Fiftydriver
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Well, Headed out this morning with my brother to test out his 338 Kahn which I recently finished up for him. His load used the 300 gr SMK loaded to right at 3000 fps.
We set up at 1000 yards and zeroed his rifle and then practiced out to 1400 yards using Exbal to fine tune things. The rifle shot very well and was grouping well into the 3/4 moa range at 1400 yards for most of the groups
I then started glassing for chucks and did not find any in the general direction we were shooting at so I started looking in other directions. After a few minutes I spotted what I thought was a chuck sitting on a white rock north of our shooting position.
The range was farther then anything we had ever shot at before and to be honest we had no real idea how far it was away. We had an idea from knowing the area pretty well but still it was only a guess.
We turned the shooting bench in the direction of the distant and guess the range at 2200 yards. It was an educated guess but still a guess. My brother lined up the kahn after we dialed in the correction for the range into the 20x SS and he let one loose. The bullet landed about 15 yards low. He lined up again and used the first mil dot down for a new hold. We did not see where this shot landed.
He shot a third shot and this one landed about 15 yards to the right. A fourth and fifth shot were not seen again.
We set and let the barrel cool and decided that I would give her a whirl with my 338 Kahn. Basically the same rifle as my brothers. I experienced the same inconsistant variation on impacts as well as the occasional missed impact. Nothing really close to the chuck and after about 15 rounds went his way, the chuck jumped off the rock.
We both set there wondering why the inconsistant performance when both rifles shot so well at ranges out to 1500 yards. Then it dawned on us. I ran the numbers over exbal to 2000 yards and both rifles were dropping out of supersonic velocity ranges at around this range. At 2200 yards they would be well under super sonic. We figured this was the reason for the consistancy issues.
I happened to glance though the scope on my 338 Kahn and the chuck had reappeared on the rock. We both agreed that it was a waste of time to throw lead at them with the Kahns and I just happened to have the 338 AM packed away in the back of the truck. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
It took a bit to get her unpacked and by the time I had her set up and the numbers entered the chuck was again off the rock. Now my 338 AM still has the 3.5-15 NXS nightforce in the saddles. The sight picture is VERY clear but on 15x at what we guessed was 2200 yards, a chuck is pretty **** small to be aiming at. In fact, the rock the chuck was sitting on when we were shooting at it was about 2.5 feet sqare and white as could be. This basically was my aiming point. While I could see if the chuck was on the rock or not, it was only a small black dot on the rock.
We waited out the chuck and after about 5 minuted up he popped again on the rock. I lined up the 338 Allen Mag and sent a 300 gr SMK ripping its way at 3500 fps. The big bullet impacts just low of the chuck, it looked like about 2 feet low but pretty much on the money windage wise which there was about an 8 mph breeze to play with from out 8 o'clock position. The exbal windage prediction was on the money but the range was short.
I took a second hold and this time increased the hold over to compare to where the first shot impact was. The second shot boiled dust up directly behind the chuck. It overshot the chuck but close enough to cause the chuck to jump up from his laying position and was not standing.
I lined up on shot three and sent another 300 gr pill toward the chuck, again trying to make minute hold adjustments. Again, dust boiled up directly behind the chuck. The last two shots were so close I could barely stand myself and I was actually starting to shake with excitement at how close the big 338 was hitting at this range.
I chambered round four and lined up again on the chuck. Took a breath and let it out slowly as the big rifle rolled back into my shoulder. I recovered from the recoil with plenty of time to wait and see the impact. It appeared that something had been knocked off the rock and thrown down and to the right of the rock pile but at that range neither me or my brother could tell what it was. To be honest, I was making myself believe it was just a loose rock that had been impacted by the shot and rolled down the pile.
We set and waited for the chuck to return to its rock but it did not reappear. 5 minutes passed, then 10, then 15 and I was starting to think that either I hit the chuck or I got close enough that he was not coming back out today!!!
We decided either way we better drive up and make sure. We took the several mile drive around the huge grain field and finally came up on the rock pile where the chuck was at the shot.
I walked up to the pile and at first did not see anything as far as a sign of a hit and then my brother said, "theres Blood!!!" I instantly started shaking from excitement. I climbed over the rock pile and on the other side, what I had seen and thought was a rock was in fact a small, young chuck that had been hit between the shoulders and was thrown about 5 feet down the pile. I almost S___!!!
I just had to sit there and let it soak in. Only problem was we had no idea how far away the chuck was so we decided to drive back to my place and grab the Wild range finder. I had not thrown it in as this was supposed to be a 1000 to 1500 yard shooting session with the Kahns but it turned into alot more then that.
We ran back and got the rangefinder and drove back out to the spot we shot from and ranged with the Wild and after the conversion to yards we came up with 2375 yards so I just rounded it to 2370 yards and called her good. Just to be sure I checked the wild against the Swar at 1000 yards and they were within 10 yards of each other so I am pretty confident of the accuracy of the measurement.
Here is my ugly mug with Black sunshine and the chuck. The chuck was just up and to the right of the cotton wood tree behind me and to the right.
This is the view zoomed a bit.
This is a bit closer range. The chuck was up and to the right of the tree, close to where the dark spot is in the pic.
Again, sorry for the pic quality but you get the idea.
