About 4 months ago I signed up for a long range course in my state of NH. IMHO, money spent on training is worth it's weight in gold. Anywho, the course is coming up quickly. Only 3 weekends away. And this is my dilemma. I need to load 450 cartridges for this course. I have everything I need on hand for these cartridges, but after I load them all up I'll be needing more 139 gr Lapua's. I just tried to order another box of 1000, no dice. So, skip the course and keep shooting the way I have been? Or hand load all those cartridges, leaving me with only about 100 bullets left not knowing when I'll be able to replenish my supply... Covid sucks balls
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Signed Up For A Long Range Course, and Now I Am On The Fence...
- Thread starter RLinNH
- Start date
I’m assuming you’re taking a precision course at Ridgeline based on username location and relative schedule. Based on experience, I’ve only expended about 70-80% of rounds they call for.
Unless you’re one of those troublesome people that take 6 hours and a case of ammo to chase your zero (there’s always one in a class), you should continue taking the class.
Unless you’re one of those troublesome people that take 6 hours and a case of ammo to chase your zero (there’s always one in a class), you should continue taking the class.
I am already zero'd out to 100 yards. I have experience from when I was a young Marine with shooting out to 500 meters, open sights. I want to learn about the scope I have and also see what I can do 600 yards and out. Good news is I just found some Berger VLD's in 140 grains. Won't hurt so much knowing that I have 400 bullets in the mail.
And yes. Course is at Ridgeline.
You said it yourself, "worth its weight in gold." I think you have your answer. Also, there are other bullets out there; I regularly see Hornady 140 HPBT pop up, and while nobody's out there winning 1000-yd F Class with that bullet, it should be more than adequate for your standard PRS COF. I was shooting 100gr ELDMs out of my 6.5CM recently because that was all I had
Don't waste another minute thinking about not going. Load your ammo up and prepare yourself for the class with going over your ballistic app, get a good notebook to record your DOPE, a good shooting mat, front and rear bags, bipod, etc.
You already found more bullets, stop sweating the components. There will be more.
The training class is priority.
You already found more bullets, stop sweating the components. There will be more.
The training class is priority.
Just a suggestion, optimally bring all the same load, otherwise it may fuck with your ability to build later on using results from early in the course (i.e. when your dope changes if/when you switch loads). I would buy 500 of the VLDs, spend <=50 of them on load development, then load 450 with the new load. Good luck.
I bought the Voodoo Matrix pack https://www.voodootactical.com/matrix-pack.html and set it up with ALL of the stuff I need for a range trip. All I have to do is grab & go. It's a good sized pack with a lot of pockets to hold everything.
Works out great. I just replenish what ever I use.
Pack retails for $190.00, but I found it @ Wallmart on line for $110.00 in O/D & Black.
Works out great. I just replenish what ever I use.
Pack retails for $190.00, but I found it @ Wallmart on line for $110.00 in O/D & Black.
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Are you taking the fundamentals or speed/alts course?I am already zero'd out to 100 yards. I have experience from when I was a young Marine with shooting out to 500 meters, open sights. I want to learn about the scope I have and also see what I can do 600 yards and out. Good news is I just found some Berger VLD's in 140 grains. Won't hurt so much knowing that I have 400 bullets in the mail.
I don’t know the class but that seems like a high round count. Frank and Marc have dramatically cut down round count to 150-300 for a three day course and are getting the same material covered.
Well I am biased obviously but I can’t help but laugh at the timing of the post and the randomness of stumbling across it.
YES, our round counts are higher than most courses you will take else where. NO, this isn’t much of an exaggeration.
The round counts are deliberate and by intentional design. Frankly while classroom portions are fine and necessary (what I wouldn’t give for an afternoon of rambling about wind) the reality is we only have you for two days and trigger time is premium. We get the most bang for your buck when you’re on the range being coached and putting in good reps. If you want war stories you’ll have to buy Joe a beer afterwards.
