Magpul: The Art of the Precision Rifle

[mikegideon]

Just got a ship confirmation. Finally out.

[Sandman]

YES!!

[Guest bkelm18]

Are the Magpul videos generally a good investment? I know they're no replacement for actual training but I see a lot of people who rave about them.

[mikegideon]

Are the Magpul videos generally a good investment? I know they're no replacement for actual training but I see a lot of people who rave about them.

Don't know. I'm not into combat. This one is worth it to me for more perspective on long range shooting. It's easy to sit there with dope tables. I want to learn more about the tricks.

[ProGun]

Got my shipping confirmation also! Excited to learn more about long range hits. Now I just have to decide between the 700p or the 700 ltr in 308...and then convince the missus that I NEED another rifle.

[mikegideon]

I'm weird. .308 isn't even on my list.

[Caster]

I'm weird. .308 isn't even on my list.

huh? What's wrong with you man? Whatcha gonna do when the blue helmets arrive and there's all that good 7,62 Nato laying around?

[mikegideon]

huh? What's wrong with you man? Whatcha gonna do when the blue helmets arrive and there's all that good 7,62 Nato laying around?

I have 4 .223's. I'll probably swap it for some of that, if I ever run out of what I have. There should be a huge pile of dead bodies protecting me WAY before I run out.

[Caster]

I have 4 .223's. I'll probably swap it for some of that, if I ever run out of what I have. There should be a huge pile of dead bodies protecting me WAY before I run out.

If I weren't so heavily invested in handloaded ammo I can't sell or trade, I'd probably trade off my 308's for another .223 myself.

[MacGyver]

Magpul's stuff is good. With Travis and Chris gone, I expect it may be a while before we see another.

[mikegideon]

If I weren't so heavily invested in handloaded ammo I can't sell or trade, I'd probably trade off my 308's for another .223 myself.

I have stuff all around it. .243, .270, 30/30, and .458 SOCOM. Just never saw a need to jump on it.

[Okey]

I have 4 .223's. I'll probably swap it for some of that, if I ever run out of what I have. There should be a huge pile of dead bodies protecting me WAY before I run out.

I'm going to hide behind Mike and hand him ammo.

[TMF]

Don't know. I'm not into combat. This one is worth it to me for more perspective on long range shooting. It's easy to sit there with dope tables. I want to learn more about the tricks.

I've heard talk about apps on smart phones for dope/wind calc/humidity; do you roll with something like that when you're doing long range? I'm still living in the dark ages and have yet to pick up a cell phone made in the past 6 years but I'm gonna get a new iphone in a few months.

[MacGyver]

I've heard talk about apps on smart phones for dope/wind calc/humidity; do you roll with something like that when you're doing long range? I'm still living in the dark ages and have yet to pick up a cell phone made in the past 6 years but I'm gonna get a new iphone in a few months.

Ballistic FTE is pretty good if you're shooting factory ammo or know some details about your own loads.

[mikegideon]

I had an ap with a JBM engine on my iphone. Nothing on my Droid yet. The good aps will actually go out and get the current weather conditions.

So far, I've just printed out a sight zero adjust table for elevations. That has proven to be dead accurate if I know the real muzzle velocity, and the weather conditions in the program are accurate. I use the program that being resold by Oehler Research on my laptop. Seems to be real accurate with good data. Wind is a crap shoot. I have a Ketrel weather meter that will collect decent weather and wind speed data at the shooting location, but wind can vary significantly between the gun and the target.

[mikegideon]

Ballistic FTE is pretty good if you're shooting factory ammo or know some details about your own loads.

Using factory data can bite you in the butt unless you just luck up and get the published muzzle velocity. Best to measure your loads with a chrony. The BC numbers on good bullets, like SMK's, appear to be on the money.

[TN-popo]

Are the Magpul videos generally a good investment? I know they're no replacement for actual training but I see a lot of people who rave about them.

Magpul's stuff is good. With Travis and Chris gone, I expect it may be a while before we see another.

Yes, Magpul has put out some good stuff that is worth checking out.

