So if there's something I learned....

[islandermyk]

... it's "There is a lot more to learn!"
Friday the 2nd, I went up to Tim K's place to learn the fundamentals of body position behind the rifle... guess what? I learned a lot more than how you need to be behind the rifle
There sure is a lot more than just getting behind the rifle, look through the scope, and pull the trigger.... HOLY F*CKEN SH*T there is so much more to this!

Okay to start off... you have to ask yourself:
*Does the rifle fit for you?

1) Cheek rest height enough to look through your scope correctly?
2) Butt adjustment/length of pull just right for you so you could rest naturally and comfortably behind the rifle??
3) How about your wrist behind that trigger finger? Angled up or down just to feel natural.

I can go on and on with more questions to only this topic. This certainly requires a lot of time behind the rifle. I'm not saying go out to the range and burn up ammo just to get things down. At home get behind that rifle, make the adjustments to make the rifle fit you, and then refine the adjustments... pull the trigger (dry fire) and see if your reticle is moving every time you pull. Open up the bolt, get up and lay back down behind the rifle and repeat this as much as necessary, but you need to build up a check list on your procedures.

Ohhh... lets move on: This one still f*cks with me when I'm engaging another target at a different distance.

Scope Parallax... I am learning that it can be the difference between being right on target to as far as 2 inches (or more) off your mark. FML I tell you....! the countless misses... along with the horrible Data/DOPE recordings from not adjusting my parallax correctly may have been one of the main contributing factors I'm all over the place with my shots most times.
....this I can't explain... The seasoned shooters will surely chime in on this one, and I am all ears Brothers!

I can go on and on...
Now lets talk codes.... There are codes! Yes! You need to learn how to understand these codes....

What are "Full-values", "Half Values"...... and so on...?

... and here's another

You know all those BP's (ballistic programs) you're just learning to use and other forms of trying to calculate bullet drops and what not.
Please! Please! See what your rifle is putting out with the loads your exclusively shooting (muzzle velocity, BC, etc..). Everything will change.. from changing factory ammo, to your own reloads, and yes... 168 gr to 175 gr in .308 make a big ass difference in your data.


There is so much out there to learn in Precision/LR shooting world that only you can make it what you want to make of it for yourself... though no one should get frustrated when things go wrong or when you don't hit the target (I usually laugh at every miss with a ). Go back to your procedures and call yourself out on it and try to spend less time blaming the rifle or the ammo your using... unless they're "pulls" It's my excuse... and I'm sticking to it

One thing I can certainly say is. We are not short of some really good help in the Precision/Long Range shooting world.
... and here are a few examples:
Tim K has mind fucked me I'm kidding... Tim has certainly made me a better shooter.... well, maybe not a better shooter (yet.. still refining many things from Tim's teachings)... but a lot more confident with my shooting. I am not gonna lie. I thought I was doing okay for the past 2 years being into this. I always said to myself "we all have our good day and bad days" I call BS on that one! Through the countless hours behind the rifle. I could actually feel what I'm doing wrong with the rifle from the trigger pull, correcting a bad habit of where I use to muscle in the rifle, and so on... I actually can call myself out for either skipping a step, or plainly f*cking up that shot to start with. Now that I have a better understanding of things it's a lot more easier to identify my mistakes without blaming anything else.
I thank Tim though for spending those hours enlightening me on a sh*t ton of things to shoot better. Thank you Brother!
Here's pics of a 5 shoot group after shooting out to 300, 500, 600, and then back down to 100 yards and did this 5 shot group.



.. and today shooting a different rifle (Jim's Mossberg .223 with a 4 power scope, with WOLF ammo), but sticking to my procedure and repeating the fundamentals Tim taught me
5 or 6 shot group at a hundred yards.



