The Technical Rifleman: Wayne van Zwoll explains long range rifle shooting techniques, optics, ammunition and ballistics
5/5
()
About this ebook
Wayne van Zwoll covers the technical aspects of rifle shooting in a conversational voice. He goes over everything from milliradians to walnut stocks, and exploding rifle chambers to disintegrating bullets. The book is a must-read for anyone that loves rifle shooting.
In The Technical Rifleman You’ll Learn:- About rifle scope options and nomenclature
- Rifle shooting basic and advanced tips
- How to choose the best rifle for the game you hunt
Read more from Wayne Van Zwoll
Shooter's Bible Guide to Handloading: A Comprehensive Reference for Responsible and Reliable Reloading Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsShooter's Bible Guide to Rifle Ballistics Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMastering the Art of Long-Range Shooting Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Deer Rifles and Cartridges: A Complete Guide to All Hunting Situations Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Gun Digest Shooter's Guide to Rifles Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHunter's Guide to Long-Range Shooting Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to The Technical Rifleman
Related ebooks
Shooting Times Guide to Accuracy: How to Be a Top Shot with Rifle, Shotgun, or Handgun Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Hunter's Guide to Long-Range Shooting Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Big Book of Ballistics Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Ultimate Shooting Skills Manual: 212 Essential Range and Field Skills Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Reloading for Handgunners Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Gun Digest Book of the Tactical Shotgun Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Gun Digest Book of the Tactical Rifle: A User's Guide Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Handbook of Reloading Basics Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Guns & Ammo Guide to AR-15s: A Comprehensive Guide to Black Guns Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsABCs of Rifle Shooting Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Gun Digest Book of the AR-15, Volume 2 Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Shoot to Win: Training for the New Pistol, Rifle, and Shotgun Shooter Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGun Digest Book of Centerfire Rifles Assembly/Disassembly, 4th Ed. Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGreatest Cartridges of All Time Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGun Digest Book of Rimfire Rifles Assembly/Disassembly, 5th Edition Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Gun Digest Book of Tactical Weapons Assembly/Disassembly, 2nd Ed. Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBolt Action Rifles Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Gunsmithing - Rifles Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Gun Digest Book of the AR-15 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsShooter's Bible, 111th Edition: The World's Bestselling Firearms Reference: 2019–2020 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsModern Custom Guns: Walnut, Steel, and Uncommon Artistry Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTactical Pistol Shooting: Your Guide to Tactics that Work Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Gun Digest Book of the AK & SKS: A Complete Guide to Guns, Gear and Ammunition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGunsmithing the AR-15, Vol. 3: The Bench Manual Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Gun Digest Book of Firearms Assembly/Disassembly Part V - Shotguns Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Tactical Gun Digest: The World's Greatest Tactical Firearm and Gear Book Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Gunsmithing the AR-15, Vol. 1: How to Maintain, Repair, and Accessorize Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Shooting & Hunting For You
The Complete Guide to Gunsmithing: Gun Care and Repair Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry, 2nd Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEndure: How to Work Hard, Outlast, and Keep Hammering Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5DIY GUNS: Recoil Magazine's Guide to Homebuilt Suppressors, 80 Percent Lowers, Rifle Mods and More! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Concealed Carry Class: The ABCs of Self-Defense Tools and Tactics Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe NRA Step-by-Step Guide to Gun Safety: How to Care For, Use, and Store Your Firearms Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBoy Scouts Handbook: Original 1911 Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPrepared: The 8 Secret Skills of an Ex-IDF Special Forces Operator That Will Keep You Safe - Basic Guide Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The ABC's of Reloading, 10th Edition: The Definitive Guide for Novice to Expert Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Defensive Pistol Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Book of Glock: A Comprehensive Guide to America's Most Popular Handgun Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Ultimate Guide to Home Butchering: How to Prepare Any Animal or Bird for the Table or Freezer Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGlock Reference Guide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAn Illustrated Manual of Sniper Skills Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Deadly Force - Understanding Your Right To Self Defense Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Hunting with the Bow and Arrow Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Total Gun Manual: 335 Essential Shooting Skills Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Total Bowhunting Manual: 261 Essential Skills Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Happy, Happy, Happy: My Life and Legacy as the Duck Commander Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Total Outdoorsman Skills & Tools: 324 Tips Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Process and Progress Pistol Training: Proven Methods to Structure Your Practice Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAmerican Hunter: How Legendary Hunters Shaped America Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCamping 101!: A Beginners Guide with Campfire Recipes and Hacks That Will Make Your Adventure Fun!: Camping and Backpacking Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsunPHILtered: The Way I See It Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Prepper Guns: Firearms, Ammo, Tools, and Techniques You Will Need to Survive the Coming Collapse Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Trapper's Bible: The Most Complete Guide on Trapping and Hunting Tips Ever Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for The Technical Rifleman
1 rating0 reviews
Book preview
The Technical Rifleman - Wayne Van Zwoll
Chapter 1
The Evolution of Marksmanship
Target shooting improves marksmanshipWayne fired these 50-yard five-shot groups in rimfire prone competition. Consistent form matters with marksmanship.
