Gamerancher wrote:To be honest, a lot of blokes severely limit the useful "point blank range" of their rifles by zeroing at too short a range.
A .308 Wichester, with the load you are using, would be better sighted for a 200yard zero.
Now before all of the squeals about that being "too far" for a hunting rifle, and "I never shoot anything past 150", let me explain.
A 200yd zero will have the bullet printing about 1' high @ 50, 2.3" high @ 100, 2" high @ 150, spot on @ 200, 3.7" low @ 250 and 9.4" low @ 300Yds.
So, any "game" between 0 and 250 yards, ( your effective PBR ), you just aim in the middle of the boiler room and it will be a kill shot, ( if you do your bit of coarse).
You also have the ability to take a reliable shot at game out to 300 because a back-line hold will still drop into the desired target area. NO HOLD-OVER.
That same rifle zeroed @ 100yards will print POA @ 50, POA @ 100, 1.5" LOW @ 150, 4.6" LOW @ 200, 9.6" LOW @ 250 and 16.6" LOW @ 300yards.
You effectively loose 50 yards of PBR and get into hold-over territory @ 250. Cheers,
bigfellascott wrote:Gwion wrote:bigfellascott wrote:Any of those results will be good enough to hunt with, pick one and go huntin, no need to waste more time and money for bugger all diff down the pointy end results wise.
I think you are missing the point that he quite enjoys the process.
Also, those groups are 50yd. Some of them would be 2" at 100yd.
Nothing wrong with being thorough, especially when you are new to it and learning basic processes for tuning a load.
Is the rifle not for hunting? if so stop wasting time and money and start using the thing on ferals, G'tee they will die with that sort of accuracy, after all he's not shooting groups on em, just one shot and they are down, my point is you don't need bench rest accuracy to shoot things with a 308, animals that are usually hunted with such cals are big as a rule and you won't be shooting off a bench controlling your breathing and reading the wind and shooting at measured distances, it's more take aim and shoot type deal most of the time, sometimes with a rest whether it be a bipod or tree etc.
People get all obsessed with groups and if they ain't tiny they think they can't hit anything, fact is you will hit most of the time if you know how to shoot (ie allow for holdover if needed or wind if needed) I still haven't tested loads in my 204 for some of the projectiles/loads I made for it and yet it's good enough to take heads of bunnies out around 260-270m or so. The Tikka 308 shoots around 1.5-2" groups with the factory ammo I'm running in it at the moment but so far everything I shot at it with has fallen over and dropped dead on the spot (using trees or bonnets for a rest).
If it were a varmint rifle I would say fine tune it as best you can but it ain't so no need to be pedantic about group sizes etc. Little targets small groups, big targets bigger groups are fine
SHV wrote:always get 5 shot under 1 moa easily
Gaznazdiak wrote:bigfellascott wrote:Gwion wrote:bigfellascott wrote:Any of those results will be good enough to hunt with, pick one and go huntin, no need to waste more time and money for bugger all diff down the pointy end results wise.
I think you are missing the point that he quite enjoys the process.
Also, those groups are 50yd. Some of them would be 2" at 100yd.
Nothing wrong with being thorough, especially when you are new to it and learning basic processes for tuning a load.
Is the rifle not for hunting? if so stop wasting time and money and start using the thing on ferals, G'tee they will die with that sort of accuracy, after all he's not shooting groups on em, just one shot and they are down, my point is you don't need bench rest accuracy to shoot things with a 308, animals that are usually hunted with such cals are big as a rule and you won't be shooting off a bench controlling your breathing and reading the wind and shooting at measured distances, it's more take aim and shoot type deal most of the time, sometimes with a rest whether it be a bipod or tree etc.
People get all obsessed with groups and if they ain't tiny they think they can't hit anything, fact is you will hit most of the time if you know how to shoot (ie allow for holdover if needed or wind if needed) I still haven't tested loads in my 204 for some of the projectiles/loads I made for it and yet it's good enough to take heads of bunnies out around 260-270m or so. The Tikka 308 shoots around 1.5-2" groups with the factory ammo I'm running in it at the moment but so far everything I shot at it with has fallen over and dropped dead on the spot (using trees or bonnets for a rest).
If it were a varmint rifle I would say fine tune it as best you can but it ain't so no need to be pedantic about group sizes etc. Little targets small groups, big targets bigger groups are fine
That's a valid point Scott, for you and many, many others.
But for some people doing the absolute best you can with what you have, and doing it through your own trial and error experimentation is as much a part of the shooting as detonating rabbits, foxes and cats.
Speaking for myself, if I'm making something, I want it to be as close to perfect as I can get it, even if it will never be seen by anyone, just for the personal satisfaction of doing something well.
My car will get me from A to B and through all sorts of terrain as standard, but if I can tweak some extra power and tighter handling, why wouldn't I?
It's all part of the DIY attraction, I get far more satisfaction from using a tool I've made in my shed than I would from an expensive Snapon spanner.
Horse for courses, buddy.
Gaznazdiak wrote:Yeah Scott, I was wondering about the choice of 50m, at 50m you could just about use a rock.
Perhaps SHV is city bound (what a hideous thought)
I'm really glad that the only ones allowed to shoot here are myself and the family who own the place,, as we've all grown up with guns.
I've often wondered about shooters who get the vast majority of their shooting practice at short range or in a constrained and regimented format like a range, I've seen what happens when some of these guys go bush.
Blood fever going, snapping shots from ridiculous ranges or angles or all firing at once like they're storming Omaha Beach.
Not for a second suggesting SHV is one of the above shower, but there are a few.
SHV wrote: always get 5 shot under 1 moa easily
bigfellascott wrote:Try taking the pic in the vertical not horizontal position.
Nice little group mate, she shoots well.
bigrich wrote:bigfellascott wrote:Try taking the pic in the vertical not horizontal position.
Nice little group mate, she shoots well.
thanks scott . i played around restoring old v8 holdens and working on rods and stuff, so i like to tinker . that's half the fun for me, i don't get out for a hunt as much as i would like, so tricking out my rifles and working up loads is how i do my thing . needed a 'TOY' so i don't shoot out the barrels on my hunting rifles chasing loads, got myself a rossi '92 in 357 fun and challenging shooting it at 50 yards with open sights, and they only take around 16 gr of ar2205 per case to reload . happy daze