Thread: Magpul "Art of the Precision Rifle" DVD

No problem

I just finished watching the first DVD, interesting stuff.
looking forward to getting through the next 4

Someone like to send me them when they have finished with them?

What is the verdict on the DVDs?

Looks like a very sleek production.

Hopefully it's not like some of the other DVDs out there that talk a lot of cheap wisdom, show bullets slapping a target and teach you things like "you gotta read the wind...", "you gotta sight the rifle...", "all of these things matter..." "use my product..."

Originally Posted by AzumitH

I'd be here for years with my upstream. It's up on Isohunt if you're torrent savvy.

Found them, and on PB but non compressed, they're @5gb in size 19gb for the pistol dvd !

Originally Posted by Norway

What is the verdict on the DVDs?

Looks like a very sleek production.

Hopefully it's not like some of the other DVDs out there that talk a lot of cheap wisdom, show bullets slapping a target and teach you things like "you gotta read the wind...", "you gotta sight the rifle...", "all of these things matter..." "use my product..."

I'll get back to you on the 'precision rifle' one. The carbine ones seemed good, production is nice, good content. I learnt some things

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...

Magpul Art of the Precision Rifle DVD 2

The shooting and product placement DVD:
Horus Vision H58 reticle, Horus ATRAG and Accuracy 1st fascilities:

HOUR: MINUTE:SECOND

00:00:00
Broken scope field zero
How to field zero your scope and how to use Horus ATRAG to get a dope card.
My comment:
You can also zero same procedure and just set scope turret to what your card says.

00:01:56
The shooters take their scopes off and hands it to the next person, demonstrating the scope mount lever system.

00:02:20
10-20 shots are needed for a complete rangecard.

00:03:40
Sloppy turret dialling can get you lost.
Dial turrets until impact hits required holdover for the field zero range.

00:05:07
Levelling the reticle to the rifle is not at all important. Many shoot with a canted weapon.
Levelling the reticle to the world is important.

00:06:17
Repeating leveling the reticle/scope to the world, not the rifle

00:08:30
Working with Horus ATRAG

00:08:48
First target 238 meters, field zero and using holds.
Dialing till bullet impacts the required hold.

00:09:48
Making windcalls. Good calls, a bit high perhaps.

00:10:08
Good scene for windcall

00:15:48
Horus ATRAG again
Using it to change a zero in order to comply with observed trajectory/ impact

00:18:27
Shooting 610 meter target

00:19:00
Demonstrating the Horus reticle with a sales pitch

00:20:30
Summing up a field zero

00:21:24
Accuracy 1st (Todd Hodnett company) proprietary wind formula
Mixes dividing and multiplication, cannot understand why to use mph format - it complicates the formula.
(Use the meter per second format instead of mph and you eliminate dividing. Wind factor x wind strenght, basic Swedish method...)

00:22:48
Horus ATRAG PDA is a great tool but no crutch.

00:24:45
What wind matters the most for the shooter

00:25:40
Wind over a cliffs edge...
(I find that these shots can be extremely difficult with a lot of turbulence..)

00:25:59
Wind in a canyon picking up speed.
(More so in a V than U canyon and there will be swirling in intersections)

00:26:17
Wind going uphill picks up speed.

00:27:00
Mirage is your helper

00:27:40
Looking at mirage

00:28:16
Accuracy 1st wind formula
(Again, why work in mph, msec eliminates half the math involved...)

00:30:15
Wind course, new chapter
Shooters shoot a range where they can turn their position and get different winds

00:32:30
Using high power on scope to help assess wind and assist shooting

00:34:10
Using the Horus H58 reticle

00:35:00
Talking about canting the rifle and how you need a bubble

00:37:00
(Never seen shooters cant so much before, must be script/dramatics/for show???)

00:37:35
A bubble level on the rifle to prevent cant is extremely important.

00:38:30
Accuracy 1st makes a bubble level. Talking more about the extreme importance of a bubble level/ anticant device.

00:40:20
50% of longrange misses is probably due to canting that wasn't caught with a bubble level.
(well...)

00:41:20
Using Horus webshop lasers

00:41:59
The MIL relation formula.
(Americans make this formula overly complicated. Target mm : mil = range. How many of you guys drive your cars according to a knot speed limit or load your cartridges in tons of powder?)

00:42:30
Accuracy 1st product teaser

00:43:30
Milling and shooting with the Horus reticle
(good!)

00:44:48
Missing because of not checking the bubble
(C'mon, enough already...)

00:45:25
Bracketing the target in the maximum/minimum wind hold. Let the bullet drift into the full target if wind increases (hold minimum on target edge)

00:47:00
Spotters job during windcalls
Shooting

00:49:29
More milling with Horus reticle

00:50:50
Watch you're bubble level or you'll miss...

00:51:15
Showing windcall target bracketing

00:52:20
Talking about subsonic flight and gyroscopic stability

00:53:20
Subsonic Bc in Horus ATRAG

00:54:50
Repeating the importance of fundamentals at long range.

