I have been shooting field target for about two years now with mediocre success and wonder what I should be doing during warmup before a match. I usually practice the evening before a match to check my zero and test my numbers (I shoot open pcp). Then before the match I will shoot at some of the spinners at 30 yards (my zero distance) and if I hit more than miss I'll stop, usually about 20 pellets. This is not really working for me since I shot a miserable score at the last match and am just over a fifty per cent shooter. I have my scope distances marked well, and I have my elevation adjustments pretty solid, but I can't seem to put it all together at match time. There are paper targets set at different distances at sight-in so should I be checking my elevation and windage with these and adjust them? Sorry if these are basic questions, but I would like to improve!
All of the comments by Cameron are good, except one......Do not make any adjustments to your scope unless you are shooting at an altitude significantly different then the one where you sighted in your rifle.I remember a few years ago I was shooting with the gang at Ione (just before we met up with Cameron). I was shooting the TX200.Forgetting that Ione ALWAYS has unpredictable winds, during the sight-in period, I made some adjustments to my scope. This resulted in the printed Chairgun data I had becoming useless.50 shot course....I scored 9Immediately after the match I checked my zero and returned the scope knobs to zero (Hawke Sidewinder).Four of us, including the current reining National Hunter FT Champion and the reining National Opening FT Champion (at that time) decided to do some plinking at 75 yards or so, at some silhouette chickens.I went first. I had no drop data for 75 yards so I just held up a bit.Down she went. One of the match directors commented, “Score a 9 and then drop your first chicken at 75 yards???”It was fluke?Nope did it again.The moral of this story?Trust your data.Do not make any changes (unless you are at a significantly different altitude).Believe in yourself..Good luck..Doves tomorrow..
I've got a budget setup--Maximus with Tac Vector 10-40-x50. I get my click numbers from shooting targets with horizontal lines at different distances--every 5 yards from 15-55 and then a couple of distances between 10 and 15. I don't use a harness. I get my data and zero from using a shooting bag on the bench--should I get them from my shooting position instead? And if I am warming up before a match and notice that my windage is off, should I adjust or go with what I have practiced with the day before? Thanks!
At 25 yards I get half-inch groups and probably just over one inch at 55 yards. I probably spend too much time shooting off the bench and not enough time sitting.
Thanks for all the good advice.