Range Report Cold bore 500 yards daily
- Thread starter magtech
- Start date
I wish my target was in the open like that one. My shooting spot is on a hill in a field. I then shoot over250-300 yards of a pond then the final couple hundred yards is a 10ft wide cut into some thick woods. This time of year it's difficult to see the target since the leaves block out the light..
It's a challenging shot, and I think that's why I do it. If it was easy I'd get bored way too fast.
The wind from my shooting position is always at the max wind for the area. As I cross over the pond the wind changes due to the terrain/pond. Then the wooded part sees minimal wind from the terrain.
Maybe someday I'll figure it out and extend it to 750 yards... Only time will tell.
It's a challenging shot, and I think that's why I do it. If it was easy I'd get bored way too fast.
The wind from my shooting position is always at the max wind for the area. As I cross over the pond the wind changes due to the terrain/pond. Then the wooded part sees minimal wind from the terrain.
Maybe someday I'll figure it out and extend it to 750 yards... Only time will tell.
I figured i'll try domdoc's approach and try to shoot 10 days consecutively. I painted the target yesterday so i'm thinking about restarting today, for pics... Otherwise, i'm on day 3. Today was 40 degrees colder than 2 days ago with winds around 5-7 mph from the NNW. I brought a rear bag today, what a luxury that is, instead of using my fist. Aimed a couple inches left and hit a couple inches left of center.
From my shooting position I could feel the wind, but it wasn't showing up much in the foliage. There wasnt much foliage movement on the far side of the pond. Being that it was still early I could barely see the target in the woods, but its white and nothing else is so thats a dead giveaway. Had to move because a branch was growing in the way midway (time to cut more trees).
I feel my confidence growing and i'm hoping I can carry this forward. I'm hoping my gun woes are behind me and I can carry this success forward.
Next to do:
Get weatherflow thing... why not
Look at getting a side-ported brake to watch trace
Paint 1 MOA circle on target.... Probably do that after my 10 days are up
From my shooting position I could feel the wind, but it wasn't showing up much in the foliage. There wasnt much foliage movement on the far side of the pond. Being that it was still early I could barely see the target in the woods, but its white and nothing else is so thats a dead giveaway. Had to move because a branch was growing in the way midway (time to cut more trees).
I feel my confidence growing and i'm hoping I can carry this forward. I'm hoping my gun woes are behind me and I can carry this success forward.
Next to do:
Get weatherflow thing... why not
Look at getting a side-ported brake to watch trace
Paint 1 MOA circle on target.... Probably do that after my 10 days are up
We swapped the corn for hay this year. I'm thinking of taking this opportunity to set up a tower blind for deer with a deck on top of it all. This would extend my shooting range to 750 yards.. And give me another deer blind... Win, Win if you ask me.
Either I don’t understand or I’m gloating?
I shot every day for a week at 588m, cold bore and hit. With a 2-4mph wind varienxe comeinf in from a consistent 20 degrees. It seemed easy.
What am I missing? known distance with a relatively easy wind call should be easy cold bore or not.
I shot every day for a week at 588m, cold bore and hit. With a 2-4mph wind varienxe comeinf in from a consistent 20 degrees. It seemed easy.
What am I missing? known distance with a relatively easy wind call should be easy cold bore or not.
Ease is dependant on practice, confidence, and setup. For me, this is more of a journal of my progression. If you read my posts you can see I'm going through growing pains with my rifle, hopefully those are over.
Sometimes I forget a bag. Sometimes there's snow... Sometimes the wind is picking up, shoot anyway. My target is a couple hundred yards into a a densely wooded canopy. There's plenty of challenges here other than shooting in a field. Due to terrain, the winds are anything but consistent throughout the fight path.
A. I'm working with the land I have
B. I'd get bored if it was plain Jane
Once I grow my skill through practice and confidence I'll extend to 750. Then maybe more.
I agree with using this exercise to build confidence. My plan is to get consistent from bench or prone and then try to mimic hunting scenarios. Maybe walk a long distance with my hunting pack loaded then attempt a shot supported off the pack or tripod. Also may run sprints to get the heart rate up then get behind the gun and try for a first round hit.
