Practice when you have access to 1000yds?

[stradibarrius]

If your range has 1000 yd lanes, should you always practice at 1000 yds? Another way to ask the question is if you can group at a 1000 yds does that mean you can also group at shorter ranges? Assuming you have accurate dope for 100 -1000 yds.
I know that variety in distance is more interesting but this is a question about skill development.

 

[308pirate]

There is more to skill development than shooting good groups. A lot more.

What are you doing about first round hits under time pressure from various different shooting positions? What are you doing about refining your positions so that you can control recoil and spot your own shots? What about different ways to use a sling for when you can't or don't want to use certain bags? What about wind doping, how much feedback are you getting about your calls?

 

[Fursniper]

If your range has 1000 yd lanes, should you always practice at 1000 yds? Another way to ask the question is if you can group at a 1000 yds does that mean you can also group at shorter ranges? Assuming you have accurate dope for 100 -1000 yds.
I know that variety in distance is more interesting but this is a question about skill development.

Dispersion doesn't improve with distance so to kind of answer your question in reverse, yes, if we are just discussing the equipment end of things (gun, ammo, scope, etc) if you are shooting moa at 1k, everything else being equal, you should be at least getting moa (usually better) at shorter ranges. What practicing at longer ranges reveals are weaknesses in your fundamentals that don't manifest so dramactically at shorter ranges, your ability to accurately read enviornmentals, etc. Longer ranges will also expose weaknesses in your reloading consistancy that might not otherwise show up at shorter ranges. So again yes, practicing at longer ranges i believe will make you a "better" marksman, as it identifies shortcomings more quickly. Practicing at short ranges is very useful for positional shooting.

 

[Sheldon N]

I know that variety in distance is more interesting but this is a question about skill development.

What skill are you trying to develop?

I have access to well beyond 1000 yards at my range, but I spend most of my time working on positional skill on closer targets. Now if I were an F-Class shooter it might be different and I might want to spend all my time working on wind reading at 1k yards.

 

[stradibarrius]

At this point I am trying to build my marksmanship skills and not PRS type skills. I am currently interested in F-class or maybe bench rest...but I was asking the general question to increase my understanding of the difference between shooting 2-300 vs. shooting 8-1000. To me it seems if you have the skills to consistently ring the steel at 1000 yds shooting at 500 should be easier. Thanks Fursniper. I think you got the gist of my question and provided a good answer.

 

[308pirate]

To me it seems if you have the skills to consistently ring the steel at 1000 yds shooting at 500 should be easier. Thanks Fursniper. I think you got the gist of my question and provided a good answer.

While he is right, most of what you can learn about your technique and your gear at long distances (900 - 1000 yds) can be learned at mid range distances (300 - 500) with more challenging (smaller) targets.

 

[Nik H]

While he is right, most of what you can learn about your technique and your gear at long distances (900 - 1000 yds) can be learned at mid range distances (300 - 500) with more challenging (smaller) targets.

This is what I do since the nearest 1000 yard range is 3 hours away (1 direction). I have 500 and 600 yard ranges close by and I focus on smaller targets, rapidly moving between different target sizes and distances without changing the turrets (holdover/holdunder), dot drills and shooting from different positional stations. I think this is much more fun than F-Class type bullseye shooting and I personally believe it makes you a better "rifleman".

 

[stradibarrius]

2 good responses. I have a 725 yd range about 45 min away and a 1000yd about 1.5 hrs away so using a smaller target at shorter distance would be easier.

 

[The King]

I have found that moa is moa for the mechanics of Shooting and that bastard the wind is the big difference at 1km plus.

It also lets you know a lot about how you are handling ES and SD in your reloads. Crappy Essd will screw you past 500m.

It used to be that 1km plus separated the men from the boys in the Optics manufacture world, but today’s economical Optics no longer elicit remarks like “it ain’t no Schmidt and Bender” from the clarity of the glass. Mostly today’s Optics suffer from “god this thing is so clear when it’s not back at Vortex being repaired...”

