"With your best field rifle, known range & favorable conditions (good visibility, light to no wind, prone on bi-pods, time on your side); how far do you feel you can hit a 6" circle with your coldbore shot (no sighters) with a 90%+ confidence (you'd be willing to put up a $100 bill on hitting it)"
I have taken a challenge upon my self to try this no matter the conditions. 20 shots on 20 different days!
I will be doing a video documentary on my progress
Today I shot from 587 yards, In very windy conditions.
I used to have a life size deer target as my 800 yard target. I would practice CBS through the vitals of that deer target. It died 90 percent of the time with a few rifles. The vitals on a deer are a little larger than six inches though.
I practice cold bore shots almost every day. My range is set up right out my front door. I have targets to 1100 yards. When I get in from lunch I will pick a target and shoot once. When I get in at night, if there is enough light I take another. My gongs are 6" circles out to 500, then they are 10" out to 1100. I will move to different spots to make my ranges different too. It is alot of fun, I wish I had a way to video.
Living on a ranch has its perks that for sure. All my gongs are portable. Back years ago when I was working on the in laws place, I had gongs set up along the roads I traveled and practiced quick shots out of the truck. I practiced that for all the coyotes I would seen while feeding cows. It helped me a lot as I shot more coyotes from the roads every year than I would call in it seemed.
You guys may make more money than I but I like my perks managing a ranch, and this is one of them!
Clayne B. I have taken upon myself to try your challange, this will be day 3 for me. The first day I tried a CB shot at 1000 yards, winds gusting to 22mph straight across( I wouldn't have taken the shot on a animal) temps were 54 degree's. I clicked up 6.4 mils and held 4.2 mils for wind, I missed. I was about 5 inches off the target.
Yesterday I shot at 645 yards wind 25 mph quartering to the target from left to right. Temps were in the low 40's. I moved my scope up 2.4 mils and held mil for wind and I hit my target on the right edge.
I haven't decided yet today if I will take a 400 or a 700 yard CB shot.
I am shooting a 6mm Remington 700 with a Douglas barrel, 26" 1 in 8 twist. My bolt made by Pacific Tool and Gauge. My scope is a Burris 6.5x20x50 MTac, stock is original for now. My trigger is a Remington trigger but I will be changing that too. My Load is with Reloader 22, Winchester cases, CCI mag primers, and 107 grain SMK rolling out of the barrel at 3150 fps.
You guys may make more money than I but I like my perks managing a ranch, and this is one of them!
Clayne B. I have taken upon myself to try your challange, this will be day 3 for me. The first day I tried a CB shot at 1000 yards, winds gusting to 22mph straight across( I wouldn't have taken the shot on a animal) temps were 54 degree's. I clicked up 6.4 mils and held 4.2 mils for wind, I missed. I was about 5 inches off the target.
Yesterday I shot at 645 yards wind 25 mph quartering to the target from left to right. Temps were in the low 40's. I moved my scope up 2.4 mils and held mil for wind and I hit my target on the right edge.
I haven't decided yet today if I will take a 400 or a 700 yard CB shot.
I am shooting a 6mm Remington 700 with a Douglas barrel, 26" 1 in 8 twist. My bolt made by Pacific Tool and Gauge. My scope is a Burris 6.5x20x50 MTac, stock is original for now. My trigger is a Remington trigger but I will be changing that too. My Load is with Reloader 22, Winchester cases, CCI mag primers, and 107 grain SMK.
LBSmith
Nothing wrong with the looks of that rifle my friend! I've got one that looks similar in 30/06 with a Hart barrel and it shoots quite well at 1000 yards.
You guys may make more money than I but I like my perks managing a ranch, and this is one of them!
Clayne B. I have taken upon myself to try your challange, this will be day 3 for me. The first day I tried a CB shot at 1000 yards, winds gusting to 22mph straight across( I wouldn't have taken the shot on a animal) temps were 54 degree's. I clicked up 6.4 mils and held 4.2 mils for wind, I missed. I was about 5 inches off the target.
