FR Gun Club - Precision Shooting

Precision Shooting ^ | Steve Adelmann

[sig226]

It’s been my experience that the most controversial subject in long range shooting is that of the right cartridge. The real answer is there’s not one perfect caliber or load. There are both good prospects that deliver and dismal failures that succeed in advertising only. The good news is that folks pursuing the elusive “One Mile Shot” have several choices. It’s likely that more options will emerge as time and technology progress. When I got involved in this endeavor several years ago, I had only the .338 Lapua Magnum (LM), .408 CheyTac® and the already fielded .300 Win Mag (WM) and .50 BMG sniper systems to work with. Of those, .338 LM and .408 advertised the most promise but offered the fewest options at that time.

Tried and True

While not likely to win the long-range crown, .300 WM is worth discussing as a natural starting point. It’s a favorite among snipers blessed with access to it, and for good reason. The traditional tactical load allows match grade 190 gr. Sierra MK projectiles with BCs in the .588 range to reach muzzle velocities (MV) around 3000 fps. The result is flatter trajectory, shorter flight time and decreased wind effects when compared to the conventional .308 Win. At standard atmospherics (59 deg F, 78% humidity, 29.53 in Hg) with a MV of 2950 fps, these projectiles decelerate to the speed of sound (1117 fps at this temp) around 1375m. This load is phenomenally accurate out to 1000m with operational evidence of it far exceeding that range in the right hands and platform. Despite many years of experience shooting issued .300 WM rifles, I wasn’t savvy enough to put more R&D effort into giving this cartridge longer legs. Fortunately there are professionals currently doing good work in this arena with heavier projectiles and different barrel configurations. The US Army would do well converting the soon-to-be mothballed M24A1 into Remington Arms’ .300 WM, M24E (Enhanced) configuration. Not only would this re-chambering extend the Army sniper’s effective range to 1000+ meters, Remington’s external box magazine conversion would be a welcome addition to the system. Though there’s a practical limit to this cartridge’s effective distance, overall it’s solid for sniping and further development may bring renewed interest in employing it “out yonder”.

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[sig226]

If you ever want to find out about shooting the most accurate groups possible, Precision Shooting Magazine is one of the best sources available. The International Benchrest Shooters can talk accuracy until the micrometers come out.

[sig226]

ping

[CholeraJoe]

I’m not really into precision shooting. That probably explains why I prefer shotguns to rifles. Thanks for the thread anyway.

[wendy1946]

Amongst non-expensive firearms and ammo there is one very good choice for long range shooting, which would be the 270 WSM and that Barnes all-copper 140 gr bullet. No muzzle brakes needed, recoil is about like a light 308 bolt action, and the less dense copper bullet has a huge ballistic coeffient. Load to about 3300 - 3400 fps. Obvious choice for a rifle would be that heavy barreled Savage which can be bought for around 600 on Gunbroker.

Guys used to spe3nd more on scopes than on rifles and that's no longer necessary, the latest generation of Chinese tactical scopes is more than adequate for something like that. The idea would be to get on either gunbroker or ebay and buy the best Chinese tactical scope you can find, two or three hundred dollars or thereabouts.

[Tainan]

Good topic and real interesting article. Thanks.

[bmwcyle]

Always keep your gun sighted well

[6ppc]

The PPC cartridge developed in the 70's by Ferris Pindell and Lou Palmisano is without question the most accurate cartridge in the world. There are arguments as to whether the 22 or 6mm versions are more inherently accurate, but the 6mm version performs best in the wind.

The PPC cartridge was originally a wildcat based on the .220 Russian cartridge. Even though there is now a 6PPC USA cartridge, everyone in benchrest shoots the original PPC cartridge and fireforms brass from Lapua .220 Russian brass.

I have been a competitive benchrest shooter since 1996 and belong to both NBRSA and IBS. I recommend checking out Benchrest Central, in particular the centerfire benchrest forum.

I am planning at some future date (when I get time) to put together a detailed article on short range benchrest for the FRGC.

Any freeper who may be interested in extreme accuracy is welcome to freepmail me. I'll be glad to introduce you to my personal addiction.

WARNING! Once you have been hooked by the extreme accuracy bug you will no longer be satisfied with minute of deer accuracy! You will take your deer rifle to the range and come home pissed because it shot .75 inch groups instead of .25 inch groups.

