Portable steel, portable shooting bench - Kinston, NC

[Nomad47]

This past Friday I went with two Park Rangers to the local city police shooting range. My main objective was to shoot two test loads in my new 6mmXC. I also took my 284 Win with me. One of the Rangers asked me what the 284 would do to a steel silhouette which I believe is 1/2" thick mild steel. To find out, I shot it from 100 yards. The 180 Berger Hybrid went thru it creating a .5" hole. DANG!

Yesterday, a friend and I went to his dad's farm to shoot steel. We set up my 10"x12" steel plates at 500 yards. Due to a slight rise in the land halfway to the steel, we had to set my portable bench in the bed of his pickup. The first shots with my 284 Win were near misses and we had trouble seeing just where I was missing. After walking back to the steel, we determined the shots were low and right (wind was 6 to 10 MPH from 11:00). So I moved the scope up 1 MOA and left one MOA. I invited my friend to take the next shot and he hit the steel. Then I shot and hit it. We then switched to my 243 WSSM and I set the scope 1/2 MOA higher than my range card called for plus 1 MOA left windage. My friend then hit the steel with his first shot and then I hit the steel twice with two shots. We then switched to my new 6mmXC and made the same scope adjustments as on the 243 WSSM. We each hit the steel twice with two shots. Talking about what just happened, my friend and I were psyched. We hit the steel nine times in a row, windy conditions, two shooters, three rifles, shooting from a portable bench sitting in the bed of a pickup.

I was also pleased with the 6mmXC. I had just settled on a load this past Friday. 65 rounds had gone down the barrel before yesterday with no shots beyond 100 yards. I took my chronograph readings from the last test loads I shot on Friday, went to the JBM Ballistics website, and created a range card.

 

[bozo699]

This past Friday I went with two Park Rangers to the local city police shooting range. My main objective was to shoot two test loads in my new 6mmXC. I also took my 284 Win with me. One of the Rangers asked me what the 284 would do to a steel silhouette which I believe is 1/2" thick mild steel. To find out, I shot it from 100 yards. The 180 Berger Hybrid went thru it creating a .5" hole. DANG!

Yesterday, a friend and I went to his dad's farm to shoot steel. We set up my 10"x12" steel plates at 500 yards. Due to a slight rise in the land halfway to the steel, we had to set my portable bench in the bed of his pickup. The first shots with my 284 Win were near misses and we had trouble seeing just where I was missing. After walking back to the steel, we determined the shots were low and right (wind was 6 to 10 MPH from 11:00). So I moved the scope up 1 MOA and left one MOA. I invited my friend to take the next shot and he hit the steel. Then I shot and hit it. We then switched to my 243 WSSM and I set the scope 1/2 MOA higher than my range card called for plus 1 MOA left windage. My friend then hit the steel with his first shot and then I hit the steel twice with two shots. We then switched to my new 6mmXC and made the same scope adjustments as on the 243 WSSM. We each hit the steel twice with two shots. Talking about what just happened, my friend and I were psyched. We hit the steel nine times in a row, windy conditions, two shooters, three rifles, shooting from a portable bench sitting in the bed of a pickup.

I was also pleased with the 6mmXC. I had just settled on a load this past Friday. 65 rounds had gone down the barrel before yesterday with no shots beyond 100 yards. I took my chronograph readings from the last test loads I shot on Friday, went to the JBM Ballistics website, and created a range card.

Nice shooting Bill, what kind of groups have you been getting with the 6xc and what load did you end up with?
Wayne.

 

[TheSnake]

I loaded up a batch of 300WM 210 Berger Hunting VLD rounds for my brother. He was shooting at a 1/2" steel plate his son made at the machine shop where he works. All rounds punched through like butter at 200 yards. I am sure that the steel was not the right kind but like you, I was surprised. They didn't seem to mushroom at all. Was just like a whole punch.

 

[Nomad47]

Robert, I wish I had tried - I think I could have passed the 284 case thru the hole the 7mm bullet made, maybe even a WSM case.

Wayne, I was getting a lot of ho-hum groups measuring just under .5 MOA with RL-17. And I was letting the rifle free recoil in an effort to keep heartbeat etc out of the scope which I was keeping on 50 power during load testing. On Friday, I took two four shot loads to the range. Both were 39.2 grains of RL-17 lit with 215M primers. 105 AMax bullets were seated .020 and .015 off the lands. The first group (.020) was again shot free recoil and again a ho-hum sub .5 MOA group. For the .015 seated group I decided to put some shoulder into the shots and - BINGO - a .219 MOA four shot group. I haven't been trusting my chrony lately, but I think the load is running about 3165 MV out of my 28" barrel.

 

[KMart]

Good to see you have it up and running. Did you get any feedback on the bullets that gave you keyholes before?

 

[Nomad47]

Sort of, Ken. Hornady told me they didn't have a 8 twist barrel that could shoot them at the velocities I was shooting. If I recall the conversation correctly. They did replace the remainder of the box of bullets.