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A search for these topics didn't bring up much. I see a lot of threads about tweaking equipment, but what can a shooter do to improve his or her score?
I'm getting back into long range shooting after a long hiatus, but in the Marines we worked on lowering our heart rate, and controlled breathing. When I did those two things, my shooting improved.
I'd be interested in hearing how people use those, and other techniques, to improve their scores.
Obviously the first thing is to get the equipment to be a integral part of the accuracy of the rifle. From Correct trigger pull for the craft, action bedding down to testing a scope for and adjusting the parallax. After that it is the shooter. Avoiding things that influence the rifle. Breathing, rest/bipod, trigger pull and grip. Doing those things consistently is very important. Your comfort is also important. Now the most important:
Trigger time
In my younger days, I shot small-bore competition for almost 12 years, and these are some of the things I can impart on a personal level... I'm a coffee lover, but lay off the caffiene on shooting day, get a good night's sleep before any serious shooting, and eat a decent breakfast, but not big enough to throw you into a food coma :cool:.
For me, getting behind a rifle is my Zen... it's just me, the trigger, and the target. Everything else must get locked away for that period, it's the reason I'm there... anything that's going to elevate my blood pressure has to go in the locker. If something goes wrong with equipment, don't get mad, it's not going to help... try & figure it out and fix it, it's not going to fix itself. And I always have a back-up when I head to the range... sometimes the loose nut is the one behind the scope and you're just having a bad day. Put it away and pull out something else... be it a 22, a handgun, shotgun, bow, whatever.
And, yes.... LOTS of trigger time!
Thanks for you service Leatherneck, as you know from your training and constant range time qualifying which over time becomes second nature. Target acquisition, POI, center mass, controlled breathing and trigger squeeze are all factors when shooting. One of my things when trying to get the best groupings during my range time is bring a few other rifles and hand guns, just to step away for minute or two to reflect on my approach and focus. YOU know when that shot feels right and everything is controlled. Had my best groupings the other weekend shooting my Savage 93R17HMR where everything came together, 5 shot, a dime covered them......
Trigger control and breathing is the main factor to good shooting. Semper Fi fedelis.....
As a side note Larry, Lived most of my childhood life next to El toro and Camp Pedleton, Ca. before I served with Uncle Sam.
Father was a proud Marine....Once a Marine, always a Marine.
All very good points. I like to practice lowering my heart rate. I find if I can do that everything else follows and gets me in the zone. I used to sit on the couch at home with a timer and measure it before and after a few minutes of bastardized meditation. I'm gonna take that up again.
Semper Fi Penna!
Very interested in this thread. Any suggestions as to how to get the heart beat spread out of my targets will be read with great interest. I have posted on my loading room wall a very nice 10 shot group at 300 yds, with two .1 moa groups of 5 spaced .2 moa apart. Was trying very hard to time my shots, but was on the beat instead of off, half the time. Was never any good at syncopation in music.
Apart from more trigger time, any other suggestions? I have tried laying off the gun to reduce heart beat influence, but this gun likes to be snuggled up tight to get those small groups.
I may try shoulder and cheek pads next.
As Larry said get in the zone to lower heart rate. After months of practice I could do it in 30 seconds. Some people call it meditation I called it self hypnosis, you must be completely relaxed. This was fifty plus years ago and I found that it lowered my heart rate right at 50%. In my later years I can no longer get completely relaxed, before I get there I'm asleep. I have had to learn free recoil, nothing touches the rifle except my fore finger on the trigger and my thumb on the trigger guard. What ever you do or however you do it get rid of that heart jump,it spoils more scores than anything else.
I like what Ryan M. Cleckner has to say in The Long Range Shooting Handbook: "...the shooter is the least accurate part of a system when quality equipment is used--a high end precision rifle is more accurate without us." Paraphrasing, a rifle clamped into a vise is as accurate as it will ever be. Take it out of the vise and put it into the arms of a shooter, and accuracy is decreased.
So whatever we can do to improve US, will improve our score.
Being in good cardiovascular shape will help tremendously. Running, biking, swimming, any regular exercise that gets your heart rate up will help you keep it down when you are shooting. I've can't recall every meeting a top level competitor that was 30-40lb overweight.
One of my "Aha" moments came when I figured out how to identify the tension in my body and release it. This improved my positions and increase my enjoyment.
So I shoot competitively in the PRS. This year was primarily focused on the South East Region PRS Club Series. I finished up the series 8th in the region after the finale match 2 weekends ago. We run a lot of different type of stages obviously, some "run n gun", some "shoot n scoot", some prone, some that put you in some very interesting positions. This pushes you to figure out a lot on the clock and I can tell you the only time I really focus on breathing is during run n gun stages that I have to quickly get breathing/heart rate under control before taking shots. I usually start with 1-2 breaths in through the nose out through the mouth as I'm falling into position behind the gun, but I don't remain constantly focused on my breathing or specifically shooting at the natural respiratory pause as taught and drilled into me back in boot camp with the USMC. I've come to believe that natural respiratory pause is just the best way to teach newer shooters.
