Cheekweld testing and diagnose with SCATT MX-W2

[Near miss]

Hello,

I bought a Scatt. I have enjoyed using it and it has proven me my weak points and that shooting really is just a fine estimated guess of POI.
After getting it I instantly fixed my trigger pull which was already very good (in prone).
When I saw the feedback from the pulling moment, I was easily able to make longer after-holds and fix the situation. Not that I had any visible problems with trigger pull, but it certainly did not make it worse!

Yesterday I noticed I had problems with parallax when shooting prone at a scatt target at 9 yards away and this is my actual training distance at the moment.
I then improved and lifted my cheekweld about 0.1" and now tested it.

Method:
Stock: GRS Sporter with padded cheek pad
Scope: Athlon Cronus
I am using 25 yard parallax at 10 yards at 4.5X zoom with illuminated reticle.

I always set parallax at the ranges at max magnification but I think it is impossible to rule out parallax error completely in my normal shooting or when time is limited.

I placed my head in 6 different positions that I feel comfortable and surely use at the range too head and shot 2 shots.
All of the shot pairs ended up being very close together but the difference between head positions was very clear.
It seems that it did not matter if my head was too front or back, the main issue was that the cheek pad roundness causing my head position to be sometimes just a little bit too low or high.
And because the cheekweld is round, the hits also followed similar angled fall from up-right to low-left.

What surprised me that between all the different positions, I could not get hits to the center but instead they grouped as 2 distinct groups.
I think this is due to learned positions or just there are some comfort zones in the cheek pad that I have accustomed to use?

I am now much happier with the parallax error than before the cheek pad improvement. I ran another serie of shot pairs, without looking any aiming help from the computer screen for the bullseye.

I then wanted to see what is the maximum parallax error for fun and moved my head all the way to left until the scope just barely started shadowing.

So it seems my whole parallax error pretty much covers the 1.8" target (10m air rifle target) at said 9 yards

All that said, I will move my target so I will have my parallax error eliminated. It is very difficult to train when the eye placement of 1mm or less is crucial and doubles the group.
But I must admit that I have much to learn myself about positioning the head but at the moment I have bigger accuracy problems with recoil management and body repeatability and that is mainly noticed when shooting live rounds. I will be definitely bringing that device to the range with me for live round practice and see what data it can offer me. It will be in another dimension, that is for sure.

For example, zoomed in I can see my heart rate even when it is totally under my control or "diminished", showing no visible bumbing in the eye via scope. That thing is really very precise.

 

[jbell]

That is some great training and feedback, IMO better than putting rounds down range. I have thought about getting a SCATT system for many years now but never have.

 

[Near miss]

That is some great training and feedback, IMO better than putting rounds down range. I have thought about getting a SCATT system for many years now but never have.

I really did not believe that they would be accurate or somehow useful but they give a whole different view point than the hits downrange.
When those two are combined I shall be very informed. Probably just confused at start.

We already used an older scatt version when bench testing guns to see how the muzzle behaved and also if the bench was 100% secure. (We tested different attaching ways)

 

[kevad68]

I had a SCATT for several years. Great diagnostic tool for several areas.

One of the more interesting things was the ability to pull down files from Olympic Class shooters and replay them. One I remember finding most interesting was the 300m (some European country, I forget which, but they used to use SCATT way more than we did here in the states) Champion‘s file showing his prone sight ”trace”. It had this beautful oval pattern with a couple millisecond hold over the bullseye. You could see the aiming/hold pattern develop and then him punch the center in the shot.

 

[Near miss]

I had a SCATT for several years. Great diagnostic tool for several areas.

One of the more interesting things was the ability to pull down files from Olympic Class shooters and replay them. One I remember finding most interesting was the 300m (some European country, I forget which, but they used to use SCATT way more than we did here in the states) Champion‘s file showing his prone sight ”trace”. It had this beautful oval pattern with a couple millisecond hold over the bullseye. You could see the aiming/hold pattern develop and then him punch the center in the shot.

I knew of that possibility but I was too busy training with it.

I will check those out certainly.

I think it does not require the device to replay them but having tried scatt and seeing your own aiming pattern you will probably understand the replays better.

 

[Hoser]

Great write up Near Miss.

SCATTs are awesome tools. When I bought mine many years ago I also got the biathlon trainer.

Awesome stuff for sure.

 

[pete_f]

NM, For what you are doing, I will suggest that you select a different target on the SCATT system such as the ISSF 50 meter target or the NRA A33 100 yard metric target. You will get a much clearer picture of what is happening with these targets. When using the smaller targets such as the Air Rifle target, your trace size is too small to clearly see what you want to look at.
I would also suggest that you set your F coefficient to 0 for this type of work if you have not done that. This will give you a more accurate picture of where you are aiming when you break the shots.

 

[Quarter Horse]

Never heard of it. Just another indication of how little I know. Does the program you install analyze the pattern and then provide possible solution? I would like to hear from more of you that are familiar with it's use and results.

Any links would be appreciated. Hoser, are these used at the OTC and to what extent?

 

[Hoser]

Hoser, are these used at the OTC and to what extent?

Lots of the athletes here have their own to train with. Mainly to practice holds and troubleshoot problems.

 

[Hoser]

Another option is the Mantis-X for a lot less $$$. I use one on my Vudoo in my basement. Also a good tool, it just doesent have all the high tech goodness that the Scatt and Rika have.

 

[Quarter Horse]

Thanks for the responses guys. Read some more online and the more I read the more interesting it becomes.

Near Miss, I appreciate your starting the thread.

 

[pete_f]

Never heard of it. Just another indication of how little I know. Does the program you install analyze the pattern and then provide possible solution? I would like to hear from more of you that are familiar with it's use and results.

Any links would be appreciated. Hoser, are these used at the OTC and to what extent?

In a nutshell, it records and shows you the movement of your aiming point across the face of the target both before and after the shot. It also records data for each shot such as the speed at which your aiming point is traversing the face of the target, the amount of time that you were aiming, the percentage of time that your hold was in the 10 ring and a few other things. While there are several graphs that it will generate based on the recorded data, it does not actually analyze what you are doing or provide any solutions, someone that understands what it is showing you needs to interpret the data.