*Sorry about the tilted pics. Trying to figure out how to fix that, but not having much luck. You have to click on the pics, then click the zoom, twice?* EDIT: Think I got it fixed, but if the pictures look rotated 90 degrees to anyone, please let me know.
Details on this rifle can be found here: http://www.snipershide.com/shooting/snipers-hide-bolt-action-rifles/209387-my-tikka-project-done-after-nearly-18-months.html
Today I finally got the chance to get out and stretch the legs a little bit on this rifle. I used gallon and half gallon milk jugs, filled with water, set out at 727 and 850 yards. I also put up a 300 yard NRA target at 850 to see what kind of groups I would get with three different loads. I had solid chronograph data on the first load (A-Max over Rel-17), but my chronograph had been giving me fits while trying to test the other two, so my intent was to get some real world dope/measurements, which I would use to try to true my velocity for those loads.
Here's the view from the bench. I was actually at one neighbor's house, shooting to the other neighbor's gravel pit (did I mention that I love my neighbors?). The jugs set up at 727 were on the side of a large (probably 25 ft. high) gravel pile. The jugs/target at 850 are on the side of a wood chip pile. Unfortunately, we had a heavy rain yesterday, so the wet wood chips didn't really move much when shot, making spotting my shots pretty much impossible unless I hit. Unfortunately, I had no spotter to help me out.
The first load I tested was the most proven, so far (having shot it more than the others). It was with the 140gr. A-Max over 44.5gr. Reloader 17. I punched my data for 727 yards into the Strelok app on my tablet and came up with an elevation adjustment of 5.0 mils and windage of .2 mil right. I loaded the round and took careful aim, before squeezing off the first shot. It was a direct hit that sent water flying in all directions. I couldn't help but to let out a hoot of approval! After that, I took aim on a ½ gallon jug (just under 4” wide) at the same distance. The first shot was just to the left, missing by probably no more than an inch. The next shot did the same thing, only this time to the right. The third shot was a hit.
At 850 yards, I dialed in the dope from Strelok again and fired a five round group on the target. I then drove over to check it out. It was in a group of about 8 inches, with one flyer bringing it out to 11”. I did not make any wind adjustments, as the wind was starting to become more variable (only 0-5, but constantly changing speed and direction). When I got back to the bench, I made a wind call/adjustment and fired at one of the gallon jugs. I was off for the first two shots, but had no idea where they had landed in the wood chips. The third was a well centered hit, however.
The next load up was the 140 A-Max, again. This time, over 46.0gr. H4350. This is one that I've had trouble pegging the velocity on. My chrony was giving me high numbers and I knew it wasn't right, so I went with the closest number I could come up with and would have to adjust for it, later. The main point was just to see how repeatable it was and what kind of group I could get with it. I started at 727, again, with a gallon jug. As I expected, the shot landed lower than what Strelok had calculated, so I adjusted and tried again. It took a couple of shots to get “on” but when I did, I sent this one rolling down the hill with a shot that really couldn't be more perfect.
After this, I switched to 850 again and took several shots to find the mark on one of the water jugs on that berm (I would find out that it actually hit low and knocked it over without penetrating. Then, I fired another five shot group on the paper. It hit low, of course, but the group wasn't too bad, being about 9 inches wide, in a horizontal string. By this time, the wind was starting to get crazy. It still wasn't very fast, but was changing direction so often that it was almost impossible to counter. One second it was at my back, the next it was in my face, or a full value crosswind and I could see from the heavy mirage that the same thing was happening every few hundred yard between me and the target.
It was also at this time that I, for some reason, decided to check the action screws. With around 150 rounds through the gun, I had not yet done this. The back was still tight, but the front took a slight turn, (probably 1/10th, or so). The barrel was also getting hot, so I ran back to the targets to mark them and give it a few minutes to cool off.
The last load of the day was the 142gr. SMK over 46.0gr. H4350. This was another one that I did not have solid numbers on. It's been accurate at 100 yards and shoots to the same zero as the A-Max loads used above. Again, I put my closest known numbers into Strelok, guessing that they were high, then dialed in for 727 yards and started walking them into the jugs. I was only .2 mil off for elevation from the start, but the wind was killing me. I finally set the windage back to zero and tried to hold off, on the fly, with the wind changes. This seemed to work much better and .2 or .3 mil holds got me where I wanted. Then, I moved out to 850 again and noted the dope from Strelok, but added .2, right off the bat. Not seeing where I was hitting, I added a couple more clicks of elevation, hoping for a hit. Two shots in a row looked like hits on the jug, but I wasn't sure. If they were hits, they were probalby grazing shots, so I thought. Well, as it turns out, I put them both into the top of the jug and they passed straight through. I dialed back down and grazed the bottom with a third shot that finally sent it rolling down the hill. After this, I fired a five shot group on the target, which ended up being the best overall group of the day. All five shots are in about 7.5”, including shot #1 of the group which I noted as having pulled low.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
All loads were loaded to a COAL of 3.150”, which is about .015” off the lands.
All were loaded into neck sized, once fired, Lapua brass and used Tula LR primers.
Velocity for 140 A-Max over 44.5gr. Reloader 17 is 2768 fps.
Velocity for 140 A-Max over 46.0 gr. H4350 is 2745 (calculated from dope/target measurments).
