Broke the 500 yard barrier finally

[Skinny Shooter]

I know for some of you folks that's short range but I have to start somewhere.

Back on the 19th I set-up in a fencerow overlooking a small valley with groundhogs on the other side. Distances were 450'ish out to 6oo yards.
Used a stock VLS 308 with Speer 168gr Match bullets over IMR 4350. Optic is the Leupold 4.5-14x50LR w/MilDots.
Shot 4 and missed more.
1st chuck was a 101 yard gimme just after stepping out of my Blazer.
2nd chuck was at 522 yards and took 2 shots. It was hard to see thru the 14x scope and wasn't sure if it was a confirmed. The chuck blended with the dirt. Initially recorded as a miss.
The 3rd chuck was capped at 486 yards. Also hard to tell if it was a kill. It blended in again.
Hogs number 2 and 3 were full-sized.
The 4th was shot at 389 yards, 2 shots. First shot killed it and my spotter, Bust-a-hog said hit him again so I did.

Went out near evening on 4/25 and set-up on some holes out at what I thought was 550'ish. Saw two there. One was close than the other. Lased the holes and got 567. Hmmm, didn't think it was that far. Listened to the laser anyways. The closer chuck went in for the night and saw the farther chuck was in a good position for a shot. Dialed up in MOA for 575 yards. Figured since it was a bit farther I would connect.
Used my harris bipod and also my binos and left hand for a rear rest.
Squeezed her off. The conditions must have been just right cause you could hear that bullet hiss downrange.
(Bustahog had been about 100 yards or so off to my left and heard a long crack down to the target when I shot. )
The chuck jumps in the air, spins around, flops for a moment and runs for it's hole.
Saw the bullet strike dirt just under it. My windage was dead-on. After inspecting the area, found my impact point but no blood. Figured I would laser back to where I shot. It was 602 yards. No wonder I hit a tad low. Must have stung it with some stones from the way it reacted.

I'm using the JBM Ballistics calculator and am having the program calculate my drop in MOA. So far it's been easy to use. Also have a MilDot Master which is quite the tool.
Am getting some loads started for the 22-250 which has the 6.5-20LR w/MilDots.
Looking forward to the weekend.

[ 04-30-2003: Message edited by: Skinny Shooter ]

 

[Boyd Heaton]

Congrats and keep pluging away.....You'll get to the 1000 yard mark sooner than you think.....

 

[*WyoWhisper*]

Boyds right... 1K isn't that far off.. especially on a chuck. Looks like ya figured out the hard part (windage). Great Job...!! only trouble is now you'll have restless nights and visions of 1K and further

[ 04-30-2003: Message edited by: *WyoWhisper* ]

 

[Skinny Shooter]

Hehe, is it a curse if you fall asleep at night doing MilDot conversions

 

[Randy in Va]

NOW you are in trouble. Congratulations.

 

[jcpython357]

Skinny, How do you zero your rifle with the Leupold mil-dots, and how many dots are available on your scopes? With the Burris thats on my 6mm I got it zeroed at 100yds and the hash marks below center allow me to shoot out to 700 without touching my dials. Maybe the same for Leupold, huh. Jay

 

[Skinny Shooter]

Wyo, a year ago I got to fondle an AR50 at the Harrisburg gunshow. It's been difficult living without one ever since. Those sleek lines, that sexy stock, those... aww never mind.

Even though I'm not sure where I'd shoot it, I still want one.

Ray, just so it's known officially...
It's all Boyd's fault!
Plus Darryl and Baldeagle helped too...

At last October's shoot in Williamsport, never thought a 300RUM (Boyd's rifle)could shoot that nice. I expected to get knocked around a bit after hearing how "bad" that caliber is. Thank goodness for muzzle breaks. Just missing a claybird on one of my first shots hooked me good. hehe

Jay, I was thinking along the lines of what you are doing.
Currently I'm zero'ing at 100 yards and dialing up in MOA.
In the Leupold, there are 8 oval dots on the vertical and 8 on the horizontal for 10 Mils each way.
Once I start shooting the 168 or 175gr Mkings and know how much MOA can be obtained out of the scope, I was considering a 4 or 500 yard zero. Then figure out my MOA drops and come-ups and convert them to mils on the MilDot Master. It'll be interesting and if it works, very quick to get on target with minimal turret spinning. I'll have to look at my drop chart to see how it corresponds with the way you do it.
Do you have the Master?

