What is the size of target for drop chart?

joseph

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2009
Messages
1,238
Location
GEORGIA
Been having trouble holding on the circle with cross on it. I did get sighted in at 200 yds then moved back to 300 yds and shot a couple of nice groups. The problem is I'm not sure that my measurement of 6 1/2" drop from 200 to 300 is accurate. I am shooting my 6mm Norma BR. with 105 Berger VLDs and Varget. I tried two different weights of powder and the hotter one shot a 1 1/2" 4 shot group with 3 in 1/2". The other load shot about 2 1/4". these were the groups at 300 yards. I never shot for group size before at 300 before. I amazed myself. I need to know what size to hold on at 400 and 600 yards. I am having trouble holding on the exact spot to get my drop measurements.

I hope I am making my request clear???

Thanks,

joseph
 
joseph,

What I hear you saying is that the reticle is moving, not being steady, as you shoot, right?

Being a 6mm Norma BR I'm guessing the rifle isn't a hunka junk off the cheaper than dirt rack.:)

If the rifle is steady, as in not moving around at all, and the target is dancing the jig, most likely, mirage is the problem. If using a variable power scope some think turning the power down helps. I'm not one of those! Mirage will tell you what the wind is doing.

Stack your rear bags such that the cross hairs are centered on the target with no human interaction. Don't touch the rifle with your cheek and look through the scope. The target should be steady with movement due only to mirage.

Watch the bull dance around. If holding steady on the bull's eye, you'll not be able to shoot a group smaller than what it is dancing.

If the target is steady and the rifle is moving around, this looks nearly like the above, then there are human factor/pilot problems.

Another suggestion is to snoop around for a mentor. There's gotta be some one in your neck of the woods that shoots benchrest or something that could help you.

I spent today with a young fella who hadn't shot over 300 yards. By the time he was done he was a regular hitter at 1000 and 1180. Do some snooping.....

Just a suggestion.....
 
The problem is I'm not sure that my measurement of 6 1/2" drop from 200 to 300 is accurate.


This post is kinda confusing.

If I read you right... Shoot a group at 200 and figure where the center of that group is; use that mark as your starting point. Take it back to 300, make your adjustments then shoot another group, calculating the center as before. Figure out what your drop amounted to, then adjustment as needed from there.
 
Depending on your scope and your eyes you may have to experiment on what kind of aiming point you use. I have a hard time with shooting groups with a large sight in target and using higher powers on the scope so I just put up a piece of card board with a dot on it and turn the scope down, then I shoot way better groups. For drops I get a tall card board and put it on a wood frame, with a dot at he top I shoot it from my zero point out till I hit at the bottom of the target, I only turn the scope power up enough to be able to see the aim point good and I make no scope adjustments. I then repeat the whole thing but use the measurements I took from the drops and make the scope adjustments and shoot to see that the drop data was good.
 
What I mean is what size of a black circle to aim at 600 yds with my cheep 10 power scope? Is 10" big enough or should it be larger? I am still waiting for the Vortex PST 6-24x50 mm FFP MOA scope that I pre-ordered back in the beginning of February. I am hoping that I can get all my drop measurements so I can get a turret made for this falls Wyoming hunt. gun)

joseph

PS: I am planning to have a 10' high target of white card board with the target at the top and measure my groups that fall below from each range. 300-400-500+600 yards. I am sighted in at 200 yards now and had a 3 shot group at 300 yds. and counting the flyer the group measured 1 1/2". The drop from 200 to 300 measured 6 1/2 inches ( I think ). It was hard to tell exactly where my horizontal was because of the heat waves on the target.
 
Last edited:
A 2 minute black circle should show up through your scope. That would be 6 inches at 300, 8 inches at 400, and 12 inches at 600.

My 6BR drops 7.5 inches from 200 to 300 yards when shooting 105 Noslers.
 
Your target size should be half the yardage. For 400 yards you should shoot at a 2 inch circle. at 600 yards a 3 inch circle. You should have both a front rest/bipods and rear bags.

The gun should just be lying there. Watch her left hand and see where she has it. For the second shot watch how she moves the rear bag to get the rifle lined back up.

YouTube - ‪Microcystis's Channel‬‎


Microcystis
 
A 2 minute black circle should show up through your scope. That would be 6 inches at 300, 8 inches at 400, and 12 inches at 600.

My 6BR drops 7.5 inches from 200 to 300 yards when shooting 105 Noslers.

I am using 30.5 gr. of Varget with a 26" barrel and am having trouble knowing what the drop in inches is at 300 yds because I am not sure where I am holding the last time I shot. Your 7.5 inches is probably much more accurate than my 6.5 inches.

joseph

PS: Thanks for the sizes of the targets I need to use. I was using a 2" bull at 300 yds. I try to hold as small a point as I can, but I might be able to hold on a black bull to see each of the quarters on each side of my cross hairs better.

I am shooting with a bipod and a rear bag. I guess I need to shoot earlier in the morning to eliminate the heat waves.
 
Last edited:
I found several resources that provided me with printable targets. The "Grid Target with Sight Allignment Aid" is the one I prefer when developing a drop chart.

MYTARGETS.COM Free Targets That Print In PDF Format

I usually end up taking a magic marker and coloring in the bullseye yellow or red. I find my crosshairs fit nicely between the four squares. To each his own. Remember, you are primarily looking for drop - so your verticle hold is most important. However, I also watch my horizontal just to check my actual windage against what my softare is telling me. I put the target on a large piece of cardboard so that I can easily spot my shots when I walk up tp the target - even if they are not on the paper.
 
I switched to using the little orange stick on aim points and my groups got a lot better, getting a better contrast against the black cross hair. I use the 2.5 or 3in size clean out to 1000yrds as long as the mirage is low and the air clear which isn't usually a problem.
 
joseph,

Read this its a good one. http://www.longrangehunting.com/articles/long-range-targets.php

Be thorough though on your studies. I received a college level presentation on this method from a trusted source and learned that if I shot and at the same bull, measured the drop at each distance and made the drop chart from those values, I'd be off by the cosine of gravity.

I have no idea of the value of the cosine of gravity but who needs an error that can be eliminated?
 
I got some accurate numbers for my drop chart today. I sighted in at 200 yds. then shot at 300 with a 8" drop then shot at 400 yds with a 3 1/4" 5 shot group which dropped 21 1/2" from the 200 yd zero. :)

Now I am getting confident in me and my rifle. gun)

"Aim small miss small", :D

joseph
 
Last edited:
I am using 30.5 gr. of Varget with a 26" barrel and am having trouble knowing what the drop in inches is at 300 yds because I am not sure where I am holding the last time I shot. Your 7.5 inches is probably much more accurate than my 6.5 inches.

joseph

PS: Thanks for the sizes of the targets I need to use. I was using a 2" bull at 300 yds. I try to hold as small a point as I can, but I might be able to hold on a black bull to see each of the quarters on each side of my cross hairs better.

I am shooting with a bipod and a rear bag. I guess I need to shoot earlier in the morning to eliminate the heat waves.

I got some accurate numbers for my drop chart today. I sighted in at 200 yds. then shot at 300 with a 8" drop then shot at 400 yds with a 3 1/4" 5 shot group which dropped 21 1/2" from the 200 yd zero. :)

Now I am getting confident in me and my rifle. gun)

"Aim small miss small", :D

joseph
 
Warning! This thread is more than 15 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Recent Posts

Top