Thanks to a fellow member here, I picked up my new-to-me precision rifle, a Remington 700 custom build in an AI AX chassis and a Bushnell Elite Tactical scope. I headed off early this morning to a precision rifle class at Asymmetric Solutions in Farmington, Missouri: Asymmetric Solutions USA |
I was excited to see if I could actually hit anything past 100 yards, for that was as a long a distance as I had ever fired a rifle before.
Today I knew I'd be able (theoretically) to get out to around 800 yards. We had a low student to instructor ratio, so we were able to have our rifles inspected to make sure the scopes were mounted properly and we were getting ourselves adjusted to the rifle and the rifle to us as we took up prone firing positions. Follow this we spend a few hours on all aspects of long range shooting, with a secret initiation ritual into the black magic of ballistic calculations! Wow, I was drinking from a fire hose. After a quick lunch, we headed to the range and checked zero on our rifles/scopes. My seller had informed me that with 175 grain Sierra bullets I would find the rifle to be at dead zero at 100. I shot five times and each hole was touching/in the adjacent holes. No problem with zero! The other students had a bit of work to do getting their scopes zeroed.
Next we got our scope and bore measurements and then did a weather reading with a Kestral and then plugged everything into a ballistic calculator program and got our settings for 200, 300, 400, 600, 800 yards and started shooting. The wind was a pretty significant factor today and out at 800 yards we were getting gusts at the target making it a fun challenge.
There were four of us and we took turns at each distance with a spotter calling our shots.
I'm pleased to say I hit every target usually dead center 100% of the time, five shots on each target.
Then we reached out to around 800 yards and I was having some problems getting on target. The spotter helped me walk it in and then I got five hits on the target, a torso sized steel plate, each one in center mass.
Nothing like that audible "ring" coming back from the 800 yard steel!
I absolutely loved it and have never had so much fun shooting.
I learned how to use my scope well and adjust the elevation to get on target. I particularly liked watching as the other students shot, watching the "trace" or "vapor trail" as the bullets headed out on an arc to the longer range target.
I'm definitely hooked and can't wait to get back out and try my hand at more long range shooting.
I was excited to see if I could actually hit anything past 100 yards, for that was as a long a distance as I had ever fired a rifle before.
Today I knew I'd be able (theoretically) to get out to around 800 yards. We had a low student to instructor ratio, so we were able to have our rifles inspected to make sure the scopes were mounted properly and we were getting ourselves adjusted to the rifle and the rifle to us as we took up prone firing positions. Follow this we spend a few hours on all aspects of long range shooting, with a secret initiation ritual into the black magic of ballistic calculations! Wow, I was drinking from a fire hose. After a quick lunch, we headed to the range and checked zero on our rifles/scopes. My seller had informed me that with 175 grain Sierra bullets I would find the rifle to be at dead zero at 100. I shot five times and each hole was touching/in the adjacent holes. No problem with zero! The other students had a bit of work to do getting their scopes zeroed.
Next we got our scope and bore measurements and then did a weather reading with a Kestral and then plugged everything into a ballistic calculator program and got our settings for 200, 300, 400, 600, 800 yards and started shooting. The wind was a pretty significant factor today and out at 800 yards we were getting gusts at the target making it a fun challenge.
There were four of us and we took turns at each distance with a spotter calling our shots.
I'm pleased to say I hit every target usually dead center 100% of the time, five shots on each target.
Then we reached out to around 800 yards and I was having some problems getting on target. The spotter helped me walk it in and then I got five hits on the target, a torso sized steel plate, each one in center mass.
Nothing like that audible "ring" coming back from the 800 yard steel!
I absolutely loved it and have never had so much fun shooting.
I learned how to use my scope well and adjust the elevation to get on target. I particularly liked watching as the other students shot, watching the "trace" or "vapor trail" as the bullets headed out on an arc to the longer range target.
I'm definitely hooked and can't wait to get back out and try my hand at more long range shooting.
