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Interested in trying to improve my technique for 100 yard target shooting

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tommyb

tommyb

Member
Feb 20, 2018
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North Carolina, United States
Hey gang,

Having just got back from the outdoor range today and trying to get some good shooting accuracy going at 100 yards, I really appreciate how hard this is to do for all of us. I follow many of the members here who regularly shoot paper at 100 yards, and would appreciate it if some of you can share some details about your process in terms of your shooting tips and techniques. i.e., use of scope zeroing techniques especially at 100 yards, click vs. use of holdovers, process you use for shooting for score vs. shooting for groups, and other shooting styles you might employ. With more and more Nation shooters trying their luck at 100 yard paper target shooting, I think I am not alone in wanting to know how folks achieve these outstanding results. I realize it's " hard work" and having good equipment at a minimum; but I'm interested more in the "tips and techniques" you are using to be competitive at EBR or just in general for 100 yard casual target shooting. My personal shorter term goal is to regularly shoot 1-2 " groups; or good enough to achieve a respectable score, if I was shooting competitively. Can't find any YouTube "instructional" videos on this topic. 

Let me clarify and provide some context and my frustration. I regularly shoot at an outdoor range mostly at 50 yards with some pretty nice high end PCP air guns and usually with some solid results. i.e., consistently can shoot 1/2 to 3/4 inch groups; sometimes a ragged hole now and then. However, it seems to me that there is a world ( no, a "Universe" ) of difference between achieving good tight groups at 50 yards vs. 100 yards; at least for me. As an example only, I would like to know how you set up for 100 yard paper target shooting? Do you zero for 50 yards, then use hold overs for 100 yards? Alternatively, do you zero for 100 yards and then just leave you elevation and windage alone and adjust for wind, or flyers? How many "sighters" does it take you before you can begin to shoot your "groups" at 100 yards or your "score" at same distance?

I was using my RAW HM1000x HP .22 today, and while I can shoot well at 50 yards, it's completely different for me at 100 yards. There was some wind today and it was hot and sunny, but it took me forever to get a decent group at 100 yards. I normally will shoot about 20-25 five shot groups to assess how I am doing, with my FX Radar Chrono. This normally takes me a couple of hours including set up and take down of equipment. In this example, the RAW is shooting 940-950 FPS with a JSB 25g redesign pellet. Martin just tuned the barrel, so I'm confident that the gun is shooting very solid. Again, this is just an example of a gun I used today and I am more interested in others' feedback in terms of style and process vs. trying to analyze the RAW or my capability today. 

Just looking for some of you to 'share' your shooting tips and techniques, especially as this relates to bench paper target shooting at 100 yards, and outdoors.

Thanks...Tom 

Mod Edit: Moved to Benchrest Talk forum






 
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I tried some of my first legit 100+ yard group shooting today. I learned that hold technique is VERY important.

A loose hold on my streamline produced complete crap groups, basically spraying everywhere.

I then tried a tight hold and it really started to show some promise and then it started raining.....gonna try again today with a bigger scope.

Keep in mind my typical loose hold produced great results at 75 yards and under.

Anyways will report back later.
 
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You basically have to do a lot of experimenting . If there is ANY WIND shooting at 100 very difficult for all of us and impossible for most.

Pay attention to parallax and establish the steadiest and most repeatable rest and hold. Most important of all is the basics of sight picture and trigger release 

hold over or scope adjustment? No hard opinion. Might depend on the quality of the scope and it’s repeatability 
 
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Before you analyze hold and all other things related to form, keep in mind that wind is everything at 100. Each of your previous shots is a sighter. Use it. And only count on the wind call from the previous shot if you can shoot fast. 

BR is not a speed shooting event by nature, but add in some wind and it had better be to achieve decent groups.



Try this: Sighter.....3 shots as fast as you can accurately make them.

then try sighter. Three perfectly executed shots at a leisurely speed



ill bet the faster group is tighter.
 
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I'll agree with Keith on the wind. It is absolutely everything when shooting the 100. It's almost a dead calm when I've been able to pull off the sub moa 5 shot groups at 100.

I know folks talk about BC like it's the gold standard for pellet choice, but for me it's been caliber?

I can get sub moa much easier and in less groups shot with my .30 Boss than I can with .25 cal Royale? The magic happens one out of three groups with Boss vs one out of six groups with Royale for discussion sake. And I have yet to get a sub 1.2" group with my .22 Cricket although I have shot three sub 1.5" groups with it back to back?

Now when I started shooting the 100 yd NUAH targets the game is to get the group centered in the X ring. That was a whole new dimension for me. Just lots of trial and error and lots of trigger time. I'll have to try Keith's recommendation on three quick shots vs the leisure speed shots.

Very interesting thread Tommy and will be fun to follow. I bet money you'll get sub moa with one of your .22's before I do brother! Good luck!

Fuss

PS...edited in. Forgot to mention I use 30 power on my scopes when shooting the hundred with front bipod and rear bag holding the ears tight around butt stock with left hand as I am a right handed shooter. Have found most of my guns prefer a tight grip. Also I try to tighten up my hold as I am pretending to push the gun forward with out really pushing it. That's the best way I know to describe my hold, but it works for me?
 
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Tom, just answering a few more questions you had.

I zero at 100.

When I shoot the 100 yd NUAH targets I set up two pellet traps beside each other. One with the NUAH target and one with six 1.5" circles drawn on it. When I'm satisfied with a group or groups on the six circle target I move to the NUAH target.

Then when I go out to retrieve the NUAH target and am satisfied with what's going on I take the circle target down and replace it with another NUAH target. That way I can shoot two targets back to back before the long walk out there to retrieve them.

I'm sure I'll think of something else along the progression of this thread! LOL... Sucks to be a forgetful old curmudgeon!

