While we’re on this topic, I have to ask. What point should I need to get to before I can start feeling comfortable with my shooting? In other words, how small of a group should I be hitting at different yards, say, 10, 25, 50 and 100 with open sights? Supported? Unsupported? Rapid fire? Lining up my shots and taking my time? I hear of people shooting 1" groups at 100 yards. Is this likely? Is this something I should shoot for? (no pun intended)
You need to ask yourself what kind of shooting task you want to use this weapon for?
-Self defense is a whole different mindset then target shooting. It looks like the carbine that you have is set-up more as a fighting weapon then a bench gun.
-Bench rest; I get board just sitting and punching the center out of a target. Small tight groups work the best I guess. I’ve got a 20" A2 for this and it just stays in the safe.
- Action 3 gun type shooting… I’d love to learn more about and give it try.
On the comfort question; I think a lot will have to do with time spent behind the trigger in different situations. Learning to run the weapon will go a long way in making you feel more confident in your shooting.
One of the best ways to grow as a shooter is to shoot with people that are better than you.
If you shoot by yourself all the time, you are always the best and worst shooter on the range. Not much room for growth.
Shooting with other people in the style of your choosing will provide you with a referance point. I make it a habit to use a shot timer during training. The timer don’t lie.
Like stated before, it really depends on what you are doing. 1/2" groups and a benchrest competition won’t get you the time of day. 1/2" groups in a 3-gun type competition at ANY range will make you a legend.
In short, if you are using this weapon for fun, then go for the best you can do. The gun itself is capable of 1-2.5MOA with decent “cheap” ammo. Try to get there. If you can’t do a 2" group all contorted around, prone, with one leg draped over a stump shooting at 100m, its all good, but try for it and then accept what you get and strive to do better.
If you are using this weapon purely for self defence, then if you can keep them on a 9" paper plate like the poster at the bottom of the 1st page, ur G2G (unless you are a SWAT tactical marksman, but a carbine AR isnt really what they use, so I assume that is not the case here).
Whatever you do, don’t get so caught up doing it that you don’t have fun. I used to shoot with a guy who if he couldn’t drill out the X he got all upset. Went through 3 handguns in less than that many months because “They didn’t work for him” (G32, HKUSP, now a G17). He had a bad time almost every range visit. Don’t take it to that extreme. Just have fun and always strive to do better.
I’m not so concerned about being able to shoot a 1" group at 1939013 yards (that was sarcastic of course). Of course I wouldn’t mind being able to shoot a tight group (id be happy with a 3" group at 100 yards from the prone position), but Im more interested in the self defense aspect of it all. When I start getting better, and I make some more target stands, and buy a nice safariland tactical holster for my XD or a MOLLE vest, I want to make up tactical scenarios that integrate switching between Rifle and Sidearm, reloading, dropping to one knee, going prone, shooting while moving, using cover and concealment…etc. I think I probably want to start 50 yards from the target/s, and move closer while being timed, stopping at different points to shoot assigned targets for an assigned amount of rounds in an assigned position (etc), finally finishing at around 5-10 yards, more than likely with a sidearm.
If you are working on tactical/practical type shooting then start out with acheiveable exercises and work your way up.
If you can keep your first shot inside of a 5" circle at 50 yds within 1-2 seconds of shouldering the weapon in the standing (offhand) position, you are doing alright.
Take some air filled water balloons to the range, and put them at 50 yds. Since they are air filled they will dance around a bit if there is a breeze. Blown up they should be between 4-6" in diameter. They are cheap, and you know when you hit them. Just clean up your mess when you’re done, so the range won’t look like a dump.
Get a good stance and bring the rifle to the shoulder and shoot one shot as soon as you have a good sight picture. See how many times it takes you to shoulder the weapon and fire a single shot before you are consistantly hitting the balloons. Then move the balloons out to 75 yds, then 100.
The idea is to get accurate first shot speed, and build muscle memory.
Then move ballons back to 50 yds and try hitting two ballons with two shots only. Then try different targets of a similar size and try double tapping a single target.
Good advice. Never thought of using balloons. Ill definately give that a try. I need to get a measuring wheel to be honest so I can measure out some accurate yardage.
As for cleaning up my mess, I don’t think my range could be any more cluttered. You can tell that hundreds of people have been out there shooting. Ive thought about cleaning it up too, because it really is a nice place to shoot, but thats A LOT of work, and it would just get messed up again because of all the idiots that go out there.
The range I go to a lot is a public range and it gets trashed all the time also. I usually will spend an extra half hour or so when I am done shooting just cleaning up one part of it with the idea of at least leaving it cleaner than I found it.
I figure if the range gets trashed too often, the rangers will just shut it down.