Bare Minimum Gear for First PRS Match?

gng4life · Dec 2, 2024

Hello All!

I really like the idea of centerfire PRS so I just purchased a 6CM, got a decent scope, some mags and ammo. Besides that, what is considered the bare equipment to go and have fun. I don't care about ranking or whatever, just want my equipment to run and have fun. Is a Kestral really that vital in the beginning? Do I need a tripod? What about a rangefinder (sounds important so I am guessing this is needed but what is most affordable to start out with?), Bipod - I'm sure that's critical, even to start out with, right?

I have several boxes of factory ammo coming and will work up my 100 yd groups and some DOPE next week.

I apologize in advance if this is redundant but I searched here and can't find exactly what I'm asking here. And yes, I have watched about 1000 hours of YT videos to get some ideas but I still have questions and having experts on the other end of the conversation right now would be super helpful. Thanks!

kindabitey · Dec 2, 2024

Rifle, ammo, mags, verified dope are about the must haves. Most everyone will be willing to let you use support bags and what not. binos and a tripod would be optimum so you can see what's happening down range, but not a requirement for your first match.
And someone will be along shortly to tell you I'm wrong

Lightning8 · Dec 2, 2024

Rifle
Scope
Ammo
Bipod
Positional bag/rear bag - AG Shmedium or similar
Some form of ballistic calculator (free one on your cell phone to start)
Way to keep track of the dope for a specific stage (arm band from Amazon, painters tape on arm)
That should get you started. Watch the other guys and see what you like. Feel free to ask to borrow bags, etc. Watch through others binos

psharon78 · Dec 2, 2024

Rifle, scope, bipod. Everything else can be borrowed from your squad

sachsmart · Dec 2, 2024

Bipod- A harris with arca clamp is fine to start with. Preferably your gun has arca rail. If not try to get an arca attachment. Its cheap.

Smedium- AG Smedium. Very important. Or a Webad fortune cookie

A App for dope- depending on ammo, you can use 4dof or one of the available apps on Appstore

Get a good zero & velocity. If you don’t have a crono, just have someone crono you at the match. Everyone has a Garmin now

Fred @ Bison Tactical · Dec 2, 2024

You don't really need a lot of gear to have fun at a PRS match. Show up with a good attitude and try to use what you have. What you already have sounds good - maybe some bag that is mid size is going to be good for both rear/front rest. Try to attend a 1 day club PRS match since it will be way slower paced, and more relaxed. Also feel free to find a local match and volunteer to help - you may be able to get some shooting in, and checkout what others are doing which can be super helpful.

gng4life · Dec 2, 2024

sachsmart said:
Bipod- A harris with arca clamp is fine to start with. Preferably your gun has arca rail. If not try to get an arca attachment. Its cheap.

Smedium- AG Smedium. Very important. Or a Webad fortune cookie

A App for dope- depending on ammo, you can use 4dof or one of the available apps on Appstore

Get a good zero & velocity. If you don’t have a crono, just have someone crono you at the match. Everyone has a Garmin now

I forgot about choro'ing ammo, thanks! I do a lot of pistol shooting so I have two chrono setups, I will make sure to get some velocity strings wrote down. Thanks!

beetroot · Dec 3, 2024

As above, you can borrow most things from your squad members.
The most important thing (if you want hits) is verified dope at the distance you’ll be shooting.

Rifle, ammo, bipod is pretty much all you need. Game changer and binos would be be nice to have.

gng4life · Dec 3, 2024

beetroot said:
As above, you can borrow most things from your squad members.
The most important thing (if you want hits) is verified dope at the distance you’ll be shooting.

Rifle, ammo, bipod is pretty much all you need. Game changer and binos would be be nice to have.

I have the Game Changer on the way.

