My final competition of the 2012 season does not go as well as I'd hoped. Reluctantly I decide to pull out of competitive shooting. But don't worry, I plan to make more videos focused on a more practical approach to precision shooting.
I just watched every single video. I don't comment much on anything, but I wanted to thank you for doing one hell of a job on these videos. I learned a lot. Once again, thank you.
+Nathan Hendrickson Another success story. This is why I made the videos in the first place, to help educate people and to try and put a positive light on the world of firearms. Glad to hear you enjoyed them.
Just finished watching the entire series after stumbling upon one on bullet seating. Great set of videos and you have a excellent ability to convey the information. Shame work is getting in the way of life but I know the feeling. Thank you for taking the time to create these and share your knowledge and experiences.
Hi Ryan. It rained all day here so I clicked around here @ RU-vid. I came across your video series. I have to say you did a magnificent job presenting your research. I'm just starting out with my long distance shooting / hunting experience. I learned a number of things from your series. Thank you for sharing with our shooting community. It moves us all along in the same direction to better our skills. Am looking forward to seeing your future projects here. God Bless.
Of course family is infinitely more important than the road to precision. Still it is great to read that you intend to produce new vids and that you plan to return to competitive shooting in the future. Thanks for all your efforts and the joy that you bring to so many of us. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the great series. I watched all of them the past three days. I have the same rifle you started with and have been going through much of what you showed in this series. I learned a lot from how well you captured your videos and the way you explain each step. Very well done....
What a great series. Most comprehensive series of f-class i have found and it just so happens that i have the exact same rifle and scope. Great job documenting this journey
I have to say I really enjoy the level of effort that you put into all of these videos. Your attention to detail seems like such a good fit for this particular domain, but I'm looking forward to whatever you turn your formidable attention to in the future and hope you have the energy to share it with the rest of us as you have here. Great job!
Hi Ryan. You did a tremendous job capturing your effort in obtaining long range shooting skills. I learned a great deal from your video series and look forward to seeing more of your work in the future. Thanks again and God Bless.
I have watched all of your Road to Precision videos, Very good videos I must say! I learned alot from them. Thank you! I look forward to what you venture into next...
I just wanted say thanks for a really enjoyable and relaxing day. I spent it watching the series "Road to Precision " and really enjoyed it. It was loaded with a lot of real detailed info and precise details on building your rifle and working up your loads. I think that anyone thinking about getting into precision shooting would benefit greatly by watching this series. Also, it was very well put together. Once again, thanks. Just one note, I think that your original barrel configuration shot as well as your new barrel. Just a thought for those beginners who think they need to spend the extra money.
Great series. They will help me with my handloads. Allthough i`m only hunting, it`s nice to always hit where i aim. I will try my best. Thanks for the great job.
Excellent series! Lots of good information, well executed. I also like the fact that it didn't end with you conquering F-class yet. It illustrates the skills (and some times luck) involved. It's not an easy class to consistently win at, that's for sure.
Thanks Ryan. Very much enjoyed the entire series. Thank you for all the time and effort you put into documenting this series. Just starting out my journey.
sorry to hear you are getting out of competitive shooting, i have followed your videos from the start and learned a lot from you. i look forward to seeing your videos in the future. keep up the good work
I too have THOROUGHLY enjoyed this series, and GREATLY appreciate ALL of the work you put into each video - I'm sure it's a TON. Thank You Ryand (?), and I'll be looking forward to some more GREAT videos from you in the future!
Hey Ryan. After watching this whole series I feel like I know you. I watched every minute and wanted to congratulate you on the quality of the video and the real success you achieved during this series. You are a real "gun guy," and have proved to all of us, this sport is not merely science, as it has a bit of artistry and black magic mixed in. I wish you the best of luck in all you do. Rgds...........Ski
Well, nuts. I just finished the whole series. I'm sad to be at the end of them. These are great videos and the time and effort to do the work and document it are both huge. What a great job you did. I hope you are still making videos and worked to make a series about the more practical (quoting your words from the end of this video) shooting areas.
Wow. Thanks Ryan for the great set of videos. I just happened across your videos so I took a whole afternoon, plugged an HDMI cable into my laptop and I watched the whole series on the TV. What a great documentary! I feel like I have acquired 5 years of experience. Once again, Truly Appreciate your efforts.BTW, thanks for adding the bit about disrespectful range dopes. Same kind of stuff happens at my club range. The club owners finally just took the steel twirly plates away for handguns because folks wanted to use piercing ammo to put holes in the plates. Even had signs up not to do it! Now no one gets to use it.
