Spray 'N Pray or X-Ring Addict. Which are you?

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Spray 'N Pray or X-Ring Addict. Which are you?

Posted: 11/17/2001 6:16:39 AM EDT

I'd have to say that I'm a little of both, though it's definitely alot more fun to let a thirty rounder fly! SPRAY 'N PRAY!

I was just glancing through my new issue of Gun World and was checking out the article on the procedures they follow when they test weapons for their rag.

They check the bedding of the stock, make sure the bore is cleaned of any residue/fouling every few shots, try several different loads to determine which one the particular weapon they're testing "prefers", and even evaluate different target designs to see which offers the best results (grouping triangulation ease, I guess).

Hell, gimme a can of surplus .308 or .223, a couple of bowling pins or cans of soda, and I'm good to go.

About three weeks ago I went to the range with the wife and we spent several hours there and sent well over a thousand rounds down range. About 6 or 7 tables down the row there was a gentleman who was testing his reloads and had his spotting scope and chronograph all set up. Come to think of it, I think he ran a patch down the bore about every few rounds or so.

I wonder what he thought of my wife when she'd empty a 30 rounder from the AR in about ten seconds? [:D]

Posted: 11/17/2001 6:55:21 AM EDT

[#1]

Hopefully he thought you were having a good time. I'm more of the X-Ring Addict type, but I really hate the attitudes. I know you spray-and-pray types aren't as good of shots as me, [;)] but anyone having fun with a gun is to be encouraged.

Posted: 11/17/2001 7:00:01 AM EDT

[#2]

I like to shoot the x-ring, but very cool that you can spray and pray with the wife! My wife likes bullseye and with rifle likes the steel plates...pat

Posted: 11/17/2001 7:00:19 AM EDT

[#3]

"Different strokes for different folks"

Posted: 11/17/2001 7:14:12 AM EDT

[#4]

short range spray and pray, for now.

Posted: 11/17/2001 7:16:13 AM EDT

[#5]

The X-ring side of me sez, "Shooting is like yoga. Only the front sight & trigger exist, the rest of the world is just not there. Easily the most relaxing thing in my life."

Then, the demon on the other shoulder pipes up. "Let a few rip, butthead. Get that blood flowing again. Enough of this yoga crap. Stop writing haiku. Turn some money into noise & smoke."

Great fun.

Posted: 11/17/2001 7:24:36 AM EDT

[#6]

I think I'll clarify my position a little.

When I shoot paper, I usually get the silhouette variety and go for chest shots. I usually will set these at 75 or 100 yards and try to group them in the center. I think the best consistent group I've ever shot may have been five shots within a three or four inch group at 100 yards.

You'll probably never see me at the range measuring the distance between holes, and I steer clear of any cleaning chores till the end of the day, and sometimes till the next morning.

I'm not a hazard at the range shooting wildly, by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm not a one shot a minute guy, either.

Like gaar said, "different strokes for different folks".

Posted: 11/17/2001 7:34:46 AM EDT

[#7]

heheheh.... My 2cents....

I am both... I will put a few steady shots on the x and then hose the mofo with three-round burst or fa. I am big enough most weapons don't get away from me.

Anyhow dead is dead and either way is the best way! ehehehhe

Posted: 11/17/2001 7:40:58 AM EDT

[#8]

I'm a hybrid, I suppose. No x-rings for me - it's too unrealistic. Whenever my brother Clyde and I go shooting at the Pease River on our farm, we always challenge each other to 'hit that piece of wood' floating down the river, or that 'coke can near the base of the cliff'!

To me it's much more realistic of the type of shooting that will (hopefully [u]not[/u]) prove itself useful in the future!

And 'spray and pray' is fun, but it leads to a lack of marksmanship and a tendency to waste ammo! I mean, how many 30 rounders are you going to be carrying at any one time?

Moving targets cannot be beat! Unless you plan on 'opening up' on a group of enemy invalids one day! [:D]

Eric The(OrYourEnemiesResembleTurtlesInTheirMobility)Hun[>]:)]

Posted: 11/17/2001 9:43:16 AM EDT

[#9]

I am an X-Ring addict. But I do enjoy spray n pray every now and then.