Tracking becomes a much bigger issue the further you spin that knob.

 

[stradibarrius]

Thanks King. I went yesterday and verified my zero and tracking on one of my guns. It has a Super Sniper 3-15x42. I know it is not a expensive scope but it is bright, clear and tracks spot on.

 

[Nik H]

Thanks King. I went yesterday and verified my zero and tracking on one of my guns. It has a Super Sniper 3-15x42. I know it is not a expensive scope but it is bright, clear and tracks spot on.

I own that scope and a few other SS fixed value 6x and 10X. They track like no one's business. I have one on my .22LR trainer and it is one of the best values in shooting today.

 

[The King]

That super sniper was made by LOW of japan. They have a rep for good scopes.

 

[stradibarrius]

I wish they would offer a 5-25...Having verified my zero yesterday I am going to install a zero stop kit today. I have a Steiner on my Sako TRG

 

[The King]

All LOW scopes are pretty much identical. Some offer high end glass options or special turrets.

I guess what I’m saying is if you look at other LOW made scopes in the 5-25 range it’ll end up similar in performance to your super sniper regardless of maker.

I would like to lay my hands on the new Bushnell 4-18 also made by LOW

 

[Blowby]

I work my way throughout the distances to validate DOPE in changing environment conditions. Follow all suggestions posted above.

 

[SND]

I take a couple close in and then move out to 700-800, then to 1000. Also work on different course of fire: two shots close, one far away in the best time. Fun to practice with two or three others...

 

[308pirate]

I once shot a couple f class matches. It was embarrassing. I didn't find it much fun either just running round after round. Pretty boring really. To me it was all about money. Whoever had the best most expensive rig, usually won. No way I could compete with some of the crazy rigs out there. Some of these rifles were just like works of art, everything meticulously hand calibrated and precisely laser aligned. There I was ...with my 700 remigton,...kicking up dust on the berm LMAO. They made me stop one time cause I shot another guys target.lol

F class is not something I do often, but I do it at least 3-4 times a year. Whether you hate it or like it depends in part on your motivation for doing it.

I use it to test myself against a known standard: MOA at whatever distance the match is being held (600 yds in my case). More to the point, I test both my shooting and reloading abilities. I give zero fucks about what my score is compared to others', mostly because even in F-TR a practical precision rifle is severely outclassed by the stability offered by the support equipment allowed by the rules.

 

[HoustonB77]

All LOW scopes are pretty much identical. Some offer high end glass options or special turrets.

I guess what I’m saying is if you look at other LOW made scopes in the 5-25 range it’ll end up similar in performance to your super sniper regardless of maker.

I would like to lay my hands on the new Bushnell 4-18 also made by LOW

4X18? just did a quick search and cant find it. What is the model?

 

[Nik H]

F class is not something I do often, but I do it at least 3-4 times a year. Whether you hate it or like it depends in part on your motivation for doing it.

I use it to test myself against a known standard: MOA at whatever distance the match is being held (600 yds in my case). More to the point, I test both my shooting and reloading abilities. I give zero fucks about what my score is compared to others', mostly because even in F-TR a practical precision rifle is severely outclassed by the stability offered by the support equipment allowed by the rules.

This is why I do it as well. I do the best I can and don't look back.

I saw one guy with a front rest that must have weighed 40 lbs made outside of the country. It was a gorgeous piece of machinery but practical???

 

[308pirate]

There is nothing practical about F class and it was never meant to be so. I remember when "tactical" shooters found out about it and thought the TR in F-TR meant "tactical rifle" because it's limited to 308 and 223. Nope.

 

[The King]

https://www.eurooptic.com/BU-ET45184GI-Bushnell-Elite-Tactical-LRTS--45-18X44-G3-ILLUM.aspx

4X18? just did a quick search and cant find it. What is the model?