2024 Cold Bore Challenge Q&A Thread

[robby denning]

some of us shoot the dirt.....

i might be @dirtshooter2 after this week

 

[TX_Diver]

Well, I’m tapping out this morning. Got to my shooting area and we got 15 to 20 mile an hour winds with higher gusts. I would not attempt that shot at 500. So I’ll try again in the morning.

I passed yesterday for the same reason. Today is windier than forecast but wondering if I should just go for it at this point to finish up. In the field I'd probably have to get a bit closer but obviously that's not the point of this challenge.

 

[robby denning]

I passed yesterday for the same reason. Today is windier than forecast but wondering if I should just go for it at this point to finish up. In the field I'd probably have to get a bit closer but obviously that's not the point of this challenge.

up to you man! Be a good feeling to squeak it in, but if your MER depends on conditions (as it should), better to wait.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

My takeaway from this year is that I tend to under compensate for wind. Ie. I know it's gusting to 12 mph, but I only hold for say 8 mph. I may get a hit, but its barely on the target. It is almost like I'm hesitant to hold as much as I know I should, where in fact I had more leeway the other direction.

I shot a deer in the hind quarters with pretty much this same “attitude”. Gusts were 40-45 MPH with sustaining 25-30 MPH. Shot was “only” 425 yards (I realize that is a long way to shoot an animal, however given my long range killing experience and the amount I practice, it’s a shot I “could” have made).

I was shooting seated to get above tall grass and my pack was 50 yards above me on the other side of a glassing knob. So it was seated with no extra rifle rest (a shot I’ve made thousands of times). I made a wind call and said to myself “there’s no way the bullet moves this much” and dialed for less wind.

Between the terrible wind call adjustment, less than ideal shot position, and me rushing to get a shot on a dandy buck (quartering towards) before they moved over and down the next finger, I ended up making a real shitty shot. Hit him back right ham and he spun around and took off running and limping.

I called a buddy and we found minor traces of hair and blood before all signs disappeared. Hunted that same area looking for that deer (passing on about a dozen shooter bucks) before the season ended 3 days later.

I learned another huge lesson on that trip.

 

[TX_Diver]

up to you man! Be a good feeling to squeak it in, but if your MER depends on conditions (as it should), better to wait.

I snuck it in there after about six or seven video set up attempts with a six year old lol. Updated post coming in a bit.

 

[HighUintas]

I set my target up last night and as I was heading downhill a storm rolled in. Rain, a bit of hail, and winds gusting to 25. I wanted to see if I could make the hit, but didn't think I could get a video and was late for a dinner anyway. Not to mention, I'd never make a 600yd shot in those conditions anyway.

Returned this morning, with clear skies, plenty of time, and light winds between 3-12 or so, but mostly 3-7mph. I was pretty confident on wind, went through a couple dry fire sequences first, the shot execution felt great, but whiffed by quite a bit!

Seeing as it was my second shot for the challenge, I was done and decided to send a few more before having to hurry home. I missed 5/5 this morning on what seemed an easy shot, in the same spot. High and left.

Time to troubleshoot that soon. Hopefully it's just my skill and expectations that need work.

 

[robby denning]

@BjornF16 I love that split screen shot!!! Don't let Justin see it or it will be in next year's rules lol. Great shot too (post #38)

 

[Justin Crossley]

Great job getting out there guys! These challenges really help each one of us to understand our limits instead of guessing like I used to do! It's funny how overconfident we can be.

 

[Justin Crossley]

@BjornF16 I love that split screen shot!!! Don't let Justin see it or it will be in next year's rules lol. Great shot too (post #38)

I just watched it and it's awesome!

 

[Ucsdryder]

I set my target up last night and as I was heading downhill a storm rolled in. Rain, a bit of hail, and winds gusting to 25. I wanted to see if I could make the hit, but didn't think I could get a video and was late for a dinner anyway. Not to mention, I'd never make a 600yd shot in those conditions anyway.

