Hunting practice/ cold bore

I've been playing a new game. Mostly cause I'm about out of 338 bullets but it's good practice. One shot per day. Random location on the farm where I can see my targets. Walk out sit down and range target. Get one shot. So far it's been 600-860 yards. 5 days in a row I've gotten the ping on my 10" plate. Great hunting practice.

How are you practicing those cold bore shots?

To answer this I always shoot until I get an 1 1/2" high at 100 yds. With plenty of time to cool between shots. Then I leave it be. Then the next time I go out I am very careful to fire the first shot the best it can be on the most solid rest.....There will be your conclusion for your hunting rifle's first shot, and that is the one that Really matters...….And the inch and a half high will always be enough elevation for any ethical shot at any range......With most of todays calibers.

BUCKWORKMAN said:

To answer this I always shoot until I get an 1 1/2" high at 100 yds. With plenty of time to cool between shots. Then I leave it be. Then the next time I go out I am very careful to fire the first shot the best it can be on the most solid rest.....There will be your conclusion for your hunting rifle's first shot, and that is the one that Really matters...….And the inch and a half high will always be enough elevation for any ethical shot at any range......With most of todays calibers.

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only time I shoot at 100 is load development

Same thing, I set a target at my cows, depending where I feed, I range shoot...I usually shoot 5-6 shots cause well I'm set up lol. But I'm straining to make first round hit. I got pretty good at 1/2 mile, been pushing it this winter and finding it's another ball game. Also been playing with 4dof comparing to ab on drops

I start group shooting in the spring with a new barrel, then go to one cold bore and a follow up once I'm dialed and settle on a hunting load and bullet for the year. Then when season hits every day I hunt I pick a random target based on conditions, could be 600 could be a mile and I send one round.

At deer camp we bet things like doing the dishes on 1 ..200 yard shot
Cold rifle.. just step up take your shot and make it count!

BUCKWORKMAN said:

To answer this I always shoot until I get an 1 1/2" high at 100 yds. With plenty of time to cool between shots. Then I leave it be. Then the next time I go out I am very careful to fire the first shot the best it can be on the most solid rest.....There will be your conclusion for your hunting rifle's first shot, and that is the one that Really matters...….And the inch and a half high will always be enough elevation for any ethical shot at any range......With most of todays calibers.

Click to expand...

Are you saying you zero your rifle 1 1/2" high at 100 yards and then you use maximum point blank range off of that? If that is the case that seems like a small window unless you are dialing for elevation on top of that. Where does the cold bore shot come into play?

Canhunter35 said:

Same thing, I set a target at cows, depending where I feed, I range shoot...I usually shoot 5-6 shots cause well I'm set up lol. But I'm straining to make first round hit. I got pretty good at 1/2 mile, been pushing it this winter and finding it's another ball game. Also been playing with 4dof comparing to ab on drops

Click to expand...

So I got curious about 4dof the other day and downloaded the Hornady app. Turns out I couldn't use it because I shoot hammers and they weren't in there and I couldn't figure out how to input a different bullet. I can use the BC calculator and it seems to put the drops pretty close to my shooter app but does account for the wind lift or not.

So question how's the 4dof working vs AB?

I practice by dry firing. I call hits or misses. Talk about 1 1/2" high at 100... One time I fired a cold bore shot on a target from the bench for six mornings. The group measured 1 1/16". The barrel was a $135 Midway barrel. They grouped 1 1/2" high.

I've never used 4dof but AB has been correct for my rifles out to 1580 so far

I think there are a couple critical components to practicing cold bore, first regardless of where your shooting be it the mountains or fixed range every shot is prepared for the same way and the same gear you use to hunt, it's a tuned system from your rear bag to rangefinder to rifle.
Second is to transition before season from picking a target based on range and trying to hit it to reading your conditions and then picking a 100% hit target. Really you need to do both, the first to push and sharpen your skill but when were hunting to keep that shot dead on we need to recognize when our conditions match out range skills!!

Once I can start driving out into the BLM where I like to practice (once the snow has left) I set up my steel plate, it is 11" wide by 20" tall torso shaped, but I paint the lower 5" black and paint the head portion black so I have about 10-11" tall by the same width, and I drive to a random range between 600 and 1100 yards, set up and take my shot. Once I have fired 3 shots, I move farther back. At my favorite spot to go that offers challenging wind conditions, switching canyon winds, up drafts and tail winds, I can get out to 1660 yards if I go right to the fence. Things get tight trying to hit a 11x11 target at 1500+ yards ha ha, your wind call better be squared away.

Elkeater said:

So I got curious about 4dof the other day and downloaded the Hornady app. Turns out I couldn't use it because I shoot hammers and they weren't in there and I couldn't figure out how to input a different bullet. I can use the BC calculator and it seems to put the drops pretty close to my shooter app but does account for the wind lift or not.

So question how's the 4dof working vs AB?

Click to expand...

The wind dial works the same for bc calculator

jasent said:

I've never used 4dof but AB has been correct for my rifles out to 1580 so far

Click to expand...

the wind dial is quite nice vs ab. I used the 4dof to help true up my bc I was using.

jasent said:

I've been playing a new game. Mostly cause I'm about out of 338 bullets but it's good practice. One shot per day. Random location on the farm where I can see my targets. Walk out sit down and range target. Get one shot. So far it's been 600-860 yards. 5 days in a row I've gotten the ping on my 10" plate. Great hunting practice.

How are you practicing those cold bore shots?

Click to expand...

A great plan......something I wish that I would seriously get into! memtb