In addition the round counts reflect a 10-15% margin budgeted into the curriculum. Some students are going to have more need for that than others and I can’t always tell who that will be.
All this said, we get it 2020-21 is rough, Alex and I were discussing this course Friday and we’ve paired the round count down to about 350ish (should be an email going out this week) honestly I hate doing this but we went back and forth for an hour about the necessity to balance the round counts in light of the situation. This course is going to be lean but I feel good about the number. Hope to see you soon.
v/r
Rudy Gonsior
Take the course iv heard great thing about there training I’m in New Hampshire as well. The reloading situation hopefully should get a little better this summer. I’m hoping to take a course at ridge line next year iv shot a couple of matches up there great place to shoot.
Shoot 100 shots at a target with no education or critique on technique, and just try to "learn as you go", or have a class with a full spread of education and learning and spending 400 rounds.
You could waste 600 rounds by yourself and never get remotely close to a good skool or teaching facility.
Tough choice.
You could waste 600 rounds by yourself and never get remotely close to a good skool or teaching facility.
Tough choice.
Totally get that. I was looking at a set of courses I wanted to take this summer in Arizona, but the requirement (combined) is about 850 rounds of match-grade ammunition. My worry is that at this stage of my development, the more basic stuff at the front end of both courses would burn literally hundreds of rounds to do things I already do and learn things I already know ... at a time when match-grade ammo is a very precious commodity. I wanted to take just the ELR class (250 rounds), but they refused without the prerequisite class (600 rounds). At the end of the day, I decided not take those two courses, and opted instead for a 2-day ELR-focused class in Utah with a requirement of around 120 rounds of ammo ... and a "side-hustle" for some private coaching after each day of the class to stretch just a little further. When the ammo costs 3x what the class costs ... deep introspection is necessary to justify the total cost (Tuition, Travel, Ammo).
Id like to take a Ridgeline class or experience their facilities. I have heard great things.
All I have done to date is Sig classes in Epping.
Usually I bring my own ammo but Im changing that this year.
Now Im going to use Sig provided ammo as a) Its available b) the price is reasonable in this market c) I will overbuy and bring some home.
Granted not a possibility for you but letting you know you are not alone in your reasoning.
All I have done to date is Sig classes in Epping.
Usually I bring my own ammo but Im changing that this year.
Now Im going to use Sig provided ammo as a) Its available b) the price is reasonable in this market c) I will overbuy and bring some home.
Granted not a possibility for you but letting you know you are not alone in your reasoning.
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Thanks to all for the input. I'll be taking the course as I have been looking forward to it for quite some time. Only issue is cases. I have 300 new Lapua Small Primer cases, and 100 new Lapua Large Primer cases. Going to use the same load in the large primer cases as the small(the load I have worked up for the small primer cases). I will be posting here after training. Hopefully with pics.
In the few training classes I have been to there are "High Volume" shooters and "Quality Volume" shooters.
Instructors between drills will allow you to shoot on your target and continue your drill.
That is fine if you want to do it or need to practice the excercise further but keep in mind eventually at some point in the day you are going to have fatigue diminsh your skills.
I shoot .308 and even though it is a girl version of a mans cartridge I start to have concentration, fatigue and depending on the rifle recoil start to diminish my skills as I approach 120 rounds for the day.
Shoot as much as you need to but you dont need to be the guy that is all "Pew, Pew, Pew" just to make noise.
If you get the concept or dont have the instructor right there to give you feedback try to save some gas for later in the day when fatigue is getting to the "Pew, Pew, Pew" guy and he is just throwing shit down range for the fuck of making noise.
Take time to make notes, draw diagrams and record data. Bring a good notebook. Listening, writing, figuring than doing are better than 10 wild ass try shots.
Shoot for quality and when you are most likely to get feedback from the instructor.....you will save rounds and get more out of it.
Please after action and pictures.
Had some coworkers that shot at Ridgeline during a comp of some sort......
They came back and both sold their .308s to get something in a 6mm with me buying their cast off ammo.....
