First ever trip to the rifle range!

R

rocky.223

New member
All in all it was a blast! I learned quite a bit from a very helpful range officer but was left with a bunch of other questions! :confused:
First of all I was shooting a brand new mini-14 target model with a Nikon 3-9x40 scope and regular American eagle fmj's.
What would be suggestions to help me get better? I also noticed a few of the nuts and bolts on bi-pod and scope mounts kept loosening up, is loc-tite recommended?
The targets pictured are 25 yds at top, right side sighting scope and left a small shot group. 50 yds in middle with same setup. 100 yds at bottom with just a bunch of shots for fun.
Right now im just having fun and learning but there might be some hunting in the near future. Thanks for your time!
 
pictures didn't upload, sorry.
 

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nice RIG - the top 2 pic are good - the bottom 2 your all over the place.

I would get some loctigh for the bipod thats has to be the problem for the bottom pics.
 
Loctite will work to keep you nuts and bolts tight. Just make sure to use the removable stuff, or you could also use clear nail polish instead.

As for tips on getting better... shoot, shoot, shoot. Ask all the questions you can to people that you trust. Maintain the rifle and scope.

And most importantly; have fun and be safe.:cool:
 
My first impression is- nice rifle

Second is that something has gone wrong- something loosened up on you.

Question- have you ever shot the rifle without the scope? I don't want to seem insulting here, so forgive me- but 25 yards is close range for a rifle, 100m is not long range, and although .223 has some drop, you do seem all over the target. I can't help but wonder if you're doing your job correctly but the scope has loosened up or something.
 
That rifle is capable of much better accuracy at 100 than that. I know you are new to it and having fun shooting is great. Decide what ammo you are going to shoot and use the dampner on the end of the barrel to find the sweet spot for the load you choose. A trigger job will help a ton as they are normally less than perfect from the factory. Gundoc at Great Western Gunsmithing is your guy for that. It's only gonna get better the more you shoot.
 
I did notice the trigger was pretty hefty so I am sure I was doing a little yanking on it. As for the 1oo yd I found out about the loose nuts when one of the scope mount bolts landed on the bench... oops. I take no insults, this was my absolute first time ever shooting a rifle so I am well aware work is needed. I appreciate any helpful suggestions.
 
i have a fairly cheap rifle and scope but you still did a whole lot better than i did my first time. i've only taken the rifle out once (i'm waiting for some better weather, it's too hot right now) but i've got the scope sighted in better so i expect results next time around. i have to agree, it's a lot of fun!
 
I did notice the trigger was pretty hefty so I am sure I was doing a little yanking on it. As for the 1oo yd I found out about the loose nuts when one of the scope mount bolts landed on the bench... oops. I take no insults, this was my absolute first time ever shooting a rifle so I am well aware work is needed. I appreciate any helpful suggestions.
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:) Like I say...looks like you were keeping up your end of things
 
:cool:Last weekend, I took a new shooter to the range. The rifle was an AR and we were using iron sighhts. First few shots, he was all over the place. I couldn't even make adjustments on his sights because it was all over the place. At first I was watching the target, so I could not see how he was actually shooting. when I finally watched him, he was was not stable in his position, he was jerking the trigger, anticipating the shot and his cheek weld to the buttstock changed with each shot. So we addressed each issue and by the end of the day (actually it was probably a couple of hours), he was shooting a 16x16 metal target at 260 yards with iron sights and making 50% hits. Not bad for a new guy. Now he wants to shoot again this Sunday.

So for a new shooter, work on your basic skills. Check your set up. Are you in a stable shooting position. Pull the trigger straight back as you can (dry firing with dummy rounds helps). Set yourself up to shoot the same way each time (cheek weld, body position, etc...) Regulate your breathing and shoot at the natural pause (some say after exhaling, some say exhale then take a half breath) but do it at the same moment each time you shoot.

From the look of things, you are already learning the basics, work on it and be patient. :cool:

Oh, one other thing, it does help if your scope is on there nice and tight. :D

Have fun and safe shooting. :)
 
That's pretty nice shooting for a first timer. Once you solve the issue of your bolts and nuts loosening on you, you'll probably do pretty well every time you go out.
Keep practicing at those short distances, focusing on your physical dynamics, instead of point of impact so much in order to get a feel for your rifle. Learn to keep your grip and cheek-weld consistent as well as learning when your trigger breaks. At first you might notice that your patterns break up and you aren't shooting as well, but that's to be expected. Remember: you're focusing on what it takes to get that bullet out of the barrel, more than how tight you're shooting. You and your rifle are gonna go through a break-in period, and at the end of that time, you'll BOTH be shooting better.
 
