Much has been written in the spirit of giving good, free advice to others regarding the art of shooting a rifle accurately. In spite of a lot of good information available (some of it free on the internet), I'd like to add my own two cents. Humor me, please - and if you're not careful, you may learn something worthwhile ...
I am the first to admit that I'm not a world-class shooter. Not many of us are. I don't own any custom rifles - they're basically "stone stock". The only things I've done to them is to polish and 'moly treat' the bores, and add good aftermarket recoil pads. However, with either of my high power rifles and my own handloads, I can easily keep 5 shots in a 1 inch group at 100 yards. I also keep 5 shots in about 1" at 200 yards - consistently - with my heavy barrel Rem 700. This is off a benchrest with some reasonable support and a good telescopic sight (scope). We refer to 1" at 100 yards as 1 MOA (1 minute of angle). 1 MOA is actually 1.04972" at 100 yards (twice that at 200 yards, and so on ...) and refers to the length of an arc subtended by 1/60 of a degree. You can do the same with the right rifle, ammunition, attitude, and some practice.
As I said before, much has been written on the subject of marksmanship. As far as most of the advice that I have read, the author(s) concentrates on the mechanics of shooting and the importance of practice - all very important, but already covered very well. Therefore, I will tend not to dwell on this aspect of shooting well, and will discuss some of the more esoteric and less discussed aspects of this subject.
Here are a couple of pointers that you don't often hear ...
If your equipment is up to the task of shooting 5 shots into 1" at 100 yards, there is only one variable left - YOU, the shooter. I believe that we are all, barring somewhat rare physical problems involving our nervous system or musculature, physically capable of shooting 1 MOA at 100 yards. What's left? Preparation - mental discipline, attitude, call it what you will. Don't handicap yourself by failing to mentally and physically prepare for your trip to the range. "Do's and Don'ts" :
DO
DON'T
DO
Get comfortable. Make sure the shooting bench and stool are the proper height.
Notice the title of this section - 'the shot' - there is only one shot, and that is the one you are about to make. For each shot I take with one of my rifles, I put myself into the frame of mind that this is the only shot that matters. One reason why a lot of shooters believe that a single shot is the best rifle for a beginning shooter (besides the safety aspect) or make a better hunter out of somebody is that the shooter knows that they're only getting one shot at the target, so they better make it count. This invariably forces the shooter to put all they've got into that one shot.
Get 'in the bubble'. Once you settle behind the crosshairs, the only thing that matters is this shot. Concentrate on the target. I like to have somebody with me to break me out of this state in case I don't happen to hear the commands of the range officer.
Exercise the proper breath control, finger control, etc ... that is described in many good books and other publications (including web sites). Be sure to take two or three good, deep, breaths. Let the last one out to your 'point of comfort' (for most of us, this is about halfway out). See below - "Other Sources".
Watch your heartbeat. If you're using a fairly high powered telescopic sight (12 power or greater), you will see the effect of your heartbeat in the scope. Relax. Sometimes it takes a little while. Don't worry. I have found that when I first settle in behind my rifles, my heartbeat can really make the rifle dance on the target. Given just a little time, it invariably settles out.
The name of the game is consistency. Do everything the same way. Another important thing to remember - patience is also a virtue.
Develop the discipline to STOP and start over. If things aren't happening right - you want to breathe, you're not quite comfortable, you're having a little trouble staying on target, your eyes hurt - STOP RIGHT THERE. Take your finger off the trigger, get your face away from the scope, close your eyes (this will rest and moisten them), take a couple of deep breaths, get comfortable, and START AGAIN. I think a lot of shooters have trouble with this, and would rather 'rush the shot' than start over. This is a big mistake, and it will keep you from shooting those MOA groups. Develop the discipline and maturity to be able to say, 'this isn't right, let me start again'.
Make sure that your rifle is NOT canted.
