High Power Competition with a U.S. Rifle .30cal

Various articles on HP shooting.

High Power Competition with a US Rifle .30 cal

("Dub," Fall, 2005)

Back in the glory years of High Power rifle competition, when campaign hats were in high fashion and polish was being applied to boots the M1 and M14 service rifles ruled the line at Camp Perry. National Match type rifles were the norm as was the good old M72 and M852 NM issued ammo. As sad as it is to say; those days are long gone. It’s seems that the M16 and its variants have replaced the “BIG GUN” on the firing line. The kinder, gentler, easier shooting rifles have finally come into their own as a service rifle for competition. With the advent of the 80 gr Sierra bullet the Mouse Gun is hard to beat. Before you start wondering if this is an article about the M16 and why they are better as a service rifle I must confess that it is not. I shoot the M1 in .30cal (that’s 30/06 for you new guys) in NRA and CMP HP competition. The .30cal and 7.62 M1 and M14 require solid positions built with solid bone support and a firm grip. With the advent of the CMP Garand and Sringfield matches there has been resurgence in the .30 cal rifle and their use in HP competition. So before you even start thinking about what is the best load for your new rifle lets talk about the course of fire and its positions.

The first “Match” is the offhand match and it is ten rounds in ten minutes with a three minute prep time and two minutes for two sighting shots. The offhand position is a little different with a “Big Gun” in that you have to hold the rifle. Do not try to fire the M1/M14 or a 1903 like you see guys firing the AR. Doing so will result in a busted head or a dropped rifle. You must grip the rifle with your trigger hand like you are giving your friend a firm hand shake and then place the butt of the rifle onto your shoulder. Place it high enough so that if you were standing behind yourself you could see a little of the butt plate above your shoulder when you move your right arm up to 90* or a little more above your shoulder. The right arm being held up into a higher than normal position creates a pocket for the rifle to set in as the trigger hand should be pulling back on the rifle to make a nice snug fit into your shoulder. Once you have the right or trigger hand and arm figured out you place your left hand out under the lower band or somewhere close to the balance point of the rifle. The left hand really should only used to aim the rifle as the trigger hand has most of the weight held by pulling the rifle back into the shoulder. As you mount the rifle take a normal breath in and then let it out about a normal amount. The best shots will come at about 3-7 seconds after the breath has been cut off. After that amount of time the eyes will start to blur and the hands start to shake. Line the sights up and place the front post over the target. If you need to adjust your natural point of aim do so by moving you rear foot to the front or to the back like a pivot. This will move the muzzle either right or left. Switch your focus to the front sight and squeeze the trigger when the post is in the middle of the target or just under it if you shoot 6:00 hold. You must focus on the front sight when you break the shot. That’s all there is to it.

The next “Match” is the 200 yard rapid fire match, standing to sitting ten shots in 60 seconds and it has a three minute prep period so you can set up your gear and get into position as well. After the three minute prep period you will be allowed to fire two sighting shots in two minutes. Once the sighter shots are fired it will be time to stand. On the command load you will load two or five rounds (two with the M1/M14 and five with the Springfield) When you hear “All ready on the firing line” you should be looking at your target and when you see it move you can drop into position. The position is what we are focusing on. Most fellows who shoot the .30 tend to shoot a crossed ankle position because it gets you a little more behind the rifle and allows for more contact with the legs and the pocket that the right leg makes. To set up for the sitting position you first must place your butt at about a 45* angle to the face of the target. Then cross your left ankle over the right ankle, rotate them down until they are flat with your right ankle ending up on the ground. To do so you will have to bring your legs back closer to your body. After getting your legs bent up into a semi Indian style position place your sling high up on your left arm up above the bicep just below your arm pit, this is key to a good sitting position with a .30 cal. Place your left arm just below your left knee down onto your shin so that the two flat spots meet up. Grab the pistol grip with your right hand with the firm handshake grip and then rotate your arm down so that the right elbow sits into the pocket made by your leg being folded up. Make sure that the rifle is directly over left forearm (straight up) this provides the good solid position when the firing starts you will be pushed out of position and your shots will go every where except where you want them to go. Getting the sling tight enough and having good trigger control is very important as well. When you fire your sights should rise above the target and then settle back down onto the target for the next shot. In sitting you will fire two shots and then reload with eight for a M1 and five & five with a bolt gun. Just remember that natural point of aim is very important with the .30

