Most Important Gear for a new shooter to acquire

[BallisticCanadian]

I'm brand new to long range/precision shooting, so I've only started acquiring a few pieces of gear. Started with the rifle: Bergara HMR in 6.5 creedmoor topped with a Vortex PST Gen II 5-25. Picked up a weatherFLOW windmeter and am trying out a few different ballistic calculator apps. I don't reload yet (planning to shoot this year with factory ammo and start reloading next summer). I'm trying to slowly gather new items and learn to use them properly. I shoot mostly at ranges with known target distances, and the farthest distance I have access to right now is 800m targets.
I've read plenty of reviews and recommendations on the plethora of equipment that I can eventually buy, but without going out and grabbing it all at once, what is the most important pieces of kit for a new shooter to get their hands on? I've been looking into a spotting scope, LRF, chronograph, and upgrading to a Kestrel, but I'm not sure which will be the most beneficial to get first, and I can't afford to get them all at the same time. Hoping some of you more experienced shooters can put me on the right path. Thanks.

 

[pmclaine]

Training, take some classes.

Great fun, you will learn a ton and get to see gear options.

 

[doc88]

Sounds very basic but a good bipod and rear bag for a stable shooting platform are a must. But you may already have that. Once you start reloading a chronograph is a must. I started with a magnetospeed sporter then went with the Labradar. Practice practice. Good luck.

 

[Deleted member 113831]

Since you are not reloading yet, and have known distance targets to gather dope on, I would say the spotting scope. You will need to spot impacts and look at mirage to begin to understand wind.

If you were shooting field stuff at unknown distance, I would say a LRF first, and then a chronograph (magnetospeed) were indispensible and needed to be purchased first.

You wouldn't need to upgrade to the AB Kestrel for quite a while if you even chose to go that route. A cheap Kestrel though will help you to learn wind if you keep it in your pocket and live with it daily. You have the wind flow meter, though. I am unfamiliar with those, it might serve the same purpose.

 

[BallisticCanadian]

Sounds very basic but a good bipod and rear bag for a stable shooting platform are a must. But you may already have that. Once you start reloading a chronograph is a must. I started with a magnetospeed sporter then went with the Labradar. Practice practice. Good luck.

Thanks. Forgot to mention those. I have a couple rear bags. The bipod I put on is nothing to write home about. Just a cheap one off amazon. I plan to upgrade that in short order (looking at and Atlas or evolution bipod).

 

[Aaros143]

Training classes or start going to some local matches. You'll start noticing what you need real quick. Make a list of gear by priorities and start knocking it out. Your priorities may be different gear wise than mine.

 

[BallisticCanadian]

Training, take some classes.

Great fun, you will learn a ton and get to see gear options.

Definitely. I've been looking into courses near me. Anything within a day's drive is all booked up for the rest of the summer. There are a some courses in late fall that I am looking into.

 

[pmclaine]

Thanks. Forgot to mention those. I have a couple rear bags. The bipod I put on is nothing to write home about. Just a cheap one off amazon. I plan to upgrade that in short order (looking at and Atlas or evolution bipod).

You can save a lot of money by not "settling".

If there is a piece of gear you have a strong yearning for don't settle for the Caldwell knock off.

You will never get your money back on it and usually one weeks more saving would get you what you really want.

If your mentality is to be a "precision" shooter you won't likely be happy with close enough.

Close enough will cost you money.

 

[pmclaine]

Definitely. I've been looking into courses near me. Anything within a day's drive is all booked up for the rest of the summer. There are a some courses in late fall that I am looking into.

Classes can be intimidating as a newb but they really are fun.

You get to leave the house early in the morning, you buy a large ass coffee, you sit in a classroom for a bit and do some introductions/educating than you get to shoot.

The only issue you could possibly run into that would be uncomfortable is unsafe gun handling. You need to maintain safe gun handling. Move slow, follow directions, if in doubt ask.

You can miss every shot but that is why you are in class - to learn to make shots.

Learn a solid position and the second party eye on your technique is gold.

 

[Aaros143]

I'll echo what pmclaine said above. Ive spent a lot of money putting different tripod setups together. Always trying to get better without really spending the big bucks. I should've just bought what I wanted to begin with. Would be saved me money and headaches in the long run.

 

[pmclaine]

If you are an eastern side of Canada Canadian check out Sig Academy in New Hampshire.