Your video series has been informative and very professional! It will definately help new shooters to understand the sport and become more competititve. It is too bad you have decided to bull out of competitive F Class shooting. It was nice meeting you.
As many others here, just finished the whole series and it was great. I've learned so much and would just like to thank you for the effort and resources you put into this. It's one thing to excel and improve at something, but it's a complete other thing if you document it, and on top try to make it so professional. So thanks again, fellow Canadian. Well done.
Great series. I joined the full bore range at Homestead for 2016 to get better at long range shooting, if I can get half way to where you are I would be thrilled. I work out of the house so I can sneak away when the weather looks good. Thanks for putting these videos together I know it was a ton of work.
+Mike T Oh you'll do fine. Practice makes perfect. Everyone out there loves to shoot and is more than happy to talk guns and how to improve your game. The other great thing about going to these types of events is that you can see what equipment other people are using, which can help you figure out what works and what doesn't. Nothing like a direct side by side comparison at the 900 meter line to see how optics perform, or how comfortable that fancy looking stock really is to lay behind for a while.
Sad to hear that you are giving up on F Class shooting. I really learned a lot from your videos. I will be refering to them in the future! Thank you so much.
Just finished watching the series, again. Probably my 4th or 5th time. I shoot PRS matches here in the Southeastern US. I really enjoy the reloading portions. Great job.
I just finished watching the entire series. I'm brand new to reloading and I'm currently trying to work up an accurate load for bench rest shooting. Thank you for documenting your process!
i just wish you did a second crack at this. part xxv through XLV. ive watched the entire series several times. it has entertainment, informative, and natural.
Thanks for the great vids! Very helpful and insightful. Sorry to hear your getting out of comp shooting, but know you will keep on the trigger as it gets in your blood. :)
I enjoy the series of video, ans i am really sorry to hear you getting out of F-class, i've learn a lot with your video , thank you for this nice series!
Really enjoyed your videos sorry to hear you getting out of F-class competition for now. I did my first full year of competition in 2012. I attended many practices and event. I have to agree trigger time and wind reading is key but during the last competition of the year I had the "ah ha" moment where everything I learned through the year came together. Shot perfect scores on multiple days and came in the top five with a full field. Wind reading gets easier. Good luck with your future shooting.
Thanks Ryan for all the videos. I don't think he stopped competition shootings due to the cost or wind readings mystery. Competing is almost like gambling, sooner or later you will be cheated. it is a shame!
I'm going to make more videos. No worries there, I'm just going to shift my focus away from F-class competitions. The Time and money investment requirements to stay in the competetive area just doesn't make sense to me any more, if I am only going to get 2-3 competitions in per year. I may go back to it in the future when my kids are older.
Thank you very much for your informative series on precision and accuracy. You can thank your family as well on our behalf. I can understand that to make a series like this will take a lot of family time and effort. It is a pity that you do not compete any more. There should be a class for certain budgets as well. Your series will benefit a lot of people and I think you succeeded in your goal. Enjoy the running and we are waiting for more instructional videos. if you ever visit South Africa please feel free to contact me.
***** Glad you liked the series, I still go shooting just not as frequently. Hopefully you learned something of use from that series. In case it didn't link you, my new series is called Aiming for Accuracy.
Another South African saying thank you for this series. Really learned alot from this, I am 2 months into handloading, 308 Win 1:12 twist. It's been a challenge but I always refer back to your videos to mimic what needs to be done
321ror I highly recommend 155 Gr. bullets for .308WIN due to the higher muzzle velocities you can achieve. I plan to cover this idea more in an upcoming A4A video this year some time. Glad to hear the videos are helping, I refer back as well, kind of a nice way for me to see what was working well and when.
***** Thanks I will be following. If you get time and if you have a budget rifle in your safe. Would you please show how accurate a stock budget rifle can be and their limitations? You shoot really well and consistent, with the ability to show the potential in a cheap rifle. (I will stop kissing ass) please do it. Lol :)
That was a comprehensive series. Too bad time and money ended up being the limiting factor, it seems to always be the case sadly. It was a very interesting journey.
Mr. Ryan - first off, great video for education. Been wanting to compete for a while and have put it on the back burner for far too long. About another year to get things set up and your video's will hopefully help in guiding me to good results. Question - and this has been EATING at me. Your intro music sounds familiar to me but I can not put a finger on it. Who is the artist and title of your into music for this series?
Very complete and informative. I do wonder why would you give up, can't seem to find a valid reason (even after watching this video many times). I'd hope you come back into it and/or would give a more in depth walktrhough. I liked this series very much and would like to see it return.
I didn't give up. I realized that I had leveled off at the highest skill point I could achieve based on my time and financial availability. To push further into F-class, I would need to increase both areas by at least 3 times, to match what the top level shooters are doing. Work and family life will not allow for the increased time, and I was already pouring as much money as I was willing to spend into this expensive hobby. Second reason, I pulled out of shooting to pursue Ironman training.
Ryan, Great series! Can not say enough good things about these videos. A real eye opener, I have been interested in precision shooting for as long as I can remember and I am finally in a position to pursue it. I would love to get a 5R but its a bit over my budget and I was wondering what you thought of Remingtons SPS line?
Great Videos!! I know they are very time consuming. Not sure if someone already said this but... Take 30 minutes a week for a year to get out and read the mirage because it's free. Time and money problem solved. You definitely need to be a master wind reader to shoot the .308 There is a book called "The wind book for rifle shooters" on Amazon. I learned some amazing things from that book. Peace!
I had the bolt job done by Alberta Tactical rifle, its a custom job by that shop. Badger makes plenty of bolt knobs for cheap. I have some footage, not sure when the next series will begin. I have been really short of time due to changes at work.
Hello Ryan! I enjoy your videos and learned very much from you. Thanks for your hard work. I hope the next video is coming soon. What bolt knob do you have on your rifle? Kind reagards from Austria
Glad you liked them, I have a new series in the making. I am taking a more relaxed approach this time so there will be no scheduled "seasons" to it. I will just upload as I make them. Part 1 is rendering right now and will be uploaded tonight.
That was because the first scene was captured in the Gopro waterproof case, which really restricts sound. I tried to balance it out, but the audio gets really scratchy. No, I am not happy either with how the sound came out in this video.
Great series, learned so much as I soon will be getting into hand loading. I also learned that stock 700 barrel is plenty for someone just getting into the sport. No reason to spend the money on a custom build. Bummer you pulled out of competition though.
Great series, thank you! I'm sure you're on CGN, have you signed into GunOwnersofCanada? There's a couple of long range shoots developing in your neck of the woods...love to shake your hand at one of them.
I watched every single one of your videos! I have to say you did one hell of a job editing and narrating the video. You should look into having a company publish it as an "accurate shooting documentary." Anyways I know these videos are several years old but have you considered upgrading to a led sled of some type to hell mitigate the human factor in testing out hand loads. I bought one recently just for testing hand loads and it has helped immensely. I purchased the parts for a custom AR15 for a DMR role so I was looking for at least 1 MOA with a good hand load and I have since seen it is capable of far more then that so I learned quiet a lot from your videos! I am also curious what you experience has been shooting 5.56x45mm caliber or .223 for accuracy?
I have helped a couple friends build up hand loads for the .223 with great success. Cant remember what kind of groups they were getting, but definitely brought them down under 1 MOA. I plan to get a .223 once my kids start looking for more power than the .22LRs we are shooting right now. 6mmBR is my next planned precision rifle....down the road, who knows when.
All your shots are left on the vertical line that crosses the VBull indicating that your windage needs a stronger correction right from.what I see by 3/4MOA right to be in x ring or 5 when wind dwindles rather than 4 ring. Good clip keep 'em coming
Well, after watching all 24 episodes, I find myself somewhat disappointed that you decided to give up on competing. However, I fully understand where you're coming from and the reasons behind your decision. Not everyone can see the limitations of the situation they are in. You did. Thank you for continuing as long as you did.
I get this type of response on a fairly regular basis now. This series of videos is gaining momentum now and more and more people are using it as a "beginners guide to F-class." My goal was to show what it takes to get into the sport and improve your abilities. However for the show to go on, I would have needed to essentially turn shooting into a full time job. And there's just not enough return on my effort to do that. Bills have to get paid, and this is an expensive hobby. Hopefully you learned something, and your disappointment speaks to the fact that you found some good value in the video series. To that end I would say mission accomplished. Glad you enjoyed what I made, and hopefully it helped improve your game.