Posted: 11/17/2001 9:56:48 AM EDT

[#10]

Spray and pray all the way. If I can keep it within a human torso sized target at a 100yds, firing maybe 2 shots a second, I am a happy camper. What's the point in taking 2mins. to aim and shoot someone/something in a vital area, when you pepper him/it with lead in 10secs.

Posted: 11/17/2001 10:02:59 AM EDT

[#11]

I am comfortable with either. Suppressive fire has its uses but I hunt with my AR so I'm more of a one shot one kill kind of guy.

Posted: 11/17/2001 10:18:20 AM EDT

[#12]

Definitely X-Ring... small groups on paper... or thwacking steel plates or tin cans at 100-300 yards...

except when I'm bump firing, or triple-tapping humanoid silhouettes at close range. [:D]

Posted: 11/17/2001 10:54:36 AM EDT

[#13]

I recommend training to win a gun fight. I figure if I slow fire singles at the range I may end up on the losing end of a gunfight. I always double tap center of mass and also at the head at two side by side silhouette targets at the pistol range with the lights off....hardly ever slow fire singles at the X ring.

Now, when playing around with the scoped 10/22, I'll slow fire for accuracy.

Posted: 11/17/2001 10:57:10 AM EDT

[#14]

I love 3 shot groups that you can cover with a nickle, but I also love to dump a mag rapid fire every once and awhile.

Posted: 11/17/2001 12:19:08 PM EDT

[#15]

Definitely a little of both. I usually use the first 3 mags to "warm up," shooting slow and steady, making sure I put as many rounds in the colored rings as possible. Then when I'm satisfied that My rifle and I are working properly I practice shooting from different positions (standing, crouching, knealing) and changing out mags as quickly as possible. My Tact Vest arrived so I'll be practicing using that the next time I get to the range.

Posted: 11/17/2001 12:43:59 PM EDT

[#16]

I shot IPSC for more than 12 years before I got into XC highpower, and as most of you know, getting a good score in an IPSC match depends on both accuracy & speed. You can't take all day to make certain of A-zone hits in those short & nasty courses of fire, but neither can you afford a miss - so you learn to get the sights on target in a hurry, and to keep looking at the front sight, even during an El Presidente, where the top guns will fire 12rds in around 4 seconds, including a reload after the 1st six. It's really exhilerating when you have a good, fast, smooth run through an IPSC speed course. Rapidfire strings are fun in highpower too, but I really get a kick out of seeing my target come up out of the pits with the spotter in the X-ring when I'm laying on the 600yd. line. I also enjoy shooting off the bench at 600 with a scope to test loads. I get a heckuva buzz out of running several bursts out of a M16 or MP5 too - so I guess, as long as I'm shooting, I'm happy!

Posted: 11/17/2001 1:40:03 PM EDT

[#17]

The only things that matter to me are center of mass and medulla oblangata hits.

Posted: 11/17/2001 1:57:57 PM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
The only things that matter to me are center of mass and medulla oblangata hits.

View Quote

"Mmm-hmm"
(In my best Billy Bob Thornton imitation.)

Posted: 11/17/2001 3:38:21 PM EDT

[#19]

Never seemed to have enough money to "spray." So I have always been an aimer. (Spell Check looked at "aimer" and suggested the word "maimer." [beer]

"You can't miss fast enough to catch up."

For overall proficiency, I have made myself practice spraying, point shooting, left-handed shooting, prone, sitting, kneeling, squatting(wasn't so hot), and standing. Also, shooting while advancing over broken terrain.

Practiced all kinds of shooting. My right hand flinches unless watched like a hawk. My left hand doesn't flinch at all. "Fascinating."(rendered in a Mr. Spock voice)

Posted: 11/17/2001 3:43:47 PM EDT

[#20]

No doubt here. Make every shot count.

shooter.

Posted: 11/17/2001 3:45:22 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
Spray and pray all the way. If I can keep it within a human torso sized target at a 100yds, firing maybe 2 shots a second, I am a happy camper. What's the point in taking 2mins. to aim and shoot someone/something in a vital area, when you pepper him/it with lead in 10secs.

