Below are some Q&A for new Members – please read for your knowledge at the club. These notes were taken while a New Member was being trained as a new shooter – hopefully this will assist other new members as well.
Q: What gear/equipment would I need to consider getting to get if I am making this my hobby/sport? (without an FAC as of yet)
A: There are a few things that will help you during your Shooting Sessions with club rifles, as well as when you will get your FAC. First personal items to consider are as follows:
- Ear defenders, the club have some, but given the personal nature and options, you may want to get your own.
- Rifle Rest/Sand bags, the club has generic items available at the range, however, if you want to define your comfort and control your crosshairs to be stable and want better groupings, coming up with your own solutions is very important.
- A gear bag. Sounds pretty obvious, yet, to be consistent in improving your accuracy, it relies on repeatability and improvement which requires reliability of your gear to be with you. B&Q have neat tool bags, it can come in at a lower cost and is a robust alternative, with lots of pockets with a very HD material.
- Ammunition box, found at army surplus stores and on eBay.
- Target stickers, from happy round faces to crosshairs, the more you make the bullseye stand out the better. They have to be paper based, sizes will vary by distance and preference.
- Eye protection, if you don’t wear shatterproof glasses the .22 semi-automatics will bounce hot shell cases against the partition walls back at you. Don’t think it won’t happen to you…as I found out.
A helpful blog on gear: What’s in my Gear Bag.
How to get a Club Rifle
- Only a club Armourer can access the club rifles – Christian Behier, Rob Gray, Wayne Lancaster and Karl Milsom – They are RSO (Range Safety Officers), ask the Range officer on duty if they can reach them.
- You have to “check out” and “check back in” the rifle of choice, and declare the ammunition consumed. You will note the various books to fill out, it is a procedure that is audited by South Wales Police. Make sure you keep up the Shooting record of attendance/Calibre every time you shoot.
Optional items:
- Bore lasers at different calibers you intend to be shooting at (.223, .308, etc). This will help you to see if the scope is in the vicinity of the barrel direction when and if you zero a scope. Club rifles should be zeroed already, but members might just tweak it slightly and this may just confirm why your grouping is not on the bullseye. They are cheap on eBay, and will help you diagnose your aim.
- Spotting scope with a large magnification, 45x will help see bullet holes at 100m/100yds. It is important to see if you are hitting your target, and not someone else’s, and if your aim is working as it should. The club has invested into new rifle scopes, to which seeing at 50m targets and holes should be seen clearly.
Closer to getting your FAC:
- Rifle cleaning kit, and mat will help you to be prepared to service your rifle. Remember accuracy is based on a clean piece of equipment, as well as reliability. Additionally, study how to clean your rifle – Burnells videos on YouTube have a library of everything on rifles, cleaning, etc.
- Rifle bags might be too soon since they vary by length and height. Unless you are sure of your dimensions.
Q: What’s the deal with the refreshments and goodies on the table?
A: Folks bring cookies and cakes to share like it’s a small birthday? Yep! Goodies are on the table at all times, feel free to bring some, enjoy some, and have a cup of coffee/tea.
Q: What happens after I sign in arriving at the club?
A. For those without an FAC, asking the RCO a rifle, and get the appropriate ammunition you will need. Place the rifle on the rifle rest with the muzzle “facing up” just outside the range doors ready. Ensure that all safety is observed – flagged breech, magazine out pointing up. There are various brands and loads of ammunition. I suggest that you investigate what you buy, and stick to one brand/kind to lower the variability of the ammunition. Please note that some .22 rf rifles can be ammunition sensitive.
If you are an FAC license holder, make sure your rifle arrives in the appropriate bag/slip – breech open and flagged, magazine out and empty. Place your rifle in the rack after signing in with the magazine resting next to your rifle.
Q: How do I go about getting on the bench?
A: If you have the rifle and ammunition in hand, and the gate is open (red light on, beeping going off, doors to the range open) for targets to be placed, grab a spot (by putting your ammunition on the bench) for where your targets will be laid out. The left two benches are for the 25m/50m targets, the middle two are for 100m, the right two are for the 150m/200m for the most part (the rightmost benches can reach 100m as well).
Q: How to proceed to shoot?
A: After the siren goes off to make the tunnel clear, the beeping and red light turn off, the Range gate locked by the RCO, the airlock doors will then be closed and your ear defenders must be put on. At that time you can pick up your club rifle and sit down at your bench, ready to point the rifle down range. Load your ammunition in your magazine as need be, or have a round in hand to feed the bolt action. These steps will help you get on paper first until you hone your aim, load your round and get ready:
- Scope adjustment and compensation considerations: Adjust the reticle focus of the scope, the ring closest to your eye until it is clear. Adjust the zoom to your target, to the desired magnification. Shooting at 100m/100yds on some scopes you will need to adjust your parallax to see the target clearly. Also at 100m/100yds plus adjust your elevation turret as needed (get advice if you are unsure) to compensated for ballistic drop.
- Get comfortable – get your position in place, sandbags and all to be able to rest your rifle so as to see the target clearly, and not wobble all of the place.
- Your trigger grip – don’t hold the rifle with a death grip, the rifle will need to be allowed to recoil straight into your shoulder. Slight pressure pulling back into your shoulder is needed to ensure no gap between the butt and the shoulder pocket exists, and to help guide the recoil straight back.
- Breathing – yes, you need to keep oxygen going to the brain, knowing that when you pull the trigger the rifle will go off. Keep your breathing smooth and steady, and zone out all other distractions.