Hoser is another one to hate Every time I shoot next to him. I continue to tell myself... "No pressure."
Nah.. Every P-Dog Match is a learning experience for me. I usually miss a sh*t full on the first session.. or.. uh... yeah... through the whole freaken match, and Hoser gives me the advice I need to make sh*t happen from wind calls, to how far I was off target, catching my trigger pull, and so on... yea... and all this is happening during a match! Thank you Brother for all the help

There are a lot of good guys at these matches and even outside these matches who enjoy shooting LR that go around helping each other out in every way they can that I've seen and witnessed time and time again. I thank all of you guys so much for making my bank account cry and for all the Ramen noodle diets I had to go through

All kidding aside... there is so much to learn and a lot of dry firing needed.

[Great-Kazoo]

..
and today shooting a different rifle (Jim's Mossberg .223 with a 4 power scope, with WOLF ammo), but sticking to my procedure and repeating the fundamentals Tim taught me
5 or 6 shot group at a hundred yards.

Sure that last 100 yd isn't from me shooting your suppressed 45 off hand?

Enjoyed shooting today, hope to have a higher power scope by next week. Surely makes it easier to see things @ 300. I'm about 75-100fps under max using the mid loads we shot today.

Pass any cows on the way home

[islandermyk]

Sure that last 100 yd isn't from me shooting your suppressed 45 off hand?

You got the 200 yard one with that, remember

Enjoyed shooting today, hope to have a higher power scope by next week. Surely makes it easier to see things @ 300. I'm about 75-100fps under max using the mid loads we shot today.

MMmmmm.... Capammo!

Pass any cows on the way home

Now you got me looking at cows a whole different way now... fricken got me all paranoid and sh*t

[Zach O]

I meet Tim at our childrens dance class. We got to talking and I told him I was just was trying to learn how to shoot long range, and, well he has also taught me a lot. He also brought me to a PD match in Pueblo, which was the most fun I've had shooting aside from with my daughter. He is a hell of a guy, and with his help, I'm going to beat him someday!!! If he let's me...... But seriously, it's hard to find a guy like Tim to go out of his way to help a new guy. THANKS TIM! And nice shooting Islandermyk!

[asmo]

So will Tim take anyone out and show them the way, the truth, and the light?

[islandermyk]

So will Tim take anyone out and show them the way, the truth, and the light?

We can send you a step by step program in VHS and a full size manual with pictures on how to be a sharp shooter I'm kidding.. I'm kidding...
Tim and everyone else that has helped me see "the way, the truth, and the light" have seen and identified my mistakes while we were shooting the P-Dog matches.

Got any questions on how to see the ways, know the truth, get out of the dark.... for starters, just ask away (PM or a new thread)... and see how far it leads you to what you are seeking for

[Tim K]

So will Tim take anyone out and show them the way, the truth, and the light?

No, all misinformation and obfuscation is administered in my living room. Loud noises frighten me.

If you're willing to drive up here, I'm willing to do what I can to help. My wife is so used to the sight of guys lying on our floor with rifles she doesn't even look twice anymore.

[islandermyk]

Tim has a very plush carpet to maneuver around on

[islandermyk]

... which made the learning experience more easy and comfortable

[Tim K]

Did you shoot over the weekend?

I feel like I have the mechanics of position down very well. It's science now, not guesswork. I still got my ass handed to me at Raton yesterday.

Our entire squad was missing the longer shots by as much as a foot high. I took a zero on the first string, every shot going right over the target. The next stage would be normal, then suddenly everyone would miss high again. As the day progressed, I began to suspect either thermal activity or slope lift from wind blowing in from our 6. I did a little research when I got home and found that a typical thermal might have vertical velocities of 3-6 MPH near the ground. Put that into your ballistics program and you get a reduction in drop of over 13" at 700 yards. I'd seen slope lift do similar things in the past when shooting on top of a big hill, but this was the fist time I'd seen a thermal affect elevation.

It was a real eye opener. If I'd figured it out earlier, I might have missed only one target per stage when it was happening instead of 3 or as many as all 6. Live and learn.