Chronographs are important... And they just became even better and more convenient with the launch of the Garmin Xero. Chad and Francis share their experiences with the Garmin unit and how they use muzzle velocity tracking at various points to stay on target and understand their rifle system performance over time.
Priorities are critical to success. Whether it's your approach to gear, finding the challenge on a stage to setting up a dope card, finding "the key" to focus on can give you an advantage throughout the season. Some stages are mainly finding stability and others require continuous minor wind adjustments. Understanding where and when to apply continuous effort can help you avoid costly mistakes.
Finale
This week Francis and Chad connect with Clay Blackketter, one of the winningest shooters in PRS and owner of Clay's Cartridge Company. They discuss his development within the series as a shooter, as a trainer and as a match director. It is worth a listen to hear his approach on shooting PRS and how he has continually improved in this sport we all love.
In every sport, the highest level competitors find ways to push their mind, body and drive to new limits to train for success. Creating a "high performance" state is not simply practicing the specific sportor activity we compete in, but also finding areas that foster better habits in daily life that promote achieving your goals. Chad and Francis discuss parallels in other sports that have taken those athletes to new heights by focusing on the process of training. From gravitating to successful a...
Francis and Chad connect on NRL Hunter and PRS. Both styles of competition are engaging and fun but they also have different learning curves. The hosts discuss what separates these to similar precision rifle disciplines and walk through their perspective on transferring skills between the two sports. Which is best for newer shooters? Which has more practical skill set? Are these two styles mutually exclusive? It's a great episode to put a different perspective the differences and similarities be...
Natural point of aim or NPA is probably the MOST important skill set to learn as you work towards hitting smaller targets at further ranges under stress. Chad and Francis dissect the aspects of NPA that you should be looking for on target and how to incorporate them into your training. Even the most precise rifle will miss without following these simple guidelines when building positions and breaking your shots. Tune in to eliminate easy errors by building the best position possible.
Francis talks with Chad about a novel "training" method that he has recently been exploring to improve his coordination, response times and mental acuity. A shooter's ability to see, interpret and respond to downrange effects is critical for improving at certain levels. However, our sport is not unique in this aspect: nearly all sports demand some variation on this theme. From baseball to golf to hockey to Formula 1 racing, high level athletes tend to have incredible hand-eye coordination along ...
Chad and Francis discuss details on the "Add Method" for shooting in wind and hope it can take away the stress of your initial call. Sometimes, a less defined plan can be easier to follow than a rigid one!
The W.A.R. Rifles match is consistently difficult and creates intense learning moments that make us better as competitors. Chad and Francis discuss their own challenges in the match and some profound moments that challenged our skills in ways beyond just pulling triggers. Between difficult props, fast paced stages, and wind calls that simply defy logic, this episode will give you tips to improve your game and help you recognize that when you find a problem on the clock, don't waste time: fix it ...
Francis and Chad connect with 2023 National and World Champion winning F-Class Shooter Erik Cortina. They chat about the challenges (and solutions) he encountered planning for the biggest match in his sport over a year in advance! The difference between ultimate success and moderate success can simply be your ability to plan for the future. With matches spanning the globe in different environments and travelling with security, just to name a few, Erik covers valuable tips on his mindset in prepa...
This episode, Chad and Francis discuss a common feeling that accompanies competitive sports: feeling stuck in a rut. Have you felt this way? If so, you're not alone. The hosts walk through some of the difficult aspects of improvement, specifically, the fact that incremental success can be taxing and barely be intermittently rewarding. Working through the field to find the next spot up on the roster is tricky both mentally and physically. Listen in to catch some tips on their approach to grinding...
Chad and Francis cover the most commonly overlooked first step of any journey: Goals. The simple act of defining what you want to achieve can be the difference between personal growth and perpetual unhappiness. It's difficult to define the journey if you don't have a vision for your final destination. What are your ambitions? Do you actively create a desired end state? How difficult should your goals be to achieve? By just putting pen to paper to commit to your own journey to something real, you...
This episode Francis and Chad cover the most common wind question they hear from shooters: how they make their initial wind call. From terrain to speed estimation to mirage to bullet speed, they cover as much as possible related to tips and tricks to learn this valuable skill. Every shooter will second guess their initial call at some point, if only for a fleeting moment, but the art of learning to "read" the wind is a fluid game...pun intended. It takes practice, patience and courage to trust y...
This episode, your hosts Chad and Francis cover their learning moments from the Hoosier Hellfire Match. Chad walks through his experience using a new caliber, the .25 caliber. From quickly adapting to a different high BC bullet to managing recoil anticipation to fighting through challenging stages late in a match, this episode covers great tips on how and when to try new gear but still managing your mindset towards success. Francis lands a win by focusing on his impact location throughout the ma...
This episode, Chad digs into Francis' experience at the Nightforce ELR Challenge match. With only a little over two weeks to prep a new rifle for a new style of shooting in an unknown environment, Francis breaks down the learning moments from shooting a 300NM at distances from 700 to 2000+ yards. From making solid wind calls to trusting your gut to learning quickly from mistakes, this episode will have some good info on making the most of the learning process. How do you maximize your return on ...
