SR equipment discussion

Intro clinics do not require time on a military range. In fact, they don't even require a range. If the goal is to peak interest and remove some of the mystery and intimidation of this type of shooting. Intro in a class room environment can go a long way. People would likely attend if it's close to them and there isn't any cost involved.

-Show people who are interested what the targety looks like.
-Show them how the targetry is manipulated.
-Explain how a match runs and what the various stages look like.
-Show them what the shooting positions look like.
-Answer their questions about equipment
-Impress upon them that you don't need access to a 500 meter range to practice. (The vast majority of my practice is done on a 20 meter indoor range... or dry firing)

Also, I would not emphasize things like competitiveness, qualifying and winning. Most of the people out there involved in shooting are not competing in any fashion. They're doing it purely for enjoyment. A good number of them are probably turned off by things that are highly competitive. Thats a big intimidation factor for a lot of people and it isn't what they impress upon kids anymore. Your newer generations were brought up in a system where "everyone is a winner" and "you play to have fun". You will sell a lot more people on SR if its sold as being a lot of FUN than you will on the personal satisfaction they will receive from improving, achieving goals or qualifying for something. That drives some of us, but most are merely seeking entertainment.
 
Longshot said:
Sounds good to me! We just have to have adequate range time to make it happen. That's all that's really holding back the clinics and practices out here.
Click to expand...

Range time should be easier to deal with when the ASU is under full brigade control.

It will also require working with local ranges as they already have memberships, facilities and usually news letters.
 
kombayotch said:
.....Also, I would not emphasize things like competitiveness, qualifying and winning. Most of the people out there involved in shooting are not competing in any fashion. They're doing it purely for enjoyment. A good number of them are probably turned off by things that are highly competitive. Thats a big intimidation factor for a lot of people and it isn't what they impress upon kids anymore. Your newer generations were brought up in a system where "everyone is a winner" and "you play to have fun". You will sell a lot more people on SR if its sold as being a lot of FUN than you will on the personal satisfaction they will receive from improving, achieving goals or qualifying for something. That drives some of us, but most are merely seeking entertainment.
Click to expand...

I think that this is the reason that ORA CQB has been so successful in attracting participants.

In addition to a clinic such as you have described, another to teach actual shooting skills is valuable. The new shooter knows what he is supposed to do in a match, and knows that he has the skills so that he will rapidly lose fear of embarrassing himself.

A friend of mine went to Connaught to shoot FTR, as a beginner. Got squadded with a "serious competitor" who told him point blank that he was there to excel, that he was unhappy about being squadded with a tyro, and that my friend shouldn't get in his way. Made him feel a couple of inches high. I've never seen this in SR, but this is something new shooters are afraid of.
 
Something that might be worth considering for clinics is the use of scaled targets, like the Appleseed folks use down in the States. An Appleseed target is basically the target used in US Army rifle qualification testing, but scaled down for use with .22s at 25 yards. A fig.11 scaled down so that it's the same apparent size at 100 yards as the real thing would be at 200, 300, 400 etc. might be a useful teaching aid (you could simulate most of the course of fire, minus movers and sight adjusment of course, without needing a full scale military range) and confidence builder for the n00bs.
 
I just use dots from a bingo marker. Scaled targets are nice. The one thing to remember when you're scaling for use with a rimfire is that you need to scale based on grouping capability and not distance. Scaling for distance will give you a negative impression of your abilities if the grouping cabability of the rimfire is much worse that that of the centerfire. Some of those conversion kits don't do that well. A 1.5" group at 25 yards is 6 MOA... Firing that at a target that was scaled down from one that was sized for a 3 MOA rifle might be discouraging.
 
I made some scaled down figure 11's and 12's to put in my local indoor range so I can practice accuracy and get used to sight picture at the same time. I just have them as a photoshop file so I can scale to what I need (ie 1/2 for 50 m or 1/4 for 25)

its also the kind of thing that would let clinics take place on ranges that are limited in space. Might not let you teach everything (like reading wind) but I bet its enough to get people interested in the sport. and a 100m range would still let them use their centerfire rifles so they dont necessarily have to have a .22 like you would for indoor practice.
 
Yeah I've run clinics before and its a hard sell to get folks to come sit in a classroom to look at targets and talk about how the shooting takes place lol. Out here unfortunately getting a range, even 100m is difficult at best. There is no substitute for the excitement of shooting SR than actually shooting it. Perhaps GL can get some range time in Nanaimo easier than the mainland and we can run a joint clinic.
 