00:55:50
Shooting a 308 at 1217 meters

00:57:17
Hitting 1217 meter target at 4th shot
(This cannot be called effective shooting)

00:58:00
Truing the Bc in Horus ATRAG

00:58:20
The bullet shows the truth

00:59:15
Shooting the wind course

01:00:00
The wind clock vs effective wind

01:01:40
Stay on top of your windcall "don't get locked into a windcall"

01:02:35
Operate the bolt after observing the shot impact

01:04:40
(Is the script writer having a go at the chubby guy???)

01:05:00
Remember fundamentals, load the bipod

01:06:30
Effective wind using the windclock

01:07:35
Make a wind baseline dope and correct off of that

01:09:00
Shooting through thin grass no problem

01:10:00
Short, thick and stiff barrels are good - less harmonics

01:11:40
"See what trigger control does..."

01:12:12
Horus ATRAG

01:13:50
More on the importance of bubble levels

01:14:27
Discussing wind shooting strategy

01:16:30
Scope cant causing miss... again...

01:18:30
Horus reticle demonstration

01:22:15
Walking the windcourse

01:29:50
Summing up the experiences from the wind course

01:30:50
Benefits of the Horus reticle

01:31:40
Benefits of the Accuracy 1st training/ range fascilities.
"Get you off the golf course and into the real world"
Immense learning curve at Accuracy 1st range fascilities

01:41:22
Praise for Accuracy 1st range fascilities ebb out.

01:41:37
The one mile shot chapter
Talking about the importance of fundamentals

01:45:21
First shot - check your anti cant bubble thingy...
Shooting a lot of shots
Eventually a bullet strikes the target

01:50:00
One mile shot finished.
Summing it up

01:52:10
Finish
Tod sum it up

01:52:30
Taking away the "specialness" of longrange shooting.

01:53:48
"Common sense simplistic approach"

01:54:20
Their focus is America's wars, trying to help the kids on every way we can ... (by winning government contracts and selling their products?)
The End

---

Summed up:
Still lots of good information if you look past the product placement.
I find the reticle demonstrations to be very nicely made.
It should have been a lot better in the wind reading department, it says little about assessing wind strenght.
The wind reading formula is unneccesarily complicated due to "wrong" wind format.

I received the sublime message of bubble anti cant device. Have. to. get. one.

Because you've struggled all this time without one.

Yes, I didn't hit a thing!

I actually have one somewhere (anti cant device).
Was pretty useless as it couldn't be seen from the firing position.

Now however I have a machinist friend next door.
I'll try the anti cant device again, but mount it on the barrel like David Tubb does (I'm getting farsighted on my eyes, having it close will just be awkward).

As I said, there's a lot of good info in the DVD's but they make it a little complicated when they use the "wrong formats" (you can use them, but it is more complex getting to the desired end result)

Shouldn't you be out cold on this day ?
I'm at work, what's your excuse?

It's after midday and I'm going to go jump in the ocean soon.

Originally Posted by gimp

... jump in the ocean soon.

Only depressed suicidals to that here...

(Northern Norway for those who don't know my location...)

I just Youtubed some of their stuff.
Good lord, some of the wannabe Rambo's that post comments on the vids, I reckon most are soft airgun twits.

Review
Magpul Art of the Precision Rifle DVD 3

The "professional" DVD. Dialogue gets more relaxed and "real", instruction gets more hands-on as the main instructor is now a professional shooter.
HOUR:MINUTE:SECOND

00:00:24
Chapter the USMC scout scniper
Presenting Caylen Wojcik

00:01:50
Breaking down for the viewer what it is to be a scout sniper

00:02:50
Talking about what it takes to be a sniper.

00:03:10
Sniper collecting raw information, not intelligence.

00:04:40
How the sniper training program is extremely difficult, not som much physically but more mentally.

00:05:10
Some good bolt manipulation (more of this demonstrated at the end, no need to rewind).

00:06:45
How sneaking and shooting is only a very smart part of the snipers job.

00:08:30
How snipers kill a lot of people with information

00:11:00
Talking about operating in a non-permissive environment where you cannot hide and you will get attacked no matter what you do.

00:15:00
Talkin about the fairly liberal ROE , rules of engagement (legal requirement to shoot people), back in the days (ROE that opened for shooting people with digging tools... in a country with irrigation farming...)

00:16:50
Recounting a sniper operation and the weight that needed to be carried.

00:23:00
Talking about advances in sniper technology

00:27:30
Explaining how the core fundamentals/ basic makes up for lacking equipment, how training and the shooter is most important

00:30:00
The need of installing reality in the training

00:32:30
Talking about precision shooting, rapid shooting, scenarios and danger space

00:34:45
Talking about what someone wanting to be a sniper must be prepared for, in short a huge mental burden and having adequate physical ability.

