Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Competitive Shooting 52 gr MatchKings at 300 yards

I was at the range the other day and got a late start. I tried my 52 gr bullets at 200 yds and they shot in the X ring.
I didn't get a chance to try them at 300 though. They have less recoil than the 77 gr load I have been using. Lets see a show of hands. Should I try the 52 gr bullet at 300 or stick with the 77 gr? I am guessing on a windy day that the 77's will drift less in the wind. I need some leg points and its not getting any easier for me as I get older.
GWN

I have used the 52 grainers in many 300 yard prone matchs, but I was using them in a 22-250. I could keep 40 rounds within 3 inchs at 300 which would produce a score of 400 36x on a reduced 600 yard target.

With my AR shooting service rifle class I stay with 69 grainers for the short course and 300 rapids and then change to 80 grainers for the slow fire. I have tried the 52 grainers at 200 and they actually shot much better than the 69 's but to keep things simple I stay with just the 2 weights 69 and 80.

If you are getting really good groups with the 52's at 200 I would at least try them at 300 before you commit to shooting a match with them. I have never had very good luck with the 77's so I have stayed away from them.

I've got quite a bit behind this comment. Distinguished, state team shooter, P100, only shooter to clean 600 at Perry with service rifle on a few tough days etc..., HM with service rifle both XC and LR. Please, this is not bragging but you don't know who you are talking to on the net, this is just to show that I've got experience to post this(though anyone can type anything- note my handle- its my highest leg match score)

Let me just say, either drive 69s as fast as you can or use a stout load with 77s . Pick the most accurate of the bunch. 73 Bergers are also a good bet. You'll be needing to see 1.5 inch 10 shot groups to really get anywhere. Which can be done with a service rifle with a good barrel and good ammo. Often times I"m searching for 1 inch even. Will not accept greater than 2 inches.

Wind will be your worst enemy here. Stick with the above mentioned bullets though each has to travel at about max speed. IE if you use 69s 3000 is a good goal, maybe unreachable, but go towards it. With 77s you need 2750 minimum to better the fast 69. 73 bergers need 2850 appx to equal the 77s or the fast 69s. This is not computer generated, this is real life shooting with a service rifle since 1990.

IF you use 52s at 300 for anything, I'd say they are GREAT for learning the wind prone slow at 300 on a reduced target. I've got to say that cleaning the reduced 300 is nothing more than a search for a high X count for me normally. Switching to 52s makes it a challenge and any shot I could get away with a 10 on with 75s or 80s will net me a 9 or worse with a 52. I can easily clean 300 prone slow with anything BUT the 52s. Those actually make me work the most. And as noted are a great training tool.

End answer NO. Actually reading the notes on 52s vs 69s at 200. They look good in the wind on the computer at 200. Yet if it gets to one of those days where the wind bumps your sitting position, the 52s will get blown around also. Maybe not the whole group but you'll have individual fliers.

Best of luck on the Dist. Badge. It is something that my wife is proud of and so am I. It took a few years of hard knocks for both of us to get finished.

Let me add this in after my years. Standing is only you. Get into a bubble. Stare off into space and look at leaves, trees etc... between each shot, hear nothing or no one else. Snap out of the tree stare and mount the gun and shoot the shot and go back to your tree.

Sitting is an easy guess. Just remember if there is wind to put the correction on. I never put my correction on the gun till I'm on the mat(well sometimes). Just remember to put it on.

600 is one shot at a time and you can muff the wind call at 600 on shot one and still recover. Practice prone slow with a 22 at 50 yards or 100 yards as much as you can. Over and over and over. 600 is easy.

300 can take you from the lead to way under the cut in 70 seconds. You must learn to shoot tiny knots and then be savy to the wind. I make notes before the string. What the max and min correction should be etc.... I totally know(or hope I do) what I'll put on according the the flag under any situation. Make SURE your ELEVATION is on the gun. Fire only solid clean shots. Take a glance for the first 2 but dont' waste time. Most times you won't see them though at Perry there are times when they are visible. The best scope helps. Optolyth 100MM or Leica or Zeiss. But don't waste time looking for them. In reality when we were seriously chasing the badge we shot all 300 yard rapid strings without sighters. If they made us fire them at an asinine range per the rules I'd fire them between targets into the berm or impact area. Or over the top.

