Improving accuracy

[Anti39]

Hi folks,

Looking to tighten up my groups out to 500 yards - I know that’s not long range for most but it’s my personal kill limit on my 30-06 with factory loads - however I’m starting to plink steel a bit further.

My question is….

Besides plenty of practice and discipline, would adding a muzzle brake or getting the rifle properly bedded help tighten up my groups out 300yds that much?

At this moment in time, I can range, dial and shoot - keeping that group in a 14” round plate.

The rifle in question is a Sako 85 Finnlight 30-06 and it definitely has a sporty muzzle jump.

Looking forward to hearing your opinions!

Cheers

PFA

View attachment 909724

From what you are saying it sounds like practice is going to be the most important in your case. After that I would work on getting closer to 1 moa. I don't know how those sakos shoot but every savage I have ever loaded for will shoot under 1moa easily. Most decent modern rifles with the ammo quality we have access to now SHOULD get you at least 1moa if you try some different loads.

 

[S-3 ranch]

So no experience at all in what you are saying?

Good scopes do not wear out. At least not in 100,000 plus rounds of dialing on them. However the list of “good” scopes is pretty small, and they aren’t Burris or Leupold.

I agree, leupold has gone down hill in the last decade or two, Burris though based in Greeley Co is now assembled in the Philippines, and no longer have naval bronze components
Bohemian made and manufactured seem the most reliable imo
What is your short list of reliable brands that can tolerate fools fidgeting around with the turrets?

 

[Jordan Smith]

I don’t use mechanical turrets, my main rifle scopes is a Burris signature with a posi loc
And I have not needed to unlock it and adjust it in probably 20 years ( hundreds of rounds down field with no issues)
Now my buddy Jodi white shoots competitions and wears out scopes and barrels
He neither condemns nor promotes any brands of glass , and only states
Some are better than others but they all have a limited number of shots before failure!

I know apples and oranges between a hunting rifle and competition or military.
Failed is failure ultimately whenever you fiddle fudge will turrets
German and bohemian components imo last longer in terms of a hunting scope than say a scope manufactured in the Philippines or Portuguese factories?
Sorry if I swerved off topic , but I will still stick to importance of components !
Plastic stocks putting pressure on the barrel , scope turret wear. Unfavorable ammunition. And trigger pressure irregularity’s ,

I guess you shouldn't use barrels, either, since they eventually wear out?

When it comes to scopes, they are certainly not all created equal. As I said before, start with robust gear and then get to practicing/training.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Hi folks,

Looking to tighten up my groups out to 500 yards - I know that’s not long range for most but it’s my personal kill limit on my 30-06 with factory loads - however I’m starting to plink steel a bit further.

500 yards is a long shot and unless you're consistently (weekly) practicing hunting shot positions, in hunting type terrain, and regularly seeing good hits on vitals sized targets, then you have no business shooting at animals at 500 yards. This, is of course, just my opinion that many on Rokslide disagree with; and even more folks disagree with in person until they come out and actually shoot.

My question is….

Besides plenty of practice and discipline, would adding a muzzle brake or getting the rifle properly bedded help tighten up my groups out 300yds that much?

You need to understand the capabilities of the rifle and separate them from your own abilities at 300 yards. A Sako 85 Finnlight will always shoot much better than you can personally shoot, unless something is fundamentally off with the gun (based on your photo, the scope and rings are suspect in the overall longevity of maintaining a good/known zero). The optilok rings work until they don't, same with the Leupolds unfortunately. The yardage doesn't matter.

At this moment in time, I can range, dial and shoot - keeping that group in a 14” round plate.

Someone who shoots and practices regularly will have a good hit rate on a 14" plate at 300 yards, caveat being your gun hasn't lost zero.

The rifle in question is a Sako 85 Finnlight 30-06 and it definitely has a sporty muzzle jump.

Any lightweight hunting gun in .30-06 will jump on ya. Proper fundamentals can help, but only go so far with free recoil energy. I'd personally have a reputable smith cut/thread/re-crown the barrel and suppress it. This adds a bit of weight (good thing) and helps with overall recoil and muzzle rise/shooter anticipation. I'd also look for a stock with better ergos for shooting and helping mitigate recoil a bit better. Look for a used Sako 85 Carbon Wolf Stock, or even the Carbon Lite stock has better comb and ergos than the Finnlight stock. The best route would be to have someone make you a custom wood stock for it.