I do not plan to get anywhere near as far into long range shooting as you did. But there are several bits of knowledge I grabbed from you in these videos that should help with my 400 yard game. With the hills and all the trees around here, it's difficult to get a clear shot further than that. And yes. Mission accomplished. Indeed.
I plan to make a video showing on this subject. The .308Win is a size limited case. As the bullets get bigger, you loose case capacity, thus the bigger bullets will always move slower. This is a diminishing returns scenario. From the research I have done so far, 155's are the optimal bullet weight for .308win. High velocity, decent BC, and good wind characteristics. Heavier gets you better drift at the cost of velocity. Lighter gives you velocity at the cost of drift.
Just finished all your video's for the first time and I have to say -----------> C O N G R A TS ! Really nice job Guess I need to go through them for at least 4 more times since there is so much info in them and start making notes Anyway I am getting into F-Class shooting due to your videos and a few friends of mine. Went a few weeks ago to Camp Pendleton to see my buddies training for the F-Class . . . . and that pulled my trigger. Just bought a Savage 12 LRP 6.5 Creedmoor Now working myself through all the available scopes on the market I am starting from scrap so a loooooooooong way to go but I am challenged and that's what we finally need - don't we ? Looking forward to see your new series of videos Take care
+Marc Tuts Thats the best way to start. Purpose build the entire rifle setup, don't cheap out, buy the best you can afford and you will be much happier in the long run. I have seen many people shoot poorly in frustration due to equipment malfunction. If you want to compete, you need a solid and reliable rifle build. Feed it good quality hand loads, and practice lots. Very addicting sport. I had a ton of fun and plan to return eventually, family is #1 right now and my kids still want lots of daddy time.
+Ryan Pahl Hello Ryan, gonna shoot the rifle and see how it works out for me (or better for the rifle ;-) We can always swap the barrel later to a . . . ? Anyway first learn how to shoot - including reading the wind The second one will be my biggest competition I guess . . .
+Marc Tuts I bought Krieger, because its the favorite amoungst the members of my gun club. If you look at what rifle builds are winning competitions on the world scale, Kreiger is probably mounted out front of half of those rifles. But any custom barrel will be made to much higher standards than a factory barrel. Any custom will be an upgrade in the area of precision. I would suggest you find out what your local gunsmiths prefer or can easily get their hands on and go with that. You can't beat experience of others. I had to wait over a year to get my 2 Kriegers. I have a second barrel in the safe waiting patiently to be installed on something.....need time and money for that project.
+Ryan Pahl I am reading daily about how and what . . . Tons of info out on Internet but not always the most reliable if you ask me I checked and in (2012 to 2014) the top 5 of the most popular barrels that are used : 1. Bartlein, 2. Benchmark, 3. Hawk Hill custom, 4. Krieger, 5. Proof Research Percentage of used of the brands at the matches : 1.Bartlein coming from 41 to 61 % 2.Benchmark going from 2% up to to 18% 3. Hawkbill Custom from 0 to 8% 4. Krieger coming from 42 % and dropping to 6% 5. Proof Research coming from 0 to 2 % Now I am wondering how 2015 looks like ? Take care
As usual with the net, take everything with a grain of salt. Interesting research, and it lines up fairly close with what I remember from back then. Although, the amount the numbers have changed is a bit surprising. I wonder if its the waiting times that have reduced Kriegers market share. Back then there was nothing better on the market. But as usual, the proof is on the paper. I've heard and seen good things from Proof Research. one of my shooting buddies is load developing one right now and its looking really good. Within 50 shots he had found a nice 0.5 MOA group, and its a semi-auto no less. Can't wait to see it perform as he fine tunes the load.
I know what your talking about...punching paper in the prone position can get boring before long. Precision Shooting is different things to different people. Now, where it's at for me is shooting UKD with time constraints, offhand shooting, improvised positional shooting, I like the direction your going...The skills we gain with more practical shooting have...well, practical benefits.
Ryan I found your series of videos when doing a search on ladder testing. Thank you so much. What a wonderful resource this series of videos is! Learned a ton. I'm curious how you compare the performance of your Krieger barrel to the factory barrel? You had that factory barrel tuned in pretty good. Thanks again, Chris
+Chris Holmes Hope my explanations helped. The Krieger works great, but I have now run into the limitations of the .308WIN cartridge. As a jack of all trades, its does everything well, but nothing is exceptional. I need to change caliber, .338LM to do long range or 6mm to drive bug holes at closer range. So many options out there, its difficult to choose where to go next.
