Where to start with competitive shooting?

[Porm_syndrom]

I would like to get into competitive long range shooting but don't know where to start. I have been deer hunting with a savage 111 chambered in 270 win. With a 1-9 twist since I was 14.
My shooting background starts with deer hunting when I was 14 and active duty Marine from 2009 to 2013.
My last year on active duty I was part of a base task force that trained with Yuma pd swatt.
Since being honorably discharged I hunt and shoot at my brothers and recently started hand loading.

Where and how do I begin?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[SageRat Shooter]

By Long Range I'm going to assume you are talking more about competing in "F- Class" rather than "PRS".

1. Goggle LR shooting ranges in your area to see if you have any, or for F-Class competitions in your area.
2. Start looking at what the majority of the competitors are using from caliber, to actions, and Optics.-- You said you wanted to compete, so you gotta have at least as good of equipment as the leaders.
3. Build it or have it built, start doing load development, and practice, practice, practice.

After that, or during all of the above, try and attend a competition and observe how it all works. Talk to a competitor or two and ask questions.

I haven't ever competed but I know that's where I'd start. I'm sure someone else will jump in here who has competed in one or the other disciplines, and will have more extensive suggestions.

Good luck to you!!

[Fuj']

Yeah, I'd check out any local ranges that cater to long range event's.
You can break it down if talking 600 yards or more to PRS (run and gun)
F-Class (prone), IBS type bench rest (seated slow fire) and and in my
area and growing elsewhere, VBR (varmint bench rest) which is life size
steel animal targets placed from 850 to 1000 yards. Times can be short.
You will have to consider what you would be interested in then see what
the rules say about differing rifle weight for class. Choosing a cartridge
can be a challenge. For the practice, practice, practice part, hard to say
no to the 6.5 Creedmoor. In some venues, the 6 BR was everyone's darling
then someone showed up with a straight .284 Winchester and broke records.
Site's like Accurate Shooter, and Bench rest will have some good reads. See
who has been at or near the top 5 for the past 3 years. Look up national
matches in an area you may be interested in. Some will post equipment lists
of the competitors......More will chime in

[sharpshooter]

Find some local clubs that host any type of matches, long or short range, and show up to observe. Do some recon and ask lots of questions. You'd be surprised how much help you will get. Many of the competitors shoot multiple disciplines and can point you in the right direction.

[Porm_syndrom]

Thank you all for the advice.

[6mmBR_Shooter]

Where are you located? A few of us could probably point you to a club, match, or match director if you give us the general region you're in. Most match directors will be able to find someone to let you borrow some gear on a match day to help you get started. I've got a pretty accurate loaner rifle that has the majority of its rounds fired by new shooters trying it out. Most places you go will have folks with similar.

[wildcatgoal]

Rifle clubs local to me often hose "clinics" open to non-members. Considering the best rifle club near me is 2 hours away, $900 initiation fee + $200 a year, and requires 2 member nominations all for a maximum of 600 yards... I'm not rushing to sign up. But I do go to 100 yard iron site clinics and I'm going to start going to their silhouette clinics up to 600 yards for rimfire and high power. Maybe I'll join if I like their 600 yard range. Anyway, they seem to host various competitions -- mostly what I like to call "older style". Like the iron sight only or F-class type stuff. I learn from the clinics but really want to try PRS. Luckily, there's a place 2 hours from me in the other direction that has a 1200 yard range and does PRS monthly. I can just sign up, pay the fees (which aren't AWFUL), sign a waiver, and head for last place! :)

My point is, just show up to something that's available. Talk to the people. They'll help you find what you're looking for locally.

If I could stage my shooting hobby I would start on benchrest, go to the multi firing position competitions (stand, kneel, shit, prone), then get into PRS or similar. F-class interests me a lot, too, but I don't like what kind of rifles you have at the pinnacle, which are basically 25 lbs. useless things. PRS seems to be the right mix for me - most real-world, too.

[charlie b]

I would start by figuring out what kind of competition I wanted to shoot in. Then attend a match as a spectator to observe how things work.

Then I'd get a bunch of the proper targets and start practicing, using the same rules. Time, position, distances, etc. Once you can do pretty good on your own, then see about entering a match.

[yobuck]

I would start by figuring out what kind of competition I wanted to shoot in. Then attend a match as a spectator to observe how things work.

Then I'd get a bunch of the proper targets and start practicing, using the same rules. Time, position, distances, etc. Once you can do pretty good on your own, then see about entering a match.

Problem most people would have Charlie is the place to do all that.
Especially if it involved shooting at the longer distances.
Biggest problem many of us have is that even though we might think we want to do things like that, it ends up that we really didnt as much as we thought we did.
You have to be wired a certain way in order to enjoy that type of activity and stick with it.
Just enjoying shooting and being around gun related activities wont carry you very far, it takes more than that.
And i suppose we each have our own way of determining what we see as enjoyment.

[charlie b]

Keep in mind, that is what I would do if interested. But, I do not compete. Did that a little bit in my younger years in the Army and just did not find it interesting.

Range time is a big issue, especially for longer distances. I have been lucky to live near a couple of really nice ranges for many years. I did not know how lucky until we lived in South Carolina for a year. Now back to southern NM and I can shoot out to 1000yd whenever I want.

If you want to compete at longer ranges and the closest range is several hours away the first question you need to ask yourself is if you really want to do that. Some people do.

Or, can you compromise and choose to shoot 100yd matches. There are a number of 'bench rest' classes that can be done with rifles that do not weigh 20lb and need a wagon to haul to the line. There are also some clubs/ranges who offer 'scaled' competition based on NRA type rules, eg, 600yd target scaled for 100yd shooting.

One that I have thought about is with the Cast Bullet Association. They have a 'Postal Match' series. They mail you the targets, you shoot according to the match rules, and return the targets for scoring. Don't know if other groups do the same sort of thing.

And there are some cases where it may be up to the individual to set up a match on their own. Make it an informal one to start, just a bunch of guys shooting at targets. 'Shoot what you bring' kind of matches.

----------------------------------

New thought. Would anyone in here be interested in a 'Postal Match' series for your current rifles? Yes, it would be based on an honor system and cheating could happen.

[azguy]

I would be interested in Postal Matches.