Congrats! You'll learn alot just remember there will be a lot of chaos with your first event and let squad know this is your first allowing them to coach while your shooting without disqualification. Also the sheet providing COF will provide targets with distances (verify or ask others ensuring solution regarding distances). Agree focus on stage orchestraction, position building, targeting, hits are a plus dont worry about clock and have fun. Hint - Watch for parallax adjustments and over magnification (stay 15 - 10)

 

Really good advice here. Practice, practice,practice once you are familar with stages

 

Don't worry about the clock for now.. remember this.. slow hits are better than fast misses.. main thing is to take it all in and have fun..

 

It will definitely be fun and a learning experience for sure. They have tried for a while to get me out there for centerfire PRS ( I have watch a coupe matches) I feel more comfortable trying rimfire first and it’s cheaper if I absolutely suck at it lol 😂

 

Rimfire is better with learning and wind calls prior to centerfire.

 

See about some sort of rifle mounted dope card.

 

I use and depend on a dope card mounted on my rifle. I like it there because my dope is always in front of me, easy to see without moving. However, some have a card holder on their off hand wrist. Some when using a long sleeved shirt, mark dope for individual stages on painter’s tape and just putting it on the off hand sleeve. A good way to start and save money. Our son, who can afford any attachment still prefers this method.

It’s important to go through the match book before the match starts and determine the distances and sight settings for each target on each stage. Then, while waiting to shoot, on each stage you can outline the distances on painter’s tape and put it on your wrist or tape it to your dope card holder. Simple and easy to do. Don’t be afraid to recheck the weather and sight settings in the middle of the match, as the day goes on.

This is very important though, Use Painters Tape, NOT regular masking tape. Painters tape comes off; after a while masking tape becomes pretty much permanent.

Finally, move fast but shoot slow.

And if you have not already, start practicing. Practice this each time you practice.

Finish shot on prop - before moving

Open bolt
Eject spent case

When finishing stage

Open Bolt - eject case or round
Drop the Magazine
Place Chamber Flag in chamber or put magazine block in Mag well.

Always keep muzzle pointed down range and never flag

Finally remember trigger finger. Keep it off trigger until you want your rifle to go bang. In the midst of competing, it’s easy to get nervous and forget basics including basic safety.

 

I'll add one more to the when finished with the stage list; dial back down to your zero.

 

Do you prefer dialing or using holdovers? I feel holdovers would be faster and the furthest distance is only 250 yards.

 

This is stage dependent. If you have time and a lot of different distances (prone troop line), dialing is a good idea, especially if there is a bit of wind. Hustle stages with a lot of movement, you will want to hold over. Get comfortable holding over while holding off for wind.

The most important thing is to make a decision before you start the stage and stick with it. If you write out your dope for dialing and then decide to hold over instead, doing the math for your hold overs is almost impossible because the timer turns off the math part of your brain. I always write the dope card with the dialed values, and the hold over values next to them in parenthesis based on the elevation I'll be dialed at to start the stage. That way if things go horribly wrong I can dial back to the stage zero and hold, or if I have more time than I expected I can dial. But like I said, you should decide what you are going to do before you start. Mixing and matching in a stage is a great way to see how poorly your brain works under pressure.

Here is how I write my dope (let's say we have targets at 75, 125 and 145):
.6 (0) .3-.5 (This is my avg and max wind bracket)
2.4 (1.8) .4-.8
3.3 (2.7) .5-.9
I'll write the dope and wind bracket in different colors. If the wind is switchy or strong I may have more columns for the wind bracket.

Then on the bottom half of the card I'll write stage directions like:
N-F X1
Move
F-N X2
Move
M-F-N X1

And I'll put the stage number and the round count on the top corners so I make sure I load enough rounds, and to make sure I don't use an old card for a new stage.

 

You are going to time out on some stages. When the timer goes off, tell the RO you would like to finish the stage off the clock. You can learn a lot about how to get stable and what your wind call should have been without the timer making your brain turn off. I always encourage new shooters to finish the stage, it's basically free practice. And most good shooters will give you tips while you are shooting "lame duck", like where to put your bag or how to position your body. You are only "new" for a couple of matches, take advantage of all the help you can get. Then use those tips to crush the nice guys that helped you when you were new. This is the PRS circle of life.

 

Well, I learned a lot today. Now Im trying to decide do I continue to upgrade my RPR? I already have a Shaw barrel on the way. Thinking about a new trigger. But on the other hand I’m really thinking about selling it and starting with a different gun. There were guys that their scope cost more than my whole set up.

 

Don't sell the RPRR unless you are absolutely strapped for cash. It will make a neat little backup rifle. Bergara's are not that expensive, shopping around, they can be had for less than a thousand. And they will work.

Further, one could easily spend more than that, upgrading the little RPRR. enough to afford a B14r and a decent scope, seen it done.

Of course there are the CZ's, and RimX and Vudoo and Anschutz. All going from a bit more expensive than the Berara B14r to "my oh my, I can't believe it actually cost THAT MUCH!"

 

Well I installed the Shaw barrel and it loves Eley match. I found a Timney trigger on sale so I went ahead and bought it also.. I’m pretty happy with it .. I’ll use this for a while and upgrade later on

 

Sounds awesome man! What scope are you using?