A semi-automatic rifle can deliver exceptional precision, but shooting small groups from a bench is only the beginning. As distance increases and the shooting position becomes less stable, the shooter must understand how to control the rifle, build a solid position, manage recoil, apply ballistic data, read wind, and make fast corrections.

Semi-Auto Precision Rifle is a two-day course designed to bridge the gap between traditional carbine training and precision rifle shooting.

Rather than treating the semi-auto rifle like a bolt gun, this course focuses on the advantages and challenges of the platform. Students will learn to maintain the rifle through the firing cycle, observe their own shots, make corrections, and use rapid follow-up shots without sacrificing precision.

Schedule

• Day 1 Derby, NC - Eastwood Outfitters Range
• Day 2 Ellerbe, NC - Colemans Creek
• 9am-3pm both days

Hotel:

• Colemans Creek Lodging | On-Site Rooms Near Shooting Range & Training
• Moore County NC Hotels

Day 1 — Build the Shooter

Eastwood Outfitters Range

Day 1 establishes the foundation. Students begin with the rifle, optic, ammunition, and shooter as one precision system.

Block 1 — Rifle, Optic & Precision Fundamentals

Students will establish and confirm their rifle's capabilities while working through optic setup, zero, natural point of aim, supported prone, bipod and rear-bag use, parallax, sight picture, trigger control, and the fundamentals required for consistent precision.

Block 2 — Semi-Auto Recoil Management & Shot Process

Precision with a semi-auto rifle requires more than pressing the trigger correctly. Students will work on controlling the rifle throughout the firing cycle, maintaining their sight picture, managing recoil, observing impacts and misses, and making efficient follow-up shots.

The goal is a repeatable process:

Position → Sight → Fire → Observe → Correct → Follow-Up

Block 3 — Positional Precision

Students will learn to build stable positions using bipods, bags, barricades, and available support. We will work through prone and alternative supported positions while examining how stability, target size, distance, and time affect the shooter's decision.

By the end of Day 1, students should understand how to build and maintain a precision shooting position with their semi-automatic rifle.

Day 2 — Solve the Shot

Colemans Creek

Day 2 takes the fundamentals developed on Day 1 and applies them at distance.

Block 4 — External Ballistics & Rifle Data

Students will learn how trajectory affects the shot and how to turn ballistic predictions into usable rifle data.

We will cover elevation corrections, ballistic data, environmental influences, dialing versus holding, and confirming actual DOPE as distance increases.

Students will record their data throughout the day and begin developing a practical reference for their individual rifle and ammunition combination.

Block 5 — Wind & Environmental Corrections

Once elevation becomes predictable, wind becomes one of the largest variables affecting the shot.

Students will learn practical methods for identifying wind direction and speed, recognizing environmental indicators, applying wind holds through the optic, observing impacts, and correcting subsequent shots.

The process becomes:

Read → Estimate → Hold → Fire → Observe → Correct

Block 6 — Practical Semi-Auto Precision

The final block combines everything taught during the course.

Students will engage targets at varying distances out to 600 yards and from different positions. Shooters will be required to establish a position, determine elevation, assess wind, select an appropriate hold or adjustment, engage the target, observe the result, and make corrections when necessary.

The goal is no longer simply shooting the smallest group.

The goal is developing the ability to solve the shot and produce reliable hits with a semi-automatic precision rifle.

Required Equipment

Students will need a semi-automatic precision rifle capable of consistently producing approximately 1.5-inch groups or better at 100 yards with the ammunition being used for the course.

The rifle must have a properly mounted optic with at least 8× magnification. Students will also need a bipod, supporting/rear bags, three magazines, a notebook and writing materials for collecting rifle and ballistic data, and a rifle cleaning kit that includes a cleaning rod.

Plan for approximately 300 rounds of quality ammunition appropriate for your rifle. Students should use consistent ammunition throughout the course whenever possible.

Suppressors are strongly preferred. A suppressor is not required unless otherwise specified, but students with a suitable suppressed rifle are encouraged to use it for the course.

Eye and hearing protection and normal range equipment are also required.

Who This Course Is For

This is not a basic rifle course. The student list is limited to six (6) total students, and they should already be comfortable safely operating, loading, unloading, and maintaining their semi-automatic rifle.

The course is designed for the shooter who already has a capable rifle and wants to move beyond basic carbine skills into precision semi-auto riflecraft.

Over two days, we move from controlling the rifle to understanding the environment and finally putting both together.

Build the position. Control the rifle. Read the conditions. Solve the shot.

Instructor: John Boyette

• NCDOJ Sniper Qualified - 2012
• US Army Squad Designated Marksman Instructor Ft Benning Ga - 2004-2005
• Precision rifle since - 2006