338LM certainly opens a whole new ballpark, especially when it comes to cost. One more question, where in Calgary can you buy devcon for action bedding. Your video on that certainly helped clear some things up for me. Thanks Ryan.
+Chris Holmes I bought mine from Aviall which is an aviation based distributor of commercial products. I think Acklands would be another option. Quick google search shows Zoro Canada has it as well.
+andre Damayer I didn't want to quit. It was a realization that I simply didn't have the time or resources to pursue the sport further. I had reached my plateau. To get better was going to take a much larger investment than I was willing to invest. Seemed like a good time to end close off the series.
Yes, absolutely! but theres not much to be offered in my area. I have to travel quite a bit to get to the closest match. If I owned the land I shoot on...I would host a tactical match.
No, time is the major factor. money is a secondary. I know I need more of both to really pursue this sport, family needs take precidence right now. New series in the making, already have a couple good videos planned once summer arrives.
I really liked your videos. I learned some things watching them. We both struggle from the same issues, time and money. But I would like to add another, reading the wind. Do you plan on doing a series on that subject? I'm sure many struggle with the same thing.. I would love to go through it with you! Your a good shooter with tight groups. I love your rifle! sweet! I have a Savage LRP in 6.5 Creedmore. The stock is an HS precision . Keep it up my friend, you help allot of people I'm sure.
+Charles Fisel I have not been doing this long enough to even try to broach the subject on wind reading. If I ever figure it out, then yes there will be videos covering the subject. But every time I think I have it pinned, I get a flyer off to the side. Time is the big problem here. The only way to learn wind reading is to spend more time on the range. Time and money on bullets, both of which I am short on.
I hear ya brother. It's difficult to get a hand on something that is ever changing and unpredictable. Kind of like woman! Lol. I live in the Phoenix vally area where wind is not very strong on a regular basis. Rarely do we get much more that 20 mph. But with mountains, even that is ever changing. I have read a few things about reading mirage. I belive that to be the most important read in my neck of the woods. If I come across a good one, I'll post it. But like you, time and money are my Achilles heals. In the mean time, keep doing what you do, as you do it very well. On another note, I have a Savage model 12 LRP 6.5 Creedmoor. I watched your segment on action bedding. My question is, there's not a lot of bedding block surface at the rear bedding screw. About 1/4 - 1 inch. Will the bedding material even hold on such a small area? It's an HS precision stock. When I look at it me brain says "Hmmmm" what do you think?
+Charles Fisel The majority surface area that really matters is the forward portion of the action, recoil lug, and a bit of the barrel. All of the weight in a rifle is up front and needs a solid connection in that area. Similar to your concern, I was surprised how little contact I had at the rear of the action once I had machined out the trigger / safety area and magazine well. There is very little contact at the rear on an R-700 action. Most bedding compounds adhere very well to all materials. Roughing up that area on the stock with coarse sandpaper will increase adhesion dramatically for the little spots you do have to work with. Hope that helps.
Have you thought about doing long rage tactical? You go from station to station shooting at various targets in different positions. Might be funner than f class. I have enjoyed your videos and can't wait for the next one.
Frst off, thanks for a great series. I've watched all 24 episodes the last two days. Sad to read that you're taking a break. I was wondering, and I really hope you'll answer this question. Is part of the reason why you're stopping the pursue for precision because you simply got bored with precision shooting?
No more F-Class comps? Noooo! (Heh) Any preview into what's next? Have enjoyed watching how the need for long range accuracy has driven equipment and reloading.
Who makes your stock pack? There are a couple of features that aren't available on most you find, the heavier zipper and the internal ammo loops. Thanks.
Videos will continue, I already have some good footage, just working on a new name for the new series. I will probably go back into F-class in a few years when my kids don't care about daddy time anymore. Family time is trumping shooting time right now.
What camera mount are you using ? What distance was your last match shot at ? One thing that fascinates me is the fact my rifle scopes produce better camera images than my spotting scopes/ Go figgure ! See ya in Spring of 2013
Seben DKA2 mount, it handles .22LR recoil great. But the .308 has too much and knocks the camera off center. Last match was 400,600,800,900 meters. Optical quality is in the glass. I haven't tried shooting video through a spotting scope yet. But I love the images I can get through my NightForce.
