Cold Bore Challenge Q&A Thread

[BRTreedogs]

It might not be, as I’ve said I thought this was a challenge of your MER with a given combo, not MER of an optimal combo.

I thought the point was to back up what you preach about how far you could shoot an animal with your rifle. If that’s the case my mind can’t grasp separating it from literally how far is possible. With as many people here shooting 223s with what seems like a lot of talent I looked at mine in my kestrel and I can’t expand at 550, so I’d never take the shot, and I’d never say I would with that rifle either.

It seems that’s not the spirit of the challenge is not that, and I need to pick something based on me and not based on how far it’s effective on game.

I’m sorry it seemed like I was trying to sandbag, I’m not sure why someone would in a challenge that doesn’t care if you miss.

I could be wrong as well.

But imo it is about skill. And hit percentage.

Not some made up energy measurement.

I use minimum opening velocity for my selected bullet. I don't buy off on that energy business.

Killing ability is highly subjective and also depends on bullet selection and target species.

If there is a minimum power factor that needs to be defined in the rules.

All I'm saying is I feel I have skill to xx distance, so I'm not going to select a cartridge that pulls that distance way in.

 

[realunlucky]

I'm going with 550 because that's what i feel my MER with my setup is. Can I shoot 600 yes but I'm not confident at game there so 550 it is

I have a rifle that shoots great but is so heavy I'd never carry it.

It does me no good in the spirit of this challenge as it's not ever going to be in a hunting situation.

 

[BRTreedogs]

I'm going with 550 because that's what i feel my MER with my setup is. Can I shoot 600 yes but I'm not confident at game there so 550 it is

I have a rifle that shoots great but is so heavy I'd never carry it.

It does me no good in the spirit of this challenge as it's not ever going to be in a hunting situation.

But the challenge imo does no good if you are limiting yourself to a distance you expect a hit percentage off 100% based on energy.

Example if from the prone you expect at 100% hit percentage at 650 but only believe it has enough energy to kill an elk at 550 how is that a challenge to your skill?

It should be well inside your expected 100% hit ability.

Only way to improve skill would be to enter a more challenging position.

Limit yourself to the edge of your skill.
A calibers energy has nothing to do with skill.

 

[DangerRanger]

I could be wrong as well.

But imo it is about skill. And hit percentage.

Not some made up energy measurement.

I use minimum opening velocity for my selected bullet. I don't buy off on that energy business.

Yeah, I didn’t say energy ever

If there is a minimum power factor that needs to be defined in the rules.

All I'm saying is I feel I have skill to xx distance, so I'm not going to select a cartridge that pulls that distance way in.

All I’m saying is I need the rules to tell me if I’m testing the effective range of myself with my hunting rifle or myself with an optimal rifle, because they aren’t the same distance.

If I’m only comfortable at 550 with the hunting rifle because of compromised stock design and weight, but my skill says I can shoot 700 with a comp rifle then you can’t make people cross those lines and shoot the hunting rifle at 700 when they never would in real life. It seems to lose all spirit of what it’s supposed to be about, and now we are sandbagging by shooting our hunting rifles at their literal effective range.

 

[BRTreedogs]

depending on rifle rules I’ll probably be doing comfort level for that specific rifle I choose and making sure my velocity is adequate for game performance.

Ie my 223 MER can’t be the same as my 6.5 creed, as my expansion velocity is an important cap to my effective range with that firearm.

Pretty much “would I hunt with that” seems like an appropriate category for this challenge until I see the final rules. Unfortunately my main hunting rifle is without a scope currently so I need to get my stuff together

Sorry I interpreted this as energy.

But you're " would i hunt with that" quote seems to imply you are limiting your range based on the perceived capabilities of the cartridge.

Not your perceived capabilities with said rifle..

But i must not be reading it correctly.

 

[DangerRanger]

Sorry I interpreted this as energy.

But you're " would i hunt with that" quote seems to imply you are limiting your range based on the perceived capabilities of the cartridge.

Not your perceived capabilities with said rifle..

But i must not be reading it correctly.

yeah, so I guess the complication is the definition of MER and if MER implies you would take an animal at that distance or if you would shoot a plate. I interpreted it as an animal, so I was including both the rifle design. and the cartridge. Like I was sitting at a campfire before an hunt and my buddy pointed at my rifle asked me the max range.

If it’s just hit the plate, not would you fire at an animal, it can’t be shorter (we hope) but it could for sure be farther

 

[BRTreedogs]

yeah, so I guess the complication is the definition of MER and if MER implies you would take an animal at that distance or if you would shoot a plate. I interpreted it as an animal, so I was including both the rifle design. and the cartridge. Like I was sitting at a campfire before an hunt and my buddy pointed at my rifle asked me the max range.

If it’s just hit the plate, not would you fire at an animal, it can’t be shorter (we hope) but it could for sure be farther

Well depends on the animal though. What animal are we talking?
Deer, elk etc are different for me.

