Ernie
SPONSOR
Here is sort of a catch up:
Steve Hugel wrote this and I am pasting it to save me some time rewriting.
Ernie
Well, i probably wouldn't have believed it had i not been there, but Ernie popped 1 at 1590 to day. After getting set up I was spotting with the Big Eyes, and when i started to scan the mile dog mounds, 2 coyotes were making their way thru the dog town, so we sent some missiles their way to no avail, then it was onto dogs, and he was using his David White built 6-284 XP/115 DTAC/Leupold 8.5-25/TMR reticle. We thought the dog was actually at the mile mark, but when we got to it, we found out differently. The spot we're shooting at goes across a valley to about 1000, then it gently rises to about 1600, and it then flattens out, so it's hard to know from the shooting spot exactly where the mile point's at. We're gonna mark it with stakes, and flags tomorrow to help. Anyways he starts shooting at this dog, and i'm trying my best to get him in on it, but even 20X at that range is difficult to be as precise as if he was a tenth the distance closer. But conditions weren't bad, and he kepy getting closer and closer, until the last shot rang true, at 63 MOA elevation, and 8 MOA windage (5-10 mph wind). The dog was on all 4's, and the bullet hit amidships, and exited violently out his abdomen taking entrails with it. He flipped around for a couple seconds, and regained his senses, and started making for his mound, but he didn't have it in him, and he finally died just short of home. We got a buncha pics., and i've no doubt Ernie will post some soon. Anyways, to bed now to continue the 1 mile pr. dog saga tomorrow.
The End (for today).
Steve
Below is the updated post from your truly
Wednesday afternoon (1590 yd. dog) was almost sureal. I had made the first goal I had set for myself with the 6mm-284 shooting the 115 DTAC. This is a sporter barrel with an H-S stock. It is the action and stock that used to wear my 284 Win Barrel (built by Chunk Youngblood). David White rebarreled it in 6mm-284 and rebedded the action to the stock.
My first goal was to make 1500+ yards for the 1500 yard club in the Varmint Hunter Magazine. From what I could tell no one had ever hit a prarie dog beyond 1300 yds. with a SP. The next goal was a one mile PD.
Thursdays weather was not as cooperative. We didn't get started till after lunch. I was using the MOA Maximum in 6.5-284 with a 6.5-20 Leupold dot reticle scope and The Bower Rest System. Richard Mertz had modified a mount to shoot LR with but it was not enough for the 1800 mound I was shooting at. I had to pick a spot way above the dog as a means of reticle alignment. A number of times when the conditions laid down for awhile I was was within a couple of inches. We left the town with the same amount of living PD's as when we arrived that afternoon
The BRS does a great job of taking the vertical out of the picture. Next time I will make sure I can get to a mile plus with the mounting system on the MOA (One of the lessons learned this past week). Any type of tactical or mil-dot reticle would have been helpful.
I am thinking of a way to use the BRS with my rear grip XP 6.5-284. I am convinced I can get better accuracy wit it than with bags.
Friday brought better weather
To make long story short, I again set-up on the same mound as the day before with the MOA, but with the rear grip 6.5-284 shooting 140 A-Max's.
Sent about 40 rounds down range with a number of times spotter's calling within inches and a few times one calling barely right while the other called barely left. I began shooting at the one mile steel target and realized the mount had come loose again (another lesson learned). I switched to the 6-284 and put six shots on steel at a mile (it took more than six shots though). When we went out to take pics of the steel, Erik wanted to go bullet hunting. I said, "OK." and we headed to what we affectionately called the "Cholla Mound." If it had not been for a bullet hunting 11 year old we would have missed the find of the week (and it wasn't bullets). What we found was blood, quite a bit of it at the mound I had been shooting at with the 6.5. At the impact velocity the 140 A-Max in all likelyhood just penciled him. Steve was so gutsy he even reached his hand into the mound to see if it was within arms reach to no avail. But the proof of hit was undeniable. Range was 1800 yards.
If you have any questions, just fire away (pun intended).
I have no doubt 2000+ yards can be achieved, but you are going to need what would be considered perfect conditions and higher BC bullets than what I was using.
Was there luck involved in this endeavor? Certainly. But you cannot get "lucky" unless you do everything in your power to put the odds in your favor.
I will describe Saturdays shooting a little later.
This was our first time to shoot beyond 1000 yards. It felt good to get our feet wet and to have some success at the same time.
First is a pic of the 1590 yard dog with the 6mm-284 XP-100 (115 DTAC's).
