How to learn

PeterPan

PeterPan

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OK,
I have decided this year to learn how to shoot accurate at 1,000m.
At this point I am gathering equipment. I have two varmint/target rifles to start with, one is in 6.5x55 and another in .308Win.
Now, waiting for rings and scopes. I do reload and have quality dies, loading is my least concern.

My question is to all you experience shooters.
What would be the best way to start learning long range shooting.

Thanks
 
PeterPan said:
OK,

My question is to all you experience shooters.
What would be the best way to start learning long range shooting.

Thanks
Click to expand...

the answer to that is simple........get out and throw lead downrange. after that it gets complicated. keep lots of notes, every little detail. it may not make sense when you are writing it down but when you sit down a look back( especially in the winter after a year of shooting) things start to piece together and explain a lot of things.
 
Downrange, what you consider downrange?
Notes, about what?

I have been reading for some times and have very cloudy understanding about long range shooting. I know that one of the most important factors is reading wind, applying weather condition.

Thanks
 
PeterPan, I'm pretty new to long range shooting myself, and haven't shot at 1000m yet... so that being said.

What I've done is started at 300m in a big old field in Alberta, set up a big target. I'd shoot, check it (thankfully with a snowmobile), then try a few more meters (50 or so) and try again. I spent an afternoon doing that and learned a whole lot about trajectory that would be hard to learn elsewhere.
 
Well, I am not exactly the most experienced long range guy, but I just jumped straight in.

I had experience out to 300 meters, and one day, a friend and I decided to shoot 1000 meters.

I hauled out my old M1 Garand (2moa at 100 meters) and Remington 700 (1.5moa at 100 meters) with my second batch of 30-06 handloads, and drove up north to a safe area open enough to shoot that distance.

We quickly learned that knowing what your equipment is capable of is very important. The 700 had nowhere near enough elevation on the scope or rail to get to 600 meters, let alone 1000.


The Garand, however, with the iron sights, had the distance in meters inscribed on the elevation knob, right out to 1200 meters. Click it to 1000 and you are in buisness.


Now, our spotting scope was also woefully inadequate. You need an amazing optic if you want to see any kind of hits at that range. My scope could barely see hits at 200 meters, so 1000 was not an option. Made adjusting for windage alot harder, as instead of spotting the shot, we had to walk 2k down to the targets and back to see the holes in the snow. (Wintertime makes life easier) A good spotting scope or optic is critical.


Once we walked the shots on to the target, which took about three trips downrange, we could hit a 24" metal target with every shot. No problem for a gun that you can consistantly get 2 moa with at 100 meters, and given that you have a calm enough day. Keep in mind this is using iron sights. (I have good eyes, but a scope with enough elevation and over 20 power would have made it attainable for anyone).

I found it to be not nearly as much a challenge as I was led to believe. We could break a shot off every 7-10 seconds and be on target.

I would love to go further to challenge myself and my equipment more, but it is hard to do here in Ontario.

Anyways, my point is, shooting 1000 takes knowlege and skill, but with the right rifle, ammo, and spotting scope, it should be more then attainable.


The biggest challenge is finding places to shoot. Take a serious look at joining the ORA if you are interested in shooting that distance.
 
The ORA runs Intro Days at Borden starting in the spring. The winter program is full from what I hear. Contact Bob Raymond here on gunnutz or through the ORA web page.
 
write down everything, time of day, temperature, ammo used (lot #s, bullet weights, charges, etc), humidity, altitude, compass direction your shooting, wind, sight settings used, any changes made to anything since last use
 
Learn to shoot at whatever ranges you have available to yourself now. Be consistent. Learn what wind does and how to correct.

Then dial up your scope the appropriate amount and fire. It just takes longer to get there.

Everything you need to get it right at 1000yds, happened by the time the bullet passes 200yds.

I have articles on load tuning and scope set up on my website. It is very important that you tune your load for the least amount of vertical dispersion and that you test at 200yds or further.

It really doesn't matter if your rifle and you are MOA or under. As long as it is repeatable, and consistent, you will maintain that all the way out.

The only thing that distance offers is the ability to spot your own shots and more wind drift.

There is nothing mystical or magical about shooting 1000yds or beyond 1 mile.

It justs takes alot more up and more lean...

Jerry
 
maynard said:
The ORA runs Intro Days at Borden starting in the spring. The winter program is full from what I hear. Contact Bob Raymond here on gunnutz or through the ORA web page.
Click to expand...

Borden is almost 'next door' to me.
Thanks

Is a good practice to fit 20MOA base on the rifle with 60-65MOA scope Adjustment for elevation?
From my ballistic calculator I gather that for 175SMK with M0=2700+, (I hope to work with Re15)
I can get to 1000m with elevation 40-45 depends on weather, or maybe go with 30MOA instead?
 
Youtube

There's one guy here on CGN who taught me ALOT of interested things in a video series called "The Road to Precision". He did an amazing job and I think it's exactly what you're looking for.


[youtube]HUx-lC8Eiqc[/youtube]
 
The internet is not the place to learn to shoot. There is enough BS in these forums to fill a dumptruck.

Get involved witht he Ontario Rifle Association and attend one of their F-Class matches. This is ALL ABOUT precision shooting to 1000 yards using the very equipment you own.

Spendiung half a day with these guys will teach you more than you can possibly know, and you will view these forums in a completely different light after that.
 
PeterPan said:
Borden is almost 'next door' to me.
Thanks

Is a good practice to fit 20MOA base on the rifle with 60-65MOA scope Adjustment for elevation?
I can get to 1000m with elevation 40-45 depends on weather, or maybe go with 30MOA instead?
Click to expand...
20 MOA is all I use with 30mm scopes. With 1" scopes and limited adjustment I would test the scope for lower and upper limits and shim the rear base up until I found the happy working range.
Obtunded said:
The internet is not the place to learn to shoot. There is enough BS in these forums to fill a dumptruck.
Click to expand...
Absolutely true!!
Yep, join the ORA, show up and you will learn what it takes. Borden is a great place to learn. I did. :)
 
Ballistics program?

Wind reading device. Mine is a 3' surveyors stake with a strip of orange tape stapled to it.

Shoot where the ground is dry and dusty. Easier to spot your misses.

A spotter/shooting partner. Helps with above.

Maybe get a copy of the The Wind Book For Rifle Shooters. By Linda K. Miller and Keith A. Cunningham. Got it. Just hafta read it a few times.
 
I totally agree with Otunded! Join your PRA and shoot regularly. I found that I learned the most when I travelled to other Provinces to shoot in their Provincial matches. Listen to what the top shooters are saying, and don't be afraid to ask questions.
 
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