Long distance match

Status
Not open for further replies.

Narf

Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2017
Messages
11
My gun club has an upcoming long range match...20 shots in 30 minutes at 450 yards. Not long range to many of you, but it is to me. I am new to this. I own an 5.56 ar15 and a .300 wsm Winchester m70. I know the .300 would be the better choice ballistically, but I'm not sure I can shoulder 20 rounds like that, in my little experience with the rifle. Any tips...would a shooter's shoulder pad do the trick? Any other input? Thanks
 
I noticed this is your 2nd post here at THR, welcome to the Forums!

I'll try to help...

''My gun club has an upcoming long range match...20 shots in 30 minutes at 450 yards...
...I am new to this. Do it!
I own an 5.56 ar15... This caliber will be fine
...Any tips...would a shooter's shoulder pad do the trick? Any other input? Do you know any other local shooters that have shot that style Match b4? Contact the Club, ask to speak to the Match Director for help...simply ask ! U will find the High Power crew very friendly, solid advice, and as interested as you are in a safe, fun shoot. Also; Are you reloading? In any event, go to a ballistics webpage i.e. Hornady, do the calculations in drop ***and wind** for you caliber/bullet weight/barrel length. The rest of mechanics remains the same as in any distance, dry fire practice, trigger control, breathing etc.
Thanks U R welcome! Have a great time *safe* shoot , let us know how it went. :thumbup:Good luck!''
 
Yeah, shoot a gun and round that is not uncomfortable. You'll hit more with a 2 MOA gun/ammo combo that you can hold still than you would with a 1 MOA gun and a 15 MOA flinch. Believe me, I have tested this myself!

But a 5.56, particularly with somewhat heavy bullets, should do just fine at that distance. I shot an 8" steel plate at that distance a few months ago with that caliber and "platform" and, once I got the drop figured out, found it very easy to hit. I was shooting very rested on bags (standing/kneeling in bed of pickup, gun rested on roof of cab)... I certainly couldn't hold the gun small enough to reliably hit off-hand, but I'm not a "real" rifle shooter by any stretch.

Anyway, I don't know how small you're trying to shoot, but I don't think you'd be asking a high-quality 5.56 cartridge to do anything beyond its capability to reach 450. No 55 FMJ blaster ammo, though.
 
I noticed this is your 2nd post here at THR, welcome to the Forums!

I'll try to help...

''My gun club has an upcoming long range match...20 shots in 30 minutes at 450 yards...
...I am new to this. Do it!
I own an 5.56 ar15... This caliber will be fine
...Any tips...would a shooter's shoulder pad do the trick? Any other input? Do you know any other local shooters that have shot that style Match b4? Contact the Club, ask to speak to the Match Director for help...simply ask ! U will find the High Power crew very friendly, solid advice, and as interested as you are in a safe, fun shoot. Also; Are you reloading? In any event, go to a ballistics webpage i.e. Hornady, do the calculations in drop ***and wind** for you caliber/bullet weight/barrel length. The rest of mechanics remains the same as in any distance, dry fire practice, trigger control, breathing etc.
Thanks U R welcome! Have a great time *safe* shoot , let us know how it went. :thumbup:Good luck!''

Thank you DoubleMag. Good advice. I'm really looking forward to this. I do reload...i have about a month before the shoot, so i will be working up a new load for heavier .223 bullets. i've really only used my AR with 55 gr loads for plinking up till now, so i am anxious to see how it shoots on paper.
 
Yeah, shoot a gun and round that is not uncomfortable. You'll hit more with a 2 MOA gun/ammo combo that you can hold still than you would with a 1 MOA gun and a 15 MOA flinch. Believe me, I have tested this myself!

But a 5.56, particularly with somewhat heavy bullets, should do just fine at that distance. I shot an 8" steel plate at that distance a few months ago with that caliber and "platform" and, once I got the drop figured out, found it very easy to hit. I was shooting very rested on bags (standing/kneeling in bed of pickup, gun rested on roof of cab)... I certainly couldn't hold the gun small enough to reliably hit off-hand, but I'm not a "real" rifle shooter by any stretch.