Went out today. Winds were 7 gusting to 15 ish. Wasn't a big deal I just picked a lull in the wind to shoot. Felt a ton more confident today. Based on the target reaction I feel like it was a good center hit today. That's always nice to see.
Took a few pictures to show what I'm working with. Pretty much shooting into darkness . Tried to circle the target for reference.
Took a few pictures to show what I'm working with. Pretty much shooting into darkness . Tried to circle the target for reference.
The idea is to do this over and over in varying conditions over a period of time, not one single shot.
Went out again this morning. Weather said 9mph. But the winds were variable. I took some time to study the foilage at all distances today and i'm thinking the second half of my range sees little to no wind. I think i'll split my wind calls in half for the most part. I still got a 1 round hit, but im going to guess that the target will have a nice horizontal line of shots across it,lol.
I'm feeling more confident when i approach my gun and in the follow though. This is very welcome. Recoil is bothering me as much and shooting is feeling less like a chore.
I think if i had a side ported brake i could probably catch some trace. As it sits I see a white flash directly after shooting (radial brake).
I think this is day 4? i'll check and after day 10 i'll post a pic of the target.... I painted it after day 1-2 though... so we'll see.
I'm feeling more confident when i approach my gun and in the follow though. This is very welcome. Recoil is bothering me as much and shooting is feeling less like a chore.
I think if i had a side ported brake i could probably catch some trace. As it sits I see a white flash directly after shooting (radial brake).
I think this is day 4? i'll check and after day 10 i'll post a pic of the target.... I painted it after day 1-2 though... so we'll see.
Day 5?
After a long weekend of birthday parties and having to see people I drank a huge cup of coffee this morning. Winds were light and inconsequential. Felt like i couldnt get solid behind the gun and I just couldnt focus well. Maybe the hangover, maybe the coffee.... Maybe both.
Shot at center and hit 2 inches high, still hit the taget... Now the impacts are not in a Horizontal line... Id like to blame the coffee, but that was just part of the whole. Some things to think about when i get prone: How well can i focus, or cant I? Is reading the wind at all distances (even when the wind is insignificant) annoying me?
Just more to add to the toolkit for the future.
After a long weekend of birthday parties and having to see people I drank a huge cup of coffee this morning. Winds were light and inconsequential. Felt like i couldnt get solid behind the gun and I just couldnt focus well. Maybe the hangover, maybe the coffee.... Maybe both.
Shot at center and hit 2 inches high, still hit the taget... Now the impacts are not in a Horizontal line... Id like to blame the coffee, but that was just part of the whole. Some things to think about when i get prone: How well can i focus, or cant I? Is reading the wind at all distances (even when the wind is insignificant) annoying me?
Just more to add to the toolkit for the future.
My cousin has a 600 yard 24"x30" plate set up with a 1.5" black center square cut from Gorilla tape. He uses it for practicing a single cold bore shot with different rifles a few times a week. The plate was pretty beat up but the square was untouched. I had my Seekins SP10 6.5 with me a few weeks ago and he asked me to give it a try. I sat down at his bench, dialed up and let'er rip. It knocked the piece of tape off the plate. We went down to check it out and found the piece of tape was perfectly center punched. He didn't have another piece of tape with him to replace it but wanted to go get some to see me repeat it. I just said "nah, I'd better get going, got some stuff to do". I didn't mention that I'd been shooting 600 yds at a local range just 2 days earlier with that rifle. He now thinks I'm awesome. I gotta stay away from there for a while. LOL BTW the Seekins cold bore is right in with the rest of them - awesome rifle.
I'll be putting a one MOA circle in the middle of my target after my 10 day. I m thinking if adding something to the center of the target as well. Maybe that will add some precision.
Slept in the tent with the kids last night... Guess I better go out n shoot
Day 6, maybe?
Went out to shoot and left the shooting mat outside by the tent, its just a beach mat thing. Went to shoot and realized that the mat actually helps keep the tripod feet in place. Maybe i'll look into buying/making replacement harris feet. The rubber ones just dont work that well in the dirt.
