PEWS is the four-element checklist run before every stage, in order, every time.
P — Planning E — Elevation W — Wind S — Stability
P — Planning
The stage plan must be locked before the timer.
- Target sequence: which plate first, which last, which order
- Position sequence: which position for each plate, in what order
- Transition plan: how you move between positions, what changes (body, rifle support, bag placement)
- Rhythm: how much time per target, where the "buffer" shots go if any
- Fail-safes: if you miss the first shot on a plate, do you follow up or abandon?
Drill: At every practice, build a written stage plan on paper before every stage, even if you're shooting a simple drill. Force the habit.
Failure mode: Planning on the timer. The moment the beeper goes off, planning is over. If you're still thinking about plan, you're behind.
E — Elevation
Every target, every range, every DOPE value, written down before the stage.
- Verified DOPE for the rifle being shot (25 Creed, 6 ARC, etc.) — no guessing between guns
- Range confirmed (rangefinder, stage board, spotter)
- Environmental correction applied (DA, temp, pressure) if range demands it
- Leveled for cant — see Section 12
Drill: Before every stage, recite DOPE values out loud to yourself or a spotter. Say them. "Target 1, 687 yards, 5.2 mils. Target 2, 812 yards, 7.8 mils." Verbalization catches errors that silent reading doesn't.
Failure mode: Using DOPE from the wrong rifle, or using DOPE that wasn't validated at the current DA/temp. Altitude and temperature matter — 30°F swings shift the trajectory meaningfully at distance.
W — Wind
Wind call for every target, based on direction and value, made before the timer.
- Full-value, half-value, no-value call made per target
- Mirage read (boiling, running, direction of run)
- Grass, brush, vegetation read — what is the wind doing on the ground between you and the target, not just at your position
- Impacts from previous shooters factored in
Drill: Before every stage, build a wind card: Target 1 — 0.4 mil left. Target 2 — 0.6 mil left. Target 3 — 0.2 mil right (terrain shifts direction). Write it down. Compare after the stage to actual impacts.
Failure mode: Single-point wind read (only reading wind at your position). Wind at the muzzle matters less than wind at the midpoint and target. Read the whole path.
S — Stability
How you're going to build every position, for every shot.
- Rear bag placement
- Support hand position
- Bipod/tripod/barricade contact
- Body position (prone, seated, kneeling, braced)
- Pulse management and natural point of aim
- Rifle load (pressure into shoulder, pressure down on bipod)
Drill: Dry-fire every position for every stage before loading. Build the position, break the trigger dry, confirm the reticle doesn't jump. Then live-fire.
Failure mode: Assuming the position will build itself under time pressure. It won't. Positions collapse under the timer. Pre-build them.