Need some tips/advice for starting to compete

[300WMAficionado]

Hey guys,

I want to start competing in tactical sniper matches.

I've never participated in one myself but I have spectated on 2 occasions. I have watched the previous 2 Mammoth Sniper Challenges in Park City, Kentucky. I know now what to expect: milling, making a range card, improvised shooting positions, not being able to adjust the scope turrets and utilizing holds, transitions from very close to very far shooting, off-hand shooting at very small targets, etc.

I want to do great guys. I really want to be in the top 10%. Any kind of tips/advice you guys could give to a newbie would be very much appreciated.

 

[hondo1312]

Practice. Practice with a purpose. There's a good thread in the basic marksmanship forum covering it.

Take a class.

Find some old guy who knows a lot about comps and ride with him, talking his ear off the entire way with questions.

And don't quit after your first match if you don't finish in the top 10%. I finished dead last in my first match. I printed the final scorecard as motivation. I get another opportunity at the end of this month to try again and hopefully show some improvement.

Good luck!

 

[proneshooter]

And don't quit after your first match if you don't finish in the top 10%.

Pay attention to that. Too many guys have egos that are egg fragile and their perceived image as a steely eyed marksman can't take the hit of the reality of how bad they suck when compared to people who do know what they are doing.

NO ONE starts at the top.

 

[Mr Smith]

You can train all you want at the range and read all you want on here, but there is no substitute for actually being there trying to work through the problems and making all of the mistakes while the adrenaline is pumping and the clock is ticking away.

So just sign up for some local matches, swallow your pride, and get out there and learn from your mistakes. Watch the other guys shoot the stages before and after you shoot, and learn from their successes and mistakes.
I am always seeing guys showing off all of their gadgets and shooting the shit about the bc of their new bullets instead of paying attention to the wind or getting themselves ready to run the stage. Then they get up there and make the same stupid mistake the guy before them did.

 

[turbo54]

Glad I'm not the only one here raising an eyebrow over the top 10% finish...

Don't get me wrong. Train hard, build confidence, be confident, desire the win and go hard for it. However, top 10% isn't a realistic goal for a first match.

Mammoth, for example, brings out many of the best practical marksmen in the country. There are ~55 teams, so a top 10% finish would be 6th or 7th overall. Tall order.

Absolutely start competing. Train and practice, but not by shooting groups prone. If you're comfortable and succeeding while training, you're doing it wrong. Train with a partner and make up off-kilter courses of fire for each other. Apply time pressure. Put money, beer, or dinner on it to induce stress via having skin in the game.

 

[Lofty]

Top 5th or 6th in any given event definitely isnt unobtainable, I wouldnt expect it in a first competition though.

I placed something like 25th in my first match, a PRS series event last year. In all fairness I was using a borrowed .308 with a scope and ammo I wasnt used to and I had never fired the gun before. My second match, a PTS event in Cookville, my partner and I won...so it is doable.

A lot of good advise already, dont waste your time shooting prone a lot....positional shooting off of uncomfortable objects is more par for the course. Like others have said as well....gotta add the pressure of time. In the majority of stages Ive shot, Ive ran out of time, not missed what I was shooting at. If you cant perform on the clock, things will be tough.

Remember, its about making friends and having fun though. The guys that shoot these matches are among some of the best, most helpful shooters in the country.

Good luck, see you out there.

 

[300WMAficionado]

I am a bit over zealous but thats just my nature. I always enjoy striving to reach a difficult goal and challenging myself. That's why I raised the bar high at wanting to get in the top 10%. I like how turbo54 suggested making bets (beer, dinner, etc.) during training to add that stress. I really like that idea. I find that competition pushes us to work harder.

From watching 2 matches I know that shooting in the prone is seldom during these matches. To focus on off-hand and improvised shooting positions (ex. shooting off a strap tied between 2 trees).

I really like also the suggestion to train hard and that if it's becoming too easy that you need to turn your training up a notch to get more out of it.

Thank you guys so much for your advice. Its deeply appreciated.

