Looking for some NRL22 advice on equipment.

[edwardmatt83]

I've been shooting nrl22 matches for about 9 months now and I'm not really getting any better. I am having a lot of fun though. My prone shooting is just fine, but I really struggle with barricades like the tank trap, ladder, and I am really bad at sitting and kneeling shooting positions.

Where is the best place to learn about proper form for sitting and kneeling? I probably just need to practice those a lot more.

Now to equipment. I'm shooting base class at the moment with a CZ 457 Varmint AT-One and a SWFA 12x42 MOA scope. I use CCI standard velocity ammo.

I have a bunch of match ammo I will test in my rifle. I realize CCI SV isn't the best, and maybe I can pick up a couple of hits each match with better ammo.

I have been thinking about upgrading to a KRG Bravo chassis and about upgrading my scope. Which would you do first? I like my scope, my only complaint is the eye box is small. Budget for a scope would be under $750. Currently thinking about getting an Arken EP4.

 

[littlepod]

I've been shooting nrl22 matches for about 9 months now and I'm not really getting any better. I am having a lot of fun though. My prone shooting is just fine, but I really struggle with barricades like the tank trap, ladder, and I am really bad at sitting and kneeling shooting positions.

Where is the best place to learn about proper form for sitting and kneeling? I probably just need to practice those a lot more.

Now to equipment. I'm shooting base class at the moment with a CZ 457 Varmint AT-One and a SWFA 12x42 MOA scope. I use CCI standard velocity ammo.

I have a bunch of match ammo I will test in my rifle. I realize CCI SV isn't the best, and maybe I can pick up a couple of hits each match with better ammo.

I have been thinking about upgrading to a KRG Bravo chassis and about upgrading my scope. Which would you do first? I like my scope, my only complaint is the eye box is small. Budget for a scope would be under $750. Currently thinking about getting an Arken EP4.

Do you have a break down of your October cof scores? That way we can see what might be going on.

The cof this month was not challenging at all with ammo. Everything was 2-3moa sizes.

 

[edwardmatt83]

Do you have a break down of your October cof scores? That way we can see what might be going on.

The cof this month was not challenging at all with ammo. Everything was 2-3moa sizes.

I haven't shot October yet, but for September here are my scores:

Stage 1 Evil Eye: 40
Stage 2 Uncle Jessie: 30
Stage 3 End of Summer Warm Up: 70.05
Stage 4 Working on Labor Day: 50
Stage 5 Fast as you can make the steel ring: 20

It would probably help if I started shooting the stages I can practice in my backyard with my pcp air rifle. I've never shot sitting or kneeling in my life before I started NRL22.

 

[littlepod]

If you have a six foot ladder it will allow you to practice prone, sitting, kneeling, bent over standing and then standing.

You don't need to shoot live ammo to notice your wobble zone. If you have a backyard with 25 yards or so. Just put up 1/2" tape on your fence. See how wobbly you are and try to find ways to make it better.

 

[Jadams]

Technique is very important. You need to find a good shooter and have him show you how to minimize your wobble area in various positions, how to properly use a sling in the positional stages, proper balance of the rifle on the bag from the tank trap and ladder, free recoil, etc. First you must learn the techniques then dry fire using these techniques for practice. A good couch that can teach you fundamentals will easily double the scores that you’ve listed. Your equipment is fine although you may need to add weight to get the proper balance. Where are you located?

 

[edwardmatt83]

Technique is very important. You need to find a good shooter and have him show you how to minimize your wobble area in various positions, how to properly use a sling in the positional stages, proper balance of the rifle on the bag from the tank trap and ladder, free recoil, etc. First you must learn the techniques then dry fire using these techniques for practice. A good couch that can teach you fundamentals will easily double the scores that you’ve listed. Your equipment is fine although you may need to add weight to get the proper balance. Where are you located?

Near Salt Lake City, UT

 

[Halo is for Kids]

Appleseed helped me with slung positional shooting and fundamentals

 

[chevy_man]

I shot small bore CMP as a kid. Nothing but irons and a sling.


That sling helps tremendously. There's no good way to teach it over the internet though. Really need a decent instructor.

The real key is to quit relying on muscles and use as much bone to support yourself. It may look goofy watching guys twist and wiggle to settle in but that's really the key is learning how to use your body instead of fighting muscles.

I use a b14R in a bravo with an ARCA rail, barricade stop, and minimal spigot. It's a touch heavy for the offhand but not bad once you get into position with a sling.

 

[Bandaid]

I'm no expert and I havent shot those nrl22 matches but I find at shorter distances I like to be way less magnification getting in and out of barricades I find the target quicker and have seem to have less wobble. Maybe around 5 to 8x.

As far as scopes I have the swfa 3-15 on my centerfire and my .22 and I am pretty darn happy with it.

 

[littlepod]

I use the arm band sling technique and so far haven't really found any situations that I didn't have time to use it/adjust it. For October CoF, I had the sling ready for offhand standing with it looped around my arm while doing the tank trap. For people running the hasty sling technique which one of the shooters did, they also slung in and slung out. Seemed to work out pretty well and no one timed out.

 

[Shooter J]

I would suggest keeping track of the stages that you consistently struggle with and commit whatever range time you have to shoot those stages/positions. If you are good prone, do not shoot prone at the range. If offhand shooting or support side shooting is giving you a fit, just focus on getting better at those stages.

I would also suggest keeping track of your progress in your practice time as well. I also record my practice sessions with a GoPro to monitor my fundamentals. Your fundamental game needs to be solid with every shot. Accuracy will come with lots of practice.

Switching ammo may help, but if your wobble zone is 10 MOA even the best ammo/rifle will not buy you more hits. I would suggest shooting on paper over steel on the props. Paper keeps a perfect record of your true stability. You can save them and see your progress over time the more you practice.

