Ladder Test at 300 woes

[magtech83]

Being as i just got out of the military i found myself packing everything in the house and last week it was time to pack up the reloading room.. I love having extra bedrooms. But before that happened i loaded 4 bullets +1 clearing for my second ladder test.

While the wife went to work today I sat here bored thinking of what to do.. So i pulled the 300 win out and went to a field and set up the target at 300yds. Once everything was set up I sent my clearing after a big flinch. Walked to the target and back and it was about 2 ft low/ 1 ft right... Ok, i flinched, whatever.

I set back up and do the same for the next 2 rounds... They are the same distance low but 2ft to the left... Except, these are about 1.5 inches from each other. I'm thinking great, the first was a flinch and now were getting somewhere

As i am getting setup for the 3rd shot the gun tips off the sand bags and hits the table... oops... but i think nothing of it and shoot the third.. I check this one and its 1.5 ft higher than the last 2 but laterally the same. I go to shoot the 4th and i am pulling the trigger; ohh look a butterfly right in the scope, BOOM! Wont lie that caught me off guard. Well played yellow butterfly, but my aim was true so i am not worried. This one lands within 1.5 inches of the third... Still 2 ft above the other.. But only a few inches from my Bullseye, which worked out to be close to my drop was at 300yds.

Now i was going to come on here and ask, hey ***... But before i did that I went out re-torqued the stock.... Wasn't loose.... Grabbed the rings to check for looseness and the whole base was freely moving...

Well i think i found the culprit.. Re-torqued the bases and rings and now i am ready to test out that ladder again... The only problem i have now is that everything is packed away except some factory rounds.. Maybe its time to look for blue loctite.

As i finished up writing this i found a tick crawling up my chest.. Was today a bad day... Nope, any day shooting is a good day..... Its just a day shooting that's left me itching for more..But then again... that could be the ticks crawling all over me...

 

[alcesgigas]

That's the spirit! In spite of that you still got ticked off? All kidding aside it's nice to read threads like yours--shows we're not so different after all.

 

[Canadian Bushman]

Dam ticks,
I had to pull one just the other night. I hate those things.

 

[HARPERC]

Some will argue it's all shot placement, but having seen tick paralysis the better choice is .375 up, with a quality optic of at least 20x.

 

[theEMP]

Good luck on the retest. I would lock tight it for sure. I have gotten tired of having my scope come loose so all of them get it now.

 

[FearNoWind]

lightbulbOnce you get that scope mounted securely you can go tick hunting.

 

[magtech83]

Well last night I sat here knowing my tote for the 300, and everything I would need to reload it, was in the garage.. For some reason the movers wont take 5 lbs of gunpowder... No worries though, I would rather have all my gun stuff travel with me.

So I pulled the stuff I thought I would need to reload out of the tote and set the press up on the garage bench. Then realized I needed stuff I didn't get.. After 6 trips of going back and forth to the tote for items I finally had everything I needed to redo my last ladder test.

I dont think I said it before but I am reloading for a 300 rem 5R. I already had a workup for 190gn in the past and currently I am loading for 210 matrix. Seeing as there isn't load data on these specifically I am going off 208gn on the hodgson website.

My loads will be as follows. H1000, Test=76.8, Round 1=76.8, R2=77.2, R3=77.6, R4=78, Oal to lands= 2.863, Norma brass, Matrix 210gn. GM215M primer.

Well anyways, after a good ultrasonic cleaning and hour of fan drying time I check out the cases and they are ready... Being somewhat skeptical of scales, I happen to have 3... 2 jewelry scales (1 down to .02gn/ 1 down to .1gn) and a 5-0-5 that came with the RCBS kit. I measure each to the .02/.1 gn and compare with every scale..Put it in the press (made sure turn the die way out on the first one since everything had been in storage) and Wah-Lah.. Yup, this one needs to be seated deeper and deeper and finally.. My test round is loaded.

So I proceed to measure the load on the next 4. I am making sure that my oal, to the lands, is exactly (according to my not so expensive caliper) where i want it. Then I pack them in the little green box I have and say goodnight.. or so I thought.

As I am sitting with the wife I keep asking her if she has nail polish. I keep thinking I should put some on the base screws. So after him-hawing around for an hour or 2 I finally find some... Right where she told me it was, funny how that works! Then I went out and set up the rifle for my next shoot... Tomorrow is my day.



Wouldn't you know it tomorrow is here Today! Everything is set up and in the PT cruiser except the target.. New targets are placed on it and I am ready to go.

