• Watch Out for Scammers!

    We've now added a color code for all accounts. Orange accounts are new members, Blue are full members, and Green are Supporters. If you get a message about a sale from an orange account, make sure you pay attention before sending any money!

Advanced Marksmanship Things you want to improve in 2020

Steel head

Feral kitten
Full Member
Minuteman
  • Aug 3, 2014
    18,104
    58,807
    Washington
    2019 was an excellent year for me in the shooting department.
    I’m shootin well and have my rifles set up nicely.

    The two things I want to improve. 1-using reticle holds only just for practice.
    I’ve already implemented that with my 260 with an older scope with a H-25 reticle in it that I borrowed.

    2-bettering my wind reading at longer distances.
    Say 1500 yards and out.
    I often find what I read at my position and see at the target focus range are definitely not giving all the info I need.
    If I’m in a situation I have data on already I do quite good and get hits quickly and easily.
    In new situations though it’s a lot of send it and see what happens.
    I’d like to be able be closer to or on target a bit quicker in general at new situations.

    I plan to spend more time on a spotting scope at multiple focus ranges and try to map the wind better at multiple ranges.
     
    I want to spend the year on burning ammo and pulling trigger till i feel confident with any shot 600y and closer. Prone, kneeling, tripod, off pack, off a tree. Getting gear and ammo sorted as i go. If i can get that done this year i would be very happy.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: Newbie2020
    Spending more time spotting/watching wind and trace is a big one for me as well.

    Also really focusing on recoil management from alternate positions. All my training this year will be with a 308 and 175s.
     
    Get out hunting and shoot more precision service rifle and practice more PSR shooting. F-class has been fun but time to try something else and properly get into PSR.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: GotCox
    2019 was an excellent year for me in the shooting department.
    I’m shootin well and have my rifles set up nicely.

    The two things I want to improve. 1-using reticle holds only just for practice.
    I’ve already implemented that with my 260 with an older scope with a H-25 reticle in it that I borrowed.

    2-bettering my wind reading at longer distances.
    Say 1500 yards and out.
    I often find what I read at my position and see at the target focus range are definitely not giving all the info I need.
    If I’m in a situation I have data on already I do quite good and get hits quickly and easily.
    In new situations though it’s a lot of send it and see what happens.
    I’d like to be able be closer to or on target a bit quicker in general at new situations.

    I plan to spend more time on a spotting scope at multiple focus ranges and try to map the wind better at multiple ranges.

    you and i shoot in pretty much the same type of terrain mountains and valleys you have nice trees and i have sage brush LOL...ive been shooting in the same spot for 16+yrs and still have not figured out the wind here.

    my 850 and 1080 sit on the side of a pretty tall steep mountain with a deep valley at about 775yds then a slightly lower mountain at 700yds then another pretty good valley at 550yds....ive been on top of the mountain that the 1080 is on and wind so bad it was hard to walk but a light breeze at the shooting position.

    the other problem here is how fast the wind changes from shot to shot...yesterday at 1080 i see about a half mil left to right...i hold .6mil center...impact 1mil right of target...adjust hold 1.5mils left impact right edge...adjust hold 1.7mils left impact aprox .6mils off left side.

    my goal is working on being more consistent at matches and follow through...as long as ive been doing this i still get the first stage jitters and have a bad habit of not following through with trigger pull/squeeze and continue to get better with wind calls.
     
    you and i shoot in pretty much the same type of terrain mountains and valleys you have nice trees and i have sage brush LOL...ive been shooting in the same spot for 16+yrs and still have not figured out the wind here.

    my 850 and 1080 sit on the side of a pretty tall steep mountain with a deep valley at about 775yds then a slightly lower mountain at 700yds then another pretty good valley at 550yds....ive been on top of the mountain that the 1080 is on and wind so bad it was hard to walk but a light breeze at the shooting position.

    the other problem here is how fast the wind changes from shot to shot...yesterday at 1080 i see about a half mil left to right...i hold .6mil center...impact 1mil right of target...adjust hold 1.5mils left impact right edge...adjust hold 1.7mils left impact aprox .6mils off left side.

    my goal is working on being more consistent at matches and follow through...as long as ive been doing this i still get the first stage jitters and have a bad habit of not following through with trigger pull/squeeze and continue to get better with wind calls.
    Lol
    I feel your pain.
    At one of my mile spots I can get a 2.5 mil vertical and horizontal shift instantly and you can’t easily observe a difference in wind.
    At that spot If I see one tree moving I kinda know one wind is present and if I see another group of trees moving I typically have another wind going.
    I keep good notes now but I’m nowhere near close to being able to call the wind 100% there.
     
    Going to shoot more .308. Attend more matches, between life things and my work schedule, I wasn't able to attend a single match in 2019.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: RRW
    Night time (NODs) - particularly being more efficient in getting set up - ranging, wind reading, doped and dialed.
     
    Get back into shooting in general, get my long range skill set back, and ring the bell at 1000 yrds
     
    Shoot a match whenever I can. Shot my first match yesterday and I learned a lot about what I didn't know and made a lot of little mistakes which caused alotta time management issues and therefore points. My rifle and loads performed excellent whenever I pulled my head out of my ass, so I got that going for me. ?
     
    • Like
    Reactions: kthomas
    Shoot a match whenever I can. Shot my first match yesterday and I learned a lot about what I didn't know and made a lot of little mistakes which caused alotta time management issues and therefore points. My rifle and loads performed excellent whenever I pulled my head out of my ass, so I got that going for me. ?

