First Shots at 300 and I Suck

[Bully]

I like shooting at longer distances. However when I've had the opportunity, it was on steel. A ton of fun but from a precision perspective, not THAT much of a challenge. At least not how I was shooting it. Anyway, I took my newest rifle to the 300 yard line at my local range and shot. On a positive note, I hit the 6" target. On a less than positive note, it was kind of just barely. I did manage to keep all 25 rounds in that 6" circle but when I'm on this board, that's just not all that impressive.

Rifle is a .223 bolt action running a 25" Rock Creek 1:7 and 80gn SMK's @ 2940
Timney CE 2 stage
Glass is a Vortex Viper PST G1 6-24 MRAD
I'm shooting prone off a Harris 6-9 HBRM and a sock filled with airsoft pellets

I try and watch my breathing as best I can.

Vertical was OK. Horizontal was what really got me. I was trying to compensate for wind without having much of a clue on hold. Or if I even need to hold for wind with that bullet at that distance.

Thanks a bunch for any help y'all can provide.

 

[BP1]

Practice,Practice and when you think you have it down...keep practicing

 

[Eddie Harren]

"Or if I even need to hold for wind with that bullet at that distance."

If you find a bullet, that is immune to wind at 300 Yds., don't breathe a word about it to anyone but me. Thanks in advance!

 

[Hrsmn51]

Definitely hold for wind! I don't shoot the 80's but I do shoot 73eldm to 300 + and even a 3-5mph breeze will move it significantly. If you can, get the shooter app for your phone I think it was around $15 and has been good for me. From memory I would hold 4-5 inches for a full value 5 mph breeze which would be close to .5 mil. Just my 2 cents!!!!
H

 

[Bully]

"Or if I even need to hold for wind with that bullet at that distance."

If you find a bullet, that is immune to wind at 300 Yds., don't breathe a word about it to anyone but me. Thanks in advance!

will do

 

[Mulligan]

The F-class 10 ring is 2.85” at 300 yards and the 9 ring is just smaller than 6”
I think you did darn good all things considered..... you likely scored better than you thought. Providing you were comparing to f-class that is.
http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com...ce-f-class-targets-for-practice-at-300-yards/

Have fun
CW

 

[CharlieNC]

Unless the wind was quite high, you may have been over compensating based on the info you have given. Have you used a ballistic calculator to determine the effect at the conditions?

 

[DirtySteve]

Well I think you did very well. Shooting a 223 in wind is not for folks with huge a huge ego. Like BP1 said practice and practice on twice as many windy days as calm days.

Is that sock you use a OD Green wool sock given to you by my Uncle Sam? Mine is!

 

[1shot]

The main idea is to have fun! Try not to compare your scores against anyone else. Every match I shoot, I try and improve my score from the last one. Try and find a more experienced shooter and pick his brain for all it's worth. If you continually better your previous score, sooner or late you will starting beating everyone else.
I hope this helps,

Lloyd

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Keep on going man youre doing great!! See if you can rig up some wind flags and study them. You can even do that in your backyard not shooting. Just get an idea of wind patterns and see that it changes every few mins. Get with mike ezell : http://www.ezellcustomrifles.com/home-3/windflags/

Or shadetree engineering and just buy one flag to study in your yard. Good luck

 

[hogpatrol]

Just for sheets and giggles, try the 77 SMKs.

 

[Stumpy1]

I like shooting at longer distances. However when I've had the opportunity, it was on steel. A ton of fun but from a precision perspective, not THAT much of a challenge. At least not how I was shooting it. Anyway, I took my newest rifle to the 300 yard line at my local range and shot. On a positive note, I hit the 6" target. On a less than positive note, it was kind of just barely. I did manage to keep all 25 rounds in that 6" circle but when I'm on this board, that's just not all that impressive. ...

Thanks a bunch for any help y'all can provide.

First, you don't suck.
Second, this is just the thing that keeps people from coming out and shooting matches -you don't think you are good enough.

BUT -the way to get good enough (or at least better) is to come out and shoot. You would have lots of people willing to help you out, offer tips on position, wind reading, loading, you name it.

So, if you want to get better, AND have a great time doing it, come on out to some matches, introduce yourself, and see how it goes.

