Range Report Calling all ballistics experts please!

KYpatriot

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Mar 31, 2009
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Thanks in advance for your help gentlemen.

While gathering field data I discovered I have a bad chrony, or am using jbm or my kestrel wrong because the data for an 815 yard shot is 3 moa off.

The rifle: Rem 5r, 308win, Leupy mk4 that i have tested to track true in moa with a 100 yard zero.

The load: 175smk, FGMM brass, 45.0 Varget, CCI BR2. Chrony says 10 shot string averages 2615 with decent ES and SD.

Kestrel data:
Baro was 29.18. Reference altitude was zero so I believe this is a direct pressure measurement. (ie uncorrected)
Temp 93F
Humidity 40%
Wind less than 3mph, mostly headwind.
I KNOW my true field elevation is 900 ft.
Kestrel was saying the density altitude was about 3000ish.

With the above values the JBM data for the 815 yard shot with the Litz 175SMK selected, and the corrected pressure/std atmosphere boxes NOT checked, is 26.3 MOA. The problem is a box of ammo proved that I really needed only 23.25 MOA to repeatedly score good hits on the plate.

So the JBM calculation is off by a little over 3 MOA. So the question is why.
1. Is the chrony wrong? I was expecting about 2700 from this load.
2. Is the Kestrel data wrong? Kind of doubt this but you never know...
3. Is JBM inherently off that much? Seems quite a bit off and I think others are getting much closer so there must be some bad input somewhere. The plate is 11 inches so 3 moa off at 815yards means a miss everytime.

By the way, I can get the data to within about 1 moa of reality by increasing the velocity 100 fps to 2715 and using the supposedly less accurate most optimistic plain 175smk (non-Litz) model from the jbm bullet library. So that makes me lean towards a consistently slow chrony measurement, but that seems fishy since it is very consistently measuring slow everytime. Also, i trust that the Litz models for the 175smk are probably better.

All I know for sure is that unless someone changed gravity without telling me, that for some reason the jbm data is calling for way to much elevation. I want to find out why and fix it so I can build some laminated density altitude cards. Thanks again to anyone who can point out where I am going wrong!
 
Re: Calling all ballistics experts please!

Its pretty easy for a Chrony to be wrong

I have had the exact same loads shoot 100 fps slower on the same day just by moving the chrony slightly.

I would put your muzzle velocity under scrutiny first.
 
Re: Calling all ballistics experts please!

Ok I will get a comparison from another chrony soon as i can. Maybe the true velocity is up at 2700 ish, couldnt be much higher though.

For those that shoot 175smks around 2700, what moa are you using at 815yards? Guess that may be tough to answer based on temp,elevation etc.
 
Re: Calling all ballistics experts please!

I did a quick check on your numbers by running a data validation on the 23.25 MOA at 815 yards. I used the data you listed and came up with at least 2700 fps and possibly as high as 2720 fps. I don't have my data in front of me now, but I've loaded and shot that same gun/load combo and will be real suprised if it is shooting the low 2600's. If I remember correctly, I shot and chronographed some 168's with 46 grains of Varget, and they were over 2700fps and maybe 2750fps. I'll check my data and let you know.
 
Re: Calling all ballistics experts please!

I'm pushing my 175s at 2800, (out of an '06), I don't have the numbers for 815 but at 810 its 21.32 & 820 its 21.76. That of course is with a 100 yard zero and Bryan's Program.

I'm at 4500 ft.

I'm not sure its your crony. Sounds about right to me. Just because a reloading manual say you should ge X with Y powder and Z bullets, doesn't mean that's what you are gonna get out of your rifle.
 
Re: Calling all ballistics experts please!

I would suspect the velocity is low. I put out 175's a good bit quicker than that.

As was previously stated, the drop from my website is about -23.7 MOA at 815 yards. I assumed a sight height of 2.0" and a velocity of 2715 f/s.

One question, was the zero done at these conditions too? If not, that will add some error.

Brad
 
Re: Calling all ballistics experts please!

Thank you sir - that seemed the most likely source of error. 2700ish seems very reasonable for this load I think. Guess I need a better chronograph. thanks again for everyone's help.

By the way, love the JBM website - I use it ALOT. Thanks again.
 
Re: Calling all ballistics experts please!

every .308 i have shot the same exact load you listed has been right around 2700fps. 45.0gr of varget normally always yields these results in a .308 with a barrel longer than 20". ymmv
 
Re: Calling all ballistics experts please!

+2 for suspecting bad MV. I shoot the exact same load (45.0 Varget w/175s) in my 20" SPS and I get about 2615. I assume your 5R is a stock 24" barrel, so you should be getting about 100fps more than I do.