Speaking of binos or spotting scope, what is a good entry-level affordable unit with the right magnification and is it better to just get a spotting scope or get binos for now? What magnification level is considered to be the minimum? or ideal? Remember, I'm not planning on running any two day matches or any National-level matches, just local matches but I do want to travel around and hit multiple local matches at one point. Thanks

gng4life · Dec 3, 2024

kindabitey said:
Rifle, ammo, mags, verified dope are about the must haves. Most everyone will be willing to let you use support bags and what not. binos and a tripod would be optimum so you can see what's happening down range, but not a requirement for your first match.
And someone will be along shortly to tell you I'm wrong

I never realized tripods are so expensive. How important are they, on average, at local matches? How often do you use one at a match, on average? Thanks for your help!

sidetoss20 · Dec 3, 2024

You can get away with a cheaper tripod like an Innorel for the time being just to put your binos on. It will also be stable enough to shoot off of if you ever get the opportunity. For your first match, you can usually ask someone who isn’t actively using their set (even though they should be, there will probably be someone being lazy in your squad) if you can look through theirs.

I’d recommend binos over a spotter if you can only have one. That way, you get to look at the stages on a similar magnification to what you’ll be running when you’re shooting. I try to run a similar magnification on my scope for the entire match (10-12x) as my binos so the range looks the “same” through my scope and binos. You can kick scope magnification up over time as you get better at recoil management. The vortex diamondback HD line and up are a good entry point. You’ll spend a lot more time behind binos than behind your scope at matches so don’t feel bad about investing into a nice set. Plus, watching trace is super informative (and pretty cool).

You can use the binos to help understand wind conditions before it’s your turn to shoot.

Dead Eye Dick · Dec 3, 2024

gng4life said:
I have the Game Changer on the way.

For a standalone bag, a waxed game changer is hard to beat. when your’s arrives, don’t be afraid to adjust the fill to get the most stable positioning for your rifle. But if you empty some, SAVE IT, because you might prefer to have some put back in.

My Game Changer stays half full and it holds the rifle like a gun vice. Going to the last sentence of the first paragraph my Shemedium that I use with a mini plate, did not shoot well half full and found it was much better with a good bit of the fill put back in.

For stages I have to move, I use the mini plate with the Shemedium in the bra. For stages where i am not moving but I can’t use a bipod (as in on rocks) I use the game changer. For stages where that are mod prone or prone (like I could actually still shoot prone) I use the bipod with the game changer as the rear bag. It’s just money, and this sport sucks it down like a twig in a whirlpool.

kindabitey · Dec 3, 2024

gng4life said:
I never realized tripods are so expensive. How important are they, on average, at local matches? How often do you use one at a match, on average? Thanks for your help!

I use on for glassing at every match. I haven't quite got the hang of using one for rear support, but you see it quite a bit. You can get by with a cheaper version as stated above, but if you think you'll stick with it a while, go ahead and get a decent one.

ToddKS · Dec 3, 2024

Binos and tripod were the last items I upgraded from what I started with in 2019. Having something to observe and spot with is a huge benefit and worth spending some money on. I started with a Slik 700 tripod ($119) and a pair of $200 Vortex binos.

stanley_white · Dec 3, 2024

Like a person looking to buy scalped tickets, I bet you could show up at a match with a piece of cardboard that says “I have 150 rounds of 6.5 Creedmoor ELD-M and I am looking to borrow everything else” and people would band together to take care of you.

-Stan

beetroot · Dec 3, 2024

gng4life said:
I never realized tripods are so expensive. How important are they, on average, at local matches? How often do you use one at a match, on average? Thanks for your help!

Tripods for glassing are excellent, but I wouldn't rush into buying one for your first match.
There are some cheaper tripods that will do the trick, Innorel is popular but I much prefer Leofoto.
Binos are better for the most part, easier to find targets, easier to use, cheaper binos suck less than a cheap spotter.
If you already have a pair of binos just take those, again you could probably ask to look through someone elses stuff if you have a good squad.

For your first match just managing all your gear, sorting dope, working out how you are going to do a stage will be more important than being on glass. I'd be watching how the other competitors are shooting the stage, trying to get tips on where to place bag, how to build a position etc.

Most competitors took years to build up to the gear they have, in many cases the gucci gear guys are using didn't exist when they started shooting.
The point being, concentrate on the basics to start with, then worry about gear later.

A double pull MDT Ckyepod vs a Harris 9-13 isn't going to be the reason you drop points in your first match , just run what you have (and most importantly know how to use).

kthomas · Dec 3, 2024

I would recommend as a minimum:

- appropriate rifle and scope, 2 mags
- ammo, amount as directed by MD
- good understanding of your DOPE, and a ballistic calculator (phone app, kestrel, etc)
- bipod
- (x1) barricade bag. An additional rear bag would be good too
- water and snacks
- backpack to carry gear

You don't "need" anything else to shoot a match, though additional items may be nice to have.