Winds were small. App called for 5.5 in drift and i just aimed at center. Between my shooting inaccuracies and the wind i hit right about 6 inches. I have quite the group forming on the right side of the target.... Maybe my windage zero is off some. When i remounted the base and scope( couple weeks ago) I Shot enough times to get a dead center shot at 100 and didnt check it further...That might be something I have to do after the 10 day, i'll probably recheck torques after 10 day too.
Wife said she ordered me a gamechanger bag for my birthday a few days ago. That will be nice to get as my current rear bag loses about 20 pellets through the holes in the top every time i shoot. Tomorrow is another day.
Went out to shoot and left the shooting mat outside by the tent, its just a beach mat thing. Went to shoot and realized that the mat actually helps keep the tripod feet in place. Maybe i'll look into buying/making replacement harris feet. The rubber ones just dont work that well in the dirt.
Winds were small. App called for 5.5 in drift and i just aimed at center. Between my shooting inaccuracies and the wind i hit right about 6 inches. I have quite the group forming on the right side of the target.... Maybe my windage zero is off some. When i remounted the base and scope( couple weeks ago) I Shot enough times to get a dead center shot at 100 and didnt check it further...That might be something I have to do after the 10 day, i'll probably recheck torques after 10 day too.
Wife said she ordered me a gamechanger bag for my birthday a few days ago. That will be nice to get as my current rear bag loses about 20 pellets through the holes in the top every time i shoot. Tomorrow is another day.
Day 7,
Slept in the tent. Got crap for sleep. Coffee wasnt working much today. It happens i guess. Kicked up a doe and fawn on my way to the shooting spot. So theres that.
Winds were trivial at 0-5, if anything i should have had a slight, if any, left impact. Hit in the same spot on the right, as usual. Should be nice to see the target in a couple days.
I took the beach mat and used that today, it worked decent. The ends are fraying out from the muzzle brake. The main problem was the radial brake blew wet dirt all over me, from off the mat. I reaalllllly should just buy a side ported brake already... But... yeah.
We'll see what tomorrow brings.
Slept in the tent. Got crap for sleep. Coffee wasnt working much today. It happens i guess. Kicked up a doe and fawn on my way to the shooting spot. So theres that.
Winds were trivial at 0-5, if anything i should have had a slight, if any, left impact. Hit in the same spot on the right, as usual. Should be nice to see the target in a couple days.
I took the beach mat and used that today, it worked decent. The ends are fraying out from the muzzle brake. The main problem was the radial brake blew wet dirt all over me, from off the mat. I reaalllllly should just buy a side ported brake already... But... yeah.
We'll see what tomorrow brings.
Day 8,
Went out to shoot. Forgot the mat, again, but thats optional anyways. I started counting the time my gun and ammo are out of the cool house and its less than 5 minutes between the time it hits the outside and the time I shoot. Im sure this helps me maintain groups for a cold-bore. I would ALMOST say its cheating. Maybe i'll do another group test another time, with the gun/ammo sitting in the sun for an hour.... maybe.
Wind was 0-5. Aimed at the center and hit right. I can see 3 black marks on the target. One looks like the hangover shot and the 2 other groups are on the right side .25 mil right. For a second I thought about adjusting the scope to bring them back to center, but i'll wait for when its over to do that. I know it could be reticle cant... but i'll put level marks on the target when i repaint it... along with a 1 moa box... along with a center dot.. I'm thinking orange would be good colors for these, we'll see.
Went out to shoot. Forgot the mat, again, but thats optional anyways. I started counting the time my gun and ammo are out of the cool house and its less than 5 minutes between the time it hits the outside and the time I shoot. Im sure this helps me maintain groups for a cold-bore. I would ALMOST say its cheating. Maybe i'll do another group test another time, with the gun/ammo sitting in the sun for an hour.... maybe.
Wind was 0-5. Aimed at the center and hit right. I can see 3 black marks on the target. One looks like the hangover shot and the 2 other groups are on the right side .25 mil right. For a second I thought about adjusting the scope to bring them back to center, but i'll wait for when its over to do that. I know it could be reticle cant... but i'll put level marks on the target when i repaint it... along with a 1 moa box... along with a center dot.. I'm thinking orange would be good colors for these, we'll see.