Mentally it helps to be not be used to the crutch of sighters.

IF forced to shoot them I often would stand and go down and load like a real string and fire the shot on cadence instead of taking a careful prone slow type shot.

Learn to shoot the string really fast just in case you get in a bind. You'd be surprised how quick you can shoot a 7-8X clean if you are centered and need to make up time. I take the time needed to be into a perfect NPA and TIGHT sling before firing round #1.

We haven't shot now in about 2 years. I'm missing Perry but life has thrown us a curve and we are off on different tracks.

Best of luck, Jeff

Jeff,
Thanks for sharing! You are obviously a much better shot than I am. I am not able to shoot much over 450 on a good day. (So far)
I think your tip about shooting the sighters is a fantastic one and could make me into a 470 shooter very soon. I thank you in advance.
Jim

I shoot 52's in our monthly 300 yd BR matches in a 14 twist barrel. They do surprisingly well if you have a good rifle and it is in tune. If you miss a condition they will take off on you, but if you pay attention they can work very well. Try em you might just like em.

I shoot 52's in our monthly 300 yd BR matches in a 14 twist barrel. They do surprisingly well if you have a good rifle and it is in tune. If you miss a condition they will take off on you, but if you pay attention they can work very well. Try em you might just like em.

Pooch, BR is great, but what GWN is asking for can kill his chances at leg points. At 300 we fire 10 rounds rapid in 70 seconds with iron sights. There is only time to check your scope before the string and after the 2nd shot. And there is a great chance that you won't see your holes anyway. Thats one reason that wind resistance is more important that group size for that yard line. BC becomes an issue in the 223 and its why 300 is a game for 69s and larger in reality.

Jeff

Jeff

rost495
When I used to shoot an M1A Supermatch I used the same load at all distances. 41.5 grs IMR 4895 and 168 MatchKings. I think I could have picked up a few points using 175's at 600 yards but they were not available then.
Now I am tempted to use the 52's at 200 yards and the 77's at 300 yards. I have never gotten the results I wanted at 600 yards with the 80's and am tempted to try the 77's at 600 yards to see how that works out. That would simplify things by only having two kinds of ammo per match as well. It is going to be awhile before I get all this sorted out. It seems like when I want to go to the range there is 20-30 mph winds that day and its hard to test ammo when there are other variables that I can't control. Thanks for your valuable advice.
Jim

Jim, check your PM.

I shot 4 different kinds of ammo at one point because there were reasons to do it. IE my score could show it. Don't limit yourself to trying to run the old M852 route. When allowed I'd shoot OLD sierra 180s at 600 and my scores showed the difference. Most folks I know that still shoot the dinosaur(I've got 2 in McMillan stocks in my safe still) shoot 125-150s short, 168s at 300 or 175s if its windy. And then 175s at 600(VLDS would be even better).

When leg cuts go for 480 and up, you need every point you can get. 77s will work for 600 but they'll loose you points if you are not a good wind doper. IF the 80s don't shoot, either the chamber or barrel is bad or your loads are not tweaked out. Every barrel that I"ve shot over the years would group the 80s at 4 inches or less at 600. Most would run 2-3 inches. The super barrels would cut that last figure almost in half. FWIW there have been and will continue to be good and bad lots of bullets. IE sierra 80s work fine till you get a bad run. I keep a stock of 80 JLK(out of business unfortunately), 80 bergers, 80 sierras, (now you could add noslers too and hornady???) and 75 amax to fall back on if my favorite bullet creates problems.

IF you shoot 77s at 600, all I can say is shoot fast but be careful.

Remember simplicity is nice but it may not win the match.

Jeff