Velocity for 142 SMK over 46.0 gr. H4350 is 2740 (calculated from dope/target measurements).
Details on this rifle can be found here: http://www.snipershide.com/shooting/snipers-hide-bolt-action-rifles/209387-my-tikka-project-done-after-nearly-18-months.html
Today I finally got the chance to get out and stretch the legs a little bit on this rifle. I used gallon and half gallon milk jugs, filled with water, set out at 727 and 850 yards. I also put up a 300 yard NRA target at 850 to see what kind of groups I would get with three different loads. I had solid chronograph data on the first load (A-Max over Rel-17), but my chronograph had been giving me fits while trying to test the other two, so my intent was to get some real world dope/measurements, which I would use to try to true my velocity for those loads.
Here's the view from the bench. I was actually at one neighbor's house, shooting to the other neighbor's gravel pit (did I mention that I love my neighbors?). The jugs set up at 727 were on the side of a large (probably 25 ft. high) gravel pile. The jugs/target at 850 are on the side of a wood chip pile. Unfortunately, we had a heavy rain yesterday, so the wet wood chips didn't really move much when shot, making spotting my shots pretty much impossible unless I hit. Unfortunately, I had no spotter to help me out.
The first load I tested was the most proven, so far (having shot it more than the others). It was with the 140gr. A-Max over 44.5gr. Reloader 17. I punched my data for 727 yards into the Strelok app on my tablet and came up with an elevation adjustment of 5.0 mils and windage of .2 mil right. I loaded the round and took careful aim, before squeezing off the first shot. It was a direct hit that sent water flying in all directions. I couldn't help but to let out a hoot of approval! After that, I took aim on a ½ gallon jug (just under 4” wide) at the same distance. The first shot was just to the left, missing by probably no more than an inch. The next shot did the same thing, only this time to the right. The third shot was a hit.
At 850 yards, I dialed in the dope from Strelok again and fired a five round group on the target. I then drove over to check it out. It was in a group of about 8 inches, with one flyer bringing it out to 11”. I did not make any wind adjustments, as the wind was starting to become more variable (only 0-5, but constantly changing speed and direction). When I got back to the bench, I made a wind call/adjustment and fired at one of the gallon jugs. I was off for the first two shots, but had no idea where they had landed in the wood chips. The third was a well centered hit, however.
The next load up was the 140 A-Max, again. This time, over 46.0gr. H4350. This is one that I've had trouble pegging the velocity on. My chrony was giving me high numbers and I knew it wasn't right, so I went with the closest number I could come up with and would have to adjust for it, later. The main point was just to see how repeatable it was and what kind of group I could get with it. I started at 727, again, with a gallon jug. As I expected, the shot landed lower than what Strelok had calculated, so I adjusted and tried again. It took a couple of shots to get “on” but when I did, I sent this one rolling down the hill with a shot that really couldn't be more perfect.
After this, I switched to 850 again and took several shots to find the mark on one of the water jugs on that berm (I would find out that it actually hit low and knocked it over without penetrating. Then, I fired another five shot group on the paper. It hit low, of course, but the group wasn't too bad, being about 9 inches wide, in a horizontal string. By this time, the wind was starting to get crazy. It still wasn't very fast, but was changing direction so often that it was almost impossible to counter. One second it was at my back, the next it was in my face, or a full value crosswind and I could see from the heavy mirage that the same thing was happening every few hundred yard between me and the target.
It was also at this time that I, for some reason, decided to check the action screws. With around 150 rounds through the gun, I had not yet done this. The back was still tight, but the front took a slight turn, (probably 1/10th, or so). The barrel was also getting hot, so I ran back to the targets to mark them and give it a few minutes to cool off.
The last load of the day was the 142gr. SMK over 46.0gr. H4350. This was another one that I did not have solid numbers on. It's been accurate at 100 yards and shoots to the same zero as the A-Max loads used above. Again, I put my closest known numbers into Strelok, guessing that they were high, then dialed in for 727 yards and started walking them into the jugs. I was only .2 mil off for elevation from the start, but the wind was killing me. I finally set the windage back to zero and tried to hold off, on the fly, with the wind changes. This seemed to work much better and .2 or .3 mil holds got me where I wanted. Then, I moved out to 850 again and noted the dope from Strelok, but added .2, right off the bat. Not seeing where I was hitting, I added a couple more clicks of elevation, hoping for a hit. Two shots in a row looked like hits on the jug, but I wasn't sure. If they were hits, they were probalby grazing shots, so I thought. Well, as it turns out, I put them both into the top of the jug and they passed straight through. I dialed back down and grazed the bottom with a third shot that finally sent it rolling down the hill. After this, I fired a five shot group on the target, which ended up being the best overall group of the day. All five shots are in about 7.5”, including shot #1 of the group which I noted as having pulled low.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
All loads were loaded to a COAL of 3.150”, which is about .015” off the lands.
All were loaded into neck sized, once fired, Lapua brass and used Tula LR primers.
Velocity for 140 A-Max over 44.5gr. Reloader 17 is 2768 fps.
Velocity for 140 A-Max over 46.0 gr. H4350 is 2745 (calculated from dope/target measurments).
Velocity for 142 SMK over 46.0 gr. H4350 is 2740 (calculated from dope/target measurements).
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