First competition this weekend

[gunny8]

I will be competing in my first long range high power shooting competition this weekend and need a few questions answered. i'm mainly participating at this one just for the experience, i do not expect to do very good. i haven't actually gotten to shoot at anything over 350 yards yet, but need a little advice before i try. this weekend, the lines fired from will be 500, 600, 800, and 1000. i have done a lot a research up until now trying compute dope adjustments for my remington 700 pss .308win . i use my own reloads firing with a muzzle velocity of 2600 fps. i just have to ask because it just sounds so crazy to me, but am i correct in saying that when using a 300 yard zero, my bullet will drop around 350 inches at 1000 yards. that's what all the tables and charts i use say, but it just sounds so crazy, i mean that's around 30 feet. please give me some pointers or incite if anyone has any. i don't want to look like a total fool when i go out there. i am an experienced shooter, i was a primary marksmanship instructor in the USMC and know a little, but am not familier with the long range high power stuff.. thanks in advance.

semper fi

It's not just a sport, it is an art form that takes careful development.

 

[Dave King]

Chad

I use a standard set of come-up as a base set. For a 308 Win I remember these numbers:

2, 3, 3.5, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 6, 7

These are base come-ups for ranges to 1000 yards beginning at 200 and ending at 1000.

These are cumulative values and must be added to one another as the range increases.

So, with a 100 yard zero I ADD 2 MOA to get to 200 yards. To get 300 yard dope I add 2 + 3 to get 5 and put that 5 MOA value on the scope. At 500 yards I need a "foot" (12 MOA) (2+3+3.5+3.5) of correction.

To get from 300 yards to 1000 yards I'd add 3.5, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 6, and 7 for a total of 33.5 MOA of up or about 335 inches of correction at 1000 yards.

Your post of 350 inches of correction from 300 yards to 1000 yards is about correct.

 

[gunny8]

Thanks for the reply Dave. That helps a lot. So to make sure i have this right, this would mean i would most likely need to to go up about 13 or 14 clicks on a 1/4 moa at 100 yards scope. i'm sorry i sound so ignorant on the subject, but after reading all the stuff i've read the last few weeks about moa and long range shooting, i'm very confused. to me it seemed like if the scope moves 1?4 moa at 100 yards it means it moves 1/4 of an inch at 100 yards. my thinking was that if this is true, then at 1000 yards, the strike of the round would move 2 1/2 inches. if this were true, that would mean i would have to click about 140 clicks up. like i said, i apologize for my ignorance, but i guess this is the best way for me to find out ahead of time.

 

[CAM]

Chad
I don't shot a 308 so lets use Daves example

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR> To get from 300 yards to 1000 yards I'd add 3.5, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 6, and 7 for a total of 33.5 MOA of up or about 335 inches of correction at 1000 yards. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

33.5 MOA
33.5 X 4 = 134 clicks in a 1/4MOA scope
Each click is 1/4MOA

4 clicks at 100 = approx 1"
4 clicks at 1000 = approx 10"

You need way more clicks than 13 or 14.
14 clicks at 1000 = approx 35"

Keep a copy of Daves numbers for reference it should get you started in the right direction.

CAM

[ 02-11-2004: Message edited by: Cam ]

 

[jb1000br]

yea thats 35minutes up (140 clicks). like i said in your other thread it took 39MOA from 100 to 1040 with my 168 load.

my guess is dave--175smk?

Daves 33.5 is definately not a 168 load.
JB

 

[gunny8]

OK guys, thanks again for the replies. then i guess i'm pretty screwed then. i use a leupold variX III 3.5-10x50 illuminated mildot scope. i was testing last night, i have it zeroed at 300, only problem is, i only have about 50 clicks left in the up direction before it tops out. so does this mean i'm SOL with my scope?

 

[CAM]

Chad
LEUPOLD you are SOL J/K

Get a 20MOA base or rings.
That should help get to 1K
CAM

 

[Dave King]

jb1000br

That 33.5 up is from a 300 yard zero so add another 5 MOA to get that needed from a 100 yard zero (38.5 MOA for 100 to 1000).


Chad

You can use the Leupold you have, just use the Mildots for holdover and add the available "clicks". Each Mil is 3.44 MOA and you apparently have 5 Mils from center crosshair to the top of the lower bar...this gives you 17.2 MOA of "holdover" to add to the 12.5 MOA of available scope adjustment. You should have about 29.7 MOA to use...this equates to about 310 inches of correction at 1000 yards (hope my math is correct 29.7*1.047*10)...if you're using a standard backer (72 inches I believe but you should check) your bullseye will be 36 inches down from the top of the backer... aim at the top of the backer directly over the center of the target and you now have 346 inches of correction. (Will someone please do a sanity check on those numbers to make sure I got it close.)

Or to really confuse the issue... change the power on your scope a little (try about 8X) and make the MOA value between the MilDots greater... you should be able to get to a point where you can use a mildot as the "new" aiming point... at 1000 yards.

[ 02-11-2004: Message edited by: Dave King ]

 

[gunny8]

Thanks again Dave, you're really clearing things up for me. Your last reply brings up another simple question i had. i've been reading up on range estimation with mil dots. the formula i've been toying with is target height (in) * 27.778 / height in mil dots. is this assuming you're using the 10 power setting on you scope?

 

[Dave King]

You're welcome.

Mil range estimation is a lenghty subject. The reticle MilDots must be calibrated to a specific power (probably 10 on your Leupold) of in the focal plane that is non-magnifying. If you do a search here about mildot ranging you'll find a ton of info.

You can check your scope by painting or taping a few 4" stripes on a piece of cardboard or anything else and verify your mildots on it from 111 yards, or just paint or tape 3.6" marks and verify the mildots from 100 yards. You should verify ALL the mildots on your reticle (horizontal and vertical)...sometimes they're a little off from the Leupold factory (I had one like that).

Get a MilDot Master from Bruce Robinson... it'll be money well spent.
http://www.mildot.com/