Five minutes is nothing, even in direct sunlight. Pit the ammo in your magazine before you leave the house, stick it in the gun and forget about it.
Day 9,
Minimal winds, didnt bring the shooting mat. Plenty of coffee to get me going for the day. I did not feel like I could get a steady rest behind the rifle. It did not feel comfortable, but forced. Maybe its the coffee, maybe its the bipod feet moving... Maybe its the half flat rear bag. Who knows. Took a minute to think about it then hit the target.
Good news is I still see 3 marks on the target.
Bad news is my wife didnt order me a new bag for my bday. I asked her when it was supposed to show up and the him-hawing gave that away. Instead of getting angry I just ordered 20lbs of plastic resin pellets ($2/lb shipped). I figure i'll turn lemons into lemonade and make my own version of a rear bag. It will give me a chance to try different materials without spending $100/ bag.
Oh, and I can remake all my cornhole bags.... Corn in cornhole bags doesnt last long and the consistency changes over time.. win... win
So here's a question... After tomorrow, when I recheck all torques, should I pull the scope and check my base torques? After my issues this spring with the base coming loose I did bed/lockright the base... So, tough call.
Minimal winds, didnt bring the shooting mat. Plenty of coffee to get me going for the day. I did not feel like I could get a steady rest behind the rifle. It did not feel comfortable, but forced. Maybe its the coffee, maybe its the bipod feet moving... Maybe its the half flat rear bag. Who knows. Took a minute to think about it then hit the target.
Good news is I still see 3 marks on the target.
Bad news is my wife didnt order me a new bag for my bday. I asked her when it was supposed to show up and the him-hawing gave that away. Instead of getting angry I just ordered 20lbs of plastic resin pellets ($2/lb shipped). I figure i'll turn lemons into lemonade and make my own version of a rear bag. It will give me a chance to try different materials without spending $100/ bag.
Oh, and I can remake all my cornhole bags.... Corn in cornhole bags doesnt last long and the consistency changes over time.. win... win
So here's a question... After tomorrow, when I recheck all torques, should I pull the scope and check my base torques? After my issues this spring with the base coming loose I did bed/lockright the base... So, tough call.
If its bedded right and you have decent gear then the amount it moves off of zero will be negligible. Easy to rezero.
One day I was shooting and noticed that my arcm10 rings were loose. I hadnt been missing even with the scope sliding. Youll be fine taking them down and checking torque. Its a good idea.
One day I was shooting and noticed that my arcm10 rings were loose. I hadnt been missing even with the scope sliding. Youll be fine taking them down and checking torque. Its a good idea.
Day 10,
Winds were 3-7 ish From south to east. Went out in shorts n sandals with no mat. The rocky clay ground isnt too friendly for a prone position like this. Couldn't get a solid setup with the tripod's rubber feet on hard dry clay. Shot 2-3 inches high n a tad right (3rd highest hit on the target). Total group height was 7.5". Width was 3-4 ish. I'm curious if all my high hits correlate with days I didn't use a mat.
When I went to take pictures I didn't account for mosquitos so my repaint job sucked. I tried to use the kids purple sparkle spray paint, but it didn't work out great. Gotta use what you have 
.
The orange circle-ish thing is 5" to the outside. Maybe I'll bring a level and paint hoz/very lines next time.
I liked this 10 day thing. It helped me understand the intricacies of my gear better. I may do it again but just leave the gun out for an hour then shoot. We'll see.
Some things I would like to upgrade:
1. Get an actual shooting mat or tripod feet that grip.
2. New rear bag.. pellets are all over the ground now.
3. Side porting brake.. eating dirt every shot isn't fun.
Winds were 3-7 ish From south to east. Went out in shorts n sandals with no mat. The rocky clay ground isnt too friendly for a prone position like this. Couldn't get a solid setup with the tripod's rubber feet on hard dry clay. Shot 2-3 inches high n a tad right (3rd highest hit on the target). Total group height was 7.5". Width was 3-4 ish. I'm curious if all my high hits correlate with days I didn't use a mat.
.The orange circle-ish thing is 5" to the outside. Maybe I'll bring a level and paint hoz/very lines next time.