I see you are in NJ, so here are some ranges that might be within driving distance for you:

http://cumberlandmatches.com/ (Millville, NJ)

http://bville-rifle-pistol.org/?page_id=32 (Bridgeville, DE)

http://www.nhrpc.org/midrangefclass (Gap, PA)

http://centraljerseyhighpower.com/ (Jackson, NJ)

Hope to see you on the range soon,

Frank

 

[dsculley]

All good advice so far, the best of which is to go shoot some matches. Initially at least, take the attitude that you are competing only against yourself. The best way to get better is to shoot with guys that shoot better than you. Be humble, ask for and accept advice. And most importantly, HAVE FUN!

 

[Drolds72]

Hell, just start playing with a ballistics calculator and it will tell you what the effect is of a known wind. When you see how those bullets can get pushed around, you know it is just the game and not the player. Keep shooting! Try to correlate wind drift with either flags or mirage. When you are at a match, watch the wind and listen to what is going on around you. Everybody may hold up for a wind change you didn't catch. Every shot you take will teach you something!

 

[mtncwru]

First time out at the distance and you're holding the 9 ring with consistent elevation? No reason to be down on yourself for that! According to two separate ballistics calculators, a 5 mph full-value crosswind pushes an 80 SMK doing 2900 fps almost exactly 3" at 300 yards. I suspect that you were either over-correcting, not catching let-offs or reversals, or both. Best cure for that is to get out and shoot more!

The guys telling you to get out to a match are spot on. Let us know how it goes!

 

[ZenArchery]

like above
practice, practice, practice...
horizontal 9:10 is shooter, especially if vert. is good.

 

[Jay Christopherson]

I'm no expert at .223, but an 80-grain bullet @ 2940 fps out of a 25" barrel tells me you are pushing it pretty hard. The best shooting .223 I've ever seen/shot (meaning, consistently sub-half MOA at mid-range distance for 20-shot strings), is around 2900fps with an 80 grain bullet out of a 29" barrel. You might consider doing a ladder/workup, starting at lower speeds and evaluating some groups at lower nodes, instead of worrying about velocity. FWIW - nearly all of my match quality F-Class loads are slower than people expect because the accuracy node tends to be much wider and more tolerant.

 

[Mulligan]

I'm no expert at .223, but an 80-grain bullet @ 2940 fps out of a 25" barrel tells me you are pushing it pretty hard. The best shooting .223 I've ever seen/shot (meaning, consistently sub-half MOA at mid-range distance for 20-shot strings), is around 2900fps with an 80 grain bullet out of a 29" barrel. You might consider doing a ladder/workup, starting at lower speeds and evaluating some groups, instead of worrying about velocity. FWIW - nearly all of my match quality F-Class loads are slower than people expect because the accuracy node tends to be much wider and more tolerant.

^^^^^^Priceless advice right there!!!!^^^^^^^^^
CW

 

[rebel]

I remember when I sucked - like 8 days ago Best advice I can give is write stuff down. Mirage stuff, anomalies, effects of wind and load data. I'm still learning stuff but not afraid to shoot in matches anymore. Probably some of the most helpful people you'll meet will be at a match.

 

[Bob3700]

I like shooting at longer distances. However when I've had the opportunity, it was on steel. A ton of fun but from a precision perspective, not THAT much of a challenge. At least not how I was shooting it. Anyway, I took my newest rifle to the 300 yard line at my local range and shot. On a positive note, I hit the 6" target. On a less than positive note, it was kind of just barely. I did manage to keep all 25 rounds in that 6" circle but when I'm on this board, that's just not all that impressive.

Rifle is a .223 bolt action running a 25" Rock Creek 1:7 and 80gn SMK's @ 2940
Timney CE 2 stage
Glass is a Vortex Viper PST G1 6-24 MRAD
I'm shooting prone off a Harris 6-9 HBRM and a sock filled with airsoft pellets

I try and watch my breathing as best I can.

Vertical was OK. Horizontal was what really got me. I was trying to compensate for wind without having much of a clue on hold. Or if I even need to hold for wind with that bullet at that distance.

Thanks a bunch for any help y'all can provide.

Learn to read the wind. Put out two flags, 100 & 200 yds. Only fire a shot when u see the same flag conditions. Learn the MOA of ur scoring rings.
Once u decide on a wind condition that is recongizable, only fire in that condition. It takes patience n concentration. Draw the flag position u are looking for on ur score book to help u remember the condition. Practice!