What's Your Style?: Preparation Period

[alpha sierra]

Originally Posted by CMPMikeD

I will be shooting my first highpower match in Oklahoma. I have nothing except my jacket, gun and ammo...

What are the remaining basics one would need to shoot a Garand match? What is ideal? What are extra perks?

Cool.

The remaining basics:
1) A glove for your sling hand. If you shoot 3P air, you should have one already
2) Something to lie down on. A mat is not that critical to sitting, but it makes prone so much more productive, I consider it essential.
3) Something to hump your stuff around the range, in case you can't drive from firing line to firing line. Use your imagination. I've seen everything from Red Ryder wagons, to gardening carts, to a trash can strapped to a moving dolly.
4) A hat, preferably with a brim all the way around. You'll be out in the sun. I used to live in KS, so I know how intense the plains sun can be
5) Water and some sort of food.
6) I assume you have clips, and a regulation (M1 or M1907) sling and know how to use it

Ideal
1) A high quality spotting scope with a long eye relief eyepiece and a highpower-specific scope stand (the reasons for this will be come obvious in prone)
2) A dedicated shooting mat
3) A highpower-specific shooting coat
4) Handloaded ammo tuned to your rifle
5) An AR-15 Service Rifle. Sorry, it's just so incredibly inexpensive compared to an equally accurate M1 or M1A, plus it's way easier to shoot and has the best sights of any service rifle.

[hi-revr]

Originally Posted by CMPMikeD

I will be shooting my first highpower match in Oklahoma. I have nothing except my jacket, gun and ammo...

What are the remaining basics one would need to shoot a Garand match? What is ideal? What are extra perks?

Looking foreword to meeting you in OKC.

First, any of the above require one thing above all else. Be familiar with the gun, make sure it functions, especially the vintage stuff. Rapid fire practice is important to assure clips function as they should. There is never a match where multiple people have clips eject prematurely, failure to feed, sights loosen and wonder off zero, gas plugs loosen, etc.

Ill start with the non shooting specific stuff before I have to go fix my wife's car.

rain gear, take with you to the pits.
water, food, sun or safety glasses (for pits) and a hat.
some guys take folding camp stools to the pits. It is possible to be stuck in the pits for a few hours. This is also why many have a cover for their shooting carts. Things are less likely to disappear if people can't see it in the open and rain protection.

Spotting scope, shooting mat. More later......back, car fixed

Two of the more involved choices that have been debated to death are scope with stand and cart. A home made or inexpensive cart is probably the way to start until you shoot a few matches and see what people use. It also takes a few matches to figure out what kit you will want to haul around.

Scopes are easy like any glass, you get what you pay for period. The good news is you don't need a $5000 scope for high power. I have a very good Leupold 15-45 or something close that was close to $1000 ten years ago. The problem is its a straight eyepiece, no good for prone. I looked at several people's at matches and ended up going with the popular Konus 20-60?? angled eyepiece that runs about $200. It's all you need and if you decide to upgrade it will sell on here in minutes. Stands are another can of worms. Lots of good choices, different features, personal preference. You need to play with a few to decide.