How do you practice

[WildRose]

I believe it's mostly from my position behind the rifle.

You just need to practice mounting the rifle the same way every time and keep the same cheek weld every time and that should solve the problem for you.

 

[Canhunter35]

During the winter I have a gong set at half a mile, most days I take a few shots at it, including cold bore that I intend to make first round hits. Comes down to wind mostly whether I do or not. Over the summer I entered in some prs matches so really practiced positional and barricade rest positions. With tight time constraints I really pushed myself to shoot quickly rapidly, including getting into position. To make 5 sub Moa shots under 30 seconds takes good trigger control. Honestly, practicing for the matches where I was shooting 15-30 rounds every evening improved my shooting more than any thing.
The rest of the year I rotate between paper and gongs at various ranges, usually between 400-700. 100 yard is still effective practice at practicing the fundamentals, a .5moa group is still .5moa.

This is one of the drills I do. First five were strong side 30 seconds, bottom five were support side no time limit but I believe I did it in 45seconds

 

[Capt RB]

The only way the zero point should be moving would be if there's significant mirage. Otherwise if it's moving something is either loose or busted.

Time of day, cloud cover, etc whould never affect poa or zero point.

You'd be wrong on you assumption. Go ask David Tubb about this

 

[NEMTHunter]

One of the things that I have found the most useful is the trigger control I learned in service rifle competition. You cant hold a rifle steady while standing so you learn your normal wobble and time the trigger break while the sights are are their way to crossing the X. I rarely have had a steady position when hunting and timing the trigger break has been most useful. I highly recommend some standing practice, not because you will take a standing shot but because it teaches trigger control.

I like and agree with this. I do not shoot the big calibers much and time does not permit me shoot like I used to. I am rusty now. I like to practice off hand no support. I use a 22lr. Why? its cheap to shoot and my shoulder does not care if I shoot 500 rounds in day.

Earlyer this year we has a 16" (I know its big) Gong set up @ 400 yards and I was able to hit quite a bit free hand no support. It was almost 3 for 5. Then shooting a 22lr Ruger bearcat @100 yards 5 out of 6 was the best I could do.

Free hand or off hand helps you learn more control. BUT also can help to be more steady period!

 

[Barrelnut]

Your zero will move around due to the position of the sun when your shooting on the same day. It correlates with the way the light is being bent by the lenses in the optical system.

This is a real phenomenon. Light refracts in air just as it does in water. It is just more subtle. I believe it is the angle of light, varying density of the air and due to how warm it is that causes this. The longer the shot the more affect it can have. It is kinda like mirage except the target is not bouncing, it is just not really exactly where you perceive it. This is actually a problem in surveying. They have formulas to account for it and take into account the time of day and I believe even temp when surveying. Complicated stuff...

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Cloud cover has a huge impact on poi. Its very well known by competitive shooters. You can see it in the targets if a cloud comes by during the string of fire and you just keep shooting. Lighting does some weird things.

 

[xsn10s]

I know light affects open sights. Years of PPC, IDPA, and 3 gun taught me that. I wasn't aware of it with optics, but I wouldn't argue with David Tubbs over it.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

We see it in the 1k Benchrest targets. Cloud comes by and the whole group will move.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

We see it in the 1k Benchrest targets. Cloud comes by and the whole group will move.

How much change do you see it cause at 1k?

Steve

 

[xsn10s]

I mostly shoot at rocks and some steel at 1k. Cool I learned something new today.

 

[CoachChris]

I shoot my .17 WSM at 300-400yds in the wonderful Wyoming wind as often as possible, about 300-500rds a week
I shoot dot drills and the THLR shooter error targets at 100yds a couple times a week. Usually with my .223 Rem bolt gun.
I shoot 1 MOA dots at 25 and 50yds with my 22LR when I don't have time to spend waiting for barrels to cool down.

My lady and I go out in the mountains a couple times a month in the summer on our mtn bikes and shoot field positions with the 22LR's

I just started shooting cold bore/cold shooter a couple times a week with my new 300 WinMag

I log everything

 

[nmbarta]

I can tell you that I don't spent enough time practicing quick shots. I practice prone most of the time shooting rocks/targets from 500-1800 and have become pretty comfortable with shooting game to 800.
Last week I shot an elk at about 150 offhand with a 12 pound rifle that I've never shot offhand before, I just forget to practice those shots.
It worked out fine, I shoot several other rifles offhand on a regular basis, so I'm a decent shot when it comes to that, but it was a good reminder that I need to practice all potential shots with each rifle.
No doubt that most on this site shoot pretty far, but it's easy to focus on that and forget that you might get lucky every once in while and have too shoot one inside 200!!

 

[LongBomber]

We have a mens night at the local range, quick and simple 6 shots at 100y for record. Scores arekept throught the season and best score wins a prize at the annual banquet. Shots are - One bench no time limit, two bench shots in 20 seconds, one offhand, one prone, the last one shot changes a bit- leaned on a post, off a fence post, off a rock pile those sorts of things. I normally shoot 30-50 rounds of 22lr before the shoot, mostly offhand - need the most work there for sure.

Plus I shoot one day a weekend almost all year, sometimes snow cuts off the shooting for a couple weeks to maybe a month. Thankfully I have public land to shoot on all over, and have several spots to shoot LR. I have a four 9" gongs I setup at random distances out to 1300-1500. Normally the first somewhere around 600, and a few random steps out. I shoot either prone or off bags/tailgate. Also helps that I can shoot most of the summer in the same general areas I hunt. You see the times of day the wind shifts, wind patterns and your drops are corrected for the conditions.

 

[xsn10s]

I used to do a lot of dry firing with pistols and carbines. Shot for a pistol team so I'd get about 600-1000 rounds per week. Carpal tunnel and tennis elbow in both arms laid me up for alittle while. So then I practiced with my carbine shooting rock chucks out to 400 yards. That's about the limits of a clean kill with the bullets I shot at the time. My range has steel from 300-800 yards so I practice coldbore shots and regular steel banging on that. Mostly from the bench. Out in the field I'll shoot sagerats from prone on bipod, off my backpack, and off shooting sticks sitting. I'll also go walking with my AR and shoot rats/ bunnies from offhand positions and sometimes on the move. Oh and then rocks ranged out to 1200-1300 yards. I don't get to practice anywhere near that much anymore. Mostly from the bench and shooting sticks now. One can hope more in the future.