The future of Service Rifle

[ton45-II]

I hate people calling their matches "sniper" matches. It cheapens the professionalism, as well as dedication behind that title.

I think people have used he word "sniping" loosly as marksmanship. Sniping is that art that mixes "poaching" or "hunting" techniques with marksmanship. Even in those so called sniper matches, basic "markmanship", let alone "hunting" skills are not applied.

There is definetly more work needed in basic marksmanship which cannot be relagated to the bench or CQB ranges. All clubs in Quebec do not allow you to shoot out of the bench at 100 or 200 meters. Where the hell do they expect us to practice shooting positions to get better?

 

[evolture]

I really want to shoot SR but think I need to take a course.. I think it is funny that there are more M14 clinics than there are SR courses.

 

[Jay T]

Everyone wants a course. Just get out and shoot!! If you go to a shoot, the experienced guys will be MORE than willing to help out a new guy or girl. Get out and meet fellow shooters. Like my friend Hungry always says it is about the networking!!! Get out and shoot!!! It is not rocket science these matches. If I had a pdf file of matches 1-12 I would post it. They are not hard to read or figure out. Get out and shoot!! Funny thing about shooters, they like to talk about what they love. So get out and shoot.

 

[zupermann]

Everyone wants a course. Just get out and shoot!! If you go to a shoot, the experienced guys will be MORE than willing to help out a new guy or girl. Get out and meet fellow shooters. Like my friend Hungry always says it is about the networking!!! Get out and shoot!!! It is not rocket science these matches. If I had a pdf file of matches 1-12 I would post it. They are not hard to read or figure out. Get out and shoot!! Funny thing about shooters, they like to talk about what they love. So get out and shoot.

If there aren't classes around, buy some books about shooting, be open minded and try the stuff they suggest to see what works for you

 

[tiriaq]

I am a new shooter, under a year, and have been very much enjoying pistol shooting at my indoor range. I have been active in trying to take all the training course and certifications that I can (IDPA club holster certified). I will be purchasing an appropriate rifle/equipment in the spring and would love to get out into the sunshine, rain etc!

The course of fire as I understand it, is pretty intimidating for a beginner, at least to me, as is the running (turning 40 soon, reminder, get to the gym!!) so if there were a "back to basics" skills based structure on top of competition dates, that would be excellent!

We, as Canadians, do not have the opportunities to get out and practice as much as our American friends, what with ATT's, limited numbers of ranges, no ability to shoot restricted rifles on private property, or uncertified ranges. So we probably need to have more structured training opportunities. That and we have no access to cheap surplus 5.56, so every round counts! You can learn just by trying,(slowly) but at a high cost in ammunition. Good instruction maximizes the value of the time and the ammunition we have available.

I would be very interested in a training regimen and instruction and frankly, willing to pay for it!

From a larger point of view, the more that can be done to encourage participation and attract new people, and new gun owners to the sport, the more chance we will all have of holding onto what we love.

Where you live is certainly a factor in range access.
I am fortunate, having first class ranges to 600m within a 25 minute drive.
You need to establish sound basic marksmanship skills including effective position shooting. Physical conditionning over the winter is a really good idea.
Launching into "runnin' and gunnin'" type matches without sound basic skills is not likely going to be rewarding. It is a given that a competitive shooter will post good scores in prone matches. It is effective position shooting that results in higher overall scores in the aggregates.
Handloading is the easiest way to guarantee a reliable supply of quality ammunition. And you will go through quite a pile of it during a season, particularly if you attend training clinics.
If you are going to be buying a rifle for SR, look for a decent quality plain vanilla rifle with a 20" barrel, and at least a 1:9 twist. You will want a dependable scope. A low powered variable will do the job. It should have an adjustment system that makes repeatable settings easy to do. Something like a 1 1/2-5 Leupold hunting scope, with target knobs retrofitted will do the job. Hungry and I have had good results with our Falcon Menace scopes in this power range, at half the price of the Leupold. You do not need to load your rifle down with bells, whistles and bobble-headed dolls.

