Long Range Precision Shooting Techniques

[Tomecek]

Does anybody have any tips, tricks, or hard-learned lessons they can pass on in the field of long-range precision rifle shooting? I'm looking to improve my groups and shots by improving my fundamentals.

I primarily use a .25-06 for this business, and handload a variety of loads. I know everyone has their own pet caliber, so by all means, tell me what you use.

 

[Owen]

like any other static shooting the key is pointing the gun in the right direction, and squeezing the trigger without moving the gun.

Now, figuring out where to point the gun is the trick with long range...

Elevation calls are simply a matter of range estimation, and a good ballistic table. Calling the wind is an art, and the only way to get there is by shooting in the wind.

 

[Tomecek]

Thanks for the tips, Owen. Do you prefer to adjust for elevation with a target knob, or try to hold over?

 

[pdd614]

What helped me more than anything with long range shooting were two things.

1. Getting a proper scope for unknown long distance shooting. first focal plane is almost a must. (more on that later). and the scope adjustments need to match the reticle. if you have a mil based reticle, then your scope should adjust in .1 mils. magnification should be in the 3-5 on the low end, and 12-20 on the top.

With a scope like this. I dial the drop, and hold the wind. I hold the wind because the wind is always changing. with a first focal plane scope I can be at any magnification and still use my wind holds be it .1, .2, .3 mils etc.

I was out shooting this weekend, and in texas out past 3-400 yards mirage in the summer can be brutal. I dialed my ffp scope down to about 7 power to decrease mirage and was still able to shoot out to 1000 yards effectively.

Another benefit to shooting ffp scopes with matching reticles is when I miss the target. If the drop was not correct I see the impact in my reticle. adjust by what I read in the reticle and will be right back on target.

Long winded answer but number two is just as important

2. You have to actually shoot, and shoot alot. the wind is very tricky and to get competent at shooting to put rounds downrange to build up your wind reading skills. I am shooting every weekend now for the last year, and it is really starting to show in my ability to get those elusive first round hits.

 

[taliv]

read the USAMU's tips on odcmp, and read Zak's tips, which you can find links to in the reading library stickied at the top of this forum.
get a copy of the mildot shooting simulator (shooterready.com i think)
read up on 'natural point of aim'

keep a log.
find a mentor

 

[pdd614]

Sage advice taliv.

Absolutely have to log your shooting. A good weather station (kestrel 4000,4500) is really helpful too. Keep the weather information along with the log for reference purposes.

 

[W.E.G.]

Position, position, position....

Once you get that squared-away, you can start studying the wind, the Coriolis Effect, and the astrology charts.

 

[gunnie]

..."magnification should be in the 3-5 on the low end, and 12-20 on the top."...

..."I dialed my ffp scope down to about 7 power to decrease mirage and was still able to shoot out to 1000 yards effectively."...

not trying to be a smart ___. but given the second statement, why the 12 power top end minimum? the military felt anything above 10x unrequired a for long time. with his mention of 25-06, i wonder what actual ranges he is talking.

OP- pls define "long range" in yards, and what is the target. pdd614's 20x (or more) is NOT over scoped for some applications.

gunnie

 

[seldomseensmith]

Good thread. Keep that info coming.

 

[pdd614]

gunnie,

I shoot a 5-20 vortex razor on my 6.5x47. on fields up to about 1200 yards. I have shot fixed 10 power scopes for a while and was still able to get hits. So yes, i also think 10 would be fine, and honestly I don't go over 15x too often. Had a Premier Reticles Heritage 3-15 before the razor and never wanted more magnification.

While a 25-06 would certainly not be ideal for long range shooting. Loading a Berger vld would make the 1k mark with authority.

 

[Slamfire]

Does anybody have any tips, tricks, or hard-learned lessons they can pass on in the field of long-range precision rifle shooting?

Practice, practice, practice.

Just this weekend, at the small bore prone match I run, I had on the line a lady who holds the female FTR Class national record, the Highpower state champion, and a former Wimbleton cup winner.

Why? Practice. It takes a lot of trigger time to be good.

 

[230therapy]

Consistency

Gooseneck your head all the way forward

Ensure your trigger finger never touches the stock

Use a sand sock and shoot off a bipod or some other type of support

Buy great optics

Use match grade ammo

Know your cartridge's ballistics

A spotter is essential

Get straight behind the gun in the prone position. The gun will come down in the same location and should be almost on the target. If you do it right and the range is greater than 400 yards (with 308 Winchester), you should be able to see where the bullet strikes.

Reading the wind is a required skill.

Learn to quarter the target rather than look at the point in the reticle

Range determination is also critical.

 

[rodensouth]

I know this is basic to some, but I'm learning some so please chime in!

I promise to check out prev listed resources in thread, but this thread got me interested.

 

[Tomecek]

You are all posting great advice, thank you! Keep it up, it is really helping. I had the fool notion that one should just be good off the bat out long distance without much practice. Good to know I'm not THAT bad.

I suppose my definition of long range is not the same as some! I consider, for my purposes, anything beyond 400-500 yrds, and can see the necessity for something else than my .25-06 past that.

And the comment about the Texas heat begin brutal past 3-400 yrds: so true it isn't even funny. I am curious where around DFW you shoot, sir?

Anybody know a good way to find a shooting mentor? That has plauged me for ages. My Dad and Grandad were both competent long range shooters and hunters, but never bothered to take the time to teach, so I'm out here doing this on my own. If you are in central TX and willing, I am a homebrewer, so I can pay you in beer!