I liked this 10 day thing. It helped me understand the intricacies of my gear better. I may do it again but just leave the gun out for an hour then shoot. We'll see.
Some things I would like to upgrade:
1. Get an actual shooting mat or tripod feet that grip.
2. New rear bag.. pellets are all over the ground now.
3. Side porting brake.. eating dirt every shot isn't fun.
You've done the test honestly, and you got a very good result. Basically, I'd say you are as good as anybody at cold-bore, IAW the program as laid out. It certainly shows the absurdity of cherry picking groups or shots. I know it's a royal pain, but your plan to work on gear and techniques, then repeat some or all of the test, is a good follow-on to this first foray. I view this level of testing as an 85% test. That is, if you get all your shots in this test on a target the size of your animal's chest for 10 shots, I'd predict you are 85% likely to make a one-shot kill at the tested distance. And it's exponentially difficult to do significantly better than what you have done. If somebody says they can, they will have to do what you have done; not many will. Congratulations!
Thanks for your kind words!
Weather says thunderstorms for the next few days. Maybe I'll try shooting in the rain. That would be an interesting add-on.
I feel like I should at least purchase one of the things that I said would be an upgrade and then report on that too.. Time will tell.
Weather says thunderstorms for the next few days. Maybe I'll try shooting in the rain. That would be an interesting add-on.
I feel like I should at least purchase one of the things that I said would be an upgrade and then report on that too.. Time will tell.
Yeah... I thought about making my target/setup Internet "cool". Then I looked down and realized I hadn't castrated myself.. It was then I realized that I didnt need to follow all of the postings online to ensure I didnt trigger anyone's perfectionist lifestyle.With bolts like that I’m glad we can’t see your nuts.
Actually, thanks for posting this. Interesting reading.
To be honest, I'm more of a realist. And this is as real as it gets. Im thinking about getting an "official" shooting mat.. But I feel like that will only cheapen the experience of being able to shoot. I could dive deeper and lament people for their tacti-cool posts or "look at me I can shoot off a board" style posts.... But to be honest... Those posts speak for themselves. I just use whatever is around here, for free.. I dont need to spend $100+ and post something socially acceptable accomplish the same results.
Don't let the t-posts fool you in all their decadence. I actually shot through one a CPL months ago. The 300 wm wasn't kind to it... Tbh I'm impressed it's still holding up.
I repainted the target from a stencil I made and printed off word. the outsitde of the circle is 5" the inside "Center" is 2" an the blocks are 1x1.64. I figured this would help me, but soon realized black wont make it easy to see my hits. Sooo next time i paint it i'll add some orange.
Went to do a cold bore. I figured today would be a good day. Weather said winds at 10-20. weather app said winds at 13 ish. I figured that would be a good number. App called for .7 wind drift. Held .4-.5 mil due to terrain and i hit center 5-6 inches high. I used my crappy mat and everything. but now i'm still high. I figured wth and shot again. This time i made sure to aim exactly at the center or a hair under. Winds picked up so i held left a little more .3-.4mil. Second shot was still high, like 3-4 inches and left of the other a little.
Now im like WTH. 5" at 500 is quite a bit to be off. I go back to my bench and rezero and im nowhere near that high... Then i figure maybe the 300wm from a bench is screwing my results. I take it prone at my 100 yard and i'm dialed on the bull, maybe .1 mil high but I only shot twice, from prone.
So im at a loss. Is my base working loose? Is my barrell fouling slightly causing a tighter bore and higher fps? I dont think i have enough bullets on hand to test each of these separately. Im almost at the point where i put the Chrono 10 ft in front of the target and see what speed I get.
I think i'll let the gun cool for a few hours and go chrono it again to see what my fps is.
Went to do a cold bore. I figured today would be a good day. Weather said winds at 10-20. weather app said winds at 13 ish. I figured that would be a good number. App called for .7 wind drift. Held .4-.5 mil due to terrain and i hit center 5-6 inches high. I used my crappy mat and everything. but now i'm still high. I figured wth and shot again. This time i made sure to aim exactly at the center or a hair under. Winds picked up so i held left a little more .3-.4mil. Second shot was still high, like 3-4 inches and left of the other a little.
