Preparation Period/Sighting shots/Data Book

[USNAVYCHIEF(Ret)]

So let's discuss the importance of sighting shots, be it at a 25meter/27 yard Appleseed (AS), or an AS KD, or even say High Power Rifle.

Sighting Shots.....how to maximize the benefit of them:

My mental game must be strong, when I take my sighters.  Sighters are of immense value, especially when doping wind or even the rifle. The Sighting Shots are the 2 MOST IMPORTANT shots I take in any match.

Squares for AS are awesome for this. Let's assume for this topic, you are already a MASTER of the FUNDAMENTALS, because unless you already are....sighting shots may not provide the same type of value.

It never fails with my tricked out 10/22's....dependent on the time of day/lighting etc....my ZERO is never 100% on, that could also have to do with shifts in my position as I do not wear a shooting coat when doing AS or CMP Rimfire Sporter.

I'll also add, that when I am LAZY in my 3 minute preparation period, and do not use that to dry fire, I'll assure you, my sighting shots will not be good.  SIGHTING SHOTS are not part of the "PREP period".  The prep period, is to get my NPA established, and to learn my trigger.  An example of this:

Rarely do I shoot my 10/22 or wood rifles lately (M1 Garand/1903 etc).  Most of my time is spent with my service rifle (AR15).  Every rifle's trigger is different, especially in comparison to my KIDD single stage and my service rifle 2 stage trigger.  Prep time is where I get my trigger finger and mind used to the trigger.  When I (or my daughter) gets lazy in prep and do not maximize our prep time with dry fire, often times our first few live fire shots will be off call. 

So....maximize your prep.  Take every opportunity to take as many dry fire shots as you can.

Let's take these by position:

100/200 yards standing: I want to take the 2 (or whatever # allowed) best sighting shots I can take. Dope the rifle for wind, and make any necessary elevation changes. Then I RECORD that.

We MUST record our elevation and windage changes....data books are great for this, but so is a little notebook or piece of paper. On an M1 Garand.....I know for 200 yards I am about 12 clicks up....so I run my sights down to where they will not go down any further....and count em up...12 times. I may need to subtract a click or add a click or 2, and that gets recorded.

200 yards rapid fire seated:

I'll put the appropriate elevation on the rifle (for many standing and seated zeros at the same yard line are different elevations...another topic). I will also DOPE the wind (see wind topic).

It is important for me to make my rapid fire sighters as close to realistic as possible. In NRA HP with my AR15....I ensure to use my magazine (Not a BOB sled) with 1 round in it and the bolt all the way back. I close the bolt with the bolt release as I would during the mag change. Then I don't FUSS the shot. I take it when I see it, as I would in rapid fire "for score". If my shot is ON CALL.....I will adjust sights, and I may wait till close to the end of my sighter period to take my 2nd sighter.....I may even take the 2nd sighter when the wind is a bit different, so I can see what that affect has. This is all Rifleman's Dance type advanced stuff. It becomes more and more personal as you gain experience.

300 Yard Rapid Prone:

Pretty much same for rapid seated, but I do add appropriate elevation and Dope wind.

400/500 or 600 yard (or even 800 and 1000 yards) Slow Prone:

These are the $$ shots! I will absolutely add appropriate elevation, and will likely use my BOB Sled and single load my rounds. ** There is a reason for this....due to the violent action of say the Garand or AR15.....and the fact that I use 80 grain bullets at distance, that will not fit in a magazine.....but say I was using mag length 75s or 77s, I will always guide those in to the chamber and never EVER feed from the magazine....why? Cause the violent action of the semi autos will absolutely change OAL when chambering a round. Don't believe me? If you have a Garand and reload.....load some ammo up, and do not crimp (another topic)....put it in an Enbloc clip and feed from clip into chamber....work op rod 8 times and extract each round and measure the OAL. It will change...ALOT!~ OAL changes = pressure changes which = velocity changes which = vertical dispersion issues~ LOL....same with an AR. SO........that is reloading stuff/info...back to topic.**

I may choose to shoot my sighters in 2 wind conditions as well.....to check the effect of the wind.

