Sorry I try to read more and post less, but I am struggling to find a good "intermediate" training class.
I've done basic training (into to long range, how to dope your rifle, fundamentals of marksmanship, etc...) but I feel like I need further assistance.
Even if F-Class (I mostly just practice), I struggle to get out of the 180s for 20 rounds. PRS has its moments, but the barricades still drive me nuts, and I will occasionally zero a stage (I don't go very fast, even on a good day I'll get off maybe 5 shots per stage). Don't get me wrong, I can hit 50% up to 75% of my shots in PRS, I just only take maybe 50-60 shots a match as I time out.
Whats really sad is I can help other people improve their scores (I'm really good at doping rifles) but my physical skills are junk. I've asked at matches and gotten answers from "I just practice" to "I dunno I just shoot"
Maybe it is time for another fundamentals class, but in mine, we basically spent 3 days doping our rifles to 1k, and I could really use some exercises or practices to get some feedback on "how to learn" Was even going to go get a go-pro and start filming my shooting sessions.
What I really need is a good trainer. But I don't want to spend $$$ just to dope my rifle again, so if you have a good class recommendation or trainer I'm all ears.
I train guys in my Company (State Defense Force) for Long Range
Those that have the Fortitude, ability and knowledge to qualify anyhow
The rest remain Infantry, which is just as valuable, only a different role
I mean hey, we cannot get blood from a Turnip, likewise we cannot turn someone into an accomplished marksman that think there is simply some secret shortcuts but won't dedicate the time to perfecting
every single aspect of their skillset.
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So since you are looking for some pointers to improve I am willing to share some with you
I don't know your knowledge of the subject matter so forgive me if I repeat something you may already know. Yet will state, those that are "already" performing to a Higher Degree of Excellence will benefit most.
As for learning and knowing your rifles DOPE, is more a simple matter of replacing variables with known constants to arrive at an
accurate firing solution for any given target yardage. Thats is simply a trajectory chart you can print out and memorize or keep taped to your gun, So we will skip that.
But it is important to know 2 very important factors
1)the scope height above bore centerline, and
2)your elevation or current locations Absolute Pressure for your DOPE chart to be accurate.
---Some people call this "station pressure", but they're the same thing
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One of the biggest factors to improve your precision (not accuracy)
is dedicate time to
Breathing discipline (I could write 2 full pages describing and outlining what this means)
But it is the most overlooked, ignored and dismissed aspect of what we do.
I see it all the time on Youtube, guy starts printing an awesome group at long range then gets excited and start flapping his gums and calls his buddy over and .....
Then when we see someone with actual training doing the same shooting, and notice their calm and smooth and concentrated movements as perfectly executed as if they are a programmed robot and it is easy to recognize the difference in why one shoots better than the other.
Short version, Never Hold your breath, control your breathing to not get excited,
Holding your breath only sevres to ensure you are depleting a steady flow of oxygen and will force your body to want to hyper-ventilate in order to compensate. = Stress/fatigue
or allow adrenaline to start flowing,
Keep breathing slow and even
Learn and muscle memorize that when you exhale, the amount you exhale and repeat it
if you exhale different amounts, shot placement will be different (vertically)
You will watch your crosshairs move up and down as you breathe in and out
so you must recognize that when you exhale where you crosshairs stop at their uppermost travel
You cannot see thousandths of inch of reticle movement at 100 yds
but the bullet will reveal what you are doing which is why muscle memory in this one aspect is of the most critical importance
This follows along with your natural POA, you must establish your natural POA before aiming and taking the shot for the most precise shot placement on target
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Natural POA means = when you aim at your target
then close your eyes and wait a second, and open them back up and look through your scope
Look where you gun is NOW suddenly aiming, it will be in a different spot than you first aimed at
Now reposition YOUR BODY - NOT YOUR RIFLE, to align your crosshairs with your target
so that your are naturally aiming your gun in the position your body is in
You do not want to ever "muscle the rifle" into position
because your muscles will fatigue even after 4 seconds of trying to hold position and muscles are not solid enough to keep the rifle still.
So you must move your body in slight increments until when you close your eyes and open them back up, and your breath is let out, your cross hairs are "Naturally" spot on target.
