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Basic rifle target shooting training

hminsky

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I am interested in finding an instructor for basic rifle target shooting, to get off on the right foot.

I'm in Newton, MA.

Anyone know of good class or instructor they could recommend?
 
hminsky said:
I am interested in finding an instructor for basic rifle target shooting, to get off on the right foot.

I'm in Newton, MA.

Anyone know of good class or instructor they could recommend?

The NRA, and/or your state association, can doubtless provide you with a list of any high-power clinics that will be held next year in your state.

I know they hold one every spring near Peekskill in NY.

Sigarms Academy in Epping NH has an extensive list of rifle courses every year:

http://www.sigarmsacademy.com/selfdefense/category.asp?ccid=11&type=2

They have a 1200 or so yard range, one of the few places on the East Coast with that sort of capability, I believe.

Regards
John
 
Optimistic Paranoid said:
Sigarms Academy in Epping NH has an extensive list of rifle courses every year:

http://www.sigarmsacademy.com/selfdefense/category.asp?ccid=11&type=2

They have a 1200 or so yard range, one of the few places on the East Coast with that sort of capability, I believe.

Regards
John

John,

Do they supply a seeing eye dog to help see the targets at 1200 yds for those of us that don't have 20/20 eyesight?
[lol]
 
LenS said:
John,

Do they supply a seeing eye dog to help see the targets at 1200 yds for those of us that don't have 20/20 eyesight?
[lol]

Nah, instead, they teach the use of some new-fangled gadget that uses two glass lenses separated by telescoping brass tubes, I forget what it's called . . . :p

Regards
John
 
hminsky said:
I am interested in finding an instructor for basic rifle target shooting, to get off on the right foot.

I'm in Newton, MA.

Anyone know of good class or instructor they could recommend?

If you could help us by narrowing down what you mean by rifle target shooting it would help. It means different things to different people. Are you interested in shooting in competitions or just interested in informal target shooting? The Sig Arms Academy would be good, but if you are interested in competition shooting, you should seek out different sources.

In many instances you will find your fellow shooters willing to offer great information or coaching for free. If you are interested in competition, do your best to narrow down what discipline you want to compete in. Let the people on the board know what your interest is and then I’m sure that they will help you find sources of more focused information.

There are so many great sources of information out there now. I remember when I started out in the late 80s it was so hard just to get information on what was available.

I use to shoot High Power rifle competition. I got involved in it after mucking my way for several years through smallbore shooting in the clubs junior program. At the time it was all I knew about. For what ever reason, it just wasn’t what I wanted and I decided that I wanted to shoot military rifles in competition. It took years, but I found my way to a DCM (Director of Civilian Marksmanship, now known as the CMP) clinic at the club I belonged to and I was hooked.

Don’t forget that clinics are meant to introduce you to the basics of a discipline but they don’t necessarily provide you with focused coaching.

Brian
 
I'm interested in informal target shooting for now, with a .22 and eventually some centerfire .223, and competition later if I figure out what really appeals to me. What I want to try to do is to get some good coaching early to avoid getting bad habits that could easily be avoided if I knew about them.
 
Rifle Training

I have to say the most inespensive way to start is sign up for one of the upcoming CMP Clinics. Our club runs them which includes a training match afterwards. Rifles and ammo can be supplied in many of the clinics and it is a great way to find out from those who know what works and what doesn't work. No sense wasting money on un-needed items.

I would highly recoomend Reading R&P Club. I shoot matches down there during the year and have always found them a great group of people always willing to help out a new shooter.

The only downside is the CT. Junior Tearm that shows up from time to time and kicks my butt every year. Young eye I guess.

BTW, they have a very nice 600 yard range.
 
hminsky............How old are you? If you're 18 or under there are a lot of junior programs out there.
Do you belong to a club? Do you have a smallbore rifle that would be suitable for target shooting? A lot of clubs somewhat near you have teams in the Eastern Mass Smallbore League. MRA., Woburn. Reading. You don't have to be a great shooter as they handicap your scores sort of like golf.

John........I think you may be mistaken about Sig having a 1200yd range. As far as I know their outdoor range goes out to 300.
 
Jarhead said:
John........I think you may be mistaken about Sig having a 1200yd range. As far as I know their outdoor range goes out to 300.

Hmmn. I was positive that I remembered reading either that they HAD the super long range, or that they were planning to ADD the super long range. Now I'm wondering if the plans fell through up there, or I'm confusing them with someplace else - Storm Mountain or Blackwater, maybe.

I hate it when that happens.

In any event, their website makes no mention of shooting past 300 yards.

I stand corrected.

Regards
John
 
Jarhead, I'm 43 ... wish I was 18 again!

I have a Ruger 10/22 rifle currently.

I'd like to find out about local clubs. The Mass Rifle Club or the Reading club are about the same distance from my house, I wasn't sure which would be more better, I'm going to try to visit them both (when it gets a little warmer out...)
 
Though I'm a member at Reading I show no parciallity. They are both fine clubs. MRA (Walnut Hill) is the oldest operating club in the country and has very nice facilitys. Reading has a better high power range with shooting points at 2-3-& 600 yds. with pits.
If you're interested in checking out Reading, perhaps I can meet you there sometime and show you around. There are members of MRA here that I'm sure would do the same for you there.
 
SigArms Ranges

Sigs ranges only go out to 300 yards. They do have an outstanding facility but they are not open to the public unless you are signed up for one of their courses.[shock]
 
Jarhead, thank you for your generous offer. I do want to take you up on that, when the weather warms up a little!
 
Clubs

Be happy to have you come up to Major Waldron's and look it over. We will start out CMP shooting probably in April. Right now I'm happy to shoot pistol indoors unless it turns out to be on of those rare warm days.... [shock]

But if it is closer to home, I'd really recommend Reading. Great group of people...
 
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