 

[jimbo45]

well iam 40 drive truck iam out of shape and smoke almost 2 packs a day lol and iam getting equipped to do the sr matches want to do 3 hopefully next summer its whay i purchased my a r to begin with iam not gonna do well with the running but iam gonna have a ####load of fun and meet a bunch of cool firearms owners in the process my only problem is that my range wont allow the use of human sillouet targets they say its not permitted any ideas where i can find out if this is law or stupid club rules

 

[Danimal247]

I really want to get into SR - seems right up my alley for what interest me with guns in general!

cqb style matches and pistol shooting, perfect combo when employed with movement - I get bored very quickly shooting at paper from a bench or stand

 

[tiriaq]

well iam 40 drive truck iam out of shape and smoke almost 2 packs a day lol and iam getting equipped to do the sr matches want to do 3 hopefully next summer its whay i purchased my a r to begin with iam not gonna do well with the running but iam gonna have a s**tload of fun and meet a bunch of cool firearms owners in the process my only problem is that my range wont allow the use of human sillouet targets they say its not permitted any ideas where i can find out if this is law or stupid club rules

Its your club.
Doesn't matter. You can still practice, no matter what the aiming mark is.

 

[tiriaq]

I really want to get into SR - seems right up my alley for what interest me with guns in general!

cqb style matches and pistol shooting, perfect combo when employed with movement - I get bored very quickly shooting at paper from a bench or stand

CQB is CQB.
Service Rifle is Service Rifle.

As being done at the ORA shoots, CQB is 35m in. Service Rifle is 500 or 400m in to 25m, depending on the match program. Either way, you're not going to be bored.

 

[Hungry]

I really want to shoot SR but think I need to take a course.. I think it is funny that there are more M14 clinics than there are SR courses.

Yuk yuk yuk...

It's much easier to host an M14 clinic (one day of material) than it is to put on a Service Rifle clinic (I was involved in delivering one during 1-2 May 2010). The SR clinics are very intense and much material/training/techniques are thrown at you in 2 days. We need a week to bring you up to speed in the various positions, matches, courses of fire.

This SR discipline ain't as as straightforward as Target Rifle/Full bore or F-Class shooting where you still must focus on the principles of marksmanship, windreading, both internal and external ballistics at longer ranges, etc. SR matches require a pile of cardio conditioning and of course gym/weight room conditioning... if you don't believe me, just accompany me on the run downs (I've got TWO hip replacements) and then into Advance and fire matches, where you have to hold up your carbine all the while walking forward, shooting, and maybe reloading. Hence it's a longer learning curve, and intimidating also! I've seen that happen lots and lots at our matches.

Either way, all should get involved in these exciting formats because WE CAN! (well hopefully your local PRA is more pro-active and forward looking)...



Barney

 

[Zner]

i was laughed at when i asked for unit support

 

[Danimal247]

CQB is CQB.
Service Rifle is Service Rifle.

As being done at the ORA shoots, CQB is 35m in. Service Rifle is 500 or 400m in to 25m, depending on the match program. Either way, you're not going to be bored.

my bad, thought people refered to the borden matches as SR as well?

 

[tiriaq]

my bad, thought people refered to the borden matches as SR as well?

It could all be called "Service Rifle", as opposed to Fullbore Target Rifle, F Class, Precision Rifle.
The courses of fire for CFSAC Matches 1-4, DCRA/NSCC Matches 1-18, are different from CQB.
Its all shooting, and its all good.

 

[Danimal247]

sort of an umbrella term for the masses, vs. very specific events like cqb or fullbore target rifle, etc- right? used in the correct context it can relate to any of the disciplines under the SR name?

 

[tiriaq]

sort of an umbrella term for the masses, vs. very specific events like cqb or fullbore target rifle, etc- right? used in the correct context it can relate to any of the disciplines under the SR name?

