Re: Respectable Accuracy
If you are comfortable out to 25 yards for now, do as other have suggested and shoot a larger number of shots for group assessent. 5 shots is a minimum for group assesment, but I prefer 7-10.
7-10 shot strings allows you to both evalaute your skill set, as well as your 22 LR rifle/ammo combination. These larger group sizes allows you to see if your skill set including, cheek weld, trigger control, concentration, follow through, etc., are consistent and where you need practice.
It also allows you to see if your rifle/ammo conbination is doing what it needs to do for you.
IMHO If you are going to stay at the 25-50 yards range, what I am about to say is important, but not critical. If you plan to extend your rimfire shooting range beyond 50 yards it is absolutely critical the longer distances you shoot with a rimfire.
I fired just over 5,000 rounds of 22LR in 2011 through a number of various rifles. Before you can evaluate your improvement as a marksman, you need to be sure the rifle/ammo combination you are using is capable of meeting your goals.
I suggest you buy several boxes of different ammo, small investment, to determine which ammo your specfic rifle likes best. You can shoot this ammo at 25 yards with iron sights, but when you get it narrowed down to 1 or 2 different ammos, shoot them both at 50 yards. Don't be as concerned about the group size you shoot, as much as looking for the ammo that produces groups with least amount of vertical stringing. Once you have determined which ammo your rifle likes best, now you can really see where your skill set needs improvement.
We all know when we jerked the trigger instead of sqeezing it. We also typically know when we were not "really" dead center and we let it fly anyway. Getting consitently behind your rifle with a consistent cheek weld, and proper eye alignment is one of the best places to start. Building your physical skills is important, but building your mental skills is critical.
I shoot for two reasons. First it is just a lot of fun and I love it. Second I want to be as good as I can be at my chosen recreation. I take time to just shoot for the fun of it. I load em and let um rip. If your going out to have a fun do that.
When you are going out to work on and improve your skills as a marksman, have specific goals set for that range session. Know what you need to work on and practice those skills. As you see things that need improvement, set a goal and when you attain it, set the next goal.
OK, I know its maybe too deep, but I am just telling you what has worked for me.
Please get involved in the SH rimfire comps. There are some great shooters here and guys/gals that can help you improve your skill set. Most are more than willing to share what works for them and how they do it.
Good Shooting.
AR