Now as far as group shooting and consistency goes the position built is a huge player just as much as the amount of recoil control required for the rifle in use. I always shoot off a bipod and rear bag as that is my preferred set up. I also prefer prone rather than shooting from a bench. If I do shoot from a bench I typically build a modified prone position behind the bench. Why you ask?
1. Being squared up behind the rifle is key to recoil control
2. Being squared up to the target makes it easier for me to relax
3. The recoil path of the rifle is straight and consistent rather than the rifle blading off your shoulder etc.
^^^This is what works best for me and is what I practice because I can apply the same set of fundamentals regardless of the position or item I am shooting off of. Now if they have us shooting from a tight space where squaring up 100% is not possible I take a slightly different approach and use a more free recoil method as to not disturb the rifle.
So now let talk prone position specific and shooting groups. I use a bipod typically a Harris or similar. The rear bag I use is a large heavy bag (Specifically the Original Reasor Precision Game Changer). I like my position to be slightly higher up because I am 6'5''. You will see I often utilize the term "Minimal Input" referring to my connection with the rifle throughout this explanation of how I build my position for group shooting.
1. I set my bipod height so that before I engage the butt of the rifle or bag rider the crosshairs are below my target. This allows me to grind the stock into the bag to get a really tight connection for the rifle to utilize during recoil. Also it sets it up so that my support hand only has to apply a very small amount of "squeeze" to get the crosshairs on my target.
2. I do not put the rifle in the "pocket" of my shoulder. The butt of the rifle sits against my chest near my collar bone. This keeps my head more upright and relaxed when I create my cheek weld. It also makes my vision clearer due to better breathing and blood flow.
3. I DO NOT load the bipod! In all my practices, testing, personal observance etc. over the last 3 years and some 10,000+ rounds of precision rifle focus shooting. I've determined that there is absolutely no way to load the bipod consistently for every shot if you wish to shoot tight groups. Instead I pull the rifle back with my shooting hand until it "rests" against my shoulder. It is not pressed against my should, just resting. The reason for this is that the tighter the rifle is in your shoulder the more affect you will see from your breathing and heart beat! This is a completely different practice from slung up 3 position shooting. You will also find the rifle to be more stable due to the **** Minimal input utilized here.
4. Shooting hand. I do not grip the rifle tightly. My shooting hand is rested so that it is supported by the rifle. Thumb does not get wrapped around the neck of the stock or the pistol grip on a chassis. Thumb is either on the side of the stock with the rest of your fingers or sitting on the thumb shelf if available on your set up. Basically the only thing that should be able to move is your trigger finger. For target shooting I run a considerably light 8-10oz trigger. I personally will not run a trigger over 1.5lbs for any shooting practice by preference. Mind you I shoot A LOT and when I'm not shooting I'm working my dry fire regime. My practice of trigger control and being aware of where my trigger finger is at all times are very high! but again it comes back to minimal input. If you can't break the trigger without the crosshairs jumping then you will see the same in your groups!
5. Going back to breathing. When shooting groups I do not focus on my breathing. I focus on the reticle. I focus so hard that everything else is completely tuned out. I do not engage the trigger until the reticle stops on my desire target. Currently, running the Bushnell XRS2 with the H59 Reticle I find the .06mil center dot is very easy to shoot groups with. I typically will use a 1/4" dot for group shooting and zeroing because it is still larger than the center dot in my reticle. Which leads me to my next topic.
6. Target choice for group shooting. When you are well practiced it doesn't matter much, but when I really want to shoot for a solid group or very accurate zero I like the shoot N see targets with the 1/4" red dot as they pair well with my reticle and the level of performance offered by my scope. If you do not have a high magnification scope or your reticle has thicker lines you need to find a target that allows you to have a consistent point of aim.
These are just some of the things that I focus on based on my experience. While breath control, heart rate, and shot timing all matter there are other fundamentals that have a much bigger affect in my opinion. This is all based on live fire experience and what I've taken from it over time.
I've got a big, fat red mark on my forehead from where I smacked myself while reading your post. A-HAAAA!...Completely relaxed, almost asleep...exactly how antihistamines make me feel.Quote:
Originally Posted by Arky 223
I remember now, taking a full dose ( I usually take half a dose) during last years Cedar Fever season before going to the range. It was all I could do to stay awake at the bench, but the groups were some of the tightest I'd ever shot.
Going to put some in my shooting ba...... :sleeping: