Basic Fundamentals, Advice for a Beginner?

[Chromebonez]

My Setup
HMR PRO .308 20'' Barrel
Burris XTR II 3-15 SCR
Atlas Bipod

What are some of the basic fundamentals to focus on when shooting for precision?

Things I'm having trouble learning
Best way to grip a rifle?
Trigger finger placement / Trigger press?
Body Positioning? (Mainly shooting benched and prone at 100yards for groups.)
Follow through?

And whatever else you guys feel is important to focus on when training at the range.

[NorCalFocus]

[baih777]

are you using a rear bag?

[Citadelgrad87]

[BigFatGuy]

The best single pieces of advice I've received are:

1: put your eye directly behind the scope's center-line, and put your face in the same place each time
2: GENTLY stop breathing just before you squeeze the trigger, but do not hold this state for more than a few seconds.
3: place your finger on the trigger the same way every time (ideally centered on the pad of your trigger-finger-tip), even if this means not putting your thumb over the top of the stock
4: the movement of your finger is just as if you were "drawing a straight line in the sand". You're not moving a weight or "snatching", you're dragging gently til the rifle fires.

[jimmykan]

Beware that there is a divergence of technique between conventional prone shooting from bipod and contemporary precision rifle series (PRS) shooting from awkward/improvised positions.

Many of the PRS guys are shooting 6mm rifles using a method that allows the rifle to "free recoil". The technique runs counter to conventional technique, and probably does not work well with rifles that produce significant recoil.

I've even seen a video of a PRS competitor work the trigger by pinching it against the rear of the trigger guard. Whatever works...

[RandyD]

My first suggestion is to read. Then decide on a technique. When shooting from a bench establish an ability to group your shots. After you do this, you can experiment with different techniques, and see the affect they cause. This is valuable to learn, know and consider when shooting.

[wpod]

I have enjoyed the YouTube videos and books by Ryan Cleckner.

https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=ryan+cleckner&index=aps&tag=hydsma-20&ref=pd_sl_5j1rlcqnp4_b&adgrpid=55208195999&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=274706555012&hvpos=1t1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11952430260295737321&hvqmt=b&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9053649&hvtargid=kwd-296440873365

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[Jta]

As for the trigger press i was tought don’t move the joint closet to finger tip only move the second Nukle. Yes it sounds weird and feels extremely weird but it works

[Phil3]

I built an AR-15 for the best accuracy possible, but my daughter managed to shoot under 1/2" groups with at 100 yards, after 10 shots of never having such a powerful gun. The gun was on a bipod. Asked how she did it, she replied, "archery class and what the instructor told me. He said the equipment will pretty much do the same thing every time, but you will not. Be like the equipment, do the same thing every time". She did, telling me she fired at the same breath point every time, did not changed her seating position, grip, or cheek weld (easy with a semi-auto), and made a point of getting very comfortable behind the gun with no muscle tension. I had told her to close her eyes, settle behind the gun, open eyes, to see if all is where it should be. She adjusted to find a good place. That first 4 shot group was just under 0.300". She could do under 0.500" 5 shot groups repeatedly. All the above advice is good. Trigger control as mentioned is crucial. A heavy trigger is going to make it harder.

I will say be conscious of how the gun fits. If you have to contort yourself, fix the gun.

Phil

[ar15barrels]

I will say be conscious of how the gun fits. If you have to contort yourself, fix the gun.

The vast majority of shooters will never own a gun that fits them perfectly or understand the importance of NPOA.
Lacking that understanding, they do not make the effort to fix the problems that they are not even even aware that have.

Just walk the line at most public ranges and see how many even have their adjustable parallax scopes set to actually be parallax free...

[Jarhead]

Agree walk the line, ask questions, and shoot, save your targets plus keep a log and shoot ..........reload because you will be shooting hundreds of rounds monthly. Listen to Randall ...........and shoot.

[diver160651]

Basic Fundamentals, Advice for a Beginner?

Beware that there is a divergence of technique between conventional prone shooting from bipod and contemporary precision rifle series (PRS) shooting from awkward/improvised positions.

Many of the PRS guys are shooting 6mm rifles using a method that allows the rifle to "free recoil". The technique runs counter to conventional technique, and probably does not work well with rifles that produce significant recoil.

I've even seen a video of a PRS competitor work the trigger by pinching it against the rear of the trigger guard. Whatever works...

YouTube stunts aside, Just from the events I’ve been to and shooters I’ve shot with, most PRS guys are not “free-recoiling”.

Sure, it might work for somewhere there is no wind like back East or maybe as an exception due to something funky, but not where it is windy like the events in Wyoming, Colorado - well the West in general.

I certainly agree that the 6mm has allowed much, much less shooter input, but most guys will still try to get as natural point of aim and be as square to the gun as the obstacles allow them to self-spot their shots. Of course, they are not driving as hard as a 308 might need, but it is not the free recoiling, sitting sideways position you see in benchrest.

I can set my gun on a tripod and as long as my dope correct, by only squeezing the trigger get a long range impact. But I’d have no way in heck of knowing exactly where, so we just don’t do it.

Here is my son on a 308, just a bag and a very wonky barricade.. you can see, even the 308s aren't moving much. Good fundamentals still help. Ideally, he would have been even more square but the support of the barricade was in the way.

https://youtu.be/4poKrJLVZOs

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[LynnJr]

Not into PRS at all but in Benchrest you don't have to sit alongside the gun you can sit directly behind it if you want.
Pinching the trigger allows you to shoot free recoil without pulling the gun rearward thus ruining your point of aim and staying more consistent and the 6mm's get used because they have better Benchrest bullets less recoil and better accuracy.
The PRS shooters who are at the top of there game are most likely using tequniques, equipment and gear to there best interest regardless of the discipline it originated in. Free recoiling and very light triggers make sense from an accuracy standpoint and the only affect from the wind would be on the 6mm bullet.
You said you wanted bench tips not just PRS tips so get a front bag that closely fits the stocks forend.
You also want a rear bag that allows the buttstock to sit flat against it while having ears that keep it from moving laterally. They make bunny ears and rabbit ears so pick the height you prefer.
Always remove the sling swivels before bench shooting your rifle and that means all three of them on your rifle.
If a place like Sinclair International doesn't have a front bag that fits your rifle take a piece of cardboard and using an exacto knife cutout a template of your forend. Send the cardboard cutout to Protector Bags and they will custom make one for you very very cheaply.
Edgewood Bags will do the same but they charge four times as much. Edgewood Bags are considered the best.

[RandyD]

I built an AR-15 for the best accuracy possible, but my daughter managed to shoot under 1/2" groups with at 100 yards, after 10 shots of never having such a powerful gun. The gun was on a bipod. Asked how she did it, she replied, "archery class and what the instructor told me. He said the equipment will pretty much do the same thing every time, but you will not. Be like the equipment, do the same thing every time". She did, telling me she fired at the same breath point every time, did not changed her seating position, grip, or cheek weld (easy with a semi-auto), and made a point of getting very comfortable behind the gun with no muscle tension. I had told her to close her eyes, settle behind the gun, open eyes, to see if all is where it should be. She adjusted to find a good place. That first 4 shot group was just under 0.300". She could do under 0.500" 5 shot groups repeatedly. All the above advice is good. Trigger control as mentioned is crucial. A heavy trigger is going to make it harder.

I will say be conscious of how the gun fits. If you have to contort yourself, fix the gun.

Phil

That is an interesting experience. I never thought about the similarities between shooting and archery. Your daughter is correct.