You should always have a gameplan when you get to the range. A skill you want to sharpen. A weakness to strengthen.
Riflemen don't aimlessly plink. Riflemen get things done!
This is a thread to share your favorite drills, your goals, your dry- and live-fire routines, your struggles, and your successes. It's to share how you approach squeezing most out of time on the range, or in your garage. And by gum, it's to collect some attaboys and attagirls.
Riflemen need to support each other and stick together, right? RIGHT?!
I'll kick us off. This year has been brutal on "me time" but I finally got a couple of free hours to hit the range earlier this month.
What's the first thing a bolt-action rifleman does to shake off the rust? Why, the STAGE TWO BOOGALOO, of course!
Did you know that one quarter of a 3x5 index card is about right to simulate a Stage 2 silhouette?
(http://i.imgur.com/JchuF93.jpg?1)
Rifleman's origami!
(http://i.imgur.com/kjO0yhe.jpg?1)
Yup, close enough. And I managed to use the scissors without bleeding this time!! My wife would be so proud.
Filled up a target backer and snuck off to a public range early one morning with my trusty shot timer.
(http://i.imgur.com/xeznqQM.jpg)
Drill: AQT Stage 2 (Rimfire)
Distance: 25 yards
Time: 55 seconds
Course of Fire: Engage two targets, five rounds each. NPOA shift & reload between targets.
Equipment: 5-round magazines (2x), Pocket Pro II
Nothing fancy here, just shooting Stage 2. Having a true shot timer (not a smartphone app) really helps smooth out something like this since you can just push a button and shoot, then repeat.
Discussion / Observation: I am hammering out positional details before I beg, borrow or steal enough free time to shoot a KD with a Remington 700. So, obviously, elements of that are easier to work through with a rimfire stand-in (in this case, a CZ 452). I set out to see how quickly open-legged position accuracy degraded, and if achieving NPOA at the drop in open-legged was materially faster than stacked-ankle over time. The result was not surprising as accuracy plummeted string-over-string in trademark Alabama heat & humidity ("It's air you can wear!"), and I abandoned open-legged shooting after five or six reps. NPOA was not easily established, and was heinously difficult / time-consuming to reacquire when changing targets. For a bolt gun this all but guarantees dismal stage scores. Add in the manual loading I'll have to do without a box mag and that's a hard stop. I had seen lots of potential in the open-legged position in dryfire but man, I just can't make it work.
(http://i.imgur.com/SJhQMYK.jpg)
Woof.
(http://i.imgur.com/j0cyCzM.jpg)
Stacked ankles, my old standby. NPOA is truly a wonderful thing. Yes, this group is cherrypicked. Yes, it's the best one I've ever shot on Stage 2. Internet high fives!
Unrelated, but I find myself combing through handgun dryfire manuals to see if there is anything easily adaptable to our environment. It's an obvious candidate, so at the next opportunity I want to try El Presidente in the seated positions on 200-yard silhouettes. Call it El Presidente Pequeño (or should it be El Presidente Sientate?). Should be a reasonable NPOA drill.
And the Whelen Challenge... why yes indeed precious, the Whelen Challenge...
Good thread and nice seated group Kennebago.
200 yard line (standing and rapid seated) continue to be my weak point.
My practice consists of only standing for now. My standing scores have risen to the low 90s (out of 100). My seated scores are low to mid 90s. NOW, after seeing the cut for the National Trophy Infantry match at Camp Perry this year being a 475, I need to also get seated mastered (cleaning it, or 99's).
I earned my first 6 leg points with a 464, that would not come close to the cut this year at Perry (475). Where will I find the other 10 points?
Standing and Seated.
For seated I have not practiced that much. It was not my weakest position (2nd weakest), so...I had been concentrating on standing. My new routine for dry fire will be starting in seated, and then moving to standing. 20 shots each on the SCATT.
If I make up 7 points seated and 3 more standing, we will be in there. Gotta be at least low 90s offhand, upper 90s to cleans in rapids, and 190(ish) in slow prone.
Goals........that is what it comes down to for me. What is the goal?
This season's goal, was to earn my NRA Expert card and earn my first leg points. Accomplished..sort of. One needs to put 240 shots down for record at the next higher level to advance to the next level with NRA. I have those 240 shots, but unfortunately 80 of them were in a team match. Team matches do not count for classification. SO....my goal is not complete yet.
I have 2 more EIC matches I can shoot this year for leg points. Those are typically preceded the day prior by an NRA 800 aggregate match. So, my next 800 AGG if I score above a 712 (well within my capability), Expert card will be enroute.
What kind of practice? I do not live fire at all. I only live fire during matches. It is the situation I am in. So, the SCATT really does help me at home. SCATT and blank wall dry fire.
Also, I have decided that for the rest of this year and next year, I will not shoot the wood rifles in matches. I think that spreads me too thin, and I lose the momentum I have built up with my service rifle practice when I do that. Some may disagree, but that is what is in my head. I learn my service rifle trigger, then go to the Garand, and when I get back to the Service rifle I find myself "pulling thru" on my shots for awhile, because I lost the feel/muscle memory of my trigger. I've made exception for the Rimfire Sporter matches, those are fun and don't take anything away from my service rifle stuff.
So...back to my goals. I have established my goals for next year. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I will "leg out" and earn my Distinguished badge with the Service Rifle, and I also intend to earn my NRA Master card.
R/
Chris
Navybowhunter,
Each stage of fire starts with 100 points. Get THAT into your head. Each shot is worth 10 points and your cheating yourself if you give any of those points away. Practice getting into the position you are shooting and practice it over and over. When the position feels right and you know your rifle is supported, your eye is in the correct position behind the sights, your front post is centered in your aiming area, then practice firing individual shots. Each shot is worth 10 points so focus your mind totally on shooting them one at a time as perfect as you possibly can. When you finish shooting a match you should be mentally worn out because you concentrated so hard on maintaining your focus on firing each shot. If you are not mentally worn out you are just plinking, not really competing.
When practicing your sitting position break getting into position into steps. One : drop to sitting. Two: position your feet. Three: position your left elbow into the inside of your left knee. and so on until you are locked into a solid position and your position becomes automatic. If you spend your time preparing to shoot well then when you do shoot you will shoot well.
Before you practice standing go back and read my entry on how to shoot standing and reread the part about settling the post into the black as you increase pressure on the trigger.
I wish you well.
Doug
Thanks Doug (VAShooter)!
I will continue to work on it. You are correct, always starting the match with a perfect score.
I have found that if I allow myself to settle into position, and take my time, results are good. I am getting better not thinking about the time, we have plenty of time.
I'll re-read the comments on standing you made.
R/
Chris