What Am I missing??? New to Precision Rifle world.

[Jjensen]

So I'm starting to dip my toes into the Precision Rifle world, we have PRS style matches in my area that a bunch of my friends are shooting and I'd like to get into it also. Goal was to start with "good enough for now" gear that I can move to my prairie dog upper once I upgrade. I do Handload my own ammo.

Here is what I have:
Tikka T3 CTR SS .260 Rem
2 Extra CTR Mags (3 Total)
Athlon Argos BTR 6-24x50 FFP/Mil
Vortex Tactical Medium Rings
Mountain Tactical 20 MOA Rail
Green Blob Bipod
Blackhawk Sling Stud to Pic Rail Conversion
Rangefinder

Anything I am missing? I'm sure there is something.....

 

[Danattherock]

Get you a set of bags from http://www.sargesshootingbags.com/ Great quality, vet owned business, and very affordable compared to others. His big bag set is my suggestion. Just ordered the same, and a blockhead also. Ive used some other Sarges bags this past year, top shelf stuff.

You will need to do a tall target test on that scope. If it fails, you may consider a Vortex Viper PST or similar. If your dialing, the Argos may or may not work. Only way to know is to do a tall target test. Fingers crossed.

A ballistic solver will be desired, or you can make free cards off JBM. Many prefer density altitude charts, DA often you will see. JBM is free amd you can make up various cards for DA changes. A weather app on phone is handy. A dedicated ballistic app like Applied Ballistics will do all this for you. Great customer support, second to none, if (and you may) need it. Doc Beech post often in Ballistics sub forum here, and is a huge asset and works for Applied Ballistics. Great user manuals on Applied Ballistics site for their apps, Kestrels, etc. Very detailed.

Find Franks article here about 'The disconnect beyween you and your dope'. Helped me a ton last year as I was trying to figure this stuff out. As your interest grows, consider a Kestrel Elite with Applied Ballistics. Recently got one, wish I had bought it sooner.

Training, most important thing. After getting hard dope, learning to use Applied Ballistics, get off your belly. Matches will have you shooting on roofs, tractor tires, barricades, and worse. Practice things like shooting off various rungs of a ladder, plastic barrels, whatever you can find. Practice what you suck at. Best advice I ever got.


Dan
NC

 

[spife7980]

A muzzle break would help you stay on target. A game changer bag would be a good idea, haven't used one myself but it's on my list. A sling for carrying your stick although a pack that you could strap it into might be a good idea as well for moving between stages. Tripod?

Theres a million gimmicks you can use, you just have to figure out what's worth carrying to you and your first match will be the best answer to that.

 

[snarkscarbine]

Pick up a chronograph, or make a friend that has one. Maybe get a muzzle brake. Upgrade the bipod when you're able. You'll be surprised at the difference. Shoot a lot.

 

[steve123]

A Kestrel so you can get station pressure or DA and wind speed.

A medium sized backpack. I made the mistake of getting one that's too big.

Sidewinder dope card holder. http://www.sidewinderindustries.com/

 

[RimfireShooter]

A kestral weather station. The 5700 AB if ya can manage it. Great bit of kit.

https://kestrelmeters.com/collection...ied-ballistics

And a paper based system to go along with it, incase the batterys fail. A good shooter log book in water proof paper like rite-in-the-rain paper.

A scope level as well, these are cheap enough and there are many of them. I prefer the ones that attach to the scope itself and you can adjust them so you can read them easier.

 

[NotMalware]

I would recommend a muzzle brake. I had a tikka CTR in 260rem, and it was a very different rifle with the Gen2 Little Bastard brake. The one thing that I wish that rifle had was some comb height adjustability. If you find that you're searching for the eye box, you may find it helpful to put a stock pack or pad or something to set your cheek rest to fit you.

 

[47chevycoe]

Definitely get a backpack. I have a 5.11 rush 24 that seems like a great size for prs matches.

 

[delfuego]

Just go to a match! You will learn so much more from your first match than you will learn from all the knuckleheads on SH combined. Have fun

 

[pineoak]

+1 on just going to a match. Make sure you know your dope and bring paper/pen to write down your dope to distance (usually get it the night before).

You seem to have everything you need. Hold off on buying bags, pillows, other "sporting equipment" until you're sure PRS style comps are your thing. I enjoy matches because I like the variety and competition, but I'm not going to spend hundreds of dollars so I can walk up to a stage with 3 pillows attached to my belt and a Reazor game changer bag in one hand. Not my idea of fun or what I want to do.

