Bottledestroyer22
New member
The title says it all. I would like to know what I need for High Power rifle competition.
What do I Need?
- Thread starter Bottledestroyer22
- Start date
Try here
Welcome to HP.
http://www.nationalmatch.us/forums/index.php?
http://www.ar15.com/forums/forum.html?b=9&f=14
Read the pinned threads, more information then you would ever want.
Jim
OBTW. You will need to join the sites (free). If you join nationalmatch.us,they prefer you use some part of your name instead of a handle ( jim jones, jjones, jimj) or something like that.
Have fun,
Jim
Welcome to HP.
http://www.nationalmatch.us/forums/index.php?
http://www.ar15.com/forums/forum.html?b=9&f=14
Read the pinned threads, more information then you would ever want.
Jim
OBTW. You will need to join the sites (free). If you join nationalmatch.us,they prefer you use some part of your name instead of a handle ( jim jones, jjones, jimj) or something like that.
Have fun,
Jim
Highpower Equipment
by Jeffrey Chosid
THE ESSENTIALS
Often, new shooters ask me what they need to purchase to start shooting Highpower. On the New Shooter page, you will find a list of the basic equipment required for competitive Highpower shooting. Here, I will discuss each item in detail. I'll make personal recommendations and include sources. With most of my recommendations, I tend to be quite specific. Over the years, I've bought a lot of equipment and made a lot of mistakes. I'm trying to prevent you from making the same mistakes. When I say that you should buy a certain item, I am inferring that many of the alternatives might not acceptable. In other words, buy exactly what I tell you to buy.
Rifles
The most expensive and important piece of equipment is a rifle. Highpower is shot with either a Match Rifle or a Service Rifle. A Match Rifle is a rifle specifically designed for target shooting. It can be a bolt action or semi-automatic. Discussing the wide variety of Match Rifles is beyond the scope of this article. A Service Rifle is an M1 Garand, an M14, an M16 or their commercially available equivalent. For all practical purposes, this means you can shoot an M1, a Springfield Armory M1A or an AR-15 rifle. Almost no external modifications are permitted. You may, though, use a stainless steel barrel. Almost all new shooters start shooting with a Service Rifle. Many never switch to Match Rifle, preferring the challenge of competing with a Service Rifle. A brief description of each Service Rifle is in order.
M1 Garand
M1 Garand is the least expensive rifle alternative. They can be purchased from individuals or from the CMP (Civilian Marksmanship Program). CMP rifles are from the U.S. Government and have never been owned by individuals. These rifles are a great bargain at about $500. The M1 shoots 30-06 ammo, although they can be converted to shoot .308 Winchester. 30-06 is no longer used by the U.S. Government so ammo and brass can be expensive. In addition, 30-06 cartridges use a lot of powder (you will load less than 150 rounds per one pound of gunpowder). When accurized, the M1 can be quite accurate. Accurizing is expensive and the rifles do require periodic maintenance. The M1Garand is the least competitive of the three allowable Service Rifles.
M1A
The M1A, manufactured by Springfield Armory, is the civilian version of the M14. The M14/M1A has been the dominant competition Service Rifle for the last thirty-plus years, only recently being eclipsed by the M16/AR-15. The M1A is expensive to purchase, accurize and maintain. A basic rifle will cost well over $1,000 and a completely accurized rifle will range from $2,000 to $3,000. The M1A fires the .308 Winchester cartridge, will is still used by the U.S. Government as the 7.62 NATO. Reasonably priced new and once-fired brass is still available. Being .30 caliber, bullets are expensive and powder yield will only be slightly better than the 30-06, mentioned in the previous paragraph. Brass life is short, typically lasting only three or four reloadings. If a shooter is determined to shoot a .30 caliber rifle, the M1A is the best choice.