They will loan you all the gear you will need so you can avoid customs hassles.

Good basic instruction from good instructors.

One thing I ask, when you come South leave Justin and his socks back above the border. We have enough of his type down here already.

The Marine Corps has Riflemen not Riflepersons.

 

[Olen_4504]

in my opinion and limited but recent experience, in this order:

my first MUST was going to be the weatherflow meter but you already have that, good job. The Apps I use Ballistic Arc and/or Hornady 4DOF, the meter pairs with both. I'd stick with that as long as you can and use the money you save for ammo/practice. The kestrels are sweet but you can absolutely get by with the little meter. I've seen a few pros at matches switch from using the kestrel to the weatherflow meter. I'm not saying the kestrels aren't worth it, but I think you'll be surprised how effective the $80 meter and $15 or free app can be compared to $700 kestrel. Use the meter until you feel like it's holding you back or not working for you, then upgrade if you think you need to.

I got a chronograph now before I even start reloading, and it's helped me a lot to verify muzzle velocity on factory loads. I honestly would really recommend getting one when you can. i use the magnetospeed V3

Next, i would say a good range finder but you said you shoot mostly known distances so I guess you don't need one right now. I have to set my own targets up at the farm we shoot at and i don't even have a good LRF yet and it's a pain. I have a cheap one i use for bow hunting and it's not good past 200-300 yards so i have to measure multiple spots until I reach my shooting spot. We've been off a few yards and when trying to practicing for first round hits it sucks. you think something is off with your data/gun/scope/etc and really it was just wrong distance.

After that I would consider some sort of spotting option. binos or spotting scope. personally I prefer spotting through binos over a spotting scope.

my buddy and I get by with cheap Konus spotting scope. we actually usually spot each other from on our rifle scopes most of the time, but when that isn't sufficient we pull out the spotting scope. we haven't used it in months though. so depending who you go to the range with and how far you are shooting you might be able to hold off on one of these.

I'm not sure if you have a shooting buddy, but the way me and mine work it out is we each take turns investing in the more expensive items. ex) he bought the spotting scope and I bought the chronograph. we usually always shoot together so we just use each other's stuff every time we go out. I'm not sure if you have that option or not but it helps keep the $$ down until both of us can afford the items for ourselves.

smaller items to consider if you don't have:

something like a pack and/or storage trunk to keep everything consolidated in. makes loading up for the range a lot easier.
good shooting mat.
good rear shooting bag.

basically just keep going to the range and practicing with what you have. you'll quickly start realizing "wow, one of those would really help with this aspect"

 

[10xk9]

For a quick basic short list:
Good quality bipod
Rear bag
Chronograph
Some sort of ballistic problem solver (can be just a basic paper chart)
You can download a Ballistics calculator on your phone for a few dollars. (I use StrelokPro)
This will give you the equipment to make the shot and the knowledge to know where to dial your scope.
Buy a bigger vehicle, you’ll need it for the rest of the gear you accumulate over the next year!

 

[pmclaine]

Damn it you cost me money...

Decided I'd use a credit I have had at Sig and just signed up for a "Reach for 1000" class at Sig Nov 10.

I'll be celebrating the USMC Birthday with an early wake up, big ass cup of coffee, and my bolt rifle.

 

[natdscott]

Quit worrying about how to spend on "gear" and start spending more on AMMO, and GAS to use that ammo.

Shooting is what makes the difference between somebody who does some shooting, talks about shooting on the internet, shops for shooting stuff, lolz with his friends about shooting stuff, stockpiles shooting ammo.... and a Shooter.

Both directions are fine I guess, but you need to decide with some alacrity which one it is you want to be.

I will agree, tentatively-pending-with-whom, that a class (involving shooting) would be good. That said, you need some rounds through the rifle and a bunch of dry-fire first....maybe 200 live rounds and 500 dry. That will do two things: settle the barrel as much as it's going to be settled, and start to settle the shooter a little.

-Nate

 

[OLD308]

As others have said ammo and a good class. Your opinion on gear will change over time, so buying the most expensive gear right out of the gate means nothing. Before you go shoot have a plan for every round you will shoot that day. Pick something to work on every session and stick to it. Good lock and welcome to the addiction.

