Okay, this is my first post after MANY years of lurking quietly and listening to people with much more experience than my own, but I had so much fun at the range today that I just had to share.
Firstly, I have never shot at 200 yards before. My best (former marine) friend and I went to the range for a day of shooting. The wind was mostly at our backs and a little to our left and gusting up to 20 mph. We tried to wait between gusts to shoot. We shot seated but could have shot prone and I wish I had. Using a 4-14 sight, all of my shots with the M1a landed within a ten inch circle but diagonally in a two inch wide strip low at the right and high at the left. The day before I went to Bass Pro and sighted in at the underground range. With no wind I was able to get a 1 inch 5 rd group. Scott, my friend felt it was wind. I am not sure if it was wind or poor trigger technique. LOADS of fun. The wind really slowed down the use of ammunition. It took two hours to shoot 40 rounds.
I was shooting "American Tactical" ammo. It does not like the M1a and I had many, many failures to feed. I don't hate the ammo...it just gives me brass to reload.
I shot ten rounds through the iron factory sights. Surprisingly I was able consistently to hit clay pigeons on the ground at 200 yds....that was a heck of a lot of fun! I gained a lot of trust in the iron sights and would not hesitate to shoot a deer out to 200 yds with iron sights as long as i had pretested the point of impact of the bullet brand in advance.
I also shot my mak 90....with open sights at 200yds. I was surprised at how comfortably it shot. All of the stories I heard may not be true. I grant it isn't a tack driver but I was able to keep 10/10 shots within a pie plate. And the trigger feel on it is superior to my M1A...very easy to squeeze off. That really took me by surprise. I have put many rounds through it at closer ranges at soda cans, but none out that far.
All and all it was a great day at the range with my best friend. He sighted his Garand and .223 and I realized how much more skill it takes to go farther out. I won't get a chance to shoot again for many months but I hope to do MUCH more 200-300 yard range shooting sometime in the future.
Firstly, I have never shot at 200 yards before. My best (former marine) friend and I went to the range for a day of shooting. The wind was mostly at our backs and a little to our left and gusting up to 20 mph. We tried to wait between gusts to shoot. We shot seated but could have shot prone and I wish I had. Using a 4-14 sight, all of my shots with the M1a landed within a ten inch circle but diagonally in a two inch wide strip low at the right and high at the left. The day before I went to Bass Pro and sighted in at the underground range. With no wind I was able to get a 1 inch 5 rd group. Scott, my friend felt it was wind. I am not sure if it was wind or poor trigger technique. LOADS of fun. The wind really slowed down the use of ammunition. It took two hours to shoot 40 rounds.
I was shooting "American Tactical" ammo. It does not like the M1a and I had many, many failures to feed. I don't hate the ammo...it just gives me brass to reload.
I shot ten rounds through the iron factory sights. Surprisingly I was able consistently to hit clay pigeons on the ground at 200 yds....that was a heck of a lot of fun! I gained a lot of trust in the iron sights and would not hesitate to shoot a deer out to 200 yds with iron sights as long as i had pretested the point of impact of the bullet brand in advance.
I also shot my mak 90....with open sights at 200yds. I was surprised at how comfortably it shot. All of the stories I heard may not be true. I grant it isn't a tack driver but I was able to keep 10/10 shots within a pie plate. And the trigger feel on it is superior to my M1A...very easy to squeeze off. That really took me by surprise. I have put many rounds through it at closer ranges at soda cans, but none out that far.
All and all it was a great day at the range with my best friend. He sighted his Garand and .223 and I realized how much more skill it takes to go farther out. I won't get a chance to shoot again for many months but I hope to do MUCH more 200-300 yard range shooting sometime in the future.