TonyD
One Shot One Maggie's Drawers
My topic on gear garnered some interest from new shooters that have been thinking about getting into High Power service rifle competition so I thought I would break a few things down on must haves.
First off is to have a CMP legal service rifle. This can be the M1 Garand, M14 / M1A, or the M16 / AR 15 A2 or A4. The A4 is new for 2005 and is designed with a detachable carry handle. However, for competition, the carry handle must be used with iron sights. The sights can be standard A2 with 1 MOA adjustments or National Match sights with either 1/2 - 1/2 or 1/4 - 1/4 MOA adjustments.
A sling is necessary to 'lock' your rifle into your shoulder and to get 'tight' to reduce movement of the muzzle. You will shoot in three positions - standing, sitting (or kneeling), and prone. The sling cannot be used in the standing. The two basic slings used are the USMC web loop sling or a match leather sling. The match leather sling is preferred by most experienced shooters but is much more expensive than a web sling. You can also get away with using the M1 web sling but keep in mind it is 5" shorter than the USMC M16 web loop sling.
Ammunition - Using good match ammo is a must to obtain decent groups past 100 yards. Black Hills, Federal Gold Medal Match and handloads seem to dominate the firing line.
Notepad - Since you will be firing out to 600 yards you need to have a means of recording your elevation and windage (called 'Dope') for each yard line, each different type of ammo, and for different atmospheric conditions. Most shooters use a commercial Data Book but you can get by in the beginning with a small note pad and keeping good notes. Be sure to record date, type ammo, temp. wind direction and speed, humidity, distance and dope settings. All of these variables will affect the strike of the round and you need records to refer to when faced with similar conditions on another day.
That is really all you HAVE to have to go out and shoot your first match. There are other things you'll want to accuire over time but in the beginning other shootings will normally share their equipment with new guys. It's also a great way to see different types and brands of gear to have a better idea of what you want to spend your money on.
Next:
Glove - You want to have a glove for your support hand to help cushion the pressure from the sling and forestock. Commercial gloves for HP shooting are available and cushioned in all the right places. And, yes, they cost a little bit. Anything from a cheap leather work glove to an oven mit you steal from the kitchen as your walking out the door will work.
Shooting mat - You're going to want to have something to lay on when shooting from the prone. Before you buy an expensive mat, start off with a piece of scrap carpet, a tarp, or a foam sleeping bag mat.
Shooting Jacket - A shooting jacket is something you'll want to get as soon as possible and they can range between $60 for a simple cotton material to $400 for custom leather job. Until then you can use a cammie blouse or field jacket over top of a sweatshirt. The idea is to be a little bulking and tight.
Spotting scope - During sighters and slow fire, you're going to need to see where your rounds are landing in order to make dope changes. Most agree that you want a scope that has an angled eyepiece that allows the least movement from your firing position to observe your target. After that, the sky is the limit on how much you spend on a scope. Again, most shooters will let you use their scope in the beginning. Especially if you're shooting on the same target in a different relay.
You'll need something to carry all your gear in from your vehicle to the firing lines. Wheeled shooting carts/shooting stools are very popular. A good size range bag can suffice until then.
I hope this helps anyone new to this sport or interested in trying it out. The bottom line is, you don't have to have all the expensive gadets to get started and have fun.
Just to give you a comparison, I'm using an off the shelf RRA heavy barrel A2 with A2 sights, 2-stage trigger, non-floated barrel, and an M1 web sling, an $80 cotton-canvas shooting jacket, cheap leather work glove, small range bag, piece of scrap carpet to lay on, and I'm doing well. I've been borrowing a spotting scope but that is next on my list. And I guarantee you it will be low-end. My finances dictate that. Again, you don't have to have the best of everything to be competitive. As you progress in your marksmanship additional, and or better, gear can help your scores when you make the high master mark. Until then, I suggest improvising as much as possible and concentrate on improving your marksmanship skills. That in itself will take you farther than anything.
So, lets hear it from other folks on what you use and how you got started.