    Matches are an excellent way to validate your training/technique and gear.

    My first match since the 2018 Quiet Riot will be coming up, Jake Vibbert's and Jon Pynch's NRL match in WA. Excited to meet up with some shooting friends and knock the rust off, I'm sure it's going to be a good wake up call since I've been out of the game for a while.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: clcustom1911
    Matches are an excellent way to validate your training/technique and gear.

    My first match since the 2018 Quiet Riot will be coming up, Jake Vibbert's and Jon Pynch's NRL match in WA. Excited to meet up with some shooting friends and knock the rust off, I'm sure it's going to be a good wake up call since I've been out of the game for a while.
    Shooting is definitely a skill that degrades with downtime.
    Yea you may have your fundamentals But you lose you flow and relaxed attitude a bit.
    Fly casting is similar.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: kthomas
    Positional/barricade
    Shooting
    I've built a couple of barricade's and planning on at-least 1 training session a month!
     
    • Like
    Reactions: Newbie2020
    Just started long range...
    Need to bring it back to the basics and relearn how to shoot.
    ...oh, and to stop being afraid of the weather. Winter can make ya lazy in CO, but it's also when everyone sits cozy at home.
    Lone time at the range!
     
    Learn to shoot off a tripod

    this is pretty simple if you can shoot off barricades/props...i shot off a tripod a couple of weeks ago for the first time....my suggestion is to find a comfortable position at home and practice getting into that position and getting your gun on the tripod and time yourself.

    we had to stand gun grounded mag in hand tripod folded up and grounded...start...deploy tipod..get gun on tripod..get on target..insert mag and began.
     
    Just started long range...
    Need to bring it back to the basics and relearn how to shoot.
    ...oh, and to stop being afraid of the weather. Winter can make ya lazy in CO, but it's also when everyone sits cozy at home.
    Lone time at the range!
    I’m thoroughly enjoying shooting this winter.
    All my shooting friends are complaining that it’s too cold and wet.
    10D7F053-31B8-4BB9-921B-C5832C290120.jpeg
     
    I have so much room for improvement in all areas I'd have to say just shooting more. Working on hand loading knowledge and skills. I have been shooting and loading etc on my own without knowing anybody that was into it like me so I hope to RO as many matches as I can, just watching and talking to people at these things is very educational. I am going to shoot a match, I think it will be a very humbling experience and I am mentally preparing myself for such so I don't get in my truck and haul a## after my first stage with everybody laughing at the old fart that didn't know what he was doing.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: deersniper
    So far this year I’ve documented wind, lighting, environment and holds for every target I’ve shot.

    I’ve also been doing more wind calls for others and observation and certainly have gotten a bit more comfortable doing so.
    I really kick myself for not getting more serious about notes and observation when I first started.
    It’s only March and 2020 has already been a great year of LR shooting.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: alfmoonspace
    Free recoil the shit out of my new 23lb rifle all through 2020
    This.
    Modified free recoil has been a revelation.
    And work on seeing trace through the scope. I can spot my own impacts and note the corrections, but I'd like to be able to see my own trace. Could just be my eyes, but something to work on.
     
    Ive been kicking around an idea. I saw a bow builder on youtube take 100 shots a day for 30 days and track his progress...

    Id love to make a similar video with purposeful fry fire.

    any of you guys stick to your goals?
     
    Ive been kicking around an idea. I saw a bow builder on youtube take 100 shots a day for 30 days and track his progress...

    Id love to make a similar video with purposeful fry fire.

    any of you guys stick to your goals?

    I have...my wind calls have improved big time...as far a the first stage jitters go I’m still working on that...we have a match Saturday so I’ll know then but I’m pretty confident I’ve got a handle on that as well.
     
    Ive been kicking around an idea. I saw a bow builder on youtube take 100 shots a day for 30 days and track his progress...

    Id love to make a similar video with purposeful fry fire.

    any of you guys stick to your goals?

    I’ve picked back up since matches are basically full swing again.

    Practicing every week now again. Shooting 1moa stuff off props. Working on getting into positions where I can manage recoil better and free recoil (or modified recoil really) less. As backing off the rifle has its uses, but I want to only use it when it’s really needed and not just to take wobble away when I should be able to get a more stable position.
     
    Got back into long range this year and learned a lot. Things I need to work on next year
    1: bring less crap to the range/matches and keep it simple
    2: don’t spend as long on load development and chasing new loads. Pick one and run it.
     
    Being able to walk up to a stage and diagnosis the best way to run it effectively. Work on my holdovers, I've found u can't shoot matches with any kind of speed without them. And shooting faster , 5 positions in 90 seconds is my goal to reach.
     
    Well I see this thread is still alive.
    It’s been an amazing year of shooting for me with many personal records smashed and I learned a buttload this year.

    My mission to utilize holds more has been fun using my 260 with a scope with capped turrets.


    Wind calls has definitely gotten better but the wonky winds in my western Washington and Oregon spots still kick my ass at times.
    In my more open areas in eastern parts of the states wind calls have been quite good.
    I have also been on the spotting scope a lot more making notes and calls for friends.

    I’m looking forward to some shooting this winter.
    I’m basically out of rifle again for the distances I’ve gotten to and need to think seriously again above a 338 or 375 but must say my 7SAUM has helped me achieve a lot.