Fuss
 
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Keith, Jimmy

Very helpful suggestions and you both gave me some solid tips, which I will try. I like the idea of using the two targets side by side; one for sighters and the other for NUAH. I do something similar but I have my main target card up top and sighter target card directly below. At 100 yards I do struggle with loosing sight of my sighter pellet holes when I’m trying to get a good zero. Some of the pellet holes seem to disappear or I can’t easily see where my POI is because of vision issues at 100 yards. Trying to avoid buying a separate spotting scope or “mortgaging the house” to pay for those Slll Sightrons 😂

I’m using a couple of Athlons ( Helos and Midas Tac) and a Sightron S-Tac, but the maximum magnification is 24X on my three PCPs. All .22 caliber air guns which are described in my signature profile.

Like Jimmy says, the .22 cal with pellets vs. using slugs is a real challenge at 100 yards; for me anyhow.

Thanks again guys.
 
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Tom those .30 holes show up a lot better through the scope than those .22 holes too! LOL... Even makes a difference with the .25 holes.

After seeing the difference in hole size through the scope I have adjusted my FX500's Sightron to 35 power now because easily seeing those .30 holes spoiled me on the 30 power setting.

Athlons are fine scopes, but I struggle with 24 power at the hundred mark.


 
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Tom

What I like about the 10-50x60 Sightron is that 30 and 35 power settings are clear as a bell.

On my cheaper 8-32x44 Mueller it's a little fuzzy at 30 power? So it's good to have a variable power scope that goes up to 50 power so the 30 and 35 settings will be clear as a bell!

Most scopes get fuzzy when you take them to the their full power limit. The 8-32x56 Hawke I had was worse than the Mueller on 30 power? Now it's fine at 50 and 60 yds but 100 yds not so good.


 
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Fuss,

The Sightron glass is exceptionally bright and clear for me, and that's with the S-Tac. I'm primarily an FFP type of guy, but if I am using for 50-100 yard bench rest target shooting I can get past the 25 and/or 45 parallax minimum distance limitation, since I won't hunt with that Slll scope. I would rather have the higher magnification so I can see my pellet holes much more easily. I'll need to save up for one of these!

Tom


 
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Tom

Two of my Sightron SIII's are the Hector Specials for Field target. They were parallaxed for roughly 9yds min out 55 yds max. It was done this way to give maximum travel on the huge focus wheels that we use, so we can see the differences in our yardages when it comes in focus.

I kept the One on my Thomas as is. And it will focus at almost 8yds out to 60 yds.

I sent my other Hector Sightron back to Sightron USA here in NC and had them reparallax it to 10 yd min out to 300 yd max. I have it on my FX500 now.

Here's Hector's write up on them.

https://www.ctcustomairguns.com/the-heacutectors-special-scope-by-sightron.html

https://sightronusa.com/product/siiiss1050x60ftirmoa-h/

Now my third Sightron was offered at such a deal used, I couldn't pass it up. ($750) Love it, and wouldn't mind having another if I can find one in that price range. I'll never get my money out of my Hector Specials, but live and learn.

It's the SIIISS1050X60LRIRMOA

https://sightronusa.com/product/siiiss1050x60lrirmoa/

Sightron says it focus's from 13 yds to infinity. I haven't tried it inside 20 yds but I'm sure it will.

All three of my Sightrons are second focal plane. I set them on a power and leave there. The ones on the Thomas an the Boss I leave at 30 power. The one on the Royale is at 35 power.

For target shooting I have no need for first focal plane, but if I was a hunter I could definitely see the need.

Peace and scope wheel grease

Fuss


 
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I saw someone post this a few years ago and have been looking for it since I first saw your original post. Cant find it! So keep in mind that I'm not a complete geek outside the airgun arena but still, I've read the books about 10 times and seen the movies at least that many times... I think this is easily translatable to shooting so here is my Harry Potter take on shooting. (substitute shooting for 'apparating' and pulling the trigger for 'turn on the spot" ). Taken from the web, and yeah shows my geekiness. And yes, I've had beer 😜

There are three important things to remember when apparating, called the 3 Ds, which stand for destination, determination and deliberation.

  • Step One: Fix your mind firmly upon the desired destination.
  • Step Two: Focus your determination to occupy the visualized space. Let your yearning to enter it flood from your mind to every particle of your body.
  • Step Three: Turn on the spot, feeling your way into nothingness, moving with deliberation.
 
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My wife doesn't seem interested overall but I've gotten her to shoot with me a few times. I shoot 10m all winter, first time I handed her the gun and gave the 'rules' she made me look foolish for even trying 10m for years. She does like the steel plates at 75y though.

100y or any distance that challenges your ability.... destination, determination, deliberation 😉




 
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 All good advice you received so far. 

1. Windflags 

2. Watch the windflags. 

3. Use the windflags (plural). 

4. Great glass. 

5. Consistent hold. 

6. Hundred yard zero. 

7. Test different pellets. 

8. Change velocity.

9 Your current velocity is higher than what most would consider optimum. 890 is usually best.

10. Get a good rest.

11. Practice in all conditions.

12. Set up you scope so you are not hitting right where your point of aim is (an inch high works well).

Almost never hold for the point of impact you want (in other words, compensate for where you believe the wind will blow the pellet).

thats a start



mike


 
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The one thing I noticed that has made a huge effect on long range group size is pellet weight. This was first shown to me through sorted versus unsorted JSB pellets over the chronograph. The FPS extreme spread between the two was very significant. Sorted pellets stayed within 3 FPS and unsorted out of the tin would be around 10 FPS spread usually. I sort them to the tenth of a grain. Half a grain weight difference is a lot of drop change at 100 yards.
 
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