Excessive barrel heat is probably a WORSE enemy than a little fouling where accuracy is concerned. Additionally, you can ruin a barrel by allowing it to get too hot. I leave about 1 minute between shots, and 2 or more minutes between strings, for barrel cooling when firing rifles using medium capacity cases. I test my barrels by GRABBING them firmly in my hand (HINT: first make a tentative 'touch', or you may burn your hand badly!). If I can't HOLD ON TIGHT -- it's TOO HOT. This is usually NOT a consideration when firing some of the small capacity cartridges, and I have NEVER known it to be a problem when firing .22 rimfires. However, even with these cartridges, checking your barrel for excessive heat is quick and easy, and could make a difference in your groups.
If I'm shooting something with more powder capacity (.30-06 or higher), I will wait longer (1.5 - 2 minutes). Obviously, on hotter days, it will take longer for your barrel to cool than it takes on cool or cold days. I have found that I can make a 5 shot group from a 'cool' barrel, waiting about 1 minute between shots - even on a summer day - with my heavy barrelled .308 Win. Then I have to give it more than a few minutes to cool down. The suggestion (that many others before me have made) to bring other firearms and rotate shooting is a good one.
Some people help their barrels cool by pouring cool water through them. Some companies sell compressed gas cooling systems for barrels (I may list one or more on my web site). I have not tried any of these. If you have, let me know how they work, and if they had any adverse effects on your firearms.
I have found that a reasonably effective way to cool my rifle barrels is to stand them up in the shade with the bolt open or removed. The hot barrel will draw cooling air through the bore by what is called "the chimney effect". As the air is heated, it will rise - rushing up through the barrel, drawing cooler air behind it. This continues (it is self-perpetuating) until the barrel has cooled to something near the ambient air temperature.
I tried something recently, initially by accident because I happened to show up at the range right at the wrong time. I got there during a "cease fire", so I figured I'd just pop a couple of the old frizbies on the berm until next time when I could hang a proper target. I was unpacking the car, and the old crab that was the acting range officer was upset that I wouldn't get a target hung up, or if I did so, I would hold everyone up. Like I said, I had planned to wait for the next "cease fire", because I figured that in order to hang a target, (in consideration of my fellow shooters) I'd have to run the 200 yards down and 200 yds back, and then I'd be in no position to shoot accurately.
Then I thought, "what the heck - let's see how good you are when you're breathing hard and your heart rate is elevated - hot shot". So I ran there and back - not a REAL run (more of a fast jog), as the ground is loose sand, and I didn't want to give myself a stroke. If you've read my shooting tips, you know that I go as far as suggesting that you don't drink anything with caffeine in it the morning you shoot. Running just before shooting is a definite no-no when trying for small groups, but I wanted to see what I could do (granted - off a rest) in this condition at 200 yards:
* Now between taking the time for the shots and time in-between for the barrel to cool, I had pretty much recovered.
Conclusion :
1. I noticed that not only was my beathing and heartbeat causing problems holding steady for the first 2 - 3 groups, but I was having trouble concentrating as well. I think this was because I was upset due to my physical inability to really "settle in". I guess I need a little more practice getting the proper frame of mind in adverse conditions.
2. However, in dealing with this I think I discovered another technique to recover faster. I started resting my cheek on the stock like usual, but then just closed my eyes and thought that "now would be a nice time for a nap". I know that sounds stupid, but it was so nice out. The sun was not blazing, it was comfortably warm, slight breeze. I have good hearing protection, and the closest shooter to me was slowly shooting low pressure loads about 12 feet away. Next closest shooter had to be 50 or 60 feet down the line. Anyway, using the stock as a "pillow", I learned to just relax really well. Try this and see how it works for you.
The discipline which one learns in preparation for any sport is valuable in many areas of life. The sport of highpower rifle shooting has much going for it. It is a lifelong sport that one can enjoy from an early age well into retirement. Unlike other sports, the likelihood of an injury stemming from this sport is extremely remote. The U.S. Shooting team reports that in the life of their sport, not one person has been injured. Unlike sports involving physical aggression where strong emotions sometimes help performance, this is a sport of total self control where even a slight amount of anger or anxiety will really show up on one's scores.
07 June 2001