2/27/10 Wind 2, Kyle 0

The heading says it all really.  I am blaming today's less than stellar performance at the range on the wind.  We all know what that really means: I underestimated the wind again today.  I guess the issue is that just because I only have a light breeze from my shooting position, there are larger wind currents flowing down the canyons that I have to shoot across to get 700 yards to the target.  As you can see in the pictures, it was rough.  After my first 5 shots, I decided to walk over to the target instead of drive over.  The entire time I was walking I was excited to see really good shots right next to the bulls-eye.  When I got to the plywood, I could hardly believe what I saw.  What I saw was nothing.  Not a single shot in the 4x8 ply!  I wondered if perhaps I had dialed 77 clicks of down elevation.  A closer look at the ground beyond the target told the story.  I found where my shots were landing. I had missed wide left (yes that was the general direction of the wind from what I could tell).  I actually did find 2 of the five bullets there in the ground.  The only redeeming thing about the situation is that I think I had at least 3 (or more) shots in that very small area, by the looks of the disturbed dirt. 

After a 700 yard walk back to the truck, I was determined to out shoot the wind.  For the next five shots, I held about 3/4 mils to the right.  As you can see in the photo, I printed a really good grouping of 3 shots that landed on the ply left and low of the aimpoint.  In the wider photo, you can see a shot that landed about level with the bulls eye (my stray shot?).  My guess is that the 5th shot that didn't manage to hit the plywood was just left enough to miss the wood, but still in the same grouping with the other 3, but I will never know.

Both times I walked up to the target I was genuinely surprised to see that I didn't break the paper multiple times.  Those 10 shots were the last of my 168 gr. Black Hills Match 308 ammo.  From here on out (mostly), I hope to be shooting my own hand-loads.   We shall see how that goes.