 

[elwarpo]

Good quality bipod.
padded shooting mat, makes a difference if you are on a rocky/rough surface.
chronograph (do not trust factory ammo listed velocity), I highly recommend the labradar.
Good backpack to move your stuff, especially if you move around the range.
Good cases for your gear, I highly recommend pelican.
Logbook (you can download and print them for free with a bit of online searching)
Quality cleaning kit, not the cheap ones

If you are in Ontario, I highly recommend the long range shooting courses at the Marksmanship Training Center in Michigan, they also have a 1050 yard (about 1000m) range.

 

[DownhillFromHere]

I'm a year into my hardcore precision rifle journey, having tinkered at it maybe a year longer. Since I'm retired with a little side job that helps support "the habit," I've accelerated the gear experience to some degree. Here's my take.

• If you can help yourself, don't settle for knockoff or cheap gear. You'll break it or replace it. Buy once, cry once.
• Ok, you have a rear bag. Good. I have a gamechanger which I use for 95% of everything I do. I waited way too long to buy it, trying sand socks and such.
• Chronograph. I bought a Caldwell cheapie which was vastly better than nothing. The numbers printed on the ammo boxes are not useless but are not "accurate." Then I bought a LabRadar, which has a learning curve but is awesome once you learn its idiosyncrasies. Others like the Magnetospeed better. Remember that the latter will affect bullet flight, so you can get velocities or zeroes/groups but not both. (And lest the argument starts anew: there are a gazillion threads on this, check the out and decide for yourself.)
• I don't handload for rifle and may never. I despise reloading. It's all I can do to reload thousands of rounds of pistol ammo I use annually, which is vastly faster and easier to load than bottleneck ammo of the quality PRS requires. I sell the once-fired brass.
• For 6.5CM, I found the Hornady American Gunner 140gr HPBT, at about 75 cents a round shipped, to be surprisingly accurate. My rifle likes Prime 130 best, followed by Hornady 140gr ELDM. As others have said, shooting is more important than gear.
• I bought two rifles to use as trainers and to play with in their own right: a .223 and a .22LR. The .22LR is a wonderful, cheap-to-run training tool and the rimfire PRS matches are as fun as "the real thing." I've already paid for it in saved ammo costs.
• I generally shoot alone, so I do not have a spotting scope. If you have a good optic and good recoil management, you can get by without one. Certainly, I would spend my $ on the best rifle scope I could afford before a spotting scope. And yes, I did buy a spotting scope. I returned it after buying a better rifle scope (and losing a ton on the inadequate one I thought I coudl "get by with").

Finally, when you practice, practice positional shooting, not just shooting off a bench or prone. That's my weakness. I'm old and arthritic and practicing shooting from typical competition positions leaves me sore and aching. But it pays off at matches a lot more than spending all your time chasing the perfect handload with a perfect zero.

My $.02 as a not-quite-newbie. You've had some very helpful people weigh in on this thread. So here's the last, and obvious, tip:
Hang out on the Hide and learn from the people here.

 

[BallisticCanadian]

You can save a lot of money by not "settling".

If there is a piece of gear you have a strong yearning for don't settle for the Caldwell knock off.

You will never get your money back on it and usually one weeks more saving would get you what you really want.

If your mentality is to be a "precision" shooter you won't likely be happy with close enough.

Close enough will cost you money.

Classes can be intimidating as a newb but they really are fun.

You get to leave the house early in the morning, you buy a large ass coffee, you sit in a classroom for a bit and do some introductions/educating than you get to shoot.

The only issue you could possibly run into that would be uncomfortable is unsafe gun handling. You need to maintain safe gun handling. Move slow, follow directions, if in doubt ask.

You can miss every shot but that is why you are in class - to learn to make shots.

Learn a solid position and the second party eye on your technique is gold.

If you are an eastern side of Canada Canadian check out Sig Academy in New Hampshire.

They will loan you all the gear you will need so you can avoid customs hassles.

Good basic instruction from good instructors.

One thing I ask, when you come South leave Justin and his socks back above the border. We have enough of his type down here already.

The Marine Corps has Riflemen not Riflepersons.

I appreciate all that advice. I agree with not settling. That's why I'm trying to be picky about what gear I buy next. The bipod is probably the only area I grabbed a cheap one first because I don't have a rest and wanted to get out and shoot the rifle supported. It's being upgraded before anything else gets bought.
Unfortunately I'm in Western Canada (Alberta), but if I ever venture east I will be sure to check out Sig Academy

 

[BallisticCanadian]

Quit worrying about how to spend on "gear" and start spending more on AMMO, and GAS to use that ammo.

