how good can you shoot? trying to come up with some goals.

[straitshooter57]

Wow! I'm impressed with all of the tight groups from such incredibly long distances. Well Done!

Here is a goal that I think is as important as accurate shooting for groups. That is knowing how to lead a running animal. To do this you need to know how fast the animal is moving when walking, trotting and running. Then you need to figure how far that animal will move in a given amount of time. Next, you need to know how long it takes your bullet to travel various distances. Finally, you have to match the distance the animal moves by the flight time the bullet takes to get there.

The best example I can think of is for us unfortunate few who have a passion for hunting predators. Wolves will only allow you to get within about 500 yards of a human. If you have a wolf (about a 9-12" kill zone) running at 40 mph at 500 yards, you will need to know how far the wolf will move during the travel time your bullet will take to get there. You can be the most accurate shooter in the world, but without this knowledge of "leading the target" you will miss every time. If you don't believe me, hook a helium balloon to the bumper of a car that is 500 yards away and is moving at 40 mph. Try hitting that balloon with a well aimed shot and see how many times you hit it.

 

[rscott5028]

Hitting a 40mph ballon at 500 yds would be excellent shooting. Perhaps that's a challenge for "Impossible Shots"? ...although, I'm not volunteering my car.

In any case, you don't need to know all that much detail. Computers calculate that for us. Distance, vector, and speed should be adequate. ...then, you still need the skill to make the shot.

...which I might try if it were a pest such as wild hogs, but not likely at a deer. Then again, that's a personal preference which everyone needs to decide for themselves.

 

[varminthunter]

I wouldn't take a shot at any animal at any distance that is moving a 40mph. It's hard enough being able to do the math in order to make that kind of a shot, let alone being able to know what other targets you are sweeping at the same time. To dangerous for me.
I allows practice the first shot kill. My luck in hunting has always been one shot or no shot!! Hardly ever got the chance for a second try.
I shoot a slightly modified 700 Target/Tactical .308 with a Millett 6x25x56 scope. Had to have the head space adjusted and the bolt squared up. I have to shoot prone with this rifle, kinda heavy -- 15 lbs. My max. distance has been out to 1000 yds, but more times than not 500-750 yds is common. I will use this rifle when either hunting for whitetails or coyotes. During the winter months coyotes are hard to call into range for my .223, so I take the big gun after them. It's lots of fun shooting coyotes at 500-750 yds and seeing what that .308 does to them. Flipped, flopped and separated quite a few with the Hornady Ballistic tip 180gr.
Don't know for sure what moa I shoot, just as long as when I shoot, the target dies.

Have A Great Shooting Day............Bang Bang

 

[sp6x6]

On discovery or hist, ch. they recreated a shot for a sniper. In recent conflict , he shot something like 10 guys in one day, cant remember specifics. But the bad guys where dashing across street out to 600 yards. Found same guy that was in service,had not shot in 3 yrs. Set up a moving target a 600, think he hit paper firstshot, shooting in winter also, 2 nd shot was a 9 or 10 ring. His former sniper instructor, said, Yes he is talented

 

[rscott5028]

That was a great episode.
You forgot to mention that the targets were shooting at him as well.
No telling how many lives he saved that day.

 

[GonzoK34]

Target shooting is a test of one's ability. With the right coaching a person can be taught to shoot extremely well. In the hunting of game it's important to know your limits and to improve your capabilities to a level where your confident in making first round hits and clean kills at the ranges your capable of.

During the past couple of years I've been donating my spare time to teaching young men and women who've enlisted in the Armed Forces to respect their firearms and keep them clean and functional. The emphasis being when your life depends on it, it should be reliable, shoot where you point it, and continue to do so whether it's one shot or 1000.

Shooting is done from 35 yards for familiarization and confidence building. Then developing a 100 yard zero. Followed with ballistic data for the 5.56x45 from 100 yards to 600 yards with repeatable come ups. Allot of time is spent on reading the wind and shooting up/down, and across canyons. The goal being personnel survival.

So far, everyone of those individuals have qualified Expert Marksman. They call or write to say thanks for teaching them. My response; I only gave them the tools to work with and pointed them in a direction that will hopefully bring them Home Alive.

I did 3 Combat Tours in Vietnam as an Infantry riflemen, fire team leader, squad leader, and a reconnaissance team member. As a "Grunt" we set our rifles for a 100 yard zero, with come ups to 500 yards. While with Recon we maintained come up data for our M14's from 50 to 800 yards. In combat your enemy generally shots first, fortunately they couldn't shoot for ****!! First round hits count when your returning fire. Thank God I grew up hunting and fishing.

Today there's so much information available and the tools to factor the variables into making 1st round shots at extreme long distance.

Practice, Practice, Practice, keep a log book and write everything down. Ask questions and keep improving your; Knowledge, Skills, and Ability".
GOOD LUCK SHOOTING

Gonzo
SEMPER FIDELIS

 

[rscott5028]

Target shooting is a test of one's ability. With the right coaching a person can be taught to shoot extremely well. In the hunting of game it's important to know your limits and to improve your capabilities to a level where your confident in making first round hits and clean kills at the ranges your capable of.

During the past couple of years I've been donating my spare time to teaching young men and women who've enlisted in the Armed Forces to respect their firearms and keep them clean and functional. The emphasis being when your life depends on it, it should be reliable, shoot where you point it, and continue to do so whether it's one shot or 1000.

Shooting is done from 35 yards for familiarization and confidence building. Then developing a 100 yard zero. Followed with ballistic data for the 5.56x45 from 100 yards to 600 yards with repeatable come ups. Allot of time is spent on reading the wind and shooting up/down, and across canyons. The goal being personnel survival.

