{"id":456,"date":"2019-01-18T04:47:20","date_gmt":"2019-01-18T04:47:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tma65.com\/blog\/?p=456"},"modified":"2026-05-21T11:37:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T11:37:22","slug":"getting-started-as-a-prs-shooter-by-luke-laprad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/getting-started-as-a-prs-shooter-by-luke-laprad\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting Started as a PRS Shooter"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\"><div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p><span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/getting-started-as-a-prs-shooter-by-luke-laprad\/#Getting_Started_as_a_PRS_Shooter\" >Getting Started as a PRS Shooter<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/getting-started-as-a-prs-shooter-by-luke-laprad\/#Getting_Started_as_a_PRS_Shooter-2\" >Getting Started as a PRS Shooter<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/getting-started-as-a-prs-shooter-by-luke-laprad\/#A_Stable_Shooting_Position\" >A Stable Shooting Position<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/getting-started-as-a-prs-shooter-by-luke-laprad\/#A_Good_Barrel\" >A Good Barrel<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/getting-started-as-a-prs-shooter-by-luke-laprad\/#A_Good_Bullet\" >A Good Bullet<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/getting-started-as-a-prs-shooter-by-luke-laprad\/#A_Good_Gunsmith\" >A Good Gunsmith<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/getting-started-as-a-prs-shooter-by-luke-laprad\/#A_Good_Trigger\" >A Good Trigger<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/getting-started-as-a-prs-shooter-by-luke-laprad\/#A_Good_Optic\" >A Good Optic<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div><h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Getting_Started_as_a_PRS_Shooter\"><\/span>Getting Started as a PRS Shooter<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><em>By Luke Laprad<\/em><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\">Getting started as a PRS Shooter may seem daunting. I am a new <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/high-power-binoculars-for-prs-shooters\/\" title=\"High Power Binoculars For PRS Shooters\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1782\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">shooter to PRS<\/a>, this being my first full season. All matches are different but the overall attitude has been pretty much the same at every one I\u2019ve been to. New and seasoned shooters have always been extremely helpful and willing to assist new faces and even lend gear to someone starting off at a match.\u00a0<\/p><h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Getting_Started_as_a_PRS_Shooter-2\"><\/span>Getting Started as a PRS Shooter<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\">There are many pieces of gear that I just don\u2019t have that would be helpful, but I am trying to accumulate stuff as I go. There\u2019s a lot of gear everyone would love to have, but in my opinion, I have listed a few things that would be very helpful to someone new to <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/getting-into-prs-shooting\/\" title=\"Getting Into PRS Shooting\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1156\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">shooting long range or PRS<\/a> to get them started.\u00a0<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\">Here\u2019s the basic list of gear I use at a PRS match:<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Stable_Shooting_Position\"><\/span><strong>A Stable Shooting Position<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\">Having a rock-solid steady support bag is a game changer. It allows you to stabilize yourself on obstacles and steady your <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/riflemarksmanship-supported-shooting-positions\/\" title=\"Rifle Marksmanship Supported Shooting Positions\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1720\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rifle for those awkward positions<\/a> and shots that are common to PRS matches. A lot of guys use these bags. If you want to be <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/top-competition-cartridges-for-2024\/\" title=\"Top Competition Cartridges for 2024\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1739\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">competitive and place close to the top<\/a>, you need one of these for most stages.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><figure id=\"attachment_1749\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1749\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1749 size-medium\" title=\"Getting Started as a PRS Shooter\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/34mm-3-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Getting Started as a PRS Shooter\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1749\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Getting Started as a PRS Shooter<\/figcaption><\/figure><br \/><\/figure><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Good_Barrel\"><\/span><strong>A Good Barrel<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\">Many believe the barrel is the most important component of a precision <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/videosview\/toric-30mm-2-5-15x44-sfp-rifle-scope-turret-reset-to-zero\/\">rifle<\/a>. I would agree whole heartedly. There are many great barrel makers out there. I\u2019d suggest doing a little research and picking the twist rate that will work with your desired load and a contour that you\u2019re comfortable with.\u00a0<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\">Hawk Hill <a title=\"Building a Custom Rifle\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/building-a-custom-rifle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Custom Barrels is who I use for my PRS match and hunting rifles<\/a>. They are shooters themselves and really make a superior product. I\u2019d recommend them for just about anything you\u2019re looking for in a barrel. They offer pre-chambered barrels and just about any contour blank you could want on a <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/building-a-custom-rifle\/\">custom<\/a> rifle.