Help... Am I making long range shooting too hard?

[woolecox]

This:

Kestrel 5700X Elite Weather Meter With Applied Ballistics and LiNK

And a good set of range finding binoculars with inclination. This set up will help you learn to dope the wind.

Dope cards are for a back up.

 

[PNWdude67]

I am fairly new to long range shooting. I have read many posts here, books, articles, and watched tons of youtube videos. I have taken two different three day courses. I know how to sight in my rifle, make a dope card out to 1000 yards, and even put it all info into my app's. I do not plan on shooting for hunting over 500-600 yards, but I love shooting out there further.

I still feel overwhelmed and unsure of everything for my hunting trips coming up. I think I am making this too hard! I feel there are too many variables. I sight in my gun at a certain temperature and elevation... It is rare that I will be at that exact same temp and that exact same elevation combo on any hunt ever. So the dope cards will never be for that certain situation. Do you make hundreds of dope cards for tons of elevation and temp variables? The temp is very different first thing in the morning vs afternoon. Do you absolutely have to buy a kestrel for everything? Do I need to get my phone out, put in all of the data exactly before each shot when hunting?

Once sighted in and dope card made, how do you know it will be on when you move to another location? I can re-zero at that site, but will all my other data on that dope card be accurate? I don't know if this makes sense. I appreciate any input to understand this.

I think I am making this too hard!

Dude!!! Shoot some NRL Hunter matches in 2022. Make it fun and things will get simpler.

 

[nksmfamjp]

Create a note table with these headers:

Date-Range Location-Density Altitude-Temperature-Caliber-Velocity

then a table with these columns:

Data Source-Range-Wind(direction+velocity)-Elevation Hold-Windage Hold-Impact Windage-Impact Elevation-Corrected Elevation-Corrected Windage

Simply stated….Let's say I adjust 0.7Mil at 300 yds, shoot, hit 0.2mil low, then I know I should hold 0.9 mil for a center impact.

These actual are critical for building long range skills. They are also key for tuning your Kestrel or other ballistic app. You tune by adjusting zero offset, BC and velocity until your ballistic solution matches your DOPE.

 

[Sako28]

What is zero offset? Thanks.

 

[BrentM]

What is zero offset? Thanks.

In a your app there is a feature for zero offset and zero height. Windage and elevation. Basically the impact point of the bullet vs your aim point at your zero distance. If you zero at 100 and are .5" high you input .5 in the offset section for zero height. If you are left or right you input that data for the offset section. The app will adjust the solution.
If your scope is aligned with the bore axis then usually zero offset is 0. If you cant the rifle or have an offset mount you will have a value in the offset section. I've never used this feature for offset scopes, don't use them, and i bubble up for a plumb line rifle and scope. Where it is used or has been used for me is offset impact for zeroing out spin drift effect. I only zero .25 moa left so I don't even mess with at it anymore.

 

[dfanonymous]

I wouldn't mess with the zero offset unless your zero is offset. Zero offset option was intended for things like a suppressor being being used and removed. You just need to know the poi difference at zero distance. Then that becomes the new zero. You take the suppressor off, you set zero offset back to zero, and you're back in business

 

[Hunt_4life]

I wouldn't mess with the zero offset unless your zero is offset. Zero offset option was intended for things like a suppressor being being used and removed. You just need to know the poi difference at zero distance. Then that becomes the new zero. You take the suppressor off, you set zero offset back to zero, and you're back in business

Exactly I also use it when I sight in .2 mils high at 100 yards.

 

[BrentM]

2 different issues and definitions. If using a ballistics app, you need to know which is which and they are not interchangeable terms.

 

[HeadedWest]

I am fairly new to long range shooting. I have read many posts here, books, articles, and watched tons of youtube videos. I have taken two different three day courses. I know how to sight in my rifle, make a dope card out to 1000 yards, and even put it all info into my app's. I do not plan on shooting for hunting over 500-600 yards, but I love shooting out there further.

I still feel overwhelmed and unsure of everything for my hunting trips coming up. I think I am making this too hard! I feel there are too many variables. I sight in my gun at a certain temperature and elevation... It is rare that I will be at that exact same temp and that exact same elevation combo on any hunt ever. So the dope cards will never be for that certain situation. Do you make hundreds of dope cards for tons of elevation and temp variables? The temp is very different first thing in the morning vs afternoon. Do you absolutely have to buy a kestrel for everything? Do I need to get my phone out, put in all of the data exactly before each shot when hunting?

Once sighted in and dope card made, how do you know it will be on when you move to another location? I can re-zero at that site, but will all my other data on that dope card be accurate? I don't know if this makes sense. I appreciate any input to understand this.

I think I am making this too hard!

Mans got to know his limitations.