Shooting is what makes the difference between somebody who does some shooting, talks about shooting on the internet, shops for shooting stuff, lolz with his friends about shooting stuff, stockpiles shooting ammo.... and a Shooter.

Both directions are fine I guess, but you need to decide with some alacrity which one it is you want to be.

I will agree, tentatively-pending-with-whom, that a class (involving shooting) would be good. That said, you need some rounds through the rifle and a bunch of dry-fire first....maybe 200 live rounds and 500 dry. That will do two things: settle the barrel as much as it's going to be settled, and start to settle the shooter a little.

-Nate

I agree completely. I try and get to the range whenever I can. I may be new to the precision rifle game, but even before getting into it I do my best to get out to the range and shoot every couple weeks.

 

[BallisticCanadian]

I'm a year into my hardcore precision rifle journey, having tinkered at it maybe a year longer. Since I'm retired with a little side job that helps support "the habit," I've accelerated the gear experience to some degree. Here's my take.

• If you can help yourself, don't settle for knockoff or cheap gear. You'll break it or replace it. Buy once, cry once.
• Ok, you have a rear bag. Good. I have a gamechanger which I use for 95% of everything I do. I waited way too long to buy it, trying sand socks and such.
• Chronograph. I bought a Caldwell cheapie which was vastly better than nothing. The numbers printed on the ammo boxes are not useless but are not "accurate." Then I bought a LabRadar, which has a learning curve but is awesome once you learn its idiosyncrasies. Others like the Magnetospeed better. Remember that the latter will affect bullet flight, so you can get velocities or zeroes/groups but not both. (And lest the argument starts anew: there are a gazillion threads on this, check the out and decide for yourself.)
• I don't handload for rifle and may never. I despise reloading. It's all I can do to reload thousands of rounds of pistol ammo I use annually, which is vastly faster and easier to load than bottleneck ammo of the quality PRS requires. I sell the once-fired brass.
• For 6.5CM, I found the Hornady American Gunner 140gr HPBT, at about 75 cents a round shipped, to be surprisingly accurate. My rifle likes Prime 130 best, followed by Hornady 140gr ELDM. As others have said, shooting is more important than gear.
• I bought two rifles to use as trainers and to play with in their own right: a .223 and a .22LR. The .22LR is a wonderful, cheap-to-run training tool and the rimfire PRS matches are as fun as "the real thing." I've already paid for it in saved ammo costs.
• I generally shoot alone, so I do not have a spotting scope. If you have a good optic and good recoil management, you can get by without one. Certainly, I would spend my $ on the best rifle scope I could afford before a spotting scope. And yes, I did buy a spotting scope. I returned it after buying a better rifle scope (and losing a ton on the inadequate one I thought I coudl "get by with").

Finally, when you practice, practice positional shooting, not just shooting off a bench or prone. That's my weakness. I'm old and arthritic and practicing shooting from typical competition positions leaves me sore and aching. But it pays off at matches a lot more than spending all your time chasing the perfect handload with a perfect zero.

My $.02 as a not-quite-newbie. You've had some very helpful people weigh in on this thread. So here's the last, and obvious, tip:
Hang out on the Hide and learn from the people here.

How close is your .22 to your 6.5 in terms of setup? Same stock and scope? I shoot my .22 semi auto and my .17 bolt action quite a bit, and was planning on using my bolt gun to train with, but it outfitted very differently than my 6.5CM.

 

[DownhillFromHere]

How close is your .22 to your 6.5 in terms of setup? Same stock and scope? I shoot my .22 semi auto and my .17 bolt action quite a bit, and was planning on using my bolt gun to train with, but it outfitted very differently than my 6.5CM.

My .22 is a CZ-455 "Tacticool" barreled action mounted in an MDT LSS-22 chassis with a Magpul PRS buttstock. My .223 is a Tikka T3X Varmint in an MDT LSS-XL Gen-2 chassis with MDT Skeleton buttstock. Both wear Vortex Viper PST Gen-2 scopes, 3-15x and 5-25x respectively. My 6.5 is a Tikka T3X TAC-A1 with a Vortex Razor Gen-1 5-20x (would have bought Gen-2 had they been readily available at the time).

