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XP describes how I started doing it before I got a regular exposed turret. I had an older VX III and zeroed the turret Marker and simply turned to where the ballistics said I needed to hit. Myself and my buddy did okay okay to 600 shooting like that. Eventually we went to M1’s and then onto some better stuff but it was plenty to get started. I will say I don’t miss counting clicks these days!

Getting a good speed on your preferred load and a solid zero will put you on pretty solid ground.

Counting clicks is no fun. Gets real fun when your at like 45 or 50 clicks and you lose count lol. Back to zero. 1, 2 ,3 haha.

I don't count clicks, and I don't encourage anyone to do that either.

Well, I have counted clicks, when hunting at night...Different application-Not using any light whatsoever

Great video of Kim! She's having fun.

Yes, the 3-9 Whiskey3 has 1/4 MOA clicks. I can set the zero by pulling up and spinning the dial. I'm hoping clicks and tracking etc. are up to par - I guess I'll find out. Almost spent more on a scope but, I like this one on paper and it was a bargain. Figure my ideas about scopes will be changing with experience anyway. I had a couple of Sigs custom turrets made for it. One for the factory 180 ELDM load which chronos out of this rifle at 2,812 and one for the factory 160gr CX load which chronos at 2,904. After talking with the super helpful guy in charge of these turrets at Sig, he made me one with a double row of straight MOA marks instead of distances tailored to a specific load/elevation/atmospherics. I should easily have the clicks for 1,000yds. I, also, have Burris Fullfield IIs in 2-7 and 3-9 with the ballistic plex reticle. I'm on the fence about the dialing or holding over and figure I'll try both. Bench is a problem around here for these distances. No ranges within reasonable driving distance. I've got a couple places on public land scoped out but, they necessitate field positions. I can see a mountain 50 miles away from my back door and a couple timbered ridges that laser at 600 yds and 1,000yds. But, coming up with a place to shoot with all these dang trees is an issue! I've got a Primos tripod for turkey hunting that I'm thinking of using. That 1,000 yard ridge haunts me! I look at it while having my morning coffee and think about drawing a bead on something way over there. And, knowing that you guys are confident hitting vitals on that 600yd ridge is pretty mind boggling. I'll be happy with 450. More will be a bonus. Probably the limiting factor will be the time I can devote to this. Currently I don't handload due to the time factor.

Thanks again for the advice and encouragement!

Keep your eye on the Maestro!

Andy

Gees, you don`t count clicks, you count minutes. 4 "clicks" equals one MOA at 100. If you have to come up seven to get to 400yrds, you count, 1-2-3-1,one minute, then 1232, 2 minutes, 1233, three minutes etc. Very easy to do, and very easy to return to zero, even in the dark..try it.

For your scope, dialing is the way to go for sure.

Don't think in the number of clicks, but rather the MOA it takes to get you to a certain distance.

For example, if you are shooting at 500 yards, and your drop chart says, 7.75 MOA for your vertical adjustment...Please do NOT think: 7x4=28+3 more clicks= 31 clicks to 500 yards.

Simply rotate your MOA turret to 7 MOA (the 7 on your dial) and add three clicks or dial 8 MOA and take away a click. With MOA you thinking in 1/4's, once you have dialed the whole number.

Nothing wrong with a ballistic turret-If set up correctly for the environmental you are shooting in-They are fast (Especially at 500 and under).

Once you start shooting at 500 yards, and experience some success, the mysticism of that distance will fade away.
Then, you will want to be paying attention to the wind directions and speeds.

Haha, I remember similar days, Scotty. Fun times. I began by using Duplex reticles and “Kentucky windage,” experimenting on water-filled milk jugs out to 600 yards. Then we moved on to BDC reticles like the BP, then to counting clicks, and then finally on to exposed and well-marked turrets. In those days, we’d have to range the target in a series of measurements since our RFs didn’t work all that well past about 400 yards.

A solid zero, a mechanically reliable scope, and a good RF will get a guy out to 500+ yards. Of course, a good muzzle speed and a ballistic calculator will expedite the process of getting field-verified DOPE.

Andy, I would encourage you to test the tracking and RTZ of your scope before assuming that it mechanically works correctly. That verification can avoid a bunch of irritation and confusion down the road.

Gloom, despair and agony on end! lol I haven't used a pack since Boot Camp, 1971! In Artillery we rode in trucks, ha. I can admire guys who love to hunt this way, my Marine SIL is one...but he was "tainted" by 26yrs of Marine Corps, ha. I like to read after the LR Hunters, as I did/do the Benchrest Shooters. I do neither, but I have picked up some Handloading Skills/ Wind Judging Skills, etc from each group. Life is short guys. When I got into muzzleloading, here in Utah, (92) if you didn't dress in Buckskin, use a Flintlock, Coonskin or Skunkskin hat, you got "zero" help from the older hunters. It reminded me of when I started bowhunting (1975) I used a Compound Bow ( they were much slower back then!) and I got no help from the Traditional Recurve/Longbow "20yds and under" group. I didn't care what they used, but some sure did about what I did! I didn't know until a few years ago that is called a "Karen/Kevin" Mindset. ha C'mon, lets all help these youngsters out, no matter what they choose, as long as its Ethical. We all reserve the right to call out Slob Hunters and Lead-Slingers in our Sport! ( I wanted to add "Herd Shooters", OMG, you would think its the Great Depression again and meat by all means is OK!)