Instructors between drills will allow you to shoot on your target and continue your drill.
That is fine if you want to do it or need to practice the excercise further but keep in mind eventually at some point in the day you are going to have fatigue diminsh your skills.
I shoot .308 and even though it is a girl version of a mans cartridge I start to have concentration, fatigue and depending on the rifle recoil start to diminish my skills as I approach 120 rounds for the day.
Shoot as much as you need to but you dont need to be the guy that is all "Pew, Pew, Pew" just to make noise.
If you get the concept or dont have the instructor right there to give you feedback try to save some gas for later in the day when fatigue is getting to the "Pew, Pew, Pew" guy and he is just throwing shit down range for the fuck of making noise.
Take time to make notes, draw diagrams and record data. Bring a good notebook. Listening, writing, figuring than doing are better than 10 wild ass try shots.
Shoot for quality and when you are most likely to get feedback from the instructor.....you will save rounds and get more out of it.
Please after action and pictures.
Had some coworkers that shot at Ridgeline during a comp of some sort......
They came back and both sold their .308s to get something in a 6mm with me buying their cast off ammo.....
You may not be interested in switching bullets but you can get 136 scenar (I’ve seen them in stock). I would think the performance would be negligible between the 2.
Interested to hear what you think of the course as well. I'm in southern NH and have been thinking about signing up for something at Ridgeline this year. Like you, I have enough rounds to shoot a class, but would be running on empty after.
And DONE!!! 404 Hand Loaded Cartridges of 6.5 Creedmoor, 43.6 grains of Winchester Sta-Ball, and 139 gr. Lapua OTM Scenars. Issue being that these are all new cases. Not fire formed to my chamber. Still better than factory Ammo, IMHO. Also, 101 of these cartridges are LR Primed. The rest are all SR Primed (all Lapua Cases). I have been stressing about loading these for over 3 weeks. Ahhhh. Now I feel better. Looking forward to training now!!!
Coming in to this a bit late...
A good precision course is NOT worth its weight in gold. Its value over the long term is worth its weight in primers (literally?). You will easily save more rounds every six months than you shot in the course because you won't be chasing anything. Except that hitting steel is addictive so you might find yourself chasing that high.
A good precision course is NOT worth its weight in gold. Its value over the long term is worth its weight in primers (literally?). You will easily save more rounds every six months than you shot in the course because you won't be chasing anything. Except that hitting steel is addictive so you might find yourself chasing that high.
I disagree. Your fundamentals won't magically improve over time just because you launch more rounds. Attending legitimate courses can act as a shortcut to identifying bad habits and establish the correct techniques.
For clarification. I am a major fan of good precision rifle courses. I was trying to imply the value of primers these days as being greater than gold. I have saved (read as hit more targets without chasing bad habits and compensating for poor technique) more ammo in the last six months than I shot at a course. I definitely learned the shooter makes the rifle fire and the bullet never lies. AKA money can't buy hits - unless it was spent on training and you also paid attention.
And your fundamentals will improve over time but not magically. Practice makes permanent, not perfect. Learning how to do it right before you practice will always beat doing it wrong over and over again.
You guys are going to have to wait until July for pictures and a review of the course. They just pushed it out until July due to weather. Understandable as we have had snow overnight, and up north they have 4-8" of snow. Hey man. Gives me time to fire form my new brass.
get off that fence , and get out of the closet tom cruise have fun at the course shoot your gun , and learn what you can best of luck .
keep looking online bullets pop up maybe not the best ones but a bullet hitting a steel target is still a bullet powder is also out there you just have to have lucky timing or get lucky to get it before its gone refresh is your friend , keep pages open and look every 20 min all day every day even on your phone .
keep looking online bullets pop up maybe not the best ones but a bullet hitting a steel target is still a bullet powder is also out there you just have to have lucky timing or get lucky to get it before its gone refresh is your friend , keep pages open and look every 20 min all day every day even on your phone .
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