Better Groups at Distance

[Joefrazell]

I believe it's because our fundamentals are easier to focus on when we aren't son distracted by a close up target. When it's out there it's easier to focus on the reticle and not.the target. But yes I've had similar results before. Sometimes I chase my tail at 100

 

[DoneNOut]

I believe it's because our fundamentals are easier to focus on when we aren't son distracted by a close up target. When it's out there it's easier to focus on the reticle and not.the target. But yes I've had similar results before. Sometimes I chase my tail at 100

Haha! That's the best way to put it!

 

[milo-2]

Bullets really cannot leave the intended flight path and magically come back into it. I point my finger at the shooter, and skill or ability really may not even play, it is the whole package.
I cannot shoot groups at 100, but can at distance, so I do not even try. I have shot some fantastic groups at 100, but they are usually a biproduct of zeroing a scope, shoot 2, if it looks like diameter of a pencil, fire the 3rd. I don't wreck group size by adding shots to it, lol

 

[sturner]

Tag

 

[DJ Fergus]

Is it just me? Take a round I'm dancing around with group sizes at MOA and slightly over at 100yds then print sub minute at 500-600yds with same round. I set parallax correctly each yard mark too. Wonder why?

I've saw it happen. I know the explanations. As long as you get good groups at distance, you are good. You can kill just about anything at 100 yards with an 1-1/2" group. It's funny how many folks I've heard brag about 1/2" & less groups @ 100 yards but they never shot any farther that that. Maybe they thought they needed that much accuracy to kill a rat @ 100yds with their high powered rifle. lol.

 

[sturner]

I only shoot 5 shot groups at any distance and I have really messed up some very small 3 shot groups but that's just me
I have most likely bypassed a great load because I'm just that hardheaded

 

[DJ Fergus]

Could be many different things that cause this. What are you resting off of and is there much angle & elevation difference between 100yd & 500 yd targets. When shooting off of a bipod, if the surface the feet rests on are concrete, Wood or such then how the feet bites at different angles can make a difference if you are preloading your bipod. The better the feet bites the more consistent you can be.

 

[mwkelso]

Could be many different things that cause this. What are you resting off of and is there much angle & elevation difference between 100yd & 500 yd targets. When shooting off of a bipod, if the surface the feet rests on are concrete, Wood or such then how the feet bites at different angles can make a difference if you are preloading your bipod. The better the feet bites the more consistent you can be.

Good points here. Another that I hadn't put any thought towards is uneven ground under a bipod... if you're shooting with a scope level attached, it's easily overcome. But if you're not and the center of the crosshairs are not your true zero, I.E. shooting at 100yds when zeroed at 200yds, then after every shot the poi is likely to change.

 

[milo-2]

I only shoot 5 shot groups at any distance and I have really messed up some very small 3 shot groups but that's just me
I have most likely bypassed a great load because I'm just that hardheaded

2 ways of looking at groups, you cannot make a 3 shot any smaller. I sometimes have to answer for 3 shot groups, and it is always this, " I paid my dies for those 3 shots, I know my load holds vertical well past 600 yards, what more do I need to do". I verify my loads from 500 - 1450 yards, if something is amiss, by 1K it will surface.
Only you know what you put into developing that load.

 

[Tangent]

Guys, this is not a gear problem or some mystical phenomenon. It cannot physically happen. The shooter is at fault. Period.

Put up paper without a backer at 100 yards in the bullets flight and shoot your 500 - 600 yard target. You WILL NOT have a large group (in terms of sub-tended angle) at 100 and a comparatively small group (in terms of sub-tended angle) further out.

 

[DocDoc]

There are variations in velocity for each shot and barrel vibrations. At distance you can have a situation where the barrel is on the upswing for slow bullets and on the downswing for faster, thus positive compensation. At closer distance you don't detect the difference, but further away there can be a compensation from vibration and velocity that makes the group appear smaller than it should be based on the closer group. That is probably the case for the British .303.

 

[sturner]

2 ways of looking at groups, you cannot make a 3 shot any smaller. I sometimes have to answer for 3 shot groups, and it is always this, " I paid my dies for those 3 shots, I know my load holds vertical well past 600 yards, what more do I need to do". I verify my loads from 500 - 1450 yards, if something is amiss, by 1K it will surface.
Only you know what you put into developing that load.

I agree with you !
I get fixed on four and five for some reason

 

[catamountsierra]

From my experience it is the shooter more than anything else. I see it as two things. First, 100 yards should be easy, right? Farther is harder? Unless I put my mind to it, it is really easy to become complacent with a closer target. Second, aim small, miss small. I can shoot sub-MOA a whole lot easier at 100 shooting a half inch dot than a one inch dot, maybe because it makes me focus more.

 

[PApa Black]

Is it just me? Take a round I'm dancing around with group sizes at MOA and slightly over at 100yds then print sub minute at 500-600yds with same round. I set parallax correctly each yard mark too. Wonder why?

Are you shooting VLDs?