Introducing new shooters to the sport

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Tony1320

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How would you introduce new shooters to the sport?

What would you talk about? I was thinking of talking about equipment, what do you need keep it simple, rifle, scope, bipod, rear bag. How to get onto a target, the basic use of ballistic calculators. When and where you can shoot a match. What are we shooting at? What are we shooting off of?

Are you a shooter looking to get into precision rifle? What would you like to know?
 
Tony1320 said:
How would you introduce new shooters to the sport?

What would you talk about? I was thinking of talking about equipment, what do you need keep it simple, rifle, scope, bipod, rear bag. How to get onto a target, the basic use of ballistic calculators. When and where you can shoot a match. What are we shooting at? What are we shooting off of?

Are you a shooter looking to get into precision rifle? What would you like to know?
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I usually start with .22's in handgun and rifle formats.
Of course, I will also have intermediate cal guns long and handguns to show what more power feels like.
I then will bring either a large cal rifle, or a 44 mag to be looked at, and demonstrated. Usually I don't let newbies fire the cannons until their skill level and recoil tolerance is at a level that can accept it.
 
If you are talking shooting off bags etc. The best place to start is dry firing which can be done anywhere. Takes someone awhile to learn how to be comfortable and set up right. That can be done on a living room floor.
 
I am talking about prs/nrl type precision rifle matches

I'm asking about how would you introduce people who already shoot just not precision rifle matches like a hunter or maybe they shoot a different discipline
 
Tony1320 said:
How would you introduce new shooters to the sport?

What would you talk about? I was thinking of talking about equipment, what do you need keep it simple, rifle, scope, bipod, rear bag. How to get onto a target, the basic use of ballistic calculators. When and where you can shoot a match. What are we shooting at? What are we shooting off of?

Are you a shooter looking to get into precision rifle? What would you like to know?
Click to expand...

What level of previous experience? I find most new shooters looking to get into the precision rifle game have some previous exposure to shooting.
In my opinion if they are looking at precision rifle they have some expectations of start up costs. These days there are a lot of really good factory offerings in terms of budget friendly rifles, so that depends on budget. I started with a model 10 savage in .308. Super cheap. Lots of ammo options and you can’t buy the lessons shooting a .308 offer. 6.5’s amd 6’s are all the rage but I feel shooting a .308 helps you learn the wind and proper marksmanship.
There are many scopes out there and that also is budget sensitive. I started with a straight 10x with a mil dot reticle. Not great, but a whole lot less to think about while up on the line.
A basic Harris bipod did the trick and a sand sock. I took a course, saved my money for ammo and shot. A lot. I was proficient to 600 meters and with low wind 800. I didn’t have a huge investment. I did some upgrades on the rifle as money permitted, upgrading stock, rail and scope. This made me proficient to 800m and with low wind 1000m.

Today, I still don’t have a huge investment. I upgraded to a Ruger RPR in 6.5 CM, Burris XTR2 4-20. Harris and a few bags. I just got it but have been load developing to 800 with it with good results. I often say if I knew what I know now I would have bought the RPR right away.

Personally, I don’t think there needs to be a huge investment, but there will be a sizeable expenditure. As others have said dry fire and a good .22 is indispensable. I like the RPR as I plan to buy it in the rimfire version for cheap training as the platforms are very similar.

So I guess what I’m saying if they want to play, have a budget, buy plenty of ammo and reinvest when you can outshoot your gun. There are plenty of 1/4 minute armchair shooters on here, but I never see them at matches. When I started no one ever scoffed at my cheap savage, in fact guys thought it was awesome that I was there competing and making good hits with it. Even more guys were happy to let me try their equipment so I didn’t make poor purchases on bags and stuff that I didn’t need or maybe didn’t necessarily like. Just get out and shoot, the rest will fall into place!
 
I would still put them on the gun with no ammo first for dry fire exercises. I've seen experienced shooters who never shoot prone do very poorly from the prone position. Lying down shooting a gun sounds simple like you could just jump right in. But it's not quite as simple as that. There are fundamentals that have to be learned.

In my area, or for anyone close enough to CFB Petawawa my next step is to take them to one of CGN Tactical Teachers PRS weekends. It's main purpose is to introduce and teach new shooters the ropes in a fun setting.
 
APS said:
What level of previous experience? I find most new shooters looking to get into the precision rifle game have some previous exposure to shooting.
In my opinion if they are looking at precision rifle they have some expectations of start up costs. These days there are a lot of really good factory offerings in terms of budget friendly rifles, so that depends on budget. I started with a model 10 savage in .308. Super cheap. Lots of ammo options and you can’t buy the lessons shooting a .308 offer. 6.5’s amd 6’s are all the rage but I feel shooting a .308 helps you learn the wind and proper marksmanship.
There are many scopes out there and that also is budget sensitive. I started with a straight 10x with a mil dot reticle. Not great, but a whole lot less to think about while up on the line.
A basic Harris bipod did the trick and a sand sock. I took a course, saved my money for ammo and shot. A lot. I was proficient to 600 meters and with low wind 800. I didn’t have a huge investment. I did some upgrades on the rifle as money permitted, upgrading stock, rail and scope. This made me proficient to 800m and with low wind 1000m.

