LRKM to almost 3K

[Fiftydriver]

What I am learning here is this. A big high BC bullet is your friend if you can push it to good levels of velocity. This rifle and it's velocity has made me much more successful for cold bore hits. I use to favor rifles that were a little slower and had more barrel life. I can always just dial a bit more, right? But witnessing what the velocity is doing for me has changed that mind set. Higher velocity rifles are much easier to shoot and will give you a smile more often. I don't think shooting slower rifles hurt my skill set a bit, in fact it made me be very careful with my wind calls. But now if I am a MPH or so off it is much less of an issue. The drifts are simply smaller.


This has been my theory and belief and the reason for designing my wildcats. Firm believer in using a bullet with high BC to do most of the work but when you take that same bullet and add 200, 300 or 500 fps to it compared to more conventional chamberings, the ability to hit small targets at extended ranges increases dramatically. Much more so then you would ever thing it would when looking at the numbers on paper.

The margin of error that your rifle give you compared to lesser performing rifles is exactly what your seeing. With a lesser rifle, you need to nail conditions almost dead on to get even to the fringed of the kill zone in most conditions like you shot in today. With your rifle, with its velocity advantage, it gives you more of a margin of error in reading conditions yet still allows you to get that bullet on target. Plus, if you get the conditions very close, life is, well, for lack of a better term, pretty easy!!!

Most would not believe the difference in hitting a small target at extreme range comparing a 300 gr berger at 2850 fps to one launched at 3200 fps. I used to hear all the time how the faster bullet just slowed down more quickly and at long range really offered nothing of an advantage. Perhaps on paper but that is not what happens in real world shooting as you well know now working with your LRKM.

Fine shooting on your part, glad you decided to put some in the air JUST TO SEE.

I always find myself almost OVERTHINKING wind conditions when shooting the high performance rifles. Getting better at it but its really amazing what happens when you drive a 300 gr berger to +3200 fps!!! Then take it to +3400 fps and it really gets hard to believe sometimes!!! Sorry, subliminal plug for the 338 AM!!!

Good shooting, I suspect the LRKM is going to put a lot of meat in the freezer this year!!!

 

[MMERSS]

There are only two factors under your control to reduce lag time; increased speed and increased BC. Nice shooting Broz.

 

[Broz]

Kirby, what chronograph do you use? and at what altitude do you test. Just wondering for comparison sake.

Thanks
Jeff

 

[Fiftydriver]

Kirby, what chronograph do you use? and at what altitude do you test. Just wondering for comparison sake.

Thanks
Jeff

At the moment, using a Competition Electronic ProChrono. I have been pretty happy with this one so far. Been using it for about a year. Does very well in pretty much all light conditions and seems to be pretty consistant as far as velocity consistency over a wide range of light conditions. I know when I was using it while testing bullet jump to velocity spread testing with RL33, Everytime it would report a wide velocity swing, the bullets would go high or low depending on the direction of the velocity variation. Almost did not need to watch the video to confirm results as they were dead on. Certainly nothing fancy but has been working

I have used mainly Shooting Chronos in the past because they are affordable but they have seemed to be really sensitive to light conditions with the last couple models I have used.

Also have a PACT Professional XP Chrono but the sky screens get blown around by the wind to much for my liking.

My shooting location is roughly 3390 ft at shooting position and target location.

 

[Broz]

Thanks Kirby. I like to hear what others are using. And I always like to know an approximate alt when we are talking MV. I have been using the magneto speed, and an Oehler 35. The convenience of the MS is causing dust to build up on the Oehler though.

The MS is very quick and easy, and is making my logging of MV in different temps a heck of a lot easier to do.

Jeff

 

[Fiftydriver]

Thanks Kirby. I like to hear what others are using. And I always like to know an approximate alt when we are talking MV. I have been using the magneto speed, and an Oehler 35. The convenience of the MS is causing dust to build up on the Oehler though.

The MS is very quick and easy, and is making my logging of MV in different temps a heck of a lot easier to do.

Jeff

I have been looking into the MS since I have been hearing you talk about it more and more. May have to get into one of those as well. Sounds like a nice set up.

