So, You Want to Try Precision Shooting

Part 2: Training Up

Trapr Swonson

FIND STABILITY OR MAKE YOUR OWN

So much of precision shooting is based on finding stability in your surroundings. Sometimes, you need to make that stability yourself from scratch.

At one Steel Safari, I wasted a minute or more just trying to make do with an unstable position. As it turned out, with a little work, I could have just gone prone. When the stage was done, the R.O. showed me how I could have managed this—invaluable advice.

I'll admit, this is one area I need to improve on as well. I need to take the time to build the most stable shooting position I can but do it quickly.

In the end, if you can't keep your gun still, you can't count on your shots. Like so many skills, learn how to build positions well, and then work on speed. Invest in the accessories that will be useful and practice with them.

REFINE YOUR KIT

After practice, I look at what gear I'm carrying that I didn't use. If I didn't use something, I ask myself why I'm carrying it. If I think I'm lugging around excess, I'll practice more without it to see if I can get by.

The same practice session can tell me what useful item I may be missing. It's a fine line to walk between carrying too much gear that weighs you down and missing something vital. This is why thoughtful self-analysis is valuable.

A good friend that is a spec. ops warrior gave me a good piece of advice about gear once:

"If it's not tied to you, you don't have it."

This has proven useful several times. When I change shooting locations, I often find myself dragging forgotten gear behind me. No small problem there, I promise.

PRACTICE SMART

In a perfect world, you'd practice solely with your competition gun and load. We live in the real world where that can be too expensive and impractical. Fortunately, there are smart workarounds to get valuable practice in nonetheless.

I have a rimfire rifle I use to practice shooting at 200 and 300 yards. I do the same with a .223 bolt gun for 500 yards and beyond.

In using these rifles, I can shoot cheaper ammo and get more rounds fired in practice. This helps me learn more about holding wind and getting hits.

When I can shoot with a partner, I strive to learn calling wind speed while looking through a spotting scope. I do this by looking at mirage, at the target and about halfway to the target.

When my spotter is calling wind, I'll work at breaking an accurate shot as quickly as I can so that wind conditions don't change.

Shooting the rimfire is an excellent way to learn how to call your shots. Just ask yourself where the crosshairs were when you shot broke. High, low, left, right?

Say I call a shot at 2:00 just off the target and my spotter calls a miss high right just off the target. Then, I know my hold and wind call was correct. I just broke the shot off target.

Having the ability to accurately call your shots takes time and a solid foundation in the shooting fundamentals. It is well worth the effort and can be less painful than you think.

DON'T OBSESS ON HARDWARE AND NEGLECT SOFTWARE

This goes back to what I said in the last article about staying off the forums. You'll never run out of advice for how to get more out of your rifle and load. But chasing ultimate accuracy or velocity is an endless pursuit that pays off less and less the farther you go.

Studies have shown that cutting accuracy produces only minimal results. Going from 3/4 MOA to 1/4 MOA only improves your chances of hitting a long-range target (10" at 700 yd.) by 4.5%. Increasing velocity by 100 fps only increases your chance on the same target by 2.5%.

You can see how your time would be better spent just shooting your rifle with your chosen load. Or learning wind. Or anything else I mentioned above.

Learn the idiosyncrasies of your setup. Learn to read wind and other atmospheric conditions. Learn positioning.

These will make the difference that matters.

WRAP-UP

If I had to sum up my practice recommendations in one way, it would be:

Practice like you mean it.

I always try to make practice tougher than what I expect at matches. Athletes—especially those in any sport that's weather-dependent—will tell you the same thing. Keeping your practice easy and assuming you'll rise to the occasion at the match is not a plan.

I hope this advice point you in the right direction. It's made all the difference for me and will for you too.

Next month, I'll wrap this series up talking about load development and reloading. The subject can be daunting, but you'll benefit from the knowledge even if you don't put it into practice.

See you then.