Any clinics at all on the mainland and I'm in, shooting or classroom, on or off "company" time just pass the word (even if I'm not around - the downside of a rotation job is effectively falling off the face of the earth 50% of the time - I'll happily get the heads up to the troops). Getting to the island is a bit of a question due to limited family time as-is, but still better to know about something and have to pass than not know at all and definitely not show up.

If there have been any recent clinics then I'd agree that advertising is an issue through the official chain - at least at my unit, not sure about others. It was pretty much by fluke that I fell into NSCC/CFSAC in 2011 and I haven't heard too much officially since, aside from getting a medal in the mail (seems they forgot to present match 5 awards in the rush to confirm QM winners' scores, whereas I just figured maybe there wasn't an award for it).

Sure I complain, but it's not like I was even remotely proactive last year at seeking out info, so my bad more than anything else. Work has gotten in the way, but I'm starting to get that itch and need to start making time to shoot in my time off.

But back a little more on topic, for broadening service rifle beyond the "service" population I know I wouldn't have a clue that it existed if not for the military, and I definitely would have been more than a little intimidated by the apparent need for specialized junk to shoot it. Advertizing combined with de-mystifying equipment is probably key, but as to how to go about that on the civilian side I'm not sure what to suggest. I'm totally inexperienced as a civilian shooter and don't have any insight on what's being done currently, what's been tried and hasn't worked in the past, etc. First priority I suppose is getting myself in the loop as a start. That and I need to throw together my own rifle since I currently have nothing in that department. Details.... (separate post(s) to start I guess)
 
Will, you know my thoughts on intro clinics, and I'm still happy to help in whatever capacity I can be useful.

As for advertising the events, it doesn't need to be complicated. Pyramid schemes reach all kinds of people simply by word of mouth, and spreading the good word about SR shoots can too. Try it the next time you're at the range and see someone hammering away with an AR. I've chatted up a few folks over the past couple months at the range, and it sounds like one or two of them will be making an effort to get to an SR event this year. As with anything, some will have excuses and 'nos' ready right away, some will take a bit of info to be polite, but will never show, and the small few will ask for more info on their own volition. The real keeners will write it down and ask lots of questions.
 
well I just sent in my bcra membership, ltatt military base sheets, and event sign ups for lmr and bc championships so there's 1 new shooter on the west coast. Looking forward to it.
 
Good to hear. Let me know it there is anything you would like to see in the future match wise. No promises it will happen but lets see what we can get put together.
 
Last edited:
I'm looking at getting into Service rifle having started with CQB. Since this is an SR equipment discussion, I'm wondering what folks prefer for magazine holders if using an
M14. Do folks have pouches high up on a vest or use just a chest rig? I believe I saw a dropleg pouch system on a left leg. Is that used much? Input welcome as I sort myself out and get ideas (and spent more $$).
 
A vest with pouches works fine. Condor makes some M14 pouches. The pouches I use are HSGI Tacos. They're a bit more expensive, but are universal and can take any kind of mag. Run M14 mags one day, then AR mags the next without changing anything.
 
theDuck said:
I'm looking at getting into Service rifle having started with CQB. Since this is an SR equipment discussion, I'm wondering what folks prefer for magazine holders if using an
M14. Do folks have pouches high up on a vest or use just a chest rig? I believe I saw a dropleg pouch system on a left leg. Is that used much? Input welcome as I sort myself out and get ideas (and spent more $$).
Click to expand...

Double M14 pouches. Opsgear has them too. I have 5 of them. Reason is you need a lot of mags because of the 5 round limit. I have 11 mags plus 2 AIA 10 rounders. You have to be Johnny on the spot loading mags all day. Chest rigs are fine, except in prone, they're a pain to get at. So I try to drop spare mags in reach.

It's a learning process with each event.

Will be great to see another Great Battle rifle at a Service Shoot!
 
theDuck said:
I'm looking at getting into Service rifle having started with CQB. Since this is an SR equipment discussion, I'm wondering what folks prefer for magazine holders if using an
M14. Do folks have pouches high up on a vest or use just a chest rig? I believe I saw a dropleg pouch system on a left leg. Is that used much? Input welcome as I sort myself out and get ideas (and spent more $$).
Click to expand...

I use the old CF FN pouches and webbing that I bought at a surplus store. The C7 pouches will work too if you jam the magazines in. I forget what I paid for them though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom