Things to keep in mind as I work on rifle skills.

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  • Bobby

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    Hello all,
    I have been shooting handguns for the last 12 years. While I am not an expert, I am happy with how that is coming along. My rifle skills, though, are non-existent. I have a Ruger 10/22 that I play around with but today I set up a 8x8 steel target and plan to work on my rifle skills. I find that I can consistently hit the steel target with my Ruger equipped with iron sights at 50 yards but struggle once I go up to 75. What size steel targets should I have use? Smaller than 8x8 or larger? What distances should I work up to with iron sights? What about red dots? What is a good distance with them? I can't stand scopes and anyway I don't have a use for them at the moment as I work on my skills.

    My family has AR15s but I don't care for them for some reason. I had a Crossman BB gun as a kid so the Ruger 10/22 feels like an old friend. I would like to work up to a Ruger Mini 14 and a M1 Garand some day. Those rifles just feel "right" to me compared to the AR15.

    I'll do some reading on the Internet but wanted to throw this post out there if anyone wanted to offer input. Thanks all!

    Bobby
     

    natdscott

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    You need a class, not Internet advice. There is no substitute.

    The software is to the hardware as 3 is to 1.
    The internet IS a giant class, in a way.

    OP: start shooting 50 rounds a day at that steel. Every day. When you cannot miss it at a given range, move back 10 yards, and start again. When you get to 100 yards, and you cannot miss it anymore, then get a 4” plate, and start again at 60 yards.

    If you get to where you can hit that plate most all the time at 100 yards, well, ya won’t have to take any **** from anybody on this forum—or any othet one—that’s for sure.
     

    Tombs

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    The internet IS a giant class, in a way.

    OP: start shooting 50 rounds a day at that steel. Every day. When you cannot miss it at a given range, move back 10 yards, and start again. When you get to 100 yards, and you cannot miss it anymore, then get a 4” plate, and start again at 60 yards.

    If you get to where you can hit that plate most all the time at 100 yards, well, ya won’t have to take any **** from anybody on this forum—or any othet one—that’s for sure.


    If your fundamentals aren't right and you have no real aim to your practice beyond practicing bad habits, that practice is more harm than good.
     

    Ggreen

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    You are starting out with the wrong mindset. The mini is an inferior semi auto across the board. They are poor rifles for building skill because they are not capable of maintaining accuracy and reliability. Flame on, but I've yet to see a mini shoot better than 2moa in person.

    Garands are neat, but mostly irrelevant in practical terms. I wont discount the cool factor and you will learn real skills laying behind one. It's an expensive path.

    Keep working that 1022. Paint your steel white and put a 1x1 piece of tape in the center to give you a group reference.

    And definitely take a Revere's Riders course.
     

    DadSmith

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    Are you shooting from a rest?
    Also what distance did you sight in your 10/22?
    If you sighted it in at 25 yards it will drop around 4-5" at 75 yard and around 10" at 100. This depends on the ammunition and range you have it shot in at. I'm just trying to give you a general overview. You might be aiming to low at 75 yards.
     

    Twangbanger

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    Hello all,
    I have been shooting handguns for the last 12 years. While I am not an expert, I am happy with how that is coming along. My rifle skills, though, are non-existent. I have a Ruger 10/22 that I play around with but today I set up a 8x8 steel target and plan to work on my rifle skills. I find that I can consistently hit the steel target with my Ruger equipped with iron sights at 50 yards but struggle once I go up to 75. What size steel targets should I have use? Smaller than 8x8 or larger? What distances should I work up to with iron sights? What about red dots? What is a good distance with them? I can't stand scopes and anyway I don't have a use for them at the moment as I work on my skills.

    My family has AR15s but I don't care for them for some reason. I had a Crossman BB gun as a kid so the Ruger 10/22 feels like an old friend. I would like to work up to a Ruger Mini 14 and a M1 Garand some day. Those rifles just feel "right" to me compared to the AR15.

    I'll do some reading on the Internet but wanted to throw this post out there if anyone wanted to offer input. Thanks all!

