Thread: 1000m on a "budget"

Hi all

I'm sure 1000m with been done more times than I can count with less than i ended up with, but im new to the longer range malarkey so I decided to go into it naive to experience more of what is in the sport, and how little you can get away with.

Here's what I ended up with

A tikka t3 30-06 of all things. However obsolete a 30-06 apparently is in 2020 it seemed to me that it shoots a .30 cal pill a little faster than a .308, ok by me. Traded a .303 and an old lever action .44mag, for it, so it cost me around $1200 incl a bipod and all the brass ever fired in the rifle, approximately 140 bits of the finest federal.

20MOA rail, I may have gotten away without it, but 40moa up is on the limit of many scopes. $120.

Warne rings, $140, i liked how they have a decent insert that bumps hard against the peaks of the rail.

T2 muzzle brake, makes a .30cal shoot able for a softy like me $300 plus $75 fitting from a fella down the road. To be fair the muzzle brake cost me a set of electronic earmuffs, I wear muffs and plugs when I shoot a brake now, from shot #2 onwards anyhow.

Rangefinder, leupold 1300??? I think, couldn't get it to range 1000m, do I parked my wagon in the middle and ranged each side of it. $500.

Scope, second hand strike eagle, 4-24x50. Im not sure where they sit on the value for $ scale but im satisfied. $750.

Strelok $21

So the rifle ready to shoot with tools to range and get me on target cost me $3066, so not cheap, I accumulated it over 6 months so the total surprised me a bit.

I ordered some projectiles in from the local, and sent the boss lady in to grab them and some powder, and she somehow got me 500gr of ar2209 for $65!!! I'm slightly concerned as the shop we lease is 2 doors up from them, another story hopefully not.

So 7700grains per 500g 55grains per load =46cents.
178eldx 89cents each.
Federal match primers went all out for 14cents each.

1 loaded round came out at $1.49

No "load development"

Loaded 70 on Friday nite.

This morning up near Matauri Bay was miserable, rain and wind, the rain left but the wind stayed, but i didn't drive 2 hours to just have beers with a mate so 1000m had to be tried.

Sighted at 200 with 5 bullets (at $1.49 I could have splashed out)
Calculated speed by hunting a rock at 400m, verified on a rock at 300. Near enough.


Out to 1000m. Put 25kmph at 168° with 3° downward angle, strelok spat out adjustments. Dialed up the scope and let the first one go.

Target was a 550mm square of mild steel, cost me a box of the lords finest lion red. Works out yo be near enough 2MOA at 1000m.

Where the f&%$ did that go? Sent another, nope. Another, nope. After 5 I was able to see a ploughed patch so made adjustments from there, halved the windage, almost no wind farther down the valley and 2 minutes high.

After that got a 3/5 hits and called it a day with a big shit eating grin from ear to ear. Conditions and lack of experience considered, I call it a win.

What would I do differently? Bugger all, am I a great shot, nah, did I learn a sholtload being a tight arse, I think so.

Thanks all.

Oh, I bought a big bag of rice for a rear bag, worked great.