Last thing I would do is ask the match director to squad you with the best shooter at your match. At our range I rarely get to shoot with my friends since we have a policy of placing all new or inexperienced shooters with the best shooters. We are also starting to implement train ups a few weekends before the actual match for new shooters.

I hope this helps and I wish you all the best with getting more impacts! If you have more questions, or if I can help you in any way please send me a PM. Cheers!

 

[JaoeyP]

It would probably help if I started shooting the stages I can practice in my backyard with my pcp air rifle. I've never shot sitting or kneeling in my life before I started NRL22.

Superb idea. They publish that course of fire. If you don't practice it you likely will not shoot it as well as the guys who have!

 

[Mr. Wolf]

As a new NRL22 shooter myself, this is an excellent thread.
I did not see the OP mention this, but do you have DOPE on the elevation and wind on how the ammo shoots with your rifle? Shooting a 22lr at 200 yards is roughly equivalent to shooting a 6.5 CM at 1000, so having the correct dope becomes critical.
Here are my recommendations and what I’ve done to get my NRL22 DOPE.

1. Set up a range session with a chrono and zero your rifle for a 25 yard zero.
2. Obtain actual drop data out to 200 yards in 25 or 50 yard increments.
3. Plug in the mesured muzzle velocity into a ballistic calculator and start with a published BC for your ammo. (I think CCI lists 0.124 G1 for CCI SV).
4. Adjust the BC of the bullet until the computed output values match the DOPE at the distances you shot to get elevation data. (If you or a friend have a Kestrel with BA software, this step is much easier and can be done on the range.)
5. Print out a data card with just the elevation and wind data in 5 yard increments out to ˜300 yards or whatever your local NRL22 match typically goes out to.

I hope this makes sense, if not, please let me know and I can try to explain better.
And remember, knowing is half the battle.

YMMV, happy shooting.

 

[Halo is for Kids]

Would noting time to target be useful too for movers?

 

[Mr. Wolf]

Would noting time to target be useful too for movers?

Halo - time to target certainly can be helpful, but I've not shot at movers locally so I'll defer to those with experience. I like to keep things simple so if I was faced with a mover, I'd use the wind settings to extrapolate the required lead, but other methods using time to target are valid as well.

Here is my data card that I use with a football wrist commander. 25-195 yards fit on one side and the rest on the other. This will be rifle, ammo, and density altitude specific so user beware. This table was calculated using a Kestrel Sport basic Applied Ballistics and the DA that day was 1565 ft.

YMMV, happy shooting.

 

[beetroot]

I've been shooting nrl22 matches for about 9 months now and I'm not really getting any better. I am having a lot of fun though. My prone shooting is just fine, but I really struggle with barricades like the tank trap, ladder, and I am really bad at sitting and kneeling shooting positions.

There is really no substitute for practise for positional shooting, a sling can help a lot with sitting/kneeling shooting and off props but it still requires practise to get used to using the sling.
A good game changer type bag can help a lot on tank traps but again practise is the key.

I have a bunch of match ammo I will test in my rifle. I realize CCI SV isn't the best, and maybe I can pick up a couple of hits each match with better ammo.

I shoot only CCI Std and don't find it limiting until after 150ish meters, after that shooting small targets at long range does involve a fair bit of luck.
Better ammo could help me pick up a few more points at long range but I still miss plenty of closer range targets that I'm better off buying cheaper CCI to practise more often. Until you notice the ammo is actually a limiting factor I'd be inclined to stick to cheaper ammo.

I have been thinking about upgrading to a KRG Bravo chassis and about upgrading my scope. Which would you do first? I like my scope, my only complaint is the eye box is small. Budget for a scope would be under $750. Currently thinking about getting an Arken EP4.

I'd upgrade the scope before the stock, the KRG Bravo would be a nice upgrade but there is no reason you can't shoot well with the AT-One stock. I shoot a T1x and use the factory stock (with a few upgrades) and there has been no situation that I believe a better stock would have been the difference between me winning a match or coming 2nd or 3rd.

A good scope with a nice reticle, nice turrets, wide FOV, forgiving eyebox and nice glass can make a big difference. I have no experience with the SWFA scope in questions and am well aware of the diminishing returns of expensive glass.
When I upgraded from a Vortex HST to a Vortex PST G2 the advantages were immediately obvious, the Arken would be a good option but there are many good mid-range options that are worth considering.

 

[beetroot]

I use the arm band sling technique and so far haven't really found any situations that I didn't have time to use it/adjust it. For October CoF, I had the sling ready for offhand standing with it looped around my arm while doing the tank trap. For people running the hasty sling technique which one of the shooters did, they also slung in and slung out. Seemed to work out pretty well and no one timed out.

I agree that slings can be implemented quickly.

I like using non-arm loop type slings.
I did a lot of testing with both types and found the arm loop to be no more steady for me but could be a pain to get in and out of.
A 2 points sling that goes around the neck and under your arm pit with quick adjustments can easily be tightened and loosened for moving around a tank trap or similar obstancles.

 

[Dthomas3523]

Unsupported is about building your support (plenty of info on google and youtube). And natural point of aim.

Look up the info online, or get some in person instructions. You want bone support so you can relax without using a lot of muscle.

Then it’s an NPA game. You’ll have a wobble that looks like a figure 8. It might be a vertical or horizontal figure 8. You want the center of where the imaginary figure 8 crosses to be in the center of your target. You’ll hit most of your shots this way.

As far as the supported/positional stages, everything is a barricade. Utilize the fundamentals of Marksmanship the same way you would prone. You can practice most everything you need on a standard prs barricade. Once you start looking at all props as just another barricade, things will be easier. As it’s all the same principle.