As long as you had fun. That's my measure of a good day. You WILL improve

 

Thinking about doing my first NRL 22 this weekend. Shot one PRS Event last year. Any pointers on where you felt you needed he most work? I am very familiar with my rifle and Optic, have got sort of a handle on the range /trajectory part. Anything you would recommend? I’m 62, I shoot mostly prone. But also do ok from a bench.

 

Target acquisition and positional stability will be the initial hurdles. I would do some dry fire practice with a ladder to figure out how to get some sort of stability in the different positions. And keep your scope at 12x, there's nothing worse than watching someone take 30 seconds trying to find the first target because they are maxed out on their scope.

At the match, focus on accuracy with a sense of urgency rather than trying to see if you can miss all of the targets before time runs out. Shooting slowly and hitting 50% of the targets is much better than shooting quickly and hitting 25% of the targets. Take the time to get a good position and take good shots, the speed will come. (I'm mostly talking to myself here, but you can use my self-talk for yourself).

 

Have fun Pete. You don't have to prove anything. Enjoy your time shooting.

 

Pete,

The more times you go the more you will learn. I learn something new every time I shoot in an NRL22 match.
Don't try to clean the stage just focus on building a steady position and one hit at a time.

good luck and have fun!

 

You’re doing better than me. I still haven’t signed up for my first event

 

Believe it or not, the one thing that was bothering me was the chamber flag that I was using. It was one of those slides into the chamber. It's tricky getting it to go into the chamber. Then I had to use a rubber band from the bolt handle and around the scope windage knob, to keep pressure on the darn thing from falling out.
I've switched to a magazine feed safety flag, so much easier.

 

Like others have said, as long as you're having fun it's all good. Everyone has to start somewhere. I remember someone telling me when I started "someone has to come in last" which made me laugh but also realize that I'm not experienced enough to really compete seriously. I think you have a good attitude towards it and I've found a lot of the shooters are there mainly to be competitive on a friendly level.

 

Heck yea! Good on ya for getting involved in it! The shooting is fun, though can be frustrating at times. But as long as you have a good squad and don't take yourself to seriously, it's impossible not to have fun!

 

I recently did my first NLR22 match and I did terribly....

Me, too. First time even being AT such an event, last weekend.

I took a semi (Tippmann M4-22) wearing a Sightron 16x SFP MOA scope, since that's what I had to try with. While the rifle is great and so is the scope, neither are anywhere near ideal for this sport.

Happily, I didn't come in last place!

But compared with my competitiveness in other sports I am involved with, it's a new and much more challenging challenge.

 

Me, too. First time even being AT such an event, last weekend.

I took a semi (Tippmann M4-22) wearing a Sightron 16x SFP MOA scope, since that's what I had to try with. While the rifle is great and so is the scope, neither are anywhere near ideal for this sport.

Happily, I didn't come in last place!

But compared with my competitiveness in other sports I am involved with, it's a new and much more challenging challenge.

I have a Tippman, that I dropped a Timney Calvin Elite trigger in, because I'm a trigger snob. So far, I've only used it for steel challenge matches. I want to try NRL22, but don't know if my body will cooperate, and as much as I like my Tippman, I believe it's about the least accurate 22 rimfire rifle I've ever fired.

 

That’s me, I just like to shoot, see the cool toys and hang out with people who know what they’re doing. Maybe some knowledge will rub off. 😂😂😂

I shot my last F-Class match with CCI SV I got at Cabelas on a gift card the day before. My new rifle had shot some of it that I bought 2 years ago pretty well. I actually had to aim high to make sure it didn’t put anything below the sighter area to get a solid zero during the match. My score reflected the poor planning. But I was there just to participate and do something for me. Time and weather gremlins had got me again. 🤷‍♂️

I was also in the Target Rifle Class instead of Light Rifle due to weight, so the equipment and ammo were pretty upscale compared to my box stock rifle, cheap Harris style bipod and my 4-16 Arken ELP 4. And my $5 ammo. 😂😂😂

My score was terrible, I accidentally put a round in target 1 while shooting on target 3 during the same stage. Quick way to drop points. The wind was blowing and my target was obscured 30% of the time. Heck I might have hit one of their flags. I still had fun, but I plan to be more prepared next trip, and try to make a better showing. 🤞

 

Try not to let your age worry you or it will work you you like a dog worries a bone.trade a little flexibility for experience. I’ll shoot my first NRL this year and I don’t expect to win my first go at it . I will just work through it as well as possible.After the training phase though I fully expect to be competitive at least.Im also 72 this year,so just enjoy doing it,do your best in YOUR eyes,and be glad you can,It’s the journey getting there that’s important , not the end of the trip. good luck and happy trails!

 

What is a “magazine feed safety flag”?

 

I was using something like this...

now I'm something like this....

pete

 

The course of fire is given out before every months event.

I do ALOT better when I shoot the whole match beforehand, concentrating on building the most solid position for each stage.

 

I haven't shot a NRL match yet, old guy and I don't know if my body will do it. I know I can't get into a prone position. But when it comes to USPSA or Steel Challenge I tell noobs to just do things safely and get a feel for the match. Speed will come later and as someone already stated, you'll get better, it's inevitable. Sometimes they actually listen to me.

For NRL, there's something called MARS which is NRL for old guys with broken bodies. Supposedly a sorta local range allows for MARS but I haven't heard anything back from them yet.

Modern American Rimfire Series

Pushing Precision Rimfire to a new level.

modernamericanrimfireseries.com

 

For NRL, there's something called MARS which is NRL for old guys with broken bodies. Supposedly a sorta local range allows for MARS but I haven't heard anything back from them yet.

Modern American Rimfire Series

Pushing Precision Rimfire to a new level.

modernamericanrimfireseries.com

Oh that's really neat! Might be nice to try as my knee arthritis doesn't like the cooler weather half the year. Go figure the PNW is the only region not yet open

 

Download the monthly course of fire Link, watch videos of others shooting that course of fire, and dry fire practice those positions at home. Figure out what you can and can't do. It will help you develop better shooting positions and find out what areas you need to switch to adaptive.

 

That's not how it was explained to me on these pages (somewhere). Could be that I misunderstood too. Maybe that explains why the gent running it (supposedly) at a semi-local range never got back to me.

 

I shot in the old guns division. same positions and rules everyone else but scored against others that have the wear and tear as I have. Most I shot with dropped a couple points on stages that required getting in and out of positions. But against others that are in similar condition the scores were competitive. Just try a match, DR

 

I shot in the old guns division. same positions and rules everyone else but scored against others that have the wear and tear as I have. Most I shot with dropped a couple points on stages that required getting in and out of positions. But against others that are in similar condition the scores were competitive. Just try a match, DR

I intend to try. All in due time. Gotta learn a bunch of "stuff" first. Never did much long range in the past of any sort. 300 yards with a .308 isn't really long range and that was 50 years ago.

It sounds like I'll need the adaptive positions for at least some of it. My problem, as with many older folks, our brains still think our bodies are as young as the brain is. FWIW, I didn't think I could get into a decent prone due to body damage so I practiced the other day in the living room, yeah, I was right. I know my body just doesn't contort the way it was able to at one time.

2 decades ago I was shooting USPSA single stack and gave it up 'cause my eyes could no longer see the front sight well enough to not hit no shoots. I gave it up for a few years. Then in the frustration of not shooting I decided, "The heck with it, I don't care! I'm going to use an optic which I know will put me into Open division just so that I can shoot, but I know I won't be competitive!". So I got all set up and Carry Optics division started the same month as my first match. My point is I don't care if I'm competitive. I just want to shoot. I'll try it when I get to the point where I know enough to not make a fool of myself. I learn fast and I know that the COF is posted for every month.

I'm also trying to get in touch with a gent who has run NRL .22 at a semi local range to see if we can get things started there again. Those matches fizzled out due to lack of participation. But I'd be in good company (and feel less self- conscious) with other noobs also being present if we could get them going again.

 

Well, the weather was wet and muddy yesterday so I didn’t get any ammo tested or check dope.

I just shot the match after watching a few March COF videos on YouTube. I was disappointed in my hit level, I was shooting over targets at distance, so maybe my dope isn’t accurate on the ammo. Also it’s tough to get stable on props when you’re not use to it.

Will try to be more dialed in next time. Had fun and met some good people. I didn’t have trouble getting into any positions, just not familiar with how to get steady enough to connect with decent regularity.

 

If you had fun thats the most important part. You can watch videos till the cows come home but the only way to figure out what you need to change, do, have is by doing it. Thats where you see your weakness and what needs improving. It also helps you to relax more the next time because you have a good idea what to expect. If I am going to mess up at a match it is always on the first stage when I am a bit nervous or unsure of my prep and in a new venue I'm a bit nervous for the whole match.

 

Getting out there and having fun is what it is all about. I was a top competitor in my younger days with a stack of trophy’s and medals to prove it, but those days are pretty much past. I still enjoy all the matches and do pull off a decent score every once in a while. My very first nrl match I had no idea what I was getting into, showed up with a 15/22 with a red dot on it ha ha!
wasn’t sure I was going to jump in with both feet so started with a cheap savage MKII and economy though suitable optics, now I have an open class rifle with better optics and honestly I am not fully convinced my better equipment has given as much improvement as my learning and understanding of and implementing better techniques to shoot has. Solid stable positions, using support and ancillaries like bags and bipod to best effect and refining use and adjustment of scope or hold off with reticle when warranted are keys to improvement.

 

The best work up you can do is practice getting into stable positions. Once you can make a stable position then start working on the different barricades. Get to know the rules and how you can use the props and bags to make your position more stable. This game is won or lost with the decisions we make on what will be the most stable position to shoot from. The course of fire tells us where to shoot from, its up to us to decide how. DR

 

A well balanced rifle will help your shooting positional stages. The more practice you can do will increase your
hit ratio.

 

I'm an old man who just retired at 72 years old and found out that my body doesn't work like it used to

Hey, it's MY excuse, and I'm staying with it. I'm still shooting archery leagues and 3D, but I'm not hitting the scores I did 40 years ago. I can still break an egg offhand at 100yds, but getting down on the ground, ON MY KNEES! forget it. I thought of getting a younger woman to help, but that would cost about a million dollars when my wife threw me out. To get old, you have to be alive. It's the only upside.

 

I did my second PRS w my RPR and an Arken SH4J and I did so bad I’m not signing for the next match. It was embarrassing, not fun, aggravating, maddening, etc. Yes, it was windy AF, a lot of variability, but I had the numbers and holds, others struggled but hit. I got 0 out of 20 on the last two stages. I obviously need more practice but no comps with this setup for me until then. Back to Triple Gun where I can actually hit something!! 😉

 

I can sympathize with you. What you went through is what I DON'T want to put myself through.

My plan is to practice a bunch to see what my old body can still do. I'm not in bad shape for a 98 year old man, the real problem is that I'm not 98. Anyway, the range I belong to has a plywood thing with all sorts of holes in it. I can bring my own ladder or use it at home (dry fire and live fire at home). So practice is possible. I need to buy a bag but for practicing I think I'll just use an old towel or blanket.

 

I should mention the last two stages were variable at 125 to 300. yards.

I just need to get to their PRS Practice Days as that’s the only time this specific gear is setup let alone at distance.

One hole at 50 yards doesn’t seem to translate as well as I’d hoped! My skills need refreshed, badly! But until then…