Today, I still don’t have a huge investment. I upgraded to a Ruger RPR in 6.5 CM, Burris XTR2 4-20. Harris and a few bags. I just got it but have been load developing to 800 with it with good results. I often say if I knew what I know now I would have bought the RPR right away.

Personally, I don’t think there needs to be a huge investment, but there will be a sizeable expenditure. As others have said dry fire and a good .22 is indispensable. I like the RPR as I plan to buy it in the rimfire version for cheap training as the platforms are very similar.

So I guess what I’m saying if they want to play, have a budget, buy plenty of ammo and reinvest when you can outshoot your gun. There are plenty of 1/4 minute armchair shooters on here, but I never see them at matches. When I started no one ever scoffed at my cheap savage, in fact guys thought it was awesome that I was there competing and making good hits with it. Even more guys were happy to let me try their equipment so I didn’t make poor purchases on bags and stuff that I didn’t need or maybe didn’t necessarily like. Just get out and shoot, the rest will fall into place!
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I would say very basic experience, they know how to handle and shoot a firearm. They don't know what moa/mil means and what exactly the adjustments on their scope do

How do you get someone who has expressed interest in precision rifle shooting to come to a match? Some reponses I hear are I'm not ready yet, I've never shot past 100 meters, I wouldn't know what to do. How do you convince them to come try it and explain that most people at the match would do anything to help
 
Tony1320, When I started in this rabbit hole I had never shot past 200m. I guess the willingness to learn is the driving factor. Like I said before I just bought a decent rifle that I could afford and started shooting. There are plenty of you tube channels you can watch for free to get some knowledge. Search Ryan Cleckner and National Shooting Sports Federation . They have a lot of YouTube videos that explain a lot of the basics in plain English that will help anyone starting out. As well there are many books out there. One of the guys in our club, Rodney Maze wrote a book called ‘Impact’ which can be bought off amazon for like 25 bucks I think. It goes through the basics for new shooters. There are many more books out there by many accomplished shooters to help get a good understanding of what you may need to know.
Investing in instruction is worth its weight in gold. I took a course from a former CAF master sniper that helped me a lot, I researched his credentials to make sure he wasn’t another range ninja. It helped that he had years of sniper instruction under his belt so teaching came naturally to him. He was clear and concise which is important. I’m not sure what area you’re in so you can PM me if you like and I can give you details on that.
Sometimes all it takes is grabbing a coffee and driving out to local match. You can likely watch for free, just email the club or match director and I’m sure they are happy to have you.
 
I feel pretty well suited to answer this. I'm a 3-gunner, and can shoot 1-Moa fairly consistently out to 300m when I take my time, and would love to get into PRS. The big things I want to know are:
1. The minimum equipment requirements. What things do I NEED before I go to my first match. I feel like there can be alot of equipment involved which can be intimidating, especially to someone on a budget. Also for people buying gear, are there specific rifle/scope characteristics to value over others? (Ie length, weight, focal planes, reticles, etc.)
2. Skills to be practiced before hand. Jumping straight into a match with no background would be a steep learning curve. Are there any specific skills to be practiced or drills to run that would make the first match go smoother? For example in 3 gun we practice alot of reloads and transitions between guns because those are common failure points.
 
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Project Mapleseed... might be an easy way to get some solid instructions in the basics. Rimfire so inexpensive and non threatening. You will put lead downrange and learn lots.

Events are going nationwide so maybe one near you.

could be what you are looking for????

There are also a variety of rimfire PRL events both short and long range. The concept and skills are the same... just low cost, low noise, no recoil.

Best way to learn is to just go try it... if they like it, they will be open to learning ... if not, no harm done and a great time spent with friends.

Jerry
 
Boomhauer440 said:
I feel pretty well suited to answer this. I'm a 3-gunner, and can shoot 1-Moa fairly consistently out to 300m when I take my time, and would love to get into PRS. The big things I want to know are:
1. The minimum equipment requirements. What things do I NEED before I go to my first match. I feel like there can be alot of equipment involved which can be intimidating, especially to someone on a budget. Also for people buying gear, are there specific rifle/scope characteristics to value over others? (Ie length, weight, focal planes, reticles, etc.)
2. Skills to be practiced before hand. Jumping straight into a match with no background would be a steep learning curve. Are there any specific skills to be practiced or drills to run that would make the first match go smoother? For example in 3 gun we practice alot of reloads and transitions between guns because those are common failure points.
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For centerfire and event that is moderate in distance, you might be able to run your AR in tactical division. Then you just need to add a higher mag variable scope (10 to 16X works for most targets). Load with a 75gr or 77gr bullet and go give it a try.