Looking forward to hearing your opinions!

Cheers

PFA

View attachment 909724

 

[alderchokedhellhole]

500 yards is a long shot and unless you're consistently (weekly) practicing hunting shot positions, in hunting type terrain, and regularly seeing good hits on vitals sized targets, then you have no business shooting at animals at 500 yards. This, is of course, just my opinion that many on Rokslide disagree with; and even more folks disagree with in person until they come out and actually shoot.

You need to understand the capabilities of the rifle and separate them from your own abilities at 300 yards. A Sako 85 Finnlight will always shoot much better than you can personally shoot, unless something is fundamentally off with the gun (based on your photo, the scope and rings are suspect in the overall longevity of maintaining a good/known zero). The optilok rings work until they don't, same with the Leupolds unfortunately. The yardage doesn't matter.

Someone who shoots and practices regularly will have a good hit rate on a 14" plate at 300 yards, caveat being your gun hasn't lost zero.

Any lightweight hunting gun in .30-06 will jump on ya. Proper fundamentals can help, but only go so far with free recoil energy. I'd personally have a reputable smith cut/thread/re-crown the barrel and suppress it. This adds a bit of weight (good thing) and helps with overall recoil and muzzle rise/shooter anticipation. I'd also look for a stock with better ergos for shooting and helping mitigate recoil a bit better. Look for a used Sako 85 Carbon Wolf Stock, or even the Carbon Lite stock has better comb and ergos than the Finnlight stock. The best route would be to have someone make you a custom wood stock for it.

Thank you for the detailed response!

I definitely will not be taking any shots at animals close to 500 until my consistency and process is dialed. I will be focusing more on getting tight groups and fundamentals at 100 with the 6.5cm.

Unfortunately, where I am, we cannot run suppressed and a new stock isn’t in the cards this season. My goals are to upgrade the scope and rings in the offseason and if funds allow maybe a new stock.

cheers!

 

[Castle Rock]

the stock you have is an excellent stock
Burris bases , pic rings and a more reliable scope , the rest is up to you

 

[hibernation]

500 yards is a long shot and unless you're consistently (weekly) practicing hunting shot positions, in hunting type terrain, and regularly seeing good hits on vitals sized targets, then you have no business shooting at animals at 500 yards. This, is of course, just my opinion that many on Rokslide disagree with; and even more folks disagree with in person until they come out and actually shoot.

Guys I know through work all act like 500 yards is easy these days with custom dials and expensive magnum rifles. None of them ever shoot away from the benchrest, none of them shoot regularly, and they all come back after hunting season with stories about total rodeos on 250 yard shots.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Guys I know through work all act like 500 yards is easy these days with custom dials and expensive magnum rifles. None of them ever shoot away from the benchrest, none of them shoot regularly, and they all come back after hunting season with stories about total rodeos on 250 yard shots.

Shocker haha.

 

[The Harbor Master]

Guys I know through work all act like 500 yards is easy these days with custom dials and expensive magnum rifles. None of them ever shoot away from the benchrest, none of them shoot regularly, and they all come back after hunting season with stories about total rodeos on 250 yard shots.

This is my exact experience as well. And they'll look at you like you're literally retarded if you say you wouldn't take a 500yd + shot.

 

[Southern Lights]

The more I have shot at long-range in competition, the less and less I ever want to do it on game animals. Making hits past 600 yards consistently enough for hunting is hard. Up to 400 you can be a little sloppy and still do OK to a point if you practice consistently in field positions. Past 600 things go downhill extremely quickly and I don't care what anyone is claiming or showing in their carefully edited videos hocking their sponsored products.

Most shooters with hunting weight rifles that practice some in field conditions are lucky to hold 3-4 MOA which means 300-400 yards is max for most game animals if you are playing the odds. If you are really good, 2 MOA in field conditions. Which means 600 yards is a 12" impact zone and that's again if you do everything perfectly. I have seen very few shooters hold 2 MOA in field conditions. They would be people that practice constantly for competition shooting thousands of rounds a year.