|
|
Post by duff on Dec 28, 2016 9:00:05 GMT -5
With my first HPR bought this year I took some time yesterday to get more comfortable with my 243. I am under utilizing this gun. I was shooting in heavy gusting winds so not perfect set up but opportunity to shoot at a 400 yard range is slim for me. Anyways, I confirmed I was good out to 200 yards, which is further than 99% of all my shooting would consist of in my nearly 30 yrs of hunting so I am good for hunting IMO.
I just want to get comfortable for some long range shooting. I looked into the ballistics calculator and a few other online tools. I have a lot to learn! Any of you guys into long range shooting? Any leads on rifle ranges near Bedford/Bloomington?
|
|
|
|
Post by lawrencecountyhunter on Dec 28, 2016 10:05:52 GMT -5
Do you know anyone with a big field and a safe backdrop you can shoot in? I usually just stick a big cardboard box out in the field. 400 yard + is tough to find around here though, with our hills, hollers, houses and woods.
|
|
|
|
Post by ukwil on Dec 28, 2016 10:08:28 GMT -5
Same down this way. I need to get my gun setup and get me comfortable shooting long distances for my upcoming hunt in Wyoming. Longest I might find is 250 yards around here.
|
|
|
|
Post by medic22 on Dec 28, 2016 10:16:44 GMT -5
Bass and bucks in Wabash has a 750 yard range. I think its only a couple hours north of you.
400 yards gets old fast
|
|
|
|
Post by dbd870 on Dec 28, 2016 10:23:03 GMT -5
I've done some shooting out to 600yds on a handful of occasions (not at any ranges around here). I'm pretty confident out to 500yds with my 270WSM on a calm day and from a bench. Under hunting conditions with my 30-06 I'll go 300yds as long as it's not windy and I have a solid shooting position. I've killed a handful of deer over 200yds and had a doe dead to rights in the crosshairs, rock solid sight picture, at a touch over 300 (already had a couple in the freezer and it was last light; I didn't feel like dealing with her in the dark. I whispered "bang" when I would have pulled the trigger and got up and packed it in) so I don't think I'm being unreasonable. I've killed WAY more deer 100 and in but I like having the ability to reach out farther.
|
|
|
|
Post by throbak on Dec 28, 2016 10:26:57 GMT -5
Switzerland county Sportsmen Club Has 500 yards
|
|
|
|
Post by stevein on Dec 28, 2016 10:29:35 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by medic22 on Dec 28, 2016 10:43:53 GMT -5
Im pretty sure a range officer has too verify you at various distances before you can shoot out to 1000. Long haul from bedford for that. |
|
|
|
Post by steiny on Dec 28, 2016 10:51:19 GMT -5
I have a place where I can shoot long range, then set up a bench rest and paper targets every 50 yards out to 3-400 yards depending upon the weapon. In most cases my goal is to be dead on at 200 yards, so I shoot my rifle and adjust scope so that it is dead on at 200 yards. Then I shoot a three shot group at every other target so I know how high or low my bullet will impact at the different ranges. Since I can't put all three shots in the same hole, the center of those three shots is my "average" and how I determine where my bullet will hit at that distance. When complete I make a small sticker to go on my scope or stock that might look something like this: 50 YD +2" 100 YD  .5" 150 YD +0.5" 200 YD 0" 250 YD -1.5" 300 YD -5" 350 YD -9" 400 YD -16" Now when hunting I carry a lazer range finder to check the distance to game and know if I have to hold over, etc. I don't mess with adjustable target turrets and stuff like that on hunting rifles, and 400 yards is about the limit of most shooters and rifles. Beyond 400 yards, they really start dropping and wind drift can come into play as well. Once you have your gun zeroed off the bench, you need to practice getting a steady rest from positions you will encounter in the field. You won't have a lead sled or bench rest there. I think this is probably the biggest challenge. Also, buy a whole bunch of the exact same ammo you zeroed your rifle in with and you will be good to go for a long time. |
|
|
|
Post by dbd870 on Dec 28, 2016 10:58:37 GMT -5
Yep; I have a small sticker taped to the stock of my 30-06 and JDUB's 243 with drops from 50 to 300yds.
|
|
|
|
Post by stevein on Dec 28, 2016 11:07:28 GMT -5
Im pretty sure a range officer has too verify you at various distances before you can shoot out to 1000. Long haul from bedford for that. You have to be a member and qualify too. It is just down the road from Bass & Bucks. Does Winnemac still have 200 yards? |
|
|
|
Post by davers on Dec 28, 2016 11:22:37 GMT -5
When I hunted out in Colorado, I used my Ruger MDL 77 in .30-06 and had a Redfield 3-9 power scope with their "Acu-track". All you had to do is place the body of the Deer or Elk between the horizontal lines above the cross hairs, by increasing the power of the scope. Once you have the top line even with the back and the bottom one even with the base of the game animal; you have a scale at the bottom of the scope telling you the distance. Then just adjust the horizontal scope knob until you have the correct yardage (200 to 500 yards).
|
|
|
|
Post by steiny on Dec 28, 2016 13:22:53 GMT -5
I would not trust one of those multi-crosshair or mil dot type scopes to be accurate at ranges professed without spending a bunch of time shooting to confirm it. Depending powder charge, bullet weight, etc. it could be significantly off at longer ranges. The TV hunter, muzzle loader pushers have really promoted this type of scope, and I suspect many buyers just assume it is correct without ever shooting at the longer ranges.