AR-15
The AR-15 has become the dominant rifle in Service Rifle competition. Excellent rifles can be purchased for about $1,000, while custom rifles from the best gunsmiths will cost approximately $1,450. The AR-15 is easy to shoot, with almost no recoil. They are amazingly accurate and require little to no maintenance. Since the .223 Remington is a standard military cartridge (5.56 NATO), once-fired brass is plentiful and cheap. Brass can be loaded numerous times. .223 bullets are far less expensive than the .30 caliber bullets used in 30-06 or .308 Winchester ammunition. Also, much less powder is required, yielding approximately 280 rounds per one pound of powder. The CMP, in a partnership with Bushmaster, has a program where shooters can purchase AR-15 rifles at a very attractive price. As of this writing, they are priced at $865.00. While competitive, there are certain features of these rifles that I find less than ideal. Other manufacturers, including my favorite, Rock River Arms, offer excellent off- the-shelf competition AR-15's. Certain manufacturers offer special purchase programs for competitive shooters. Contact me for details. Two custom gunsmiths stand out above the rest - Compass Lake Engineering and White Oak Precision. While both companies build excellent rifles, I would have to give the nod to the latter. White Oak is owned by John Holliger. John is one of the top Service Rifle shooters in the U.S. and personally builds each rifle that leaves his shop. Unless you want to be part of history (M1 Garand) or want to spend a lot of money and get beaten up by a heavy-recoiling rifle (M1A), buy an AR-15.
Additional Magazines
When shooting an AR-15, the magazines must have the external dimensions of the GI 20 round or GI 30 round magazines. Almost everyone uses the 20 round magazine since the 30 round mags get in the way. Do not buy commercial magazines. Only buy GI surplus 20 round magazines, which are available at gun shows. Dave Schrank, an Illinois Highpower shooter, sells used GI magazines for $20.00 each. Contact Dave at 847-662-4034 or dschrankjr@aol.com. Don't pay extra for Colt magazines. Colt never made their own magazines but purchased them from outside suppliers. Often, AR15.mag displays at shows in the St. Louis area.
Spotting Scope
A lot of new shooters don't fully understand the use of the spotting scope. Actually seeing bullets holes is secondary to seeing the mirage, which indicates air movement downrange. With experience, a shooter can look at the mirage and make sight adjustments to compensate for wind drift. Also, even through the best spotting scopes, you cannot consistently see bullets holes a distances over 100 yards. Ideally, a spotting scope should be between 25x and 30x. Anything higher will magnify the mirage to the point that you can't see anything. The scope should have a long eye relief eyepiece so that you will have a full field of view when wearing glasses (always wear glasses for safety). Lastly, a 45° design is best. While many shooters start off with an inexpensive spotting scope, they will eventually upgrade to a good scope. Kowa Optical seems to dominate Highpower, with their TSN-821M and the discontinued TSN-1 being the most common scopes on the firing line. I prefer the TSN-1 and they are often available used. Kowa also offers some smaller, less expensive scopes. The best source for Kowa is Jim Owens. Jim is a retired Marine and is well-known among Highpower shooters. He has written a number of excellent books that every Highpower shooter should read. Jim's a real good guy. If you don't want to take the plunge for a Kowa, Champion's Choice, in LaVergne, TN, has a small spotting scope that does a decent job. If you want the best, buy a Leica 77mm Televid.
Spotting Scope Stand
You can't use a normal tripod but will require a spotting scope stand. I will only recommend three scope stands, the Giraud the Ewing or the stand from Ray-Vin.com. All are excellent. The Giraud is only available from Giraud Tool Company. Giraud Tool also makes the best high production case trimmer available. The Ewing is available from O.K. Weber. Recently, Ray-Vin.com has introduced what I think is the best scope stand available. It includes many innovative features including internal storage for a Dewey cleaning rod.
Shooting Coat
A good shooting coat has two functions. All Highpower coats have rubber pads placed in specific locations on the arms and torso of the garment. Some pads are to reduce slippage. Other pads protect the shooter's arm from the sling. More expensive coats are quite stiff, providing torso support when shooting offhand. Creedmoor Sports sells the best coats and is the only company I would consider. The best coat is their Hardback model. It's available in Cordura, combination Cordura and leather or all leather. Any of these will do fine. If you don't want to spend that much money, they offer a "Basics" model that still gives support. For even less money they offer a cloth coat, which provides minimal if any support. Most of the top shooters and military team members use Creedmoor shooting coats.
Shooting Glove
A shooting glove protects your hand from the sling and provides a non-slip surface. There are a number of styles available but the most common are full-fingered or open-finger mitts. A lot of the available gloves are junk. If you want a full-fingered glove, buy a smallbore glove made by either Gehmann Anschutz. Each company makes a number of different models. Don't let someone talk you into another brand; insist on either Gehmann or Anschutz. My favorite is the Gehmann No. 468, which is available from Sinclair International. For an open-fingered mitt, none compares to the Freeland Mitt. Both of these gloves are available from Champion Shooters Supply. When just starting out, you can use a heavy work glove.