View Quote

Damn. If it takes someone 2 minutes to acquire and fire, they need to be reomved from the gene pool anyways..

Posted: 11/17/2001 3:49:53 PM EDT

[#22]

Both!!

I like to set up paper at 100 to 300 yards (that's as far as the range I use goes to) and poke holes as close together as I can off the bench, kneeling and standing.

Then there's the stuff that gets everyones attention. I set up a few dozen milk jugs, 2 liter plastic jugs, and pop cans out at the 100 yard berm and blast them quickly making them dance for a couple of hundred rounds using my reflex II and CAR-15. Get two or three of us doing that at the same time and it's truly awesome.

Posted: 11/17/2001 3:53:25 PM EDT

[#23]

Oh yea, almost forgot. The fun part is bouncing them up (aiming on the low side) and hitting them low again before they hit the ground. [:D]

Keep it safe!

Posted: 11/17/2001 3:58:12 PM EDT

[#24]

Imbroglio- how many minutes-of-medula does that .38 shoot?

Posted: 11/17/2001 4:12:27 PM EDT

[#25]

[img]wsphotofews.excite.com/028/Vi/Oh/c6/6v52174.jpg[/img]

Posted: 11/17/2001 4:57:46 PM EDT

[#26]

Perhaps my handle clears this up a bit!

Posted: 11/17/2001 5:31:24 PM EDT

[#27]

X-ring all the way. Jeez, I just load my mags with three rounds usually just to make sure I don't succumb to a little rapid fire fever! (It's so hard [;)]) Even so I don't like to take more than 10 or so seconds to send a three round group down range. Things are probably due to change as I'm looking at getting into competition next year.

Posted: 11/17/2001 5:32:49 PM EDT

[#28]

Quoted:
What's the point in taking 2mins. to aim and shoot someone/something in a vital area, when you pepper him/it with lead in 10secs.

View Quote

What you don't know is that an X-shooter has usually been watching you for a lot longer than two minutes, an when he does take that shoot you won't have a chance to spray-n-pray!![sniper]

I got nothing against any type of shooting. But if you don't at least practice X-ring once in a while I doubt you'll every be able to hit anything past 100yrds.........no matter how much ammo you send down range!

sgtar15

Posted: 11/18/2001 10:10:09 PM EDT

[#29]

Well, I defenitly do the X-ring thing, but when I do I shoot from position (not the bench). I like NRA Highpower and Palma matches. I don't do anything I'd call spray 'n pray. I do shoot at coffie cans I throw in the air, or shoot various rapid target acqusition drills. I almost never try to empy a magazine ASAP, rather I try to *hit* multiple targets (or even a single target) ASAP.

I find that my rapid target *hitting* skills are improved by my X-ringe shooting. I frankly don't care how fast I (or anyone) can shoot, only how fast I can *hit*.

The shoot one, run a patch through the bore procedure sounds like a barrel break in procedure. As such, I'd do that if the barrel manufacturer recommended it.

Posted: 11/19/2001 3:21:57 PM EDT

[#30]

I like little groups from a long way off. Spray-n-pray is fun, but it's not training. Rapid [i]aimed[/i] fire is useful, though.

Posted: 11/19/2001 3:50:32 PM EDT

[#31]

I guess sorta like Flatlander said....After shooting IPSC and, NRA Action Pistol and Pin & Steel matches for years, there is just something about fast and good scoring hits.

Double taps are great to practice for defensive pistol.

There is something about putting 20 to 30 rounds in a 3 inch groups at 100 with an AR. I should tnink 3 inch groups would be great for multiple targets on a battlefield.

But ya know there is something one has to like about groups like these [beer]

[img]http://www.photoasa.com/disk2/3063/87927_110FPgroup.jpg[/img]

Karsten

Posted: 11/19/2001 4:41:10 PM EDT

[#32]

That ought to do it.

Posted: 11/19/2001 4:54:15 PM EDT

[#33]

I practice firing two and three round bursts as close to the ring as possible. Usually the first is right on,. The second, right beside first. Third is usually real close. My favorite is head shots. A tri-burst in your head is way better than one two or three in your chest. I guess this all means I'm somewhere in between the two. Although, if things get really crazy, I can always throw out 30 and then reload.