Spotting your shots

[Cvarney]

This is my first post, but I've lurked for a couple years now. I work for the county water department, and we have an area that was graded down and worked over to build a race track that lost it's funding. Long story short on that though, is it's a pretty primo shooting location.
My problem up there though is it's a little grown over and it's hard to see any bullet "splash" on the dirt to be able to call my misses. Also I generally shoot alone, most of my friends aren't to interested in it, and I work weekends when most everyone else is off. Do you guys have any tips or tricks on a method to spot myself? Most of the time I feel like I'm just guessing trying to work out my data, and it seems rather wasteful.
Thanks guys
C

 

[turbo54]

Re: Spotting your shots

Is this private property youd be trespassing on? Is it public land, where others are totally free to be walking about, and you could be putting them in danger?

Don't trespass, and if you shoot across flat land WITHOUT a backstop/berm, you better think LONG AND HARD before shooting on it.

 

[Cvarney]

Re: Spotting your shots

This is a safe place to shoot. It's I guess "semi public" land would be the way to describe it. The area where my target is sit up is secluded and away from the "main" type area of it. Backstop is the mountain. And very observable as far as people comming or going to it. Basically it's at the end of a dead end road shooting from the entry point of said road.

 

[Mudcat-NC]

Re: Spotting your shots

Turbo must not have ever been to the Logan County area of WV or he wouldnt ask such goofy questions. heehee.

 

[Cvarney]

Re: Spotting your shots

Hahah exactly. I see you know the area some? I'm in Mingo County, like directly on the border of KY. But the place I'm talking about is maybe 5 miles before the Logan Co. line.

 

[AKAce]

Re: Spotting your shots

Your not going to Consistently spot your own Trace.

Consider using a Large target backer, like a piece of plywood behind the real target as a indicator... Paint it white then another color, the hits will show using decent glass.

Try getting better friends, they don't have to like it to come help.

 

[Mod Adahy]

Re: Spotting your shots

Don't run the scope at max magnification. Should help.

 

[eastridge1213]

Re: Spotting your shots

yea, pike-mingo-logan co. flat land is very scarce espesically vaccant flat land lol. when im forced to shoot by myself i take a 5'x3' peice of plywood with some shoot and sees on it. they make the s&s pretty big and if nothing else plenty of plywood would catch it. i took that and propped it up with a few sticks and rocks on the hill side. worked for me. still us it sometimes. if the weeds are really high consider building a small base to raise it some. i also used to shoot out of the bed of my truck in a small folding chair with the gun accross the roof. that also works better than one might think haha.

 

[Cvarney]

Re: Spotting your shots

The plywood is a good idea, especially the 2 layer painting. I'll try that next time I get to shoot some.
The company I work for has a sewer plant and a water tower up there, there was going to be a racetrack put in at one time, so I might head up there with some weed killer next time our areas of responsibility need trimmed up. Maybe I'll be able to see some dirt splash then. I really appreciate your all's help.

 

[Graham]

Re: Spotting your shots

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Cvarney</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Do you guys have any tips or tricks on a method to spot myself?</div></div>A mirror?

Shouldn't this post be in the fieldcraft section?

Seriously, though, I love Logan Co. Great motorcycle roads. I took a bike ride to there a few years ago to investigate the history of the Buffalo Creek Flood.

There are lots of rocks, and little flat land: Maybe try a bigger target?

 

[Cvarney]

Re: Spotting your shots

Ahh maybe the fieldcraft would have been better. My bad on that.
My biggest issues is mainly just the vegetation. The target is on a hillside with maybe 1 to 2 foot "field grass" in it. The kind of stuff taht isn't really thick, but really skinny and a tall. Visibility to the target is fine, it's suspended off a little stand i made and tapped into the ground.
And I understand I wont see bullet trace always, actually I've never seen it at all. Was just trying to get a feel if someone had a better method.
To fully explain, I"ve only gotten to put rounds out to it twice now. First couple rounds, I realized my data was pretty far off. So I aimed for a shiny spot in the road maybe 50 yards or so off from the target. Could see some dust splash there. Dailed up into it and add a bit on my elevation. Fired somemore rounds at my target, didn't see much checked my data on the dirt spot again, rinse wash repeat kind of thing. At the end of my sessions I went to inspect my targetg and had hit it a few times, no where near what I had hoped or wanted, but it let me know I was right somewhere on my data. However I never knew I actually hit the target while i was shooting, so I dont know where my dope was right. There was one time I saw from splash from the target, but I assumed I had gotten lucky and just some some dirt splash around it.
A bigger target is also a good idea, just bummed my way into a couple railroad tie plates from some buddies I saw out doing some work on a line one day. I'm ok with my skill not being up to par enough or the basically stock rifle not being precise enough. But was trying to feel out a way to see some more reactive, for lack of a better word, way to see where the bullets are actually landing. I've kept a decent roudn count and shot date log when I can say where they went, but I figured it was useless to write them down when I really had no way to judge it other than a hopeful guess.
Next time I get out I'm gonna try a sheet or two of plywood behind it. That should give me a least a few indicators if I'm close I reckon.
I appologize for the long reply, and I recognize I'm terrible as putting into words what I'm thinking lol. But I do appreciate your all's input. And it's nice to know some other shooters are familiar with the area. Small world after all as they say.
C

 

[Graham]

Re: Spotting your shots

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Cvarney</div><div class="ubbcode-body">And it's nice to know some other shooters are familiar with the area. Small world after all as they say. </div></div>I was riding a '99 Honda Super Hawk at the time. I was looking for the monument to the Buffalo Creek disaster. I had trouble with the impeller, a common problem with that year of bike: Coolant was weeping out of the escape hole. The people of Logan could not have been nicer and more friendly... Well, except for the old woman in that alumimum-sided house, across the bridge and long after the paved road had turned from one lane, to bike path, to gravel. She met me with a shotgun. Admittedly she didn't get many visiors out there. No, I'm not from the coal company... Sure: No offense taken... That looks heavy, m'aam, let me carry it to the yard for you... Why, yes, I'd love to stay for tea... 'been here how many years?! You don't say...

 

[The Mechanic]

Re: Spotting your shots

One word comes to mind... "Tracer"