Need advice to improve score

[dhuze]

Ok I shoot in a service rifle match. I cannot seem to improve my slow prone score. I have been shooting between 180 and 185 for the last 3 years and I cannot improve any. Does anybody have any tips I might be able to look into, to improve? Any suggestions will be appreciated. There are times when I can tell you for sure I shot an X ring. There are other times when I thought it was an X only to find out otherwise. I cant tell the difference between the two, but I know I subconciously notice it since I know for certain when I take some shots.

 

[duaneb1953]

I'm not sure how you use your sights but the proper way would be to focus on the front, then focus on the rear making sure you are in the center then go back to the front and shoot. Make sure you are taking a couple of good deep breaths before each shot. Between shots make sure you are not watching the targets, but resting your eyes by looking away at a contrasting colored object. This is what I teach my junior shooters with very good eye sight, as we get older we need to rest. Also your aperture should be around a 40 with a .062 or .072 front blade. Hope it helps. PM me if you wish.

 

[dhuze]

After the followup from each shot I'm looking through my scope then I usually look at the ground in front of me before I load the next round. My rear is a 40 and the front is smaller than any you can buy. One of the machineists I shoot with ground it down a bit smaller. My shots are mostly 8 or better at 300 yards, I still get a couple 7's. I know 180 isn't horrible, but I would like to get closer to 190 or even a bit better. In 3 years I wwould have thought I'd gain a couple of points. I know every once in a while I get a bad shot that I blame the ammo for. I can call most all of my shots and I even called a 9 at 6 o'clock today that was a 7 at 11 o'clock. I know I wasn't anywhere near that. The funny thing is I can call my X ring every time, (which is never more that 4 or 5 in a match) but then there are some I'd think were X. I'm saying there are X's I know for a fact and some I think are and they never are. I guess I'm trying to figure out why I know X rings and why sometimes I just think it's an X.

 

[Jose]

Can you see a crystal clear front post when you focus on it?

What kind of rifle are you shooting?

Is your rifle and ammo combination capable of cleaning the target with high X count in the hands of a HM?

Are you sure your NPA is perfect before every shot?

Can you accurately call your shots?

Are you staying ahead of the wind?

Have you read any books on prone shooting technique and applied what you have read?

Have you asked for coaching from some of the best shooters in your area?

Those are just thoughts that spring to my head.

 

[bpm990d]

I'd guess you are waiting too long and letting your focus on the front sight wander. That is usually the problem if you are having troubles calling shots. What Duane said about oxygenating your blood is also really important.

I'd train at 300 an don't accept any bad shots. You need to analyze every bad shot and figure out what the failure was.

B

 

[duaneb1953]

I should have also mentioned follow thru. Critically important at 600, you must stay on your gun with the chipmonk cheek. Another problem is called shouldering the gun, in that you very slightly push with your shoulder just as you're pulling the trigger. What are you using for a load?

 

[dhuze]

I try to analyze all my shots. Lately I've been trying to check everything I do to see what needs improving. Since I can't see anything wrong I thought I'd get ideas from others.

Duane I shoot Sierra 69g Match King loaded with 24.5g of AA 2520.

 

[Jose]

Duane I shoot Sierra 69g Match King loaded with 24.5g of AA 2520.

Bit light at 600 unless winds are perfect.

Work up a load with Sierra or Hornady 80s. But I suspect your problem is more of technique than gear.

 

[duaneb1953]

I would recommend either Sierra 77's or 80's. One of the biggest problems that plague shooters is not having a good coach that can pick up on the minor details. Is there someone you can count on that has expierience to do just that? We as shooters think we are doing everything the right way but often times is not the case, find a coach. Are you going to shoot the Ma. State HP Championship this weekend?

 

[Jasper]

+1 on loading up some 80's. i've tried my 69gr load @ 600...it aint pretty. (69gr SMK under 25gr RL15). same cases, same primers, and an 80gr SMK under 24.2 RL15 and it'll clean the target if i could do my part (just this past weekend, i cleaned my first 15 @ 600, with 8 X's)

i know one thing i struggle with BIG time is consistent head position and sight alignment. if i break position beyond turning my head to check the scope, i struggle with rebuilding my position. i coped by trying to never take the rifle out of my shoulder (if it doesnt move in my shoulder, my head almost always seems to find the same position, nose right up on the charging handle.

best bet's definately gonna be coaching. i've been picking everyone's brains that'll still listen to me. in the last year i must have gone through 4 or 5 different position changes, 3 or 4 different ways of rigging my sling, and probably 4000rounds of .22lr in my .22 upper (mostly offhand practice). speaking of which, 100yd prone practice with a .22lr has been AWESOME practice for me so far this year. those .22's are incredibly unforgiving to position problems, and you tend to know right away if you do something wrong.

 

[PatMcD]

Couple of things:

Do you lose more points to windage or elevation?

Elevation problems can be improved/solved by your technique:
Do not "lay" on the rifle; once you've chambered a round and rolled back into the rifle, take the shot within two or three breaths. Holding longer rarely improves things.
6-o'clock hold? Your front sight may be "leaking" into the black. Try a "line of white" hold and see if it makes a difference.
Everybody's eyes are different, but I'm not a fan of a really thin front post. I think it makes for a lot of eye strain. Try a bigger post.

Windage problems can be helped by bigger bullets going faster and experience.

 

[Jose]

100yd prone practice with a .22lr has been AWESOME practice for me so far this year. those .22's are incredibly unforgiving to position problems, and you tend to know right away if you do something wrong.

Absolutely. Rimfire training is hugely important for the slow fire stages. It even helps a bit on the RF stages if you match the pace you would take with CF ammo.

Even if all you have is 50 yards, set yourself up with the appropriately scaled down HP targets or just use the 50 yd NRA SB prone target. The bull on SB targets is a little bit bigger than that of HP targets so you may have to go up a couple of clicks if you use a 6 hold. If you want a real challenge, get some ISSF 50 meter targets reduced to 50 yards (NRA makes them) and get after it.

 

[Admin]

+1 on a .22 for practice.

Not only will it increase your scores but it won't cost you an arm and a leg for the extra training.

 

[dhuze]

I have a dedicated .22 upper so I can practice indoors for the winter. I've been shooting rimfire for a few months just because of the scarcity of ammo and components. Maybe I'm as good as I'm going to get. It happens. I just didnt want it to happen yet.

 

[Jose]

Maybe I'm as good as I'm going to get. It happens. I just didnt want it to happen yet.

Do not self defeat. Banish those thoughts immediately, or you WILL stay where you are.

NRA highpower is not for the mentally weak.

 

[bpm990d]

Maybe I'm as good as I'm going to get. It happens. I just didnt want it to happen yet.

I agree with Jose. I use to suck at shooting the service rifle at 600. After 200 & 300 I'd go back and be down six or seven points and shoot a 180 back at 600. I snatched defeat from the jaws of victory more times than I can count. Don't beat up on your self. I hope this isn't a news flash but shooting HP service rifle is friggin hard. Just redouble your efforts and become as single minded as life allows. Also definitely step up in the projectile dept. as well. Use your .22 in the summer as well. You can get way more trigger time on that than the center fire.

B

 

[dhuze]

I'm not a self defeatist. I'm stubborn I was just stating something. Even if it was the case I'd still try to prove I was wrong.