Took my rifle out for it's first outing this year - AAC 6.5mm 140gr SMK

[CybrSlydr]

A long time ago - it feels that way anyway - lol, I bought some 6.5mm 140gr SMK by AAC off PSA.com. Thing that appealed to me was that it was $20 for 20 rounds. That's a helluva deal when Hornady ELD-M 140gr is approaching $55 for 20. Being in Wyoming, finding a good time to go out and drive the 2.5hrs one-way to the closest range that shoot out to 1000yds or more is difficult, especially when ammo isn't cheap and neither is gas.

Today, I decided to get the rifle out of the closet and go shoot some sighting-in rounds with the new ammo at the local 100yd indoor range. A lot cheaper to go the range when you've already bought the ammo. LOL

Grabbed two targets just to see how things would go. Brought 60rds with me, but ended up just shooting 40. Didn't need to blow through my stash just yet, especially with spring just around the corner here. Maybe I'll get down to Laramie to the range sooner than I expected.

Here's the album - https://flickr.com/photos/cybrslydr/albums/72177720315487376

All were shot with a bipod, no bag. Forgot to bring it and actually, still need to buy me a tater tot...

I'm very happy with how the AAC ammo shot. For it's price, it shoots just as well as the vastly more expensive Hornady or other brands. So much so, I went home and bought 4 more boxes at $21.99 each.

A couple of the 5-shot groups I knew I pulled and had a flier as soon as I shot. I tried to take about 5min between groups to let the barrel cool down a bit, but the last two groups I just shot back-to-back since they were the final ones. First pic with the center target was getting the rifle sighted in. Next was top right, top left, bottom left, and bottom right. The bottom right group is my best of the day, IMHO. So bummed I pulled that one - that's one that I knew I pulled as soon as the gun went bang. So frustrating! lol

 

[D̷e̷v̷i̷l̷D̷o̷c̷A̷Z̷]

Being in Wyoming, finding a good time to go out and drive the 2.5hrs one-way to the closest range

This whole time I thought Wyoming was a “shoot off your back porch” place.

Clearly idk shit about fuck.

 

[CybrSlydr]

This whole time I thought Wyoming was a “shoot off your back porch” place.

Clearly idk shit about fuck.

You're not wrong, but I live in Casper, 2nd largest city in the state I believe, rent an apartment, so I don't have land of my own to just go on my back porch and plink away... yet. I also don't have any steel targets yet, and finding a place where I can drive out and drop off the target and drive back on BLM land isn't as easy as I thought it'd be.

 

[D̷e̷v̷i̷l̷D̷o̷c̷A̷Z̷]

You're not wrong, but I live in Casper, 2nd largest city in the state I believe, rent an apartment, so I don't have land of my own to just go on my back porch and plink away... yet. I also don't have any steel targets yet, and finding a place where I can drive out and drop off the target and drive back on BLM land isn't as easy as I thought it'd be.

I’ve lost a few plates out here on my own property because assholes think it’s BLM and/or they think because I’m not there it must be free for the taking.

 

[CybrSlydr]

I’ve lost a few plates out here on my own property because assholes think it’s BLM and/or they think because I’m not there it must be free for the taking.

Not surprising. People can suck hardcore. That's why I'd never leave targets out on my own property unless I had big gongs that aren't going to walk away on their own that easily.

 

[D̷e̷v̷i̷l̷D̷o̷c̷A̷Z̷]

Not surprising. People can suck hardcore. That's why I'd never leave targets out on my own property unless I had big gongs that aren't going to walk away on their own that easily.

I had a 24” and 18” under a tree, laying down, deep on my property.

They still grew legs.

 

[Juicymeat]

You're not wrong, but I live in Casper, 2nd largest city in the state I believe, rent an apartment, so I don't have land of my own to just go on my back porch and plink away... yet. I also don't have any steel targets yet, and finding a place where I can drive out and drop off the target and drive back on BLM land isn't as easy as I thought it'd be.

I used to live in Casper. Stuckenhoffs has a 800y ish long range area with steel targets already set up. IIRC, you'll need to be a member and then apply for another membership for the long range section.

Sucks you'll need two yearly memberships. Upside is no set up needed, it's almost always empty, and it's closed off to the general public.

 

[CybrSlydr]

I used to live in Casper. Stuckenhoffs has a 800y ish long range area with steel targets already set up. IIRC, you'll need to be a member and then apply for another membership for the long range section.

Sucks you'll need two yearly memberships. Upside is no set up needed, it's almost always empty, and it's closed off to the general public.

That's the problem - there's a wait list for membership. I've inquired already and still waiting. I'd MUCH rather go there than have to drive down to Laramie to their rifle range. Got my membership there last year and I've been down once since it's such an expense to get there and back, let alone ammo, etc.

 

[CybrSlydr]

I went back out on Friday because I wanted to shoot with the bag to see if it improved my groupings.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/cybrslydr/T1KYS4BNJC

I'm still very happy- the first 2 groups (center and top right) I was still fiddling with dialing in the optic, so they're not as good as I'd like.

I'd say this was my best grouping with the AAC of the day -

Not a bad group with the Hornady -

The last two groups I bought some Hornadly ELD-M 140gr for comparison. They were $43 for a box compared to $21.99 for the AAC.

I also shot the Hornady with a pretty warm barrel since it was at the end of my range trip.

Given how I shoot the AAC, I dont really see a need to spend double on the Hornady.

 

[CybrSlydr]

If I'm using the app correctly, .51moa is pretty good!

 

[Rocketmandb]

yet. I also don't have any steel targets yet, and finding a place where I can drive out and drop off the target and drive back on BLM land isn't as easy as I thought it'd be.

You have a crap ton of BLM land within easy driving distance. My closest is 2 hours away, then another 30 minutes in to my shooting spot - count yourself privileged to have such so close. What I do to scout spots:

1) Go on to Google Maps and use the Terrain view tab.
2) Find the roads and see where you've got likely lines of sight and relatively easy access (e.g. road within maybe a couple hundred yards) to both shooting locations and target locations to the distances you want to shoot.
3) Switch to satellite view and see if there are a bunch of trees, scrub, etc., or if it's more open. Also use it to see if there are tracks (not official roads) that you can use for either shooting location or target access.
4) Get a half dozen or more possible locations mapped out and get their GPS coordinates.
5) Double check on the BLM interactive map that the locations are actually on BLM land and not private.
6) Plan a scouting trip - DO NOT TAKE YOUR RIFLE(s) - trust me on this one. You want to have one purpose for your trip, and that is to find good spots, not to stop short because you want to shoot and realize years later that you missed a primo spot because you did so.
7) After you pick the best spot(s), call BLM and validate that target shooting in that area is allowed.
8) Go out on a shooting trip