Another Long Range Course is in the books! Awesome turn out and the weather was perfect. Temp was around 80 with a few stray showers in the afternoon. Wind was below 10 mph most of the day.
Day One: 8 students showed up with a variety of rifles but all were shooters! A few AIs, a GAP Templar, a Surgeon in AX Chassis, and several custom builds. Every rifle except one was in some type of AI/AX Chassis. Just about all were using Atlas bipods. Scopes were mostly NF, with a S&B and USO in the mix as well. Every suppressor was a TB 30P1.
After working on fundamentals, all shot a solid 100 zero, tall target test, and recorded average MV and spread. We were looking for +/- 15 fps and most were there. Several were experienced hand loaders, with the rest shooting either Federal or Black Hills Match. One student behind the GAP was using M118LR which produced some impressive results.
We ran a few more precision drills at 100 yards on paper then it was on to reactive steel targets. With a wide variety of steel out in the field at various distances, it was easy to get students on targets out to 700 yards by the end of the day.
The majority of the targets were from Big Dog Steel. We have been using these targets for over a year now with heavy use and they barely show signs of wear. We have had the Sniper's Hide head & chest target for about that long and absolutely love it! We also just received the new T-Zone/heart flapper target from Big Dog. This thing is badass! Lots of drills that you can do with this one. Thanks Ryan, we may need a few more of these!
The majority rely on some sort of ballistic solver on a smart phone these days. We have been using Ballistic AE with outstanding results. However, all were introduced to the FDAC and Accuracy 1st Whiz Wheel. We encourage our students to back up every battery powered device for field use. The cool thing about both of these devices is that there is a DA chart on each. Kestrel or iPhone goes down and you are covered. You can also true both to your rifle. With all shooting .308 for this course, the FDAC seemed to get used the most.
We finished the day with a few man vs. man drills and gave away some TAB Gear schwag and a couple Shooter ball caps!
All in all it was a good first day. Fundamentals were reinforced throughout the day. Students spent the entire day shooting from the prone position. A few stress drills and practice getting in and out of position were used to develop consistency. Trigger control is key to precision shooting and several students needed improvement here. We also had a few dreaded "Dead Man's" guns. Bolt manipulation was discussed in detail but under time limits, it is easy to get in a hurry and short stroke the bolt, failing to insert a round into the chamber. Funny how loud that click is when a 6-pack of Guinness is on the line.
Day Two: Weather was awesome! A high in the 60's and overcast. Winds were around 10-12 mph. As usual, students were encouraged to dry fire prior to the first shot of the day and the mysterious "Cold Bore" shot was no where to be found! Students confirmed zero and then we tightened up groups at 100 yards in preparation for target engagement out to 1000. After reviewing fundamentals, groups started to tighten up to an acceptable level. A solid 100 yard zero is paramount to precision shooting at long range and the extra time spent fine tuning really paid off.
Ballistics review was conducted in the field. We recommend all students pick up both books by Brian Litz, as well as his recent DVD's. There is a wealth of knowledge provided and if you truly want to understand long range precision shooting, this is the most current information out there. We have been using the Litz BC input with Ballistic AE and the data is dead nuts accurate! Of course, you have to do your part in feeding the ballistic solver the most accurate details that you can to get the best results.
We spent the first half of the day collecting data out to 1000 yards on various reactive steel targets. Students were encouraged to spot their own shot but also worked in shooter/spotter pairs. Trace was easily visible and once you know exactly where to look, everyone was able to pick it up. A quality spotting scope with Mil reticle is a must! We use half the distance plus 10% and give the height of trace in MILS to the student. Wind from the left, spotter just behind the shooter and off to the left, and you are good to go!
After lunch, the mirage was kicking and it was difficult to spot hits on freshly painted steel at 1000 yards. We had several Leupold MK4 spotters in 40x and a Zeiss Spotter 60x. Spotters learned to watch the trace drop in on the target and listen for the ping to confirm the hit. A few students were graced with first round hits! Outstanding shooting guys!
After a review of range estimation, we headed into the field for unknown distance targets. As always, the prone position is rare. Due to brush, the lowest you could get was a high kneeling. In order to mil targets to within less than .1 mil, a stable position is needed. Students worked in pairs shooting off partners and utilizing various shooting sticks and tripods.
The Hog Saddle with Manfrotto 055PROB tripod is the ticket! This set up is rock solid and can be adjusted from a high prone to the standing position. We have been using this set up for quite some time and have found none better. Put a leg forward to allow for a solid load similar to loading the bipod, wrap the sling around a tripod leg and twist, and you are ready to rock! Students had no problem engaging multiple targets out to 600 yards in a short amount of time. There are a few other tricks to this set up, such as supporting the firing elbow with your knee or pack, placing a pack between your butt and calf, supporting the rear of the rifle with a small set of shooting sticks, tightening the sling wrap and then camming the rifle into position, etc. Just like other shooting skills, these can be worked on at home while dry firing, or with time spent in the field. Get out and shoot brothers!
The course finale was open range where students worked in pairs and spent time banging steel at various distances out to 1000 yards! GET SOME!
S/F
Ronin out...
