MEASURING PROGRESS IN PRECISION SHOOTING

My journey in precision shooting began the moment I picked up a rifle. Tracking my progress has been a crucial part of my development. In the Marine Corps, everything is a competition—who runs the fastest, lifts the most, shoots the best. The better you are, the faster you get promoted and earn leadership roles.

When I arrived at the Scout Sniper Platoon in January 2011, I quickly learned that knowledge was power. If you knew your stuff better than the next guy, you earned privileges, like carrying the rifle from the armory to the platoon area for dry-fire training. The best shooters got priority access to live-fire training because they were expected to attend Sniper School and take the next step toward becoming a Marine Scout Sniper.

Back then, everything was a measure of progress. If you scored 34/35 on a course of fire but the Marine next to you shot 35/35, he was first on the list when school seats opened up. Did it mean he would pass? Not necessarily. But at the time, we measured progress in the simplest way possible—raw performance on tests. Our seniors replicated this approach because it was what they had been taught, assuming it would prepare us for success.

We believed we were masters of data collection. We tracked round counts, hits, and misses for known and unknown distances, multiple target engagements, and barricade shooting—anything we’d be tested on at Sniper School. But in reality, we only knew what we knew.

EVOLVING THE APPROACH

Fast forward to today, and our understanding of what makes a great shooter has evolved significantly. We no longer track raw scores—we measure wobble zones, time-to-position, target transitions, and movement efficiency between positions. Progress isn’t just about hitting the target; it’s about how effectively and consistently you execute each shot. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that identifying weaknesses is only part of the equation. The real challenge is knowing how to fix them.

TACKING PROGRESS IN THE MODERN ERA

1. Accuracy Standards & Drills

Most competitive targets are no larger than 2 MOA at their respective distances. Your ability to hit them consistently depends on mastering the fundamentals. We start our training at 100 yards with paper targets and a series of progressive drills.

• Build-and-Break Drill: Shoot one round, then reset completely before taking the next shot. This forces you to rebuild a solid position every time, helping eliminate inconsistencies.

• MOA Standards:

  • New shooters: Aim to maintain 2–2.5 MOA groups.

  • Intermediate shooters: Work toward 1.5–2 MOA.

  • Experienced shooters: Strive for sub-MOA groups consistently.

2. Positional Shooting Development

A shot is rarely taken from the prone in real-world scenarios. Whether you’re a competitor or in law enforcement, shooting from unconventional positions is critical. Start with stable props, like a tripod, then advance to barricades and awkward shooting angles. Progress from static drills to dynamic stages that challenge movement, position changes, and target acquisition under time constraints.

One of the best tools for tracking positional accuracy is the Riflekraft MOA Target, developed by Chris Way. This drill helps quantify your shooting ability across different positions.

How it works:

• Fire 3 sequences of 4 shots from standing, kneeling, sitting, and prone (12 total rounds).

• Your worst shot determines your MOA standard.

• If your worst shot lands in the 7 MOA ring, that’s your current positional standard.

From here, you add a time constraint. Start with 10 seconds, then add your MOA number. If you shot a 7 MOA group, your target time would be 17 seconds. Run the drill again with this time limit to challenge efficiency under pressure.

3. The Importance of Time Standards

Many shooters rush through drills, prioritizing speed over consistency. Instead, we start slow and work toward speed once consistency is established.

• Begin with untimed drills to refine technique.

• Once standards are met, introduce time constraints.

• Example: 30-second build-and-break drills to measure efficiency.

• Use a shot timer, stopwatch, or phone to track progress.

FINAL THOUGHTS

For those with limited range time or ammo, efficiency is everything. Every shot should have a purpose. The key is developing a training plan that maximizes available resources. Progress isn’t always about dramatic improvements—sometimes, a half-second faster transition or one extra hit per stage is a huge win. Over time, these small gains add up to significant improvements in performance. By applying structured methods to tracking progress, you’ll build a strong foundation, identify weaknesses, and refine your shooting process—turning data into actionable improvements.

Stay disciplined, stay consistent, and push yourself to improve every time you step onto the range.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Matt Solowynsky is an active duty Marine Corps Sniper with a strong passion for skill development and competition. Raised in Southern California, he grew up playing team sports and weight training. After enlisting in 2005 following 9/11, he deployed multiple times before joining a Sniper platoon and graduating from Scout Sniper School in 2011.Over his career, Matt has served as a Team Leader, Platoon Sergeant, and instructor for various Scout Sniper courses. He currently works on modernizing Marine Corps marksmanship programs at the Weapons Training Battalion and played a key role in developing the new Precision Marksman capability now under evaluation. Outside the military, Matt competes in bodybuilding, teaches precision marksmanship at Alliance Outdoors in Maysville, NC, and regularly competes in PRS and NRL Hunter matches. Matt also works as an instructor for The Cadre, a training company specializing in long-range shooting.