So all 3 are bolt guns in aluminum chassis with the same (well, very very similar) scope reticles. The triggers are tuned very closely in terms of pull weight and creep (that is, no creep). The TAC A1 is a 2-stage trigger which I prefer but am unwilling to buy for the other two.

The .22 is almost eleven inches shorter than the other two but all three are tanks wrt weight. They balance somewhat similarly but the .223 is quite front-heavy.

Bolt throws are all different. The TAC A1 has an incredibly smooth, light throw, whether chambering rounds or not. The .223 is not as light and I haven't put a full-size handle on it yet which contributes to the heavier feel. The .22 has a .22-length bolt throw and a tiny .22-size handle and is smooth enough after I worked its bearing surfaces (internal and external) with automotive polishing compound. The .22 bolt has to be worked somewhat carefully to avoid deforming the soft bullet by slamming it into battery, which is one reason I tolerate the miniscule stock handle.

So my .22 and .223 are configured similarly, but not identically, to my 6.5. The big advantages of the smaller guns is ammo cost and extension of barrel life on the 6.5.

I am still a novice at doping wind, and someone sneezing on a pistol bay up the hill will move a .22 bullet on the rifle range, so good experience is to be gained in that regard. While I am a member at a 1000-yard range, it's 90 minutes away. My local 550-yard range is 15 minutes away. So the .223 on a breezy day at 400-500 yards is also good for learning to read wind at intermediate range.

And, as I said, the .22 is fun to compete with in rimfire matches. I have another thread about assembling an entry-level .22 for my nephew; the whole thing (Ruger Precision Rimfire, Athlon Argos BTR scope, used Vortex PMR rings) cost $800.

Serious PRS competitors are likely to find a bit of fault with the differences and compromises in my rifles, but I'm balancing my $ spend with my goals. I am far too slow (old) to be competitive at top levels. SO the equipment I have scratches the competitive itch and helps me learn. I have a lot of fun, and I've met some great people.

Mission accomplished.

 

[sinister]

Ammunition, training, and a data book. Maybe a steel target to keep from having to walk back-and-forth and having to shoot and paste up bullet holes.

You have the minimum hardware required. You need "Software" and repetitive experience.

 

[W54/XM-388]

Most has been covered above, my take is:

Skip the spotting scope for now, good to have but you have a 25x scope, so that will work for now.
A good bi-pod and a good set of front & rear bags are a must
You don't have to get one, but if you can swing a chronograph it would be a big help.
Then mostly buy lots of ammo and carefully shoot lots of ammo.

 

[natdscott]

A good bi-pod and a good set of front & rear bags are a must

Then mostly buy lots of ammo and carefully shoot lots of ammo.

I dunno. I've sent some hellacious groups off a feed sack filled with sand and dirt. Actually, it's way easier than with a conventional bipod.

But I like that second sentence.

 

[2Akeepers]

A rangefinder, chronograph and a great scope...it wouldn’t heart to have a mentor.

 

[W54/XM-388]

I dunno. I've sent some hellacious groups off a feed sack filled with sand and dirt. Actually, it's way easier than with a conventional bipod.

Yes, if you can lug or leave a feed sack filled with sand and dirt to/at the range, it would be way more stable than shooting off a bipod or small bags.
Most of the time however you can't easily do that (or don't want to carry the weight).

 

[natdscott]

Well. I'm fat, so I'm good at carrying heavy things.

 

[BallisticCanadian]

My .22 is a CZ-455 "Tacticool" barreled action mounted in an MDT LSS-22 chassis with a Magpul PRS buttstock. My .223 is a Tikka T3X Varmint in an MDT LSS-XL Gen-2 chassis with MDT Skeleton buttstock. Both wear Vortex Viper PST Gen-2 scopes, 3-15x and 5-25x respectively. My 6.5 is a Tikka T3X TAC-A1 with a Vortex Razor Gen-1 5-20x (would have bought Gen-2 had they been readily available at the time).

So all 3 are bolt guns in aluminum chassis with the same (well, very very similar) scope reticles. The triggers are tuned very closely in terms of pull weight and creep (that is, no creep). The TAC A1 is a 2-stage trigger which I prefer but am unwilling to buy for the other two.

The .22 is almost eleven inches shorter than the other two but all three are tanks wrt weight. They balance somewhat similarly but the .223 is quite front-heavy.