Yesterday I shot at 645 yards wind 25 mph quartering to the target from left to right. Temps were in the low 40's. I moved my scope up 2.4 mils and held mil for wind and I hit my target on the right edge.
I haven't decided yet today if I will take a 400 or a 700 yard CB shot.
I am shooting a 6mm Remington 700 with a Douglas barrel, 26" 1 in 8 twist. My bolt made by Pacific Tool and Gauge. My scope is a Burris 6.5x20x50 MTac, stock is original for now. My trigger is a Remington trigger but I will be changing that too. My Load is with Reloader 22, Winchester cases, CCI mag primers, and 107 grain SMK.
I kinda like the looks, kinda old school if you ask me. a tuned remington trigger can be just as good as a jewel. I think the aftermarket triggers come into play with pull weights below 1# above that remingtons can be just as good.
RMulhern, Cumminscowboy, she shoots real good with the way it is set up. Here are 2 groups on a 1000 yard target (12"). In the lower group one shot just ticked the side of the target. I moved up 1 click and over one click and shot another. Those are the ones you see towards the center. My knive is 3.5 inches long the way it is in the picture.
I took my shot just now...715 yards, light wind from left to right(4mph) I moved 3.2 mils up and held .25 mil for wind...Hit center of target. My gong is a 9" square.
My wife said her still picture camera will shoot video( she has got a big fancy camerawith a huge zoom lens on it), I am gonna see how it works if it works for crap I will try to post video.
Thanks Tanner, I like it alot more than my first long range build. My first was a 300 wsm. It doesn't get shot much now since I got this put together. The 6mm is cheaper to reload and way less recoil.
I shot my cold bore shot this morning while waiting for feed to mix in the feed truck. My target was 517 yards. My target was at a angle, it is a 5.5x5.5 inch gong, I had about a 4"x5.5 target the way it was angled. I was shooting from the calving barn instead of my normal position by the house. If I would have been shooting from the house the target would have been straight on and only 410 yards. The wind was calm temps low 50's 1.6 mils up (I am zeroed at 300) and held nothing for wind. If the target would have been straight on I would have come pretty close to dead center but instead I hit center of target but close(1") to the edge that was facing me. It was a hit but not center is what I am trying to explain.
That is my scariest target for me, I miss that little target more than I miss my 1000, I just syke myself out sometimes on it because of its size.
What do those bullets preform like at that range and velocity?
It will warm up before you know it.
Hal
The 105 Hybrids are still in the T&E stage as far as seeing how and if they expand properly on coyotes.....I haven't seen enough yet to call it a good, or a poor coyote bullet. FWIW, today I had one run 300+ meters after taking a perfect broadside rib shot at 340 meters. Luckily it was open country and I found it. Exit hole was about 1/2". The other one that was with it, took a frontal, facing shot at 210 meters and never took a step. That bullet went completely through her from end to end. If they don't work well enough, I'll go to the 115gr Hunting VLD's. I've taken several hundred coyotes with that one in the XC and it works really well, even at 800+ meters. The concept of the 105 Hybrid with a G1 BC the same as the 115gr and 150fps more speed is why I'm fooling around with it on coyotes.
The 105 Hybrid is the bullet I'll use for comps this summer.
Shot 6... Today I chose 804 yards. Wind was out of the south today around 7mph, so it was coming across the range from right to left. Temps are in the low 60's. My 800 yard gong is 9x9. I moved my scope up 4.2 mils and held 1 mil on the left side of target. I missed by about .5 of a mil to the left of the target. Seemed to be more wind down range than there was at the house. Just for fun I moved down the the calving barn and shot 3 times at the 1100 yard gong, first shot miss, the next 2 I put on the gong. I might have to try the 1100 for my day seven target. I did video my shots today but I can't zoom in that close to the target to see anything or hear the hit on the camera. I need a bigger video camera.
