Stopped at the state range on my way to my wife's family's "Shoot Out at The Ranch" event tomorrow. I had a couple of guns I needed to shoot before the event. Got the 9mm PC with the Holosun so it is +/- 3" from POA from 25 yards to 100 yards. I also got speeds on a new lot of bulk Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor 140 BTHP that I bought since this Howa rifle likes it and I only have about 100 of the AAC 140 Sabre Blade Black Tips left that I was saving for hunting. This Hornady ammo did not disappoint... ES of 92.6 on the first 5 shot group. I would have been mad but it was a sub 0.7" group. It's low (still sighted in for the AAC ammo) but I just put the offset into my Shooter profile for this lot of ammo.
I then turned my attention to steel. Went with the right side targets first. Wind was from the rear so no issue with first round impacts at 200, 300 ,400, 500, and 600 yards. I then went to the left side and shot the 330 yard first round then missed 0.2 mil right on the 490 target. Held 0.2 mil on the reticle and hit on 2nd round. I pulled out my wind meter and couldn't get more than 2 mph at any place around the firing position so I used that number @ 90⁰ to the 1000 yard steel and it told me 0.3 left so I dialed and sent the first one. Good on the waterline but still 0.2 mil right. Held 0.2 in the reticle and sent a second for hit. Sent a 3rd with the same hold and backed it up for back to back hits on the 1000 yard full size IPSC steel. By the time I finished I had 20rounds across the Garmin and had a speed of 2604 fps with an ES of 95.5 and an SD of 28.9. I guess that's what you can expect for a buck a round from Hornady.
By this time the rifle was warm and some new folks had shown up to shoot (I was alone before they showed up) and they wanted to put out targets. I started breaking my gear down while they were shooting and they were out of both handgun and rifle ammo in about 10 minutes. I over heard them talking about going back to town to buy more ammo. They requested a ceasefire on the line so they could get their targets.
I decided that there isn't anything more patriotic that you could do on the 250th celebration of this countries Independence than letting some guys you doesn't even know crack some steel at extended distances so I asked if they want shoot some steel. They said "Sure, how much?" like I was going to charge them! I told them no charge as long they hit a target at least once...
I took Shooter 1 and talked him through how to dial a solution for 330 yards, how to use a rear bag, and how to squeeze the trigger and he got a first round impact. Shooter #2 got behind the gun and he used the dope already dialed and made a first round impact. Shooter #2 got first chance at the 490 yard target. I gave him the solution to dial and he missed his first shot at that target. I told him he could try again. Miss #2. He was hitting low. Like 2 mils low. He admitted he has a bad flinch from shooting his own rifles and he usually hits low even at 100 yards. My rifle is suppressed and he said he was flinching even though this rifle is super soft to shoot and he knows it won't hurt his shoulder. I talked him through shot 3. We talked about good form, relaxed grip, not rushing the shot before he was read, and making a clean trigger break. He nailed it on shot 3. Guy jumped up and did a happy dance and hugged me. I got shooter #1 back behind the gun and put 3 rounds in the magazine. Since he was now cold on the gun, I had him dry fire on the target using the dope already in there from shooter #2. He verified the target (wasn't sure if he was shooting at the 490 or 1000 yard target) and did a dry fire. Shooter 1 proceed to go 3 for 3 on the 490 yard target.
They both commented on how soft that 6.5 Creedmoor shot. I said hold on and went and grabbed my Tikka CTR 223 with the UM OG6-S on it from the truck. I had them each shoot it at the 330 yard target once. They couldn't believe that the recoil felt like a 22LR and that the impact on steel was so loud.
These 2 guys thanked me multiple times and offered me money for helping them shoot further than they ever had before. They asked me if I had a business card and if I was a shooting instructor. I just told them I was a good old boy with some accurate rifles that liked to see people have fun. By the time they left, shooter #2 was talking about getting his barrel threaded and buying a suppressor and getting a FFP MIL scope. I guess I'm a bad influence even when I'm just trying to be nice...
Here's to freedom seeds and new friends! Happy 250th Independence Day.
Jay
I then turned my attention to steel. Went with the right side targets first. Wind was from the rear so no issue with first round impacts at 200, 300 ,400, 500, and 600 yards. I then went to the left side and shot the 330 yard first round then missed 0.2 mil right on the 490 target. Held 0.2 mil on the reticle and hit on 2nd round. I pulled out my wind meter and couldn't get more than 2 mph at any place around the firing position so I used that number @ 90⁰ to the 1000 yard steel and it told me 0.3 left so I dialed and sent the first one. Good on the waterline but still 0.2 mil right. Held 0.2 in the reticle and sent a second for hit. Sent a 3rd with the same hold and backed it up for back to back hits on the 1000 yard full size IPSC steel. By the time I finished I had 20rounds across the Garmin and had a speed of 2604 fps with an ES of 95.5 and an SD of 28.9. I guess that's what you can expect for a buck a round from Hornady.
By this time the rifle was warm and some new folks had shown up to shoot (I was alone before they showed up) and they wanted to put out targets. I started breaking my gear down while they were shooting and they were out of both handgun and rifle ammo in about 10 minutes. I over heard them talking about going back to town to buy more ammo. They requested a ceasefire on the line so they could get their targets.
I decided that there isn't anything more patriotic that you could do on the 250th celebration of this countries Independence than letting some guys you doesn't even know crack some steel at extended distances so I asked if they want shoot some steel. They said "Sure, how much?" like I was going to charge them! I told them no charge as long they hit a target at least once...
I took Shooter 1 and talked him through how to dial a solution for 330 yards, how to use a rear bag, and how to squeeze the trigger and he got a first round impact. Shooter #2 got behind the gun and he used the dope already dialed and made a first round impact. Shooter #2 got first chance at the 490 yard target. I gave him the solution to dial and he missed his first shot at that target. I told him he could try again. Miss #2. He was hitting low. Like 2 mils low. He admitted he has a bad flinch from shooting his own rifles and he usually hits low even at 100 yards. My rifle is suppressed and he said he was flinching even though this rifle is super soft to shoot and he knows it won't hurt his shoulder. I talked him through shot 3. We talked about good form, relaxed grip, not rushing the shot before he was read, and making a clean trigger break. He nailed it on shot 3. Guy jumped up and did a happy dance and hugged me. I got shooter #1 back behind the gun and put 3 rounds in the magazine. Since he was now cold on the gun, I had him dry fire on the target using the dope already in there from shooter #2. He verified the target (wasn't sure if he was shooting at the 490 or 1000 yard target) and did a dry fire. Shooter 1 proceed to go 3 for 3 on the 490 yard target.
They both commented on how soft that 6.5 Creedmoor shot. I said hold on and went and grabbed my Tikka CTR 223 with the UM OG6-S on it from the truck. I had them each shoot it at the 330 yard target once. They couldn't believe that the recoil felt like a 22LR and that the impact on steel was so loud.
These 2 guys thanked me multiple times and offered me money for helping them shoot further than they ever had before. They asked me if I had a business card and if I was a shooting instructor. I just told them I was a good old boy with some accurate rifles that liked to see people have fun. By the time they left, shooter #2 was talking about getting his barrel threaded and buying a suppressor and getting a FFP MIL scope. I guess I'm a bad influence even when I'm just trying to be nice...
Here's to freedom seeds and new friends! Happy 250th Independence Day.
Jay