After the Offhand and the 200yard Rapid stages of the “Match” the next stage is the 300 prone rapid. You will have 70 seconds to fire ten rounds from standing to prone. Two and eight just like the sitting. In the prone position you should think of yourself as a artillery field cannon, your legs should be splayed out like the legs on a cannon and feet bearing on the ground. Some guys go as far as digging the toes of their boots into the ground to push against the recoil. Again place the sling very high on the arm adjust it so that you have to push the rifle into your shoulder. Your left arm should be under the rifle. You hold the rifle by the V formed by the thumb and your first finger so that the rifle rest across the heel of your hand (a mitt is really helpful) and the sling lays flat on the back of your hand. Your legs can be anywhere from straight out to 30* out to your left side to form an angle. A slight angle seems to work as does the straight away method. Some shooters prefer the cocked leg method but, I still like the splayed leg and I think it helps a little on the recoil. Grab the pistol grip with the firm hand shake and rotate your arm down onto the mat. Your elbows will move around if you do not have a good position and this causes the rifle to move around in your shoulder. Having the sling tight and taking your time on the shots will help your score. Rapid fire is ten shots fired as fast as you can fire them accurately.

The last “Match” or stage of the event is the slow fire prone and it’s basically the same as the rapid prone except for that the shots are fired one at a time and there is a total of twenty two at a distance of 600 yards. Wind is a factor and it pays to know how your bullets perform at 600 yards (not all loads are equal). You can loosen up your sling a notch when in slow fire if you feel the need and it does make getting into and out of the rifle easier, but the same rules apply as far as holding the rifle with the “V” and gripping the pistol grip with the firm hand shake.

There are several good books and videos on the .30 cal rifle and how to shoot it. The ones that come to mind are: How to shoot the US Rifle by the Infantry Journal and the M1 Basic Marksmanship Videos that Champions Choice sells are really great. I want to say that the .30 is harder to shoot that the AR but, High Power is a game and you should shoot what you like and shoot what ever makes the “GAME” fun. I do not mean to imply that the AR is a fast way to a Distinguished Badge or even a Master or High Master Card from the NRA. It’s just that the .30/7.62 cal guns are harder to hold still in the rapids and they present more of a challenge and they make the game fun for me.

Using a Data Book in Highpower Rifle Competition

(Kunz 15 June 04)

Some highpower rifle competitors keep a data book, but many do not. There are significant advantages to using a data book as an aid to improving performance, but like everything else, there is an optimum approach to utilizing the tool. Many suppliers and competitors refer to the data book as a score book which implies just a book for recording scores, but it really is much more and is more correctly called a data book. One year I enrolled juniors in the Marine Corps Highpower Rifle Clinic at the National Matches at Camp Perry. The clinic consisted of classroom instruction as well as live fire instruction. It was excellent training and one subject covered was the use of the data book. The instructor, Sgt Roxsborough, stressed that it was a “data book”, not a score book. I will describe the use of and the advantages of the data book as it applies to highpower rifle competition. There are probably ways to adapt this information to other shooting disciplines.

Be sure to record and plot every round fired and enter all the data indicated in the data book; temperature, light conditions, light direction, wind direction, wind speed, etc. If you record all the data, you will have the opportunity to analyze the data after the match or practice firing and convert the data into useful information. For example, does you data indicate a change in you elevation zero for different light conditions or light direction? We have all heard “light up, sights up: light down, sights down.” But, light does not affect all shooters the same. Let the data provide the information as to how light changes affect you, if at all. You can learn a lot by the analysis of your group size, location, shape, outliers, etc. You can detect breathing errors, improper focus, poor trigger control, sight misalignment, dragging wood, anticipating recoil and more. Even if you are not experienced enough to analyze the data, if you record it, you can get help from a coach or experienced shooter who can. Record the information from analysis of the data from the data book in the shooting diary. Then you can plan a course of action to deal with any problems you detect. The data book and the shooting diary work together. I have described the shooting diary and how to use it in another write-up. The data book and the shooting diary are companion tools; they work together and support each other.

A significant benefit to keeping a data book is the establishment of no wind zeros for each stage of fire. Having a good estimate of your no wind zero is critical to keeping your groups centered on the target. Plotting your shots and recording sight settings in the data book allows you to obtain an estimate of your no wind zero. The more data you have, the better that estimate will be. Estimating your no wind zero is a three step process; first, record the zero you will use to shoot your slow fire stage or rapid fire string, second, after you have fired your stage or string, look at the actual location of the center of the group and write down the sight setting that would have centered your group, and third, subtract your estimate of the value of the wind while you were shooting from the zero that would have centered your group. This gives you an estimate of your no wind zero for that stage. Put these three zeroes in a specific location, each time, on each page of your data book. This procedure will provide you with an estimate of your no wind zero each time you shoot a slow fire stage or rapid fire string. Then it is easy to look back and see what you have judged your no wind zero for that stage to be for some historical period of time. Do not expect your estimates of you no wind zero to be exactly the same each time, but you will be developing historical data and will be able to average this data and after a few data points, you will be very close. This is a tremendous advantage, and in fact is a must for matches that do not allow sighters. For matches without sighters (i.e. leg matches) you must do two things right to get a well centered group; have a good no wind zero, and accurately estimate the value of the wind.

