New to Long Range Shooting Questions

My apologies if this isn't in the correct section, but I wasn't sure where to post....

I'm brand new to long-range shooting and looking for advice. Trying to figure out if this is the area of shooting sports I'd like to focus on.

I know there is alot to long-range shooting and its not easy otherwise everyone would be doing it. I like the challenge of trying to make that long shot having to factor in all kinds of data, some of which I know I'm not aware of.

Is there any good websites or books to help me get started? Something that will teach me proper form and the basics of long-range shooting?

Does anyone know of any classes offered in the state of Colorado preferably the front range?

Also what kind of competitions are there for long-range shooting? I see there is silouhette (sp) and benchrest. I think my rifle is a bit on the heavy side to be holding standing up for silouhette (Savage 10 BA) and benchrest looks like something I'd see in a factory test environment, rifles or what may have been rifles in a previous life locked into some big vise like device.

I'm thinking something that may be done prone or on the bench. What category would that fall into?

While I've shot my tactical .308 and .223 this is my first "purpose-built" rifle, a Savage 10 BA in .308 with a Vortex Viper HS 4-16x44. For the time being I'm just shooting 150gr bullet reman'ed rounds till I learn some basics and while I'm saving for the caliber conversion kit for my press...

Given the above equipment I state, what kind of distance with any accuracy can I expect shooting at a 12" target?

I took the rife out yesterday, sighted it in and tried my luck at 100, 200, and 300 yards.

Again, not really knowing what I'm doing just what a buddy showed me a few years ago about shooting at distance so I gave it a try. At 100 yds, there were two outliers but the majority were in a 3" circle with quite a few overlapping in the center, but not the "cloverleaf" my buddy had told me about.

At 200 yds, it was more of a 5" spread and at 300 yds it was within 10" but low and to the left (lower left quarter of the 12" bullseye target)...

So not great at all.

Also when sighting in the scope/rifle I sighted it in 100 yds. If 100 yds is the probably the closest I'll ever shoot, I have no clue what the average distance will be, is that a good distance to sight-in a "long-range" rifle?

I know lots of noob questions. I hope someone has the patience to read through this and give me some much needed guidance!

TIA!

this is a bad addiction to get into...


... it's worse than playing with carbines and pistols [Coffee]


Other than that, I think you'll love and enjoy it.

As for advice.... I'm not an expert, but I do love to hear "Buy once... cry once!" from time to time...

Shooting groups tells you quite a lot about your shooting and your equipment. I love blaming the equipment when it's not a tight group [ROFL1], but there are tall tale signs of what's going on just looking at the your shot groups.

... I'm still working on what I have mentioned above so i can't go on further than this as I would probably be talking out of my ass [LOL]

... but all I can say is... Welcome and enjoy this new addiction [Beer]

SnipersHide is a great resource

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Originally Posted by BPTactical

SnipersHide is a great resource

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^^^ Mmmm... yes... this ^^^ [Beer]

100yds is a good distance to zero your rifle.

Competition, you would learn a lot simply by coming and watching a match.

http://www.ar-15.co/forums/showthread.php?t=37424

Suggest shooting the best ammo you can, such as Federal Gold Medal Match 175 grain.

How were you shooting? Prone? Bi-pod? Rear bag?

The last time I was here, the owner told me he planned on starting long range rifle classes soon, give them a call, good bunch of guys.

http://www.triggertimegunclub.com/

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Originally Posted by BPTactical

SnipersHide is a great resource

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True but the level of "a-hole-ness" there is astronomical!

I just started showing up and shooting Hoser's matches in Pueblo a few months ago (with RSVP). I thought it would be intimidating, being a green-butt novice in the realm of competitive distance shooting, but it wasn't. Everybody has been very helpful, bending over backwards to help me learn. Give it a try!

thanks for the replies!

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Originally Posted by cysoto

True but the level of "a-hole-ness" there is astronomical!

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So true about ' The Hide ' [ROFL1]

You may also want to try here http://forum.accurateshooter.com/index.php Just as many knowledgeable posters if not more , without the fat headed egos to deal with . Go to the article section for some great reads .

I'll bet someone here would be willing to teach you the basics to get you started. One afternoon with an experienced shooter would put you a year ahead in the learning curve compared to trying to just pick it all up reading.

If you're willing to drive to the South site, I'll do it. I'm not even close to the best shooter here, but I'm not terrible.

Attending a match is a great idea. The Snipers Hide has some good information, but I personally have sworn off that site. It's just too agitated over there.

So, I had forgotten a friend I worked with was a competitive benchrest shooter, he took me out to the range yesterday to work on long-range shooting.

WOW, as you state, "Tim K", I learned more yesterday morning shooting with someone like that then I'd probably have learned on my own in year!

Suffice it to say, by the end of a few hours I was making consistent and repeatable shots out to 500 meters hitting center mass in about a 12" diameter of a human-sized target we had set-up! I know for some of you thats nothing, 500 meters, but for me it was a big deal as a few days earlier I was shooting out to 300 meters and it really was just a huge wag about what I was doing. So to be able to consistently and repeatedly hit a target 200 more meters than I was able to shoot a few days earlier and understand some factors that goes into making those shots was really informative.

This was from a bench shooting bulk reman. ammo. using a rear sandbag.

I'm not saying, "I know it all" now, nor that I'd be able to hit the same target in different conditions, Just saying I enjoyed it and really got me interested in doing more of this! Being an engineer I really like the trying to figure out the bullet drop, windage, and all that the things it takes leading up to and taking the shot. Again, I'm throwing those words out there, only because I was told those are important, not that I know how to use them yet.

So we've made plans to go out more to help me learn more about this!

[quote=islandermyk;541935]this is a bad addiction to get into...


... it's worse than playing with carbines and pistols [Coffee]


I concur with islandermyk's statement. I thought BRD was bad until I started putting together a long distance shooter. I have pretty much learned everything I know from SnipersHide, check it out and shoot often. Magpul also has an informative video called The Art of Precsion Rifles, I absorbed a lot of information watching those videos.

Hi AR ART, while not new to long range shooting, I am new to this site so hope I posted this right. I agree with everyone else about snipershide... I thought I'd reply to your post for a few reasons:#1 I love long range shooting and after spending countless hours on the internet,talking to people and my own trial and error over a couple years, I hate to see someone else go through all that themselves. #2. I'm by no means an expert but I do go up to the mountains with a couple guys and we consistently shoot man/deer-size targets out to a mile with a .308 and further with larger calibers. Be happy to take another shooter along, the more the merrier! #3. I'm interested in how accurate (your rifle) the Savage 10 is because I'm looking into the 110ba in .300 win mag or .338 lapua (can't get the wife to let me spend $4000 on a Tactical Rifles build) and would like to try it out as I've read about accuracy issues online which may or may not be true.

Can't offer any advice on benchrest or matches you could go to but can help with anyting else. As for how far you should be able to consistently hit a 12'' target with a .308, we shoot a 12'' steel target at 1100 meters and hit it almost every time with a DPMS LR 308 168 grain or 175 grain hornady or sierra matchkings. As for zero, my .308 is zeroed at 100 meters. Let me know if you want to go up with us sometime, we go about every month.