You can borrow a barricade bag, but IMO that's a nice thing to have and not have to constantly borrow from squad mates if you don't need to. If you need reqs, ask and we can help guide you to a good fit.

spife7980 · Dec 4, 2024

gng4life said:
I never realized tripods are so expensive. How important are they, on average, at local matches? How often do you use one at a match, on average? Thanks for your help!

You don’t need one yet. Match fees and ammo are a better use of your funds right now.

Most other shooters will have been doing this awhile and have accumulated one. While they are shooting you can watch through their set up. When they are done move and peek through the next persons set up. Really only half the people are every using their stuff at a given time, there will usually be 2 or 3 unused that no one will mind you peeking through. I went years before I got a spotting scope for free, that’s the only reason I have one myself.

Have a bipod on your rifle you can relatively easily take off and on.
Have a sand bag of some sort, I like weibad cookies but Armageddon game changers are the other main player in the bag space. If you don’t someone will have an extra you can borrow. It’s nice to have your own bag so you can practice and dry fire outside of matches on your own.

I like the app geoballiatics, it’s much cheaper than a kestrel and… you can also use it with a kestrel if you wanted, only it has a real screen. 15 buck app that just requires you to have a phone with you to set up your door for each stage you’ll shoot and saves you buying a 700 dollar dope calculator.

The app, bipod and bag will be just about the only things I use outside of my rifle, scope and ammo at a match.

Edit: snacks. I grab a breakfast taco on my way in so I have something mid morning to munch on.
And a jug of cool water, most supply water but better safe than sorry. I’ll chug most of it on the drive home if they have bottled water on the stages.
And sunscreen/hat/long sleeve sunshirt.
Those are just good long sun exposure things for any activity though.

kthomas · Dec 4, 2024

gng4life said:
I never realized tripods are so expensive. How important are they, on average, at local matches? How often do you use one at a match, on average? Thanks for your help!

Not important at all. A luxury item, not a necessity.

In fact, most newer shooters would be better off without one. Many use it as a crutch for rear support on many stages, to their detriment.

gng4life · Dec 4, 2024

kthomas said:
I would recommend as a minimum:

- appropriate rifle and scope, 2 mags
- ammo, amount as directed by MD
- good understanding of your DOPE, and a ballistic calculator (phone app, kestrel, etc)
- bipod
- (x1) barricade bag. An additional rear bag would be good too
- water and snacks
- backpack to carry gear

You don't "need" anything else to shoot a match, though additional items may be nice to have.

You can borrow a barricade bag, but IMO that's a nice thing to have and not have to constantly borrow from squad mates if you don't need to. If you need reqs, ask and we can help guide you to a good fit.

I hate to sound like an idiot but what is an "appropriate rifle?" I assume you mean one that is reliable and can shoot 1 MOA out to about 1000 yards or am I way off base? I have the mags. I just downloaded the ballistics app (on the advice of someone else here) so I'm playing with it and will get a better understanding soon. I ordered the MDT GRD bipod, not the best but looks to be okay for a beginner. Ordered the bag (again on the advice here, thanks a lot!) so the schmedium should be here next week. Thanks for the help.

gng4life · Dec 4, 2024

beetroot said:
Tripods for glassing are excellent, but I wouldn't rush into buying one for your first match.
There are some cheaper tripods that will do the trick, Innorel is popular but I much prefer Leofoto.
Binos are better for the most part, easier to find targets, easier to use, cheaper binos suck less than a cheap spotter.
If you already have a pair of binos just take those, again you could probably ask to look through someone elses stuff if you have a good squad.

For your first match just managing all your gear, sorting dope, working out how you are going to do a stage will be more important than being on glass. I'd be watching how the other competitors are shooting the stage, trying to get tips on where to place bag, how to build a position etc.

Most competitors took years to build up to the gear they have, in many cases the gucci gear guys are using didn't exist when they started shooting.
The point being, concentrate on the basics to start with, then worry about gear later.