    Bobby

    Just curious what your reasoning is behind the statement in bold. It's good to be proficient with both types of sighting systems, but you might wish to analyze having an excessive antipathy towards one which is not based in anything solid. In the real world, rifle shooting is a scope game. If you have no use for a scope, that's fine for now and your feelings may change, but just be aware you're placing a self-imposed limit. Most rifles can shoot better than the shooter can see, much less shoot. Even the crappiest surplus centerfire rifle is usually capable of holding a group at distance the average person would be challenged to see or hold. "Seeing better" is key to opening up what a rifle can really do. Keep an open mind.

    As you may have also found with handgun shooting, putting an optic on top of it opens up a whole new way to see your shooting, and can teach you things you weren't necessarily able to see with irons. In the beginning, a scope confronts you with a lot of "movement" you weren't able to see before, which is a challenge. But if you push through this, you learn the important skills of 1) how to properly manage this apparent movement, and 2) how much importance you need to assign, or not assign, to it in the process of executing a shot. Being able to bear down and confidently squeeze off a shot within your wobble zone, when you can see all that movement, and have it hit the plate shows you how much movement you can tolerate. It is more than you think, and most people are surprised by it when they begin to focus on it.

    Also, Revere's Riders would be an excellent introduction. It is an immersive weekend, and you would come out of it enlightened, and will have been exposed to pretty much the entire project of rifle shooting.
     
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    Hawkeye7br

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    OP offered little to no info about shooting position, fit of rifle, trigger pull, ability to see the target (no scope), etc. All the things that an experienced shooter or competitor would address in the first 30 minutes. Just hooking up with an experienced shooter would be a huge jump start, and any class or coaching would improved skills. Otherwise, as noted above, he's just practicing bad habits.
     

    MCgrease08

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    As others have said, I can't recommend a Revere's Riders 2 day basic rifle class enough. I have taken it three times (twice with 10/22 and once with an AR). I learn something new every time.

    I went into my first class with very little rifle experience. But you'll learn about things like sight picture, natural point of aim, how to zero your rifle, shooting positions; all kinds of things that are going to help you make help make you a better shooter.

    if you like iron sights and don't want to use a scope, then go with that. It's good to learn the fundamentals first.
     

    binkerton

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    You are starting out with the wrong mindset. The mini is an inferior semi auto across the board. They are poor rifles for building skill because they are not capable of maintaining accuracy and reliability. Flame on, but I've yet to see a mini shoot better than 2moa in person.

    Garands are neat, but mostly irrelevant in practical terms. I wont discount the cool factor and you will learn real skills laying behind one. It's an expensive path.

    Keep working that 1022. Paint your steel white and put a 1x1 piece of tape in the center to give you a group reference.

    And definitely take a Revere's Riders course.

    I don't have much to add except I agree on the Mini-14 comment. While fun to shoot, best I could ever manage out of mine at the 100 yard range was minute of pie plate accuracy. :laugh:
    Did I say very fun? Yes, they are a blast to shoot 2 liter bottle with and they look pretty cool. A-Team approved.:yesway:
     

    Ark

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    Yet another vote for the Revere's 2 day course. Use the 10/22 you already have. It's a crazy bargain and a great time.

    8x8 steel at 100 with factory Ruger irons is indeed difficult. Painting it a high contrast color different than the sights and background can help, as can adding a small square of tape to the center as a reference, or having some kind of framing objects around it that you can center the sight post between. Seeing the target at distance can be as challenging as shooting it. But most of the progress to be made is still in developing trigger control and learning how to build stable shooting positions.

    All this coming from a chronically challenged rifle shooter...
     

    TJ Kackowski

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    Agreed, factory 10/22 iron sights are difficult to adjust and use for accurate rifle shooting ... not impossible, just difficult. If the OP wants to continue with iron sights, they will be better off installing Tech Sights. To my way of thinking (and shooting), the TRS200 is the way to go.
     

    DoggyDaddy

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    Agreed, factory 10/22 iron sights are difficult to adjust and use for accurate rifle shooting ... not impossible, just difficult. If the OP wants to continue with iron sights, they will be better off installing Tech Sights. To my way of thinking (and shooting), the TRS200 is the way to go.

