What did you do at the range today?

[Matt5266]

Picked up my 22ARC lastnight and took her for a spin this morning. After a quick barrel break in, I walked it out to 700yds then ran out of ammo. Loading more up tonight and will go out to 1k tomorrow

View attachment 1050797

I love that paint scheme!

 

[Robinhood21]

I love that paint scheme!

Thanks! I’m digging the way it turned out also!

 

[justinspicher]

On the way to the “range” yesterday. The Tikka 223 with the NXS. 2.5-10x32 is strapped onto the snowboard rack on the tunnel. No care taken outside of how I normally ride. Shows the importance of a gun setup that doesn’t suck.

View attachment 1050808

Way to one up the drop test………

 

[ColPenguin]

I have a bunch of 140 grain FMJ Aguila 6.5 CDMR from when ammo was kind of hard to find. It shoots terrible.

I didn't take a control group to the range with me today to compare though. As far as I can tell, past problems, are likely some inconsistency with their neck tension or seating.

Shot a control group of Aguila 140 6.5 CM, out of the box with no tinkering to compare to pulled / reseated group that I fired last week.

Had 3 rounds of Ammo, Inc. 6.5 CM 140 SST that wouldn't chamber last week. These shoot excellent in my Tikka, but occasionally get one that won't chamber. Took those home, pulled bullets, weighed charges, bumped shoulder, reseated. The Ammo, Inc. may have the same ball powder and approximate charge of around 41.4 gn, as the Aguila.

Shot at a few milk jugs, and plates, prone and seated with 6 CM and 223 out to 200. Found a golf ball, someone had left and shot through that. I even shot the fuzz off a dandelion. But I couldn't manage to hit another one a second time. Picked up a couple of golf balls and my own milk jug trash, before I left the range.

 

[justinspicher]

Another Sunday Gunday for me and the dudes. We shot the lower portion of the walkthrough course and I put them on a timer today. They are improving everytime we go out.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

I have been having some inaccuracy issues with my Tikka T3X in .243, 20” 1:8” twist OEM barrel, factory threaded 5/8x24. I currently have 150 rounds through it.

My best groups have all been around 1.6”, whether with Hornady American Whitetail 100-grain or hand loaded 107-grain TMKs.

This morning, I tightened the action from 45 to 60. It made no apparent difference.

One of the Hornady 100-grain groups from today:

The second group was the same size. The factory ammo seems pretty consistent.

Older groups with the same ammo shot essentially the same size groups.

Two groups with the 107-grain TMKs.

If [mention]B_Reynolds_AK [/mention] or anyone else has suggestions, I am all ears. Worth taking it apart and putting it back together again? Try a different scope? Accept it as rifle with a 1.6” group? I know it doesn’t need to be more accurate for how and where I hunt, but it annoys me that I can’t get better with it.

Edit - I don’t recall adjusting the windage, but it is interesting that in this group from last Tuesday, it was hitting slightly to the right. I need to check whether I adjusted it.

If I didn’t adjust it after this group (and I remember specifically thinking I would not touch the elevation because I am just going to use that ammo up), then if it is wandering left, that could be a scope or mount issue?

Edit #2 - nope, checked the DOPE and the scope. I definitely made the correction for the windage.

Edit #3 - the barrel seems to have sped up by about 50 FPS since the first session (as expected ).

 

[Q_Sertorius]

In between shooting the .243, I shot a hundred .22 LR from the T1X from offhand and seated unsupported at 50 yards. 0.5” dot, 3.5” circle, 6” plate. I need to slow down more.

 

[Tanner]

I have been having some inaccuracy issues with my Tikka T3X in .243, 20” 1:8” twist OEM barrel, factory threaded 5/8x24. I currently have 150 rounds through it.

My best groups have all been around 1.6”, whether with Hornady American Whitetail 100-grain or hand loaded 107-grain TMKs.

This morning, I tightened the action from 45 to 60. It made no apparent difference.

One of the Hornady 100-grain groups from today:

The second group was the same size. The factory ammo seems pretty consistent.

Older groups with the same ammo shot essentially the same size groups.

Two groups with the 107-grain TMKs.

If [mention]B_Reynolds_AK [/mention] or anyone else has suggestions, I am all ears. Worth taking it apart and putting it back together again? Try a different scope? Accept it as rifle with a 1.6” group? I know it doesn’t need to be more accurate for how and where I hunt, but it annoys me that I can’t get better with it.

Edit - I don’t recall adjusting the windage, but it is interesting that in this group from last Tuesday, it was hitting slightly to the right. I need to check whether I adjusted it.

If I didn’t adjust it after this group (and I remember specifically thinking I would not touch the elevation because I am just going to use that ammo up), then if it is wandering left, that could be a scope or mount issue?

Edit #2 - nope, checked the DOPE and the scope. I definitely made the correction for the windage.

Edit #3 - the barrel seems to have sped up by about 50 FPS since the first session (as expected ).

If it isn’t already, I’d be bedding that rifle and if it still won’t shoot I’d be tomato staking the barrel and moving on. Life is too short for barrels that aren’t eager to please

 

[justinspicher]

Put out three more steel targets and found two elk sheds.

