Shooting High

[Wolf_trapper]

Practice shooting at distances further than your planning on hunting. There should be no guessing when your trying to kill deer or elk. No need for that, we should all know better by now. Walking it in on a deer makes me cringe. Shooting steel is fun.

 

[croben]

How big of a difference was the weather and elevation from when and where you sighted it in to when and where you hunted? My .308 starts shooting high as the temperature drops. It shot great all summer and fall. We had a cold front roll in and I shot it when it was low single digits out. It was 3 inches high at 100 yards compared to the time I shot before it when it was low 50’s out.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

OP, if you have not already done so...

Have another competent shooter take a shot at 500 yards using your current ballistics information. This will either eliminate you or pinpoint you as the culprit. It is fast, cheap and provides instant guidance on what to troubleshoot next.

If it is you, then have someone watch your shooting form and adjust your fundamentals as necessary. This is both from a physical as well as mental aspect. Folks tend to shoot well enough at "short" distances but then mind f**k themselves at "longer" distances and their fundamentals deteriorate (ex: pulling the rifle in too tightly).

Plenty of info on the other posts for troubleshooting other potential causes.

 

[wind gypsy]

The gun on a tripod might just be a personal issue for me in general. With the 6.5 being about 7 Pounds lighter I was really able to hold it more steady but I get side to side movement on both.

Have you read up or watched videos on shooting from tripod fundamentals? 7 lbs heavier should make it more steady and easier to shoot off a tripod. Maybe the balance point is out of whack with desert tech and that makes it harder to stabilize on a tripod?

I used to have a Desert tech with 6.5x47 and 300 norma conversions. The idea was one could be a long range elk hammer and the other would be my volume gun for practicing at the range. I offloaded it primarily because I wanted my volume to come with something that had ergos more inline with everything else I shot but both of those barrels shot awesome. I'd think a 308 or 6.5 creed conversion for the DTA would be a better option to practice than a PRC with completely different ergos.

It looks like you may have been shooting across a ravine too based on sidehill pic. Pretty good possibility of up drafts messing with your elevation that you didn't record at the range.

There are too many variables and many cant be explained by just making adjustments to a ballistic calculator. I'd start with the link @TK-421 posted above. In general, inside 700 yards with good data entered in the calculator (including correct atmosphere), muzzle velocity is the primary variable that needs truing. A labradar should have a guy pretty close but increases/decreases in MV still occur based on temps and barrel condition changes from your last range session. So changes in POI from different shooting position, up drafts, different muzzle velocity, bad data in calculator are all likely possibilities. This is why everyone harps on validating and proving things out at distances/conditions further than you plan on shooting before hand.

 

[35WhelenAI]

How high is the centerline of your scope above centerline of the bore?

 

[fwafwow]

I have to admit that parts of this thread reminded me of a recent one by @MaraviaDave... My hats off to the OP for his willingness to post this, especially as a new member - and to the others who are (IMHO) being gentle and helpful in how they are responding.

 

[DeadlyDilly]

Tall target test? Is the scope dialing accurately?

I will look up what that is and try it out!

How big of a difference was the weather and elevation from when and where you sighted it in to when and where you hunted? My .308 starts shooting high as the temperature drops. It shot great all summer and fall. We had a cold front roll in and I shot it when it was low single digits out. It was 3 inches high at 100 yards compared to the time I shot before it when it was low 50’s out.

I shot 300 yards within 2000 feet of elevation and was hitting a little above where I was aiming but I was dialed on the scope based off the calculator which is why I made this post. Im kinda thinking its more of a me problem though. I have lots of new info and tips to try.

OP, if you have not already done so...

Have another competent shooter take a shot at 500 yards using your current ballistics information. This will either eliminate you or pinpoint you as the culprit. It is fast, cheap and provides instant guidance on what to troubleshoot next.

If it is you, then have someone watch your shooting form and adjust your fundamentals as necessary. This is both from a physical as well as mental aspect. Folks tend to shoot well enough at "short" distances but then mind f**k themselves at "longer" distances and their fundamentals deteriorate (ex: pulling the rifle in too tightly).

Plenty of info on the other posts for troubleshooting other potential causes.

Good idea. Will try.

Have you read up or watched videos on shooting from tripod fundamentals? 7 lbs heavier should make it more steady and easier to shoot off a tripod. Maybe the balance point is out of whack with desert tech and that makes it harder to stabilize on a tripod?

I used to have a Desert tech with 6.5x47 and 300 norma conversions. The idea was one could be a long range elk hammer and the other would be my volume gun for practicing at the range. I offloaded it primarily because I wanted my volume to come with something that had ergos more inline with everything else I shot but both of those barrels shot awesome. I'd think a 308 or 6.5 creed conversion for the DTA would be a better option to practice than a PRC with completely different ergos.

It looks like you may have been shooting across a ravine too based on sidehill pic. Pretty good possibility of up drafts messing with your elevation that you didn't record at the range.

There are too many variables and many cant be explained by just making adjustments to a ballistic calculator. I'd start with the link @TK-421 posted above. In general, inside 700 yards with good data entered in the calculator (including correct atmosphere), muzzle velocity is the primary variable that needs truing. A labradar should have a guy pretty close but increases/decreases in MV still occur based on temps and barrel condition changes from your last range session. So changes in POI from different shooting position, up drafts, different muzzle velocity, bad data in calculator are all likely possibilities. This is why everyone harps on validating and proving things out at distances/conditions further than you plan on shooting before hand.

I have read/watched some info I honestly didn't think I was going to shot off the tripod this year until it all happened. I was shooting up pretty good. He was right where the snow and no snow meet. I plan on loading to get consistent MV and testing me shooting vs a guy I know that shoots .338 for competition.