So far, everyone of those individuals have qualified Expert Marksman. They call or write to say thanks for teaching them. My response; I only gave them the tools to work with and pointed them in a direction that will hopefully bring them Home Alive.

I did 3 Combat Tours in Vietnam as an Infantry riflemen, fire team leader, squad leader, and a reconnaissance team member. As a "Grunt" we set our rifles for a 100 yard zero, with come ups to 500 yards. While with Recon we maintained come up data for our M14's from 50 to 800 yards. In combat your enemy generally shots first, fortunately they couldn't shoot for ****!! First round hits count when your returning fire. Thank God I grew up hunting and fishing.

Today there's so much information available and the tools to factor the variables into making 1st round shots at extreme long distance.

Practice, Practice, Practice, keep a log book and write everything down. Ask questions and keep improving your; Knowledge, Skills, and Ability".
GOOD LUCK SHOOTING

Gonzo
SEMPER FIDELIS

Gonzo,

Thank you for your many contributions towards preserving the many rights and freedoms that we enjoy and all too often take for granted.

Sincerely,
Richard

 

[Broz]

Gonzo,

Thank you for your many contributions towards preserving the many rights and freedoms that we enjoy and all too often take for granted.

Sincerely,
Richard

Well stated and yes, Thank You!!

Jeff

 

[Tumbleweed]

What turns me on more is to be with in 1/2 moa of center mass on a first round cold bore hit. The orange circle is roughly 7" and I usually shoot it at 1395 yards. But I backed off and took this one at 1562 yards. The 1562 hit is 3 3/4" low of center and 6 3/4" right.

Jeff gun)gun)

I totally agree with how you feel Broz on the cold bore as close as you can get the first shot idea. I practiced last spring and summer for several months before the hunts out here on my LR cold bore shot. I built a life sized very realistic plywood bull elk to shoot at. I would usually shoot just one shot most nights after work. I would place him at distances between 700 and 1050 yards and my goal was to put that one shot in his vitals or his front shoulder regardless of the wind. This really helped my wind reading abilities also. Out of 15 or so bullets in my elk, there were only 2 that would have required an additional shot to finish him off. The rest were in the vitals or front shoulder.

 

[rscott5028]

Nice shooting Tumbleweed.

I'm keen to hear about your rifle/ammo/range finder.

One each night sounds like the final tuning/verification. But, I'm also guessing that you've spent a lot of time shooting. What did you do to get to that level?

thanks!
Richard

 

[Tumbleweed]

Nice shooting Tumbleweed.

I'm keen to hear about your rifle/ammo/range finder.

One each night sounds like the final tuning/verification. But, I'm also guessing that you've spent a lot of time shooting. What did you do to get to that level?

thanks!
Richard

Hi Richard. I use a Rem 700 300RUM with a #5 27" Lilja barrel with muzzle brake. Up until a year ago it was chambered in 300Wby. I rechambered with the same barrel and gained 130 fps using the same 210VLD's. The rifle shoots between .375 and .5 MOA with the 210VLD load at 3100fps. My 210VLD load is NC brass, Fed 215GM primers, 89.5 grns H1000 touching the rifling (COAL 3.775.) I recently worked up a 180 TSX load at 3385 fps that so far has shot under .25 MOA at 300 yards. This load is NC brass, Fed 215GM primers, 94 grns Retumbo, COAL 3.635 (.070 off rifling.) This may be my close range hunting load, inside 200 yards or so. I use a 310PE Shepherd Scope. I use a Bushnell Elite 1500 rangefinder. I pretty much shoot year around at targets, rocks, clay pigeons, milk jugs ect. out to 1600 yards. With the elk target, I wanted to work on the first shot out of the barrel being the closest I could possibly get it. This has proved to be great practice for improving my wind reading skills. To get to this level, I have shot a lot, studied a lot (much from experienced people on this forum) and put into practice and testing everything that I have studied. I have learned that I must be anal with reloading, shooting set up and techniques. I enjoy improving my abilities. If you think you know it all, you can't learn anything.

 

[straightshooter]

Just want to know also what equipment is being used. The reason for asking is, I shoot out to 1000 yards with my 223. I use I-snipe on my Apple phone, but I don't have a kestral yet. So what I do is download the local weather through the I-snipe application (It picks up the nearest weather reporting station). On some days my dial-ups are way off, making 1000 yard first round hits impossible. I need to get a kestral to get to the next level of shooting. I heard of one ex-marine sniper shooting a cow elk at 850yards, with a 308 winchester with no equipment except a milldot scope. That is way beyond my abilities, I am electronic reliant. What equipment do you need to make your first round shots?

 

[lovdasnow]

a good rangefinder. a good ballistic program, or drop chart worked up for the area you are hunting, a level, and something to check your angle. and the biggest of all, the ability to read conditions, and make the shot.

i use bullet flight, a kestrel 3500, us optic level, and a swaro rangefinder. the swaro is getting replaced by a vectronix in about 2 more weeks because you can't range long distances on flat ground with it.

1st round hits with a 223 are going to be very difficult, because of their ballistic properties. we were shooting one out to 1k yds last week with the 69gr sierra's in a very accurate rifle, and while we were hitting some rocks we were aiming at, it was tough compared to the 6.5x47 we were also shooting.

compared to a high BC bullet moving along at a decent speed the 223 will always be difficult at those ranges.

 

[DZelenka]

I can nearly always hit in a 12" circle with my first shot at 600 yards and keep most of my shots in that circle during a 20 shot string using an AR-15 service rifle (open sights) and a sling. With a more wind resistant bullet/cartridge combination (like a 6XC), I can keep most of my shots in a 6" circle at 600 yards prone with a sling.

I don't shoot with a scope or a rest much, but I am a good wind reader so I fee confident that I could do OK.