That is my process for a rifle that has zeros......what about one that does not....?

I remember my first KD.....instructor shouted....ANY SHOT ON PAPER (even the cardboard backer) IS DATA!

I had one single shot hole at 400 yards.....top right on the cardboard backer. Now we refer back to IMC! Do the math......1 MOA at 400 yards is 4 inches.....count the inches in elevation to the V ring and divide by 4. Apply that change to the sights. Same with windage.

Guess what? ALL 10 Shots in the V ring after that!

1 shot is all you really need.....if you have the Fundamentals down.

In some matches (most) sighting shots are optional. You DO NOT have to take em. My advice? ALWAYS take the sighter shots. They provide immense data and feedback, and just cause you have a zero....NEVER assume it is perfect. Rarely is my 400/500/600 ZERO the exact same for each match. It is always a bit different....typically within an MOA.....but different.  Same with my 10/22's for Appleseed or say Rimfire Sporter.  Never ever is my zero the exact same zero at the exact same range/location but say weeks apart.  It just never is, typically it is within 1/2 MOA, but it is never exact.  Lots of variables, different lots of 10/22 ammo can cause this as well.

More on Fundamentals.....say in Prone, but during the actual course of fire, after establishing the zero with sighters:

What if I start stringing shots vertically? What is that, is my zero off? Typically it is NEVER the Zero. Typically that is the stock not going into the same EXACT spot each and every time. It could also be ammo related.....10 FPS deviation on a .22 Rimfire at 200 yards is about 1 MOA.....so, 1 MOA vertical stringing I accept with the .22 at distance.

If you know the Standard Deviation of the ammo you are using, or....know the extreme spread in velocity of a 10 shot sample.....that is good info to know as well. 100 FPS spread at 600 yards with a .223 is about 1 MOA as well. SO....it is RARELY the ammo, but it could be....especially if you can hold under 2 MOA.

What about windage? Shots that are thrown right or left? Is it wind? If you are reading the wind well.....or mirage, you should know if it was wind or not. Or....if you are CALLING the shots well....it may just be a flaw in your shot process.

Lately, after my sighters are taken, and my elevation zero is FRESH I am very hesitant during a string to adjust anything for elevation. It is typically ALWAYS stock placement.  Lately we have been using a tone feature in our SCATT dry fire practice at home.  When the rifle is pointed inside the 10 ring, a tone sounds, if it is not in the 10 ring, there is no tone.  We have proven in dry fire on this system what is already well known.  Stock placement is CRUCIAL in prone.

I may spin the windage knob a bit.....if my shots are ON CALL and my wind reading is also ON CALL.

Hope the above helps, keep good data so you don't get "lost in the knobs". Don't hesitate to REBUILD your position in the slow fire stages if you start seeing vertical dispersion on the target.

R/

Chris

[Charles McKinley]

Thank you,

I really need to start keeping a data book.

[USNAVYCHIEF(Ret)]

Thank you,

I really need to start keeping a data book.

They are of immense value.  If only used at a minimum to simply record the different yard line zeros.

My particular data books (Creedmoor), do not have spots for "sighter" shot calls for the rapid fire pages, so....I just make 2 circles top left in the target, and plot the call there.  Cause if the call is not on, the sighter is pretty much useless.

Another thing I have started doing as of late, especially for slow fire (standing or prone), is if I am on a good streak, I do not bother plotting my shots.  I do record any windage or elevation adjustments, and am religious about recording my ending zero.

To my point above on elevation, yes...I have adjusted elevation during a string of fire...but...without fail, I typically end with my starting or sighter elevation.

When I am shooting well, I do not want to waste a lot of time in the data book.  Have you heard of the "plot behind the shot" method?

I may post a thread on that, to include data book management as well.

R/
Chris