I sort of have this desire to shoot my 308 up in Williamsport but alot of guys are working with flatter shooting calibers. For a starter gun it would still work right? I'm not expecting to be breaking records any time soon.

Allen

[ 04-30-2003: Message edited by: Skinny Shooter ]

 

[jcpython357]

Skinny, Don't have a mil-dot master, but was thinking of getting one, don't have to many places around here to shoot past 300yds. I'm pretty new to LR stuff and alot of these new terms, so could you explain to me what is meant by "dialing up in MOA" All I know is a MOA is 1" @100yds etc. etc. Larry at Burris has a 6mm also, and he tells me he zeros his 4.5-14 Fullfield w/Bal. mil-dot at 400yds and he's good out to 1000yds. I was going to tell you, the 175s will work better at 1000yds going from what I saw on last weeks thread for a question about the 308, if thats your ultimate goal.

Jay

 

[Brent]

Allen,

you're hooked now ain't ya!

Seeing as you're using the JBM program, you might like the Exbal program better with the Mil-Dots you are using, it's pretty **** cool, and for only 25 bucks too!

I like the 155's best in the 308win for targets and the smaller stuff.

 

[sscoyote]

Brent i think Gerald's gotten a little rich on us as i believe the program is now $40, but of course still the best out there by a good margin.

Jay, Exbal is tailor-made for the Burris scopes as he has the Ballistic Plex reticle on the program for instantant calculations, and Ballistic Mil-Dot in user-specified mode. If you use this program, you'll wonder why everyone else is so far behind. www.perry-systems.com

 

[Brent]

I got the combo for the Palm too, it was 50 bucks then, seems he upped it to 60, still worth more than anything else out there by far and a bargin that isn't seen all too often at that. Compare what it would cost me for an updated version of the Horus program, Dick quoted me a 100 bucks for the ATrag2P, Perry wants $7.50!! What do you get with the Horus, one that "may" finally work correctly and a dropchart, **** poor customer service from people that don't even understand what different drag curves are!

These freakin guys think they have the best thing out there by their price, theirs really sucks if you've used Exbal once. The one thing I did get from Horus that works well though, a Palm that I could load Exbal into!

There's a couple navigational links I'd add to Exbal I'll point out to Gerald maybe he can make a patch for, but nothin major. It and the desktop version are just really nice programs.

Every member here could have a nice bullet database and ballistics program all in one, and not for an arm and a leg either, if investing in the simple desktop program, the Palm is just bitchin in the field too if you ever get one.

 

[*WyoWhisper*]

Skinny,


Tell you what if you buy a 50 cal. I'll personally take you to a bunch of PD towns. I'm a sucker for whatchin' a guy all smiles when he connects with a target at 1K or more !!!

Take the 308 to Williamsport. at 1K the 308 tends to slow way down.. but at Perry they shot it and shot it well... I too have fallen into the BIG Magnem .. flat shooting trap.. but all in all, inside of 750.. my 308 is the "goto" gun... thing just hits where ya point it...

I think I may have to try this exbal program... hmmm.. I have the Palm from Horus... so I may just do that...

 

[sscoyote]

You know Brent, i got a Palm computer for Xmas, but i haven't even messed with it. After thinking about it i figured it would be too cumbersome to play with while a coyote was out there waiting for my bullet to show up-- i'm trying to snipe these dogs at LR, do you think the palm version has merit in that scenario?

Wyo, you ever hunt antelope around Rock River? i've been taking kids there for several years to hunt does on the True ranch-- mighty big place.

[ 05-01-2003: Message edited by: sscoyote ]

 

[*WyoWhisper*]

SS,

I have the Horus program.. soon to get the exbal.. I have used the horus on yotes at LR and what I usually do is pin point various objects that I am pretty sure the yotes will pass or hang near and pre calculate the clicks... not real cumbersome that way..

Never hunted near Rock River...

if luck has it ( tag draw ) Boyd and Butch are coming this year to hunt some speed goats and muleys at LR near Casper.... should be an interesting, super fun time....