My .02c worth,, using the classic match 1-12 course of fire.
So - I guess my question is would 2-3MOA be sufficient & more time spent on training - less on equipment?
To be competitive, you need good kit. It isn't too hard to put together an AR and ammo that can consistently shoot between 2-3moa. It may need some work to get it down to 1.5-2moa, but after that there are diminishing returns. As for the C7, count yourself lucky if you can get one that will consistently keep under 3moa, and then the CF ammo is a wild card. Consistency is important with your equipment too. You need a good sight that will hold a zero, you need mags that won't let you down. You need personal conditioning and the mental discipline to stay in focus and don't make mistakes in the match conditions.
Short answer: more time on training, less on equipment (as long as the equipment is consistent and dependable).
Or should we be looking are rifles that shoot less than 2MOA?
If you have one that can shoot around 2moa, then spend time on achieving that 2moa from standing and kneeling. That is where you will grab points and move up in the aggregate.
The other thing is fitness. It doesn't matter much if you have an AR with sub moa accuracy if you get less than 50% hits on Match 4, 8 and 12. You need to have good fundamentals and be able to consistently apply them under the physical stress of the rundown matches. You don't have to be an Olympic class athlete, but even a moderate level of fitness will give you a measurable edge over those who don't.
Short answer: Nothing wrong with looking,, just don't get fixated on equipment over your own performance.
If so - then I need a lot of practice - 8" at 400 in SR would be pretty awesome....
Well, only two shots in the classic course of fire are taken at 400, which is why we never practice at the 400. We just get zeros from the prone (others may have a different view, but that's cool).
Short answer: Yes, 8" at 400, centered on the bull, would be awesome, particularly on a windy day after doing the rundown from 500m in a kneeling or sitting position. Remember, these two shots are not from prone.
The saying is: that the agg is won at the 200 and you can only loose it at the 500.
Why is the 200m so important?
- Because more shots are taken at the 200 than any other range. Two of the most challenging matches either end or start here, with another 2 from match 12. Top tier shooters get all hits here.
- Hits count more than Vs. Once you can get every hit in match 1-12, then you can think about upping the v count.
- Don't spend too much time practicing prone. Diminishing returns here. The agg isn't normally determined from the prone points. It comes from the run down matches, with the big ones being from the standing and kneeling. Most of your practice time should be done standing and kneeling and working on the rundowns. Your prone time should be best spent just confirming zero, and learning wind at the 300-500 mounds.
- What about MOA? I wouldn't get to focused on the width of the bull in the deliberate targets. The hand held fig 12 is the one you need to worry about. Yep, it has a big bull, but you need to hit that target every time.
The round count for a total of 120 rds for score.
500m - 32 rds all prone
400m - 2 rds prone
300m - 32 rds all prone
200m - 42 rds, only 10 of which are prone.
100m - 12 rds standing
That's a lot of rds prone (76 out of 120), but it's deceiving. What separates the top tier from the others is getting all hits from the most challenging matches, and its not the prone matches. Its what you do with those 44 rounds standing and kneeling that you need to maximize (train for, spend time on it).
The figure 12 and fig 11 targets have a target width of 18 inches, with the width of the bull on the fig 11 being 4 inches less than the fig 12. Center your group on these guys and get all hits is the goal.
- 100m: Bull is 12 moa, and the target is 18moa wide. Its big, but you need to hammer this without missing after doing a 100m run, and with 2 rounds after running 400m in match 12. It's all standing. Time practicing this will pay big dividends.
- 200m: Bull is 6 and 4 moa, and the target width is 9 MOA. Almost a third of the grand agg is shot at this target from 200m (M2, 3 and 8). All from kneeling, some with running before, and some from starting in another position. Again, you need to get all hits. Don't even think v bulls.
- 300m: Bull is 4 and 2.7moa, and the target is 6 moa. Again, almost a third of the agg is on these and you need to get all hits. Wind starts to become a factor, miss a wind change on the rapid and you can easily get up to half misses. I've seen a zero happen here on a missed wind change several times (Yep, I've done it too).
- 400: Whatever,,. I'm being a bit silly, but only 2 shots out of 120 are taken here. Yep, you need to get hits and I'm happy with inners, and elated with bulls. The target is a 4 foot screen with a 3.75 moa bull. Generous inner circle.
- 500m: At this range, you really need to work on centering the group and making the wind your friend. All shots are from the prone, and poor trigger manipulation really becomes plain for all to see.
To break 500 means you are getting there, and are probably taking things seriously enough to get better. To consistently break 530 means you know your s**t. Once you start breaking 550 on the easy days, then you are rubbing shoulders with the upper tier of shooters. This crowd is tough to beat, because they make very little if any mistakes.
To summarize:
- get good kit (rifle, mags, optics, etc) and keep it good. Good enough is normally good enough.
- know your kit and how to use it - sight settings, zeroes, immediate actions, have a plan.
- master marksmanship fundamentals - focus on mastering the shot from standing and kneeling, less time on prone.
- Get and stay fit. This takes dedication.
- It's never too early to work on mental management. Make it part of your routine.
- Marksmanship is a perishable skill. Even working on the fundamentals in a dry environment, on a regular basis is important to maintain that skill.
I think I've spent my .02c now.
