223 @ 1040

[kyotekiller25]

Wanted to find a spot to shoot 1K at the range just a couple miles from my house. Typically can only get out to 500. I played around with onx maps and line distance and came up with a spot that would allow 1040 or so. Time to load the 4Runner up with the gear and head down the road. I got to the point where I would be shooting from and got the Swaro 1500 RF out. The guys already had a 20" plate or so setup out there at 500 that they shoot from the benches. I hit it a couple times with the Swaro and got 1040 and 1042. Onx showed .59 miles which comes out to 1038 yards. Close enough. Looks like I'm not the only one shooting from this knob over there. There was a blanket already laid down, so I didn't have to get the shooting mat out. Got the R700 223 Wylde with 28" Bartlein and 80.5g Bergers at 2970fps on the harris bipod with an Armageddon rear bag. Rifle isn't even technically zeroed for these Bergers, it's zeroed for the 75g ELDMs. But since the 2 loads are very very similar with N540, they shoot close enough to the same POI out to 300, within an inch or two anyway. So I got my phone and entered the range and weather conditions into Strelok Pro. It said to come up 30 MOA from a 200y zero. The wind was at my back at around 2-3 mph so I didn't dial for wind. I got behind the S&B PMII 12-50x settled in and touched the 1st shot off. I could see the splatter on the plate, pretty much dead center. That'll do donkey, that'll do! It was pretty hard to hear the impact as it's 1/2" plate, but you could still hear it, and better yet, see it. The next 3 shots impacted about 6" low and right of center into about a 6" group from the looks of it. My 5th shot just missed the right edge, wind must've switched up and picked up a bit on me downrange. All in all, not a bad way to spend the last hour of the evening. The best thing is, I don't have to travel 20 minutes to my other shooting spot to shoot 1K anymore. Plus, it's usually shut down for the summer anyway because of the hit and dry summers. It's a fire hazard out there. Picture through the scope was on 25x taken from my phone. After about 40x the S&B gets to be pretty dark. I find myself between 25-35x most of the time. I was on 25x when I was shooting just to make sure I could spot my own impacts.

 

[Walt Krafft]

Time to put up a Shotmarker. 1000 yard F class target. 5 inch X ring for fun.

 

[boltfluter]

OnX is awesome. That's some great shooting with a little. 223. Well done. Can we get some more details on your fine shooting rifle? Stock, trigger,...etc.
Paul

 

[kyotekiller25]

I'm not even totally sure what a shotmarker is, let alone use one. I typically just bang steel at LR after verifying load development at 300.

Rifle was an early 70s ADL in 222 I bought from a friend's GPA back in high school. I found a Greyboe Renegade with M5 bottom metal at a local gun shop. Got a 28" Bartlein HV 8 twist from bugholes. Timney trigger set at 1.5# Bolt/firing pin has been bushed. Leupold mk4 20 MOA base and Warne mountain tech rings. Ran it all over to my smith 30 minutes away and gave him a dummy round with an 80g eldm and told him to put it at the lands at 2.510" so about an extra .020" FB over the standard Wylde chamber. Puts the 75/80g ELDM and 80.5g Berger right about where it needs to be from the donut spot. And it still feeds just fine from the MDT mags which allow up to 2.55" COAL. Gives a little room to work with throat erosion down the road. I ended up going with the 75g ELDM as the rifle didn't care much for the 80g ELDMs. Tried a box of 80.5 Bergers recently and they shoot just a tad better than the 75g ELDMs with a lot less work I might add. Not near as picky with seating depth as the 75g ELDMs. Using 24.5g N540 with the 80.5g Berger gives average of 2970fps and .65" 10 shot group at 100 yards. The 75g ELDMs at 24.7g N540 gives average right at 3000fps and .75" 10 shot group at 100 yards. Both loads shoot 2-2.5" 10 shot groups at 300 yards. Using Lapua brass and Rem 7.5 primers. Both bullets are roughly .020" off the lands.

A lot of guys say a 223 is not a 1K cartridge, but with the right combo it is definitely doable on calmer days. The 75g ELDM at 3000fps has pretty nice ballistics if you compare it to say a 6 BR with 105s at 2800. Not a whole heck of a lot, if any practical difference out to 1K, save maybe a few clicks of wind advantage to the 6mm. May not win any national matches or set records, but I think a guy can have a ton of fun banging steel out to 1K with them and easily hold MOA or better for 3 or 5 shots in decent conditions.

 

[RegionRat]

A lot of guys say a 223 is not a 1K cartridge, but with the right combo it is definitely doable on calmer days.

Not right and not wrong either.... but to become more familiar, those folks might want to look into the folks who elect to run 223 in an F-T/R or sling match instead of the 308 WIN at 1000 yards.

There are several folks who regularly outshoot the 308 WIN folks with their 223. To be fair, they are pushing it really hard and they are among the best shooters.

So, it is definitely graduate material, but it shows that the BC, the speed, and the quality of a bullet makes a big difference in the whole discussion. To be competitive, the pressure is high so the brass life is nil, and it requires high quality high BC bullets.

Have fun and watch those power lines.

 

[kyotekiller25]

I'm just getting all my Lapua brass fireformed and loads verified and tweaked. According to GRT, I'm around 55-58K so it shouldn't be too terribly hard on brass.

Pretty sure I got the whole idea of this rifle gears ago from the FTR guys. I seen them using 28-30" tubes and getting 3000fps with 75-80s and doing very well out to 1K. I know the 223 is plagued with high ES/SD numbers as I and others have found. But it still seems to do ok, not great, but good enough for the intended purpose of the rifle. Which for me is just a cheap 1K steel banger and occasional coyote.

The power lines are deceiving. They really aren't that close to the line of sight. Sitting about 30 yards above them, and then dialing another 10 yards in elevation. I was curious about it myself when I first got there. Guy knows what he's doing you'll be alright.

 

[Bottom Fodder]

Great shooting and good story to go along with it, thanks for sharing

 

[hoz53]

Wanted to find a spot to shoot 1K at the range just a couple miles from my house. Typically can only get out to 500. I played around with onx maps and line distance and came up with a spot that would allow 1040 or so. Time to load the 4Runner up with the gear and head down the road. I got to the point where I would be shooting from and got the Swaro 1500 RF out. The guys already had a 20" plate or so setup out there at 500 that they shoot from the benches. I hit it a couple times with the Swaro and got 1040 and 1042. Onx showed .59 miles which comes out to 1038 yards. Close enough. Looks like I'm not the only one shooting from this knob over there. There was a blanket already laid down, so I didn't have to get the shooting mat out. Got the R700 223 Wylde with 28" Bartlein and 80.5g Bergers at 2970fps on the harris bipod with an Armageddon rear bag. Rifle isn't even technically zeroed for these Bergers, it's zeroed for the 75g ELDMs. But since the 2 loads are very very similar with N540, they shoot close enough to the same POI out to 300, within an inch or two anyway. So I got my phone and entered the range and weather conditions into Strelok Pro. It said to come up 30 MOA from a 200y zero. The wind was at my back at around 2-3 mph so I didn't dial for wind. I got behind the S&B PMII 12-50x settled in and touched the 1st shot off. I could see the splatter on the plate, pretty much dead center. That'll do donkey, that'll do! It was pretty hard to hear the impact as it's 1/2" plate, but you could still hear it, and better yet, see it. The next 3 shots impacted about 6" low and right of center into about a 6" group from the looks of it. My 5th shot just missed the right edge, wind must've switched up and picked up a bit on me downrange. All in all, not a bad way to spend the last hour of the evening. The best thing is, I don't have to travel 20 minutes to my other shooting spot to shoot 1K anymore. Plus, it's usually shut down for the summer anyway because of the hit and dry summers. It's a fire hazard out there. Picture through the scope was on 25x taken from my phone. After about 40x the S&B gets to be pretty dark. I find myself between 25-35x most of the time. I was on 25x when I was shooting just to make sure I could spot my own impacts.

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i thought you were talking about a tax form at first

 

[Kracken McGraw]

I wouldn’t have trusted the blanket.