Hey guys!
I shot my first match this weekend, and learned a ton about what I like and don't like about my set up.
Hoping to have a discussion on wrist coach usage and dope cards!
Currently, I have dope in a few different areas.
1) Taped to my rifle stock. I have a dope card for my main load on all rifles, taped to the stock. Dope is 100 yard increments until 25 yards is needed, out to the supersonic range of the cartridge. I have DA of 0, 5000, and 10000, to cover almost all my bases for what I can see where I live. If I'm using this dope, it's quick math anyways, so a 7,500 foot DA day just splits the difference between 5000 and 10000 foot data
2) Data book. My data book is really just a combination of drop charts and reminders about how to shoot long range. Ranging formulas, slope dope, wind calling, etc. My drop cards here are full tables with 2,000 foot DA steps from like 0 to 14,000. 25 yard increments to the supersonic range of the cartridge. I have one of these printed for every load I've chronographed through my rifle. Can't hurt to have these, and once verified, the data works great.
3) Mini dope cards. These are 3x5 printed dope cards that pretty much mimic the ones taped to the rifle stock. I have one printed for almost every load I can shoot in my guns. These go inside my arm board as a portable data book when I don't want to bring the book.
4) AB mobile on iphone. Typically have my phone with me, nice to play with at the range.
Cool, now we have an idea of how my dope is laid out.
On my wrist coach, I'd typically have the 3x5 card for the load I'm shooting in the main window. On the backside of the flap, I have a density altitude and barometric pressure chart, as I don't have a kestrel. It typically gets me within a few hundred foot of DA just using my watch. On the true inside flap, I have a small data book type thing. Slope dope, ranging formulas, that type of stuff. Info that's nice to have that I don't have yet committed to memory.
I shot my first match this weekend, and hated how I was doing dope. I kept the front card out and had it blank white. I was writing with grease pencil which sucked in 95 degree heat, and was pulling data from my phone before each stage to put on the 3x5 card. I never referenced the inside two cards of my wrist band, as why would I use those on the clock...
For me, the armboard is my databook away from my data book. With the 3x5 cards, the idea is I can have all my dope for a load, and change out to whatever load I'm shooting. In theory, great. In practice, I had no 3x5 and used my phone, so a piece of string and a 3x5 card would have worked better.
I'm thinking of switching it up and using the armboard differently. From what I've seen people do, there are a few ways to use the different sleeves:
Blank front, Single density cards inside but have a few cards on hand. Write dope on front for stage.
Density dope card in front, extra density card inside, maybe a photo of reticle. Read dope from card.
Blank up front, density card inside, reticle or whatever inside.
I think I'd like to go blank up front to write stage data, DA pressure chart to have on hand still, and DA dope card inside. But, I worry I'd miss having the data in the main window always.
Sorry for the gigantic ramble here, kind of just word vommiting my thoughts out here with what I'd like to have, but also frustrations.
What have you all found to be your best solution to: Go calculatorless in the field, keep dope handy and easily accessible(for multiple conditions), and prepare dope for quick access during a match? I'm trying to figure it out and it's hurting my head. Probably overthinking it, so someone please bitch slap me into reality if that's the case and tell me to use blank 3x5 cards for each stage and treat comps different than hunting.
I shot my first match this weekend, and learned a ton about what I like and don't like about my set up.
Hoping to have a discussion on wrist coach usage and dope cards!
Currently, I have dope in a few different areas.
1) Taped to my rifle stock. I have a dope card for my main load on all rifles, taped to the stock. Dope is 100 yard increments until 25 yards is needed, out to the supersonic range of the cartridge. I have DA of 0, 5000, and 10000, to cover almost all my bases for what I can see where I live. If I'm using this dope, it's quick math anyways, so a 7,500 foot DA day just splits the difference between 5000 and 10000 foot data
2) Data book. My data book is really just a combination of drop charts and reminders about how to shoot long range. Ranging formulas, slope dope, wind calling, etc. My drop cards here are full tables with 2,000 foot DA steps from like 0 to 14,000. 25 yard increments to the supersonic range of the cartridge. I have one of these printed for every load I've chronographed through my rifle. Can't hurt to have these, and once verified, the data works great.
3) Mini dope cards. These are 3x5 printed dope cards that pretty much mimic the ones taped to the rifle stock. I have one printed for almost every load I can shoot in my guns. These go inside my arm board as a portable data book when I don't want to bring the book.
4) AB mobile on iphone. Typically have my phone with me, nice to play with at the range.
Cool, now we have an idea of how my dope is laid out.
On my wrist coach, I'd typically have the 3x5 card for the load I'm shooting in the main window. On the backside of the flap, I have a density altitude and barometric pressure chart, as I don't have a kestrel. It typically gets me within a few hundred foot of DA just using my watch. On the true inside flap, I have a small data book type thing. Slope dope, ranging formulas, that type of stuff. Info that's nice to have that I don't have yet committed to memory.
I shot my first match this weekend, and hated how I was doing dope. I kept the front card out and had it blank white. I was writing with grease pencil which sucked in 95 degree heat, and was pulling data from my phone before each stage to put on the 3x5 card. I never referenced the inside two cards of my wrist band, as why would I use those on the clock...
For me, the armboard is my databook away from my data book. With the 3x5 cards, the idea is I can have all my dope for a load, and change out to whatever load I'm shooting. In theory, great. In practice, I had no 3x5 and used my phone, so a piece of string and a 3x5 card would have worked better.
I'm thinking of switching it up and using the armboard differently. From what I've seen people do, there are a few ways to use the different sleeves:
Blank front, Single density cards inside but have a few cards on hand. Write dope on front for stage.
Density dope card in front, extra density card inside, maybe a photo of reticle. Read dope from card.
Blank up front, density card inside, reticle or whatever inside.
I think I'd like to go blank up front to write stage data, DA pressure chart to have on hand still, and DA dope card inside. But, I worry I'd miss having the data in the main window always.
Sorry for the gigantic ramble here, kind of just word vommiting my thoughts out here with what I'd like to have, but also frustrations.
What have you all found to be your best solution to: Go calculatorless in the field, keep dope handy and easily accessible(for multiple conditions), and prepare dope for quick access during a match? I'm trying to figure it out and it's hurting my head. Probably overthinking it, so someone please bitch slap me into reality if that's the case and tell me to use blank 3x5 cards for each stage and treat comps different than hunting.