Shooting Mat
A shooting mat provides a padded surface when shooting in the sitting or prone position. In addition, certain areas are covered with rubber, providing a non-slip surface. Buy either the Creedmoor Deluxe Fold-up or Creedmoor Roll-up mat from Creedmoor Sports. I prefer the Roll-up Mat because you can carry it on your scope stand by slipping the rolled-up mat over the shaft of the stand. New shooters often use a piece of carpeting.
Shooting Stool
A shooting stool is similar to a camp stool but it also has a large storage compartment. Most of your shooting accessories, at least the one's you might need while shooting, are carried in the shooting stool. I don't think there's a big difference between the various available shooting stools. I happen to use the Service Rifle stool, from Creedmoor Sports.
Rifle Slings
One uses a sling when shooting from supported positions; i.e., sitting or prone. With a Service Rifle, you are permitted to use either a M1 web sling or a Model 1907 leather sling. The web slings can be purchased at military surplus dealers or gun shows and are available in nylon and cotton. Only buy the cotton sling; the nylon slips. Far more popular is the Model 1907 sling. There's a big difference in the quality of leather slings and most of them are junk. Only buy the one made by Turner Saddlery. You can purchase them direct from Turner or from many of the shooting supply companies. Even though the AR-15 is a short rifle, the front sling swivel is farther out than on the other rifles. Buy a long sling.
Ammo Holder
When shooting from the offhand position, you will fire between 10 and 22 rounds. You will have to place you ammo where it can be reached without changing your position. Shooters use a leather holder that slips into their coat pocket. The Creedmoor Leather 20 Round Cartridge Box Holder is well made and available from Creedmoor Sports. It will hold 20 + 2 cartridges.
Glasses
For safety, you must wear some sort of glasses. They can be as inexpensive as industrial safety glasses or as sophisticated as Champion or Knobloch shooting glasses. I prefer Decot shooting glasses. They offer a lot of protection and are adjustable. Zeiss also makes excellent shooting glasses. The Champion or Knoblochs, while infinitely adjustable, don't offer as much eye protection.
Hearing Protection
A firing line is a rather noisy place. Typically, I use both plugs and muffs. I use disposable foam plugs, preferring them over custom-made, molded plugs. A lot of the ear muff hearing protectors are large and bump into the stock. AO Peltor makes a thin "Shotgunner 6" that is perfect for use when shooting a rifle. They are available from many shooting suppliers.
Data Book
You should always use a data book to record your groups, sight settings and shooting conditions. Many different styles are available and the all work. I prefer the Creedmoor Data Book, available from Creedmoor Sports.
Sight Black
You must darken your sights, making them non-reflective. Aerosol sight black is available but is not very black. Quite popular is the Gun Smoke carbide lamp, available from a number of suppliers. If you want the best carbide lamp available, get the Super Smoker from Ray-Vin.com.
Timer
Buy a small electronic kitchen timer. You'll need it to time both slow fire periods and rapid fire strings.
Additional Equipment
Carrying Equipment
Unless you have descended from pack mules, you'll probably need some method of carrying your equipment on the rifle range. The simplest solution is to add a wheel kit to your shooting stool. Kits are available from Creedmoor Sports, for their stools. The best solution, and the one that I use, is the Foldit Cart. They are available from a number of sources but the least expensive is Northern Tool Co. Often, one will see home-made carts that work quite well.
Rain Gear
If you spend much time on a rifle range, you are going to get wet. At a minimum, get a poncho. Ideally, but expensive, get a Gore-Tex rain suit. You will also need a rain cover for your equipment.
Wind Charts
Custom wind charts are available from CAB Designs. A wind chart will provide the wind correction required for various wind vectors and velocities. When shooting at 300 and 600 yards, on unprotected ranges, a wind chart is a must.
Wind Gauge
A wind gauge is a tool to measure wind velocity. If you are using a wind chart, the wind gauge is a very handy accessory. Although electronic wind gauges are available, they are quite expensive. The Dwyer Wind Meter, available from MidwayUSA, is inexpensive and works well. It costs less than $20.00.
Tools
I always keep a few tools in my shooting stool. I carry a Leatherman multi-purpose tool plus a set of Allen wrenches. At some time or other, you will need them.
