It's a learning process

[Steveasba]

I've only been shooting bench rest seriously for about year and a half. I started out with a 22.250 @ 100 yards and once I got my load dailed in I thought I know what I was doing. I was shooting .5 -.7 groups and so I decided to jump into the long range game and aquired a 6mm BR.

Now at the longer ranges, everything changed. Now there is wind,mirage and other conditions to consider and to be honest, I was very confused on how to deal with these conditions.

I started reading books, Internet articles and this forum on how to deal with these conditions and I was over loaded with information. Hold off this for mirage, dial in this for wind, spin drift, bullet BC...ect. I was throughly confused.

Now that I have been doing it awhile. I am starting to understand what it all means. It's a learning process through time on the bench shooting and recording notes on your shots. It's an ongoing learning process that will take years of experience to master.

I apologize for the winded post but I want to give thanks to this forum and all of the members that so gracefully offer their experienced advice to us that are trying to exceed at this game we call "long Range Brenchrest Shooting"

 

[LHSmith]

Now at the longer ranges, everything changed. Now there is wind,mirage and other conditions to consider and to be honest, I was very confused on how to deal with these conditions.

I know it probably was not your intention, but the above quote does a great disservice to readers of this forum. Wind and mirage DO have to be taken into account at shorter ranges also. The conditions are still there (as evidenced by your satisfaction with .5" to .7" groups @ 100 yds) just not to the effect they make on bullets at longer ranges.

 

[watercam]

Just keep having fun and the rest eventually falls into place. It is a non-stop learning/tweaking/trial and error process that can make you crazy if you take yourself too seriously.
I started later than most and it shows but I refuse to not have a good time.

 

[BoydAllen]

FYI all other things being equal (which of course they are not) the short range (1-200 yd.) benchrest game is all about the wind. Glad to hear that you are having fun.

 

[snert]

Don't let anyone slow you down in your pursuit of learning and building abilities. Enjoy LR and when yoou slow down try BR point blank. Just be aware that you need a second income and the patience of Job to win in that game!!

Glad you have been helped here.

 

[22BRGUY]

What a great thread from it sounds like a great guy! As was said above, make sure to keep having fun with it all. My guess you will be in the winners circle often in the coming years
Best Wishes

 

[Steveasba]

Thanks everyone. There are so many good and helpful members on this forum.
I would like to clear up the muddy water I've stirred up about wind/mirage at short ranges.
After rereading my original post I can see where I went wrong and how it could have been interpreted
that I was stating that wind and mirage did not come into effect at short ranges. This was a mistake on my part and completely unintentional. At the time of writing the post I was reflecting back to when I was first starting to get my feet wet in brenchrest shooting and at that time I was not considering wind or mirage. Shooting my trusty 30+ year old varmint rifle, 3 x 9 Weaver, off of sand bags, wind and mirage never crossed my mind at that time.

So I will make it official, mark your calendars. Wind and mirage doping is just as important at short ranges as at long ranges and must always be considered. I am going to venture out and say that it might be of more importance at short range competition after looking at the tiny groups these guys shoot. I can't even fathom a .100 or less group.

Thanks everyone,

Steve

 

[DennisH]

And it stays a learning process. There's a lot of good YouTube Video's on scopes and dialing in your scope. When I don't want to read or watch commercials on the tube, I go to YouTube. Sure, there is junk on YouTube, but you also have some very good video's on all aspects of firearms, especially long range rifles.

Dennis

 

[Judd]

Nothing beats burning powder, bullets and barrels on learning any of these shooting sports

 

[DennisH]

Nothing beats burning powder, bullets and barrels on learning any of these shooting sports

Trigger Time, the best asset.