Bolt throws are all different. The TAC A1 has an incredibly smooth, light throw, whether chambering rounds or not. The .223 is not as light and I haven't put a full-size handle on it yet which contributes to the heavier feel. The .22 has a .22-length bolt throw and a tiny .22-size handle and is smooth enough after I worked its bearing surfaces (internal and external) with automotive polishing compound. The .22 bolt has to be worked somewhat carefully to avoid deforming the soft bullet by slamming it into battery, which is one reason I tolerate the miniscule stock handle.

So my .22 and .223 are configured similarly, but not identically, to my 6.5. The big advantages of the smaller guns is ammo cost and extension of barrel life on the 6.5.

I am still a novice at doping wind, and someone sneezing on a pistol bay up the hill will move a .22 bullet on the rifle range, so good experience is to be gained in that regard. While I am a member at a 1000-yard range, it's 90 minutes away. My local 550-yard range is 15 minutes away. So the .223 on a breezy day at 400-500 yards is also good for learning to read wind at intermediate range.

And, as I said, the .22 is fun to compete with in rimfire matches. I have another thread about assembling an entry-level .22 for my nephew; the whole thing (Ruger Precision Rimfire, Athlon Argos BTR scope, used Vortex PMR rings) cost $800.

Serious PRS competitors are likely to find a bit of fault with the differences and compromises in my rifles, but I'm balancing my $ spend with my goals. I am far too slow (old) to be competitive at top levels. SO the equipment I have scratches the competitive itch and helps me learn. I have a lot of fun, and I've met some great people.

Mission accomplished.

Thanks. Good advice on outfitting my .17 rimfire for training. It's a CZ 455 in a Boyd's stock. Just have it topped with a Bushnell 3-9 scope, but I want to switch that out with something that has a mil reticle to closer match my scope on my 6.5 CM.

 

[welches]

The book "Long Range Shooting Handbook" by Ryan Cleckner.

 

[pineoak]

Sign up for the online training on this site and PRACTICE

write down DOPE

Write note to yourself on what works and doesn’t

Then figure out what’s happening

Shoot a lot but take your time to make sure you’re doing everything right for EVERY shot (including checking level for can’t)

start with cheap ammo and focus on hitting reliably at shorter distances

Shoot slower to not burn out the barrel, but get more rounds in

+ 1 on buying quality

Focus less on equipment and more on skill, knowledge, practice

The equipment will be easy to know which to get with more experience

 

[W54/XM-388]

Sign up for the online training on this site and PRACTICE

Exactly, there is a bunch of great videos in the training section, so if you upgrade your account to access those, watch them all and study / practice, you'll get a lot of what you would spend a bunch more for someone to show you at a class.

 

[snarkscarbine]

Data book; Magnetospeed.

 

[Nik H]

I have very little to add that hasn't been mentioned but my short list is

1. Lots of ammo to relentlessly practice
2. Training Class to ensure that any bad habits that you have, we all have them, can be broken and proper techniques can be integrated into your muscle memory.
3. Data book - SUPER important
4. Solid bipod - poor equipment will lead you astray. Ammo is expensive.
5. Rear bag to your liking

Other than that, I would focus on perfecting NPA. Dot drills are a wonderful way of determining shortcomings in your form. Practice should always have a purpose. Your goal at every practice session should be to eliminate your weaknesses and develop consistency.

 

[Eustice]

A good bipod and some different size sand socks. Figure out what size works for you.

Ammo. There’s no replacement for shooting.

Training. Whether that is in classes or in matches, you will get more out of that than shooting off a bench.

Don’t shoot off the bench. Positional dry-fir practice can really help you when you can’t go tot he range. You have all the equipment already. You just don’t realize it. A chair provides about 4 different positions.

Go to a match. It has been said countless times before that your squad will help you and you will be able to try all sorts of gear. A single match and seeing what’s out there could save you hundreds of dollars in buying one thing and then finding out about another.

 

[CUBUFF89]

It may have already been said but when you shoot, shoot with a purpose. Give a little thought beforehand about what you want to do for a range session. And sometimes just having fun is an ok answer. But other times work on a particular position. Or recoil management. Or verify the accuracy of your scope. Otherwise you might find yourself just going out and pulling the trigger and afterwards wonder what good it did.

When you start to reload you'll want that Magnetospeed and then your initial purpose will be to develop an optimal load.

