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Need some help

07 Oct 2019
@ 07:50 am (GMT)

One Shot

I shoot a 30-06 rifle with a handload I have used for years using a 165 Nosler Partition at 2800 FPS. The ability to shoot beyond 200 yards at a range or on private land is unavailable in my area. In the past I would chrono my load and consult a table or calculator for proper sight in at 100 yards (2-2.5” high) and I felt I was good with a par of out to 300 yards my self imposed absolute maximum. Two years ago I was mule deer hunting and shot a buck at 228 yards and I hit it a little high in the spine but it went down. Last year I was antelope hunting and the ranch had a long range target range with a 8“ gong at 300 yards I held on the top edge and shot over it, so I held dead center and I hit it 3 times in a row. This didn’t match the trajectory table but I thought it might have to do with change in elevation. The next day I shot an antelope at 325 yards and hit lower than expected by about 4” I thought it was me based on the previous day shot again with the same hold and same result so I held higher shot again and put I t down. I felt bad so I went back to the gong shot it holding dead center and hit it. We saw a mule deer at 294 yards and I shot it and it rolled over dead but the bullet hit high towards reds the spine about 5” higher than I would have thought. In June I went axis deer hunting in Hawaii and checked my rifle and it was 2” high at 100 yards saw a deer at 225 yards shot it and hit high in the spine a little back. Held low on shoulder shot again and put it through the shoulder and he was down for good. When I returned home I shot the rifle and it was hitting 2” high and 1/2 “ right at 100 yards. With a nice 1/2” group. I shot at 200 yards and I am hitting 4” high 21/2” right. Group sizes are 3/4-1” in size. I tested the scope it is good the rifle is grouping well. I have tried shooting it off a lead sled, sand bags, bench rest tripod, shooting prone over my pack with the same result. I purchased Nathan’s book on long range shooting (currently on page 300) and am open to learning. I have been shooting a long time and unless this loading breaks every rule of physics I am at a complete loss. I suspect it may be some flaw in my shooting form but my groups are good and consistent just not where they should be. Any ideas?

Replies

1
12 Oct 2019
@ 01:23 am (GMT)

One Shot

Re: Need some help
Never mind I got some help to work this out.
12 Oct 2019
@ 08:18 am (GMT)

Nathan Foster

Re: Need some help
Hi One shot. Sorry, only just got to this. Good to hear that you got some help with the rifle.

One thing you might notice after reading the shooting book, is that a lot of hunting shots uploaded to youtube show spine hits. The greater the range, the higher percentage of spine shots you will see. I went over this with other forum members some time ago, asking them to observe the (poor) effect of technique on various hunting clips. The trouble is, the modern methods used for sighting in a rifle do not always translate into good field technique, resulting in differing POI's. This may not be the issue with your rifle but it is something to keep in mind.

All the best.
12 Oct 2019
@ 03:22 pm (GMT)

don gray

Re: Need some help
1. Dont know what program you are using but using the bullet you use and using Strelok pro that sight on equates to about a 250 yd 0. At 300 it says you need 3.9 in elevation which could then be the 4in low shot you describe. So thisbis kne suggestion and can be a wrong one.
2. Elevation definitely makes a difference. I sight in at about 650 and hunt about 6500. It is about 1.5 moa difference at 800yds.
3. I suggest that you find aomewhere you can shoot at longer ranges to profile your bullet.
No matter what program you use most all bullets still need profiling at distance out to at least out to what tje longest ypu will shoot. For me that is 800yds usong a tripod0.
4. If you use a program like Strelok Pro or Applied ballistics then that prigram will adjust to your new hunting altitude if you can get the local weather and lattitude to put in the prigram.
5. Where I elk hunt...no cell. This year I purchased a Kestrel 5700 elite that contaons the Applied Balllistic program. I did this so that the unit would automatically adjust to altitude and other weather conditins for the program0. We practuce out to 1000 at home but one side has some trees that affext wind path without a wide open area so we were interested in seein how well the Kestel adjustes to the atitude and also doped the wind if continuous in a wide open area.
Well, watch for what you ask for. Wind was 19 to 23 dead crosswind at 99 degrees and we were shootong 500 yds. I would have bet alot no way could we meet our requirement for ethical shot placement in that wind at that speed at 8in circle. The Keatrel worked very well. My brother made 8 out of 8 shots and I made 7 out of 8 missing the 8 ring by 2in.

I hiighly r0ecomend this device. Alo higjhy recommend RRS teipods for long distamce shooting and hunting.

pap
13 Oct 2019
@ 04:20 am (GMT)

Frank Vallich

Re: Need some help
At 100 yards accuracy is acceptable. 200 yards grouped shots but accuracy is lacking. High, shots in the field yet hitting the gongs at 300 yards. After reading Nathan's books I stripped off the Harris bipod. Use a backpack as a shooting rest. Repacked the bag placing medical supplies and pen flares in two separate glass pack containers with snap lids. The hardness of the pack with the containers caused elevated hits at 100 yards. It took a day for this conclusion. Repacked with plastic bags. Accuracy returned. I use Barnes cartridges, 168 gr, in .308 and these are tack drivers. OAL just fit the mag. Using 165 accubonds cannot shoot better than 1.5 inch grouping at 100 yards.
Possibly your loads are off, rifle throat and barrel worn or contaminated , shooting rest inconsistent? Difficult to diagnose over the wire so to speak. Trigger control is apparently off as your shots are to the right. Humidity and altitude are factors , predictability, at longer ranges. Check your cleaning routine, check action for pressure points, check your self.
13 Oct 2019
@ 10:15 pm (GMT)

Paolo Consalvi

Re: Need some help
Only my 2 cents ... Try to shoot with a small cushion-shaped rear bag (ex. Tab Gear): this dampens the recoil, regardless of the soft or hard nature of the ground, in the field or on the bench.
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