[The Clockwork Rat]

After having fired a few rounds whilst I was working over in the US, I decided to join a local small-bore rifle club. Thus far I have fired .22LR with benchrest and unsupported prone, and air rifle standing. The former is 25yds and the latter 10m.

So far I can score 50/50 at 25yds with the bench rest on a 2"/4.5mm black, but the precision rifles they use are fucking heavy so my unsupported - whilst still in the black - is crap.

How good are you guys, and does anyone have any tips/good resources?

[Ranb]

While I have been shooting since 1990, it has only been two years since I built myself a small bore target rifle from a Savage MkI. I replaced the synthetic stock with a Boyd's wood stock, installed an Anschutz rail to attach a palm rest and/or hand stop. I also cut down the stock a bit to reduce the length of pull and attached an adjustable butt hook. I use this target at 50 feet; http://www.midwayusa.com/product/112282 ... age-of-100 and other larger targets at 50 and 100 yards. The targets are sized so the shooter can use the same front sight insert. The bulls eye on the 50 foot target is about the same size as the period in this sentence. I spend much more time helping coach the junior small bore team at the gun club than actually practicing with my own target rifle, so my scores are 80 prone, 60 kneeling and only 40 offhand, out of 100. I only recently bought a used shooting jacket. I always use a glove/sling for prone and kneeling.

What kind of rifle are you using? Do you use a sling and glove when shooting prone or kneeling? They help a lot. Ensure you have a proper stance while offhand; hip thrown forward, back arched, head upright. Use an offhand stand to rest the rifle on while loading and unloading. When moving to the shooting position from the stand, make sure your body is positioned so the sights settle directly onto the target without muscling the rifle onto the target. The rifle should rest right on the target, it not then shift right leg (if shooting right handed) around to adjust elevation and windage. When first starting out, if you can't hold the sights on target within about four seconds, put the rifle back on the rest and pause prior to aiming again.

Ranb

[The Clockwork Rat]

I've actually not been able to do much at all because it's awkward to get to the range. Hopefully once I have another shot at getting a motorbike licence I'll have the freedom of transport to get myself over with some regularity.

[unbalanced zealot]

I used to shoot handguns at indoor ranges but I have tinnitus so I've discontinued with this.

Interesting subject ... glad there's a thread on it.

Off topic a bit, but in South Korea (where I was living until recently) archery is really popular and the country usually does well in this area in Olympics. The film "The Host" features archery markmanship, as does the film "Arrow - Ultimate Weapon".

[One Degree]

My teenage years with a 22 convinced me that accuracy is exponentially improved by the amount of damage that might occur. I could miss a tin can at 50 yards, but every time I aimed at a power line at 200 yards, I severed it.

[Cartertonian]

How good are you guys, and does anyone have any tips/good resources?

Almost all of my shooting has been in the forces, or in the cadets when I was younger. I consistently achieved a 'marksman' level score on both rifle (SLR and SA80-A2) and pistol (9mm Browning) throughout my career, despite being left-handed and therefore having to fire the SA80 from the wrong shoulder.

The most valuable lesson I was ever taught was when being coached on my pistol shooting by a member of the British Army shooting team. For pistol, all that is required is for rounds to have hit the target to score (at a range of distances from 15 to 25 meters and include one shoot with respirator on) and I was hitting it with every round, but with no real grouping. So the coach took a Coke can and crushed it under his boot. Then he tossed it onto the sand behind the target, gave me another mag of 10 rounds and told me to shoot at the can. I hit it with every round, because I was being forced to concentrate on a smaller area. When I had the relative barn door of a standard Fig 11 target to shoot at I was confident enough in my stance, grip and aim to know that any round I fired would hit it somewhere, but with the can I had to concentrate and my accuracy improved accordingly.

[Pants-of-dog]

My beloved is moving us to some god-forsaken rural place with no fair trade lattés or bagels or taxis. I plan on buying a hunting rifle and shooting out in my multi-acre "backyard" to assuage my boredom.

Any suggestions?

P.S. This is in Canada. Does that matter?

[SolarCross]

My beloved is moving us to some god-forsaken rural place with no fair trade lattés or bagels or taxis. I plan on buying a hunting rifle and shooting out in my multi-acre "backyard" to assuage my boredom.

Any suggestions?

P.S. This is in Canada. Does that matter?

[youtube]BEG-ly9tQGk[/youtube]

More fun, keeps you fit and you (probably) won't need a licence.

[One Degree]

My beloved is moving us to some god-forsaken rural place with no fair trade lattés or bagels or taxis. I plan on buying a hunting rifle and shooting out in my multi-acre "backyard" to assuage my boredom.

Any suggestions?

P.S. This is in Canada. Does that matter?

If you just want to shoot around in your yard, then I would not go for a hunting rifle. A small caliber like a 22 can be fun. The ammunition is cheaper and you won't need ear protection.

[Pants-of-dog]

Taxizen, that is an excellent idea, and my second-eldest is organising that for the family.

OD, I will also be hunting in my "backyard". And I can always borrow my father-in-law's 22.

[One Degree]

I have never heard anyone call it 30 odd 6 before. It is 30 aught 6 in the US, which actually refers to ammunition. Is it different elsewhere?

[Rancid]

We need to ban guns everywhere.

[Invictus_88]

We need to ban guns everywhere.

Neither possible, nor desirable.

[Drlee]

30-06 stands for .30 caliber introduced for the military in 1906. It was the standard US military cartridge for about 50 years. It was replaced by 7.62 NATO. Nobody knows why.

[Demosthenes]

It's a great hunting round. Helluva kick though, until you get used to it. 7.62 x 51 was introduced as some kind of compromise with Western Europe on a solid NATO round, but I don't know all the details really.

Also, I am a mall commando so I probably don't know what I'm talking about.

[Drlee]

I am a real retired soldier but they did not send me the memo. You probably know more than I do.

[Demosthenes]

I am a real retired soldier but they did not send me the memo. You probably know more than I do.

I wouldn't count on it...

[Pants-of-dog]

So I did some research, and apparently, bolt action rifles are the way to go.

[Drlee]

So I did some research, and apparently, bolt action rifles are the way to go.

Well if your goal is to frighten the military and police that is true as well. Knocking off some dude with an AK or M16 is easy. That good marksman guy with a 30-06 Winchester Model 70, a good scope and some cover can seriously put the hurt on troops in the field. When I used to ride on the hatch of my 113 I frequently thought about how vulnerable I was to a single marksman, with a good rifle/scope combination. Devilishly hard to defend against and even harder to get rid of.

[Pants-of-dog]

I was thinking more about hunting, but yes, if the US ever invaded Canada, the huge number of rural folk with good hunting rifles will be a problem for you guys.