Spotter

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LazyM
Posts: 247
Joined: Sat Mar 27, 2010 8:27 pm
Location: Saint Simons Island, GA

Spotter

Post by LazyM »

First off, I know one of the answers...."Go out and try it."

But would like some input...Is it always necessary to have a spotter when shooting? Is it possible to spot for yourself? At what range does it become impossible (bullet reaching target before being able to move ones head)? does the act of moving ones head after shooting affect the actual act of shooting?

Being in a land of "not quite" BPCR shooting, it is currently a single persons sport. However, I am fortunate to have a range out to 600 yards. So this helps.
gunlaker
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Re: Spotter

Post by gunlaker »

You can spot for yourself under some circumstances. With my scoped silhouette rifle, I can almost always see the strikes and the misses as long as the ground is dry and free of vegetation. It helps that it's a low recoil .40-65.

For target rifle shooting, if you have guys in the pits it's easy as they'll mark the shot location. Spotting for yourself is fun, but you can miss a quick change easily. A scoped rifle makes that a little easier. I can see a reasonable amount of mirage in my MVA scopes.

Long range gongs, 500m plus, isn't bad at all because after recoil you can roll off the rifle and into a prone spotting scope and see the shots before they land. At some point it becomes too hard to see where the hit was though.

Chris.
MikeT
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Location: Saint Cloud, MN

Re: Spotter

Post by MikeT »

I use my scope before I break the shot, not afterward. The conditions are more important to me than where the shot hit. You have plenty of time to figure out the hit location after the shot, unless you have new sights or scope and have no basis for your sight setting.

Keep on hav'n fun!
MikeT
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Don McDowell
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Re: Spotter

Post by Don McDowell »

Caldwell target camera makes things go much easier when shooting by yourself during home range trigger time sessions
Check your scope read the conditions sight adjust if you think necessary, let er rip and the camera will let you know how that shot went
AKA Donny Ray Rockslinger :?
DaveC
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Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2015 1:34 pm

Re: Spotter

Post by DaveC »

I bought a little frame from S4 Gear that holds a phone camera against the eyepiece of the spotting scope, and make a video of the hit (or miss) and correct from there. Was able to get off the rifle and watch the hit in the scope at 600 yards, but didn't have the reflexes for 500.

Very hard to beat having a spotter though.
John Bly
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Re: Spotter

Post by John Bly »

Many times you can see the hits and misses if you are shooting a scope with a light recoiling rifle. You should never try to see them when shooting iron sights. Follow through is very important whether you are shooting, bowling or tossing horse shoes. Stay in the gun after the shot. You can generally see the target fall through your sights. If you have a good load and an accurate rifle and get sighted in properly if you wonder whether you hit it, you didn't.
"Perfection consists not so much in doing extraordinary things as in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well"
jackrabbit
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Location: Carpenter Wyoming

Re: Spotter

Post by jackrabbit »

I've seen some guys develop some really bad, really hard to break habits from trying to spot their own shots. Follow through is so important and jerking your head off the stock to try and see if you hit or not will really mess with your follow through. If you can't find somebody to spot for you, I think you are a lot better off shooting at a target large enough you have a hard time missing. You can then view your hits through the spotting scope after you have followed through and fully recovered from recoil. If the target is large and you are still missing it, move up till you can hit it, then move back 25 or 50 yards at a time so you stay on target. You can learn lots from this and you won't develop bad habits.
Hope this helps, Cody

BTW, you would have your choice of several spotters if you had not moved away..... :lol: :lol: :lol:
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bpcr shooter
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Re: Spotter

Post by bpcr shooter »

Id say 1k, it takes bout 3sec for it to get there and that should be enough time to have a proper follow thru and see an impact.
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Randy Bohannon
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Joined: Mon Aug 21, 2017 2:00 pm
Location: Buffalo WY

Re: Spotter

Post by Randy Bohannon »

One of my biggest joys in life has been my oldest granddaughter who was my spotter until she went off to college. Her delight in seeing a bullet in flight before hitting the target was an amazing thing to her 10 year old eyes,she still talks about that.
Jackrabbit nailed what’s needed to hit what you’re aiming at, if not move closer until you have some resemblance of accuracy.
MAH
Posts: 161
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Location: Fla

Re: Spotter

Post by MAH »

I have seen a new device called Target spot. The unit attaches to your spotting scope. Then wi-fi's it to your phone. Not knowing its full capabilities, certainly worth a good look. Cost is somewhere around $65.00.

MAH
gunlaker
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Re: Spotter

Post by gunlaker »

You will get lower scores spotting for yourself, but if you have the discipline to follow through on your shots you will learn a lot. The lower scores are mostly a result of missing little changes that happen between looking through your spotting scope and getting into the rifle.

The nice 1000 yard scores at Robert's Money Match are proof that very good shooting can be done while spotting for yourself.

Chris.
jackrabbit
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Re: Spotter

Post by jackrabbit »

I agree Chris, but it is as long as you are on target. If you are by yourself and not on the target, it can really be a bugger trying to get on target. At Byers, we have help until a shot hits paper, then all spotting is on you. You have to know where you are hitting and after you are on paper you can see where your shots are going. I think it would be a mistake to throw a target out at 1,000 yards and blaze away at it with no sight settings. It would be very frustrating and counter productive. Start up close and work your way out while using a large enough target you can get hits on it so you can see where you need to correct to. I have done most of my shooting and load development this way.
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Don McDowell
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Re: Spotter

Post by Don McDowell »

If you're using good shooting form and following the shot thru and not internally screaming ouch oooh that's loud and it hurts. At closer distances you should be able to see the dust and get a general idea of where the miss went..
Then once you get on target, the Caldwell target camera can do the rest and plus you can track your shots and with proper target size and distance inputs, will give you the group size.
1000 yard Cup style matches are a whole nether can of worms, but a ton of fun.
AKA Donny Ray Rockslinger :?
gunlaker
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Re: Spotter

Post by gunlaker »

jackrabbit wrote: Mon Dec 20, 2021 9:30 am I agree Chris, but it is as long as you are on target. If you are by yourself and not on the target, it can really be a bugger trying to get on target. At Byers, we have help until a shot hits paper, then all spotting is on you. You have to know where you are hitting and after you are on paper you can see where your shots are going. I think it would be a mistake to throw a target out at 1,000 yards and blaze away at it with no sight settings. It would be very frustrating and counter productive. Start up close and work your way out while using a large enough target you can get hits on it so you can see where you need to correct to. I have done most of my shooting and load development this way.
I agree with you. I generally start off with an excellent idea on what my elevation needs to be. If you spot for yourself and you don't start with good elevation then you are often in trouble :-). I am surprised though when someone shows up at a match and their first shot's vertical is off by 15 or more minutes.

Even when I'm shooting with someone else I still like to do my own wind calls and then compare them with what my spotter says and discuss what to do. I also have the most fun when shooting that way. I learned that from watching Bryan and Robert.

I've just shot the Money Match twice, but hopefully I'll get to again. Although I have 100% confidence in my .45-90, my new "Jimbo-Lite" Tollofson rifle would be the bees knees to shoot in that match. On that one you pretty much need to have a look through the spotting scope after the shot, just for insurance. If you shoot a miss, and the guys in the pits didn't see it then you've wasted 10% of your score. I'm of the opinion that the Money Match is the king of all long range matches :-)

Chris.
40-65rl
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Re: Spotter

Post by 40-65rl »

Don, Do you like the Caldwell better than the Bullseye camera? The Caldwell is more price friendly but doesn't look like it can be as "hidden" for errant shots as the bullseye. Thanks
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