Mile Shot

[ccsykes]

I got the chance to drive farther east in NC yesterday to meet up with some guys to shoot. To start off, the wind was terrible, sustained at 8-10 with gusts to 25+ with a cold front moving through and intermittent drizzle, not a great day to be attempting extreme range with a new rifle. In NC we are used to the calm winds so I already knew this was going to be a challenge but we set steel up from 500 yards out to 1760. I fired 3 fouling rounds out of my 338 Allen mag at 1200 yards into 1/2" mild steel (bad for the steel) and adjusted my scope accordingly. I then sat the gun down and we shot 260s and 308s for 3 hours. I then picked the 338 back up, dialed in for the 1760 yard plate and let it rip. First shot connected with 11 MOA wind hold. Sent 1 more round that went 2" off the right sides striking the post holding the target. Those unpredictable gusts play havoc on a 2.5 second flight time. When you think you are shooting in a lull, as soon as you touch the trigger and send it, your hat gets blown off, great NC weather in March. All in all, a fun day, really got to see how the 260s handled the wind compared to a bunch of 308s out to 1200. I don't have a picture of the 1760 target because we were getting soaked but here is the area we were shooting and the 1200 target. Shooting out of the back of the truck to get high enough to see the targets is quite cramped and not ideal, but adds a little to the challenge. Yes, I know someone will point out the scope is too high, I was sent the wrong rings and waiting on the new ones.

 

[jskmtd]

Looks like it is shooting good and sounds like a fun day even with the wind and rain.
Jon

 

[steeltraps]

Sounds like fun! Looks like you have a good flat place to shoot thats easy to drive to your targets! Makes me jealous! We have a 360 acre cornfeild that we shoot out to around 1800 yards. I can drive right to my targets because of wet spots and iragaion canals but can drive around to the targets. I have shot same type of thin steel with about the same results. I have a 30 inch ar-500 ans some man-sized target. The 30 inch ar-500 is 3/8 and weights 68 lbs! WE shoot out of the back of toyota 4x4 as well, its been to wet in alabama to shot laying down lately. I hope to get to do some ELR ats some rocks from 1800-2200 yards this week myself!

 

[dkhunt14]

I like my scopes high so my cheek doesn't contact stock. As long as the parallax is out it doesn't matter. It makes it so you don't have inference from your cheek dragging on stock. Matt

 

[RMulhern]

I like my scopes high so my cheek doesn't contact stock. As long as the parallax is out it doesn't matter. It makes it so you don't have inference from your cheek dragging on stock. Matt

HORSE SCHITT!!

 

[lightflight]

I like my scopes high so my cheek doesn't contact stock. As long as the parallax is out it doesn't matter. It makes it so you don't have inference from your cheek dragging on stock. Matt

ya...FYI... April fools is only good on the first of the month.

 

[ccsykes]

I was pretending that comment wasn't there. I figured it was an April Fool's joke too.

 

[Canadian Bushman]

Dk shoots heavy gun class in benchrest guys, thats pretty common practice.

I also have some rings i think are too high, its a tricky decision to make and too high is always better than too low.

 

[ccsykes]

Being as this is long range hunting, they are way too high and when gear must be perfect for an ethical shot, a little too high is not acceptable. This is a practical gun, not benchrest, i.e. the shooter must be a shooter and the gun must fit him.

 

[Canadian Bushman]

Being as this is long range hunting, they are way too high and when gear must be perfect for an ethical shot, a little too high is not acceptable. This is a practical gun, not benchrest, i.e. the shooter must be a shooter and the gun must fit him.

Im not disagreeing with that. Thats why i too am working on replacing my own rings. A guns ergonomics are all about the shooters preference.

 

[yobuck]

Well again how one shoots can change ones opinions. Where one shoots will have the same affect. All those bench hunters in pa arent uninformed or poor belly shooters. they do that for reasons.

 

[ccsykes]

We aren't discussing PA hunters, another post can be started for that. I simply said the rings are too high.

 

[WildRose]

Guys this thread is about making mile shots with a new rifle, to the OP I say "congrats, job well done".

On reading your wind remember to look at markers along the full length of the shot as well as upwind. It will give you a much better read on what conditions will be through the last 1/3 of the bullet's flight which will much more influence the POI than the first 2/3.

As a rule I figure whatever wind effect there is for the first 2/3 of the flight will amount to no more than half of the total wind affect throughout the flight.

You also just have to keep in mind that wind effects are not instantaneous. You can see a gust coming across tall grass or small trees relative to your target.

The steady wind will have a steady lean on the foliage and a gust will create a visible wave you can follow and time.

 

[ccsykes]

I have that wildrose. The field was plowed and wet, no vegetation for over a mile. As you can tell in the photo. It's a little different on a farmland than the grasses out west.