AAR for:
Class: Cr2 Shooting Solutions Semi Auto Level 1
Date: February 13-14, 2021
Location: Pigg River Precision, Rocky Mount, VA (beautiful place)
Instructors: Chris Roberts & Scott Peterson
Class Size: 7 (8 if you include Mother Nature)
Equipment: 16”AR308, with a Bushnell 3.5-21
Approximant round count 220
DAY 1
Weather-WOW! We woke up to freezing rain that had started early Saturday morning. It took the “if ain’t raining, you ain’t training” to a whole different level.
Class started with a 5 shot instructor evaluation. Thank god Pigg River has a covered shooters area at their 100-yard range. We still got soaked, but it could have been so much worse. From there was to the classroom, and no one was complaining. Josh (Pigg River’s owner) was able to set us up at a local business so we were able to be inside. If not, we would have been outside, under cover, but there is no way we could have concentrated on what was being taught. In the classroom we covered the class overview, rifle set up, the shot process, bullet ballistics, scopes, rifle harmonics, and a few other things I’m leaving out. We took scopes off our guns, and then Chris and Scott checked everyone’s length of pull, and eye relief when scopes were reinstalled. From there all students were provided a Kestrel, and were walked through setting up your gun profile, and they explained how to get you guns “MPH” for wind usage. After scopes and Kestrels were right, we headed back to the range to rezero guns, and get chrono readings to input into the Kestrel’s. Thank goodness for cover. Once everyone was happy and chronoed, we headed up to the long range. No more cover, but we had some canopies. We split up into 2 groups due to canopy size, and shot to various distances, to check our actual data to the Kestrel. Our group shot out to 888 yards.
That night we did dinner as a group, and hung out in the hotel lobby with a few beers, and talked more shooting, guns, etc.
DAY 2
Woke up to cold and damp, but no rain………yet. The range was covered in fog, so there was no way we could go to the long range. We did a 21-shot drill at the hundred-yard range that included a cold bore shot, soot and reload, support side sots, drop down to your weapon under time, and drop down with your weapon under time. It was still foggy, so we went over wind. How to read it, things that affect it, and what to look for to help you read it. We discussed placing a value on wind, full, half, or quarter, and how to use your guns “MPH” to make wind corrections. Finally, the fog lifted, and we were able to hit the long range. Scott was right at home when he gave an awesome lecture on match style positional shooting. Having never competed in a match, and signed up for my first one in March, this is what I was waiting for. Scott covered placing you gun on a barricade, bag options, and how to use them on a barricade, the different types of options there are to mount your gun based on your body’s ability (standing, kneeling, sitting, etc.) all while staying behind the gun when possible for recoil management.
When we took lunch, we were assigned filling out our guns consolidated data card out to 1000 yards, with wind 1 and wind 2 values in 25-yard increments. After lunch Mother Nature showed back up and it started to rain, and the wind picked up. The wind was nothing crazy, but any shot past 500 yards required a wind adjustment to make a solid hit. After lunch we shot off the Pigg River’s barricades of our choice, using our Kestrel’s to give us our corrections. Chris and Scott walked up and down the line, and before you turned around to ask a question, it seemed like they were already there expecting it (a plus to there only being 7 students). After a couple hours of barricade shooting, we did a tripod lecture that covered different types of rifle to tripod platforms and options, shooting from those platforms, how a tripod can be used to help stabilize you when shooting from a barricade and why you do this, as well as how to move/drag your tripod and why. We were all given the opportunity to shoot from a tripod. We then closed out the day with two barricade competitions. We were given 90 seconds to make 3 different positional hits with 2 shots max per position. Winners were awarded prizes. This woke me up to how humbling the Guardian competition I’m going to will be
My overall impression of the class was beyond positive. The weather sucked, and Chris and Scott did all they could to adapt and overcome. Chris had 15 lbs. of teaching he was trying to fit in a 10 lb. bag. I know the weather made it impossible to teach the way he wanted, but he also said every class moving forward will be 3 days. There was not a question that did not get answered, and Chris and Scott’s attitudes made it clear they were there to teach, make sure you learned it in a way you understood, and they enjoyed doing it.
My personal take:
Shooting an AR308 battle rifle was humbling at distance. The main thing I was hoping to learn was shooting from a barricade, and I can away with more info then I could have wished for, as well as doing it. Maybe I will hit 10 targets next month instead of 5. LOL. I learned some stuff on the Kestrel, and now have a full grasp on using your guns MPH for wind corrections. Having someone walk you through installing a scope on you gun and set up to you is not something many instructors do. Chris and Scott sat in the hotel lobby Friday and Saturday night with us, and we learned as much of the clock as on.
I would recommend this class to anyone that shoots, but especially to someone that is trying to go to the next step in understanding your rifle. Being provided a Kestrel and being walked through how to use it is icing on the cake. If you plan on taking this class, do yourself a favor and make sure you have at least 12 Mils of dialable correction in your scope
Chris and Scott THANK YOU! Your teaching technics, what you teach and how you go about teaching it will always be appreciated.
Respectfully,
Robbie Guenther
