Long Range rifle skill

[JFlowers]

Can anyone recommend material on Long Range Rifle skills? I was working my new 308 today and its like watching out the window of a Baja 1000 truck! The cross hairs are dancing all over. I know position and breath control are a large part of that.

[Dan Sierpina]

If you can find books by David Tubb, it's a good starting point. What do you consider long range? What position were you using while the reticle was dancing so much? What distance was it?

[redial]

What Dan said!

If you can describe your position, we can probably help a bit.

Mark

[JFlowers]

I was seated at a bench on the 25, 50, and 100 yards lines. Gun was on bipod. The dancing needs to stop before I move on the the long ranges.

I have a couple of David Tubbs videos. I will work with them.

Edited March 1, 2014 by JFlowers

[Dan Sierpina]

Lower the legs on the bipod. Use your weak hand to support the butt stock, kind of make a fist and support it vertically, essentially using it as a sand bag. That position should be good on a 3 gun target out to 600 yards, or more.

100 yards is standing distance, and not long shots.

Edited March 1, 2014 by Dan Sierpina

[redial]

Keep your chest from contacting the bench but make double-sure of your cheek weld on the stock. I'm a lefty, so my pulse from my port side resting against the bench can dance me all over the target.

HTH

Mark

[BobS761]

Can anyone recommend material on Long Range Rifle skills? I was working my new 308 today and its like watching out the window of a Baja 1000 truck! The cross hairs are dancing all over. I know position and breath control are a large part of that.

Just wait until you shoot a stage where the long shots are about a minute into it. Some designers are just mean, LOL!

[Finbox]

Use a rear bag

[sideforce]

Use a rear bag to support the butt stock. A cheap solution is a cloth bag (sock, Crown Royal, etc.) filled with rice, sand, etc. you can use hand pressure to raise or lower the rear of the rifle. Lots of long range forums out there that cover the base skills. Good luck.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Headworked]

i agree with the fist under the stock for seated position, and that 100 yards is not really considered a 'long' shot, and should be able to be taken 'off-hand' standing or kneeling.

Jflowers, what power optic were you using? sometimes too strong of an optic up close magnifies the movement you are describing....

I also took interest in this thread as I was at a match over the weekend, and there were several stages with 'decent' long range, from 100 yds to 285 yds... The first stage, I stood up and used top of the barricade, and had same trouble OP had, where my 6 power had the x-hairs all around the target... this was after a 40 yard dash from a pistol position. On next stage, I went prone, and engaged thru a low port, and got all 11 hits with only 1 miss, from 145 yards out to 275 yards, but was very slow in transition, and struggled to control breathing (another 60 yard dash from pistol shooting position)...

So, is using the long magazine as bipod, and the weak hand holding foregrip the best method, or are there better methods for steady long range shots from prone position (not using any props, bags, etc. only you and the gun).

[Dan Sierpina]

i agree with the fist under the stock for seated position, and that 100 yards is not really considered a 'long' shot, and should be able to be taken 'off-hand' standing or kneeling.

Jflowers, what power optic were you using? sometimes too strong of an optic up close magnifies the movement you are describing....

I also took interest in this thread as I was at a match over the weekend, and there were several stages with 'decent' long range, from 100 yds to 285 yds... The first stage, I stood up and used top of the barricade, and had same trouble OP had, where my 6 power had the x-hairs all around the target... this was after a 40 yard dash from a pistol position. On next stage, I went prone, and engaged thru a low port, and got all 11 hits with only 1 miss, from 145 yards out to 275 yards, but was very slow in transition, and struggled to control breathing (another 60 yard dash from pistol shooting position)...

So, is using the long magazine as bipod, and the weak hand holding foregrip the best method, or are there better methods for steady long range shots from prone position (not using any props, bags, etc. only you and the gun).

What size magazine are you using to monopod from? It seems that a lot of people are thinking the 40 rounders are the ticket. I use a 30 round P Mag with a Ranger base. It allows a little smoother elevation adjustment, and the 30 round is short enough that you can spread your elbows out farther for stability.

[stephen1776]

Using a mag coupler seems to work pretty good for myself. Keeping the mag bases flush with each other gives a pretty wide shooting base.