 

[BallisticCanadian]

Thanks guys. Bipod is already upgraded, trying out a number of different bags to see which ones I like. I will admit that I never really thought of what specifically I was at the range to work on. I would just go shoot, gathering dope on a rifle and having fun. But I definitely see the value in having something specific to work on at each session.
I'll be holding off on a chrono for now, as I don't reload yet and I was able to borrow a chrono from one of the other members at the range and get some numbers on the ammo my rifle likes. But when I start reloading that will be first up.
Unfortunately all of the training classes within a day's drive of me are booked up for the next couple months, but I am looking at some in late fall.
Can't wait to dive deeper into things. Having so much fun already!

 

[GrandpaDeadLegs]

Having just entered this hobby/sport, my advice is to not get anything you aren't practiced up for.

Don't get a magnum caliber until you're good at recoil management and can "watch" your .223 or other lighter caliber shots go down range.

Don't get a high power scope until you have mastered 10x and below. I couldn't hit the 300 yard target with the 25x, slapped on a 1-4x and was hitting every time... Brighter and easier on the eyes.

Don't try to handload until you can shoot better than the factory loads can. That's gonna be a minute...

Don't just shoot at 100 yards to test things and yourself. I can put holes inside holes at 100 but my 200 yard groups still suck.

I have been spending all my money lately on ammo and steel targets, no more rifles/accessories until I am better than the guns I have.

 

[DownhillFromHere]

Don't get a high power scope until you have mastered 10x and below. I couldn't hit the 300 yard target with the 25x, slapped on a 1-4x and was hitting every time... Brighter and easier on the eyes.

I Strongly disagree with this statement. Get the best variable-power scope you can afford and back off on the magnification. Buying an expensive optic with the intent to stop using it is a senseless waste of money!!

With that said, you do need to avoid high magnification in a match. In the first stage of my first competition, I had my scope dialed to its 20x limit. Targets were different-size plates at something like 275 to 500+ yards in distance but close in angle. I couldn't find the plates in the narrow field of view and couldn't tell which was which when I did, so the plates I found were engaged in the wrong order.

Regarding postponement of getting a chronograph until you start to handload:
I disagree with this too. Yes, factory ammo has velocities printed on the box, but those velocities are almost ALWAYS inaccurate by as much as 150-175 fps. No big deal at 200-300 yards, but disastrous at triple that range. And there will be variances from one lot of factory ammo to another. For all that, if/when you do start to handload, you'll learn that your carefully-worked-up, super-accurate load of 42.x-grain grains of SuperBlammo may well not shoot the same when you have to buy a new container of it. So, I say don't postpone buying a chrono any longer than you have to, and when you do, be bleeping sure you've carefully considered (and if possible, actually put your hands on and shot through) both LabRadar and Magnetospeed. If budget is an issue for the next year or so and you regularly shoot on a range where you can step in front of the firing line whenever you want, the under-$100 Caldwell chrono works just fine - but you do have to be downrange to set it up and dink with it, and that's near-impossible on crowded ranges. And you will probably outgrow it (but a sub-$100 investment isn't much in this sport).

 

[Crang]

I was about to put my CED Millenium chronograph up for sale. It will likely fit your budget. It was my starter one before I upgraded to a Labradar and quite accurate. PM me if interested....

 

[BallisticCanadian]

I was about to put my CED Millenium chronograph up for sale. It will likely fit your budget. It was my starter one before I upgraded to a Labradar and quite accurate. PM me if interested....

I appreciate the offer, but I intend to get either the Magnetospeed or Labradar from the get go. There are shooters at my range who have both so I should be able to try them out before I decide.

 

[308pirate]

Having just entered this hobby/sport, my advice is to not get anything you aren't practiced up for.

Don't get a high power scope until you have mastered 10x and below. I couldn't hit the 300 yard target with the 25x, slapped on a 1-4x and was hitting every time... Brighter and easier on the eyes.

Don't try to handload until you can shoot better than the factory loads can. That's gonna be a minute

I'm not new at this and I disagree with all of the above

 

[GrandpaDeadLegs]

More of financial advice there guys, I am a few weeks into this, completely broke, and sitting on expensive equipment I won't be able to use for a year or so without embarrassing myself. All I needed to do was train up on my plain old 22 and 223 a ton this year, then see if I deserve a Valkyrie or a 5-25x

Super new, living in southern Michigan, no range anywhere near me. Context wasn't stressed enough sorry!