There's a couple of things they teach that I disagree with, but I could say the same thing about most classes that I've taken.

Overall, they have great vids.

[TMF]

I had an ap with a JBM engine on my iphone. Nothing on my Droid yet. The good aps will actually go out and get the current weather conditions.

So far, I've just printed out a sight zero adjust table for elevations. That has proven to be dead accurate if I know the real muzzle velocity, and the weather conditions in the program are accurate. I use the program that being resold by Oehler Research on my laptop. Seems to be real accurate with good data. Wind is a crap shoot. I have a Ketrel weather meter that will collect decent weather and wind speed data at the shooting location, but wind can vary significantly between the gun and the target.

Neat stuff. I'd like to get back into long range shooting but I would go way overboard on $$$. I'm waiting on one of my buddies to meet a chick that makes him sell off his guns so I can capitalize.

Wind is a crapshoot. I would always be sparing on wind calls past 600. Focusing on grass at 3/4 distance was always different than at 1/4 and 1/2... not just varying values but completely different directions some times. During training we stood at the 1000m line while instructors threw out smoke grenades at 200m intervals all the way down the line. Very interesting to see what the wind does.

[mikegideon]

Neat stuff. I'd like to get back into long range shooting but I would go way overboard on $$$. I'm waiting on one of my buddies to meet a chick that makes him sell off his guns so I can capitalize.

Wind is a crapshoot. I would always be sparing on wind calls past 600. Focusing on grass at 3/4 distance was always different than at 1/4 and 1/2... not just varying values but completely different directions some times. During training we stood at the 1000m line while instructors threw out smoke grenades at 200m intervals all the way down the line. Very interesting to see what the wind does.

Yep. That's why the more successful competition guys dump their scoring rounds as fast as they can, hoping that conditions don't change. As competent as the military snipers are, there's some luck involved in those record shots.

[TMF]

Yep. That's why the more successful competition guys dump their scoring rounds as fast as they can, hoping that conditions don't change. As competent as the military snipers are, there's some luck involved in those record shots.

In some cases I wouldn't call it luck as much as I would call it embelishment. I've done some shooting at the 1000m distance and got some hits (talkin' KD range and paper here), but usually it takes a shot or two with someone looking at trace to talk me on. Some of the "cold bore first round" kills that I hear about are beyond the reasonable capability of the rifle in a vacuum on a gun vise; now when you add in all the environmental factors and the shooter/spotter himself....ehhhh I'm gonna lean toward embelishment. I've heard plenty of stories of guys getting +1000m shots on second and third rounds which I think is pretty reasonable. I just can't believe on a 1 MOA weapon system getting a first round kill shot at 1600m. Doing the math there is quite a large margin of error there. Further more, if a bad guy walked in my line of fire and he was anything past 800m I wouldn't bother shooting at him anyway unless security wasn't an issue, because I know there's a good enough chance that I'm gonna have to follow up.

It all makes for a good story at the bar though.

EDIT: Talking about 7.62 x 51 BTW.... not any of the sexy loads.

Edited December 15, 2011 by TMF 18B

[mikegideon]

1 MOA is roughly 10 inches at 1000 yards. That uncertainty exists even after you're dialed in with wind conditions. Yep, cold bore kills at a mile would be 100% luck, unless there's NO wind.

[mikegideon]

OK, I'm through the first DVD. This is good stuff. The one thing I find most interesting... the Magpul guys are the students.

[MacGyver]

Dynamic Handgun, Carbine and Shotgun should be on everyone's Christmas list. They're good refreshers, and it's always awesome to watch someone who can run their gear like nobody's business.

[mikegideon]

They're on my list. I figure I would need to have a third of my major organs replaced before I could do much high speed stuff. I can lie in the dirt with a scoped rifle, and let the other guy do all the running though

[eapking]

Magpul's stuff is good. With Travis and Chris gone, I expect it may be a while before we see another.

Dang, knew Travis left, but not Chris. Too bad. They did pretty good vids. Just got the remade version of Tac Carbine II. Love it.