Form 4 virgin no longer! - Printable Version

Form 4 virgin no longer! - Printable Version

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Form 4 virgin no longer! - Kswhitetails - 04-07-2018

Went out again today, - Hey, no job to take up my time, why not? Went to a relatively newly founded range where I have been volunteering to help clear/burn/build. They have 1-400 yards laid out traversing up hill at about 15 degrees. We set the hanging steel plates with pieces of fire hose we cut this morning and screwing them to telephone poles laid across bails. Great modular set up which allows the ranges to be modified at any time and changing out the selected plates is easier.

I started at 100 to re-verify zero, and after a few rounds, I was comfortable enough to push it out. I have to say, this being the first time I've been able to stretch it beyond 230ish, this was a let down. It was too easy. I thought I'd have to try harder! Ha. Well, 400 is no problem, but I need more time on range to really dial things in.

I took the wrong ammo boxes, shame on me. I shot up my ladder boxes, and will have to re-create them. Not really a bad thing, it's more bench time for me on this end. All the better for experience.

The 129 SSTs were phenomenal, predictable, smooth, and repeatable. I put three of the same load within two inches at 270. That makes my day. Deer beware.

All in all, things are progressing quickly now. I have a place to train, to stretch a little, and am now a member of the Kansas Precision Rifle Club, a small group here in KS that does PRS style meets/shoots for points and competition throughout the season. I am really excited to see where things go for me this summer. I may get my 1K experiences before much longer.

Conditions today were about as bad as you could ask for. After this morning which was an overcast, but windy morning; as soon as we got back from lunch we started preparing to head out to get prone and start trying out the range layout. It started to rain. And only got worse. The wind came up and by the time we were lying down to begin, the firing line which had been packed with road base to enable a leveling and graded crown to shoot prone from was getting tacky. Oh well, it washes. The wind was a steady 22 from 2-3 o clock, gusting to 35+. Awesome, made it interesting. We were only going to 400 in 25+ wind. Fun. I learned that Ballistic AE said 4moa hold at 400 in that, and it was on the money. Elevation holds were useless because I have not gotten to measure muzzle velocities on any of the ladder loads I had with me.

Hornady Black continues to disappoint. Too much of a good thing somehow, it won't do better than 1.5 moa, usually closer to 2 for me in my rifle.

The suppressor is really fun outside. There is no blast, and the impacts were louder than the shot, or so it seemed. It has a hiss like an air line being disconnected on a 18 wheeler.

The guys I was with were throwing 223 at things with red dots and prayer holds. They were doing well considering. I had the advantage in every way though, and it was fun to hear someone say "yea, heard that one!". Later someone politely said "we're getting showed up by the new guy..." I laughed and said yea, but I've got LOTS of help, admitting to being the lesser skilled shooter. The other two shooters are retired MFR.

The Athlon ARES 4.5-27 really is a great piece of glass, clear, and precise. Dials were on, - as expected - and the reticle makes wind holds too easy. At 250, I was holding 1MOA in elevation, and 2.25 wind, and could put shots on the same quarter of the 12x18 plates. The The gusts made noticeable moves to the impacts, and I was glad to see that the shot predictability matched my expectations of the equipment.

We quit after about 20mins as it was getting colder, and the group had members that had an hour and a half drive home, going north, into the icing. It was a really great day, one which I hope to repeat often enough to develop some real skill, rather than just geeking out over what I read here.

1K here I come.

Untitled by .t, on Flickr

Untitled by ., on Flickr