Segregating .338 SMKs 300gr What priorities?

[Chawlston]

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I forgot to mention that many were shot between 900 and 1400 yds. , the conditions, sutch as wind , up hill ,down hill, and light have a lot more infulance at that differance than anything else!

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Talk to goodgrouper he conducted some tests to see what the influence would be in bearing surface discrepancies. You know the wind blows them in and out. Maybe the wind blew your shots into the game you were shooting at. Lets not use your real world experiences as scientific evidence.../ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

James

 

[longrangebo]

However they were still dead , right, WIND<AND LIGHT are two of the most important parts of longrange shooting, believe it or not

 

[Chawlston]

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However they were still dead , right, WIND<AND LIGHT are two of the most important parts of longrange shooting, believe it or not

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I thought it was gun, bullets, primers, powder, cases and scopes. Light has never really sigificantly influenced my shooting on my private 978 yard range. When develping trajectory charts, I always do it prior to the sun getting above the trees. When we are shooting benchrest, the sun going behind clouds can really wreak havoc on a good group. But for long range shooting, we always wait for the weather to cooperate prior to ignition. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

James

 

[longrangebo]

I thought we were talking about hunting,my mistake

 

[Chawlston]

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I thought we were talking about hunting,my mistake

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Read your above quotes. You were schooling me on the most important parts of long range shooting.

James

 

[Buckmaster]

I think smeltzer is on to something with this wind thing...

I think wind will have more of an effect that variations in bullets.

Just load the bullets and shoot them. Your shooting skills are so much more important than any obsessing you will do over bullets or other stuff like that. I used to be like you, worrying over every last detail. Bottom line is that most of us are not bench rest shooters, we are hunters and the fact is that most of our rifles shoot better than we do. Yes, a lot of the things we all read about about how to ring every last bit of accuracy from our rifles or ammo are true, however, the vast majority of us just don't shoot that good to see any benefit.

I'm not knocking guy's shooting abilities. I know a lot of guys here are incredible shooters. I'm just saying that there is minimal if any gain in using bench rest techniques in hunting situations - even long range.

The time you spend sorting thousands of bullets would be better served shooting.

 

[philny1]

A bit off track. Just how do these match kings perform on game?? Elk mainly. I see them mentioned quite a bit. Thanks.

 

[longrangebo]

I have been using them since 1998 never had game walk away when hit in the vitals,several of my friends have used them on elk up to 2000 yds.

 

[Chawlston]

[ QUOTE ]
I think smeltzer is on to something with this wind thing...

I think wind will have more of an effect that variations in bullets.

Just load the bullets and shoot them. Your shooting skills are so much more important than any obsessing you will do over bullets or other stuff like that. I used to be like you, worrying over every last detail. Bottom line is that most of us are not bench rest shooters, we are hunters and the fact is that most of our rifles shoot better than we do. Yes, a lot of the things we all read about about how to ring every last bit of accuracy from our rifles or ammo are true, however, the vast majority of us just don't shoot that good to see any benefit.

I'm not knocking guy's shooting abilities. I know a lot of guys here are incredible shooters. I'm just saying that there is minimal if any gain in using bench rest techniques in hunting situations - even long range.

The time you spend sorting thousands of bullets would be better served shooting.

[/ QUOTE ]

When I pour of my components, I am not looking necessarily at making them more accurate, I am trying to find out if there is a stinker hidden somewhere that will prevent me from being successful. Based on your recommendations, I would have shot some bullets without cores.

I prefer to approach both shooting and hunting in an analytical fashion. Must be the thirty years operating nuclear reactors. If you do not so be it and have fun. But you won't find the hair splitting information just by shooting, shooting, shooting and more shooting. Some of those shots may have components that should not have been loaded and who knows what the results would be.

Finally, having so many variables inluding the wind just complicates the issue. If you sit down with the best constructed load you can make and the shots are not as expected, then it is much easier to evaluate the situation. To learn from shooting in the wind, you need to be able to evaluate the conditions more than just seeing the tree branch at 600 yards swaying in the breeze.

James

 

[longrangebo]

I,am not trying to start an arguement, but a lot of my benchrest friends make their own bullets,just to make sure they are the same! I also think it would be nearly imposible to point up a bullet without a core? A lot of the same guys are now sorry they started to make their own,because the equipment is so expensive. They also tell me they don,t weigh evert charge either,when I tell them I weigh them all they lauth at me. These guys tell me ,and some of them are in the benchrest hall of fame,It is more important to get your shots down range ,before the conditions change. I also agree after shooting 10 years at 1000 yd. benchrest club in Pa..

 

[daveosok]

Been there, did that, didn't make a difference.

Sized them for dia, bearing length, and weight, still got 20~30 fps es, and group size didn't change. Weighed powder to the tenth, cases, and everything else still got 20 ~ 30 fps difference.

The 338 I was shooting still shot 3 inch groups at 500 yards.

Load em up and shoot em and have fun or you'll end up spending more time sitting at the bench than you will putting rounds down range.

 

[goodgrouper]

Depends on what equipment you're using. If you're shooting the bullets this post was started for past 1k, I guarantee the .010" variation in my last batch will cause you to hit high or low or miss altogether.

Bottom line, accuracy is the process of eliminating as many variables as possible. If you aren't eliminating the variables, your shortchanging your equipment. And remember, accuracy takes time so count on spending it and doing things as best you can. Then again, if you're just going for minute of deer at 500, just pull that trigger. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Roll-Yur-Own]

There is a big difference bewteen maesuring thousands of bullets and not noticing a missing core. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Goodgrouper, in the conditions you speak of, more perfection would be required. But, there is a lot inbetween minute of deer at 500 yards what you are talking about.
I'll bet that the wind and other environmental issues will make more difference in your shot than the variation in bullets.

 

[Chawlston]

Hello guys,

This who thread is about someone wanting to know the priorities for segregating bullets Sierra Bullets and not custom ones. He obviously has already made the decision to do it. He is not asking if you think he should.

So, in an effort to answer his questions, we need to keep it more specifically on target and quit debating the merits of doing it versus not doing it. The starter of the thread has already decided to try and segregate his bullets so lets answer his questions and allow him to make his own decisions as to the validity of the process for his needs.

Heck for shooting at 500 yards, you don't even need a great shooting stick.

I personally don't measure and segregate custom bullets because they are generally made on the same dies and the bullet maker can feel and see what is going on... However, we are talking about SMKs and not custom bullets. Remember the title of the thread?

James