Sure. You are in TO. Check and see if there are still some ORA shoots this season. Even if you don't shoot, drive up to Borden and have a look.
In the new year, check the ORA and OSA websites for the season schedules of clinics and matches. The clinics are a really good idea, if you can attend. There are Precision(Sniper, sorry, GT) Matches, as well as 3-Gun. Service Rifle, Precision and Service Pistol. Many of the matches are two day weekend events. Lots of good shooting.

 

[beltfed]

Everyone wants a course. Just get out and shoot!! If you go to a shoot, the experienced guys will be MORE than willing to help out a new guy or girl. Get out and meet fellow shooters. Like my friend Hungry always says it is about the networking!!! Get out and shoot!!! It is not rocket science these matches. If I had a pdf file of matches 1-12 I would post it. They are not hard to read or figure out. Get out and shoot!! Funny thing about shooters, they like to talk about what they love. So get out and shoot.

Well said Jay!
We have a pdf file of the 2009 NSCC Rule book here:
http://www.albertarifle.com/csr.htm

As far as running courses or orientations go, the CSRA runs 8 matches throughout the year on Sundays, and I offer up the Saturday as a clinic/walkback day. I rarely get takers.

Our matches are bush-league type affairs in comparison to the annual BCRA Championships or the Nationals, but we hold them frequently (once a month when road access allows) and they are cheap (free for members and first timers are free also). I suppose we could arrange for prizes and more trophies, but based on my experience of organizing IDPA matches, that gets pretty labour intensive for those that organize it.
I'd love to expand the matches to incude more dynamic courses of fire, and we may trial this stuff in the future.

Hey Hungry, can I get a copy of your new cqb course of fire?

 

[greentips]

I think people have used he word "sniping" loosly as marksmanship. Sniping is that art that mixes "poaching" or "hunting" techniques with marksmanship. Even in those so called sniper matches, basic "markmanship", let alone "hunting" skills are not applied.

There is definetly more work needed in basic marksmanship which cannot be relagated to the bench or CQB ranges. All clubs in Quebec do not allow you to shoot out of the bench at 100 or 200 meters. Where the hell do they expect us to practice shooting positions to get better?

You guys have enough shooters from Quebec, stage a coup and take over the Quebec PRA.

 

[guninhand]

SR course

IMHO, all the SR course you need is right here.

http://www.archive.org/details/Rifle_Marksmanship_with_the_M1_Rifle

Practise that stuff, then get windage and elevation down. And go to gym.

 

[cbabes]

Yuk yuk yuk...

It's much easier to host an M14 clinic (one day of material) than it is to put on a Service Rifle clinic (I was involved in delivering one during 1-2 May 2010). The SR clinics are very intense and much material/training/techniques are thrown at you in 2 days. We need a week to bring you up to speed in the various positions, matches, courses of fire.

This SR discipline ain't as as straightforward as Target Rifle/Full bore or F-Class shooting where you still must focus on the principles of marksmanship, windreading, both internal and external ballistics at longer ranges, etc. SR matches require a pile of cardio conditioning and of course gym/weight room conditioning... if you don't believe me, just accompany me on the run downs (I've got TWO hip replacements) and then into Advance and fire matches, where you have to hold up your carbine all the while walking forward, shooting, and maybe reloading. Hence it's a longer learning curve, and intimidating also! I've seen that happen lots and lots at our matches.

Either way, all should get involved in these exciting formats because WE CAN! (well hopefully your local PRA is more pro-active and forward looking)...



Barney

I really want to get into SR - seems right up my alley for what interest me with guns in general!

cqb style matches and pistol shooting, perfect combo when employed with movement - I get bored very quickly shooting at paper from a bench or stand

Danimal maybe stick to CQB because Hungry above knows what he is talking about.

 

[Danimal247]

Danimal maybe stick to CQB because Hungry above knows what he is talking about.

I plan on going this weekend to the CQB match at Borden