1. The date of your shooting session
2. The location of your shooting session
3. Tie the log sheet to a specific rifle and scope
4. Log the exact load, including bullet weight and style. Get the lot number off the box (off-the-shelf ammo) or record your own reloading lot number. For top performance, find the best load for your rifle, then shoot only that load.
5. Focus one one aspect each shooting session such as trigger control or sight picture.
6. The ambient temperature
7. Clear, sunny, overcast, foggy, raining or misting ....
8. Record changes to your zero.
9. Your session may involve reloading drills, weak hand shooting, etc.
10. With the target at 12:00 and 6:00 to your rear, draw an arrow to indicate the relative direction of the wind; record the velocity. Re-check every half hour.
11. On the left, note the cumulative total of rounds fired for this rifle (if known) then log the rounds fired today.
12. Precision shooters replace their barrels after 5000 rounds; here's where to keep track of wear on a replacement barrel.
13. You might fire "spotter" rounds to test the wind or elevation setting. Record those here and save the other spaces for actual practice firing.
14. Prone, bench, sitting, standing or kneeling ...? Supported or unsupported? Using a sling? Note this for each shot.
15. After firing each shot but before learning where it impacted, jot down your best guess as to where it impacted on this mini target. Then, check it against the actual impact point. This heightens awareness of exactly where your crosshairs are when you fire and helps you visualize a hit.
16. If a time limit or target exposure time was involved, not it here. Did you make the time?
17. If you're firing at a known distance, log it under "Actual." If you're firing from an unknown distance, note your preliminary estimate and afterward note the actual distance.
18. Jot down observations and conclusions. Do you need dry fire practice? Was there an improvement since the last session?
19. If your scope has a bullet-drop compensator or a target knob, note the initial elevation setting.
20. If you change your elevation, record it here.
21. If your scope has a reliable windage knob, log the initial session.
22. If you change your windage, note it here.
23. Plot each shot as you fire, indicating the order: 1, 2, 3, etc. This enables you to link each shot to your call, your body position and any other factors you're tracking.