Anyway, I don't know how small you're trying to shoot, but I don't think you'd be asking a high-quality 5.56 cartridge to do anything beyond its capability to reach 450. No 55 FMJ blaster ammo, though.

Thanks for the advice, Dave. You gave me some good things to think about.
 
What twist do you have on that AR barrel?

If 1:7 try some loads using the bullets in 75g-80g range.

My 15 year old son shoots a .223 in mid range F Class matches (600 yards). I worked up a very accurate load using the Berger 80.5 Full Bore bullets. A lot of the AR sling shooters use that bullet but they are single loading them. You might have to do the same. Not a big deal as you have 30 min to shoot 20 rounds. No need load from the mag.

My load is 80.5 Bergers, 24.2g Varget, 205M primers, Lapua brass, +0.005 into the lands.

Here’s a 500 yard practice target my son shot.

T39LpCq.png
 
Like the others I'd stick with the .223.

I've got a 1:9 20" barreled gun that does very well out to 540y s with 69 Sierra OTMs and TMs, it also stabilizes 75 Hornady's fine. If your twist supports it, I'd go with a heavier bullet. With the longer bullets, you may end up having to single load, but 20 shots in 30 minutes isn't exactly a blistering pace.
 
What twist do you have on that AR barrel?

If 1:7 try some loads using the bullets in 75g-80g range.

My 15 year old son shoots a .223 in mid range F Class matches (600 yards). I worked up a very accurate load using the Berger 80.5 Full Bore bullets. A lot of the AR sling shooters use that bullet but they are single loading them. You might have to do the same. Not a big deal as you have 30 min to shoot 20 rounds. No need load from the mag.

My load is 80.5 Bergers, 24.2g Varget, 205M primers, Lapua brass, +0.005 into the lands.

Here’s a 500 yard practice target my son shot.

View attachment 849906

It is a 16" DD 1:7" LW barrel. I am going to try to find some 80gr SMK and varget powder locally this weekend. I'll pick up the Bergers if i see them also. Did you purchase a single loading mag follower or do you just start them by hand in the chamber? I found a 3D printer file for single follower and am going to see how it works.

Also, am i reading this correctly that your load is .005" into the lands, as in touching the lands?

That's some good shooting! what app is this?
 
As i mentioned, i've only used my AR for plinking till now...i have 3 sets of optics on standby and don't have the time to test/ sight them all in. would you recommend a Leupold VXII-3X9X40mm with standard duplex reticle, Cheap UTG 3x9x32mm with mill dot reticle, or burris fullfield2 3x9x40mm with BDC reticle?
 
Did you purchase a single loading mag follower or do you just start them by hand in the chamber? I found a 3D printer file for single follower and am going to see how it works.

Also, am i reading this correctly that your load is .005" into the lands, as in touching the lands?

That's some good shooting! what app is this?

My son is shooting a bolt action.

Brownells sells a single shot mag follower for the AR if you want to take an easier route

https://www.brownells.com/magazines...-single-shot-magazine-follower-prod34112.aspx

The load I mentioned is touching the lands, plus 0.005”, or jammed 0.005”

The app is BallisticsAE
 
Unless your Sauk is a heavy barreled gun, I’d too stick with the ar platform.
 
I recall seeing this post last month, but didn’t recall that I didn’t respond to it. It may be too late, the match might be over, but personally, if both rifles shot the same raw groups at 100, and I had the same quality/consistency of load, I’d stick on a Past pad and murder the wind with the 300wm. I’m a big fan of shooting mid and long range with 223/5.56, but I’m also a fan of taking every advantage I can get to win when I’m competing, and the 300wm has the advantage. Neither are ideal, but using a big magnum in a 450 yard open game is almost like cheating - when the rules don’t expressly say it IS cheating...
 
Yeaah....
well there’s that old boy that keeps coming around called ‘Recoil Management’ and don’t forget barrel heat. Any decent AR should drill at 450 Yards
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top