It's time to "Get to work!" Chad and Francis connect with USPSA Grand Master, author, and mindset coach Steve Anderson on speed, focus, and learning to explore you limits. The conversation leads to some amazing insights into the evolution of training speed while maintaining precision and accuracy. This episode is packed full of great nuggets that will help you in matches and training!
The Positional Punisher 2023 is a wrap and did not disappoint! This match is one of Francis' favorite of the season and duo talk through there learning moments, favorite aspects of the match and some critical moments that led to successes (and a few less successful outcomes). Each match has a unique flavor to stress shooters on the clock and this event manages to challenge a nearly perfect mix of skills to crown the winner. Tune in to hear their thoughts and a few tips on shooting changing wind ...
Barrels are a core element of every precision rifle. Chad and Francis walk through everything barrels, from break in to cleaning to precision to selecting the right barrel to balance. All of these small aspects lead to a better system that will put you on target. When should you consider a barrel "shot out"? Do you know your barrel and what is your process to learn it's tendencies? Take a listen to get insight into making the most of your barrels.
This topic is straight forward: are you shooting small enough groups to be competitive? And what is the acceptable standard to compete at various levels? What causes your groups to be larger/smaller and what can you do to improve size and consistency?
"Destroy" is a very visceral word, generally negative ...but the internal meaning of words can be different from person to person, changing the context and personal meaning. Chad and Francis cover the idea of finding flow state: attitude, triggers, detractors, and motivators. Some days the rifle is a natural extension of the shooter and others it feels clumsy and unnatural, begging the question: how do we find the former more often than the latter? This cerebral episode will challenge you to loo...
This episode, Francis and Chad debate, discuss, and decide whether "Super Squads" exist. Is there a benefit to getting into that squad of all Pro shooters? Should it be random? What about sponsor slots? The hosts dive into the deep end of the real truths behind squadding, shared wind calls, super squads and more. Do the pro's play " squadding leapfrog" on Practiscore to gain an advantage or to shoot with friends? You'll find the answer inside this episode of Miles to Matches... Maybe!
This episode is special as Chad and Francis catch up with Andy Slade: teammate, instructor, competitor, and seriously amazing dude with an awesome message. There are some INCREDIBLE discussions on everything from flow state, checklists, caliber selection, balance in training and so much more! Rifleman's Path is is not just a fancy name to be catchy, but a lifestyle that helps drive success through better process, procedure and dedication to your craft. This episode captures incredible insights f...
2023 K&M Kahles PRC is in the books. Chad and Francis recap their experiences and learning moments from the "Augusta National" of our sport. From match shooting to filming with Team MDT, this episode highlights how analyzing your smallest errors can make a HUGE difference in placement. Simple take away: always assume there is another stage to shoot even after your last round is fired. A perfect plan can easily be foiled by imperfect execution.
Chad and Francis catch up between matches and discuss shooting in the East vs the West. This detailed episode covers the nitty-gritty on some less obvious equipment and strategy changes between square ranges and western open ranges. Taking a trip across country? Listen to this episode to be a bit better prepared for you next match or even hunt!
This episode Chad and Francis work out the backbone of being successful despite setbacks. No one - literally - can claim 100% success in all things at all times under all conditions. In fact, it is more likely that the progress toward your goals is proportional to the number of "failures" you experience in pursuit of your goals. They candidly discuss the challenges that we all deal with frequently, on and off the match clock: failures, surprise twists of life, burn-out and more! The hosts work t...
This episode Chad and Francis catch up on a couple of cool topic: troubleshooting loads, spotting impacts, and recoil management. These all interplay with one another creating making it easier (or harder) to hit your point of aim. Generally speaking, load development has been fairly easy for us over the years, but occasionally, we find ourselves scratching our heads with new components or having trouble seeing shots shots on target. The hosts deep dive into some technical aspects of bullet fligh...
This episode covers an oddly difficult question to answer: What is a "Pro?" Is it your classification in the PRS? Your knowledge of shooting and ballistics? Your income related to your profession? These all have a distinct role in considering yourself a "pro" but the deeper question is whether you are focusing your efforts on areas that will help you get to your maximum potential as fast as possible. From practice routines to stage planning and from match scheduling to selecting gear, Chad and F...
This episode covers a major source of error behind the rifle: emotion. A mistake can lead to another mistake when emotion creeps into our mind. From pro golfers to pro shooters to daily internations, an emotional response can cause us to miss details, overestimate skill, inflate egos and generally hurt our ability to respond to most situations.
Chad and Francis chase planes, trains and automobiles to get to Cameo Shooting Complex in Colorado for the Koenig-Ruger PRS AG Cup match. Awesome scenery, big stages, and huge altitude created some unique challenges and fun learning on (and off) the clock: from acclimating to high altitude to *nearly* getting special service from the TSA, the duo cover their pre- and post-match experience in the Rocky Mountains. Huge thanks to Ruger, Keith Baker and Doug Koenig for creating in intense match that...