 

[Tomecek]

Let me also say, in case it matters, what I am using:

Remington 700 BDL Varmint Special .25-06
6-24x Bausch and Lomb (one of the good ones), fine dot, with removable 5" sunshade
Handloading my ammo, have used some high-quality, though not match ammo.

Also, in terms of a log, what do yours usually look like?

 

[pdd614]

Tom, I shoot in Stephenville at Tacpro, and at my family's ranch in Brownwood. Come out and join up at Tacpro, I promise you will soak up alot of knowledge if you are willing to listen and ask for pointers.

Central Texas is a very big place. Where are you at?

 

[pdd614]

My log books always start with as much weather information as possible. Thats where the Kestrel 4000 comes in handy. After density altitude, temp, humidity, elevation, etc have been logged. I then start taking wind readings and from which direction using a clock format.
After that is all about getting on target and keeping records of the shots placed. Not necessarily every shot, but at least every zero and wind at different ranges. You are trying to build a record book to refer to in the future. You can keep track of how the weather is affecting your shooting.

Also another tip is to find one good load, that works well in summer and winter, and stick with it. Lots of guys are always chasing that perfect load, when time is best spent shooting and learning that one load.

 

[Tomecek]

PDD:

Thanks again for that advice and the kind offer! I may take you up on it. I am always willing to listen and ask, how else can you learn anything?

I currently live in Austin (have been here 6 years and hate it), am moving to Waco in late July. I spent my boyhood in Bosque county, and hoping to move back there in the next 3-5 years with the missus.

Finding that one load sounds like my grandpa talking again. In terms of hunting, he always advocated one load that would do all you needed (he, of course, hunted at home all his life), even if it was a little overkill on the varmints.

 

[taliv]

I had the fool notion that one should just be good off the bat out long distance without much practice. Good to know I'm not THAT bad.

like Zak and others have stated repeatedly, n00bs can often be ringing steel regularly within a few shots, when they borrow someone's gear that is already sorted out. The real inhibitor to learning is when new shooters start out on their own and can't hit something, they don't know if it's them, their rifle, their ammo, their scope, or any of a dozen other things. Too many variables. most will lose interest or run out of money long before they figure it out.

find an NRA club that shoots mid-range or long-range HP matches and just show up. Ask for help before or after the match. Odds are, people will talk your ears off.

 

[pdd614]

I agree with the above statement taliv. Guys shouldn't be shocked when there hunting or varmint rifles get frustrating at long distance. The correct gear doesn't automatically equate to hits, but it sure helps.
I've seen several guys come out with hunting rifles, and a few short months later have an accuracy international with schmidt bender pmII on top. It just makes life so much easier.
Too bad ai didn't have a lefty when I bought my rifle, and the illumination knob on the schmidt bender is a no go for lefties as well. I had to take a different route, but ended up in basically the same place with a purpose built ukd rifle.

 

[MCMXI]

Why are they called UKD targets? You laser it and now you know the distance ... who shoots at a target without having a very good idea of the distance?

Best advice for any novice or experienced shooter wanting to get into long-range shooting .... start shooting F-Class Target Rifle (F-TR) matches. And for the record, working up loads at the range is VERY good practice for F-Class. I put a lot of effort into load development since it develops muscle memory in addition to forcing me to concentrate for extended periods of time (just like in a match).

As others have stated, data is key. D.O.P.E. stands for Data On Previous Engagements and without it you have nothing to work with. In order to make corrections or improve, you need to know what you did wrong. You need to trust your equipment. That means your rifle, your optics and your load. Trust in your equipment grows with each shot. A couple of months ago I had a 200, 300 and 600 yard match and couldn't for the life of me figure out why I my comeups and holdovers were way off (groups not bad though). I shot the match, went home all dejected thinking that my PRH scope must be broken and then went back over my log book and load books only to realize that I had made up loads using 42.2gr of Reloder 15 whereas THE load is 44.2gr. It was a transcribing error!! This past Saturday (first match with that rifle/load since previous debacle) I shot a 196-6X at 600 yards with a different scope mounted and with a 100 yard zero for a different load! With good DOPE I was able to get a zero at 200, 300 and 600 yards with the two sighters allowed.

 

[MCMXI]

Just this weekend, at the small bore prone match I run, I had on the line a lady who holds the female FTR Class national record, the Highpower state champion, and a former [strike]Wimbleton[/strike] Wimbledon cup winner.

Hmmm .... Nancy Tompkins perhaps? She currently holds the women's F-TR 600 yard 20-shot record with a 197-5X.

 

[pdd614]

1858, I guess I just use the term ukd for field type shooting. When I am not on a square range and actually have to use the laser range finder.

No worries though. I will try to use the term field shooting.

 

[MCMXI]

pdd614, no biggie ... it's just a curious term and kind of a misnoma but feel free to use any term that you like ... don't mind me ... carry on!

 

[APIT50]

I shoot mostly combat rifle matches but I have found that shooting fundamentals are still fundamentals even for long range. Now 4-500 yards is the max I shoot with iron sights. With your rifle accurate ranging is not as important at those ranges as at say 800-900 yards. Thats what laser rangefinders are for anyway.
The most important things you need to focus on fundamentally are breathing control, trigger squeeze, consistent head position on the rifle, and natural point of aim. Google around for more info on these.
As some of the other shooters on here have said though...wind is something that is learned. There are to some extent defined tables for drift with particular loads, but learning to read the wind is important.
Pertaining to your holdover or dial elevation scope question....DIAL. At closer ranges it is okish. At longer ranges holding over your target is a very inexact science and impossible to accurately and consistently to maintain your point of aim.