Equipment versus practice posts and Rifle practice/shooting

[HunterEng]

This is great info....thanks...living in iowa my limitations past 100yds for practice are many. But I can find 100yds to run these drills this summer and spring.

 

[rayporter]

good post



it will be forgotten in a week

 

[DangerRanger]

This looks fun! Thanks for taking the time

 

[Woodrow F Call]

Thanks for posting. I find it to be some great advice that will help me with my next step in the progression.

I don't have much in the way of 600 yard opportunities here. 100 yard mostly.... but that will change next year as I'm moving West. I'm so excited for the opportunities I'm going to have for being outdoors, hunting, fishing, shooting, etc.

 

[PNWGATOR]

This an an eye opening exercise! Very good, structured routine that provides structure for becoming a rifleman.

 

[16Bore]

Anyone remember when getting as close as you could was cool?

 

[jfs82]

Nothing wrong with wanting to be confident when that 600 is as close as you can get in that moment.

 

[MidGAHunter]

Anyone remember when getting as close as you could was cool?

It still is to me!

 

[Lawnboi]

Anyone remember when getting as close as you could was cool?

The fundamentals of marksmanship matter at all distances.

 

[16Bore]

True, but the word on the street is if my scope has a dial and my bullets have extra power then stuff just falls over DRT all day long.

Here’s a question for fellas that shoot regularly. What’s your first shot when you get to the range? Assuming you’re not doing load development.....

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

True, but the word on the street is if my scope has a dial and my bullets have extra power then stuff just falls over DRT all day long.

Here’s a question for fellas that shoot regularly. What’s your first shot when you get to the range? Assuming you’re not doing load development.....

Haven’t been to a “range” in 6 years.

 

[Bsnyder]

True, but the word on the street is if my scope has a dial and my bullets have extra power then stuff just falls over DRT all day long.

Here’s a question for fellas that shoot regularly. What’s your first shot when you get to the range? Assuming you’re not doing load development.....


427,495,505,553. shot shouldnt count if its not a first round hit. I like to focus on cold bore shots because when hunting if you do your part you should only shoot once but thats just my school of thinking.

 

[16Bore]

Haven’t been to a “range” in 6 years.

PlayStation doesn’t count.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

PlayStation doesn’t count.

 

[LaHunter]

True, but the word on the street is if my scope has a dial and my bullets have extra power then stuff just falls over DRT all day long.

Here’s a question for fellas that shoot regularly. What’s your first shot when you get to the range? Assuming you’re not doing load development.....

Good question. I like to vary my cold bore shot for the day from 400-700 yards. 700 is the farthest that may range goes to.

 

[Low_Sky]

Another method I use for practice(or verification really) is a piece of 8” round steel. I hang it up and go back back back. When you can no longer hit it the first shot is your max distance. Try it in all weather conditions.

This is my preferred practice. I’m lucky to have access to mountains to train in. Humping in a steel plate and rebar frame with a rifle and ammo is great physical training too.

I still have a lot of room for improvement. Last year I got very comfortable with first round hits out to 500 yards, but hit a wall there I couldn’t get past for a few reasons. This year’s to-do’s are rebarrel and restock my Tikka (done), possibly a scope upgrade if funds allow, work up a load for the new tube, and practice practice practice.

I’ll try the routine posted by Form. Sounds great for days that a trip into the mountains isn’t possible.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

II am looking forward to getting my rear handed to me by the OP's drill. There are a couple of items on his list I absolutely need to work on.

In my opinion, there is no issue with using a rimfire for working your fundamentals. The stronger your fundamentals, the better you will do when shooting any rifle. Take it out to 300 yards. You get to practice dialing. If there is a slight breeze, you now get to practice shooting in the wind.

With that said, periodically you should still take out your hunting rifle(s) and practice with them. However, you should see improvement there as your fundamentals should be markedly improved by all of the practice with your rimfire.

 

[Formidilosus]

what is your experience doing the tactics you detailed if I were to use a low recoil rifle, become proficient before transitioning to higher recoil Hunting rifles and ammo cost?

PM inbound

The best thing someone can do for their hitting ability is to by a good fast twist 223, SWFA 6x, a couple thousand rounds of 75/77gr match ammo, and shoot it all in a year away from the bench.

I would (and do) use a 223/5.56 for the vast majority of practice during the year. Switching to a higher recoiling rifle is just work to get rid of anticipation/flinching, and recoil control. The nice thing about a 223 in a light rifle such as a T3 is that it has just enough recoil to cause you to lose the sight picture during the shot if your body position isn’t correct.

@Formidilosus - and all - a follow up questions:

Can the hunting rifle test (with realigned distances) be accomplished with a full size rimfire rifle?

Pros/Cons to subbing in the rimfire as the practice gun?

I love a good rimfire and shot this drill two days ago with a T1x as a matter of fact. I would leave it at 100 yards even with a .22 if possible. Wind is a real thing at that range, so if it’s blowing more than 5’ish MPH printing the targets at 50% size and shooting it at 50 yards works.

The pro to a rimfire is cost, noise and no recoil. The cons over over say a good 223 is no recoil letting you be lazy with body position, wind drift (this is a mechanics and position drill, not a wind reading drill), and diminished transfer of skill mainly with bolt manipulation.
Rapid bolt manipulation and staying in the sights while running the bolt is a skill that americans in general are lacking. The greatly reduced bolt throw of the .22 isn’t as direct a skill transfer. But, between shooting a .22 and not shooting- of course shoot the .22. One can use the .22 to get all the mechanics of the positions and time down, then switch to the bigger rifles with a greatly reduced training time.

Took your advise on a 223 and cracked off hundreds of rounds last year, as did my wife a new shooter/hunter, never on the bench. I went into last season more prepared than I ever have been. My shooting has ramped up now. Got rid of my magnums as I’m one who has more time than money, shooting a 300wm was just expensive, and I didn’t feel like I was getting as much out of it. Hoping this year I can gain the experience to stretch out a little more.

Awesome. Where do you believe you are lacking or what skill needs work?

Awesome read, same goes for archery. Practice is key!!!!!!!! It's the little things that matter. Form, consistent anchor, cheek weld, trigger pull, you can't get a feel for why your shots are missing unless you practice!!!!!!! It wasn't until I started shooting traditional archery that I understood what consistent form meant. This has carried over into my rifle shooting and has made a huge difference!!!!!

If people treated shooing rifles like archery treat practice... the hunting world would look very different.

 

[Lawnboi]

@Formidilosus
My two main hang ups are location to shoot longer, and away from a bench, and equipment; specifically cost. I’m working on setting up a few solid setups, along with putting together the pieces to reload as I do want to maximize my consistency as much as I possibly can. Iv also got a place I can shoot however I want on NF land, problem I can only reach out to 250yds.

Iv got a few targets of yours made up and plan to give it a go tomorrow with my rimfire. Been doing a lot of positional practice all winter with my 22lr, just haven’t done quite as much with the centerfire rifles.

Id be plugging away with the 223 but now that people are crazy buying the crap out of it I’d rather save my case of ammo for a location and time when I feel I’ll get more out of it.

 

[Shraggs]

Thanks form, my 233 is 20” rra I use for vermin hunting. Thought you might answer the way you did.

Another dumb question, it’s not a bolt action, obviously an ar, is that good practice or is the switch from semi auto and grip too fundamentally different than a bolt rifle?