One shot does not a marksman make. Neither does it demonstrate accuracy. A single hole, in an animal or a paper target, shows only that you fired the rifle. It takes more to achieve true marksmanship.
During the iron-sight stage of a smallbore match years ago, I settled into prone and accidentally brushed the trigger. Dismayed, I hardly dared peek into the spotting scope. The best I could hope was that the bullet had missed the paper, leaving no evidence a shot had been fired. A hole in any of the 10 record targets, or between them, would affect my score.
Squinting into the glass, I was astounded to see a hole in the center of the target I was to shoot. A pinwheel. That shot had nothing to do with my marksmanship or the accuracy of the rifle or ammunition.
In its purest form, accuracy is a measure of consistency.
Standards of accuracy can change over time, as they vary with conditions and shooting gear. Marksmen obsessed with accuracy have developed games and equipment that redefine the term. The first official benchrest match, held in Johnstown, New York in 1947, drew international interest. Special rifles and loads, and better optics, have since enabled shooters to print tiny groups.
Tolerance can affect marksmanshipClose tolerances in modern rifles and ammunition add up to better accuracy, more consistent hits.
In the UK not long ago, a sharp-eyed shooter drilled a .135-inch five-shot group at 100 yards and a 6.908 group at 1,000 yards under trying conditions. The world’s record 1,000-yard group measures inside 2 inches, well under a quarter minute of angle.
Hunting rifles and ammunition have improved a great deal since I started shooting. When you could buy one at retail for $89.50, we considered the 94 Winchester a 3-minute rifle.
Now, with Hornady LeverEvolution ammo, the best .30-30 lever guns punch 1-minute groups. When it appeared, the M-16 rifle couldn’t match the accuracy of the M-14 or the Garand. Now, after many refinements, a tuned AR-15 shoots about as well as competitive bolt-actions.
Recently, I fired a Les Baer AR with Federal ammunition launching 77-grain Sierra MatchKings. Sub-minute groups came easily, and one three-shot cluster measured less than half an inch at 200 yards.
In my youth, hunters marveled at rifles that shot into a nickel at 100 yards, but they didn’t despair if the groups were bigger. Many marksmen still relied on iron sights, and big game was shot close. These days, interest in tactical rifles, rangefinding devices, high-power scopes and long-range shooting has nudged the accuracy bar ever upward. While smart hunters get as close as possible for shots at game, long-distance hits on paper targets and steel are confidence-builders.
Practice makes perfect when it comes to marksmanshipImproved optics and more uniform ammo help make tuned ARs as accurate as most bolt rifles.
Accuracy at distance makes you more successful in competition and afield. When you can hit far away, the close shots seem easier.
To that end, manufacturers of rifles, barrels, scopes and ammunition have poured many thousands of dollars into new products. Darrell Holland (hwww.hollandguns.com), who runs a shooting school in southern Oregon and builds super-accurate rifles, has designed a unique scope reticle for long shots. A series of ballistics cards from Holland help you quickly assess effects of range, wind and shot angle for your favorite load.
In the same way, the fellows at Greybull Precision (greybullprecision.com) manufacture scope dials for specific loads and fit them to Leupold scopes with cleverly designed reticles. I’ve used Greybull scopes to 780 yards, banging minute-of-angle groups on steel with center holds. A Marlin lever-action printed six first-round hits inside a 10-inch circle from 100 to 600 yards, with center aim. All I did between shots was adjust the Greybull dial for distance. Matching of scope dials to specific bullet arcs has since become a service of most scope-makers.
Ballistics software from Sierra, Nikon and other sources has not only fueled interest in long-range shooting but given riflemen tools to do it. Knowing where to aim or how to adjust the sight at distance is a first step to hitting consistently.
Marksmanship comes next. Holding the rifle still and executing the shot properly is a skill independent of equipment. It is also the pivotal factor in the pursuit of accuracy.
This article originally appeared Aug. 10, 2012 on GunDigest.com.
Chapter 2
Increasing Accuracy Without Taking a Shot
Dry fire gun drillsDry-firing your big game rifle from hunting positions hones shooting fundamentals.
Practice. It’s the way to get good at just about anything. Gun drills can even help you get good at doing the wrong thing.
Lones Wigger, the most decorated Olympic rifleman ever, once told me he practiced gun drills up to four hours a day for the U.S. Army Marksmanship Training Unit.
More importantly, I practiced the right things. Every shot must be well executed. If you’re too tired of shooting to shoot well, it’s time to quit. A sloppy shot is practice for more sloppy shots,
he said.
You’ve seen people blaze away as if success depended on a high count of empty hulls. AR-15s and autoloading pistols encourage careless shooting –