Now im like WTH. 5" at 500 is quite a bit to be off. I go back to my bench and rezero and im nowhere near that high... Then i figure maybe the 300wm from a bench is screwing my results. I take it prone at my 100 yard and i'm dialed on the bull, maybe .1 mil high but I only shot twice, from prone.
So im at a loss. Is my base working loose? Is my barrell fouling slightly causing a tighter bore and higher fps? I dont think i have enough bullets on hand to test each of these separately. Im almost at the point where i put the Chrono 10 ft in front of the target and see what speed I get.
I think i'll let the gun cool for a few hours and go chrono it again to see what my fps is.
Last edited:
Went out in the afternoon yesterday. Took the Chrono. Took two shots. Adjusted for winds of 5-13. I took note to have a good hold vertically. . Two shots vertically great. Just needed a little more wind hold. Chrono @18'away (due to terrain) said 2936, and 2949.
Went out his morning took two bullets. Setup as normal. First shot, about 10" high, second shot same. BUT, I did get to see a hint of trace. I'm feel like my follow through is a lot more consistent.
Been about 20 round since I cleaned the rifle. Cleaned rifle and brake. Checked ring/stock torques. Then went back out to check 0 @100. Two bullets touching at my aiming point.
I'll go out later tonight and see what happens. If it's still off I can only think of 3 -4 issues.
A. Me
B. Scope base is loose
C. Scope issues ( rarest if the 4)
D. My barrel is getting shot out (think I'm at 2k ish.
Either I need to do more reloading. Bullet stash is feeling the pain.
Went out his morning took two bullets. Setup as normal. First shot, about 10" high, second shot same. BUT, I did get to see a hint of trace. I'm feel like my follow through is a lot more consistent.
Been about 20 round since I cleaned the rifle. Cleaned rifle and brake. Checked ring/stock torques. Then went back out to check 0 @100. Two bullets touching at my aiming point.
I'll go out later tonight and see what happens. If it's still off I can only think of 3 -4 issues.
A. Me
B. Scope base is loose
C. Scope issues ( rarest if the 4)
D. My barrel is getting shot out (think I'm at 2k ish.
Either I need to do more reloading. Bullet stash is feeling the pain.
Attachments
About 4-5 years ago I still had wandering zero syndrome and thought it was my rifle or something.
I Learned it was totally me.
When I developed a mental get on the rifle checklist things got a LOT better
I Learned it was totally me.
When I developed a mental get on the rifle checklist things got a LOT better
I actually built a gamechanger style bag the other night. It was easy until i realized i never sewed a zipper in before.. That took some learning, but shes not bad... Think im in $20 bucks on one with fill. I just need to get some webbing for a handle.
Thanks for your write up magtech. Was really interesting to see your thoughts on the positioning and other factors outside of "impact/no impact". Seems like a great way to understand your set up better.
I have been thinking about making a few rear bags out of stuff I have lying around (old military uniforms, etc) and similar fill. Do you have any pics of yours? I haven't sewn anything since home ec in 7th grade - so if you have any patterns or advise that would be welcomed too!
I have been thinking about making a few rear bags out of stuff I have lying around (old military uniforms, etc) and similar fill. Do you have any pics of yours? I haven't sewn anything since home ec in 7th grade - so if you have any patterns or advise that would be welcomed too!
I just looked one up. The size said about 10x6x7 so I just cut each panel 1" wider than each dimension. For the v part I just drew a shape that looked like the one online n cut those out. For the leather top I just cut a longer piece to the right width measured the whole edge of the "v" and it came out to be about 16 inches.
The bag still needs a handle but works for now. I sew something once a year. So I'm not good either. Ever 2 minutes id swear as I was relearning everything.
The most expensive part is the filler. Got my 1yard ofcoated nylon at hobby lobby for 8.99 ( then used the 40% off coupon). Same with the leather 15.99 -40%. I have enough material for multiple (3-5?) bags easily.
Let me know hot it goes. Double stitch the seams if you want it stronger. And get strong thread. I have "coats and clark dual duty xp" thread.
Attachments
A friend and I doing some field holds practice at 1050 yards with my 260.