 

[trebark]

There's a lot of good advice here and I will echo some of it:
Practice, practice, practice
Stop watching competition and get in it! There is no substitute for actually being in it.
During most competitions, you can ask questions of other competitors. Ask, ask, ask - most guys are glad to provide whatever advice they can.
Know that the difference between 1st and 5th often is just one shot.

 

[trebark]

There's a lot of good advice here and I will echo some of it:
Practice, practice, practice
Stop watching competition and get in it! There is no substitute for actually being in it.
During most competitions, you can ask questions of other competitors. Ask, ask, ask - most guys are glad to provide whatever advice they can.
Know that the difference between 1st and 5th often is just one shot.

 

[Saito]

The cup was my first LR match. Here's what I took away from it.

-Leave your ego at home. The guys that have shot it before have a huge edge over you. Just go in confidently and make the time to prep for the stages.

-I pretty much went in blind. I was thinking I was good because I had my gear, a rangefinder, and my iPhone. Range card ? ? What ? lol

-I shot the first 2 days with windage in my zero that I didn't know about. After the second day, I went and got a range card holder and re-zeroed with my brake on. I insisted on shooting suppressed and that was a mistake.

-I took note of your screen name. I shot the cup with a .300WM pushing 208s. The recoil reduction wasn't enough with a can on to spot my misses and make corrections. I was just over 30% on my hits(overall) and you need to be able to spot for yourself if you miss(provided you're allowed another shot). Shoot with a brake if you have one.

-If I hadn't got down to business after day 2, I wouldn't have fared as well as I did(61st out of 120some). Stream line your gear and practice moving positions with it(like get up and run to your next position) without leaving a 'yard sale' behind you.

-Wind seems to f*^k up everything I want to do. I like flying RC planes, fly fishing and shooting. I had shot in wind before, but nothing like the first day of the cup. Now I plan on practicing regardless of the weather.

-I'm currently looking for a compact, portable, battery operated iPhone printer that I can carry with me to make range cards(cuz I'm not good at teh artz anymore). There were a few targets I couldn't find once I got in position. These stages are craftily made, and you're gonna be shooting through brush or just barely over it at times.

It was a huge social deal for me. It was great hanging out with team Barrett all weekend. Met a lot of cool people and had a great time(wind burn and all). The cup will be something I make time for every year.

*I think it would be great if gear was for sale at the tent(like bipods, tripods, hog saddles, LRFs, etc.)*

 

[VaRandy]

I want to attend my first Tactical competition although I doubt I will ever compete. I know almost nothing about them except it is billed as practical shooting. I am in NC so want to know of all I could reach from here.

I am a seasoned 1000 yd ibs bench guy with wildcat background but am too out of shape to get to the shooting station and pull of a shot! Wish I had found it 30 years ago.

 

[gebhardt02]

My suggestion would be to just get entered in a match and shoot it. If you learned a lot from watching, you'll learn even more from actually shooting one. Then get into another, and then another one. Practice is crucial. Practice with the gear you'll be using. Wear the gear you'll be wearing. Push your own limits while practicing and come up with shooting positions you aren't familiar with to practice. All this will get you more and more comfortable with your rifle in unusual positions and with your gear.

I went suppressed at the hide cup last year and this year. I'll disagree with the above statement about not going suppressed, I feel more comfortable with the suppressor on than without it as it is also an effective brake as well as noise suppression. I was able to see my shots last year with my 300WM suppressed as well as this year shooting .243 Win suppressed. But whatever you are more comfortable with and can spot your own shots, that is very critical.

Again, just get registered and go to a match. You'll learn something. Keep a log book and write down what you learned at the end of each day and refer back to the book before the next day and match. Good luck.

Nick

 

[gugubica]

know your rifle, know your dope, know your scope

sign up and go shoot. Don't go in hoping to finish well...wrong attitude. Go in expecting to have fun and meet some really cool people. If you are having fun, you will shoot well, if you are woried about shooting well, you won't have fun or shoot well.