Advanced Marksmanship Dot Drill....This Is Tough!!!

psinclair

Gunny Sergeant
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Minuteman
Jul 11, 2008
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Glasgow, Montana
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This was my first go at this and I have to say its no cake walk!! Shot rapid fire from prone with a 6X9 Harris bipod and rear bag. Each target was timed at a bit over six minutes. Targets were 103 meters. The wind conditions were changing almost every shot. The last seven or eight shots were brutal with heat coming up off the barrel....Now I've got to keep trying until I "clean" them!.....grin!

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The old Surgeon .308 almost took the cake...

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Re: Dot Drill....This Is Tough!!!

You can also try the Snipers Hide's dot drills. That should make it even more interesting, since the dots are only 1/2" thick.
 
Re: Dot Drill....This Is Tough!!!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: alt6grunt</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Does impact have to be inside or touching? Can you give full details?
</div></div>

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I went back out and shot again with the Surgeon .308 and cleaned it...18 of the 20 shots were either in the 1/2" square or touching it. I would have been happy with all 20 just touching, or in the black square(1").

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Used this Surgeon .308. This rifle has 4000+ rounds through it.

I think the idea of it is to get away from shooting groups and becoming too "mechanical"....also a good test of getting things hot and still seeing some precision....start on a cold bore and finish with a hot bore and adjust for conditions as you go. I like it and see this as a way to work on trigger control...
 
Re: Dot Drill....This Is Tough!!!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: PGS</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Qualify for what?</div></div>

+1 LOL

Practice is practice.
 
Re: Dot Drill....This Is Tough!!!

PGS nice job!

Storm Tactical has about 300 free printable targets on our site now. They are to-scale for MOA or MIL reticle so they can be used for range estimation and reticle verification using your reticle while you are training. They have the dimensions on the target, which takes out the guesswork, and marginal information to record your environmental conditions, etc.

One of our students sent his Leupold scope back and got a new reticle installed free, since he discovered his reticle was not to spec, after checking it on our target. It was one of the old USMC 'football oval' Mildot ones.

www.stormtactical.com - Free Target Download link. Enjoy!

Team Storm Tactical
 
Re: Dot Drill....This Is Tough!!!

Good job on the dot drill I use a variant with the bolt gun every couple of months that I find bebenficial. Use a single 8"x8" or 12"x12" shoot and see @ 100 yds with 5 rds shoot the bullseye dots. This is quick fire off a bipod and reenforces aim small miss small
 
Re: Dot Drill....This Is Tough!!!

Another fun drill is to take your timer and set a par time -

For me the start position is generally prone, weapon loaded, weapon shouldered, both hands flat on the ground, 10 rnd mag.

Oddly enough, you may find (as did I) that you shoot as well if not even slightly better most times when going as fast as you can.



Good shooting


Good luck
 
Re: Dot Drill....This Is Tough!!!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mo_Zam_Beek</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

Oddly enough, you may find (as did I) that you shoot as well if not even slightly better most times when going as fast as you can.



</div></div>I have found the same thing!
 
Re: Dot Drill....This Is Tough!!!

I did mine yesterday.. Clearly I have some work to do and I think my eyes are getting bad... but it was fun when the other guys at the range were coming over to my target to look at what I was shooting at since I did not have the standard sight-in target that they were all using as the 1" dots looked like specs at 100yards.

I cleaned 13 out of 15 shots with a .308 SPS from a bench... They do not let us go prone. But I swear this is the best way to shoot!
 
Re: Dot Drill....This Is Tough!!!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bm11</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mo_Zam_Beek</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

Oddly enough, you may find (as did I) that you shoot as well if not even slightly better most times when going as fast as you can.



</div></div>I have found the same thing! </div></div>

Me too. I have trouble shooting groups when I take my time, and same with taking an assload of time on each dot.
The phenomenon doesn't bother me much, since I usually don't have a lot of time in the matches I shoot....
 
Re: Dot Drill....This Is Tough!!!

FYI:
The Snipershide dot drill is available as a PDF Download in the Marksmanship area. If you shoot it prone and then get up and rebuild your position for each shot.. it's a really good range test.

RJ
 
Re: Dot Drill....This Is Tough!!!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: richardj</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If you shoot it prone and then get up and rebuild your position for each shot.. it's a really good range test.