PS- I can't find the Scriptures to support it, but I believe The Lord created horses and moved upon Holy Men of Old to create/design "Pick-Ups" primarily for elk hunters! Seems dis-respectful not to use them, lol.

Well lots of great advice, read everything!

This is what I am going to do, I still have a few questions.

I am going to buy this 9x9" AR500 Steel Target and build the stand in the picture below, funny this is that it reads as follows in the product discriotion:

Our AR 500 gongs are cut from 3/8″ plate and measure 9″x9″. Bigger and stronger than our AR 450 gongs, these plates weigh nearly 9 lbs. and are designed for larger rounds. The steel can withstand impacts from 7.62×39, .308, .223, .30-06 and more when used at the appropriate distance. With a loud sound that verifies you’ve hit your target, these plates assist you in practicing both close and long-range shooting, improving accuracy and becoming a more effective marksman.

In your guy's opinion will 3/4" Steel withstand the impact of Nosler Trophy Grade ABLRs 190gr. at 200 with my .300 Win Mag or is it not thick enough? My scope turret is zeroed at 200, and my first shot will be at 200 to see it the scope got knock and is off zero.

Then I will shoot @ 400, 600, and 800 Yards.





xphunter, I will take your advice I am going to paint it White and paint an 8" circle and paint a Red 3" Dot in the middle of it. Maybe paint another circle 1/2 way between the outer edge of the 3' circle and the 8" circle.

Would that be the way you would do it?

Also, that picture I posted from 1969, I was looking at it and laughed. Funny how everyone hunted in regular clothing back in them days, and these days everyone is dressed up in either Realtree or Mossy Oak lol.

Hi Jordan, thank you for the offer, not much of a big group kind of person, but I would like to invite you to join me for a day of shooting anytime next summer, we could meet 1/2 way on Crown property near Red Deer if you like.

And If we get along, would you be up for a Suffield Elk hunt? Never hunted it before, but from what I read, lots of LR possibilities there!

Also, you can shoot my rig if you like $7.00 a round, I will be happy to shoot your beautiful customized rifle and more then happy to pay for the rounds I shoot

I will be happy to film you and you can film me, so we can post it here!

One time on another elk bow hunt I was walking along a small river called Little Smokey River a narrow tributary, not wide at all. It was just breaking daylight and I walked up on a massive pile of steaming Grizz poop, I could not even see 3 feet into the bush on either side of the tributary through the bush. That was quite the wake-up call, a lot stronger than coffee. lol

If you hada good Sat Phone and the right Clearance, you could have called the RAF to send a Drone/Hellfire/Thermal Camera for that Grizz! Man! Those humped back bears bother me! lol

Ya nothing to mess with, that's for sure, I always carry my Mossberg Defender on my back when I am bow hunting.

This is what they will do to you, very graphic picture, so warning before you click, DO NOT OPEN IF YOU ARE SQUIMISH!!

https://imgur.com/pQ1lNEc

This is the bear that did it, and just about as wide as the Little Smokey, where I was. Looks eerily familiar actually!

3/8” AR500 has worked great for me.

I typically start shooting steel at 300-400 yards.

If you want, you could go to 1/2” AR500 steel, but I do not see any reason to go thicker than that.

I would have extra chain-link with you when you shoot, because it’s easy to blow a hole through a chain.

I use conveyor belt strapping on my portable targets, that is what Chuck uses on his permanent steel range that I shoot at as well. Chuck has permanent steel that is not set up on a strap as well.

Very nice setups XP!

How do you attach the straps to the target?

It gave me the idea to go to my local welding shop and have them make a rebar attachable holder that would be more portable and lighter and all I have to do is to pound in the two sidebars, and attach the top bar, better than all of the 2x4s!

Sounds good, Ernie. I'll focus on the dialing. I'm a little concerned about shooting positions. My bare rifle weighs 6lbs and likes a little downward pressure on the fore end which precludes bag squeezing from a bench. I do use a rear bag but I have to get the rifle lined up with the target perfectly on the bags then use my contact points with the stock to get a sight picture on the target to get the little groups. Between my left hand on the fore end and the front sling stud, placement of the front rest is a challenge. I'm realizing why long range guys like a heavier rifle. Which makes me wonder about your rigs. I love the weight of this rifle, though and I'm willing to learn to deal with it. There's guys who shoot light rifles well in the field so, I'm thinking I'll manage. One reason to have a 1/2 inch rifle is because it's going to be a 1 inch rifle in the field!


Will do, Jordan. I'm about to order a collimator. Maybe should have before buying those turrets! Won't be the first $120 ignorance has cost me.


Is there any more functionality to the arbor type over the magnetic type? Magnetic type work well on stainless barrels?

Missed this when you first posted it, Scotty. That pack in front's gotta be pushing 80 - 100lbs, brother! Type-two fun +P!

Agreed. 3/8" AR500 is plenty. I've done a lot of shooting and torture testing of Hardox 500 (an AR500 variant), and it's not bullet mass or caliber that is the enemy of steel, but impact speed.


I strongly agree and highly recommend either old conveyor strap or else rubber mudflaps from Princess Auto cut into 3" straps. Both can take a lot of rounds before breaking, unlike chain links.

For the stand, I have built various designs, and for a portable stand, 4' lengths of 3/8" rebar and homemade brackets made from electrical conduit work extremely well and can take a lot more bullets without breaking than the 2x4-based designs.

I'd be happy to meet for some shooting.

A Suffield elk hunt could be fun. I've killed elk there before, and the level of "gong show" varies, depending on the year and number of hunters.