- Your aiming eye to stay open when you fire. It is a reflex, but you have to fight it as you closing the eye as you shoot will lose your aim. Keeping your eye open will see the rifle recoil, keeping it on target best you can post the trigger shot is important.
- Squeezing the trigger without pulling the rifle anywhere but backwards. A light trigger makes it easier to do the squeeze. A heavier trigger pull will make you want to squeeze your trigger finger against the force of your thumb. Just be mindful of how you squeeze that trigger to keep consistent shots.
Q: What do I do if a round will misfire, or not eject properly?
A: Put the rifle down pointing down range with the breech OPEN, get the RCO to look at the issue, and let them make it safe for you. All misfired rounds are to be given to the RCO to be disposed of.
Q: What is real important in being a good and consistent shooter?
A: Like everything that defines success, you need 3 key elements – the right tools, the right materials and the right skill. As a new club member, skill will most likely require polishing up or developing. For that purpose, the tools are provided by the club via club rifles and mounted scopes. Just get your materials in order (ammunition) and you can get started.
It’s always best to start small and reach far. One can describe that developing your skill first before investing further is a good approach. When that skill develops to be consistent via lots of practice, then your knowledge will deepen and widen on what additional tools and ammunition that may help get you further toward your goals. Besides these 3 character ingredients, I would like to add enthusiasm, persistence and patience. Those three will help you overcome obstacles in the previous success elements.
Q: What calibers should I be aiming for, using and trying?
A: With rim fires and centre fires ammunition, prices will vary greatly depending on your budget and rifle choices. The club have a set of rifles ranging from .17HMR, 22LR, .223/5.56NATO, .308, etc. There are various areas to practice your form and become proficient, and here are some pointers to consider while waiting for your FAC. The recommendation is to start small, and near first. Then grow from there – like a 22LR and 25/50m targets, then reach 100m with a .223, and grow further.
As your skill develops, progress through these distance stages:
- Learning to hit a bullseye: While it may be obvious for pointing and shorting, it takes steps to get there in a repeatable fashion. A smaller caliber gives you two advantages – low recoil, and cheap ammo. However, the distance would be the trade-off, yet, you are just getting used to hitting that bullseye so distance just makes it more challenging. Starting with a 22LR Bolt Action (rim fire ammunition) is a good place to get started. You get used to the scope at 25m then 50m, you work on your needs described above on your gear, and what makes you comfortable in being reliable to deliver the bullet to the bullseye. Aim for the bullseye, and focus on your grouping. If the grouping is not on the bullseye, then see how to adjust the scope (see below on how to zero it).
- The 100m/100Yrd standard: When you feel that your aim and technique are in a reliable and repeatable stage, then it takes less ammunition to start hitting longer distances, and now can experience various other rifles and ammunition more efficiently/cost-effectively. While it is by no means a rule to use different rifles at 25m/50m growing your experience based is usually a natural growth step. What’s key is being able to recognize your abilities with the tools available to you. The rifle, the scope (ability to see clearly the target), the ammunition choice (different loads and bullets for the same caliber), your rifle stand/sandbags and your form. With these in mind, try to achieve consistency, recommending that staying with one consistent ammunition to improve your results as you mature your form and aim. Also, if you are using the club rifles, checking the scope’s zero is a must (I do this at the start of a session in hitting a few rounds at a warm-up target at 50m, and 100m before applying myself on the target intended). A .223 will be comfortable at 50m/100m and at 150m ballistic drop will start to be felt.
- The 150m/200m’s: When your form is tuned to the rifle(s) being used, the distance being the variable to challenge you, continuing to practice and learn at those distances will get you closer to being a consistent target shooter. However, now you need to start compensating for gravity by using the scope’s elevation turret noting to ensure you know where Zero is so as to reset it when you are done.
Q: What should I study?
A: Know your equipment is my motto. Here are the key areas to study:
- Your scope – When you purchase one for your first rifle, understand the adjustments on it (Focus, MOA vs. MRAD, Windage and Elevation, Parallax adjustment, Zero on a scope – if you can’t see the target clearly, you won’t hit it consistently!!). It is not enough to zoom on a target, you have to get the reticle to focus, and then if the target is far, use the parallax to focus. Then account for elevation and windage. In a tunnel, there is no compensation for windage, so it is great to zero in your scope.
- Your rifle – Being a club rifle in most cases if you are getting your FAC, get to know all the parts and their names. From a bolt action, semi-automatic, and other variations and options. I find it useful to know what you like and don’t like in a rifle – this helps to understand what you will enjoy best, and what setup you will end up aiming for.
- Ammunition – Comes in various grains and bullet weights/types. Studying what is available by mass manufacturers, and what may be an option to reload with (a future hobby for some), the variations are massive – delivering very different results. Additionally, manufacturers have their ammunition listed on their websites, including velocity charts and ballistic drop measurements which help you get a starting point in hitting distant targets. Knowledge of the equipment will not only re-in force safety but also give you the tools in making good judgment calls on being able to hit the target reliably and with greater precision.
Q: How often should I be attending?
A: As often as you like, you may shoot in the morning and if you like you can return and shoot later in the day.
Q: How to go about cleaning a rifle?
A: The bench is provided in the shop area, keep the rifle pointed to the wall. Cleaning rods are available in the Club-gun armoury. Keeping a clean rifle gives better cycling of the action, and reliability at the bench.
