Mitchell
To avoid a really long response let me make a short list of items to consider while at a BR bench.
1. Proper chair height - adjust so your not having to lean over or lift your eyes up to view your scope.
2. Secure rest to bench - whether you tap into bench or use disks the rest should be solid with points secured.
3. Rest & back bag perpendicular to target - this should checked so that when the gun moves from record target to sighter the vertical movement is straight up and down not canted one way or the other.
4. Use of sighter target - start on the sighter target several shots watching the conditions effect on shots. After going to record start in the prevailing condition, one that repeats allowing you to get all or most of your shots off in that condition. Hold off if necessary but use the sighter to judge a new condition. I like to hold where I would hold on the record and see if the shot would hit the group.
5. Always use wind flags - line your flags up so you can identify them amongst others. In practice use your flags, a good start use 4 at 100yds, walk them out and set them where you feel wind thrusts, not the same 20,40, 60, 80 pattern that some do. At 200 add another, not so far out that you lose interest in the flag. Use simple flags propellers are not needed, use colors that you can see well, tails can be anything I use surveyors ribbon.
6. Set target securely - this should done well at a registered Shoot but check to make sure the target is in the holder securely to the bottom. In practice use a level to set your target, this also checks your scope cross hair, ether adjust your scope CH or your front bag to keep level on the target.
7. Arrange your table - keep ammo block where you need it. Have a few towels on the bench placed so as to not allow stuff to roll around. Only have on the bench what you need. No water bottle or soda can that might turn over. Cleaning items can be on a side table to be used after shooting. Besides the gun and rest all you need at the bench are ammo block, timer, bolt, and hammer everything else should be off the bench.
8. Shooting technique - this is what fits your shooting style. You can start with a light hold on the stock with a light hold against your shoulder, I would recommend this for newer shooters. Let's you control the gun from shot to shot. Free recoil is used by many shooters I like this style but new shooters need to concentrate on the target not the recoil free recoil generates. When shooting practice keeping your eyes on the field at all times. Loading and unloading should be done without your eyes watching the field observing what wind conditions are doing out there. This is an item that Tony Boyer is demanding of students in his BR classes. Practice makes perfect, good practice makes Champions.
9. Remember to clean in practice - as you would during a match.
10. Same Ammo- use the same bullets, powder, primers and cases in practice as you use during a Shoot. Practice is the time to do Load Development. Don't go overboard here. If you find something that works keep the load for matches, avoid change for change sake, work on improving bench technique before you think of changing a load - this is my best advice to any shooter.
This is enough for now. What I can stress is treat practice as the Holy Grail. Everything else during your practice time takes second place. Forget the cell phone, forget what is going on with the other shooters, try and stay long enough to shoot morning and afternoon conditions these will be the times when you shoot the match targets later. Practice in all conditions. I have purposely practiced in no wind, high wind, rain, and cold it can all happen and more during a Shoot. Just ask the guys coming back from the Super Shoot.
Shoot often Shoot tough.
Stephen Perry
Angeles BR
