shot my first tactical rifle match

[NEOCON]

Redbrush Rifle Range has been having a tactical rifle match for the last 2 months and I finally got a chance to go yesterday. I have a Rem 700 .308 totally stock with a cheap Nikon scope and a Harris bi-pod. I.ve put 200 rounds through it mainly at 100 yards over a chrono trying to get a decent load for it.
We started out with 1" squares at 100 yards mainly to zero and then 1 shots at 8 squares for 5 points each. You had to have the entire bullet hole in the square without breaking the outer line. I had this on the zero square but touched the line all 8 so a big goose egg on stage 1.
Then stage 2 was various targets from classic humanoid and bad guy, hostage to head shot targets out to 500 yards. Starting out we had a time limit of 6 minutes for 19 shots. But the first 2 shooters did not make all the shots in time allowed so I believe the time limit was thrown out after that. I shot real well on this stage but forgot we had to make 2 shots on all full size targets and got lost on my course of fire. I still came out with a 126 to move me up. Then the final stage we had 10" pumpkins targets at 535 yards first 2 of them would pop up for 30 seconds and you had to make a shot on each before they would go back down. then 3 would pop up for 30 seconds and you had to make 3 shots on them before they went back down. I had one of the rare hits for 10 points.
I had to go right after so I didn't get to see how everyone finished but I believe I came out in 4th or so.

We had a wicked cross/ quartering wind at 15-20mph with even bigger gusts to contend with all day. I knew nothing of shooting behind a bi-pod until one of the other shooters gave me some great pointers. He had been in several competitions winning a few big ones and is a police sniper. The pointers I recieved from him made the day worth while for sure.
I believe I could have used my Appleseed skills and my AR slung up and done as well on the open field course. I will try this next time for sure.

This is a fairly new thing and is still in the development stages but has great promise for becoming a very competitive and fun event. Thanks to Tom who is leading the way and puting this together.

[Gaudard]

Sounds like fun! I'm looking to take my recently purchased 700 to a competition next year!

[42769vette]

congrats. what are the perameters for the gun? is it anything goes?

[Indecision]

sounds like a blast, I would love to do something like that. I just got a 700 too!

[NEOCON]

It was anything goes the guy who gave me the pointers was using a USO scope that he won at a match in Oregon. There was budget rifles like mine to built rifles .243 and under is minor over .244 is major, no 50 cal on this range range rules.
The first thing I learned was that no matter how much you spend on your rifle if you cannot read the wind, do your DOPE and preform the fundamentals you will still have a low score.

I will definately be using my prone unsupported position next time with my AR running in the minor class.

[SamW]

Sounds like an AR-10 with some good glass would be hard to beat!

[slow1911s]

Originally Posted by SamW

Sounds like an AR-10 with some good glass would be hard to beat!

I was thinking an AR with a 30rd mag full of 75 gr BTHPs myself.

[ATM]

Nice job NEOCON. Sounds like you made good use of the pointers you received.