Plotting your shots during slow fire will alert you if your shots are forming a group that is not centered. This will allow you to recognize that your shots are building up in an area that is not centered and will give you an opportunity to make a sight correction during the stage and save points. Many shooters will not take the time to plot their shots during slow fire; they think that if they use the time to plot their shots, they will be rushed to fire all their record shots within the allotted time. This will not be a concern if you learn to use the “shot behind” method for plotting shots in your data book. The “shot behind” procedure is as follows: when your target comes up with your shot value and location spotted, do not enter it in your data book at that time. Put that shot value and location “in your head”, and then shoot your next shot. While your target is in the pits, plot the previous shot that is “in your head”. Also, enter any sigh changes you made for the previous shot. Then get ready for your next shot. Look thru the scope, check the wind for any changes and watch for your target to come up. When the target comes up, put the new shot “in your head” replacing the previous one, make any necessary sight changes, then proceed to shoot the next shot. This way you are making entries in the data book while your target is in the pits and you are prepared to shoot your next shot as soon as your target comes up. An aid to putting the shot “in your head” is to actually “call out” the shot value and location to yourself. This is one of those things that sound more difficult than it is; try it a couple of times and you will be surprised at how easy it is to learn.

For rapid fire, write the sight setting down in the data book that you used for both sighters before you shoot the string. Many people do not shoot their sighters in the same location as their rapid fire string, so recording the history of the sight settings for your sighters will allow you to understand how to make adjustments for rapid fire from your sighters. For many competitors, this means using sighters for wind adjustment but not elevation. Again, as in slow fire, you should record three zeros for each rapid fire string; the zero you actually shot the string with, the zero that would have centered your group and your estimate of your no wind zero based on that string. While firing the string, make a mental note of any shots that are called outside of the group and immediately after firing the string, plot these erratic calls while the targets are in the pits. When the target comes up with scores and groups plotted, plot all visible hits and enter the score. Analyze the results, considering any erratic calls, and make any necessary changes for the second string.

Fill out the data book as much as possible before going to the range. Look over the historical data and determine your best estimate of your no wind zero for each stage of fire and write it on the page you will be using in the match. This will allow you to determine the no wind sight setting you will use when you are not rushed, and there are no distractions, rather than making a hasty decision at the match. With this critical step accomplished ahead of time, the only decision you have to make at the match, relative to your sight setting, is to decide what the wind is worth. Then add your estimate of the value of the wind to the no wind zero you have recorded in the book and put it on the gun. Also, enter any other specific information you will want to refer to such as sling position, hand position, the sight picture you plan to use, etc. Enter the date, location of match, ammo, and any other information that you know prior to the match. Time is at a premium during competition, so any thing you can do before you go to the range will help with time management. You will also be making critical decisions when you are not rushed and distracted. Many people wait until their preparation time and rush these critical decisions. Do all of this before the preparation time begins so you can use the preparation time for getting your natural point of aim and dry firing; proper use of the data book can help you make the best use of your preparation time.

The data book does not have a lot of room for notes. That is ok since you do not have a lot of time to write notes in the data book during the match, anyway. You can, and should, write down a word or phrase that will remind you of something you need to remember for future reference. This will help you expand and add details and make an entry into your shooting diary when time permits. Remember, the data book and shooting diary are companion tools that work together.

The data book is a good place to keep your “gun log.” A gun log is a record of the number of rounds fired, maintenance records, configuration changes, etc. Keep a separate data book with a gun log for each rifle you shoot in competition. Start a new book each time you have a rifle re-barreled. This will let you keep up with how many rounds you have fired thru the barrel and let you know when to have a new barrel installed before your groups tell you. Your data book gun log will allow you to keep up with how many rounds since you last cleaned you gas system or disassembled and cleaned the gun. I keep this data on the inside of the data book cover page. Some data books have pre-printed pages for the gun log.

The Army Marksmanship Unit (AMU) training manual states that “instruction in the use of the [data book] must be given prior to firing any rounds in zeroing, practice or competition” and that “…the use of the [data book] is a vital part of the training of the competitive shooter.” The manual further states, “The most competent rifleman would not be able to consistently hit the center of the target if he were unable to analyze his performance, or if he had no record of his performance or of the conditions that affect his firing.” The AMU and the Marine Rifle Team members are some of the most competent marksmen in the world, so I think we can all appreciate their opinion that the proper use of the data book is essential to achieving completive proficiency in highpower rifle competition. A data book will help expedite the new shooter to move from the marksman class to the sharpshooter class and on to the expert class. Many master and high master class shooters do not use a data book, with their shooting experience they think they have most of the data in their head, but I believe even the higher class shooters would benefit from the discipline of using the data book in conjunction with a shooting diary.