[Damifino]

I bought one of the new Thompson Center Icon bolt action rifles for my son for Christmas. I want to take him out west to hunt elk and mule deer this fall. It is the new round, the TC30. It's a (another!) .30 cal round. I wanted to try it because it supposedly has near the velocity of an 0-6 with 70% of the recoil of a .308. It is a tack driver! My son is 12 so he needs the light recoil and it's perfect. He can group inside of 2” @ 150 yds off the bench and pound the crap out of a bowling pin off-hand at that distance. I'd use it myself if he would share his ammo with me. HA!

[Shooter 2.5]

You need a custom rifle and then you need all the accessories to feed it. You can get the accessories here:

http://www.sinclairintl.com/reloading.html

[gieriscm]

ping

[Pistolshot]

Precision shooting. Where man, weappon, ammo come together for the most accuracy available.

I could not do it, because I don't have that kind of patience, but the ones who can, get all the respect I can give them. They are the ones who drive the commercial companies to strive for factory reproducable accuracy.

[P8riot]

I am really happy with my AR30 in .338 Lapua Magnum. It is the most accurate rifle I own, specially with the 300gr Match Kings. It’s fun to obliterate pumpkins and watermelons a mile away (Lee Emory would be proud). I haven’t taken the plunge yet, but I’m saving my pennies for a .50BMG or a .416 Barrett

[Deaf Smith]

The two best (accurate) factory rifles I think were ever made were the Remington 78’s and the 788’s. All examples I have seen over the years could put three shots touching each other @ 100 yrds with the right ammunition.

On a side note, my old Ruger Ranch Rifle gets more accurate over time and miles.

[ctdonath2]

Get thee hence to Storm Mountain for their Long Range Rifle courses 1 2 3.

[B4Ranch]

It’s been my experience with beginner precision and long range shooters that they don’t understand the importance of getting into a comfortable position where they can look through the scope without straining or over-strectching any other muscles in their body.

When you learn to attain a comfortable position, one that you can stay in for a minimum of 20 minutes without any strain, then IMO you are ready to begin learning the rest of the game.

Do some stretching exercises, take a short walk, stop by the restroom, have a drink of water, clean your glasses, loosen your belt and your boots if they are too tight. Is your shirt too tight? Is there a rock under your tarp that is distracting? Get rid of all those distractions so you can concentrate shooting.

Then, Get thee hence to http://www.snipercentral.com/forums/

[B4Ranch]

I’ll buy another NightForce before I would look at glass from China.

[ctdonath2]

The courses I referenced are the shooting half of Storm Mountain’s famed sniper courses (other half being stealth & intelligence). You learn how to get comfortable as you can, and ignore what you can*, to overcome all mental obstacles and focus on launching that third-inch slug at an 18” target 1000m away. You learn to mentally enter a very small place that becomes your universe, very Zen-like. In the given context, you certainly do what you can, but may very well not be able to do much to eradicate distractions.

Precision shooting: you do everything you can to remove every minute obstacle to achieve the perfect shot.
Sniping: you’re dropped into the worst possible conditions and despite every obstacle** must achieve the perfect shot.

* - Anecdote: when practicing for the final exam, the head instructor was doing dang near anything he could to distract us, including tickling my leg.

** - Same class: one morning, the fog was so heavy we couldn’t see the targets. This did not stop us from reliably hitting them.

[ctdonath2]

Guys used to spe3nd more on scopes than on rifles and that's no longer necessary

You're not actually trying to hit a man-sized target lurking behind trees 1000m away are you?

BTW: the upper photo was from ~1000m (to target at top arrow), bottom from ~600m (same target, so imagine the target appearing about 1/2 the size).

[6ppc]

Factory rifles are generally hit or miss without accurizing, and no rifle will perform up to snuff without proper handloading techniques and load development. I have a Remington 700VS in .308 that I used to learn extreme accuracy shooting. I tuned the trigger down to 1-1/2 lbs and developed a load using Berger 168 VLD bullets that would consistently shoot 5 shot groups under .5 inch until I shot the barrel out.

Benchrest rifles, on the other hand, are not competitive unless they shoot .2 inch 5 shot groups consistently. No factory rifle will be able to achieve that kind of accuracy for more than a group or two at a time.

[JDoutrider]

Ahhhhhhhh!

So That's where you hide out when not hangin here!

Good site... been around awhile.