000x with the thimble, which is flush against the chamber, as it should be.

It’s definitely not bad pellets, or me. There is a pellet probe alignment or probe adjustment issue that is causing it to load pellets incorrectly into the bore. I know this because I can feel the side lever strain while trying to fully close it when this happens.

I have tried the RDs, same problem.

I think I I’ll send the action back to Martin.

Thanks
 
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Just out of curiosity have you adjusted your probe fore or aft? I’ve had my set screw back out which allowed the probe to actually turn out or move closer to the barrel as I shot the gun, this was actually found during a 25m comp. I couldn’t figure out why as the matches progressed The bolt cammed over harder and harder😳
 
Great card Tommy !!

You cannot submit as a Masters, as you shot more than 20 targets.

You have 20X scores on Target Pairs #4, 5, 6 and 7.

Submitting the card as a 30-Challenge, you drop two of the 20X pairs.

This would score your card as a 30-Challenge of 200 18X…

… do you agree?

-Ed
Let’s just use the 200-18X 30Y Challenge card for the next Leaderboard. Maybe for next year we test the waters on any changes.
 
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Let’s just use the 200-18X 30Y Challenge card for the next Leaderboard. Maybe for next year we test the waters on any changes.
Agree - your awesome card will be posted on next 30-Challenge leaderboard as 200 18X 👍

Incidentally, I'm working on the next Leaderboard Update - I had wanted to get it posted by 6/15/25 but I'm running behind - had some good shooting days, lol.
 
Just out of curiosity have you adjusted your probe fore or aft? I’ve had my set screw back out which allowed the probe to actually turn out or move closer to the barrel as I shot the gun, this was actually found during a 25m comp. I couldn’t figure out why as the matches progressed The bolt cammed over harder and harder😳
Joe, have not done that yet. Can you PM me so I can call you when you get a chance. I need to understand how to do this properly and need a phone call.
I'm in no hurry, so we can set up a mutual time when convenient for you.

Thanks, Tom
 
Leaderboard Submission:

Date: 6/16/25
Target: 30-Challenge
Score: 200 17X
Rifle: FX Dreamline Classic .177
Pellet: FX 13.4g @ 815-822fps
Scope: Athlon Midas Tac 6x24 @ 24X FFP

This 200 is the next card after I shot the 200 20X with the .177 Crown. It didn't look like a 200 after the 1st few pairs, but finished amazing.

Take a look at the 195 card I shot after this 200. Its a 16X - but has some flyers, including the last shot being a 7. I was planning to shoot this card as a Masters - but after the flyer on #2 pair, I decided to shoot it as a Challenge. Crazy card.

The flyers were not the wind. My new shooting stool seems to be helping my scores. However, I always feel that I get more "flyers" with the JSB/FX 13.4g than I do with the 10.3g. Perhaps its just my imagination.... The whole last row went wonky and it wasn't due to being low on the reg.

Happy with the 200, but don't know it I can trust these 13.4s, lol.

-Ed
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Leaderboard Submissions:

Date: 6/12/25
Target: 30-Challenge
Score: 195 12X
Rifle: Benjamin Cayden .22
Pellet: AEA 15.89 @ 805-820fps
Scope: Athlon Argos 10-40 SFP @ 36X


Date: 6/16/25
Target: 30-Masters
Score: 195 13X
Rifle: Benjamin Cayden .22
Pellet: AEA 15.89 @ 805-820fps
Scope: Athlon Argos 10-40 SFP @ 36X


This AEA 15.89g pellet is the best pellet I've found for my Cayden. It also really likes the H&N Barracuda 15. For some reason it groups well but throws flyers with JSB/FX soft lead pellets. I just replaced the barrel and transfer port 0-rings as well as installed a new cut-down Crosman sourced hammer spring (2.69"). It may shoot even better if I up the velocity a bit, but this tune only requires filling to about 180bar and I get 65-69 shots with an extreme spread of about 20fps in an unregged gun - so I'm happy with the lower than usual velocity.

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