Tips for a first time PRS shooter
- Thread starter Kramerica
- Start date
moondog
Gold $$ Contributor
Buy the Latest equipment, Bags, tripod, Scopes that aren't out yet, Chassis that cost more than most guns. Then sell it all in 6 months when the NEW best stuff comes out! Make sure you have Crye tactical
pants in Gap camo, Sponsor shirt with your name on it, and the names of every component known to man. Gap hydro dipped stock, and of course your gun MUST be chambered in 6, or 6.5 Creedmoor. Learn to shoot from a boat in waves, hanging upside down in a tree, roof top, rope net, and get 10 shots off in 90 seconds. Join the "Typers Hide" forum. that's where all the real operators hang out! Seriously, shoot what ya got in whatever. Go to a few local PMS matches and shoot them to see where you need work. Barricades? Tripod? off hand? Pick whichever you suck at, then practice THAT discipline 80% of the time. Fast and smooth drills.
pants in Gap camo, Sponsor shirt with your name on it, and the names of every component known to man. Gap hydro dipped stock, and of course your gun MUST be chambered in 6, or 6.5 Creedmoor. Learn to shoot from a boat in waves, hanging upside down in a tree, roof top, rope net, and get 10 shots off in 90 seconds. Join the "Typers Hide" forum. that's where all the real operators hang out! Seriously, shoot what ya got in whatever. Go to a few local PMS matches and shoot them to see where you need work. Barricades? Tripod? off hand? Pick whichever you suck at, then practice THAT discipline 80% of the time. Fast and smooth drills.
I'd recommend either getting a solver like Applied Ballistics, or printing off longer range dope charts from JBM or similar.
Make sure you have a rear bag and a bipod, you'll want those for prone stages.
Most anything else you need you can borrow from someone at the match for your first time out.
They are fun. Come and at least try one out. Some people get hooked immediately, like I did, and other people don't find it that exciting (a far fewer number).
But, you'll never know unless you try, so come on out!
Make sure you have a rear bag and a bipod, you'll want those for prone stages.
Most anything else you need you can borrow from someone at the match for your first time out.
They are fun. Come and at least try one out. Some people get hooked immediately, like I did, and other people don't find it that exciting (a far fewer number).
But, you'll never know unless you try, so come on out!
Ya forgot about shooting from under a galloping horse
That's comical, wish I would have came up with that one.
I went to my first PRS like match this past Sunday at my club. The club calls it a Know Your Limits match and the match director describes is as PRS on training wheels.
Best advice I can give you is just getting do it. Figure out where you need improvement and ask for help. Like other segments of the shooting community PRS guys are happy to see new shooters and will gladly help.
Best advice I can give you is just getting do it. Figure out where you need improvement and ask for help. Like other segments of the shooting community PRS guys are happy to see new shooters and will gladly help.
Run what you got until you figure out what you really need. Make sure you have your dope/drops figured out. Marcus Blanchards book (Practical Shooters Guide) and Jake Vibberts online training series will be immensely helpful. IOTA and dryfire practice.
Upstate NY. Closest one I’m aware of would be NH
moondog
Gold $$ Contributor
PMS, guys are some of the best, most fun shooters I've been around period! Don't get caught up in the Equipment race, It will never end! learn to read the wind, catch changes. Go to a match watch how guys are running a particular stage. How they set up etc.
you'll notice the good ones make it seem easy. Not because the gear they have is better than yours.
It may give them a few more points in the end. But it's because they send thousands of rounds down range
practicing a particular set up. A lot of guys have "trainers" in 223 or 22lr set up exactly like their
match guns. If I were to pick, I would say Tripod practice, Barricade practice. Set your timer on your phone,
then, from port arms, GO. you never have to fire a live round to get smooth at that. Again, practice your weakest position most. Like a Buddy of mine said, Anybody can shoot prone!
you'll notice the good ones make it seem easy. Not because the gear they have is better than yours.
It may give them a few more points in the end. But it's because they send thousands of rounds down range
practicing a particular set up. A lot of guys have "trainers" in 223 or 22lr set up exactly like their
match guns. If I were to pick, I would say Tripod practice, Barricade practice. Set your timer on your phone,
then, from port arms, GO. you never have to fire a live round to get smooth at that. Again, practice your weakest position most. Like a Buddy of mine said, Anybody can shoot prone!