    I don't have a 10/22, but +1 on the Tech Sights. I have them on my AK and my SKS. Big improvement on those rifles since they nearly double the sight radius and the rear peep sight is much better than open irons IMHO.
     

    2in1evtime

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    Ringing steel is fun, but how do you really know what your groupings look like, my thoughts are shoot paper and see what your bullets are actually doing and what you may be doing right or wrong!!:twocents:
     

    Ark

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    Agreed, factory 10/22 iron sights are difficult to adjust and use for accurate rifle shooting ... not impossible, just difficult. If the OP wants to continue with iron sights, they will be better off installing Tech Sights. To my way of thinking (and shooting), the TRS200 is the way to go.

    Yep, and they duplicate the sight picture of every US service rifle for the past 120 years.
     

    TJ Kackowski

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    Yep, and they duplicate the sight picture of every US service rifle for the past 120 years.
    10-4 ... now, if the OP will attend a Revere's Riders basic rifle class they will learn to shoot that 10/22 like every US service rifle for the past 120 years.

    You won't miss that 8" steel plate (even out to 200 yds) after attending a RR course (unless you intended to miss the steel plate!) because they teach you to shoot 4 MOA. After you learn the basics, then you hook up with nate and the boys from CIHPRS and learn to dial that 4 MOA down to 1 MOA or less.
     

    jrh84

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    10-4 ... now, if the OP will attend a Revere's Riders basic rifle class they will learn to shoot that 10/22 like every US service rifle for the past 120 years.

    You won't miss that 8" steel plate (even out to 200 yds) after attending a RR course (unless you intended to miss the steel plate!) because they teach you to shoot 4 MOA. After you learn the basics, then you hook up with nate and the boys from CIHPRS and learn to dial that 4 MOA down to 1 MOA or less.

    Yes sir. I got my start in highpower by attending something very similar. It laid the foundation for my competitive shooting, of which I've had a bit of success.

    It's the best class to teach you SOLID fundamentals that apply to all forms of shooting. It's money very well spent.

    I'm about to go apply these fundamentals to a 50 round across the course match this afternoon. CIHPRS matches are back on!

    CIHPRS - CIHPRS Home

    Ryan Hyslop
     
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    Hookeye

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    I'd bench that 10/22 and test a couple diff ammo types.
    And ditto on a smaller aiming point on the steel.
    Young eyes, 100 w irons should be good.
    I liked the factory sights when I was a kid.

    Add a buffer and a Volq hammer and maybe have something decent.

    See a lot of folks shooting steel, it's the new thing I guess. But I bet a lot of the folks I've seen at the club, never really tested their gear to see what they had.
    Was just "good enough to make pings".

    Hey as long as theyre having fun.......but they (new shooters) really don't seem to want to push themselves to be better shots.

    Casual observation. Obviously some differ.
     

    doddg

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    You are starting out with the wrong mindset. The mini is an inferior semi auto across the board. They are poor rifles for building skill because they are not capable of maintaining accuracy and reliability. Flame on, but I've yet to see a mini shoot better than 2moa in person.
    Garands are neat, but mostly irrelevant in practical terms. I wont discount the cool factor and you will learn real skills laying behind one. It's an expensive path.
    Keep working that 1022. Paint your steel white and put a 1x1 piece of tape in the center to give you a group reference.

    And definitely take a Revere's Riders course.
    (BOLD added above: mine/doddg)


    That would explain alot about my rifle shooting skills (or lack thereof). :laugh:
    The Revere's Riders course is 2 DAYS! :scratch:
    I can't even clean the garage for 30 minutes w/o sitting down resting my back. :dunno:
    When I go to the range, I usually do 2 hours, maybe 3, but I'm using a stool the entire time. :fogey:
    This is one of the reasons why I wanted to do handgun steel matches, since I could do my cycle of shooting, then sit down & watch, especially if shooting only 1 gun.

    I saw this online:
    Rifle Programs | Revere's Riders

    First Steps Rifle (½ Day)

    Rifle 125: Basic Rifle (One or Two Day)
     
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