Trigger Hand Glove
Many shooters wear a light leather glove on their trigger hand. On hot days, when you're sweating, you maintain a good grip when using a glove. I use a golf glove, with the trigger finger tip removed.
Brass Bag
Have some sort of bag for your fired brass.
Scorebook Cover
It's nice to have a cover for your scorebook. You can buy aluminum receipt book covers at an office supply store. Creedmoor Sports has a nice one that fits their scorebooks.
JGC
by Jeffrey Chosid
THE ESSENTIALS
Often, new shooters ask me what they need to purchase to start shooting Highpower. On the New Shooter page, you will find a list of the basic equipment required for competitive Highpower shooting. Here, I will discuss each item in detail. I'll make personal recommendations and include sources. With most of my recommendations, I tend to be quite specific. Over the years, I've bought a lot of equipment and made a lot of mistakes. I'm trying to prevent you from making the same mistakes. When I say that you should buy a certain item, I am inferring that many of the alternatives might not acceptable. In other words, buy exactly what I tell you to buy.
Rifles
The most expensive and important piece of equipment is a rifle. Highpower is shot with either a Match Rifle or a Service Rifle. A Match Rifle is a rifle specifically designed for target shooting. It can be a bolt action or semi-automatic. Discussing the wide variety of Match Rifles is beyond the scope of this article. A Service Rifle is an M1 Garand, an M14, an M16 or their commercially available equivalent. For all practical purposes, this means you can shoot an M1, a Springfield Armory M1A or an AR-15 rifle. Almost no external modifications are permitted. You may, though, use a stainless steel barrel. Almost all new shooters start shooting with a Service Rifle. Many never switch to Match Rifle, preferring the challenge of competing with a Service Rifle. A brief description of each Service Rifle is in order.
M1 Garand
M1 Garand is the least expensive rifle alternative. They can be purchased from individuals or from the CMP (Civilian Marksmanship Program). CMP rifles are from the U.S. Government and have never been owned by individuals. These rifles are a great bargain at about $500. The M1 shoots 30-06 ammo, although they can be converted to shoot .308 Winchester. 30-06 is no longer used by the U.S. Government so ammo and brass can be expensive. In addition, 30-06 cartridges use a lot of powder (you will load less than 150 rounds per one pound of gunpowder). When accurized, the M1 can be quite accurate. Accurizing is expensive and the rifles do require periodic maintenance. The M1Garand is the least competitive of the three allowable Service Rifles.
M1A
The M1A, manufactured by Springfield Armory, is the civilian version of the M14. The M14/M1A has been the dominant competition Service Rifle for the last thirty-plus years, only recently being eclipsed by the M16/AR-15. The M1A is expensive to purchase, accurize and maintain. A basic rifle will cost well over $1,000 and a completely accurized rifle will range from $2,000 to $3,000. The M1A fires the .308 Winchester cartridge, will is still used by the U.S. Government as the 7.62 NATO. Reasonably priced new and once-fired brass is still available. Being .30 caliber, bullets are expensive and powder yield will only be slightly better than the 30-06, mentioned in the previous paragraph. Brass life is short, typically lasting only three or four reloadings. If a shooter is determined to shoot a .30 caliber rifle, the M1A is the best choice.
AR-15
The AR-15 has become the dominant rifle in Service Rifle competition. Excellent rifles can be purchased for about $1,000, while custom rifles from the best gunsmiths will cost approximately $1,450. The AR-15 is easy to shoot, with almost no recoil. They are amazingly accurate and require little to no maintenance. Since the .223 Remington is a standard military cartridge (5.56 NATO), once-fired brass is plentiful and cheap. Brass can be loaded numerous times. .223 bullets are far less expensive than the .30 caliber bullets used in 30-06 or .308 Winchester ammunition. Also, much less powder is required, yielding approximately 280 rounds per one pound of powder. The CMP, in a partnership with Bushmaster, has a program where shooters can purchase AR-15 rifles at a very attractive price. As of this writing, they are priced at $865.00. While competitive, there are certain features of these rifles that I find less than ideal. Other manufacturers, including my favorite, Rock River Arms, offer excellent off- the-shelf competition AR-15's. Certain manufacturers offer special purchase programs for competitive shooters. Contact me for details. Two custom gunsmiths stand out above the rest - Compass Lake Engineering and White Oak Precision. While both companies build excellent rifles, I would have to give the nod to the latter. White Oak is owned by John Holliger. John is one of the top Service Rifle shooters in the U.S. and personally builds each rifle that leaves his shop. Unless you want to be part of history (M1 Garand) or want to spend a lot of money and get beaten up by a heavy-recoiling rifle (M1A), buy an AR-15.