\/&gt;<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\">Proof Research Barrels is who I\u2019ve used all season on my <a title=\"The RESPONSE \u2013 More Than Just a Tactical Rifle Scope\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/the-response-more-than-just-a-tactical-riflescope\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tactical Division rifle<\/a>. I\u2019ve shot around 1,200 rounds on this barrel this year and it\u2019s held up great and been very consistent.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><h3 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Good_Bullet\"><\/span>A Good Bullet<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\">The ELD Match is my preferred bullet for most rifles I use. I really like the high BC, the consistency, and that you can find them almost anywhere. You\u2019ll find many opinions about bullets, but trying to do this stuff on an average person\u2019s budget and schedule. I try to find the balance of what works well and what\u2019s easily available.\u00a0<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><h3 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Good_Gunsmith\"><\/span><strong>A Good Gunsmith<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\">Not all, but most people shooting PRS have had a <a title=\"Custom Rifle \u201cStock\u201d Options\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/stock-options\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">custom rifle<\/a> made for them or at least have work performed. If you want a reliable and repeatable rifle you should have a competent and reliable gunsmith. The guys at Jack Keister Customs really have the knowledge and skill to tackle any job you can throw at them! I\u2019d recommend them for anything from coatings and general repair work, to full custom lightweight <a title=\"Why the 2.5-15x Rifle Scope is Ideal for Hunting\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/why-the-2-5-15x-rifle-scope-is-ideal-for-hunting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hunting or tactical rifles<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\">My Rifle is a blueprinted 700 short action chambered in <a title=\".223\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/tag\/223\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">.223<\/a>, has an EGW tactical bolt knob and Sako extractor installed.\u00a0<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><h3 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Good_Trigger\"><\/span><strong>A Good Trigger<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\">Triggers that I would recommend include\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/timneytriggers.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Timney<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/triggertech.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Trigger Tech.<\/a>\u00a0Both companies\u00a0have several options and models based on weight and pricing requirements you might have.\u00a0<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><h3 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Good_Optic\"><\/span><strong>A Good Optic<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\">I made a switch to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/all-products\/toric-uhd-30mm-4-20x50-ffp-mrad-prs-long-range-rifle-scope\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TORIC 4-20&#215;50 MRAD<\/a>\u00a0and was a little apprehensive about changing gear right before the finale, however, I was pretty confident in the TORIC after shooting it and running it through its paces a couple weeks beforehand.\u00a0<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\">The TORIC is able to dial out to all the needed distances, with nice tactile adjustments and back with no problems. The zero-stop worked flawlessly and made sure my revs were consistent, not dialing past zero and causing problems with DOPE (Data On Previous Engagement) adjustments on stages.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\">The glass was very clear, even with changing weather conditions. The match started off warm and clear and changed to cool, foggy and rainy. Even in these changing conditions the <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/riflescopes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"scope\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"186\">scope<\/a> never fogged up and my sight picture was always very crisp.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\">To anyone who&#8217;s thinking about getting started as a PRS Shooter, or any type of <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/videosview\/illuminated-reticle-battery-installation-2\/\" title=\"Illuminated Reticle battery installation on your TRACT TORIC 34MM 4-25X50\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"493\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">long-range shooting<\/a>, I\u2019d say just go do it! You\u2019ll have a blast.<\/p><p><\/p><p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Getting Started as a PRS Shooter | TRACT design and engineer performance-grade optics without the added retail costs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12202,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2257,2267,2273],"tags":[2625,2649,2727,2728,2729,2730,2731,2732,2756,2757,2758],"class_list":["post-456","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-to-fix-adjust","category-shooting-skills","category-tractoptics","tag-extra-topics","tag-getting-started-as-a-prs-shooter","tag-how-to-choose-a-rifle","tag-how-to-choose-binoculars","tag-how-to-choose-scope-rings","tag-how-to-choose-the-right-compound-bow","tag-how-to-choose-the-right-telescope","tag-how-to-clean-a-bore","tag-how-to-install-a-rifle-scope","tag-how-to-install-a-scope","tag-how-to-install-a-scope-on-a-rifle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/456","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=456"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/456\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11481,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/456\/revisions\/11481"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12202"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=456"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=456"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=456"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}