Precision Long Range Shooting

Am Shooting Journal ^ | 12/28/2018 | L Vickers

[w1n1]

Larry Vicker and Walt Wilkinson of Gunsite were pushing the range limits on the Lapua 338.
Larry was using a 338 Lapua/250 grain bullet with Schmidt&Bender scope, Atlas bipod and with a Armament suppressor.
A fact that most long range shooter understands when shooting out to beyond 1000 yards the bullet starts to drop like a rainbow. Thats due to (getting a little technical here) the environmental factors of temperature and barometric pressure. So to overcome this is to run the math in a ballistic app.
That's the reason why they say a grouping at 1500 yards should be at fifteen inches group, where at closer range your groupings could be at 5 inches.

The un-suppressed rifle starts out at 300 yards for zeroing and pushes out to 2500 and outer space to see where the rounds go. For the 338 Lapua with the 20 inch barrel the drop off point was at 1470 yard. The bullet is tumbling, yawing, spinning out of control and would land in a group size of a Volkswagen.

From here its back to the 1313 yards where the gun was in the zone with a suppressor attached. Suppressed Lapua had no problem hitting steel targets at 1313 and 1470 yards, but lost it at 1583 yards. Read and see more of precision shooting.

[spokeshave2]

monts = months.

[G Larry]

Had cataract surgery in my left (non-shooting) eye and they screwed it up with a smudge on the replacement lens, so I have permanent blur in upper left periphery.

[familyop]

Wow. I salute you! Well done! A man-sized target at 400 yards is excellent with a military rifle, iron sights and military ammo! Very few can do that. I probably wouldn’t do it at 300 yards with iron sights now (old eyes).

[farming pharmer]

Wow. I salute you! Well done! A man-sized target at 400 yards is excellent with a military rifle, iron sights and military ammo! Very few can do that. I probably wouldn’t do it at 300 yards with iron sights now (old eyes).

Iron sights: I point at something I can see, then adjust the sights until I hit the target. You're right, it is harder to use the irons as one gets older, and I really like iron sights.

[Erik Latranyi]

A 20” barrel on a .338 Lapua?!

No way they stabilize a 250 grain bullet with a 20”

Fail

[familyop]

I used to hit silhouettes often at 300 meters on Army ranges—better than most. Not now, though. Too blurry. :-)

[yarddog]

Actually it is not hard at all although I will admit to being a bit surprised when my Nephew also hit it regularly.

I think the key was the sights were dead on at 400.

[Redcitizen]

“Read and see more of precision shooting.”

This article may be about the subject of precision shooting, but this blog needs a precise writer.

[Farmer Dean]

Buy a rangefinder and a ART scope.Then you can do some serious work.Sounds like you are already an excellent marksman.

[Farmer Dean]

The first thing I teach new shooters is the fundamentals of marksmanship.You don’t need a fancy high dollar rifle.A 1MOA rifle in the hands of an expert will do nicely.

[saleman]

All bullets “drop” the same. Time of flight to the target is the difference. There are several factors that affect this of course.

Accuracy and velocity are independent and not necessarily related.

I live in an area that is full of hunters. And a bunch of them actually think a bullet “rises” when it leaves the barrel. Bullet starts “dropping” the minute it leaves the barrel. Of course you know this. Just expanding a little.

Trajectory would be the more correct term(s)?

[saleman]

Just looked it up. WOW!!

The primary armament of an Iowa-class battleship consisted of nine breech-loading 16 inch (406 mm)/50-caliber Mark 7 naval guns,[1] which were housed in three 3-gun turrets: two forward and one aft in a configuration known as “2-A-1”. The guns were 66 feet (20 m) long (50 times their 16-inch (410 mm) bore, or 50 calibers, from breechface to muzzle).[2]About 43 feet (13 m) protruded from the gun house. Each gun weighed about 239,000 pounds (108 000 kg) without the breech, or 267,900 pounds with the breech.[3][4] They fired 2,700 pounds (1,225 kg) armor-piercing projectiles at a muzzle velocity of 2,500 ft/s (762 m/s), or 1,900 pounds (862 kg) high-capacity projectiles at 2,690 ft/s (820 m/s), up to 24 miles (21 nmi; 39 km).

1900 lb. projectile at 2690 fps? Just Wow!!!

[OKSooner]

Frankly most of this stuff that gets posted on the internet is uh... not helpful, just clickbait for kids and the uninformed.

Learning and then repeating basics every time is always a good idea, especially in shooting, as is learning to appreciate and to use what one HAS.

BTW it's nice to see you posting here right after Christmas, I hope you're doing well.

[MeganC]

“Somebody needs an editor. That’s some pretty poor English. Decent information, though.”

Here you go:

>> While the article in question provides nominal information it is presented in a manner that is less than satisfactory in the application of the common vernacular. Clearly the author could benefit from having his work previewed by a skilled and capable editor. <<

(-:

[semaj]

I’m jealous. Just acquired a 27” custom Islander from a friend who used to design and build them. Needs a new motor and the standing rig needs adjustment (lengthening) to accommodate a taller mast. Panama is my dream destination.😎

[RedStateRocker]

I think the information was far better than ‘nominal’. Quite useful, actually! I wanted a .338 Lap, but just going to stick with the 300 Winnie for now.

[Lurker]

“Same goes for an accurate handgun and beer cans at 100 yards.”

I can hit a 2 liter bottle at 120 yards with my Kimber 1911. Of course I can drink a cup of coffee by the time the bullet gets there. LOL

L

[Travis McGee]

If the rigging wire is more than 10-15 years old (it probably is) you might consider just replacing it all at one time.

[semaj]

It’s brand new, as in stored and never used as is the boat itself. Been sitting in storage for the last 30 years. Thinking about replacing the Universal Atomic 2 with an onboard electric motor.

[Travis McGee]

Sounds good about the wire. If the Atomic works, keep it. Most electric solutions are complex and short range. Sometimes the wind is on the nose, and you just want to go straight ahead 100 miles.