Awesome, thanks for the info. Yeah I have been looking into doing it for a while but nervous about my sewing skills. Watched a few vids about it and it seems like I could pick it back up. If not it is a cheap learning experience anyways. I'll report back but probably wont be for a while. Might be a winter project at the rate I am at now.
Decided to go out and shoot again today. Picked up a Crosstac Long range mat and had a chance to use my new bag. Wind was in my face at about 3-8mph. Cold bire was a hit. Then I went back to get my phone. When I returned rned I shot twice more with good hits.
The mat was nice. To use. It held down the thick weeds and wasn't uncomfortable. The bipod bar seemed to work. I'll need to test this thing for a few months to get a good feel for it.
My bag was nice. I had plenty of adjustment to get the rifle where I needed it. The bag isn't filled very tight so it holds position well.
Using these 2 additions really helped me understand how I play a part in recoil reduction. I feel that my positioning behind the rifle could use some work. Maybe my next step is to work on my positioning so I have a consistent follow through with minimal poa movement.
The mat was nice. To use. It held down the thick weeds and wasn't uncomfortable. The bipod bar seemed to work. I'll need to test this thing for a few months to get a good feel for it.
My bag was nice. I had plenty of adjustment to get the rifle where I needed it. The bag isn't filled very tight so it holds position well.
Using these 2 additions really helped me understand how I play a part in recoil reduction. I feel that my positioning behind the rifle could use some work. Maybe my next step is to work on my positioning so I have a consistent follow through with minimal poa movement.
Attachments
I looked outside and decided today was a good day to practice. Winds felt steady between 12-17. Weather said 15 mph online.
Couldnt find my phone so i had to input a Ballistic calc online. It gave me .57 mil at 15 mph (500y)
As I went out the door I decided the weather warranted shorts n sandals only. Grabbed the rifle, shooting mat, and 4 bullets. and off I went. As I was leaving the house I thought I had it good that this is all I needed to shoot comfortably (LOL).
I get set up on my position and the wind there is imperceptible... This hill has to have a magic forcefield or something. I sit down to the rifle and then it hits me... NO BAG! I figured its a minimalist day and try to gauge the trees for wind.....Since i cant feel wind at my position I have to guess what the trees are doing... I figure there has to be wind based on leaf/limb/tree movement midway, but decide to fire my first shot at a half-wind call.
1st shot Swing and a miss.. Not using a bag is diffferent, but I didnt feel like it was a hinderance overall. With the wet ground and heavy foilage seeing me miss wasnt going to happen.
2nd Shot... Figured i'll try to replicate the first, maybe my hold sucked.... MISS
3rd shot.. OK, shoot at the center. I cant feel wind on me. screw it.... Miss
4th shot... I figure i'll just hold the full value wind... HIT, dead nuts!
SOMETIMES, you gotta trust in the info you're given. Even if i had a Kestrel at my position, it wouldnt have helped. The wind was 0-5 MAX from my position. Reading trees I could see/hear it. Im just happy for the hit!
On a side note, I bought a nice digital pull meter at an auction. My trigger pull ranges from 2.8-3.8 lbs. I believe I have a timney in the 700. Anyone know the variance in a TT? I have known the pull isnt consistent for a while... Now i have proof im not crazy.
Couldnt find my phone so i had to input a Ballistic calc online. It gave me .57 mil at 15 mph (500y)
As I went out the door I decided the weather warranted shorts n sandals only. Grabbed the rifle, shooting mat, and 4 bullets. and off I went. As I was leaving the house I thought I had it good that this is all I needed to shoot comfortably (LOL).
I get set up on my position and the wind there is imperceptible... This hill has to have a magic forcefield or something. I sit down to the rifle and then it hits me... NO BAG! I figured its a minimalist day and try to gauge the trees for wind.....Since i cant feel wind at my position I have to guess what the trees are doing... I figure there has to be wind based on leaf/limb/tree movement midway, but decide to fire my first shot at a half-wind call.
1st shot Swing and a miss.. Not using a bag is diffferent, but I didnt feel like it was a hinderance overall. With the wet ground and heavy foilage seeing me miss wasnt going to happen.