A double pull MDT Ckyepod vs a Harris 9-13 isn't going to be the reason you drop points in your first match , just run what you have (and most importantly know how to use).

Great advice! Thanks

kthomas · Dec 4, 2024

gng4life said:
I hate to sound like an idiot but what is an "appropriate rifle?" I assume you mean one that is reliable and can shoot 1 MOA out to about 1000 yards or am I way off base? I have the mags. I just downloaded the ballistics app (on the advice of someone else here) so I'm playing with it and will get a better understanding soon. I ordered the MDT GRD bipod, not the best but looks to be okay for a beginner. Ordered the bag (again on the advice here, thanks a lot!) so the schmedium should be here next week. Thanks for the help.

Pretty much.

A rifle that is capable of 1 MOA or better and takes mags is fairly essential for PRS.

Beyond that, the rifle can take many shapes or forms. There's a pretty big variety in what a modern PRS rifle may be.

Sounds like you are well on your way!

spife7980 · Dec 4, 2024

gng4life said:
I just downloaded the ballistics app (on the advice of someone else here) so I'm playing with it and will get a better understanding soon.

https://geoballistics.com/sites/geoballistics.com/files/images/GB_UM_v6.pdf

For shooting matches most of what you use will be the comp mode. Basically you enter what direction and where the targets are and how far and it will tell you the dope you need to use to hit them sequentially.

First target is 760, second target is 840, third target is 950, fourth target is back to 500. It will show you that youll need to dial 5.3 mils, 6.2, 7.7 and then 2.6 mils in elevation on the targets in that order for the stage.
And the 2 wind speeds are my gathered/entered low of 5mph and high of 10 mph winds so I know how much wind I can expect to have to hold on the stage.

You can then save the individual stage card info a folder called a range card and enter the next stage.
I enter all of my stages the morning of the match during the match directors brief (speech) so that I have it ready for me to shoot all day the rest of the day.

bbyars · Dec 5, 2024

About the only thing i have not seen mentioned is SNACKS!! But, really sometimes its like 6-8 hours and not all the matches i go to provide food and many run out of water.

Essentials:
Rifle...capable of atleast .75" w/ DBM
Ammo
positional style bag
Binos to ID targets before each stage
Good dope atleast out to 800yds some of the predictive solvers get you close enough Geo/ab/kestrel/4dof but i always carry hard dope.
notebook w/ pens and sharpies
Something to write your dope on for each stage...armboard/datacard/masking tape
Good backpack to haul all this stuff around
Now you have to have a chamber flag***
eye/ear pro

Non essentials:
Tripod
Plate bag
Turret tape
scope level
Bipod
rangefinder
fix it sticks
packable cleaning rod
spare mags
belt set up or mag pouches
lens wipes/brush
small med kit...shit happens

gng4life · Dec 13, 2024

bbyars said:
About the only thing i have not seen mentioned is SNACKS!! But, really sometimes its like 6-8 hours and not all the matches i go to provide food and many run out of water.

Essentials:
Rifle...capable of atleast .75" w/ DBM
Ammo
positional style bag
Binos to ID targets before each stage
Good dope atleast out to 800yds some of the predictive solvers get you close enough Geo/ab/kestrel/4dof but i always carry hard dope.
notebook w/ pens and sharpies
Something to write your dope on for each stage...armboard/datacard/masking tape
Good backpack to haul all this stuff around
Now you have to have a chamber flag***
eye/ear pro

Non essentials:
Tripod
Plate bag
Turret tape
scope level
Bipod
rangefinder
fix it sticks
packable cleaning rod
spare mags
belt set up or mag pouches
lens wipes/brush
small med kit...shit happens

Great list! I got two bags in, an AG schmedium and Weebad, binos (Bushnell Match Pro ED), 4DOF (practicing with it now), bipod, fixit sitcks, levels, spare mags, lens wipes, and med kit (former EMT). I have belts from shooting pistol matches so I'll re-purpose one of those. Need some mag pouches, didn't think of that. I don't have a range finder, what are some suggestions for a simple one for now? Turret tape?? I'll get a plate bag later and I'm looking at some inexpensive tripods for now. Does everyone really use just a backpack for everything?? I have a cart I used years ago for 3Gun, I was going to use that. Thanks for the help!

