@SkyScrapin and I were going back and forth on what our go to night rifles are, and he thought it would be a good idea to share some info on the trajectory side of things, so here we are. FYI, his stuff is way cooler and probably shoots much better than mine!
A little background; I started yote hunting here in the midwest about three years ago and I've gone from using a PVS14 with a laser (don't those give you superpowers?) to head mounted thermal and a couple different clip on setups (I2 thanks to @Surgeon_Shooter and cheaper thermal for now). That's a whole different discussion, but I'm glad I started with the 14 and continue to save for some different equipment.
In an effort to maximize my effectiveness at night under time constraints (dogs don't sit there, and are generally working downwind), I've found myself comparing drop tables to see which bullet / cartridge / rifle combination gives the best performance with the least amount of compromises (with extra points if I can load higher BC projectiles in the same platform for true long range work).
My thought process is the following:
Here is a link to a Google sheet with a running list, please add yours if you'd like!
Would love to see what you guys are running!
Oh, and bonus pic of the 6 Creed in action (300y shot isn't anything ground breaking, but it was nice to be able to hold dead on)
A little background; I started yote hunting here in the midwest about three years ago and I've gone from using a PVS14 with a laser (don't those give you superpowers?) to head mounted thermal and a couple different clip on setups (I2 thanks to @Surgeon_Shooter and cheaper thermal for now). That's a whole different discussion, but I'm glad I started with the 14 and continue to save for some different equipment.
In an effort to maximize my effectiveness at night under time constraints (dogs don't sit there, and are generally working downwind), I've found myself comparing drop tables to see which bullet / cartridge / rifle combination gives the best performance with the least amount of compromises (with extra points if I can load higher BC projectiles in the same platform for true long range work).
My thought process is the following:
- Portable rifle after suppressed and equipped for night use
- I have been pleasantly surprised with what is achievable out of a shorter bolt gun with a Creed or PRC type case
- I'm a clip on user because these guns get shot during the day too
- Using the JBM calculator, I input that the radius for the MPBR is 3" (default is 5")
- For longer range calculations, I assume the rifle is sighted in 0.5 MIL high (easy to get back to 100y zero if needed, and this is generally in line with the MPBR zero)
- MPBR is important, but I also want to take into account the supersonic range of a setup to get an idea of what is reasonable for shooting steel (i.e. practice)
- I really prefer to shoot factory ammo, but will handload a couple hundred rounds at a time for a varmint gun if I can't get factory loads to shoot well
- This is why calibers that can shoot higher BC factory loads are also prioritized
- After MPBR, I want to see what drops are like at 400y, 500y, and 700y (again, assuming 0.5 MIL high at 100y)
- Wind holds are not included as those sometimes are too much information, and I try to hunt nights that aren't crazy windy (I know, tons of dogs die on cold windy nights).
- Generally, I will opt for the heavier class of bullet if I'm on the fence between two bullets as this helps with wind
Here is a link to a Google sheet with a running list, please add yours if you'd like!
Would love to see what you guys are running!
Oh, and bonus pic of the 6 Creed in action (300y shot isn't anything ground breaking, but it was nice to be able to hold dead on)
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