PRS Support Gear (weather, LRFs, etc)

[QuietShootr]

Maybe a future sticky?

Added a Kestrel 4500NV to the tool box. Experimenting with it, it shows the dramatic difference between what NWS reports for your area and actual station data. I switched my software to use density altitude and noticed an improvement in accuracy immediately, to the tune of .4 mils of elevation at 1000.

I understand that a high-accuracy LRF is probably the next best piece of support gear. Is the Vectronix still the ne-plus-ultra?

[taliv]

4500NV is good. 4000NV is all you need though. You just paid extra for bluetooth which is cool if you want it to feed data to your phone, but definitely not a necessity. 4000 and above get you DA.

Btw, a quick tip on it: there are user-defined screens at the bottom of the scroll menu. Go to one and configure it to display Wind Speed, Temp, Density Altitude on the same screen. That way you don't have to flip back and forth constantly.

PLRF05 "terrapin" is definitely the best bang for the buck at around $2000. The -10, 15, 25 go up in price quick for very incremental features as far as the hobbyist precision shooter is concerned.


Other support field gear worth discussing:
pack, ballistic calc, mil-dot master, dope cards, spotting scopes, sticks, shemagh, front / rear bags, data book, mag pouches, slings, ammo storage, portable cleaning rod, lens cleaning kit, rain gear, NV stuff

[orkan]

.....

[ALCOAR]

I'm certainly following this thread now with interest....I can learn a ton about all the 007 gear that both Taliv, and Orkan use in their normal shooting game....I'd love to one day have a little kit with a dead nuts accurate/reliable 1500-2,000yd LRF, top of the line Kestrel, and a dedicated PDA setup with ballistic software on it. Hopefully a0cake can weigh in with his opinion on the tools he recently carried while serving.

My primary tools are

1.) theweatherchannel.com
2.) googleEARTH
3.) patience

:o


eta

Orkan...can you be more specific in regards to your solvent/lube choice for in the field use-age. Thanks in advance.

[orkan]

.....

[mark5pt56]

If you guys want to format the equipment into categories when you post with link, I could do a sticky and update it into my original post. It will be open, so just post onto the thread.

Mark

[mkmckinley]

I'm not sure if most shooters will need concealment rigs (does the Precision Rifle Series involve concealment?). However if anyone does need a ghillies suit and can't sew the kits from Tactical Concealment are hard to beat. The unfortunately named ROID Cobra has worked well for me in the woods of NC and WA. The key to any ghillie is natural veg and the Tactical Concealment rigs have 550 cord webbing that can accommodate any kind of veg without ripping:

http://www.tacticalconcealment.com/cat-ghillie-base-foundations.cfm

I've tried a few rear bags including a few homemade ones and my favorite is the large Triad Tactical wedge. It's nice because you can quickly make gross elevation changes by sliding the bag back and forth, then obviously squeeze for the fine adjustment:

http://www.triadtactical.com/Triad-Tapered-Rear-Bag.html

For reloading the Redding Type S Full Bushing dies are outstanding. Their micrometer seater is great too:

http://www.redding-reloading.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=118:type-s-bushing-dies

[BrigandTwoFour]

My wife is buying me a bunch of stuff for my upcoming birthday. These should include...

Triad wedgie rear bag,
https://www.triadtactical.com/Triad-Tapered-Rear-Bag.html

Triad stock pack,
https://www.triadtactical.com/Triad-Stock-Pack.html

Triad padded shooting mat,
https://www.triadtactical.com/Triad-Padded-Shooting-Mat.html

and TAB sling.
https://www.riflesonly.com/pro-shop/tactical-gear/tab-gear-sling.html

I'll try to do some reviews of the stuff as I get it.

[taliv]

None of the PRS matches involve concealment or stalking. Some matches do though. The PRS matches unfortunately are very run n gun barricade stuff mostly. Looks like a 3gun match only the targets are 600-800 yards further away

[Pappabear]

For those without big $$$, I went with Bushnell 1600. It reads anything at 1K and had done 1,800 in sunlight with good contrast.

I like the Triad bag that is like a soup can. Bigger and more adjustment. The little pillows are OK. Never tried the wedge.

I like the stock packs, but like the Karsten cheek risers better. I have stock packs on several hunters. I do dig em.

[BrigandTwoFour]

I have a Manners T2 on order, the stock pack will be for that rifle. I was actually planning on maybe having a karsten under it. The karsten provides a nice stable adjustment, and the stock pack should give me a nice bit of tractation and some storage space for range cards and a kestrel.

We'll see, though. I'm new to this and that line of thinking may not pan out.

[QuietShootr]

4500NV is good. 4000NV is all you need though. You just paid extra for bluetooth which is cool if you want it to feed data to your phone, but definitely not a necessity. 4000 and above get you DA.

Btw, a quick tip on it: there are user-defined screens at the bottom of the scroll menu. Go to one and configure it to display Wind Speed, Temp, Density Altitude on the same screen. That way you don't have to flip back and forth constantly.

