Advanced Marksmanship Popped my Sniper's Hide Dot Drill Cherry

[Racer88]

I thought I'd give the SH Dot Drill a try today.

Rifle is a Ruger Precision in 6.5-CM. Ammo was Hornady American Gunner (so not the best ammo... my excuse for what you'll see here!

I ran it according to the instructions, except I modified the fourth line of dots to being a repeat of the third line. I don't think the range would take kindly to me picking up my rifle in the standing position. This range allows the rifles to be either on a bench or on the ground / prone.

So, I'm not proud of this one. But, it was my first. Be gentle! LOL! Harder than it looks. And, I think I rushed my shots. I KNOW I rushed my shots on the timed drills, since I couldn't see a countdown of the timer, and I didn't want to go over the time. I'd break my shot and be surprised at how much time elapsed before the time-expired beep. So, that's how I know I rushed them. Just like the SH instructions for the drill says.... most shooters will pull them low and right. Sure enough! I missed more dots than I hit!

I was amazed at how time constraints changed the dynamic. My first time ever shooting with a timer.

ETA: Here's the same target with the OnTarget analysis.

Next time I'll try it with some "match-grade" ammo.

After doing the drill, I shot some groups on some regular targets. Here was my best group (with better ammo).

 

[wade2big]

I like your excuse except for the fact that 140gr american gunner is capable of one hole groups. Lol.

 

[Racer88]

I like your excuse except for the fact that 140gr american gunner is capable of one hole groups. Lol.

Ha! I know! From another range session:

 

[Racer88]

Playing around with OnTarget TDS app... I had forgotten to save the project, so I had to re-do the shot marking. But one of the neat features of the app is that it can overlay multiple targets. In this case... 20 targets (20 dots).

So, while my very first SH Dot Drill target was less-than-stellar (I missed more than I hit the dot), the composite group is interesting and offers some insight.

The SH Dot Drill instructions mention that many shooters pull low and right, though it doesn't say why. I know I was rushing the shots. And, my overall group offset is also shown in this composite image.... about 1/3" low and 1/3" right. But, what else am I doing wrong?

If there was just one redeeming revelation from this composite group graphic is that I put 20 shots all in a (barely) sub-MOA group - 0.955-MOA. So, whatever I'm doing wrong, I'm doing it fairly consistently!

I look forward to trying it again! Very different than what I've been doing, which is shooting 5-shot groups over and over and over.

 

[MeasureOnceCutTwice]

For some reason I don't get bothered by time constraints or competition, and I've seen people just fall apart under that pressure. I think maybe because I don't expect myself to be top of the heap, though at times I'll end up near it and then it's a game to push myself to get there, so I don't know. I guess, don't put the pressure on yourself to the point that you fail right off the bat. That's a valid step to get better at some point, but you need a good baseline. Hard to explain I guess, but you had fun and see where you can work on something so that's the real benefit!

 

[Racer88]

For some reason I don't get bothered by time constraints or competition, and I've seen people just fall apart under that pressure. I think maybe because I don't expect myself to be top of the heap, though at times I'll end up near it and then it's a game to push myself to get there, so I don't know. I guess, don't put the pressure on yourself to the point that you fail right off the bat. That's a valid step to get better at some point, but you need a good baseline. Hard to explain I guess, but you had fun and see where you can work on something so that's the real benefit!

I hear ya. I didn't really feel "pressure," other than just wanting to complete the drill without "cheating" and going past the "par time." I used a shot timer phone app. Beeps at the start and end of the par time. Of course, I couldn't see a countdown while I'm peering through the scope. So, I had no idea how much time was left. So, I tended to rush the shots to make sure I didn't go past the time limit for each drill.

But, yeah... I was doing this for fun and to challenge myself. Just thought I'd bear my ballistic soul on the forum and perhaps get some feedback.

 

[MeasureOnceCutTwice]

Yeah I guess I meant to say try not to worry about where you are on the timer. You'd be taking concentration away from your shot routine anyways, just focus on the task at hand, follow the process and be smooth, and the speed will come. Maybe that's why I never get worked up in competition, I'm just focusing on my process, whether it's racing a mountain bike, shooting a bow, or racing a timer. If I can't execute as I've trained to, nothing else will follow.

 

[Racer88]

Yeah I guess I meant to say try not to worry about where you are on the timer. You'd be taking concentration away from your shot routine anyways, just focus on the task at hand, follow the process and be smooth, and the speed will come. Maybe that's why I never get worked up in competition, I'm just focusing on my process, whether it's racing a mountain bike, shooting a bow, or racing a timer. If I can't execute as I've trained to, nothing else will follow.

I've used the same approach in the two F-class competitions I've attended. I didn't go to compete. My low-budget RPR / Vortex / Harris rig can't really compete with the fancy $10k rigs used by the real F-classers. I went, mainly as an opportunity to shoot my rifle at 600 yards (such ranges are few and FAR between here) and test my own skills. I assumed I'd come in last place. I ended up coming in 6th out 8 shooters! Ha! But, yeah... no pressure at all, since I wasn't really there to "compete."

 

[Racer88]

Back at the range today. My 2nd attempt at the Dot Drill. I have to modify it by eliminating the last drill where you stand with the rifle and then drop to prone to take the shot. Can't do that at my local range. So, I ran the 30-second drill twice. And, then I did the drill where you start in a standing position with the rifle on the ground.

I did MUCH better this time! My precision was about the same with the composite group being a hair over 1-MOA (see the 2nd image below). But, my accuracy was much better this time, with far more in the black.

 

[Jjviperzar1]

We’re you shooting the drill cold every trip?

 

[Racer88]

We’re you shooting the drill cold every trip?

Yes.

 

[Jjviperzar1]

Your second target looks like mine. I seem to settle in a little after the first string.

 

[Racer88]

Your second target looks like mine. I seem to settle in a little after the first string.

Yeah... the third shot on the first string made me go, "Whaaaa?" Don't know what happened there, because it didn't feel like I pulled it. But, obviously I must have.

 

[Jjviperzar1]

Yeah... the third shot on the first string made me go, "Whaaaa?" Don't know what happened there, because it didn't feel like I pulled it. But, obviously I must have.

Lol, I know that feeling. Raise up off the gun look around, did I do that? By the looks of the fourth and fifth shot you focused and got back in the game.

 

[Flint62a1]

What app did you use for the target ? Thanks Kevin

 

[Racer88]

What app did you use for the target ? Thanks Kevin

OnTarget TDS. They also have a "lite" version.

https://ontargetshooting.com/

 

[Racer88]

I finally found a use for the pasters that come with the shoot-n-c targets. I'm so spoiled by the shoot-n-c targets, that I find it hard to spot my impacts on plain paper targets. So I just replaced the Dot Drill Target bullseyes with the pasters. It should be a lot easier to see my impacts now. I'll be giving them a try tomorrow.

The big target was from my last range session 2 weeks ago. 20 shots at 300 yards.

 

[Racer88]

Here we go. Today's Modified Dot Drill (since I can't do the fourth line with rifle in hand at my range).
The Shoot-N-See pasters helped a bit, but not much, really.

And, some other targets - best groups of the day.