What distance do you practice at?

[dragman]

What is the average distance you practice or tune a load at if your shooting 800+ yards for competition?? I know some guys who only tune a gun in at 100 yards when they get it shooting the best they can then they will take it to the match and shoot it at distance. While I know others that get it close at 100 then go to 300 even 600 to do the final tunning before the gun and load see's a match. Just curious to see peoples idea's or thoughts on this.

 

[ShootDots]

I do ALL my load development at 300 yards. We have more "approved" matches where I shoot (Bayou Rifles and Beaumont's "Golden Triangle Gun Club") than registered matches. The "approved matches" essentially do not count so I use them for "testing" my loads at 300 / 600 and 1000 yards. Mostly at 600 and 1000 yards I am looking for tight verticals. I try to keep my vertical under 3" at 600 yards and under 8" at 1000 and T-Rust me, that "less than 8" vertical" at 1000 yards is NOT EASY to do! I have had an occasion where my load was super tight at 300, however, my vertical at 1000 was about 12"! I changed my seating depth and VOILA my excessive vertical disappeared! It only happened one time>>but 1 time would have been too much at a registered match! I hope this helps...

 

[bholcomb]

I practice at whatever distance the competition is going to be at. I have the benefit of being able to shoot at my friend's place and we can stretch it out to 1000+yards. I have had some loads that shoot great at 100 but opened up at 600. Had some that shot great at 600 and shot like crap at a 1000. The wind and mirage are big factors at 600 and beyond, so if you have the ability to shoot the distance you will be competing at I would tune your loads at those ranges.

 

[dragman]

I have always been hesitant about going past 2-300 myself for the development stage as mother nature could become a factor that is hard to judge. My friend shoots at 600 and is always tweeking and I can't help but think that wind mirage etc are becoming bigger factors than the load.

 

[ShootDots]

In my humble opinion, if I were to develop loads at 600 and 1000 yards, you would need a day of NO WIND and VERY HEAVY overcast skies to keep mirage away, otherwise you are kidding yourself. I have had loads that I KNOW shoot excellent at 300 yards, however, with just a "tad of wind" and a BUNCH of mirage, it shot "terrible"! The gun and load on a windLESS day and no mirage at 300 yards will shoot under an inch>>>my 6mmBR... Throw in a bit of wind and mirage and my groups open up to 1.25 to 1.50 inches at 300 yards. Now increase that exponentially at 600 and 1000 yards and you would see why, unless you had PERFECT conditions, you realistically can NOT develop loads at long range...

 

[dragman]

In my humble opinion, if I were to develop loads at 600 and 1000 yards, you would need a day of NO WIND and VERY HEAVY overcast skies to keep mirage away, otherwise you are kidding yourself. I have had loads that I KNOW shoot excellent at 300 yards, however, with just a "tad of wind" and a BUNCH of mirage, it shot "terrible"! The gun and load on a windLESS day and no mirage at 300 yards will shoot under an inch>>>my 6mmBR... Throw in a bit of wind and mirage and my groups open up to 1.25 to 1.50 inches at 300 yards. Now increase that exponentially at 600 and 1000 yards and you would see why, unless you had PERFECT conditions, you realistically can NOT develop loads at long range...

that was always my opinion as well. but always looking for a new angle.

 

[ARIZONA_F_CLASS]

300 in the summertime because bullet holes on white paper are easier to see at 300. And 500 in the wintertime. 1000 yards when I can make it.

 

[Mr. Ten-X]

My shooting was done at 600yds+ and the local 600yd range was a virtual tunnel that faced north (10 targets wide lined by adult confers). That is the distance that all of my load development and practice was done at. Once temps hit the 60F range in the spring, the testing and the practice began in earnest.

 

[MarkS]

dragman,

I do my load work a 100 yds to start with. Then take the best to 200yds. I am with you, I don't trust the conditions, past 200yds. I have seem the best load at 100 not be the best 200yds. Works for me out to 1000.

Mark Schronce

 

[DRNewcomb]

100 - 200 yards. With my spotting scope I find it hard to see bullet holes beyond 200 yards and would need either pits or an electronic scoring system.

 

[savagedasher]

I practice at 100 and200 proof test at575 and 1018 in Florida we have normal head or tail winds.
my load development is to eliminate Vertical as much as I can. We very seldom have perfect conditions.I use a RAS tuner brake for my final tuning. After three year of working with it I know what different wind do so I can adjust the tuner by a quick proof at 100 or 200
Good Shooting
Larry

 

[6BRinNZ]

From an F-class perspective (IMO) - practice and tuning are two separate exercises , albeit there is some overlap.

Load tuning is done at 100-200 yards....that load is used from 300-1000 yards

Practice is on club days where we run the gammit of ranges on different days...this involves everything - where the gear is placed on the line, wind assessment prior to going to the line, mental focus... etc etc.

IMO 1000 is a tough animal and if I could practice at only one distance it would be 1000....my next choice would be 600.

 

[aj300mag]

I tune for F-Class at 300 yards, shoot 600 yard matches for practice.

 

[Lapua40X]

I do my primary load development at 100 yards, then fine tune it at 300 yards. But I "practice" out to 900 yards and, if necessary, take it back to 300 to make some minor adjustments if I believe it's necessary - it usually isn't. I'm working to extend that to 1K but haven't found a load that will carry that distance with any consistency.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I do my fine tuning of a load at 1k. I have not had a problem getting consistent results. I shoot early to beat the mirage and a little wind is ok since I only look for vertical at 1k. I have had great loads at 600 go vertical at 1k. Very important to test at the range to plan to shoot at if you can.

 

[Dgd6mm]

I tune at 100 and 200 yards, then go from there and check the longer ranges that I'll be shooting with that load. Sometimes it may need a little tweeking.

At Manatee I've had the same thing, good at 600 and vertical at 1000. At Bradford are range goes out to 850 and the winds there are easier on the shooter then at Manatee.

 

[gunnermhr]

I find it hard to do load develpoment at a 100 yards, the groups, I think are too tight. I know there was a good thread on load development at a 100 yards but it's difficult for me to figure out. Personally I like 200 yards, like others have mentioned after 200 it seems to me at least, mother nature plays too much of a factor. That being said, once my load is figured out I like to practice at the distance that I'll be competing, and usually in the worst possible conditions. Load development and pratice are two entirely different things.

 

[Lapua40X]

What is the average distance you practice or tune a load at if your shooting 800+ yards for competition??...

Based on some of the responses, perhaps I misunderstood the question.

 

[dragman]

What is the average distance you practice or tune a load at if your shooting 800+ yards for competition??...

Based on some of the responses, perhaps I misunderstood the question.

For me it's all the same. I tune my loads and practice at 100-200 yards for the majority of my shooting. Every now and then I go bang steel or shoot hogs at 800+ but I don't like to practice to much at that distance because I find myself "FINDING" issues that I want to tweek. While trigger time during a match is the best practice you can get IMHO I can't duplicate that while just out shooting by myself. Most of my guns I never put on paper past 200 yards anymore. I try to get the load to as close to one hole as possible at 100 and then check to make sure that it is not opening up much at 200. I am very interested in checking for the vertical you guys were mentioning. What kind of E.S. did you have when you were seeing the vertical that showed up going from 600-1000???

 

[XTR]

Typically I tune loads at 300 but I practice at 600, and the load needs to hold vertical at 600 or it needs more work.