Returned this morning, with clear skies, plenty of time, and light winds between 3-12 or so, but mostly 3-7mph. I was pretty confident on wind, went through a couple dry fire sequences first, the shot execution felt great, but whiffed by quite a bit!

Seeing as it was my second shot for the challenge, I was done and decided to send a few more before having to hurry home. I missed 5/5 this morning on what seemed an easy shot, in the same spot. High and left.

Time to troubleshoot that soon. Hopefully it's just my skill and expectations that need work.

Curious to see what you figure out. Your rifle setup looks solid. Are you think this is the Indian or the arrow?

 

[HighUintas]

Curious to see what you figure out. Your rifle setup looks solid. Are you think this is the Indian or the arrow?

All I can confidently say now is that it's somewhere in my system. And I'm part of the system

I think my wind hold was close enough to keep me on the plate, or at least miss just off the edge. The fact that they all looked like they missed high and also about the same amount to the left makes me think that either my scope slipped, or action screw loose, or something I changed with my position build that happened to be consistent.

 

[Ucsdryder]

All I can confidently say now is that it's somewhere in my system. And I'm part of the system

I think my wind hold was close enough to keep me on the plate, or at least miss just off the edge. The fact that they all looked like they missed high and also about the same amount to the left makes me think that either my scope slipped, or action screw loose, or something I changed with my position build that happened to be consistent.

Still holding 100 yard zero?

 

[HighUintas]

Still holding 100 yard zero?

Not sure. I forgot my zero check target this morning and was crunched for time in getting home.

Checked my action and scope screws and they're all good, as they should be being thread locked and torqued to 65 and 25+.

I'll probably try to get to the range later this week for a windless zero check at 100.

 

[TX_Diver]

Post # 8 on the challenge thread. Got my post updated with a few of the pics. Imgur is still being a pain but I got a pic of the target and some pics of my shooting positions in there now so I'm officially done I believe. 2 hits this year which is an improvement from 1/2 last year. Similar MER though.

Today was pretty borderline. If my wind reading skills were better I could probably claim a further max effective range from the prone position but that's not always possible.

Even with 2 hits I still need to get more confident with my wind calling AND the speed at which I build these positions. Both days took 45-60 seconds to get a shot off which isn't very fast. A better shooter could probably get stable a lot quicker than I could.

 

[TX_Diver]

Got the other video uploaded and would be curious what others may have called the wind as if there's enough info to tell??

Through the spotter

iphone 8 behind me

Edit - WOW. Didn't realize how much quality you lose uploading to youtube. That turned out like a bigfoot sighting video...

 

[robby denning]

Post # 8 on the challenge thread. Got my post updated with a few of the pics. Imgur is still being a pain but I got a pic of the target and some pics of my shooting positions in there now so I'm officially done I believe. 2 hits this year which is an improvement from 1/2 last year. Similar MER though.

Today was pretty borderline. If my wind reading skills were better I could probably claim a further max effective range from the prone position but that's not always possible.

Even with 2 hits I still need to get more confident with my wind calling AND the speed at which I build these positions. Both days took 45-60 seconds to get a shot off which isn't very fast. A better shooter could probably get stable a lot quicker than I could.

i checked it out. I always remember what Cecil from Precision Rifle says "once you're in the vitals, you don't get extra credit for the bullseye"

good job

 

[wapitibob]

Great job getting out there guys! These challenges really help each one of us to understand our limits instead of guessing like I used to do! It's funny how overconfident we can be.

Yea I #### the bed today. After missing high on my 2nd 600 yard shot I put 3 in a 3" group.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Next year we should add a time element! Standing to shooting in X seconds!

 

[huntnful]

Next year we should add a time element! Standing to shooting in X seconds!

I can barely hit the plate untimed

 

[Ucsdryder]

I can barely hit the plate untimed

Liar