Questions about my drop chart

[DIDIHITIT?]

Maybe I missed it somewhere in this thread but are you factoring your elevation above sea level?

I have never found a computer calculation will perfectly calculate bullet drop at extended ranges. All it takes is for one thing to be slight off. Maybe your zero is off by 0.2" at 200 yards. Your scope dial really moves the reticle 0.27 MOA instead of 0.25 MOA per click. Your chronograph velocity being slightly off. Many shooters have proof that the manufactures stated ballistic coefficient isn't likely to be perfect for the conditions they are shooting in. As stated by others "garbage in results in garbage out".


You will find that it isn't easy to make 600+ yard shots in hunting conditions even if you have a scope and gun capable of 600+ yard shots and practicing shooting a couple hundred rounds. At longer distances, so many things can go wrong. I have found judging wind drift my biggest limiting factor on taking long shots. There are many guys who claim they are good enough to shoot a deer at 1000 yards but the truth is very few hunters with long range guns are good enough to consistently kill a deer in one shot at even 800 yards.

I entered my elevation correctly. I am definitely seeing the 600+ in action. Hahaha. I plan on this being a 600 and in rifle. I dont even have a range finder (vortex ranger 1000, plan on upgrading soon) that is reliable enough to plan on long range hunting, just targets. I probably would only shoot at coyotes or wolves at 600 anyway. I have put in a lot of trigger time to be as mediocre of a shot as I am. Definitely dont feel comfortable shooting a deer or elk past 500. I dont miss deer or elk very often but I dont shoot past 300 very much. I just wanna have fun and understand ballistics better. There wont be any animals counting on me knowing my stuff. Just targets and rock. I'll m gonna triple check my zero. I'm also pretty eager to try the tall target tracking test. Thanks for all the help. You guys are all giving me quite the education. Joing this site has been great!

 

[BrianID]

I've spent a lot of time and money into improving my abilities as a shooter and I'm not good enough to consistently kill a deer at 1000 yards with one shot. I could likely hit it in one shot but that isn't good enough to be taking a long shot in my opinion. Practicing at extended ranges will teach you a lot. The good news is that the more you practice, the better you will get. It is nice to have the confidence of taking a 500 yard shot at a deer and knowing that you are very unlikely to miss or make a bad shot.
Shooting at coyotes at extended ranges will humble anyone really quick.

 

[DIDIHITIT?]

I've spent a lot of time and money into improving my abilities as a shooter and I'm not good enough to consistently kill a deer at 1000 yards with one shot. I could likely hit it in one shot but that isn't good enough to be taking a long shot in my opinion. Practicing at extended ranges will teach you a lot. The good news is that the more you practice, the better you will get. It is nice to have the confidence of taking a 500 yard shot at a deer and knowing that you are very unlikely to miss or make a bad shot.
Shooting at coyotes at extended ranges will humble anyone really quick.

Shooting at coyotes at ang distance is humbling. They can dodge bullets

 

[DIDIHITIT?]

Shooting at coyotes at ang distance is humbling. They can dodge bullets

You cant just let em stand there though. At least gotta get em moving

 

[bigngreen]

I personally don't like the tall target test because it really only tells you gross error, you can't get a true tracking from shooting your really need a scope tracking test platform, I've ran a lot of optics on a tester and really there is a small error in most but when you tune your velocity at 1000 you'll take that out since velocity and scope tracking have the same effect.

BC is the last thing to tune and you shouldn't need to till well past 1000 yards when using a quality G7 number which your are, the only need to tune will be way out there OR your twist rate is sucking some BC.

The only numbers you should be tuning by 1000 yards is velocity, even with excellent chronographs at 1000 I might have to tune, you want to get it down to just tuning the velocity so your only dealing with that variable.

 

[DIDIHITIT?]

I personally don't like the tall target test because it really only tells you gross error, you can't get a true tracking from shooting your really need a scope tracking test platform, I've ran a lot of optics on a tester and really there is a small error in most but when you tune your velocity at 1000 you'll take that out since velocity and scope tracking have the same effect.

BC is the last thing to tune and you shouldn't need to till well past 1000 yards when using a quality G7 number which your are, the only need to tune will be way out there OR your twist rate is sucking some BC.

The only numbers you should be tuning by 1000 yards is velocity, even with excellent chronographs at 1000 I might have to tune, you want to get it down to just tuning the velocity so your only dealing with that variable.

Still haven't figured out the shooter app. I just entered something wrong. I might PM you sometime if I get stuck.

 

[bigngreen]

Still haven't figured out the shooter app. I just entered something wrong. I might PM you sometime if I get stuck.

That's fine, I guessed at your numbers and got a trajectory within a tenth of an MOA of your numbers but that was guessing based of what I know is close for that rifle and optic and dialing in an elk rifle I figured you might be close to my elevation.
Shooter was one of the earlier apps and is still a good one, it has one of the better velocity tuning tools that I also used to use a lot when I had a Shooting Chrony!

 

[338 dude]

I entered my elevation correctly. I am definitely seeing the 600+ in action. Hahaha. I plan on this being a 600 and in rifle. I dont even have a range finder (vortex ranger 1000, plan on upgrading soon) that is reliable enough to plan on long range hunting, just targets. I probably would only shoot at coyotes or wolves at 600 anyway. I have put in a lot of trigger time to be as mediocre of a shot as I am. Definitely dont feel comfortable shooting a deer or elk past 500. I dont miss deer or elk very often but I dont shoot past 300 very much. I just wanna have fun and understand ballistics better. There wont be any animals counting on me knowing my stuff. Just targets and rock. I'll m gonna triple check my zero. I'm also pretty eager to try the tall target tracking test. Thanks for all the help. You guys are all giving me quite the education. Joing this site has been great!

As far as elevation you'll be better off to know the station pressure at your particular range at that moment in the settings of Shooter check station pressure not elevation that is based off a calculation from sea level station pressure would be more accurate also in the settings of Shooter there is a scope correction factor you could slightly adjust that to correct errors in tracking on your scope

 

[Chase723]

Were you shooting in any wind? Was there any updraft or aerodynamic jump? Was your density altitude accounted for before firing? After answering that, the first thing I would do is measure your offset of your zero from your point of aim. Any error from the center of your zero to the center of your point of aim for your zero gets carried all the way out. Next, measure your sight height. Center of your bolt to the center of your ocular. If it's within an 1/8" your ok. If it's like 1/4" then you'll start to see some differences. After that, if you're using a regular chronograph then true your velocity at 500 or further. If your using a Magnetospeed or Labradar then use that velocity. The go shoot at distance again...hopefully in no/minimal wind if possible. Whatever deviation your seeing at distance (say consistently 0.5 MOA high and left or whatever) then add that to your zero offset. That should rectify it. You can't really true your BC until you shoot into the transonic zone.

 

[Jerry M]

I don't see the problem. If your combination of rifle, scope, and ammunition takes x MOA/Mils to get a center hit at a certain and the balistic program says y, who cares. Just make sure your data is repeatable. If the scope isn't tracking, as long as it's consistent and repeatable. Just use your actual data.

Good Luck

Jerry

 

[dfrahm]

Temperature could be a factor....do you reload, and is your powder 'temperature stable'?