00:38:00
New chapter, the law enforcement sniper

00:38:55
The fundamentals of marksmanship

00:39:45
How law enforcement might need to shoot through media

00:41:50
How shot placement is critical to law enforcement, surgical shooting

00:44:00
New chapter Military semi auto weapons

00:46:00
Presenting the Barret M82 50 cal rifle

00:46:50
Presenting the norwegian Raufoss 50 cal ammunition

00:49:40
Criticizing Barret Accuracy, how it is not capable of MOA but 2-3 MOA
(Well, there are different versions of the barret semi auto.)

00:51:23
Presenting the MKR SPR 5.56 rifle, special purpose rifle

00:54:05
Presenting the M110 SASS 7.62 rifle, supressed rifle and how effective that can be, how it is almost impossible to locate such a shooter

00:56:00
"Semi auto rifles now blossom with the precision rifle society..."

00:57:00
New chapter, data books
How it is a journal or diary for shooting, logs data you see as pertinent.
How ballistic solvers/programs have made logbooks not as important as before.

00:58:20
Talks about ballistic computers

00:58:40
Sales pitch for the Magpul dynamics logbook

01:01:30
How to fill in a standard data page in the Magpul logbook
The difference between calling a shot and plotting a shot

01:04:50
the shooting diary page

01:06:10
Shows a closeup of how called/plotted shot is logged

01:06:28
Keeping track of rounds through the barrel

01:08:25
Sales pitch end

01:08:58
New chapter dialing & scope calibration
Very easy for shooters to get mixed up which way they dial the scope

01:09:20
How scopes adjusts with an angular measure, mostly MOA or MIL

01:10:20
A good sketch of MOA and MIL

01:10:33
Explaining the simplicity of the MIL system (but not driving the point home hard enough perhaps)

01:11:30
Talks about how some scope mixes MOA and MIL. Can very easily confuse shooters.

01:12:06
1 MIL = 3.438 MOA

01:13:50
Drill for adjusting "badly built" scopes, with right hand "push" to make bullet go left and "pull" to make bullet go left.
"An easy way to remember which way to spin the turret"
(with a "properly" built scope you use the turret like you would your car, turn right to go right, left to go left...)

01:15:20
Shooting tactic for gusting wind, dialling for elevation and holding for wind

01:16:05
New chapter Max point blank range
How to eliminate dialing turrets and using trajectory for danger space/ killing window

(Here the two instructors have opposite views, Todd says this stuff "isn't fast enough" but actually it is WAY faster done properly)

01:17:45
How this can be applied for a hunter

01:18:00
Using a ballistic computer for max point blank range

01:18:47
Talking about danger space

01:22:25
New chapter, range estimation
Laser is by far the best option. Reticles can be used successfully if used with an awareness of limitations and
if one considers danger space/trajectory/killing window.

01:23:16
Talking about capabilities and limitations. Target size must be known but isn't always the same.

01:24:40
The TMR reticle, using it as a tape measure.
(Again the laborous mildot solution formula and multiplying with 27,77. How does one do that??? Use proper units of measure for the MIL system)

01:25:00
The difference between 1st and 2nd focal plane.

01:26:00
Limitations of ranging, target size must be known

01:29:00
Using reticles for animal trophy assessment

01:30:00
New chapter, the Milling Excercise
Very good demonstration of how to use MIL reticles for range estimation.

01:33:40
Specifying different requirements when using the scope for range estimations vs followup shots.

01:35:30
Showing how to correctly get a solid ranging position.

01:37:14
Demonstrating the benefits of a modern mildot.

(In the shown example, the proper use of the mil formula would be (I'll just assume target widt 475mm, standard military chest)
475:1 = 475 meter range w old fashioned mildot
475:1.1= just over 430 meters w modern mildot (exact range 432-3 meters)
These numbers can be run in the head. No 27,77 or 2,54 anywhere in this formula - use correct units of measure dammit!)

01:41:11
Uses the Horus ATRAG to get the range solution from the milling
(you would need a calculator when using the wrong units of measure for the mil formula...)

01:41:55
New chapter, natural point of aim and respiratory pulse.
(Just view this chapter and make natural point of aim your religion)

01:47:01
Getting into natural point of aim position

01:48:33
Pushing with the toes

01:50:50
Breathing cycles
(if time permits)

01:53:45
Natural point of aim drill

02:01:05
The end

02:01:20
Rapid bolt manipulation demonstration
(This kind of shooting is actually a national sport in Norway. Headshots about 250 meters from prone unsupported position.
A video of a local match here

Not to step on the shooters portrayed, but what you see in this video is considered normal, good match shooting here)

Reload demonstration

02:05:39
The end-end

---

To sum it up
This third DVD makes a buy worth it. It offers interesting and down to earth insight as well as to-the-point instruction.
I'm being very cruel here, but I reckon the difference between bubble boy and the professional is palpable for those that view it.
I find the absense of gear talk and focus on the training very good.
Very good instructions in DVD no 3 and you will build a solid fundament for LR shooting by adhering to the natural point of aim
principle shown.
I do wish however that Americans would fully grasp the MIL formulas and don't mix in wrong units of measure.

That is some impressive shooting! barrels must get dam hot