Newbie Questions for Distance Shooting

[MDCrab]

Having never shot over 100 until last week, what tips can you experienced folks share regarding breathing techniques to hold steady?

What I am currently doing is, getting settled with a solid sight picture, taking a breath and exhaling halfway then applying a slow squeeze for a surprised report. Is there anything anyone would recommend, based on what I’ve described.

Shooting off a bipod and a rear bag. I’m not completely dialed in yet, but I feel pretty happy with my first long range experience. I knew I had one bad shot as soon as it broke. It just didn’t feel right.

The three shot group was at 100 before adjusting any windage. It measured .380

Shooting a Tikka T3X in 6.5 PRC with Choice Ammunition loaded with 156gr Berger EOLs

 

[huntnful]

Very nice dude! You have a great dependable rifle to start with. So you’re already ahead of the game.

Main thing is getting a good zero.

Then getting good long range validated data that is corrected to your actual impacts at distance.

As far as technique goes, I’d just watch a couple of YouTube videos from reputable instructors, and then just go shoot your gun a bunch honestly. You’ll see what works and what doesn’t.

Shooting long is no different than shooting at 100 as far as fundamentals goes. There’s more that goes into actually hitting the target, but the same fundamentals.

Then spend time in those mid ranges from different positions as well.

 

[TaperPin]

That’s cool - good shooting.

The slower the shot is taken the more you’ll have to think about breathing. Nothing wrong with that technique, but it simply requires deliberate breathing practice, which will get easier with trigger time. Dry firing before and after every shot down range will triple the amount of trigger and breathing practice. Practice can’t be stressed enough - a person simply shoots more naturally after 1,000 rounds.

Rather than a long slow trigger pull, an alternative you might eventually try is to be more deliberate about breaking the trigger as soon as the crosshairs are where you want them, and then breathing doesn’t matter as much, and is simply paused the short amount time during the shot, on either inhale or exhale. Again, practice will help a person develop a consistent pattern that feels natural without having to think about it. Scope cams of PRS shooters often show quick deliberate shots as soon as the crosshairs reach the target.

Of the two methods, many guys shoot either method equally well, and others have a hard time with one or the other - I’ve never been a fan of the letting half a breath out, trying to control wobble until the rifle fires thing - it doesn’t feel natural even after a lot of practice and didn’t improve group size.

Not everyone enjoys it, but offhand and seated practice with an accurate 22lr is ideal for breathing, trigger control, and training the brain to break the trigger as soon as the crosshairs are coming on the target. While a center fire cartridge can take months or years to get 1,000 accurate shots off, 100 good accurate rimfire rounds is just a normal fun day, and the bullet is traveling down the barrel so slowly it really stresses the importance of follow through.

 

[Article 4]

Shooting off a bag is the time where you want to hone into all the little things in your shooting routine. A few tips that have helped me along the way:

• Set your trigger at the most comfortable pull weight for you. If that is 2 lbs or 3, you want a pull weight that allows you to consistently break the trigger when intended, rather than by surprise
• Learn how to control your breathing cycle. The best time to control the breathing cycle is during what’s called the “respiratory pause.” This is when you’re done exhaling. Don’t force air out, because forcing air out makes you contract your chest muscles…which is the last thing you want. During the respiratory pause, your chest muscles are relaxed, and you can stop breathing longer without feeling uncomfortable. If you try to stop breathing while your lungs are filled with air or half filled with air, you’ll begin to experience muscle discomfort sooner than if your lungs are mostly empty and the muscles involved with breathing are relaxed - have a timing to it. Say 10 second cycle, 12 second cycle - whatever is comfortable for you
• Set your body and Natural Point of Aim up consistently. Align your body up in a straight line behind the rifle and ensure that your sight picture is clear and centered no matter the position.
• Effective recoil management is using our bodies’ mass and bone structure to absorb the recoil energy of a rifle and transfer that energy throughout the body ensuring that the rifle moves consistently straight back and settles straight to your target

Don't worry about not shooting if you aren't ready. Get off the rifle and reset. Great practice makes great results.

 

[eric1115]

Use lower magnification than you feel like you need. 1x-1.5x per hundred yards is plenty. Lots of guys crank to 16x at 300 yards, and see every heartbeat and crosshair wobble in the scope. Then you either try to muscle all the movement out or try to time your trigger break with the crosshair hitting center of the target. Both are counterproductive.

Dry fire a lot.

I prefer bottom of breath instead of halfway out. Look up natural point of aim. There's a few good drills for this. The most unforgiving one I've seen is one that our local biathlon club uses religiously. Get in position, get sight picture at respiratory pause, close your eyes, take a breath in and out, break trigger. The movement from the breath will tell on any subconscious muscle input.

Get a dummy round or two. Have someone else load the rifle so you don't know whether that trigger press is going to go bang or click.

Get a decent .223 and shoot it a lot. You'll learn more with each shot when you can see your impacts and have less recoil to manage. You'll shoot more for less money.

 

[TaperPin]

I’ve always thought it was funny that every basic marksmanship instruction says to breath in and let half of it out, yet most experienced shooters seem to like to let the entire breath out. I like how Article 4 describes it.

Brand new shooters take forever to get their shots off, which is probably where that comes from.

 

[MDCrab]

Very nice dude! You have a great dependable rifle to start with. So you’re already ahead of the game.

Main thing is getting a good zero.

Then getting good long range validated data that is corrected to your actual impacts at distance.