The last 2 days I have been shooting Berger 168 VLD's With RL-15 powder. And that is a load I have NO experience with. I am not blaming the results on that. But check this out
Here are some groups I shot after the Cold Bore shot with my original load with a 168gr SMK with Varget powder and the VLD RL-15
Someone pointed out my case of Dyslexia, I said 8.5 mll and I dialed 9.5 mil. Just went and checked my ballistic chart. and I should have dialed 9.5 mil. Guess I was thinking one thing and talking about another. haha
Someone pointed out my case of Dyslexia, I said 8.5 mll and I dialed 9.5 mil. Just went and checked my ballistic chart. and I should have dialed 9.5 mil. Guess I was thinking one thing and talking about another. haha
My shot number 7 was late yesterday as I was over at the neighbors branding calves most of the day. I picked 680 yards(my 700 yard gong from the normal shooting position). We had winds out of the south east which was coming half value from right to left at 5 mph. I moved mys scope 3 mils and held .25 mils for wind, I JERKED the trigger! big miss!! I shot over the target by a foot.
My boy showed me up... I slid the rifle over to him and told him where to hold for wind and he hit dead center.
I am amazed at how well my rifle shoots after cleaning, LOL. I have put around 80 or so rounds since the last cleaning. Got it scrubbed clean with Gun Slick Pro foaming gun cleaner. I went out to run a couple fowlers after The cleaning. I started at 525, wind was calm, temps are in the upper 60's. I moved my scope up 1.7 mils. Dead center hit, I thought that was a little odd as it usually hits low with the first shot after a cleaning. I moved to the next target, 640 yards, moved scope up 2.4 mils from zero. Hit... 2 inches left of center. Now I am on a roll so I found 700. Its 711 yards to be exact. Moved 3.1 mils up....Hit... just left of center by 2 inches. I felt pretty good by now as my wife was in the yard watering grass and she herd every hit. I moved to 800 (804). I moved my scope 4.3 mils from zero...Hit....I couldn't see for sure but it looked like center right to me(there was a couple hits on the target from the other day and I haven't painted it yet).
Now I am on cloud 9 so onto the 1000...moved up 6.3 mils from zero, I held for no wind....HIT....That made my day and my wife finally believed me that I could hit the 1000 yard gong.
Dan, Thanks. I can get you one built just like it if you want...with a little cash and a action on your end of course LOL.
Clayne B, nice shooting there. I could tell by the mirage in the video it was moving pretty good out there. Almost all my misses are do to not holding enough for wind. It gets to be more luck than anything out past 500. I have gottin better at reading the surroundings at the target with more shooting I do, I guess that is where a good spotter comes into play.
What is your friend shooting for a 204? Is he shooting heavy bullets? If and when I build my long range 204, I will build it to shoot heavy bullets. If I do that all my rifles that I shoot long range will have the same trajectory. I have made some long shots with my 204's over the years but they fall transonic with a 40 grain vmax around 730 yards(with my loads). Its not that I am shooting coyotes that far with it but it would be nice to practice with that rifle versus my 6mm(it would be a little cheaper).
This morning I took my number 9 shot. I moved up from my regular shooting position 77 yards got a range...924 yards. Wind was 5 mph out of the south so I put half value of wind from right to left. Temps were in the low 50's. I moved 6.1 mils up from zero. I held a half mil for wind...Hit. Upper right corner of target. If I would have been shooting a 6" circle I would have missed by about 2 inches. It was pretty cool to hear the hit this morning, it really echoed back to the house. I guess the air was just right to carry the sound.
I will take today's shot this evening when I get back to the house.
I just did my Cold bore number 10. I chose 1104 yards. I felt pretty confident in making the shot because there was little wind to speak of. It got warm today and was still in the upper 70's when I took my shot. I moved my scope 7.8 mils up from zero and settled into the trigger, just then a breeze hit me on the left cheek. I didn't give it much thought pulled the trigger....miss. I struck about a half mil to the right of the target. I had 4 rounds left in the rifle so I continued to put them down range. I adjusted for the half mil I missed by and fired...hit. shot again...hit...again...hit and the last round....hit. I put the 4 all on a 12 gong at 1104 yards. I haven't gone out to look to see how the group looked on the gong, but I am pretty happy with a group like that at that yardage with a hunting rifle.
