Cold bore shot group vs Warm bore shot group

[Alan Griffith]

Ran a test this past 3 mornings. I'd run up the canyon behind my house just at 1st light and shoot 100 yd groups.

I'd shoot a cold bore shot, then a 2nd and 3rd shot; three mornings in a row.
[IMG][/IMG]

The wide shots at 11, 7 and 1 are the CB shots in that order. They run 3". The wide shot at 2, well thats probably me, a bad piece of brass (wish I had remembered to toss it) or baaaad JuJu. It opens up to 3-3/4". The top of the car was icy and slick and the Harris bipod was not solid.

All the shots in or touching the red are either 2nd or 3rd shots from 1st, 2nd and 3rd mornings. I called the 3rd shot on the 3rd day to the left at 8 touching the red. Other wise those 5 shots would have gone 3/4"

The interior of the red square is 3/4".

My question is this.

Do I accept the fact that my cold bore groups suck and refrain from shooting beyond 400 yds for elk(3" x 4 = 12" Group).

Or, I do I take a spotter shot and drill an elk out to say, hell, 1000+ with the 2nd shot.

And, would you move the zero 1/4" down and left?

Cartridge is 30-06 Ackley Improved pushing the Nosler 180 BT to 2997 fps. Scope is Mk4 4.5-14x50 w/ TMR reticle.

[J E Custom]

Allen

Look at an earler post dated 9/27/07 under "Bullets,Barrels and Ballistics"
By SS7mm.

There was a lot of discussion on this thread

Maybe this will answer your question's

J E CUSTOM

[ss7mm]

Originally Posted by Alan Griffith

My question is this.

Do I accept the fact that my cold bore groups suck and refrain from shooting beyond 400 yds for elk(3" x 4 = 12" Group).

Or, I do I take a spotter shot and drill an elk out to say, hell, 1000+ with the 2nd shot.

And, would you move the zero 1/4" down and left?

Looks to me like the cold bore shot at only 100 yards is totally unpredictable and since the first shot counts maybe you should look at the 3 cold bore shots as a 3 shot group and adjust accordingly. The only problem with this is then your "group" average location will be off. Yes your 2nd. and 3rd. shots groups quite well but the first shot is the one that counts.

If it was me I'd shoot for "groups" at 200 or 300 yards and zero based on the center of the group and then determine my maximum range from the results. I believe it's easier and far more accurate to determine your vertical and horizontal location and dispersion at longer ranges than it is at 100 yards.


You can't reliably say that a 3" group at 100 yards will equal a 12" group at 400 yards as most guns tend to shoot slightly bigger groups as ranges increase. Have you shot it at 400 yards and if so what were your group sizes? Is this the best load for this gun or do you have time to do more load testing?

[Boss Hoss]

Originally Posted by Alan Griffith

Ran a test this past 3 mornings. I'd run up the canyon behind my house just at 1st light and shoot 100 yd groups.

I'd shoot a cold bore shot, then a 2nd and 3rd shot; three mornings in a row.
[IMG][/IMG]

The wide shots at 11, 7 and 1 are the CB shots in that order. They run 3". The wide shot at 2, well thats probably me, a bad piece of brass (wish I had remembered to toss it) or baaaad JuJu. It opens up to 3-3/4". The top of the car was icy and slick and the Harris bipod was not solid.

All the shots in or touching the red are either 2nd or 3rd shots from 1st, 2nd and 3rd mornings. I called the 3rd shot on the 3rd day to the left at 8 touching the red. Other wise those 5 shots would have gone 3/4"

The interior of the red square is 3/4".

My question is this.

Do I accept the fact that my cold bore groups suck and refrain from shooting beyond 400 yds for elk(3" x 4 = 12" Group).

Or, I do I take a spotter shot and drill an elk out to say, hell, 1000+ with the 2nd shot.

And, would you move the zero 1/4" down and left?

Cartridge is 30-06 Ackley Improved pushing the Nosler 180 BT to 2997 fps. Scope is Mk4 4.5-14x50 w/ TMR reticle.

You have a LOT more work to do before you start shooting at big game anmials at 1k LOL.

[Alan Griffith]

Gentlemen,

Good posts, all! Thanks for the info.

I have shot out past 400 before. Actually about 400 rounds this past year. Here is 818 just a couple of months back, even though the date stamp is incorrect. That's 4.25" but from a warm barrel. I sometimes shoot out to 1000. Groups in the 12"-15" range. Usually no more than 8" vertical. Again warm barrel since I was working my way out each 100 yds on the 18" gongs. Hit them all.

[/IMG]

Their is an interesting post over on PLRL.com which discusses the process of taking a spotting shot before actually sending lead at the game.

Typically, how close can you use a spotting shot and NOT spook game? - Topic Powered by eve community

Again, thanks!

[goodgrouper]

Counting on having something to take a sighter shot at that is near your target is not anything more than a gamble. It might happen, it might not. If there is something there, it would work. But I think it would be better to eleviate the stress in your equipment or get a new barrel.

[Slopeshunter]

Originally Posted by goodgrouper

eleviate the stress in your equipment

Goodgrouper, would you mind explaining a little further what you mean by this.

tks!