Without getting into the basics of shooting- which you still need to learn, and practice, I'll concentrate on the rifle...

The Mini Target model has a harmonic dampener at the end of the barrel.
What instructions did Ruger provide as to the use and adjustment of the dampener?

Another issue is ammo. The 55 grain FMJ's you're shooting may, or may not, be what the rifle "likes"... You should also try some heavier bullets.
Assuming you bought the Target model, for target shooting- you need to eventually start feeding it some decent ammo. Don't expect more than 2"-3" groups with cheap production ammo. Fine for plinking, but if you really want to see what the rifle is capable of, you need to feed it match grade ammunition. Try some 69 grain Sierra MatchKings...

No doubt, you need to eliminate all movement from the bipod and scope mount. The Mini's action- the heavy op rod- creates a pretty violent felt recoil for a .223. Loctite is a must...
 
discern- that was a great video, lots of details that I was missing out on. Can't wait to get back to the range.

tobnpr- the manual listed instructions as to HOW to adjust it but not the WHY.
I have friends that know and we are planning a trip soon. As for ammo, I didn't want to waste money on practice rounds. When I get proficient I plan on Finding that optimum round then reload from there. I have finished reading the abc's of reloading and plan on starting next month.

Thanks for the input everyone!
 
What can you do?

Practice.

Practice from the bench to establish how well the rifle shoots, to ensure everything is consistant.

Then work on field positons (standing, sitting, kneeling and prone) to get YOU up to the level of your rifle (bench groups).
 
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If your scope scews come loose you will never have an accurate rifle, I allways use locktite when tightening screws, you only need a little, dont dip the screw in it or anything, also make sure you use purple locktite, otherwise if you ever need to take that scope off, your going to have problems. Also if yoru rings did come with torx head screws, throw them away and get some, you wont strip them when trying to loosen up those scews if you use locktite.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=445105&cm_vc=S015
 
As for ammo, I didn't want to waste money on practice rounds. When I get proficient I plan on Finding that optimum round then reload from there.
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huh???

a couple of things occur to me. first, you'll need to put quite a few rounds downrange to get proficient, and if you plan to tag along with buddies all the time and just use their ammunition, they probably won't take you all that often.

second, tips to get better: dry-firing, or as it's called in the marine corps, "snapping in." using an EMPTY rifle and whatever target floats your boat (but something with a lot of contrast so you can see where your sights/crosshairs move clearly), get in whatever position you're practicing, cock the weapon, and slowly squeeze the trigger until the 'shot' breaks. your sights should not move at all, if possible. if they jump quite a bit, something about your position is unsteady. or maybe you're flinching. try to figure out what it is or have someone coach you and then correct it. you'll get to take lots of shots and get in lots of practice without expending the ammo. if i'm shooting something larger than a .308 i like to dry-fire in between shooting groups, especially if i think i'm flinching. i can pay much more attention to myself than where the bullet ends up.
 
rocky;
Glad to see you're gonna be reloading. Let us know how she shoots. I've always liked the Mini, just sold mine that I had "modded out" because I got an offer I couldn't refuse.

Do a google search on "barrel harmonics". Easier to read than explain, but suffice it to say that barrel vibration is a component to repeatable accuracy. As an example, My Mini was an older "pencil barrel" model. It has been documented by many that adding a flash hider to the end of the barrel often helped accuracy by adding that little bit of extra weight to the end of the barrel. Reduced barrel "whip". The dampener will serve the same purpose to "tweak" the harmonics. My guess is that you find your optimum load, then use the balancer to fine tune it.

Go to the Perfect Union forum (where the Mini-14 forum is) and ask about the Target model. Good luck!
 
swopjan- to clarify, I was meaning I can't afford to put expensive match grade ammo downrange when my skill level isn't equal to the quality of said ammo. As I progress and need better ammo to increase my skill level I hope to be reloading and can do so more economically than now. I do like and use your dry-fire practice technique( wife thinks I'm a little nutty though)!
 
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