I have some land about 5 miles north of there. I dont have any targets set up, but you are welcome to drive up there and set something up and try to zero your gun. Or, you are welcome to take my gun after I finish.
. As always was a blast!!
This run n gun gets better every time. Always a challenge, and a learning experience, surrounded by a great group of people. I cannot thank the hosts and organizers enough for letting me participate and help out.
Later I will put more thoughts down as an AAR but i wanted to clear up a small issue regarding stage 3 and the RO behind the glass.
During the winter run n gun when i worked that stage i offered to call out shot info when i was able to see it. I believed giving the shooter feedback on round impacts beyond a simple "hit" was appropriate considering the distance involved and the various optics and sights the competitors used.
Calling shots consistently was a challenge depending on where the shooter took position relative to the spotting scope and on the weapon platform/round fired. I did not feel like i contributed significantly to the shooters ability to make corrections based on what info i relayed to them.
When i shot the stage last winter i was using an Aimpoint m4 with a 2 moa dot, with no magnification. The ro at the stage when it was my turn to shoot did not use the spotting scope and i received no corrections, with the only indication of a hit being the strobe and the ring of steel. A 40 plus rounds and exactly 4 minutes later i got hit 3. In fact, only about 1/3 of the shooters cleared that stage during the winter event, with corrections when requested. I decided at that time that i had better learn how to make hits at that distance without assistance and with the same weapon platform.
Other than more PT, it was the biggest learning experience for me during the winter event.
I was confidant of my holdovers out to about 300 yards on a full size torso, just hold about the same height as the target over and i will get hits at 300. When that distance gets to 400 plus it was all guess work, and not having someone give corrections means a lot of rounds and a lot of time to make those hits. Especially when the round that performs best from my rifle drops 94 inches at 500 yards.
Another member here lent me the use of his chrono where i was able to get my round velocity and use a ballistic calculator to figure out my drop at distance.(thanks to hump66). From there i had to calculate the click values for that same Aimpoint at 400 and 500 yards in order to make hits without having to hold over and guess. After i had that info i went to a range with steel at 400 and 500 to verify the dope which turned out to be spot on.
Thats right, i took a knee in the woods before i got to stage 3 and dialed in 30 clicks elevation on a red dot so i could just put the dot on the target and shoot. This event, instead of 4 minutes and 40 plus rounds it took me 4 rounds and 25 seconds, without assistance from the ro behind the glass except to call hits. In fact, my 5th shot was on the way down range before the sound of my third hit reached the station. The 5th was also a hit.
My take away is this.
Al and Dan have stated from the beginning that this event was geared toward testing both man and his machines in the event of a 2nd Amendment type situation.
Learning what works and what doesnt under field conditions.
Taking those lessons learned and applying them to correct deficiencies in our training and gear.
And getting hang out with a bunch of like minded folks having a great time.
Most of you remember that during the winter event only about 1/3rd of the shooters cleared stage 3. This time the ratios were reversed, and then some. Now, i know what your thinking. UMB was giving us bad info last winter at stage 3. Not at all. Thats not who i am. If i could not see with some degree of certainty what the round was doing i kept my mouth shut. However, i could not give the exact same correct info to every shooter and that is why i decided to not give that info this time. For those of you who were prepared for the challenge of that stage, had the right equipment for the job and performed, my hat is off to you. For the rest i hope you take it as a lesson to learn like i had to.
Later I will put more thoughts down as an AAR but i wanted to clear up a small issue regarding stage 3 and the RO behind the glass.
During the winter run n gun when i worked that stage i offered to call out shot info when i was able to see it. I believed giving the shooter feedback on round impacts beyond a simple "hit" was appropriate considering the distance involved and the various optics and sights the competitors used.
Calling shots consistently was a challenge depending on where the shooter took position relative to the spotting scope and on the weapon platform/round fired. I did not feel like i contributed significantly to the shooters ability to make corrections based on what info i relayed to them.
When i shot the stage last winter i was using an Aimpoint m4 with a 2 moa dot, with no magnification. The ro at the stage when it was my turn to shoot did not use the spotting scope and i received no corrections, with the only indication of a hit being the strobe and the ring of steel. A 40 plus rounds and exactly 4 minutes later i got hit 3. In fact, only about 1/3 of the shooters cleared that stage during the winter event, with corrections when requested. I decided at that time that i had better learn how to make hits at that distance without assistance and with the same weapon platform.
Other than more PT, it was the biggest learning experience for me during the winter event.
I was confidant of my holdovers out to about 300 yards on a full size torso, just hold about the same height as the target over and i will get hits at 300. When that distance gets to 400 plus it was all guess work, and not having someone give corrections means a lot of rounds and a lot of time to make those hits. Especially when the round that performs best from my rifle drops 94 inches at 500 yards.
Another member here lent me the use of his chrono where i was able to get my round velocity and use a ballistic calculator to figure out my drop at distance.(thanks to hump66). From there i had to calculate the click values for that same Aimpoint at 400 and 500 yards in order to make hits without having to hold over and guess. After i had that info i went to a range with steel at 400 and 500 to verify the dope which turned out to be spot on.
Thats right, i took a knee in the woods before i got to stage 3 and dialed in 30 clicks elevation on a red dot so i could just put the dot on the target and shoot. This event, instead of 4 minutes and 40 plus rounds it took me 4 rounds and 25 seconds, without assistance from the ro behind the glass except to call hits. In fact, my 5th shot was on the way down range before the sound of my third hit reached the station. The 5th was also a hit.
My take away is this.
Al and Dan have stated from the beginning that this event was geared toward testing both man and his machines in the event of a 2nd Amendment type situation.
Learning what works and what doesnt under field conditions.
Taking those lessons learned and applying them to correct deficiencies in our training and gear.
And getting hang out with a bunch of like minded folks having a great time.
Most of you remember that during the winter event only about 1/3rd of the shooters cleared stage 3. This time the ratios were reversed, and then some. Now, i know what your thinking. UMB was giving us bad info last winter at stage 3. Not at all. Thats not who i am. If i could not see with some degree of certainty what the round was doing i kept my mouth shut. However, i could not give the exact same correct info to every shooter and that is why i decided to not give that info this time. For those of you who were prepared for the challenge of that stage, had the right equipment for the job and performed, my hat is off to you. For the rest i hope you take it as a lesson to learn like i had to.
I had to replace my upper receiver and barrel about a month ago, so I had to rezero my optic. I thought I had it dialed in but apparaently I was shooting to the right. So, I had a hard time with stage 3 and only got one hit. I was hoping the RO would help with calling shots like last year but lesson learned and I'll be better prepared for next time. Thanks to all the ROs and land owners for a great time. I'll definitely be back.
What a great weekend. I am a misanthrope by nature but I drove home thinking about how cool it is that so many people, with so many different backgrounds, can come together for days without drama or discontent to do something extremely difficult...mostly smiling the whole time. No formal AAR from me, but a few bullet points over a cup of coffee and motrin after 70ish round trips up/down the burial mound at stage 6 LOL. All of these come from my own experience, running the event with my son on Friday, and from observing everyone on stage 6.
Like UMB said, know your dope, and how it changes as you close on your target.
Mechanical offset is a *****. Be aware of where your muzzle is...just because you see the target through your sights/optic doesn't mean your barrel is clear of the obstacle. Plywood is forgiving but a concrete wall could ruin your day.
Don't put empty mags back on your mag pouch. Especially if your pouches hold multiple magazines. Your mag pouch should be a source of fresh ammo not a "Well, lemmee see what I pull out this time" source of frustration.
Practice with unconventional shooting positions, but don't forsake the old school methods. Some of the fastest shooters on stage 6 used sling supported standing and got it done in under 2 min.
Consider carrying a few rod sections on your kit. We had at least 4 stuck cases on Fri/Sat...
More later maybe.
Thanks a million to Daniel, Al, our hosts, and everyone who worked and participated....Great Weekend!
Like UMB said, know your dope, and how it changes as you close on your target.
Mechanical offset is a *****. Be aware of where your muzzle is...just because you see the target through your sights/optic doesn't mean your barrel is clear of the obstacle. Plywood is forgiving but a concrete wall could ruin your day.
Don't put empty mags back on your mag pouch. Especially if your pouches hold multiple magazines. Your mag pouch should be a source of fresh ammo not a "Well, lemmee see what I pull out this time" source of frustration.
Practice with unconventional shooting positions, but don't forsake the old school methods. Some of the fastest shooters on stage 6 used sling supported standing and got it done in under 2 min.
Consider carrying a few rod sections on your kit. We had at least 4 stuck cases on Fri/Sat...
More later maybe.
Thanks a million to Daniel, Al, our hosts, and everyone who worked and participated....Great Weekend!
This was my best stage of the day. I think I squeezed of like 6 rounds for at least 3 hits in 29 seconds.
It was fun.... But quick LOL
The whole thing was great, trails were a chit ton better marked then last year. I really enjoyed just being able to run. My shooting killed me though! Other then the 500 yard stage I struggle at least somewhere or made some sort of mental error on a stage. Even DQ'd on the truck stage cause I ran out of pistol ammo. And not because I didn't bring enough.....
Either way I had a great time and made a pretty decent showing.
Defiantly be at it again next year.
Every time I attend this event it gets better. I had a decent day, learned I need to work on the vtac board and shooting rifle unsupported. Overall I learned a lot and enjoyed the challenge.
Thanks again to the landowner, organizers, and ROs that gave up their time to make the event happen. I'm already looking forward to the winter run and gun.
Thanks again to the landowner, organizers, and ROs that gave up their time to make the event happen. I'm already looking forward to the winter run and gun.
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