RJ
</div></div>
And you get really odd looks if you shoot, get up and jog around your car adn shoot the next one. Five in 60 seconds usually works out about right...
 
Re: Dot Drill....This Is Tough!!!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: sobrbiker883</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: richardj</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If you shoot it prone and then get up and rebuild your position for each shot.. it's a really good range test.

RJ
</div></div>
And you get really odd looks if you shoot, get up and jog around your car adn shoot the next one. Five in 60 seconds usually works out about right... </div></div>

grin.gif
Roger that!
But it's worth it!

RJ
 
Re: Dot Drill....This Is Tough!!!

tag for later downloading of dot drill. Need to try that when I get back. Looks like great training for me and it will probably show me I have trigger finger issues.
 
Re: Dot Drill....This Is Tough!!!

I have to go back and brush up on the basics.

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We did the dot drill and we all found it humbling. I made a bone head move and loaded a round before I hit the ground starting from the low ready.

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Re: Dot Drill....This Is Tough!!!

Just got back from the range today doing dot drills.
Whenever I notice myself starting to shoot sloppy I'll make a day of only dot drills. It really helps me freshen up my fundamentals.

I think a lot of guys avoid dot drills because of how humbling the drill might become. So instead, they continue to pound steel with torso sized groups. And sometimes that guy is me. Haha!
 
Re: Dot Drill....This Is Tough!!!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: wtopace</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Nice shooting guys, I am going to start doing more dot drills and less groups. </div></div>

Same here.

I want to buy that IOTA check sells to focus scope on a 10 ft object to do some dry firing to practice too, I think it would help a lot...

Problem is I spent wee bit much already, and really need to slow down. It's becoming an addiction. I don't even gave that much time to shoot as I've been working 6 days to keep up with my hunger for toys!
 
Re: Dot Drill....This Is Tough!!!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I want to buy that IOTA check sells to focus scope on a 10 ft object to do some dry firing to practice too, I think it would help a lot... </div></div>

The IOTA is worth its weight in gold as a training aid - Chuck N is great guy to deal with and a great shooter as well.

I've even shrunk my dot drill to IOTA size and its almost as good as the real thing!
 
Re: Dot Drill....This Is Tough!!!

Recently read the IOTA thread, and immediately sent Chuck a PM asking for details on getting one for myself. Anxiously awaiting his response!

As for the dot drill, it's one I've not yet had the time to attempt (haven't been able to regularly attend the range for a while), but I'm hoping to change that. Got a lot to work on...
 
Re: Dot Drill....This Is Tough!!!

I just found this forum and was interested in this dot drill. When I go out to the range with my hunting rifle I setup similar marker targets out to 300 meters (depending on the range) and shoot at the smaller targets in the corners of each one and down the sides.

I have never seen these dot targets and would like to find a place to buy some. Instead I am using these http://www.tjtarget.com/p-19-sighting-in-targets-bspgs-targets-red.aspx for my shooting out to 300 meters with my .280 Ruger. Its a nice stable hunting rifle and I no longer have my custom built Remington Model 700 with a free floating barrel in the composite stock. So I make do with what I have.
 
Re: Dot Drill....This Is Tough!!!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Guy Coker</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What's up with the squares? I have seen them on a couple targets. </div></div>

most hunters use such targets in our area: +-4 cm is considered to be 'in life'( that doesn't translate well, but means that everything within +-4cm around the heart is deadly enough).

aim at the center at 100m, but have poi 4cm above poa. in total that allows to use that rifle without any changes to the scope out to about 200m and still stay within the +-4cm.

for most hunters that more than good enough. further out few are willing to risk hurting an animal (especially if you are a guest and will have to pay for the deer - regardless of whether you bring it in or only wound it).

it's about hunting - you rather try to get closer and outsmart the animal than 'outgear' it.
 
Re: Dot Drill....This Is Tough!!!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: D-SKIT</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
The IOTA is worth its weight in gold as a training aid - Chuck N is great guy to deal with and a great shooter as well.

<span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-weight: bold">I've even shrunk my dot drill to IOTA s</span>ize</span> and its almost as good as the real thing! </div></div>

I'm not too good with computers... would you mind sharing how you did this?