And my jaw hit the ground......................

[ntex2000]

The best prone score I ever fired with one was my first time out with my gun collector son-in-law. I flopped down with my Remington 03 and shot a 98 something in RF prone. Got back up and gave him my best I-do-this-all-the-time look.

This fall I understand the Texas State Garand and vintage match will NOT issue ammo which in the past was always HXP. I am betting we will see some tough scores with handloaded ammo.

One of the guys from my gun club was a little incredulous that the HXP the TSRA gave out at last year's state championships was of a variety of dfferent headstamp dates. Probably the delinked rounds the CMP sells loose in the ammo can. Both ammo cans of hxp I've received from CMP have a variety of headstamp dates.

[PKelly]

Regarding your front barrel band, is it screwed down tight, hand tightened or somewhere in between? I read somewhere that a front barrel band tightened down all the way can move your point of impact as much as 6 inches at (I think) 100 yards, and that back in the day the guys who shot the 03 at the national matches would only finger tighten the barrel bands.

I'd call it snug. Turned with a screwdriver until it stops, then just a hair of a turn further to snug it up. I do keep the sling swivel screw nice and tight, so the swivel is held in the folded position and not flopping around during discharge.