If you prefer a bolt rifle, sub MOA, ability to use AICS mags or at least hold 10 rds or more, comfy to you in the various positions you will be in. Has to be reliable in cycling with a consistent trigger pull. It does not need to cost a bunch but it has to cost enough... some events offer loaners. Might be way to try without huge buy in????

Bipod - Harris serves many well.

Rear bag - I use my gamechanger when not supporting the front. Game changer or similar multi surface/function bag will be a huge aid. Learn how to use it on various shapes and angles.

bigger pump pillow - nice to have to make awkward positions more stable but you can live without.

Knee pads and elbow pads - be prepared to move and set up on various surfaces. I hate bleeding....

For practise, I like to do a bunch of unsupported practise - standing, kneeling, sitting, prone. I do this with a rimfire so I can get alot of trigger time with little cost.

Barricade practise - there are about 6 families of props you will face so if you practise the basics, you are just applying variations of that to the prop. Lots of videos on drills and better body positions.

Wind reading - great books out there (my fave is the Miller Cunningham one)... learn your dope by shooting as far and as often as possible. Ballistics programs are a great start but you should verify in the real world cause....

You are learning new coordinations and that needs time on the range... or dry firing. There are many many videos that show all sorts of stages and walk you through the course of fire... then you get to see shooters run the stage both good and bad. Then you try and set up the stage and practise the skills adjusting for what works best for you.

Good luck.

Jerry
 
My personal experience here may differ from others but will give you an idea.

I have always enjoyed rifle shooting and trying to shoot further and further just for fun. I bought a steel target and just kept walking back further when I'd hit it. I then ventured deep into the rabbit hole and purchased a Vortex Razor AMG to put on my 22-250. Buy once, cry once was my motto.

I shot that scope on my 22-250 at my steel target and at coyotes but wanted to push further. I looked everywhere for rifles, cheap, mid range and expensive and went with the buy once, cry once again. Again, I wasn't planning on shooting a match, but I watched some videos on youtube and wanted to give it a try. Signed up with literally just my rifle, scope, harris bipod and ammo and went. I borrowed gear the first match to figure out what I liked and didn't like. Ended up buying a game changer bag since it worked well for me at a match and I didn't have any shooting bags in my arsenal. The first match I shot was so much fun, I sign up for every one I can now.

What is the bare minimum you need to get started?

- Short action bolt gun capable of shooting 1 MOA or less (mag fed is good, brake is nice but not necessary)
- First focal plane scope (nothing fancy needed, just make sure it tracks well) (Generally don't need more than 15-16x at a match)
- Ammo (duh) along with a Ballistic profile for your ammo (JBM free online software has worked perfectly for me)
- Bipod of some sort (harris works fine)
- Dope card of some sort - I use a football wrist coach and write on recipe cards my dope for each stage)


That's really all you need. Get out and shoot, learn what you like, what works for you and you can buy gear from there. Everyone I met at a match is more than willing to loan you gear to try out.
 
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Boomhauer440 said:
I feel pretty well suited to answer this. I'm a 3-gunner, and can shoot 1-Moa fairly consistently out to 300m when I take my time, and would love to get into PRS. The big things I want to know are:
1. The minimum equipment requirements. What things do I NEED before I go to my first match. I feel like there can be alot of equipment involved which can be intimidating, especially to someone on a budget. Also for people buying gear, are there specific rifle/scope characteristics to value over others? (Ie length, weight, focal planes, reticles, etc.)
2. Skills to be practiced before hand. Jumping straight into a match with no background would be a steep learning curve. Are there any specific skills to be practiced or drills to run that would make the first match go smoother? For example in 3 gun we practice alot of reloads and transitions between guns because those are common failure points.
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I answered you #1 question in my previous post I think. For #2, mostly just practice moving the rifle and building a stable shooting position off of random objects. Always remember that bolt has to be back when moving. Dry firing works well to make sure your sight picture stays steady when pulling the trigger. Also, target transition is good to practice, as a 3 gunner I'm sure you know this. Honestly, just watch some youtube videos of the PRS finale matches in the states to see how some of those shooters tackle obstacles, barricades and positions.
 
Thanks for the fast answers guys. I realize alot of what I asked had been answered earlier in the thread, I was mostly just trying to address the OP's question of things a newcomer wants to know. You certainly delivered though. I figured my project Mosin shoots well enough but 52" and 15lb might be inconvenient to run around with. Not to mention the jokes at its expense. So a new bolt gun has been my limiting factor. I'll admit I never thought about using an AR though. I do have an extra 4-18x scope and some 68gr pills laying around I could put to use, at least for a first try. Plus all the practise tips mentioned would probably help me in 3 gun too so I'll definitely keep them in mind. In the spirit of the OP of this thread, good job at introducing a newbie guys, you've given me some solid info, and an excuse to spend more time at the range. Thanks again
 
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