Also, lets hear any questions from new shooters. We'll give you as many ideas as we can.
Semper Fi!
First off is to have a CMP legal service rifle. This can be the M1 Garand, M14 / M1A, or the M16 / AR 15 A2 or A4. The A4 is new for 2005 and is designed with a detachable carry handle. However, for competition, the carry handle must be used with iron sights. The sights can be standard A2 with 1 MOA adjustments or National Match sights with either 1/2 - 1/2 or 1/4 - 1/4 MOA adjustments.
A sling is necessary to 'lock' your rifle into your shoulder and to get 'tight' to reduce movement of the muzzle. You will shoot in three positions - standing, sitting (or kneeling), and prone. The sling cannot be used in the standing. The two basic slings used are the USMC web loop sling or a match leather sling. The match leather sling is preferred by most experienced shooters but is much more expensive than a web sling. You can also get away with using the M1 web sling but keep in mind it is 5" shorter than the USMC M16 web loop sling.
Ammunition - Using good match ammo is a must to obtain decent groups past 100 yards. Black Hills, Federal Gold Medal Match and handloads seem to dominate the firing line.
Notepad - Since you will be firing out to 600 yards you need to have a means of recording your elevation and windage (called 'Dope') for each yard line, each different type of ammo, and for different atmospheric conditions. Most shooters use a commercial Data Book but you can get by in the beginning with a small note pad and keeping good notes. Be sure to record date, type ammo, temp. wind direction and speed, humidity, distance and dope settings. All of these variables will affect the strike of the round and you need records to refer to when faced with similar conditions on another day.
That is really all you HAVE to have to go out and shoot your first match. There are other things you'll want to accuire over time but in the beginning other shootings will normally share their equipment with new guys. It's also a great way to see different types and brands of gear to have a better idea of what you want to spend your money on.
Next:
Glove - You want to have a glove for your support hand to help cushion the pressure from the sling and forestock. Commercial gloves for HP shooting are available and cushioned in all the right places. And, yes, they cost a little bit. Anything from a cheap leather work glove to an oven mit you steal from the kitchen as your walking out the door will work.
Shooting mat - You're going to want to have something to lay on when shooting from the prone. Before you buy an expensive mat, start off with a piece of scrap carpet, a tarp, or a foam sleeping bag mat.
Shooting Jacket - A shooting jacket is something you'll want to get as soon as possible and they can range between $60 for a simple cotton material to $400 for custom leather job. Until then you can use a cammie blouse or field jacket over top of a sweatshirt. The idea is to be a little bulking and tight.
Spotting scope - During sighters and slow fire, you're going to need to see where your rounds are landing in order to make dope changes. Most agree that you want a scope that has an angled eyepiece that allows the least movement from your firing position to observe your target. After that, the sky is the limit on how much you spend on a scope. Again, most shooters will let you use their scope in the beginning. Especially if you're shooting on the same target in a different relay.
You'll need something to carry all your gear in from your vehicle to the firing lines. Wheeled shooting carts/shooting stools are very popular. A good size range bag can suffice until then.
I hope this helps anyone new to this sport or interested in trying it out. The bottom line is, you don't have to have all the expensive gadets to get started and have fun.
Just to give you a comparison, I'm using an off the shelf RRA heavy barrel A2 with A2 sights, 2-stage trigger, non-floated barrel, and an M1 web sling, an $80 cotton-canvas shooting jacket, cheap leather work glove, small range bag, piece of scrap carpet to lay on, and I'm doing well. I've been borrowing a spotting scope but that is next on my list. And I guarantee you it will be low-end. My finances dictate that. Again, you don't have to have the best of everything to be competitive. As you progress in your marksmanship additional, and or better, gear can help your scores when you make the high master mark. Until then, I suggest improvising as much as possible and concentrate on improving your marksmanship skills. That in itself will take you farther than anything.
So, lets hear it from other folks on what you use and how you got started.
Also, lets hear any questions from new shooters. We'll give you as many ideas as we can.
Semper Fi!
![[wink]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/002.gif "Wink [wink]")
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