Point is I doubt I would be down behind a rifle with Mil reticle watching him shoot(maybe this is my big F up?)
Yep. Can't imagine being too successful without a calibrated spotter of some sort. I guess some of the tactical match shooters do it themselves but use light recoiling rifles with muzzle brakes which allow them to call their own shots.
Spotters watch the vapor trail (not so much the splash) through a spotting scope with a reticle, read or measure the delta in the spotter, and then tell the shooter the new POA. If shooter's scope and spotter's scope are in same units (MILs or MOAs) no calculations required. The trick at this point is proper communication. That is don't tell the shooter by how much he missed because it takes time and may confuse the issue. Just tell him in the correct POA. For example, "One MIL right, down 1/2 MIL." The shooter corrects his aiming point in the scope, no dialing turrets at this stage, and fires the second shot. Done right, it happens very quickly, in a matter of seconds.
