rifle/slug observation

[ErikW]

I just shot a 3 gun match and I have to make some comments on what I observed

I saw almost everybody shoot a 40-round (60+ seconds) rifle stage seated on a chair. Dudes, REST THE RIFLE! Look, I'm no Kelly Neal but damn, don't shoot offhand unless you're a veteran highpower shooter or something. This is not 15-yard handgun shooting. Get that handguard or mag well on a prop or prone out for any medium to long array that's going to take more than a couple seconds. Rifle stages are won on accuracy, not speed, but you'll be both faster and more accurate from a rest. And you won't tire yourself holding up your nine-something pound AR for a minute or more.

Same goes for shooting slugs with the shotgun.

[Shooter Grrl]

Hey - does this mean I'm not a DUDE since I rested the rifle :-)  Those things are heavy, guys - no way could I hold it up for more than a minute!

Shotguns - woohoooo :-)  I like them, but I learned that 15 slugs is my limit - unfortunately the stage required 20 of them, so my goal of actually finishing this match was not accomplished :-(  It was QUITE FUN shooting in the dark with headlights illuminating the course - why don't we do that in pistol stages??  REALLY!!!

I enjoyed myself, for the most part!  Had my first major brain fart on a pistol stage in a couple of years (GRR!)  But I wasn't the only one, so I don't feel so bad about that!

[EricW]

Erik,

I'll bet everyone shot freehand, b/c the first guy on the stage did it (or an M/GM did it) and for no other good reason.  

On slightly different note, my favorite stage for using a "rest" was a sitting start with a table pickup.  The back targets were 40 yds away and the stage directions were written to say that "the shooter may use the table as a rest."  I watched six or seven people lose 20+ seconds each sitting in the chair, bench resting their pistols.  It was pathetic.  When it was my turn, I just stood up and let 'er rip.  (It did nothing to enhance my popularity - although everyone after me wised up and shot freestyle.)

The moral needs to be to think for yourself on the stage.  There's something to be said for learning from the GM's by parroting their moves, but monkey see, monkey do is getting a lot of folks nowhere in a hurry.  

SG - Shooting in the dark!  Yahoo!!  I haven't done that in WAY too long.  My home range is really weird about that.  They throw you out at sunset, even though the shooting curfew is 8:00p.  If I can see, why can't I shoot?  Some people need to have more of a sense of adventure...  

E

[Rich Bagoly]

Did a rifle side match a while ago.  Start standing in box behind shooting bench/table.  Targets at 100 yrds for this position.  At tone engage those targets from box or table, then go over there...more targets.

Everyone was clambering into this bench, and then out, spending a great deal of time.  I slapped the handguard on top of the table, and crouched behind it.  Crouching was a little shakey, but a huge time saver.  Will have to practice kneeling.

Next guy up wanted to copy me, but he did not check his bore line to the targets.  He put the gas block on the table, and was bouncing his bullets off the table.

[kellyn]

Well Erik, I'm no Jerry Miculek but I also try to rest the rifle whenever feasible.  I've noticed that Jerry will often (or nearly always) shoot offhand w/o a rest b/c it's usually faster to set up the shot, especially if there are a low number of targets from the firing position.  But I've beat Jerry on some stages by using a rest when he chose not to....... (don't tell him I said that!)

I'm not exactly sure the range where a prone or rested shot becomes faster than an offhand shot (from a standing start).  For me, I can usually shoot faster at 200 yards if I go prone but at 100, I'll usually shoot offhand or maybe kneeling.  Again, unless the targets are close, I try to use any available rest.

[midvalleyshooter]

Hey I shot this match I have been really busy and only saw the post tonight. Erik I agree with you on using the rest if it is available. But the requirement of that stage was to stay on the cart and it just was not comfortable for me to shoot it the way you did. I had almost all A hits on that stage except for the 4 rounds I bounced off the barrel

S. Girl, It was also dark when I shot the slug stage. I borrowed Sam's new, fancy, .11 split Winchester because it has fiber optic rifle sights and my 1100 has bead sights that are invisible in the dark. The Winchester jammed 6 times on the Remington reduced recoil slugs I was using But I did like the feel of this shotgun, I'm sure Sam will be hard to beat when he gets it running.

Keith