Additional Magazines
When shooting an AR-15, the magazines must have the external dimensions of the GI 20 round or GI 30 round magazines. Almost everyone uses the 20 round magazine since the 30 round mags get in the way. Do not buy commercial magazines. Only buy GI surplus 20 round magazines, which are available at gun shows. Dave Schrank, an Illinois Highpower shooter, sells used GI magazines for $20.00 each. Contact Dave at 847-662-4034 or dschrankjr@aol.com. Don't pay extra for Colt magazines. Colt never made their own magazines but purchased them from outside suppliers. Often, AR15.mag displays at shows in the St. Louis area.
Spotting Scope
A lot of new shooters don't fully understand the use of the spotting scope. Actually seeing bullets holes is secondary to seeing the mirage, which indicates air movement downrange. With experience, a shooter can look at the mirage and make sight adjustments to compensate for wind drift. Also, even through the best spotting scopes, you cannot consistently see bullets holes a distances over 100 yards. Ideally, a spotting scope should be between 25x and 30x. Anything higher will magnify the mirage to the point that you can't see anything. The scope should have a long eye relief eyepiece so that you will have a full field of view when wearing glasses (always wear glasses for safety). Lastly, a 45° design is best. While many shooters start off with an inexpensive spotting scope, they will eventually upgrade to a good scope. Kowa Optical seems to dominate Highpower, with their TSN-821M and the discontinued TSN-1 being the most common scopes on the firing line. I prefer the TSN-1 and they are often available used. Kowa also offers some smaller, less expensive scopes. The best source for Kowa is Jim Owens. Jim is a retired Marine and is well-known among Highpower shooters. He has written a number of excellent books that every Highpower shooter should read. Jim's a real good guy. If you don't want to take the plunge for a Kowa, Champion's Choice, in LaVergne, TN, has a small spotting scope that does a decent job. If you want the best, buy a Leica 77mm Televid.
Spotting Scope Stand
You can't use a normal tripod but will require a spotting scope stand. I will only recommend three scope stands, the Giraud the Ewing or the stand from Ray-Vin.com. All are excellent. The Giraud is only available from Giraud Tool Company. Giraud Tool also makes the best high production case trimmer available. The Ewing is available from O.K. Weber. Recently, Ray-Vin.com has introduced what I think is the best scope stand available. It includes many innovative features including internal storage for a Dewey cleaning rod.
Shooting Coat
A good shooting coat has two functions. All Highpower coats have rubber pads placed in specific locations on the arms and torso of the garment. Some pads are to reduce slippage. Other pads protect the shooter's arm from the sling. More expensive coats are quite stiff, providing torso support when shooting offhand. Creedmoor Sports sells the best coats and is the only company I would consider. The best coat is their Hardback model. It's available in Cordura, combination Cordura and leather or all leather. Any of these will do fine. If you don't want to spend that much money, they offer a "Basics" model that still gives support. For even less money they offer a cloth coat, which provides minimal if any support. Most of the top shooters and military team members use Creedmoor shooting coats.
Shooting Glove
A shooting glove protects your hand from the sling and provides a non-slip surface. There are a number of styles available but the most common are full-fingered or open-finger mitts. A lot of the available gloves are junk. If you want a full-fingered glove, buy a smallbore glove made by either Gehmann Anschutz. Each company makes a number of different models. Don't let someone talk you into another brand; insist on either Gehmann or Anschutz. My favorite is the Gehmann No. 468, which is available from Sinclair International. For an open-fingered mitt, none compares to the Freeland Mitt. Both of these gloves are available from Champion Shooters Supply. When just starting out, you can use a heavy work glove.
Shooting Mat
A shooting mat provides a padded surface when shooting in the sitting or prone position. In addition, certain areas are covered with rubber, providing a non-slip surface. Buy either the Creedmoor Deluxe Fold-up or Creedmoor Roll-up mat from Creedmoor Sports. I prefer the Roll-up Mat because you can carry it on your scope stand by slipping the rolled-up mat over the shaft of the stand. New shooters often use a piece of carpeting.