 

[Fiftydriver]

Since we are swappin info, what ballistic program are you currently running?

I have been running Exbal for many years. It works, seems to need more tweaking at times then others but in the end, it does work. Took two of my rifles out this morning and checked zeros and both were dead on the money from 0 to 1200 so just not to bad. One rifle will only be used for inside 1000 so its pretty much ready, the other is my heavier rifle so will be playing with it out to much farther distances so more work for me as well.

We could not get on the property we hunt pronghorns for the first week of the season, already filled up so we got the second 10 days which I really do not mind at all. Less people and the goats bunch on more at that time so its easier to judge them against other goats. Plus, an extra week to fine tune things!!!

Now, my luck it will snow that entire week and blow like crazy!!! such is hunting I guess, could just as easily be dead calm and blue bird skys. Will think good thoughts and maybe that will happen......

 

[Broz]

I used the NF exbal program for years. I still have it on a small PDA in fact. But since I got a smart phone a few years back I have been using "shooter" and Bryans Applied Ballistics program. All 3 of these have the option of stepping BC's , but the later two have the G7 options and some others I like. I get the program close, them go shoot actual field drops and log them. Then I adjust several perimeters in the program to match the actual recorded field drops. Then I shoot cold bore shots for final confirmation at many distances in many conditions. As you know this takes time, effort and commitment.

Jeff

ps: as of this year I have been including coriolis as well as spin drift in all my shooting solutions. It makes a difference. I may choose to not use it in a hunt at the closer distances, but it is part of my logged data and confirmed drops at all distances. One more thing. When getting azmuth, I found the compass on my smart phone to lie. I now use a manual compass with degrees.

 

[Wile E Coyote]

Thanks guys for all the kind words. I promise to get some video soon. I could film it, but then don't know what to do with it. My son is going to help with that so in time we will have something.

Jeff

The video will be something to see!

I don't get to shoot anything near these distances. There is a 1490yd shot I can take but it's an all day task. To go nearly twice that distance is mind boggling.

Looking forward to the video!

Pete

 

[Fiftydriver]

I used the NF exbal program for years. I still have it on a small PDA in fact. But since I got a smart phone a few years back I have been using "shooter" and Bryans Applied Ballistics program. All 3 of these have the option of stepping BC's , but the later two have the G7 options and some others I like. I get the program close, them go shoot actual field drops and log them. Then I adjust several perimeters in the program to match the actual recorded field drops. Then I shoot cold bore shots for final confirmation at many distances in many conditions. As you know this takes time, effort and commitment.

Jeff

ps: as of this year I have been including coriolis as well as spin drift in all my shooting solutions. It makes a difference. I may choose to not use it in a hunt at the closer distances, but it is part of my logged data and confirmed drops at all distances. One more thing. When getting azmuth, I found the compass on my smart phone to lie. I now use a manual compass with degrees.

Your drop test procedure is pretty much identical to what I do. I have never used coriolis or spin drift in my solutions for shooting inside a mile but may have to start playing with it, especially past a mile.

Thanks for your information. One day we will have to grab Shawn and go shoot together!!! I learned a lot when I hunted with Shawn about reading wind in canyon country. I am a flat land hunter so my winds are strong but usually pretty clean directionally so they are easier to read.

 

[Broz]

I would enjoy that. I really like shooting with like minded people.

Jeff

 

[BrentM]

Makes my mile goal with the 6.5-284 look ridiculous but this thread is motivational and educational. I have been playing with spin drift but not coriolus.

 

[Broz]

Makes my mile goal with the 6.5-284 look ridiculous but this thread is motivational and educational. I have been playing with spin drift but not coriolus.

When you get out there past 1200 it starts to add up fast. Turn off spin drift and run some numbers with a couple different azmuths. Do 360* and 90* I will guess with the flight time of a 6.5 to a mile it will add up.

May not be much, but if a first round hit is desired why not get as close as we can with the app.

Jeff

 

[bigngreen]

Jeff, has the velocity data from the Magneto been holding up to those ranges or have you tweaked it a little?