I'm not competitive, but I'm having fun using my rear bag and just my gun, sometimes backpack. Don't worry about buying new stuff. Bipod, gun, rings, scope, even the sling is optional really.

Bring water, lunch, food bars, and 1.5x the ammo the match asks for.

 

[athanasios23]

Log book, note book, good shooting mat. You will learn the difference between a good one and bad one after long day of shooting. As mentioned bags and I really love having a level on my percision rifles. Accumulating all the items on a list for shooting seems impossible. Every time you check an item off, 2 more seem to make it on the list. Take your time and buy quality stuff. This way when you decide it's not for you can sell it to buy other stuff and there's nothing worse then buying lower end stuff that fails.

 

[grebski]

Get a real bipod and not a green blob. The green blob clone has issues with the bearing/knob below and loosens right away. Plus its just wrong purchasing a clone of an american product.

 

[IanHusaberg]

I think doing your homework with a Chromo, either a magneto speed v3 or a lab radar(which i own) start working through your system double check all you inputs so you can start with good information going into ballistic solvers. Crap in, Crap out, they say! Start practicing, dry fire. Go to a clinic or class/training. sign up for local club matches. not a bad idea to have a trainer 22lr or 223/556. Just random thoughts here. Just get out and shoot. Buy Bryan Litzes book it will change your world.

IanHusaberg out

 

[Jjensen]

Wow thanks guys! I have multiple friends with Chronos so that's fine. I forgot about bags..... I'll take a look at Sarge's. I'm good on backpacks, have enough that one should work. A muzzle brake is something I thought about but passed on due to the noise. I'm still considering in, probably an APA Lil Btard.

The Blob is just to get started, I don't like buying something that's a clone but budgets made me. I'm sure I'll have an Atlas by the end of summer, also probably get a XTRii.

 

[MPHReallyRightStuff]

I like to have a few extra mags with me if I go to a match or show. Never know when one will stop functioning 100%.

 

[Hardpan]

I'm curious on what kind of data book people are using at the range and what pages they seem to use more of. Currently I am just shooting factory loads.

 

[IanHusaberg]

XTR2 helped me win my first competition!! Good for the money and it has all the functions of a tier 1 scope at A 1/4 or 1/3 of the price. Check out Sig Sauer Tango 4 line, some good value there. Go First focal plane if you can afford one?

Go get the book and read it front to back. It will make you look at everything in a different light!!

 

[bribassguy]

I would avoid cheap items that's you'll rebuy later. I am not saying get a 4k scope but get decent gear. Get a real bipod...get a basic harris for now. It will hold it's value and you can grow with it. Skip the green blob; it is a direct Chinese ripoff and a pack.

Get a pack... even a surplus one. Resist the temptation to get a huge pack and fill it up with stuff.

For now you can use your phone as a ballistic solver.

Go to match, learn, repeat... that's pretty much what I did. After a year

 

[Downtown]

The best advice I saw was to go to a match. I've competed in a number of disciplines over the years, and always started checking equipment quickly. Shoot first, buy later.

 

[Downtown]

Sorry, I mean changing equipment quickly. Damn autocorrect. Seriously, in just a few matches you will figure out what you need for your club. When you start traveling, that's a little different.

 

[Raptor005]

Buy once, cry once - avoid the cheap clones if you can. You'll end up wanting to upgrade almost immediately, and you won't be able to resell the cheap stuff (it becomes a sunken cost). Just buy what you can when you can.

Equipment:
-Data Book (impact data books are great: http://www.impactdatabooks.com)
-A good rear bag
-A good positional bag
-Ballistics Calculator (TRASOL is great!)

To Do before a match:
-Get a good Muzzle Velocity
-Record data out as far as you can (record atmospheric conditions)
-Dry Fire!!!!!!

Honestly, the best advice is to go shoot a match first. Other shooter will be more than willing to help you, and they will have everything you need. Find out what you like and what works, then go buy.

Good luck!

 

[rymart]

Get a real bipod and not a green blob. The green blob clone has issues with the bearing/knob below and loosens right away. Plus its just wrong purchasing a clone of an american product.

I went to my first match with a cheap 'clone' bipod... It broke on the second stage and I took my first zero on that stage (not my last zero unfortunately). Lucky for me someone on my squad was smart enough to carry an extra bipod and nice enough to loan it to me for the rest of the match.