I am still in a bit of shock, happy though, I think Black Sunshine did pretty well /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif!!!!
Kirby Allen(50)
We set up at 1000 yards and zeroed his rifle and then practiced out to 1400 yards using Exbal to fine tune things. The rifle shot very well and was grouping well into the 3/4 moa range at 1400 yards for most of the groups
I then started glassing for chucks and did not find any in the general direction we were shooting at so I started looking in other directions. After a few minutes I spotted what I thought was a chuck sitting on a white rock north of our shooting position.
The range was farther then anything we had ever shot at before and to be honest we had no real idea how far it was away. We had an idea from knowing the area pretty well but still it was only a guess.
We turned the shooting bench in the direction of the distant and guess the range at 2200 yards. It was an educated guess but still a guess. My brother lined up the kahn after we dialed in the correction for the range into the 20x SS and he let one loose. The bullet landed about 15 yards low. He lined up again and used the first mil dot down for a new hold. We did not see where this shot landed.
He shot a third shot and this one landed about 15 yards to the right. A fourth and fifth shot were not seen again.
We set and let the barrel cool and decided that I would give her a whirl with my 338 Kahn. Basically the same rifle as my brothers. I experienced the same inconsistant variation on impacts as well as the occasional missed impact. Nothing really close to the chuck and after about 15 rounds went his way, the chuck jumped off the rock.
We both set there wondering why the inconsistant performance when both rifles shot so well at ranges out to 1500 yards. Then it dawned on us. I ran the numbers over exbal to 2000 yards and both rifles were dropping out of supersonic velocity ranges at around this range. At 2200 yards they would be well under super sonic. We figured this was the reason for the consistancy issues.
I happened to glance though the scope on my 338 Kahn and the chuck had reappeared on the rock. We both agreed that it was a waste of time to throw lead at them with the Kahns and I just happened to have the 338 AM packed away in the back of the truck. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
It took a bit to get her unpacked and by the time I had her set up and the numbers entered the chuck was again off the rock. Now my 338 AM still has the 3.5-15 NXS nightforce in the saddles. The sight picture is VERY clear but on 15x at what we guessed was 2200 yards, a chuck is pretty **** small to be aiming at. In fact, the rock the chuck was sitting on when we were shooting at it was about 2.5 feet sqare and white as could be. This basically was my aiming point. While I could see if the chuck was on the rock or not, it was only a small black dot on the rock.
We waited out the chuck and after about 5 minuted up he popped again on the rock. I lined up the 338 Allen Mag and sent a 300 gr SMK ripping its way at 3500 fps. The big bullet impacts just low of the chuck, it looked like about 2 feet low but pretty much on the money windage wise which there was about an 8 mph breeze to play with from out 8 o'clock position. The exbal windage prediction was on the money but the range was short.
I took a second hold and this time increased the hold over to compare to where the first shot impact was. The second shot boiled dust up directly behind the chuck. It overshot the chuck but close enough to cause the chuck to jump up from his laying position and was not standing.
I lined up on shot three and sent another 300 gr pill toward the chuck, again trying to make minute hold adjustments. Again, dust boiled up directly behind the chuck. The last two shots were so close I could barely stand myself and I was actually starting to shake with excitement at how close the big 338 was hitting at this range.
I chambered round four and lined up again on the chuck. Took a breath and let it out slowly as the big rifle rolled back into my shoulder. I recovered from the recoil with plenty of time to wait and see the impact. It appeared that something had been knocked off the rock and thrown down and to the right of the rock pile but at that range neither me or my brother could tell what it was. To be honest, I was making myself believe it was just a loose rock that had been impacted by the shot and rolled down the pile.
We set and waited for the chuck to return to its rock but it did not reappear. 5 minutes passed, then 10, then 15 and I was starting to think that either I hit the chuck or I got close enough that he was not coming back out today!!!
We decided either way we better drive up and make sure. We took the several mile drive around the huge grain field and finally came up on the rock pile where the chuck was at the shot.
I walked up to the pile and at first did not see anything as far as a sign of a hit and then my brother said, "theres Blood!!!" I instantly started shaking from excitement. I climbed over the rock pile and on the other side, what I had seen and thought was a rock was in fact a small, young chuck that had been hit between the shoulders and was thrown about 5 feet down the pile. I almost S___!!!
I just had to sit there and let it soak in. Only problem was we had no idea how far away the chuck was so we decided to drive back to my place and grab the Wild range finder. I had not thrown it in as this was supposed to be a 1000 to 1500 yard shooting session with the Kahns but it turned into alot more then that.
We ran back and got the rangefinder and drove back out to the spot we shot from and ranged with the Wild and after the conversion to yards we came up with 2375 yards so I just rounded it to 2370 yards and called her good. Just to be sure I checked the wild against the Swar at 1000 yards and they were within 10 yards of each other so I am pretty confident of the accuracy of the measurement.
Here is my ugly mug with Black sunshine and the chuck. The chuck was just up and to the right of the cotton wood tree behind me and to the right.
This is the view zoomed a bit.
This is a bit closer range. The chuck was up and to the right of the tree, close to where the dark spot is in the pic.
Again, sorry for the pic quality but you get the idea.
I am still in a bit of shock, happy though, I think Black Sunshine did pretty well /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif!!!!
Kirby Allen(50)