Them targets are borderline rude.

 

[RockAndSage]

Put out three more steel targets and found two elk sheds.

Them targets are borderline rude.

Out of curiosity, are you putting out any longer-range pistol targets?

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

Try a different scope?

Yes, I would put on a different scope and try again. If that doesn't work, either bed it yourself or reach out to @longrangelead since its in a wood rokstok and get his opinion.

 

[justinspicher]

Out of curiosity, are you putting out any longer-range pistol targets?

Not really, at least not intentionally. I’m not a big pistol guy and shooting a pistol long range has no interest to me. The way the range is set up you could shoot pistols out to 400yds of a guy wanted to.

My days of a pistol being a primary weapon are over so I don’t focus on it enough to warrant shooting it past about 10yds.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

If it isn’t already, I’d be bedding that rifle and if it still won’t shoot I’d be tomato staking the barrel and moving on. Life is too short for barrels that aren’t eager to please

It’s already bedded. I took it apart and checked everything out underneath. It all looks good to me.

Then I cleaned the bore. I will give it another chance or two to redeem itself before I replace the barrel.

I also have a SWFA 3-9x on its way to me. I might as well put that on it while I am messing with it.

It’s a bit frustrating, but time and ammo are plentiful right now.

 

[RockAndSage]

Not really, at least not intentionally. I’m not a big pistol guy and shooting a pistol long range has no interest to me. The way the range is set up you could shoot pistols out to 400yds of a guy wanted to.

My days of a pistol being a primary weapon are over so I don’t focus on it enough to warrant shooting it past about 10yds.

It might be worth considering. Especially if any of your crew are still carrying a handgun to work, or for general EDC capability auditing. But also for the crossover skill that benefits carbine/rifle capabilities, in really mastering the trigger-press needed for longer range pistol.

 

[justinspicher]

It might be worth considering. Especially if any of your crew are still carrying a handgun to work, or for general EDC capability auditing. But also for the crossover skill that benefits carbine/rifle capabilities, in really mastering the trigger-press needed for longer range pistol.

Nobody carries a handgun for work, they never have.

I understand the point you’re trying to convey, and I even appreciate it, but it’s honestly just not a focus for this group at this point.

 

[longrangelead]

Yes, I would put on a different scope and try again. If that doesn't work, either bed it yourself or reach out to @longrangelead since its in a wood rokstok and get his opinion.

all wood Rokstoks are pillar bedded standard.

 

[Chris in TN]

Took an older AR out this afternoon that I hadn't shot in forever with an unmagnified red dot sight (it's an old Aimpoint M68/CompM2). It's never been zeroed with the ammo I took and never been zeroed with a suppressor, with any ammo at all. I just winged it. ~180 yards, seated off poles/sticks. I managed to put 10/20 shots on an 8" plate. Every hit was on the left side of the plate. All the misses were past the left side of the plate. Vertical encompassed the entire plate - I'm not *that* good - and it's obvious that I need to shoot it from an actual bench and rezero it. But I was pretty happy with it for an unmagnified red dot.

I then shot my 6.8, still seated w/poles/sticks, ten shots at 350 yards at a 16" plate:



Best I can tell that's about 2.9" or close to 0.8moa. That'll do.

I realize the 6.8 is basically a dead caliber (its ballistics are basically the fat slow twin brother of the 5.56/77TMK, and the 110VMAX is probably a little tougher than a TMK, but not much, and they work fine as long as you stay above maybe 1900' or 2000' impact speed) but this is the rifle that taught me - decisively - that you don't need a 30-06 to effectively kill deer. Recoil is about 6 ft/lbs and I have shot several doubles and at least one triple with this rifle.

 

[justinspicher]

Did some carbine work with a buddy today shooting from 50-300yds using 11.5” uppers/red dots. I haven’t done that in a long time and it was a hoot.

 

[dreadi]

Took an older AR out this afternoon that I hadn't shot in forever with an unmagnified red dot sight (it's an old Aimpoint M68/CompM2). It's never been zeroed with the ammo I took and never been zeroed with a suppressor, with any ammo at all. I just winged it. ~180 yards, seated off poles/sticks. I managed to put 10/20 shots on an 8" plate. Every hit was on the left side of the plate. All the misses were past the left side of the plate. Vertical encompassed the entire plate - I'm not *that* good - and it's obvious that I need to shoot it from an actual bench and rezero it. But I was pretty happy with it for an unmagnified red dot.

I then shot my 6.8, still seated w/poles/sticks, ten shots at 350 yards at a 16" plate:

View attachment 1052453

Best I can tell that's about 2.9" or close to 0.8moa. That'll do.

I realize the 6.8 is basically a dead caliber (its ballistics are basically the fat slow twin brother of the 5.56/77TMK, and the 110VMAX is probably a little tougher than a TMK, but not much, and they work fine as long as you stay above maybe 1900' or 2000' impact speed) but this is the rifle that taught me - decisively - that you don't need a 30-06 to effectively kill deer. Recoil is about 6 ft/lbs and I have shot several doubles and at least one triple with this rifle.

Killed most of my deer with 6.8 SPC.