I get everything set up and get in my place. I am laying half in/Half out of the PT Cruiser, with the hatch open and gun pointing out the back... Its uncomfortable, but it will do. So i send the test one mid-target.... Ok ok I wont lie I had a couple cups of coffee and i am feeling good.. and jittery! I definitely closed my eyes on that one... but last i knew i was on target. My aim point is between the 2 targets, since I had to reset the scope n base... Its about a foot low and 4 inches right... Ok, now I know where its shooting, I am good to go.



So I get back to my spot and setup for my test for "Round 1".. I'm all ready to pull the trigger and I hear a mosquito... How did a mosquito get into my ear muffs.. I recenter. Now its biting my arms.. Boom! Yeah that shot wasn't so bad. By the time I get to swat the mosquito.. She gone.

Round 2 is pretty good I am almost feeling perfect shooting. But soo tense, **** coffee you work too well... I send it.

I go check the target and feel an itch on my shoulder.. Did a mosquito get me through my shirt? Nope.... there's a tick under my shirt. Here we go again! I'm Ticked #1. After checking my shot its 1 inch from my first round.. O yeah, I shot 1/3 moa at 300, i'm a beast!

So I setup for round 3.. I'm feeling like a boss. My hold is rock steady.. This is gonna be a good shot.. 1/3 moa all day baby... I look down the scope... Well hello mirage. Where have you been all morning.. So I hold and wait and breath and wait and F it. I find the blurry center and send it... Boom, I'm surprised this muzzle break in the car hasn't shatter any windows by now.

Target checked, shot was about 2 inches left of the other 2... Not bad at 300 for some a semi-novice.

As i setup for round 4 the gun slips off the bag and tips over, twice.... Maybe the coffee is still working. Setup is easy I fight the mirage and send it.. I get to the target and its like a foot left but same height as the rest...I'm lost.. But the Ladder test is a success none the less.

As I put the target in the car I see something familiar on it, a tick! I pick him off. Check the target out again.. Hey, his brother is here too.. After my target is ticked off, or tick free, I pack up and go home... Well before I leave I rewalk the path to the target and tromp a 3 ft wide path in the weeds. I'll show these ticks for next time....

Now that I have found a good powder charge; I can load for oal changes... I'm excited and everything is out of the tote and setup on the garage counter, so I think... Come on tomorrow!

 

[magtech83]

Here are some pictures to go with the last post

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Good write up...I enjoyed it...

Your butterfly experience reminded me of something that happened to me this past weekend at the range...I was there sighting in the new rifle I bought my wife (Winchester Featherweight Deluxe in 270)...After I sighted it in at 100 and fired a few good groups there, I moved the target out to 200 yards...1st shot, everything went well, shot broke clean and felt good...the 2nd shot was a little more complicated, while I was squeezing the trigger, a guy next to me fired his 45-110 blackpowder rifle and I swear I believe it measured about 4.3 on the Richter scale...wasn't prepared for a "boom" of those proportions, lol...spooked me a little, and broke the shot in the process (way left)...the 3rd shot went just like the first one...broke clean and felt good.

2 groups on this target....upper 3 rounds are at 100 yards...lower 3 are at 200...might have been a real nice 200 yard group if not for the "booboo"!

Brand new rifle...barrel still settling in, but steadily improving...out of ammo, I adjusted the scope 1 click left and called it good.

 

[magtech83]

Well another shooting session come and gone and I am somewhat anxious to see what everyone thinks about how this day ended up.

I am sweaty and ticked x4, so far, so i'll get right down to what my issues were.

I loaded 1xtest 76.8, 5x76.8, 5x77.2, 4x77.6... I forgot when i was cleaning brass i needed 15+1... and when i was reloading i didnt want to reprep 1 brass.. so this is what i had to work with. And last night I cleaned my gun.. swab/brass brush to remove fouling; copper fouling was very minimal... ( I am wondering if i should have cleaned the gun at all)

So i setup a round robin firing; 1x test is first... aiming very high so i can keep this set at the top of the target.. it was about 2.75 moa low.. so i brought my turret up 4 moa... to keep these hitting higher on the target..

Firing sequence was 1x 76.8, use spotting scope/ 1x77.2 spot it/1x77.6; drive to target; mark target, resetup.. In total this took me 1.5 hours to do all rounds


What are your opinions about how these groups turned out? I am not a professional shooter to say the least and this is at 300yds.. My next goal is to fine tune OAL. Which group would you use for this?

I went into paint and highlighted and circled the groups 76.8=yellow/77.2=green/77.6=blue. Aim points for each group are in pink.

 

[4xforfun]

Cmon guys.....think about it. I mean really.....how much could a tic eat , anyway!!!

It's like worrying about flies on your plate.....they really don't eat that much.