Shooting Stool
A shooting stool is similar to a camp stool but it also has a large storage compartment. Most of your shooting accessories, at least the one's you might need while shooting, are carried in the shooting stool. I don't think there's a big difference between the various available shooting stools. I happen to use the Service Rifle stool, from Creedmoor Sports.
Rifle Slings
One uses a sling when shooting from supported positions; i.e., sitting or prone. With a Service Rifle, you are permitted to use either a M1 web sling or a Model 1907 leather sling. The web slings can be purchased at military surplus dealers or gun shows and are available in nylon and cotton. Only buy the cotton sling; the nylon slips. Far more popular is the Model 1907 sling. There's a big difference in the quality of leather slings and most of them are junk. Only buy the one made by Turner Saddlery. You can purchase them direct from Turner or from many of the shooting supply companies. Even though the AR-15 is a short rifle, the front sling swivel is farther out than on the other rifles. Buy a long sling.
Ammo Holder
When shooting from the offhand position, you will fire between 10 and 22 rounds. You will have to place you ammo where it can be reached without changing your position. Shooters use a leather holder that slips into their coat pocket. The Creedmoor Leather 20 Round Cartridge Box Holder is well made and available from Creedmoor Sports. It will hold 20 + 2 cartridges.
Glasses
For safety, you must wear some sort of glasses. They can be as inexpensive as industrial safety glasses or as sophisticated as Champion or Knobloch shooting glasses. I prefer Decot shooting glasses. They offer a lot of protection and are adjustable. Zeiss also makes excellent shooting glasses. The Champion or Knoblochs, while infinitely adjustable, don't offer as much eye protection.
Hearing Protection
A firing line is a rather noisy place. Typically, I use both plugs and muffs. I use disposable foam plugs, preferring them over custom-made, molded plugs. A lot of the ear muff hearing protectors are large and bump into the stock. AO Peltor makes a thin "Shotgunner 6" that is perfect for use when shooting a rifle. They are available from many shooting suppliers.
Data Book
You should always use a data book to record your groups, sight settings and shooting conditions. Many different styles are available and the all work. I prefer the Creedmoor Data Book, available from Creedmoor Sports.
Sight Black
You must darken your sights, making them non-reflective. Aerosol sight black is available but is not very black. Quite popular is the Gun Smoke carbide lamp, available from a number of suppliers. If you want the best carbide lamp available, get the Super Smoker from Ray-Vin.com.
Timer
Buy a small electronic kitchen timer. You'll need it to time both slow fire periods and rapid fire strings.
Additional Equipment
Carrying Equipment
Unless you have descended from pack mules, you'll probably need some method of carrying your equipment on the rifle range. The simplest solution is to add a wheel kit to your shooting stool. Kits are available from Creedmoor Sports, for their stools. The best solution, and the one that I use, is the Foldit Cart. They are available from a number of sources but the least expensive is Northern Tool Co. Often, one will see home-made carts that work quite well.
Rain Gear
If you spend much time on a rifle range, you are going to get wet. At a minimum, get a poncho. Ideally, but expensive, get a Gore-Tex rain suit. You will also need a rain cover for your equipment.
Wind Charts
Custom wind charts are available from CAB Designs. A wind chart will provide the wind correction required for various wind vectors and velocities. When shooting at 300 and 600 yards, on unprotected ranges, a wind chart is a must.
Wind Gauge
A wind gauge is a tool to measure wind velocity. If you are using a wind chart, the wind gauge is a very handy accessory. Although electronic wind gauges are available, they are quite expensive. The Dwyer Wind Meter, available from MidwayUSA, is inexpensive and works well. It costs less than $20.00.
Tools
I always keep a few tools in my shooting stool. I carry a Leatherman multi-purpose tool plus a set of Allen wrenches. At some time or other, you will need them.
Trigger Hand Glove
Many shooters wear a light leather glove on their trigger hand. On hot days, when you're sweating, you maintain a good grip when using a glove. I use a golf glove, with the trigger finger tip removed.
Brass Bag
Have some sort of bag for your fired brass.
Scorebook Cover
It's nice to have a cover for your scorebook. You can buy aluminum receipt book covers at an office supply store. Creedmoor Sports has a nice one that fits their scorebooks.
JGC
Here's what you need to know. Most clubs have loaner rifles. Call the match director ahead of time and see if that's possible.