Thats when you break your shot
Since it dont matter how well you may have aimed to start with,
if you move at all afterward once the trigger breaks
Being in your natural POA, for taking the shot also establishes a perfect follow through which is more critical. for repeat shot placement
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We must remember follow through is more important than being steady when aiming
Because the bullet is still going down the barrel once you pull the trigger
so any rifle/body movement whatsoever will negate any perfect aim you had to begin with and cause larger shot dispersion
Oh , do I have to say? Finger pad only on trigger, not whole finger in trigger guard
You'd be surprised how many good shooting people, still do this wrong simply because nobody ever told them different so they didnt know.
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Follow through means good breathing discipline
And good smooth trigger follow through,
once the trigger breaks and moves to the rear...Dont let up on the trigger
until you see bullet splash downrange
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I could go on more but these simple things should cut your groups in half at 600 yards
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Learn that perfect smooth trigger squeeze, marksmanship is a diminishable skill
I know for a fact if I have been too busy to shoot and have not shot in a month
I have to re-familiarize myself with proper trigger pull/squeeze for a few shots before I am back in the zone
This is why guys will keep saying dry fire
well I am not into dry firing much anymore, I live fire to see my improvements and put what I am doing into muscle memory
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However
Being a machinist, I have lots of measurement tools
So I put them to good use with dry firing
Placing an indicator on the end of my barrel and watching for any thousandths of inch of movement
You will then be able to dry fire at home with value if you use an indicator to monitor your barrel movement, and you will see instant improvements. This goes the very same for even a rifle on the bench using a rest. Th firing pin snapping alone will produce enough movement to not allow you to print better than 1/2" groups if you don't control it somehow.
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It is important to note that .001" of movement will translate to .100" at target at 100 yds
and when you move, breathe, shoulder pressure relaxes on the shot break etc. see that you are
moving .010" at the rifle
that will be why you cannot get better than 1 inch groups at 100 yds.
its impossible until you learn to control your rifle movement during the recoil event with follow through.
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There is such a thing as doing everything perfectly right off the bat, without knowing what you did right
This is what we would define as "Beginners Luck" A guy did everything right but didn't cognizantly recognize every single little aspect of what exactly all they were doing.
Which is what I often see in younger people who have not set in their ways yet, bad techniue.
Yet when they go back out the next time to repeat it, they do not have a course of action and order laid out to repeat the proper relaxed technique they displayed previously. Which can be fristrating for beginners, or shall we say, the less trained individual.
They merely just go back out and "tries really hard again"
haha, trying harder does not make a person better, lots of heart does not equal skill.
Just like a boxer, a guy with lots of Heart and gumption, no matter how HARD he tries and wants to win,
simply will not beat Mike Tyson's honed skillset and technique..
What we got going on is a chase game, forget your emotions out on the battle field, dont get excited and don't get discouraged
instead of trying really hard "Emotionally", just focus on the job and do everything right,
.......every.....thing.
Including how you lay your feet and point your toes. (Holding your mouth just right isn't exactly an exaggeration lol.)
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One of the reasons I train people, is because I have critically analyzed even the most simplest of small steps needed for long range precision marksmanship and therefore have the ability to describe to others what they need to do, and why.
Psychologically Speaking - Knowing the "Why's" is every bit as important as knowing the How's,
to be able to set everything in stone in the human mind.
when others know how to do but don't know exactly how to describe it and lay it out in some form of order.
Example: I have taken 13 yr old kids, who are a sponge, and listen and follow directions well, and seen them shoot better within 5 minutes of introducing them to 600 yds, than a 40 yr old who has been shooting for years and has totes awesome cool guns - but is simply just trying really hard.
I know my Captain is a good shooter, yet he does not know why or how to describe what he is doing in order to be a good shot other than he has practiced a lot. Which is a HUGE generalization of all the mechanics, physics and kinesiology of whats really going on in the instant you take a shot.
By describing various methods and how to hone them in, I have improved him as well.
Everything I have just mentioned is what people mean when they suggest "just practice more"
these are the very things they are practicing even if they don't fully recognize exactly all the things they are doing correctly, people mainly think, just do the same thing every time.
This is how to do the same things every time.
Try every one of these steps out first, and hone them to perfection, then I'll give you more Sir
You should practice these steps at 600 yds to more easily realize your progress since it wont show a whole lot at only 100 yds.
For example, you may only go from 1/4" groups down to .150" at 100
But when you notice your 6" groups suddenly shrink down to 3" at 600 yds, just from Technique
it will be much more evident that the only things needed to change was improved technique and then you may Mentally, replay and visualize and memorize and conrete everything in that you are doing as you are shooting.
John