 

[natdscott]

...sitting on expensive equipment I won't be able to use for a year or so without embarrassing myself.

I recommend you get over that as SOON as possible.

Mostly, nobody else give a shit what you're doing on the range as long as the muzzle is pointed the direction of the rest of the muzzles, and you don't cause other safety issues.

At matches, for example, everybody else has so much going on with their own performance that they have scant time to be making fun of you.

But besides all that....who cares what anybody else thinks? This isn't your job and there won't be a mid-year salary review.

-Nate

 

[GrandpaDeadLegs]

Ok I should have said "get everyone mad hogging the only lane with long distance the whole day and not accomplishing shit" which for me was kinda embarrassing with all these older regular members just chilling behind me waiting forever while I barely hit my plates that keep falling down. Context again!

 

[yakstone]

Ok I should have said "get everyone mad hogging the only lane with long distance the whole day and not accomplishing shit" which for me was kinda embarrassing with all these older regular members just chilling behind me waiting forever while I barely hit my plates that keep falling down. Context again!

Go when the range is not so busy.

 

[DownhillFromHere]

More of financial advice there guys, I am a few weeks into this, completely broke, and sitting on expensive equipment I won't be able to use for a year or so without embarrassing myself. All I needed to do was train up on my plain old 22 and 223 a ton this year, then see if I deserve a Valkyrie or a 5-25x

Super new, living in southern Michigan, no range anywhere near me. Context wasn't stressed enough sorry!

I've had a couple of family members feel this way - concerned about what other people think about their skill level.

It did no good to tell them this, but I'll tell you: nobody cares how good or not good you are, as long as you're safe and courteous. And as far as "hogging a lane" is concerned - did you wait your turn or not? If you're working on improving your skills, nobody is going to care if you miss every single target - if anything, the better shooters are probably going to see what's wrong and have good advice but range etiquette will probably keep them quiet until you ask.

Go shoot, ask questions, and have fun. As I've told a zillion newbies over the years: No one will remember your score next week, but everyone will remember how you acted when you posted it.

 

[308pirate]

More of financial advice there guys, I am a few weeks into this, completely broke, and sitting on expensive equipment I won't be able to use for a year or so without embarrassing myself. All I needed to do was train up on my plain old 22 and 223 a ton this year, then see if I deserve a Valkyrie or a 5-25x

Well, just because you can't figure out how to use good gear and ammo from the get go doesn't mean no one else can.

 

[308pirate]

Ok I should have said "get everyone mad hogging the only lane with long distance the whole day and not accomplishing shit" which for me was kinda embarrassing with all these older regular members just chilling behind me waiting forever while I barely hit my plates that keep falling down. Context again!

If you paid for a lane, whether through a membership or through day-use fees, your time is your time and what others may think about what you do with that time should mean fuck all to you.

So long as you're safe and you're following other club/range procedures, what others think is of no consequence. If others don't want to wait for you, they should have either arrived before you or gone elsewhere.

 

[damoncali]

Don't fall into the gear trap. For known distance out to 800, you have what you need. If you don't know why you need a piece of gear, you probably don't need it. The only thing I can think of would be a good sling and a shooting mat (just to keep yourself from getting all muddy) - learning to shoot with a sling will pay dividends in all types of marksmanship. Get a couple books on high power shooting. I know it's not what you have in mind, but it will help. There's a book called "The Ways of the Rifle" that is exceptional. Its focus is international smallbore shooting, but it is well worth it for any type of rifle shooting. In my opinion, and not everyone will agree with this, learning to shoot off a bipod is an intermediate level skill, and ought to be done after you learn on a sling. Bipods hide all sorts of mistakes that show up clear as day when shooting sling. The results may be better with a bipod, but you will not learn as quickly, and you will be prone to developing poor habits.

Reloading gear will save you a bundle on cost/round. Again, don't fall into the reloading gear trap - you do not need what people say you need.

The only other advice I have is know your rifle's limits. If you can get an experienced (and good) shooter to shoot a few 5-shot groups from a solid platform, do that and look at how big they are. That's in all probability as good as it gets for that ammo. Don't fall into the tiny group chasing trap either. A factory rifle is only going to be so good. Accept that and learn to shoot it.

In time, you'll want more stuff to address specific limitations. Now is not that time.