Thread: Magpul "Art of the Precision Rifle" DVD

eview of the Magpul Art of the Precision Rifle

With help from this forum I just got to see disc one of Magpul Art of the precision rifle.
I know this is New Years Eve, but it's kind of slow at work right now so I can watch/ review without being a total loser
I'm not trying to be a d**k and bash him too hard, he does a good job but is trying to make a living - honest work I'd say.

It is a very nice production, they state the facts correctly.
However they talk so much it can actually be difficult to derive the information they are trying to give you.
For example, they use 39 minutes to tell you to lie straight behind the gun and load your bipod.
That's a lot of words for little information.

I've put the comments along a timeline so people can rapidly find what they're looking for. I've also put in a couple of snide comments.
Not really meaning to bash this DVD too hard, of the American productions it is the best I've seen. I was happy to view it and would recommend it.

Make no mistake: Horus has top dollars invested in this production, and you better believe you'll shoot the best way with Horus equipment!

HOUR:MINUTE:SECOND

00:00:00
Todd Hodnett of Accuracy first presented.
The worlds best/greatest longrange instructor (they actually say that)

00:01:15
Todd Hodnett uses proprietary methods and they "can't expose much" in this DVD.
I knew Norwegians were forward in shooting, most of these methods were already in our system and taught in 1998.

00:03:10
Longrange is really nothing but basics, "more than anything it IS basics"

00:04:00
Longrange is easy, doesn't have to be hard.

00:06:30
Todd Hodnett tells of previous experience, "I was getting away with a lot of stuff as I was just getting lucky" related to LR shooting.

00:07:30
Demonstrates how to lie straight behind the gun

00:07:51
Demonstrates how to use a rear bag.

00:09:18
Demonstrates how to have a little loose bipod

00:12:14
Demontrates bipod pressure to great lenght

00:13:58
Todd Hodnett does not push forward with his toes, he prefers to use the whole back.

00:16:20
Talks about eye relief and scope shadow

00:18:30
Talks about how LR field shooting at presented opportunities differs from target shooting where you have all the time in the world

00:20:15
Talks about how it is difficult to get back on target and spot your own shots unless you lie straight behind the rifle

00:21:45
Describes resting the head on the rifle as going to sleep, not loose or hard, just resting the head.

00:25:07
Talks about scope shadow and adjusting the scope/ buttstock for a good fit.

00:26:00
Promotes LaRue lever scope mount systems. Looks to be the same construction as a Brugger and Thomet mount - that certainly doesn't work.
I know lever mounts work (my Blaser has one) but what does a lever system do to enhance accuracy? I can buy switching scopes between rifles and
travelling by air, but it does nothing for accuracy.

00:26:50
Describes how you need to push the lever mounts into the picatinny when mounting.

00:27:50
Situations were you need to take yuor scope off. Weeeell...

00:30:00
Demonstrates how you find the holdover in the scope before loading your bipod. Todd Hodnett really likes the Horus reticles!

00:39:00
Talks about parallax in scopes.

00:39:59
New chapter, zeroing
This is a long one...

00:57:43
New chapter reticles
Discussing Duplex as a ballistic reticle.
Fairly complex solution, would require a lot of work/familiarity to be practical for field use.

00:58:58
Talks about measuring your reticle/ knowing your reticle

01:00:00
Using a second image reticle
Talks about how the MIL values change with magnification and how you can use a ballistic computer to figure out the values.

01:04:45
Talks about "poor mans horse" as in using mildots for holdovers at range (i.e. not using turrets, but reticle only to compensate for bullet drop)

01:05:40
Presenting a Horus reticle.
This reticle works but not as well as Hodnett would have it. It does not replace use of trajectory and killing windows in a high stress environment.
It will however work extremely well for wind as presented. Debunk the debunk.

01:06:10
Hodnett "usually never tell the guys to dial for wind".

01:07:20
Presenting the MIL formula.
This is where americans again and again really demonstrates the inability to fully grasp MIL.
The presented formula cannot be worked in the head...

01:10:00
Claims that BDC turrets work worse than they do in favour of a better Horus reticle ??? Not sure, he does mention the critical
factors for a good BDC.
I'll offer the opinion that a BDC will work best for most as they are restricted in their shooting enviroments.
What he says is correct, I just have a different opinion on the conclusion.

01:10:45
Says that ballistics reticles work to about 400. I fully agree, that's also why manufacturers find them attractive to make:
Modern cartridges have almost universal trajectories the first 400.

01:14:00
Says glass (scope) is more important than the rifle. Making good points.

01:15:00
Talks about 2nd focal plane

01:16:40
Some complicated math for 2nd focal plane and mildots.
Just drop it, use a first focal plane instead.

01:18:00
Talking about how to check a scope, why you need to do it.

01:20:50
Horus reticle again

01:22:40
Talks about how many arguments against the Horus is "not valid" as they have "debunked them".

01:23:00
Talking about how A-type personalities are resistant to new information, how they need to "think outside the box",
how they don't understand it and are "not going to be guru anymore" and therefore resist it as it puts them outside
their comfort zone. Making some very good points here.

01:25:16
Truing. How to get DOPE - Data On Previous Engagements.
Basically how to gather data for your range card.

01:26:19
Horus ATRAG is being demonstrated with a proper salesman pitch.

01:29:48
Good presentation of the G1 and G7 scales.

01:33:04
Barrel twist and bullet spin drift

01:36:00
Coreolis. only the vertical component.

01:37:40
The windclock, very good version - not the simplified short range version but the proper LR.

01:38:00
Inclination shooting.
Doesn't really go into depht here, just demonstrating it in the Horus ATRAG program.

01:39:40
Humidity, how it not worth it at all as we're talking 1/12 MOA...

01:45:00
Checking trajectory by shooting at close to transsonic speed and "truing" it in the HORUS ATRAG program.

01:47:50
Todd Hodnett "We really push putting bubbles on a scope..." That is bubble levers to avoid cant.

01:51:20
The importance of not to "incur bad data" in your range card and log

01:55:30
Some target shooting with spotting. Not sure how much is done for illustrational purposes here.

01:58:00
Do not incur human error into dope, use ballistic computers.

02:00:22
Save a lot of time and money.. by using Horus reticles and ATRAG.

---
DVD one summed up.
Good production.
Good points.
They could do a better job of repeating/summing up the info.
Nothing "proprietery" in it other than the Horus gear - this is LR basics (which Todd also says himself).
Recommended (a huge leap up from other productions Tubb/Carlock et al)

I have DVD 2 and will review asap...