Having been lucky enough to have been squaded with some of the best over the years in my run I can also make this statement, Always shoot with better shooters when you can You will pick up more from watching them. While a lower shooter seldom hurt my scores, Shooting with the better and watching would raise my scores or constancy every time.
The big thing is like the internet is knowing who to watch.
Being in the lower scores can be good if your watching and learning from the better more experienced shooters.
My "score" books were so important to me all the information conditions and data for each stage and yardage. This was true in High power, long range, and BPCR silhouettes. All that information on hand and repeatable.
A good shooter dosnt fire a sighter to see he puts the sights on reads the wind and fires a shot to see if hes right.
Having it brought to my attention that I was indelicate and lacking discretion in my previous post, I want to apologize to all and particularly to Blahut for my post.
I was not trying to question Blahut's abilities but to bring out the point that the people on the range who make extraordinary claims of 1000 yard or 1 mile + markmanship but can't remember which direction to move their sight are generally not believable. As Carl Sagan said "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." particularly when the evidence at hand contradicts the claim. Once again, apologize to all.
During my youth my Grandparents used to say 'Only believe half of what you see and none of what you hear.'
I had no idea what to make out of such a statement for decades, but I see it as sage advice now.
Those who can't do, teach!
Ran into it a OT in the electronic repair biz... guys who talked a ton but practical knowledge was zero... they usually lasted 2 weeks or less at the casino because we needed those who can do and do it without hand holding. On a Saturday night with repair calls coming in at a rate of 20-40 an hour it was dead run fix it on the fly and move on to the next problem.
Years ago, at our 100 yard public range I was out banging away and there was an old guy with a really clean old K98 Mauser.
He was down at the end, and I didn't even notice him for awhile.
I looked down the bench, he was shooting slowly, but I didn't see his target on the board.
It perked my interest, and I looked over with a spotting scope.
The old fella was shooting 5 shot groups on a business card with the open sights.
In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.
OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
EVERYONE!
Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.
I doubt I could even DRIVE 1000 yards to the target without missing it!
The range I shoot,they have a motorbike to go out to the long range targets............sure saves a lot of time too.
Our range only goes to 300 and we have access to drive a vehicle out to the target lines. A must have when you have a bunch of old guys shooting. Myself included.
I shot one time out to 500 yards, back in the '90s. The guy who owned the range had a steel gong set up out on the mountain side. I did fairly well, but remember thinking that 500yards was a long ways. Then he pointed out the gong he had set out at 1200 yards. I could barely see it, and I was young with sharp eyes. That's a LONG ways.
The current range I shoot at has a 100 yard rifle bay. It would be interesting to shoot farther, but I'm good with it. Long range isn't really my game, and I don't have anything to prove anymore. For me, tiny little groups at distance are no more practical in the real world than my golf score. I'm not competitive, never have been. I shoot for fun, and am as good as I need to be.
As to learning and improving, some years back I went to the range with a friend. He's a Marine who spent a couple tours in Iraq. He had a nice new SIG pistol that he wanted to get better with. He said the Marine Corp had taught him to shoot a rifle, but not really a handgun. He was shooting a paper plate sized group at about ten yards, and started complaining that something must be wrong with his gun.
He handed it to me and I shot a tiny little group off to the right a bit. I handed it back and said that it just needs the sight drifted a little. He was embarrassed, but I told him it's just practice, and knowing how to practice. I gave him some of the basics about handgun marksmanship, and suggested some online resources.
The next time we shot together a couple months later, he had improved dramatically. I was impressed. He had studied and practiced and was on his way to becoming a heck of a good shot. I really have to respect someone like that.
I have been going to the rifle sector of my range for 20 years
I find that there are people who come regularly, and I greet them by name, seeing what new cargo they come to try
many times we laugh at the disasters of groups that we make... instead of rifles they look like shotguns
and others that I call "mentally deaf" do not know where they come from, nor where they are going
they read a lot on the internet, and they think they are going to hit the target at 1000 meters, with little preparation
It took me almost twenty years to fulfill that dream...
I want to see them in the range....
I shoot close, I shoot far, a small group at ?? yds is great, as I move out, my ambition is to keep the group small at distance. Just like a funnel, I am on the small end, my group is on the wide end and gets bigger with distance. I strive for, I know it will never happen, a one hole, 10 shot group, at 1000yds. I practice at 400yds. To keep it tight/tighter is the challenge.... When the kids I coach, got cocky and/or board, I would have them tape a playing card to their target, edge on, and let them see if they could cut the card in half?? Or tape a strike any-ware match to the target, and see if they could light it? All tried, some did, some did come close at 10 meters. Some cleaned a 10-bull air rifle target in competition, 10 meters, not often, but on occasion. A feet to be proud of.... Some of these kids were real good, some, all tried.. To strive for perfection ??? IS The goal, For me anyway.......
The more I practiced the luckier I became. But there was a point where I reach my "level of incompetence".
In my case, competitive shooting made me "hungry" to do better. Luckily, I have never placed last but maybe I just knew when to quit...LOL.
As to the "range ninjas". I have been blessed and do not deal with them any longer. I have a little slice of heaven and have put in a shooting range to 200 yards. It is not much, but it is mine and it keeps me involved with shooting.
Don Verna
Ok, NOW, How many of you think you could reach out to two miles or more? Here is a guy who treats 1,000 yards they way we treat 100! And note his shooting conditions, always windy. Although I would move there in a heartbeat just to shoot!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs3...niC-uMw/videos
Our range is only 200 yards. Bill must be well into his 90s and shoots his ARs at 200 yards but is never the last one in. He has an electric chair to get from his car to the range then out to the target. It disassembles to fit in his new 'vette. He loads all his own ammo. It puts a smile on my face to see him.
So far the good people at my range have outweighed the bad.
Mal
Mal Paso means Bad Pass, just so you know.
I was in a concealed carry class once with a short heavy pudgy fellow that claimed to be a Navy Seal. He really didn't look like Seal material to me! He also didn't know how to get his pistol out of the holster and required quite a bit of coaching to hit the target at 21 feet!
That is wonderful. I have a 10meter range in my basement. I shoot my .177 air pistol most every day. My air rifle when practice is needed before match time. Keeps me involved. Keeps my trigger finger, brain connection, a little involved. Cheap practice with components costing ??? and availability ???
At about $3.00 for 500 pellets real cheap for ammo. Can treat almost, just like shooting long range. Any good practice is well time spent. Will get out to the real range soon.....
Ha! I can shoot 1,000yrds any day of the week with no problem. Now, hitting something is the trick. I used to be ok out to 750yrds or so but like any skill I probably couldn't hit the broadside of a barn anymore. My hunting went down to 100yrds as a long shot in the swamps so 200yrd practice was what I did. Those guys that can shoot 1,000 yrds and get it on target more often than not especially with black powder have my respect
I Am Descended From Men Who Would Not Be Ruled
Fiat Justitia, Ruat Caelum
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |