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MrBorland · August 16, 2014, 02:57 PM

So, I took most this year off from handgun (runNgun) competition and started shooting rifle. Partly for the mental R&R, partly because Clays powder is nowhere to be found (and I'm nearly out), and partly because my rifle skills lag my handgun skills. I broke out my .22, but ammo is about as easy to find as Clays. I had a Geissele-equipped A2 lower laying around I traded a j-frame snubbie for, so I had a service rifle upper built up, getting it in mid-March. My competitive side started kicking in, so I started looking for local matches. Lucky me, there are 2 reduced-course matches locally, and Camp Butner is just 20 minutes away. Today was a 200 yard 80-round match.

The Good: There were a lot of goods. First, I had a great time, the match was well-run, and the people were terrific and very helpful. I had the Spidey-sense to set up next to the eventual match winner, who also happened to be especially helpful and patient with the noob next to him. Second, the weather was perfect. Sunny, low 70s and no wind. A noob couldn't ask for better conditions. And finally, my standing and sitting were about what they are in practice, so I was happy I was able to keep my head. I had the jitters at first, and that being standing, it cost me a point or 2 (or 3) below my norm. No biggie, though.

The Bad: The wheels fell off during Prone Slow Fire.

My range isn't set up for prone shooting. I practiced some prone during my dry fire practice, and that was enough to get me through prone rapid, but Slow Prone is entirely another matter apparently. My spotting scope was set up on a cheap tripod, and I couldn't get comfy looking through it, and when I did, I couldn't see the holes. Screw it, I told myself. The black's the same diameter, and I've been "on" all match, so I just shot without it. Second, I learned there's a big difference between doing a single reload and doing 20. Every shot felt different between shots - sling tension, cheek weld, position of the rifle butt, so I kept fidgeting. I was the 2nd guy finished, with plenty of time left, and I saw that as a bad omen. Turns out the grouping was ok (but not great), but 3" high. The scoring rings are relatively small, so 3" is a big deal, and I dropped a bunch of points.

Lessons learned: 1) Practice PSF at home (dry fire) with the spotting scope properly set up, 2) find a way to practice PSF at the range, and 3) know ahead of time what sight adjustment will get me close, so I'd only need to fine-tune while I'm shooting. Anything I missed?

Anyhow, my scores were:

Standing Slow: 184-2x
Sitting Rapid: 192-6x
Prone Rapid: 194-5x
Prone Slow: 162-0x

Aggregate: 732-13x

There's another local reduced-course next weekend.

August 16, 2014, 02:57 PM	#1
MrBorland Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2007 Location: NC Posts: 2,614	First High Power Rifle Match So, I took most this year off from handgun (runNgun) competition and started shooting rifle. Partly for the mental R&R, partly because Clays powder is nowhere to be found (and I'm nearly out), and partly because my rifle skills lag my handgun skills. I broke out my .22, but ammo is about as easy to find as Clays. I had a Geissele-equipped A2 lower laying around I traded a j-frame snubbie for, so I had a service rifle upper built up, getting it in mid-March. My competitive side started kicking in, so I started looking for local matches. Lucky me, there are 2 reduced-course matches locally, and Camp Butner is just 20 minutes away. Today was a 200 yard 80-round match. The Good: There were a lot of goods. First, I had a great time, the match was well-run, and the people were terrific and very helpful. I had the Spidey-sense to set up next to the eventual match winner, who also happened to be especially helpful and patient with the noob next to him. Second, the weather was perfect. Sunny, low 70s and no wind. A noob couldn't ask for better conditions. And finally, my standing and sitting were about what they are in practice, so I was happy I was able to keep my head. I had the jitters at first, and that being standing, it cost me a point or 2 (or 3) below my norm. No biggie, though. The Bad: The wheels fell off during Prone Slow Fire. My range isn't set up for prone shooting. I practiced some prone during my dry fire practice, and that was enough to get me through prone rapid, but Slow Prone is entirely another matter apparently. My spotting scope was set up on a cheap tripod, and I couldn't get comfy looking through it, and when I did, I couldn't see the holes. Screw it, I told myself. The black's the same diameter, and I've been "on" all match, so I just shot without it. Second, I learned there's a big difference between doing a single reload and doing 20. Every shot felt different between shots - sling tension, cheek weld, position of the rifle butt, so I kept fidgeting. I was the 2nd guy finished, with plenty of time left, and I saw that as a bad omen. Turns out the grouping was ok (but not great), but 3" high. The scoring rings are relatively small, so 3" is a big deal, and I dropped a bunch of points. Lessons learned: 1) Practice PSF at home (dry fire) with the spotting scope properly set up, 2) find a way to practice PSF at the range, and 3) know ahead of time what sight adjustment will get me close, so I'd only need to fine-tune while I'm shooting. Anything I missed? Anyhow, my scores were: Standing Slow: 184-2x Sitting Rapid: 192-6x Prone Rapid: 194-5x Prone Slow: 162-0x Aggregate: 732-13x There's another local reduced-course next weekend.