gng4life · Dec 13, 2024

spife7980 said:
https://geoballistics.com/sites/geoballistics.com/files/images/GB_UM_v6.pdf
For shooting matches most of what you use will be the comp mode. Basically you enter what direction and where the targets are and how far and it will tell you the dope you need to use to hit them sequentially.
View attachment 8560657

First target is 760, second target is 840, third target is 950, fourth target is back to 500. It will show you that youll need to dial 5.3 mils, 6.2, 7.7 and then 2.6 mils in elevation on the targets in that order for the stage.
And the 2 wind speeds are my gathered/entered low of 5mph and high of 10 mph winds so I know how much wind I can expect to have to hold on the stage.
View attachment 8560662

You can then save the individual stage card info a folder called a range card and enter the next stage.
I enter all of my stages the morning of the match during the match directors brief (speech) so that I have it ready for me to shoot all day the rest of the day.

Do you bring your phone on every stage and refer to it as you are shooting? Or just write it down? or memorize it?

bbyars · Dec 13, 2024

gng4life said:
Great list! I got two bags in, an AG schmedium and Weebad, binos (Bushnell Match Pro ED), 4DOF (practicing with it now), bipod, fixit sitcks, levels, spare mags, lens wipes, and med kit (former EMT). I have belts from shooting pistol matches so I'll re-purpose one of those. Need some mag pouches, didn't think of that. I don't have a range finder, what are some suggestions for a simple one for now? Turret tape?? I'll get a plate bag later and I'm looking at some inexpensive tripods for now. Does everyone really use just a backpack for everything?? I have a cart I used years ago for 3Gun, I was going to use that. Thanks for the help!

Vortex, leupold, sig, leica, vectronix....in $ to $$$$ order. I would probably buy a sig if i wanted to go cheaper, ultimately they all suck unless you get one with a higher power laser than civ models. Bino/rangefinders do tend to pick up better. IDTS and some other companies make basically fancy stickers that go on the turrets so you can mark on them with grease pens or wet erase pens...eaiser than looking down at arm boards in my opinion. Plate bags are good but honestly rarely use it. Most props are stable enought to get away with just a bag or bipod and bag. I have yet to buy a cart until i shoot more 2 day matches. Its just more shit to buy in already an gear whore game. I have seen quite a few guys roll around with the Milwaukee packouts instead of buying baby strollers/ garden carts. I cant remember the name of his brand but Jeremy Von Glahn makes a backpack that doubles as a seat...it looks pretty cool but i think he only advertises on facebook. I probably guess most used pack is the eberlestock upranger.

spife7980 · Dec 13, 2024

gng4life said:
Do you bring your phone on every stage and refer to it as you are shooting? Or just write it down? or memorize it?

I have a dry erase dope card that Velcro/bungies around the scope

Cheat Sheet V2 | Cole-TAC Outdoor Gear

The Cheat Sheet from Cole-TAC offers the perfect way to keep your important data in clear view. By mounting the Cheat Sheet directly to your scope, you can easily see your DOPE without having to break your position. This simple but effective design works on all optics and can be…

www.cole-tac.com

Used to just write it in the back of my hand with a pen.

But yeah, I keep my phone in my pocket and I’ve looked at it when I realize I have the wrong rifle or stage selected before.

C130 · Tuesday at 3:37 PM

gng4life said:
Do you bring your phone on every stage and refer to it as you are shooting? Or just write it down? or memorize it?

I just shot my first PRS match Saturday in Navasota, TX. I had one of the armbands that you put a card in, problem was it was raining all day so that made it hard to use. I just ordered the dry erase one someone posted that goes on your scope. My opinion, it definitely helps having the info written down, especially for someone new like me.

My hardest part was initially acquiring the target and also figuring out which were the correct targets before I shot on a couple of stages. Part of that was the rain and visibility but mostly due to me being new I think. I took way too much time acquiring the target so wasted way too much time. I also sucked a little at remembering the correct sequence but overall that wasn't my real issue.

But, I had fun and enjoyed it. Definitely learned lot and know quite a few things I really need to work on. Ask a lot of questions and most likely a few people will be very helpful. I didn't know anyone but overall most were very understanding and helpful.

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