Heck I thought I had to fight wind here, you got rough shooting in that stuff. Through this whole deal our weather here has been pleasurable to shoot in. The wind has been the biggest factor. I have practiced in the rain and even in a snow storm or 2. I try to practice as much for a real hunting situation as possible.
I want that stock! I wonder if they make it in a left hand long action?! Thats pretty cool shooting, its fun to monkey around like that. Thats funny you shot like that, I shot off shooting sticks today!
My shot today was pretty simple, or so I thought. I picked a even 500 yards with my shooting sticks, and a tree for a back rest. The wind was out of the south again around 10 mph(from right to left) and it was sunny and 72 degree's. I moved my scope up 1.5 mils from zero and held .75 mils for wind....hit. I hit just on the left edge of the target. If I would have been shooting at a 6" circle like you I would have to call it a miss. So it would be a miss for me today.
We are supposed to have 30 mph winds tomorrow so it should be a treat to try to get the wind figured out!
I went out and did a little shooting today. The CBS was on a 9" rock at 841 yards. I was shooting in the mountains, from one side of a mountain, across a canyon, and into the opposite mountain side. The wind seemed perfectly still on my side of the mountain, and judging by the vegetation on the opposite side, it was perfectly still there, too. I dialed 13.75 MOA into the elevation turret on my .243AI and held dead on for windage. There was an unseen wind going through the canyon of about 3-4 mph right to left, and my first shot missed left by about 1.5 MOA from the center of the rock. I held off 1.5 MOA for the next few shots and the rifle was stacking them right in the middle of the rock.
Reading the wind in canyons is always challenging for me.
I was reading through my posts and I have only done 11 days including today. So I will report one more tomorrow.
Today winds were terrible. 24 mph out of the south. I picked 665 yards off shooting sticks. I had to hold 2 mils for wind, I moved my scope 2.8 mils from zero. I had a pretty good rest, I was using a tree as a back rest and had myself crunched up in a tight ball to hold the rifle steady....Hit. It wouldn't have been a hit in a 6" circle but I was very surprised I hit steel!
Here is a summery of my shooting...
Day 1... 1000 yards,...Miss... 22 mph wind full value
Day 2...645 yards....miss(hit target but not 6"from center). wind quartering to target at 25 mph.
Day 3...715...Hit....winds calm, center of target.
Day 4...517...Hit...winds 5 mph quartering to target.
Day 5...804...Miss...Winds 7mph full value, missed by .5 mil(windier down range)
Day 6...680...Miss...Jerked the crap out of the trigger(boy showed me up)
I have been building myself ~ 3 rifles per year. In 2011 I was really good out to 500y with a 7mmRM, but could not rely on 600y. In 2012 I was good to 400y with a 257RAIR.
I am building a 270 and and a 7mmRM right now. My goal is 600 yards.
Just made my final shot. I picked 777 yards...lucky number 7. Ind today was stiff, around 30 mph. It was a 4.5 mil hold for wind. I move 3.9 mils up from zero....Hit. About 2.5" from center.
I shot a few rounds at 1000 yard gong, and hit it a couple times, I had to move my scope for wind because it was 6 mil hold for wind and I only have 5 in my scope. It was fun to play around with it.
So my total is 8 hits in 12 days on game size targets(coyotes antelope and deer. But only 4 hits that were less than 6" from center. I am pretty happy with that, there is room for improvement that for sure.
I practice cold bore shots almost every day. My range is set up right out my front door. I have targets to 1100 yards. When I get in from lunch I will pick a target and shoot once. When I get in at night, if there is enough light I take another. My gongs are 6" circles out to 500, then they are 10" out to 1100. I will move to different spots to make my ranges different too. It is alot of fun, I wish I had a way to video.
Man! I wish I lived in country here I could have room to shoot like that! Real shooting you're doing there! I'm jealous
Anytime, my door(or range) is always open. I am gonna try to do some long range PD hunts this summer too. You are more than welcome to come shoot with me. I do alot of cowboy action and mounted shooting too, you can try your hand at that as well.
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He knows how to shoot AND follow instructions.