Show up with a sweatshirt, a sandwich, water and some sunscreen. Shoot 2-3 matches and borrow other people's gear, try it out and see what you think. THEN go out and buy stuff. You really won't know what to buy until you've got a couple shoots under your belt. If you buy gear first, I guarantee you'll be buying the wrong gear. The sooner you actually shoot, the sooner you'll begin improving. Most new guys have their hands full just trying to keep up with the pace of the match and don't get to employ the basic items.
You'll shoot standing slowfire (no sling) at 200yds. Standing to sitting rapidfire, 10 shots in 60 seconds at 200yds. Then standing to prone rapidfire at 300yds in 70 seconds and prone slowfire at 600yds. This is called shooting "across the course." If the range doesn't go to 600yds, it's called a "reduced match" and you'll shoot on scaled-down targets. You'll get a 3 minute preparation period after you claim your firing point for each stage to get slung in and dryfire. In an NRA match (which is most highpower matches), you'll get two sighters after the 3 min prep. A match will usually be 88rds (including sighters), but sometimes 50rds.
For the rapidfire stages, you have to reload mid-string. You can shoot 2 then 8 or 5 then 5. Thus you will need stripper clips or detachable magazines. In the 88rd match, you'll shoot two 10 shot strings at each stage. You must single load for slowfire.
When you're not shooting you'll either be scoring or pulling targets.
You'll typically shoot under NRA rules, occasionally under CMP rules. Both rulebooks are available online.
Show up with a sweatshirt, a sandwich, water and some sunscreen. Shoot 2-3 matches and borrow other people's gear, try it out and see what you think. THEN go out and buy stuff. You really won't know what to buy until you've got a couple shoots under your belt. If you buy gear first, I guarantee you'll be buying the wrong gear. The sooner you actually shoot, the sooner you'll begin improving. Most new guys have their hands full just trying to keep up with the pace of the match and don't get to employ the basic items.
You'll shoot standing slowfire (no sling) at 200yds. Standing to sitting rapidfire, 10 shots in 60 seconds at 200yds. Then standing to prone rapidfire at 300yds in 70 seconds and prone slowfire at 600yds. This is called shooting "across the course." If the range doesn't go to 600yds, it's called a "reduced match" and you'll shoot on scaled-down targets. You'll get a 3 minute preparation period after you claim your firing point for each stage to get slung in and dryfire. In an NRA match (which is most highpower matches), you'll get two sighters after the 3 min prep. A match will usually be 88rds (including sighters), but sometimes 50rds.
For the rapidfire stages, you have to reload mid-string. You can shoot 2 then 8 or 5 then 5. Thus you will need stripper clips or detachable magazines. In the 88rd match, you'll shoot two 10 shot strings at each stage. You must single load for slowfire.
When you're not shooting you'll either be scoring or pulling targets.
You'll typically shoot under NRA rules, occasionally under CMP rules. Both rulebooks are available online.
Don't Get Caught Up In The Forums
http://www.nationalmatch.us/forums/index.php?
http://www.ar15.com/forums/forum.html?b=9&f=14
THESE GUYS HAVE A LOT OF GREAT INFORMATION, BUT SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO WEED OUT THE B.S.. TO BUSY FOR ME. HERE IS WHERE I'LL STAY. THIS IS A GREAT LOW KEY FORUM WITH MINIMAL HIGH TECH INVOLVEMENT.
GO TO CREEDMOOR SPORTS FOR ALL OF YOUR SHOOTING NEEDS.
AND FOR GUNS. BUSHMASTERS HAVE GREAT PRODUCTS AND PLUS THEY HAVE STARTED A NEW COMP. DIVISION.
http://www.bushmaster.com/catalog_main_index.asp
http://www.creedmoorsports.com/store/home.php
GOOD LUCK AND IF YOU NEED A PLACE TO SHOOT?
REPLY WITH YOUR LOCATION AND I'LL POINT YOU TO THE LOCAL CLUBS. BETTER YET, GO TO.
http://clubs.odcmp.com/cgi-bin/clubSearch.cgi
GOOD LUCK
http://www.nationalmatch.us/forums/index.php?
http://www.ar15.com/forums/forum.html?b=9&f=14
THESE GUYS HAVE A LOT OF GREAT INFORMATION, BUT SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO WEED OUT THE B.S.. TO BUSY FOR ME. HERE IS WHERE I'LL STAY. THIS IS A GREAT LOW KEY FORUM WITH MINIMAL HIGH TECH INVOLVEMENT.