[Rookie]

Unless you are shooting open, you might want to check match rules before you attempt to use coupled magazines as a "monopod". The expanded footprint of a coupled magazine will move you to open under current Rocky Mountain 3-gun rules....

[Jesse Tischauser]

Turn the magnification down from 25 to 5.

[Headworked]

i agree with the fist under the stock for seated position, and that 100 yards is not really considered a 'long' shot, and should be able to be taken 'off-hand' standing or kneeling.

Jflowers, what power optic were you using? sometimes too strong of an optic up close magnifies the movement you are describing....

I also took interest in this thread as I was at a match over the weekend, and there were several stages with 'decent' long range, from 100 yds to 285 yds... The first stage, I stood up and used top of the barricade, and had same trouble OP had, where my 6 power had the x-hairs all around the target... this was after a 40 yard dash from a pistol position. On next stage, I went prone, and engaged thru a low port, and got all 11 hits with only 1 miss, from 145 yards out to 275 yards, but was very slow in transition, and struggled to control breathing (another 60 yard dash from pistol shooting position)...

So, is using the long magazine as bipod, and the weak hand holding foregrip the best method, or are there better methods for steady long range shots from prone position (not using any props, bags, etc. only you and the gun).

What size magazine are you using to monopod from? It seems that a lot of people are thinking the 40 rounders are the ticket. I use a 30 round P Mag with a Ranger base. It allows a little smoother elevation adjustment, and the 30 round is short enough that you can spread your elbows out farther for stability.

I used a 30 rd pmag with a +15 Nordic extension on it.... It was a little tall, but turned out useful to help see the plate rack over tall grass.

Edited March 8, 2014 by Headworked

[ClintDismore]

I've used 30 round mags for a monopod on longer range stages with good luck. Of course he asked about 308 and those mags are a little shorter

[Dan Sierpina]

I've used 30 round mags for a monopod on longer range stages with good luck. Of course he asked about 308 and those mags are a little shorter

If he's using Pmags in the .308, Arredondo makes a base pad for them.

[ClintDismore]

I've used 30 round mags for a monopod on longer range stages with good luck. Of course he asked about 308 and those mags are a little shorter

If he's using Pmags in the .308, Arredondo makes a base pad for them.

I'll have to look at those for my pmags. Do you have any experience with them? What's the quality?

[Dan Sierpina]

I got them direct from Arredondo. They are two halves, screwed together, with a radius bottom. Quality is good, and they add a bit of height to monopod from.

[CJW]

I have used magazines up to and including a PMag 48 (30 + Nordic extension) with Arrendondo monopod basebad for prone. One particular stage at the Pro-Am last year had the shooter laying on a downhill shoot and shooting at targets arrayed up a hillside. The really tall mag gave me the right height for the shot.

I also have PMag 20 and 30 rounders with Arredondos for other situations. I also just added a PMag 40 with a TTI extension. Different monopods for all sorts of different situations. The most common for me, on flat ground with level shooting, is a 30-round PMag with Arredondo base.

[Mthomas0001]

For those of you using the 30 rd mags or 48's (30 w Nordic Extension), have you incurred any jamming issues from that extra pressure on the mag into the magwell? THanks!

[CJW]

For those of you using the 30 rd mags or 48's (30 w Nordic Extension), have you incurred any jamming issues from that extra pressure on the mag into the magwell? Thanks!

I have not, but I try to be good about hitting the ground with my elbows or hands and then getting gently on the magazine. I saw one mag related issue on the aforementioned prone stage at last year's Pro-Am, and you could tell that shooter hit the ground on the magazine kind of hard.

[openclassterror]

I have seen quite a few Pmag feed failures from pressure on the mag. Usually happens on rifles with mag catches that have a lot of free play in the receiver slot. Over-insertion, if you will. We had about 5 people do the same thing on a tall dirt berm in a local club match that I RO'd, (leaning into the rifle with the mag stuffed in the dirt). As soon as they got up and moved on the jams went away. Definitely test your rifle to see if it is prone to this problem before you try it in a match!

Edited March 27, 2014 by openclassterror

[Oskino]

Turn the magnification down from 25 to 5.

LMAO!!!

[BOOM]

I agree David Tubbs book (The Rifle Shooter) Is the most complete book I've found . He does push his rifle, and equipment, but still lots of good information the guy is a living legend .There are also allot rifle shooting Youtube videos out there.