Shooter Development Institute

09/11/2024

On this day we remember the fallen. This day changed the world in so many ways. For us, it’s impossible to forget the event and the aftermath.

06/18/2019

This is coming up this weekend and we will be there with bells on! It is always a great time and a unique opportunity to fire full auto rifles. SDI will be there to answer any training questions you might have as well! We look forward to seeing you all out there and feel free to share this with your friends. It really is an incredible weekend event!

Highlight reel of the 2015 Oklahoma Full Auto Shoot and Trade Show. Presented by The Firing Line and Black Rain Ordnance Inc.

06/11/2019

Look no further for a Father's Day gift than one that he will really appreciate! A nice quiet day on the range sending lead down range always does a heart good! We have Rifle Basics coming up this weekend so click the button, head to the blackrainordnance.com website and sign him up... or yourself, you deserve a treat!

06/03/2019

RIfle Basics 15June2019... Let's get to work!

05/31/2019

In case you didn't know, when taking a class at the Shooter Development Institute you also receive a crazy discount on anything in the store!

Looking for that Tac Latch, Hand Rail, MAGA-zine? They have it and you get a discount!

05/31/2019

FREEEEDOOMM!!! 🦅🇺🇸🇺🇸

05/30/2019

Or just the standard ridiculousness that we dealt with while overseas. 🤣

05/30/2019

Why zero your system at a range of 25yds?

I'm sure some people have asked this question before and I am sure it is easy enough to look it up on Google. But, if you aren't careful you'll be looking at a thousand pages of information and not make sense of what is up or down.

So, why the 25yd zero? Well, as with most of this stuff, it goes back to the U.S. military. But you have to understand that there is specific criteria to meet an "exact" 25/300yd zero.

It goes like this, if you zero at a 25yd target then by the time the projectile travels to 300yds it will have the same point of impact as your point of aim. However, there are so many variables that there is no way anyone can say that it is exact.

The 25yd zero also allows for a larger displacement of your POI when intially grouping and getting to that zero. Because you are only 25yds away from the target, it minimizes the chance of you being "off paper" and wasting rounds.

Whether you are a disciple of the 25yd zero or prefer a 50yd zero, understand that it also always depends on what you are utilizing that specific system for. I certainly would not want a 100yd zero for my long distance shooting, but I don't want a 300yd zero for hunting deer in the Ozarks, since it will almost always be 150yds or closer.

So, to summerize... a 25yd zero gets you a 100yd zero +/- 3" and "levels out" at 300yds +/- 6". It is dependent upon your system, your optics or sights, your barrel length, your projectile etc etc.

Either way, We enjoy having our students on the range and working with them to understand that it really doesn't have to be a complicated subject as long as we know the stats on the system and projectile.

If you enjoy reading these mini articles, feel free to comment and if you are interested in learning more, we have classes from beginner level to advanced. We always appreciate your time!

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05/29/2019

Regardless of the target you use or the weapon system you have, one thing is for sure... If you are not sure how to properly group and zero there is going to be a lot of wasted rounds being sent down range.

If you look at both of these targets you will see that they are set to the standard distance you can be expected to sight your system in at. Whether you adhere to that or not is up to you, but there is a reason for it. We can get in to that later...

What we are wanting to highlight, and what we work with you on at the range is to set you up for success.

We work to establish a proper group first to ensure the mechanics are correct, then it is just a matter of adjusting your sights or optics. A standard position to sight in the system is from the seated bench. This works in our favor so that we minimize the amount of external movement our body, environment or any other factor could play in not putting those rounds where we want them.

Now, having a solid foundation for the Fundamentals of Marksmanship is also the key to a proper group and zero. We will be discussing each fundamental in detail over the next few weeks.

So, what does a good group look like and how can it be acheived? Well, initially, the group impact doesn't matter so much when you send those first three down range. What we look at is the overall distance between the holes.

Typically, if you have a quarter dollar size grouping, we can move on to the actual business of zeroing your system. We might also recommend to put three more downrange to verify the grouping and ensure your mechanics are solid.

After the group has been verified, we move to make adjustments as necessary. We usually will do this in small increments and a typical zero should have 9 rounds that are sent down range in three round increments. Each impact group for the zero is marked and then adjustments are made.

Keep in mind that adjustments vary because optics have different MOA adjustments. Most usually have 1/4" but some have 1/2" or even 1/8". The main thing is to know what your's is and adjust accordingly.

After you have grouped and zero'd the system, you should be confident in your ability to hold your sight alignment/ sight picture and impact your target where you wanted to.

If you found this information helpful, or realized you might need assistance in these matters, we are here for you. Our goal is to keep the range safe and professional at all times.

If you want, feel free to take our Rifle Basics Course coming up on the 15th of June and we will help you on these and many other things.

Thanks!