accurate to 150yds-what next?
Hey everyone. I hope you all had a great Christmas or whatever holiday you celebrate. I have been fortunate to make a friend and gain access to a fine ranch where I get to hunt enough to fill my freezer and shoot every rifle I own when I want. The landowner is quite impressed with my shooting and it makes me proud but I really want to get better. I can hit a tennis ball size target regularly out to 150yds consistently. I have no formal training and am looking for direction without teaching myself bad habits. I understand holding onto the rifle and I was taught to breathe by a Marine, but where do I begin to formulate longer distances? Do I just mark off intervals of 50yds and watch where the dust flies? I have read ballistic charts but don't believe that they are exact for every rifle of a certain caliber. I do not understand a mildot scope and can't find anyone to explain it in a way I get it. I am not illiterate but it seems that I can read data sometimes and it just goes through my ears. Any help? I love hunting and shooting and would love to learn to be a serious marksman now that I finally have the space to practice. I enjoy shooting at the ranch so much more than the range surrounded by either scary newbies or the elitest alchemist type guys. Thanks
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Using a good rest, place targets every 50yd and count how many clicks up from your 100yd zero it takes to re-zero at the new range. Write it down. (note that after your done shooting, you return your scope to your 100yd zero).
It won't take long and you will have developed your own, personal, drop chart for your rifle, which you can fasten to the stock for ready reference.
It will look something like this (numbers off the top of my head)
100yd = 0 clicks
150yd = 2 clicks up
200yd = 3 clicks up
250yd = 5 clicks up
300yd = 8 clicks up
350yd = 12 clicks up
400yd = 16 clicks up
etc for as far out as you want to go.
Once you know what adjustments to make at the various ranges, than it becomes a "simple" matter of knowing the actual range to your target (laser range finder?). Looking at the above "chart" for 375yd you would probably want to dial in about 14 clicks to put the first round on target.
The only way to get better (at any range) is to practice more.0 -
one2hutn,
I'd do what tailgunner describes for your elevations. Also as you go up in elevation make sure you look for groups moving left or right. It can show an offset scope or a scope that isn't perpendicular to the rifle (rotational). If it's a large change you will want to get the scope straightened out. If it's a minor change then you will have to note which way the bullet moves and put that with your elevation data.
Don't confuse that with wind! Wind moves your bullet more at longer distances. So if you have a 90 deg. 3mph crosswind from the left, and your bullet is moving right @ 300 you'll know why. If your bullet is hitting dead on in a wind, when it quits your bullet will move back to the left. So, as you extend your range and elevation try to do it once in a while when there is no wind. It really helps to find the baseline for where your scope hits.
As for mil-dot and moa (minute of angle), they are angles, not distances. When you assign a distance/height to them then you have a range, or vice-versa. Which can be found by an equation. This may help a bunch:
http://www.snipercountry.com/articles/mildot_moa.asp0 -
Thank you and Happy New Year. 0 -
one2hutn,
Hope you had a great Christmas too
Not to sound like a promotionist, but you can eliminate most if not all of your range calculations by going to one scope - the Huskemaw Optics 5x20x50 Long Range scope. It is available through your gun dealer or direct from www.thebestofthewest.net. All you need is a good range finder and be able to dope your wind. But the scope will dope the wind for you if you know wind direction and speed. Give it a look see. I've certainly been impressed with mine. If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask.
Cheers,
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