Listen to moondog!
Timers will get you in used to being on the clock and under pressure. Also finding targets on the clock in your first couple of matches is a bitch. Zoom out and don't get lost in the scope. The longer I compete the less magnification I use.
Bring what you got and have fun. You will know so much more after that first match.
Timers will get you in used to being on the clock and under pressure. Also finding targets on the clock in your first couple of matches is a bitch. Zoom out and don't get lost in the scope. The longer I compete the less magnification I use.
Bring what you got and have fun. You will know so much more after that first match.
Ya forgot about shooting from under a galloping horse
Too be really cool you'l need to grow a tactical beard, a top priority.
xswanted
Gold $$ Contributor
Lol! Love that, moondog. 
My recommendations are to go find a match and shoot it. Don't expect to do well, or to do even close to well. Go with the goal of having fun and learning more about the sport and what you need to work on.
Some training videos like those from JC Steel/Jake Vibbert are good foundational info. If you want to practice in preparation for the first match so that it's not quite as much of a punch in the nuts, the two things I would train are target acquisition and some variation of barricade shooting.
Barricade shooting you can practice by dry firing off a folding ladder or chair or just about anything. Aim at small 1 MOA size targets, use a simple sand bag or rear bag between the barricade and the rifle and balance the rifle near the mag well. Work towards being able to break a clean shot on a 1MOA target from any height position.
Target acquisition you can practice from prone or barricade. Pick a small target, test how fast can you get on the gun and put the crosshairs on the target. Repeat with a new small target every time. Pick 4 targets across a wide field of view and see how quickly you can put the crosshairs on them in order. Then repeat with new targets. Goal is to be able to look at a distant/small target with your naked eye, point the rifle and get on the gun and have the target already in your scope (set at around 12-15x). If you are searching around for the target while looking through the scope you're burning time while on the clock.
My recommendations are to go find a match and shoot it. Don't expect to do well, or to do even close to well. Go with the goal of having fun and learning more about the sport and what you need to work on.
Some training videos like those from JC Steel/Jake Vibbert are good foundational info. If you want to practice in preparation for the first match so that it's not quite as much of a punch in the nuts, the two things I would train are target acquisition and some variation of barricade shooting.
Barricade shooting you can practice by dry firing off a folding ladder or chair or just about anything. Aim at small 1 MOA size targets, use a simple sand bag or rear bag between the barricade and the rifle and balance the rifle near the mag well. Work towards being able to break a clean shot on a 1MOA target from any height position.
Target acquisition you can practice from prone or barricade. Pick a small target, test how fast can you get on the gun and put the crosshairs on the target. Repeat with a new small target every time. Pick 4 targets across a wide field of view and see how quickly you can put the crosshairs on them in order. Then repeat with new targets. Goal is to be able to look at a distant/small target with your naked eye, point the rifle and get on the gun and have the target already in your scope (set at around 12-15x). If you are searching around for the target while looking through the scope you're burning time while on the clock.
Adding to target target aquisition, don't get tacticool with the flip up scope caps. If you're having trouble finding a target while behind the rifle, lift your head up, find the target then line the rifle up, then get back in the scope and you should be pretty close. Can't do that with scope caps; plus they can get in the way on certain barricades.
I'm on 12-15x a lot and may run 18x on barricades. One match I never moved off 12x.
Best thing is to go match, borrow bags if needed, and ask questions, 99.5% of the guys and gals are super helpful.
All I run is a game changer bag, Harris 6-9" swivel bipod, and a smaller rear bag and don't feel too handicapped.
Good luck,
Chris
I'm on 12-15x a lot and may run 18x on barricades. One match I never moved off 12x.
Best thing is to go match, borrow bags if needed, and ask questions, 99.5% of the guys and gals are super helpful.
All I run is a game changer bag, Harris 6-9" swivel bipod, and a smaller rear bag and don't feel too handicapped.
Good luck,
Chris
Upgrades & Donations
This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.