Just starting - need advice

[Steve Ladino]

Just joined Accurate Shooter today. I started doing 1000 yard shooting about a year ago using a Rock River Arms LAR 8 (AR 10 style gun) with a 26" bull barrel. The best it would do was a 4" group at 1000 yards using a Harris bipod and a NF NXS 8-32 scope. At Christmas I bought a Savage Model 12 F/TR. It will shoot a 4 shot group 2 1/2" also had a 10 shot group smaller than a tennis ball.
All the old timers I shoot with say a 168 gr 308 won't travel 1000 yds. They all recommend I use a 180 to 210 gr bullet. John Whiddon a multi time national champ's favorite cartridge is a 105 GR 243.

What is the best to use? Heavy or light? I've worked up two 308 loads using a 155 smk going 3145 fps and a 175 gr smk going 2930 fps.

I'm looking to get a new rear bag. I see some bags advertised that weigh over 25 # but then see all the products listed to make the rifle slide over the bag. Wouldn't it be better to have the rifle 'stick' to the bag to absorb the recoil?

As you can see all this is confusing to a newcomer. Any advice would be appreciated.

That is some mighty fine shooting, like I have never seen before, maybe at 300 or 400 yds. anyway thats great ! I think you want the rifle to slide in the rear bag, that's the way I do it off the bench.

 

[walt willis]

Walt where do you live? I'm just south of Atlanta in Griffin. You must be OLD if you knew Carlos Hathcock!!! I took a day of long distance shooting training from Ret. Navy Chief Mike O'Neal in Lexington Ga. (Gunsite Hills Shooting Range). He trained under Hathcock for a tournament he represented the Navy in.

Not dead yet, just old, but not as old as the guy I met at the farm show last week. He was 92 and told stories of how it was in Germany during WW2.

Carlos must have been impressed and believed my life story because he had me meet his buddies and shared many personal life stories. I grew up the same as him on an old farm.

My very best friend was from AK that died in Nam so I wanted to know what AK was like as a kid. We hit it off right from the start. I miss that good old boy just as I miss my best friend too.
I told Carlos about the call I got from Nixon asking me to represent the US in the Olympics, and he thought I was nuts for not going. That was one of his dreams to do. I don't take long to tell if another top shooter is full of BS and he knew that I was telling the truth. We were just two country boys that loved to shoot!

Your a good shot, and I like that! I think we can exchange some of the things we have learned over the years and maybe help some of the young pups?

How did Mike do at Perry, or Camp Dreary when it rains as it will after the Mayflies die?

 

[NC308]

I am using 45.3 gr IMR 4064 for the 175 gr Tipped SMKs (2930 fps) and 47.0 gr for the 155 gr Tipped SMKs (3145 fps). I wanted to get the 175s going as fast as I could so they would remain stable out to 1000 yards. I am loading the bullets .020" off the lands.

Interesting your loads are almost 200fps faster than I was seeing out of my 308 with the same bullets and powder! I was getting around 2700 with 45 grs of 4064 and only 2950 with the 155 and 46.8 grs of powder? Anyway If its shooting that good I would do nothing else.....

 

[Jimbobbilly]

Interesting your loads are almost 200fps faster than I was seeing out of my 308 with the same bullets and powder! I was getting around 2700 with 45 grs of 4064 and only 2950 with the 155 and 46.8 grs of powder? Anyway If its shooting that good I would do nothing else.....

I have a 30" barrel. How long is yours?

 

[NC308]

I have a 30" barrel. How long is yours?

28".