Steve Hugel wrote this and I am pasting it to save me some time rewriting.
Ernie
Well, i probably wouldn't have believed it had i not been there, but Ernie popped 1 at 1590 to day. After getting set up I was spotting with the Big Eyes, and when i started to scan the mile dog mounds, 2 coyotes were making their way thru the dog town, so we sent some missiles their way to no avail, then it was onto dogs, and he was using his David White built 6-284 XP/115 DTAC/Leupold 8.5-25/TMR reticle. We thought the dog was actually at the mile mark, but when we got to it, we found out differently. The spot we're shooting at goes across a valley to about 1000, then it gently rises to about 1600, and it then flattens out, so it's hard to know from the shooting spot exactly where the mile point's at. We're gonna mark it with stakes, and flags tomorrow to help. Anyways he starts shooting at this dog, and i'm trying my best to get him in on it, but even 20X at that range is difficult to be as precise as if he was a tenth the distance closer. But conditions weren't bad, and he kepy getting closer and closer, until the last shot rang true, at 63 MOA elevation, and 8 MOA windage (5-10 mph wind). The dog was on all 4's, and the bullet hit amidships, and exited violently out his abdomen taking entrails with it. He flipped around for a couple seconds, and regained his senses, and started making for his mound, but he didn't have it in him, and he finally died just short of home. We got a buncha pics., and i've no doubt Ernie will post some soon. Anyways, to bed now to continue the 1 mile pr. dog saga tomorrow.
The End (for today).
Steve
Below is the updated post from your truly
Wednesday afternoon (1590 yd. dog) was almost sureal. I had made the first goal I had set for myself with the 6mm-284 shooting the 115 DTAC. This is a sporter barrel with an H-S stock. It is the action and stock that used to wear my 284 Win Barrel (built by Chunk Youngblood). David White rebarreled it in 6mm-284 and rebedded the action to the stock.
My first goal was to make 1500+ yards for the 1500 yard club in the Varmint Hunter Magazine. From what I could tell no one had ever hit a prarie dog beyond 1300 yds. with a SP. The next goal was a one mile PD.
Thursdays weather was not as cooperative. We didn't get started till after lunch. I was using the MOA Maximum in 6.5-284 with a 6.5-20 Leupold dot reticle scope and The Bower Rest System. Richard Mertz had modified a mount to shoot LR with but it was not enough for the 1800 mound I was shooting at. I had to pick a spot way above the dog as a means of reticle alignment. A number of times when the conditions laid down for awhile I was was within a couple of inches. We left the town with the same amount of living PD's as when we arrived that afternoon
The BRS does a great job of taking the vertical out of the picture. Next time I will make sure I can get to a mile plus with the mounting system on the MOA (One of the lessons learned this past week). Any type of tactical or mil-dot reticle would have been helpful.
I am thinking of a way to use the BRS with my rear grip XP 6.5-284. I am convinced I can get better accuracy wit it than with bags.
Friday brought better weather
To make long story short, I again set-up on the same mound as the day before with the MOA, but with the rear grip 6.5-284 shooting 140 A-Max's.
Sent about 40 rounds down range with a number of times spotter's calling within inches and a few times one calling barely right while the other called barely left. I began shooting at the one mile steel target and realized the mount had come loose again (another lesson learned). I switched to the 6-284 and put six shots on steel at a mile (it took more than six shots though). When we went out to take pics of the steel, Erik wanted to go bullet hunting. I said, "OK." and we headed to what we affectionately called the "Cholla Mound." If it had not been for a bullet hunting 11 year old we would have missed the find of the week (and it wasn't bullets). What we found was blood, quite a bit of it at the mound I had been shooting at with the 6.5. At the impact velocity the 140 A-Max in all likelyhood just penciled him. Steve was so gutsy he even reached his hand into the mound to see if it was within arms reach to no avail. But the proof of hit was undeniable. Range was 1800 yards.
If you have any questions, just fire away (pun intended).
I have no doubt 2000+ yards can be achieved, but you are going to need what would be considered perfect conditions and higher BC bullets than what I was using.
Was there luck involved in this endeavor? Certainly. But you cannot get "lucky" unless you do everything in your power to put the odds in your favor.
I will describe Saturdays shooting a little later.
This was our first time to shoot beyond 1000 yards. It felt good to get our feet wet and to have some success at the same time.
First is a pic of the 1590 yard dog with the 6mm-284 XP-100 (115 DTAC's).
