Advanced Marksmanship The "Lightbulb" Moment With Respect To Home Range Data

[Enough Said]

Here's how you are viewing the range that you are shooting on; Let's call it Near to Far. Nearest is the closest target.
1000 yards
900 yards
800 yards
700 yards
600 yards
500 yards
400 yards
300 yards
200 yards

Here's how your are writing your Data on a sheet or reading it from a table produced by a solver; Let's call it Far to Near because the farthest is at the bottom of the page.
200 yard data
300 yard data
400 yard data
500 yard data
600 yard data
700 yard data
800 yard data
900 yard data
1000 yard data

Here's how your data SHOULD be written because it reflects what you see downrange, which is Near to Far.
1000 yard data
900 yard data
800 yard data
700 yard data
600 yard data
500 yard data
400 yard data
300 yard data
200 yard data

The Point - Writing your data from Near to Far will more closely reflect the targets you are engaging because it will look more like what is referred to as a Range Card.
Your data at your home range will be easier to remember because it will flow like your home range flows; Near to Far. When you can recite your home range data from memory for your rifle, you are on the way to a better understanding of your data flow and the Drop associated with it.

This is a "lightbulb" moment for many of our shooters.
Try it.

---Taylor

 

[308pirate]

It works just as easily either way.

But maybe its because I've been reading data tables my entire life both professionally and in other hobbies.

Same way with mil and moa. Neither one is easier for me to use, despite what others say or think.

 

[todd]

FWIW, I've always written my stage cards at matches to be read bottom-up rather than top-down. Mainly because most stages are written in some form of near-to-far order (not always, of course), and bottom-up just makes more sense to me when on the clock, as it more closely mimics what I see visually when I look out at the range.

 

[912173]

Good stuff. I've started drawing field sketches while ranging targets for this same reason. It keeps me from getting mixed up and is easier to read fast. Plus it makes me feel more snipery.

 

[MrSwede]

Just had this lightbulb moment myself after shooting long range for 12 years..

 

[Barelstroker]

Ahhh, it's just what you get used to;

Scanning behaviour in natural scenes is influenced by a preceding unrelated visual search task
Catherine Thompson 1, David Crundall
Affiliations expand
PMID: 22416591 DOI: 10.1068/p6848
Abstract
Three experiments explored the transference of visual scanning behaviour between two unrelated tasks. Participants first viewed letters presented horizontally, vertically, or as a random array. They then viewed still images (experiments 1 and 2) or video clips (experiment 3) of driving scenes, under varying task conditions. Despite having no relevance to the driving images, layout of stimuli in the letter task influenced scanning behaviour in this subsequent task. In the still images, a vertical letter search increased vertical scanning, and in the dynamic clips, a horizontal letter search decreased vertical scanning. This indicated that (i) models of scanning behaviour should account for the influence of a preceding unrelated task; (ii) carry-over is modulated by demand in the current task; and (iii) in situations where particular scanning strategies are important for primary task performance (eg driving safety), secondary task information should be displayed in a manner likely to produce a congruent scanning strategy.

 

[Enough Said]

Fukin’awesome! Thanks for sharing that.

 

[Sogan]

I do the same but if the targets are staggered left side and right side then I will slightly offset the numbers as well.

IE (the dots are only so the website text box on here will let me have the format spaced):

.....400 - yrd date
..............................315 - yrd data
200 - yrd data

 

[shoobe01]

Ahhh, it's just what you get used to;

Scanning behaviour in natural scenes is influenced by a preceding unrelated visual search task
Catherine Thompson 1, David Crundall
Affiliations expand
PMID: 22416591 DOI: 10.1068/p6848
Abstract
Three experiments explored the transference of visual scanning behaviour between two unrelated tasks. Participants first viewed letters presented horizontally, vertically, or as a random array. They then viewed still images (experiments 1 and 2) or video clips (experiment 3) of driving scenes, under varying task conditions. Despite having no relevance to the driving images, layout of stimuli in the letter task influenced scanning behaviour in this subsequent task. In the still images, a vertical letter search increased vertical scanning, and in the dynamic clips, a horizontal letter search decreased vertical scanning. This indicated that (i) models of scanning behaviour should account for the influence of a preceding unrelated task; (ii) carry-over is modulated by demand in the current task; and (iii) in situations where particular scanning strategies are important for primary task performance (eg driving safety), secondary task information should be displayed in a manner likely to produce a congruent scanning strategy.

This (ish). I design systems for consumption of complex data, and have done actual research on it (and write books, etc). Lots of good stuff, but the short version is: people vary. From experience or just apparently innately. Say... should you provide a map or written directions to your house? Both. Normal variation (bell curve) where most use both together, but at the ends some are ONLY visual (map) people, some are ONLY written (Instructions) people.

So for a list: I usually will design one way from some (domain- or usage-specific) logic, but have a sort order change button so users can switch. Whichever way works for you works for you.

And also: What works for you works for YOU! Do not automatically take someone else's method and force yourself. Go change it if it makes no sense. My databook I make from scratch, print on rite in the rain paper here at home and hole punch as I hate the organization of all of the store bought ones (and have the design skills to do that).

 

[Enough Said]

This is extremely relevant and needs to go back to the top to be revisited.

Learn your data and know it inside and out!

Taylor