PLRF05 "terrapin" is definitely the best bang for the buck at around $2000. The -10, 15, 25 go up in price quick for very incremental features as far as the hobbyist precision shooter is concerned.


Other support field gear worth discussing:
pack, ballistic calc, mil-dot master, dope cards, spotting scopes, sticks, shemagh, front / rear bags, data book, mag pouches, slings, ammo storage, portable cleaning rod, lens cleaning kit, rain gear, NV stuff

http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff494/QS308shooter/photo_zps76025372.jpg

Yup. Figured that out the second day.

I learned something the last few days: most people (including me) overestimate wind speeds pretty consistently.

[taliv]

yep, that's exactly what mine looks like.



I learned something the last few days: most people (including me) overestimate wind speeds pretty consistently.

definitely true. and most people also overestimate the effect of letoffs too.

it also depends to a large extent on where you are. in flat land, where the wind is blowing the same direction for miles, the effect on the bullet is pretty close to what the calculators say. in the wooded hills of TN, where the wind is doing something different every 100 yards, not only do people over estimate the speed, but they over estimate the duration of flight where the wind is pushing the bullet that direction.


edit: one other thing you may learn... when playing with your new kestrel, don't hold it out the window while driving down the interstate :)

[QuietShootr]

yep, that's exactly what mine looks like.




definitely true. and most people also overestimate the effect of letoffs too.

it also depends to a large extent on where you are. in flat land, where the wind is blowing the same direction for miles, the effect on the bullet is pretty close to what the calculators say. in the wooded hills of TN, where the wind is doing something different every 100 yards, not only do people over estimate the speed, but they over estimate the duration of flight where the wind is pushing the bullet that direction.


edit: one other thing you may learn... when playing with your new kestrel, don't hold it out the window while driving down the interstate :)

HAHA...did it on a back road already. Seems to work fine up to about 40 mph. did you damage yours?

ETA: Have you used the tripod vane mount? Seems like if you could fold that up into a little Pelican case that would be viable for field use.

[a0cake]

I'm certainly following this thread now with interest....I can learn a ton about all the 007 gear that both Taliv, and Orkan use in their normal shooting game....I'd love to one day have a little kit with a dead nuts accurate/reliable 1500-2,000yd LRF, top of the line Kestrel, and a dedicated PDA setup with ballistic software on it. Hopefully a0cake can weigh in with his opinion on the tools he recently carried while serving.

My primary tools are

1.) theweatherchannel.com
2.) googleEARTH
3.) patience

:o


eta

Orkan...can you be more specific in regards to your solvent/lube choice for in the field use-age. Thanks in advance.

Well, the PLRF10C's and later the PLRF25's cable-interfaced with DAGR's were my favorite units due to their compact size, durability, and great accuracy. Also made indirect-fire missions retardedly easy when a direct-fire solution wasn't in the cards.

I imagine that the units which are affordable for the private owner like the PLRF05 are every bit as good despite the reduction in range.

The VECTOR 21 was also highly useful but extremely overkill for any civilian purpose. Same with the Long Range Thermal Video Imaging System from Vectronix. If one had nearly unlimited funds, as I imagine someone reading this potentially might, the LRTV would be the ultimate toy. That's the only reason I mention it.

A Kestrel, some good load data (in my case velocity from an Oehler and a G7 BC), a good LRF like the PLRF, and a device running the Shooter application (I used my Droid...seriously), makes taking the shot itself almost effortless for the shooter. Downrange wind is really the only thing you can screw up at that point; the rest is done for you. The kit allows one to focus on the hardest part -- getting to the point of making the shot in the first place without getting dicked down in the process. I imagine that all carries over into the match world.

One thing I'll caution against is Vortex spotting scopes, which seem to have a good online reputation. Every single one of our 20-60X Razor HD's broke at some point and had to be replaced. They're great while they're working, though.

[QuietShootr]

It appears I used an incorrect acronym - I wasn't referring to the Precision Rifle Series matches, I simply meant support gear for precision rifle shooting (i.e. field use, non-match shooting, if you follow.)

I think I'm going to put the PLRF05 on the to-buy list next.

[orkan]

PLRF05 and PVM21 chronograph are the two devices that led to the greatest increase in first round hits for me.

[jpipes]

Here is what I use in the field, and what works the best for me:

1) PLRF-05
2) ballistic app (shooter is what I use), synched with a decent chrony, backed up by verifying on steel to 1k
3) Triad rear bags
4) TAB slings, their new quick adjust is awesome. I also like their suppressor covers.
5) Harris bipods....much better than competitors for faster deployment
6) Kestrel of some sort, I use the 4500
7) Quality optics and mounts....self explanatory, but try to make sure it tracks true, is not canted when mounted, and it makes life a bit easier if the reticle and adjustments match.

Good luck.