Hello All,
The question I have for you is this: When you, personally, shoot a 25m AQT or a KD (whether it is a timed practice or a re-qualification AQT at an Appleseed shoot), what do you do during prep and why do you do it? Do you place emphasis on any tasks during prep?
When we're instructing we tell the shooters that in prep you can handle the rifle, get into the sling, remove chamber flags, get into position, make sight adjustments, build their nest, dry fire, etc. They can do everything but load the rifle. All of this is important.
The preparation period for me is vital because I shoot about 15 different rifles when I'm home. I travel a lot for work and play so I'm away from the shooting for months at a time. Therefore, when I do practice or shoot a re-qualification AQT-I need to re-familiarize with the rifle in hand. So, in Prep, my thing is to dry fire with a purpose.
Pre-preparation period
Before the preparation period begins, I make sure I take care of as much "Prep" as I can so I maximize my time for what I really want to do during the preparation period. Such as, I will have my magazine(s) correct for the course of fire: one 10-round mag or mags of 2 and 8. Next, make sure I have the tool I need for sight adjustments. Then I put a shooting glove on my support hand. For Prone, I'll also put an elbow pad on my support side elbow. Last, I make sure of my eye and ear protection. Now I'm ready for the Preparation Period.
For Seated and Prone, I do the following:
When prep starts:
• Set my magazine(s) where I can easily pick them up (build the nest)
• Make any needed sight adjustments
• Remove the chamber flag
• Send the action forward
• Get into solid position
• Then NPOA, so I can dry fire a few times. At the Click! I'm calling the shot, and, looking for any movement (slight wiggle) of the scope's reticle or tip of the front sight with respect to the target. If there was movement, I re-work my position and NPOA, and continue to dry fire until the preparation period has ended.
Standing: Before the preparation period begins I make sure I have a 10-round mag in my trigger side pocket, any sight adjustment tool I may need, and a shooting glove on my support hand. Then eye and ear pro.
When prep starts:
• I move my mat to get my boots on solid ground/concrete
• Make any needed sight adjustments
• Get into the sling
• Remove the chamber flag
• Send the action forward
• Get my NPOA
• When I dry fire in standing, I relax and make very sure of a good trigger squeeze. At the Click! I simply concentrate on calling the shot. We all know how you can't keep a rifle completely still in standing so, for me, being able to see a reticle 'wiggle' at the click is not feasible.
I find the preparation period to be extremely helpful in getting me ready to shoot well at the call to fire.
What do you do in prep?
In Liberty,
Gus
If the mat is still in the right spot, I:
Get to my knees on the mat, drop the mags, yank the flag, drop the bolt, turn off the safety (and this is with the rifle on the ground.) I then pick up the rifle and do the hug with my shooting arm so the muzzle is trapped up. Adjust sling to position, put sling on. I then either stand into standing, or move into seated or prone. I find a comfortable spot for my rear or my support elbow, then I check index, then assume the position. I will then get NPOA and perhaps dry fire a time or two. If I still have time I will check my mags. After that, I will lower the rifle, rest, and wait for the line boss.
Quote from: Big John on September 22, 2025, 08:03:44 PMIf the mat is still in the right spot, I:
Get to my knees on the mat, drop the mags, yank the flag, drop the bolt, turn off the safety (and this is with the rifle on the ground.) I then pick up the rifle and do the hug with my shooting arm so the muzzle is trapped up. Adjust sling to position, put sling on. I then either stand into standing, or move into seated or prone. I find a comfortable spot for my rear or my support elbow, then I check index, then assume the position. I will then get NPOA and perhaps dry fire a time or two. If I still have time I will check my mags. After that, I will lower the rifle, rest, and wait for the line boss.
This is very much my process, except that I've never had time left at the end. I'm always in that cycle of check, close eyes, breathe, check, try to find whatever muscle tension is making my NPOA wander, check, close eyes...
Generally, after the first few AQTs, dry fire becomes much less important to me as opposed to staying relaxed and limber. The more time I spend in a position the more fatigue will build up that taking a short rest cant recover, which is doubly important during the rapid fire stages as there isn't enough time to take a proper rest. When I am actually dry firing I focus a lot on rapidly acquiring NPOA as many times as possible, including as many shifts as possible with the usual process consisting of two short breaths in, breath out, assess, repeat.
During the preparation period for stages 3 and 4 I lay on my support side, slung up, chamber flag removed, and try not to fall asleep.
I dry run the stages focusing on dry fire, mag changes and shifting. On a smooth run I'm normally installing the chamber flag on stages 2&3 when cease fire is called.