A couple of years ago my brother Robert in Colorado gave my an AR kit, had everything but a lower. I bought two lowers and put the gun he gave me together. I liked it so much I built another one, but for shooting squirrels. With a 24' heavy barrel I am able to shoot six round 1/2 inch groups consistently, it is powerful squirrel medicine. Being able to whack squeaks at three hundred yards got me pretty excited. Then I went out to Co. for Christmas and my brother introduced me to long range rifles. When he opened his safe, my jaw dropped. I have a good collection of hunting rifles, I have been shooting a long time, and always thought I could shoot well. He showed me rifles that I could not imagine. DTA's AI's scopes worth more than the rifles, and just like that I had the bug. We went out and shot his DTA .260 at four and eight hundred yards and my first shot rung the bell at eight hundred.......Oh Man I have to have a rifle I can do that with.......
Not being as successful as Robert is I had to do some research and find something more in my price range. Boy did I find a winner. it showed up two days ago at my FFL, a savage 10 fcp with Loopy 6.5X20X50 LRT with illum. mill hash ret.
As an aside, if you ever have the opportunity to deal with Coldboremiracle, rest assured he is a good human being. His description are very accurate, his timing is exemplary and he runs good equipment, what he says he has is what it is and it does what he says it will provided you can do the same.
Hit the range yesterday. Fortunately a good friend of mine came into some black hills 168 gr. smk and he was willing to donate to my cause. On the range I zeroed the rifle with LC ball, as I only had two boxes of BH and was not sure how much I was going to shoot. After bore sighting I shot three rounds at 25 yds, 1.5 low .5 right. Close enough, went to a hundred. Still shooting LC dialed it to about 1.5 high, then made the switch to BH. Adjusted the scope after one shot at a hundred, then a three shot group. I could cover that group with a quarter, and the scope adjusted exactly to where I wanted it. Here is where things got fun: Coldboremiracle sent me his dope card with the rifle. The range I am a member of has a six hundred yard range, but there is a steel plate at 728 on the hill at the end. Following the dope made the appropriate adjustments, sighted, breathed, fondled the trigger, bang, wait for it DONG. Holy Mother of...........
Dialed back to five hundred, Dong, Dong, Dong, I am in love with this rifle....
Ok, that was fun need to see some real perfomance, see if I can shoot or if I am just lucky (I am lucky the rifle was a deal with the scope). I have paper hung at three hundred, dial scope back down, according to dope card, fire three rounds. mirage is picking up enough that I can't see bullet holes at that distance, so after the folks I am shooting with are done we drive out to look at paper. Nothing. WTF? I know I am new but with my hunting rifles I can keep it on a paper plate at three hundred.......All right well humility/chagrin is creeping up on me with the subtlety of a sledge hammer. Get back to the bench looking at the rifle: Dope calls for about eight and a quarter inches of drop, scope is dialed at eight and a quarter, I don't get it, oh wait eight and a quarter is about 2.6 moa, well there is a rookie mistake. Dial it back down, three more rounds, tah dah: two inch group at three hundred. Do it again, do it again, do it again. Dial back out to seven, Dong, Dial it back down to five, Dong, I am ecstatic.
All right, here are the disclaimers: I have been reading posts about distance shooting on this forum, and I kid you not, I have been taking notes. I bought a rifle from an experienced shooter, and I have the luxury of having got his experience and research with the rifle. I got a great rifle with a great scope for a great deal. Shooting conditions were perfect, no wind (none) no mirage. If it were not for the posts on this site, and the dope/load/rifle from coldboremiracle it would have gone a lot differently and I will admit I shot for gratification, next time out I will hang paper at five, six, seven, eight, nine and a thousand, and I guarantee that if any of this sounds arrogant (I hope it does not, it is not intended to), I will come back with my tail between my legs looking from advice from all you guys that know what you are doing. Until then, thanks for reading and letting me read all your experiences, it really contributed to mine, and I really look forward to the next time out.
Not being as successful as Robert is I had to do some research and find something more in my price range. Boy did I find a winner. it showed up two days ago at my FFL, a savage 10 fcp with Loopy 6.5X20X50 LRT with illum. mill hash ret.
As an aside, if you ever have the opportunity to deal with Coldboremiracle, rest assured he is a good human being. His description are very accurate, his timing is exemplary and he runs good equipment, what he says he has is what it is and it does what he says it will provided you can do the same.
Hit the range yesterday. Fortunately a good friend of mine came into some black hills 168 gr. smk and he was willing to donate to my cause. On the range I zeroed the rifle with LC ball, as I only had two boxes of BH and was not sure how much I was going to shoot. After bore sighting I shot three rounds at 25 yds, 1.5 low .5 right. Close enough, went to a hundred. Still shooting LC dialed it to about 1.5 high, then made the switch to BH. Adjusted the scope after one shot at a hundred, then a three shot group. I could cover that group with a quarter, and the scope adjusted exactly to where I wanted it. Here is where things got fun: Coldboremiracle sent me his dope card with the rifle. The range I am a member of has a six hundred yard range, but there is a steel plate at 728 on the hill at the end. Following the dope made the appropriate adjustments, sighted, breathed, fondled the trigger, bang, wait for it DONG. Holy Mother of...........
Dialed back to five hundred, Dong, Dong, Dong, I am in love with this rifle....
Ok, that was fun need to see some real perfomance, see if I can shoot or if I am just lucky (I am lucky the rifle was a deal with the scope). I have paper hung at three hundred, dial scope back down, according to dope card, fire three rounds. mirage is picking up enough that I can't see bullet holes at that distance, so after the folks I am shooting with are done we drive out to look at paper. Nothing. WTF? I know I am new but with my hunting rifles I can keep it on a paper plate at three hundred.......All right well humility/chagrin is creeping up on me with the subtlety of a sledge hammer. Get back to the bench looking at the rifle: Dope calls for about eight and a quarter inches of drop, scope is dialed at eight and a quarter, I don't get it, oh wait eight and a quarter is about 2.6 moa, well there is a rookie mistake. Dial it back down, three more rounds, tah dah: two inch group at three hundred. Do it again, do it again, do it again. Dial back out to seven, Dong, Dial it back down to five, Dong, I am ecstatic.
All right, here are the disclaimers: I have been reading posts about distance shooting on this forum, and I kid you not, I have been taking notes. I bought a rifle from an experienced shooter, and I have the luxury of having got his experience and research with the rifle. I got a great rifle with a great scope for a great deal. Shooting conditions were perfect, no wind (none) no mirage. If it were not for the posts on this site, and the dope/load/rifle from coldboremiracle it would have gone a lot differently and I will admit I shot for gratification, next time out I will hang paper at five, six, seven, eight, nine and a thousand, and I guarantee that if any of this sounds arrogant (I hope it does not, it is not intended to), I will come back with my tail between my legs looking from advice from all you guys that know what you are doing. Until then, thanks for reading and letting me read all your experiences, it really contributed to mine, and I really look forward to the next time out.
