6/24/2011 - Testing My Metal..(well, lead really)

Now, I know what you're thinking.  You're thinking that these are pretty boring pictures.  I guess you're right, they are kind of boring.  I'll do my best to explain why I even uploaded them.  In the top picture, that is a "cold barrel" shot right in the bulls eye.  The next two shots decided to share a single hole together, and the fourth shot is the one off to the left.  This was shot at 100 yards with my newest hand loads.  They are Lapua Brass, with Sierra BTHP 175 gr bullets.  CCI 200 primers, with 45 grains of Hodgon Varget power pushing the 308 bullets.  I almost forgot to mention that this is the Savage 10FP rifle, with the Vortex Viper 6.5-20x44 scope.  This particular load is hotter than any that I have shot before from this gun, so I wanted to check the zero point.  As you can see it wasn't far off, but after making this 4 shot group I dropped the scope 2 clicks for good measure.

The Second picture is the target that I had set up at 1000 yards.  After checking my zero, I sent some shots down range.  I went shooting much later than normal (it was about 10 a.m.), and I was quickly reminded why I like to shoot either early morning, or just before dusk.  Yes, it was a little breezy.  So much so, that the bullets were being pushed 2 to 3 feet off the right hand side of the target.  Luckily with the time that it takes the 308's to get out that far, I can reacquire the sight picture most of the time to see some dust spray up.  I used a ballistics calculator online before heading out, and with the faster muzzle velocity (these are going about 2750 fps, see earlier post), the computer suggested using 121 clicks, so that's what I tried.  It was actually really close for 25.10 on the pressure, and about 75-80 degrees, with very low humidity. I shot about 6 shots, while trying to aim into the wind.  Although only one shot is actually recorded on the cardboard, there was a decent little grouping in the ground, off to the right of the target.  Some of those shots looked like 121 clicks was enough to reach the distance, but I think I might give use a couple extra clicks given the same situation.