But my ability to hit a 10" circle at any given distance has nothing to do with the target species. Its all based on my shooting ability.

The point of this challenge IMO is to show that you're perceived high rate hit probably is most likely much shorter in a true cold bore field scenario.
Its easy to cherry pick a group on a plate after walking it in for the day, vs a true cold bore.

 

[TheCougar]

Valid points but I don't think it really matters for the spirit of this challenge. You don't get entries in the drawing for hits inside the "kill zone." You get entries for pushing yourself and completing the challenge.

As far as point of aim. A deer or elk is much larger than a 10" circle so I don't think painting or marking a kill zone on a larger target is any different.

How do we handle nonstandard targets? I’ve got an access to a range that goes out to 1000, but the targets are what they are. I can shoot a 600 yard target, but it might be a 16” square. I can’t control that. Without getting permission to go out a measure, I don’t know if there are any 10” circles out there. This question may have been asked already, sorry if I missed it. I highly doubt they would let me run around the training center painting circles on targets!

 

[Justin Crossley]

How do we handle nonstandard targets? I’ve got an access to a range that goes out to 1000, but the targets are what they are. I can shoot a 600 yard target, but it might be a 16” square. I can’t control that. Without getting permission to go out a measure, I don’t know if there are any 10” circles out there. This question may have been asked already, sorry if I missed it. I highly doubt they would let me run around the training center painting circles on targets!

You will have to walk out and mark them with something like tape or paint or hang up another target.

 

[Justin Crossley]

I just got this photo from my buddy who owns the property where I plan to hang my targets. The snow is finally melted enough to access the tops. I'm planning to haul a mini excavator about three hours to open up the road that accesses his property and I'm doing all that without even being eligible for prizes!

 

[ShortMountain91]

Geez the moderators of this site have A LOT of patience for us degenerates. A week before the challenge you will need to take the preparatory class on choosing your rifle, 10 inch target, and how to figure out your MER

 

[Pdzoller]

This should be fun! Where I live has been my biggest challenge for finding places to practice at anything over 300. I’m sure I can come up with a spot though.

 

[sram9102]

This feels like a place for @Idaholewis to showcase his skills with a sidelock if he is still around.

 

[lak2004]

Appreciate it fellas. I'll probably go with a 450-500 mer based on my comfort level of shooting. I've never shot much passed 400 and wouldn't feel comfortable doing it on a game animal. Add much as I'd like to say I'm good enough to shoot 600+, just not there yet.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

 

[Justin Crossley]

Man, the prizes for this are going to be good! Who would like to win a Swarovski ATC spotter for their backcountry hunts this year???

ATC/STC

Thought out in the minutest detail, the compact spotting scope impresses with its intuitive operation.

www.swarovskioptik.com

 

[Geewhiz]

Man, the prizes for this are going to be good! Who would like to win a Swarovski ATC spotter for their backcountry hunts this year???

ATC/STC

Thought out in the minutest detail, the compact spotting scope impresses with its intuitive operation.

www.swarovskioptik.com

Coworker just bought one of those. Its a bad mofo.

 

[Rich M]

How do we handle nonstandard targets? I’ve got an access to a range that goes out to 1000, but the targets are what they are. I can shoot a 600 yard target, but it might be a 16” square. I can’t control that. Without getting permission to go out a measure, I don’t know if there are any 10” circles out there. This question may have been asked already, sorry if I missed it. I highly doubt they would let me run around the training center painting circles on targets!

Get some 10-inch dirty bird, shoot N C or other reactive targets.

 

[TheCougar]

Get some 10-inch dirty bird, shoot N C or other reactive targets.

It’s not a matter of getting a target. It’s a matter of getting permission to set up a target at a specific distance, on a controlled range.

 

[Justin Crossley]

It’s not a matter of getting a target. It’s a matter of getting permission to set up a target at a specific distance, on a controlled range.

Doesn't the range go "cold" for people to put up and take down targets throughout the day? All the ranges I've shot at are that way.

If not, it may require extra effort to get permission to set a target up or mark an existing target.

 

[TheCougar]

Doesn't the range go "cold" for people to put up and take down targets throughout the day? All the ranges I've shot at are that way.

If not, it may require extra effort to get permission to set a target up or mark an existing target.

In Texas, one range yes, one range no. Out here in VA, there are only two long range facilities that I’m aware of. One is Quantico, and that’s a hard no. The other is Peacemaker, and I’ve not asked yet. They have their own steels set up and I’ve never seen anyone out on the range or setting up their own targets. I know one of the RCOs, so I can ask next month when I go up there. It’s certainly worth asking the question, and perhaps if I give them a steel plate they can set it up for me. Peacemaker only has their long range active one day per week, so it’s pretty limited, unfortunately. There’s no other place in VA or WV that I’m aware of. I did a google search and came up empty. Does anyone know if any resources to find long distance ranges: a map, or listing, search engine, etc?