As far as technique goes, I’d just watch a couple of YouTube videos from reputable instructors, and then just go shoot your gun a bunch honestly. You’ll see what works and what doesn’t.

Shooting long is no different than shooting at 100 as far as fundamentals goes. There’s more that goes into actually hitting the target, but the same fundamentals.

Then spend time in those mid ranges from different positions as well.

Thank You.

Yeah, I researched this rifle to death before buying. Absolutely love the smooth as silk action. I have a lot of shooting to do between now and Oct 2025 for my Elk hunt. I’ve been archery 3x. All great experiences, just no actual shot opportunity.

My 6.5 replaced my Rem 300 WM I built, but I went a little overboard with it and wasn’t monitoring the weight of it. It was 13# Not a lot of fun to hump through the KY mountains the few times I used it, let alone at altitude. Beautiful gun tho.

I will def check out some videos, so thanks.

I did learn there is such a thing as too much optic. Learned that here thru my lurking.

 

[MDCrab]

That’s cool - good shooting.

The slower the shot is taken the more you’ll have to think about breathing. Nothing wrong with that technique, but it simply requires deliberate breathing practice, which will get easier with trigger time. Dry firing before and after every shot down range will triple the amount of trigger and breathing practice. Practice can’t be stressed enough - a person simply shoots more naturally after 1,000 rounds.

Rather than a long slow trigger pull, an alternative you might eventually try is to be more deliberate about breaking the trigger as soon as the crosshairs are where you want them, and then breathing doesn’t matter as much, and is simply paused the short amount time during the shot, on either inhale or exhale. Again, practice will help a person develop a consistent pattern that feels natural without having to think about it. Scope cams of PRS shooters often show quick deliberate shots as soon as the crosshairs reach the target.

Of the two methods, many guys shoot either method equally well, and others have a hard time with one or the other - I’ve never been a fan of the letting half a breath out, trying to control wobble until the rifle fires thing - it doesn’t feel natural even after a lot of practice and didn’t improve group size.

Not everyone enjoys it, but offhand and seated practice with an accurate 22lr is ideal for breathing, trigger control, and training the brain to break the trigger as soon as the crosshairs are coming on the target. While a center fire cartridge can take months or years to get 1,000 accurate shots off, 100 good accurate rimfire rounds is just a normal fun day, and the bullet is traveling down the barrel so slowly it really stresses the importance of follow through.

I will definitely apply some of these tips and make note of the results. I do own a 22LR and a 22 Mag, both heavy factory triggers, but that can easily be changed. I like the idea of rimfire repetition to get trigger time. Never thought of it that way, but it makes sense.

I will for sure try that breathing technique and the more affirmative trigger pull. I’m new at distance and willing to try new things.

Thank You

 

[MDCrab]

Use lower magnification than you feel like you need. 1x-1.5x per hundred yards is plenty. Lots of guys crank to 16x at 300 yards, and see every heartbeat and crosshair wobble in the scope. Then you either try to muscle all the movement out or try to time your trigger break with the crosshair hitting center of the target. Both are counterproductive.

Dry fire a lot.

I prefer bottom of breath instead of halfway out. Look up natural point of aim. There's a few good drills for this. The most unforgiving one I've seen is one that our local biathlon club uses religiously. Get in position, get sight picture at respiratory pause, close your eyes, take a breath in and out, break trigger. The movement from the breath will tell on any subconscious muscle input.

Get a dummy round or two. Have someone else load the rifle so you don't know whether that trigger press is going to go bang or click.

Get a decent .223 and shoot it a lot. You'll learn more with each shot when you can see your impacts and have less recoil to manage. You'll shoot more for less money.

The max magnification I used at 400 & 500 was 15x. Never felt like I needed more. Never heard of the respiratory pause, but what you are saying I can comprehend. I will give that a try.

Appreciate all the tips. Yay another reason to buy another gun Cannot be upset about that

 

[eric1115]

The max magnification I used at 400 & 500 was 15x. Never felt like I needed more. Never heard of the respiratory pause, but what you are saying I can comprehend. I will give that a try.

Appreciate all the tips. Yay another reason to buy another gun Cannot be upset about that

Haha, just wait. You'll be further down the rabbit hole in no time. At 400-500 I'd generally be around 6x magnification. For sure no higher than 8x.

@Article 4 explained respiratory pause in more and better detail than I did.

 

[TaperPin]

I will definitely apply some of these tips and make note of the results. I do own a 22LR and a 22 Mag, both heavy factory triggers, but that can easily be changed. I like the idea of rimfire repetition to get trigger time. Never thought of it that way, but it makes sense.

I will for sure try that breathing technique and the more affirmative trigger pull. I’m new at distance and willing to try new things.

Thank You

I think you’re off to a great start and being curious and receptive to ways to improve will serve you well in any type of shooting.

I glanced over this video a while back, and there is a nugget of information about where to pause on the breathing cycle that’s really good.

 

[camelcluch]

Best advice, don’t do it!! This rabbit hole has killed the bank account.

 

[TradLife406]

Large sample size is key. When you zero especially. A 20 shot group when you zero then use Hornadys zero angle. This makes 100% sure that your zero is zero. You have to understand rifles will never shoot the same whole shot after shot after shot. Even the best guns can only shoot maybe 20 shots inside an inch. Guys that say they have a half minute gun or quarter minute gun need to shoot more. They'll find their rifle is actually a 1 moa gun. Which is still really good.

Mentally besides the wind just think of longer shots the same as a 100 yard shot. Same fundamental apply.


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