2nd Shot... Figured i'll try to replicate the first, maybe my hold sucked.... MISS
3rd shot.. OK, shoot at the center. I cant feel wind on me. screw it.... Miss
4th shot... I figure i'll just hold the full value wind... HIT, dead nuts!
SOMETIMES, you gotta trust in the info you're given. Even if i had a Kestrel at my position, it wouldnt have helped. The wind was 0-5 MAX from my position. Reading trees I could see/hear it. Im just happy for the hit!
On a side note, I bought a nice digital pull meter at an auction. My trigger pull ranges from 2.8-3.8 lbs. I believe I have a timney in the 700. Anyone know the variance in a TT? I have known the pull isnt consistent for a while... Now i have proof im not crazy.
We do the same at our home range, 8” plate at 800 yards is the first shot of the day.
Took a break from rifle over the last month or so. Been trying to get my pistol competancy up. While shooting pistol my brother shot my old chrony so was difficult. After he paid me a compensatory sum I decided to get a labradar. I figured its time to test it out so I took it out today. To be honest I felt like a range rat. I had my shooting mat, rear bag, rifle, muffs, labradar, and tripod. Thinking to myself I felt like I just had to much crap to just go and shoot.
After putting down the mat/rifle and bag ( normally i'd just shoot from here), I spent another 5 ish minutes setting up the labradar. The wind was 10ish from 10 o'clock, about a .5 mil correction.
Finally I settled into position for my shot, and let one go. I could see it was a good it. Look over at the labradar and the blue light blinked and shut off. I had this problem with shooting pistol, too. I moved the tripod back closer to the scope. Took another shot. HIT!... Look over at the Labradar... Blue light blinked and it shut off again.. I didnt get a reading either time. So i moved the Labradar next to my scope. Having only brought 3 rounds I load the 3rd HIT! Same Labradar result.
I specifically bought this for its capabilities and now its frustrating. I go back to the house for a different SD card, thinking thats the problem. I left everything baking in the sun. Figured it needs to feel the heat like I am. 5 Minutes later, new SD card. I turned the Labradar on without a SD card in it and fiigure WTH.
Sent the first one, Hit..... AND I got a LAbradar reading of 2977. Send another, HIT! ( This is feeling good). Labradar reading 2970. Send the last one HIT! Labradar reading 2959.
Overall, the shooting was great. The bag and mat seemed to be a big help even if i feel like i'm cheating. I almost feel its too easy now, and i'm cheating myself of something, who knows. Maybe I just need to extend the range another 250 yards and push it further?
The labradar is frustrating, but i'm trying to figure this thing out. My next goal is to get it working with for my bow. I have some microphones i might try to use before i buy the adapter. we'll see how that works.
After putting down the mat/rifle and bag ( normally i'd just shoot from here), I spent another 5 ish minutes setting up the labradar. The wind was 10ish from 10 o'clock, about a .5 mil correction.
Finally I settled into position for my shot, and let one go. I could see it was a good it. Look over at the labradar and the blue light blinked and shut off. I had this problem with shooting pistol, too. I moved the tripod back closer to the scope. Took another shot. HIT!... Look over at the Labradar... Blue light blinked and it shut off again.. I didnt get a reading either time. So i moved the Labradar next to my scope. Having only brought 3 rounds I load the 3rd HIT! Same Labradar result.
I specifically bought this for its capabilities and now its frustrating. I go back to the house for a different SD card, thinking thats the problem. I left everything baking in the sun. Figured it needs to feel the heat like I am. 5 Minutes later, new SD card. I turned the Labradar on without a SD card in it and fiigure WTH.
Sent the first one, Hit..... AND I got a LAbradar reading of 2977. Send another, HIT! ( This is feeling good). Labradar reading 2970. Send the last one HIT! Labradar reading 2959.
Overall, the shooting was great. The bag and mat seemed to be a big help even if i feel like i'm cheating. I almost feel its too easy now, and i'm cheating myself of something, who knows. Maybe I just need to extend the range another 250 yards and push it further?
The labradar is frustrating, but i'm trying to figure this thing out. My next goal is to get it working with for my bow. I have some microphones i might try to use before i buy the adapter. we'll see how that works.