GO TO CREEDMOOR SPORTS FOR ALL OF YOUR SHOOTING NEEDS.
AND FOR GUNS. BUSHMASTERS HAVE GREAT PRODUCTS AND PLUS THEY HAVE STARTED A NEW COMP. DIVISION.
http://www.bushmaster.com/catalog_main_index.asp
http://www.creedmoorsports.com/store/home.php
GOOD LUCK AND IF YOU NEED A PLACE TO SHOOT?
REPLY WITH YOUR LOCATION AND I'LL POINT YOU TO THE LOCAL CLUBS. BETTER YET, GO TO.
http://clubs.odcmp.com/cgi-bin/clubSearch.cgi
GOOD LUCK
Come on guys.....the guy is just wanting to start out. A piece of carpet will work for a shooting mat until you can spend the $80.00 or so for a good one.
A fair pair of bi-nocks work to see what you need to see when just starting out. It took me a lot of years to afford a Kowa 821. I have a old spotting scope I bought from Champions Choice. champchoice.com has less expensive but good reports spotting scopes.
A good thick cotton jacket will work for the guy just starting out. I didn't get a hard back until I made expert.
I don't use a glove on the trigger hand.
Most good data books have wind charts. I use the range flags for judging wind speed. The little wind meters some guys have to read the wind at the line is a waste of time and money in my opinion....
A timer? I know guys who use them but it's just one more thing to screw up.
Brass Bag? I throw my brass into my stool....which a bucket with a lid, like a 5 gallon pickel bucket could be used for.
Sight black, I will agree carbide is the best but I used the spray stuff for years.
It's important to have some rain gear, I's done now spending wet money from NRA week at Perry last year. But a large garbage bag will work in a pinch, and a large zip lock bag will keep your score sheet and data book dry.
Spare parts and tools. I carry some spare parts which in most cases will get a rifle back into the game as long as it's simple. I did have to replace a trigger in my AR once and I did have a spare with me that day.......go figure.
Bottleshooter22, the thing to do is find a match, grab your rifle and go shoot it. We all started out the same way, not knowing much, or couldn't hit the barn door, even throwing a few in the dirt. High Power shooters are a great bunch of guys and will bend over backwards helping out the new guy.....if he is willing to listen. Most High Power shooters will share what they have with the expectation the new guy does the same when he, now the veteran, is helping the new guy. I've worked on rifles, handed over some good brass and gun parts, loaded ammo at no cost, set up slings, coached and even loaned expensive match tuned rifles, etc to get guys on the line all because thats what the expirenced shooters did for me when I first started out.
A fair pair of bi-nocks work to see what you need to see when just starting out. It took me a lot of years to afford a Kowa 821. I have a old spotting scope I bought from Champions Choice. champchoice.com has less expensive but good reports spotting scopes.
A good thick cotton jacket will work for the guy just starting out. I didn't get a hard back until I made expert.
I don't use a glove on the trigger hand.
Most good data books have wind charts. I use the range flags for judging wind speed. The little wind meters some guys have to read the wind at the line is a waste of time and money in my opinion....
A timer? I know guys who use them but it's just one more thing to screw up.
Brass Bag? I throw my brass into my stool....which a bucket with a lid, like a 5 gallon pickel bucket could be used for.
Sight black, I will agree carbide is the best but I used the spray stuff for years.
It's important to have some rain gear, I's done now spending wet money from NRA week at Perry last year. But a large garbage bag will work in a pinch, and a large zip lock bag will keep your score sheet and data book dry.
Spare parts and tools. I carry some spare parts which in most cases will get a rifle back into the game as long as it's simple. I did have to replace a trigger in my AR once and I did have a spare with me that day.......go figure.
Bottleshooter22, the thing to do is find a match, grab your rifle and go shoot it. We all started out the same way, not knowing much, or couldn't hit the barn door, even throwing a few in the dirt. High Power shooters are a great bunch of guys and will bend over backwards helping out the new guy.....if he is willing to listen. Most High Power shooters will share what they have with the expectation the new guy does the same when he, now the veteran, is helping the new guy. I've worked on rifles, handed over some good brass and gun parts, loaded ammo at no cost, set up slings, coached and even loaned expensive match tuned rifles, etc to get guys on the line all because thats what the expirenced shooters did for me when I first started out.