The Shooting Dairy

(Kunz June 14, 2004)

Competitors participating in the competitive shooting sports are continually trying to improve their performance in competition. For the most part, this consists of practice sessions and participation in competition. Many competitors supplement their live fire training with non-firing practice sessions, reading articles, manuals and books on their shooting sport as well as discussing the sport with other competitors. This can be a lifetime pursuit of continuous improvement that results in periods of improvements but there are also plateaus or regression in performance at other times. The shooting diary is a tool that will enhance the periods of improvement as well as provide help in overcoming the plateaus and minimizing regression. The shooting diary is an excellent tool that will help the competitive shooter achieve continuous improvement and achieve his shooting goals. Just as a scientist must keep written records of his laboratory experiments, the completive shooter will benefit from keeping written records of his efforts. I will provide some general description of the use of this tool that anyone in the competitive shooting sports can utilize to improve performance. The diary concept can also be adapted to other activities such as hunting, fishing, golf, etc.

A shooting diary does not have to be anything fancy. Any small note book that can be kept handy that is quick and easy to use will work fine. I use a surveys field manual. It is rugged, compact and does not take up a lot of room with my shooting gear.

Competitive shooters learn every time they go to the range. The challenge is to take advantage of what is learned and any new ideas for improvement from each shooting experience and include them in future shooting activities. The most effective method is to write things down so that they can be referred to and acted on later. If experience and ideas are not written down, many times they are forgotten or lost from our memory. This may result in our repeating the same mistakes in the future or a lost opportunity to improve. As with many things in life, if it is not documented, it did not happen.

In most competitive shooting events, management of time and concentration on performance does not leave a lot of time to write down experience and thoughts, but this is when our experience and ideas are fresh and sharp in out mind. As soon as possible, after the shooting experience, write down things that went well and also those things that did not go well. Try to understand both, where performance is improving as well as where it is not improving, and why. Write down what things you should do and what you should do different the next time you practice or compete. Document the position, technique or equipment changes that need to be made for the next shooting event while it is fresh on your mind. Be complete and specific. The sooner you do this after the shooting event the better. Any time you think of something you want to remember and act on, you should write it down and the sooner the better.

Many competitors keep what is referred to as a “score book” or “data book” where they record scores, plot shots or groups and enter other important data (sight settings, ammo or reload, weather conditions, etc.).The data book too is a very beneficial aid to improving performance. The data book and the shooting diary work together. The data book and the shooting diary are companion tools; they work together and support each other. I have described the use of the data book in another write up. The data book has limited space for notes and information. If you use a data book, enter as much data as you have time and space for. Just a key word or phrase is sometimes enough to serve as a reminder that can be expanded into a more complete record in the diary as soon as time will permit.

The act of writing in the diary, similar to discussions with others, increases the shooters awareness and concentration on performance and recording it makes it permanent for future reference. Be sure to include the date and other pertinent information. Notes taken on the range during the match may be brief by necessity, but can be expanded on later. But, do it as soon as possible to avoid forgetting the important details. The shooting diary is also a convenient place to write down other information you would like to save (names of new competitors you meet, directions to the range, special range features that influence conditions, motels, restaurants, etc.).

The shooting diary should establish a baseline with detailed descriptions of positions, equipment and techniques from which controlled experiments can be conducted; a change is tried and compared against the baseline and evaluated. If the change is judged to be an improvement in performance, it is adopted into the baseline (that is, the baseline is revised to include the change) and a new baseline with improved performance results. If the change is judged not to improve performance, it is discarded and the baseline is not changed. Just as important, the change is documented as having been tried and rejected and time is not wasted trying the same thing in the future (because we may forget that we have already tried it). Make and evaluate one change at a time, this is a key element of the proven procedure of scientific investigation call the scientific method.

Occasionally, review the information you have recorded in the diary over a period of time to see if there are any repeats or patterns (lessons learned) that you can take advantage of. One year at Camp Perry it seemed like my groups were low compared to my historical zeros. I entered this observation in my diary and the next year I was able to compensate based on this information and it helped me pick up a few points that otherwise I would have lost.

So, if you are not using a shooting diary to help with your continuous improvement in your shooting discipline, start today. Both new shooters as well as experienced competitors will benefit from keeping a shooting diary. If you are not a competitive shooter, but enjoy one of the many other shooting activities; consider adapting and tailoring the shooting diary concept to your activity to improve performance. If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you always got.