|
|
|
|
Post by deadeer on Dec 28, 2016 14:24:30 GMT -5
Im pretty sure a range officer has too verify you at various distances before you can shoot out to 1000. Long haul from bedford for that. You have to be a member and qualify too. It is just down the road from Bass & Bucks. Does Winnemac still have 200 yards? Yep on the 200yd at Winimac. |
|
|
|
Post by davers on Dec 28, 2016 14:25:24 GMT -5
I would not trust one of those multi-crosshair or mil dot type scopes to be accurate at ranges professed without spending a bunch of time shooting to confirm it. Depending powder charge, bullet weight, etc. it could be significantly off at longer ranges. The TV hunter, muzzle loader pushers have really promoted this type of scope, and I suspect many buyers just assume it is correct without ever shooting at the longer ranges. You gota point there, steiny. It does takes some getting use to in order to properly use this type rifle scope. Also, the scope is made for factory loaded cartridges. When I sold my Ruger M-77 .30-06 for a .270, I included the scope as well. Got a regular scope on my Ruger Model 77 MKII .270 rifle, a 4 to 12 power Leupold. |
|
|
|
Post by jackryan on Dec 28, 2016 15:00:53 GMT -5
I have a place where I can shoot long range, then set up a bench rest and paper targets every 50 yards out to 3-400 yards depending upon the weapon. In most cases my goal is to be dead on at 200 yards, so I shoot my rifle and adjust scope so that it is dead on at 200 yards. Then I shoot a three shot group at every other target so I know how high or low my bullet will impact at the different ranges. Since I can't put all three shots in the same hole, the center of those three shots is my "average" and how I determine where my bullet will hit at that distance. When complete I make a small sticker to go on my scope or stock that might look something like this: 50 YD +2" 100 YD .5" 150 YD +0.5" 200 YD 0" 250 YD -1.5" 300 YD -5" 350 YD -9" 400 YD -16" Now when hunting I carry a lazer range finder to check the distance to game and know if I have to hold over, etc. I don't mess with adjustable target turrets and stuff like that on hunting rifles, and 400 yards is about the limit of most shooters and rifles. Beyond 400 yards, they really start dropping and wind drift can come into play as well. Once you have your gun zeroed off the bench, you need to practice getting a steady rest from positions you will encounter in the field. You won't have a lead sled or bench rest there. I think this is probably the biggest challenge. Also, buy a whole bunch of the exact same ammo you zeroed your rifle in with and you will be good to go for a long time. I used to write those out on index cards. Then I started using the old stickers I had from video tape days. Now on the rifles I paint camo, I just use a sharpie and write it on the stock. |
|
|
|
Post by jackryan on Dec 28, 2016 15:04:57 GMT -5
With my first HPR bought this year I took some time yesterday to get more comfortable with my 243. I am under utilizing this gun. I was shooting in heavy gusting winds so not perfect set up but opportunity to shoot at a 400 yard range is slim for me. Anyways, I confirmed I was good out to 200 yards, which is further than 99% of all my shooting would consist of in my nearly 30 yrs of hunting so I am good for hunting IMO. I just want to get comfortable for some long range shooting. I looked into the ballistics calculator and a few other online tools. I have a lot to learn! Any of you guys into long range shooting? Any leads on rifle ranges near Bedford/Bloomington? Try Guns Knives and More in Paoli. |
|
|
|
Post by bullseye69 on Dec 28, 2016 16:20:18 GMT -5
With my first HPR bought this year I took some time yesterday to get more comfortable with my 243. I am under utilizing this gun. I was shooting in heavy gusting winds so not perfect set up but opportunity to shoot at a 400 yard range is slim for me. Anyways, I confirmed I was good out to 200 yards, which is further than 99% of all my shooting would consist of in my nearly 30 yrs of hunting so I am good for hunting IMO. I just want to get comfortable for some long range shooting. I looked into the ballistics calculator and a few other online tools. I have a lot to learn! Any of you guys into long range shooting? Any leads on rifle ranges near Bedford/Bloomington? Most of the long range ranges you have to be a member or go with a member to use the range. I can get 500+ at my parents place. |
|
|
|
Post by esshup on Dec 28, 2016 20:20:31 GMT -5
I would not trust one of those multi-crosshair or mil dot type scopes to be accurate at ranges professed without spending a bunch of time shooting to confirm it. Depending powder charge, bullet weight, etc. it could be significantly off at longer ranges. The TV hunter, muzzle loader pushers have really promoted this type of scope, and I suspect many buyers just assume it is correct without ever shooting at the longer ranges. Temperature and elevation also comes into play. Where the gun hits at 70°F is different than 30°F. While we don't have to worry about it here in Indiana, out West elevation will change things in a hurry. Youngs Longshot in the NE corner of the state has a 1,000 yd range. I can shoot to 400 yds here at the house safely, backstops at all 100 yd increments. Out West I ran the long range gun out to IIRC 1350 yards. Shooting at a small rock on the side of a hill. The 2nd bullet impacted inside the crater that the first bullet left, so I called it good.  Cow Elk at 705 yds that trip, and a year and 2 months later I shot a coyote in Texas at 867 yds. If a person wants to get into long range shooting, a few things make life easier. A good rangefinder, a Kestrel 3500, and a good ballistic program. I have a palm pilot and have Exbal on it. Take all the data from the Kestrel, punch it in and Exbal spits out the drops for you. The big booger is reading the wind from you to the target. Having a good spotting scope will save a lot of legwork too. I watched a buddy that is a sniper trainer shoot a .308 loaded with 175g SMK's at 1,000 yds., with about a 12 mph wind from left to right at 400 yds, and about the same speed wind going the opposite way at 800 yds. I watched the bullet trace going to the target and it looked like a snake, but he hit the bullseye at 1,000 yds. |
|
|
|
Post by medic22 on Dec 28, 2016 20:44:41 GMT -5
One thing that hasnt been mentioned yet......if youre going to start shooting long range......you might as well start looking at reloading presses if you dont already reload.
|
|
