A little late on this reply, but, I have most of the things that you folks suggested, and have spent the summer shooting
my AR on the service rifle league. At 55 yo, my eyes just ain't what they used to be. It was a difficult summer to learn the
ropes in, the 2nd hottest in recorded history in Michigan. I have purchased the BC sight black, which is just fine for my
amateurish skills. I did, however, purchase both Turner slings, leather and synthetic, and pesonally I like the synthetic
the best. It seems to offer better support for some reason. The leather is easier to adjust, but once you learn what you
have to do, it's not a big deal. Some things I have learned that have helped my Service Rifle score are:
1) Load your own ammo, and sort your cases. My favorite load is 69 gr Sierra with 24.7g of Varget @ 2.255".
2) POA = Point of aim, it took me a while to learn this technique.
3) Proper clothing: comfortable footwear that give good balance and support.
4) Shooting Jacket: gives support to the body and secure hold on the rifle. (funny it hasn't really helped my "off hand" shooting, but has helped my 3 other positions?
5) Putting all the little techniques, positions, rules, into memory so they become instinct. Being as prepared and "fluent" as possible.
6) Not shooting somebody else's target !!!
It took my 5 or so matches to overcome this "terrible" tendency.
7) Very important, and maybe the most important besides safety, and that is to "HAVE FUN" !!!
It has taken me most of the year just to break 400, but I did it the last three matches.
Thanks for all your help, Service Rifle is a cool, fun, challenging hobby.
Nostradamus