Thread: More cheap long range

Today we launched our "Eric Cortina Blackjack Challenge" rack of gongs on the range at 480M/525Y. Wind at the airport station about a KM away was reading 24 km/h at close to 90 - and quite gusty.

On our range everyone has to validate their zero at 100M so we did an MOA dot challenge (can you keep 5 rounds inside a 29mm dot at 100M) out of 8 shooters we got one "possible" although there was another shooter who shot a very nice sub MOA group but was outside the dot. All rifles on the line in "hunter class", all but one being actual hunting rifles.

Back to 480. 12 Rounds, supposedly 2 minutes but we dropped that, too tough. 6 square plates 300, 250, 200, 150, 100 and 50 hit to move. The wind made it tough, no-one had gotten past the 100 when I left, most stalling out between the 200 and the 150.

I was shooting a light 223 with 69s, a very hard day in the office. My 100M group was about 40mm (arrrggghhhh, I thought I had it running better than that). I was pretty pleased at 480M to get the 300 on the 3rd shot with a 1.4 mil wind hold in quite a heavy mirage and then got the 250 with the next shot and 200 with two more shots. Couldn't nail the 150, splashed all round it (note to self, this is what happens with a 1.5 MOA rifle). Bloody good fun though and while I don't shoot game over 350 or so especially in any wind and definitelynot with a 223, nice to know most of the shots would have gotten me a hit on deer - rifle is "minute of deer"!

That sounds like a bit of fun

I'm hoping to do this challenge with a 204Ruger. Maybe I should come visit you

Good challenge. Way to learn your rifle. Went out 2 weekends ago culling turkeys. 150m with wind behind had good success with 22Hornet and 223 shooting 62gners. Best was 180 but 3rd shot. Son managed a 186 with Tikka 243 but basically walked it in a bit. Turkeys are great, they wobble around a bit, run back at ya and don't run too fast. Just enough to make ya miss lol. We got 13 between us between 60m and the 186. Certainly refreshed our humility re our capabilities in field conditions. Good thing was the misses seemed very narrow and most would have been in kill zone on a decent sized deer. Still...

Farmer was happy.

Originally Posted by Jaco Goosen

I'm hoping to do this challenge with a 204Ruger. Maybe I should come visit you

Visitors always welcome, here and at the range. Pick a nice weather window though!

What was the first round hit rate like on the big plate?

It would be really helpful if you have access to those eletronic targets that are commonly available from NRA ranges across the country. It is a good opportunity to learn your wind call with immediate and positive feedback.

Below is my 10 shots at Ashburton District Rifle Club with the straight pull rifle shooting 69gr projectile at 500 yards (~450meters).


The bulls eye is 1/2 MOA target and 6 ring is the 1 MOA target.

Originally Posted by gimp

What was the first round hit rate like on the big plate?

I don't have the scores but maybe 50-60 %, pretty much what I'd expect from "hunters" in difficult wind conditions. My first shot splash was a tiny bit left of plate, a dead deer if it was facing left, gutshot if it was headed right . . .

After I left a guy cleared the rack down to the 50mm gong, which in the wind /mirage conditions was superb shooting with a hunting rifle ( albeit a snotty 7mm "magnum" cartidge, nothing is much better for shooting in wind . . . )

Originally Posted by eamars

It would be really helpful if you have access to those eletronic targets that are commonly available from NRA ranges across the country. It is a good opportunity to learn your wind call with immediate and positive feedback.

Below is my 10 shots at Ashburton District Rifle Club with the straight pull rifle shooting 69gr projectile at 500 yards (~450meters).

Attachment 262021
The bulls eye is 1/2 MOA target and 6 ring is the 1 MOA target.

That's pretty good with a 223. What were the wind conditions and how heavy is the rifle? Bear in mind you're getting feedback every shot with an electronic target, so "walking on" is a hell of a lot easier than hunting when you seldom see splash or plate shooting where you sometimes see it.

We tried the same shoot at our range the other weekend.
We started at 300M first going down the sizes 12,10,8,6 and 4" then back up again there was only 4 of us out of about 14 shooters.
We then moved back to 500 some of us had to go so I never got to try which was a bugger.
But only 1 shooter went all the way down and back up at 500M an dropped 1 target and another dropped 2.
A real fun challenge

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Originally Posted by Tentman

I don't have the scores but maybe 50-60 %, pretty much what I'd expect from "hunters" in difficult wind conditions. My first shot splash was a tiny bit left of plate, a dead deer if it was facing left, gutshot if it was headed right . . .

After I left a guy cleared the rack down to the 50mm gong, which in the wind /mirage conditions was superb shooting with a hunting rifle ( albeit a snotty 7mm "magnum" cartidge, nothing is much better for shooting in wind . . . )

That's better than I'd expect really

So I had to go back to the range and the scores were there. No names no pack drill but they are interesting . . .

J 7mm mag type (don't know actual cartridge) 36 points - that's a hit right down to the 50mm and believe me, it's farken small in the stong wind and mirage

B 7mm RM 15 points

Me 223 10 points ( I must have gotten a hit on the 150mm gong, very pleased with my effort and I only fired 11 out of 12 rounds in my self imposed 2 min time limit, need a lot more practise to get off all 12 in good form, I really had to hustle and that's not conductive to good shooting)

R 6.5 CM 10 points - he was shooting a rebarreled Ruger RPR so would have been right at 6 kgs if not over.

E 7mm RM , 6 points, shot the same rifle as B but later on as the wind got up, usually she is very hard to beat.

T either a 6.5 CM or 308, 6 points, he had both and shot after I left

M 6.5 CM 1 point - normally a very competitive shooter but lost his zero and never recovered. I bet this happens more often out on the hill than people admit haha.

Originally Posted by Tentman

That's pretty good with a 223. What were the wind conditions and how heavy is the rifle? Bear in mind you're getting feedback every shot with an electronic target, so "walking on" is a hell of a lot easier than hunting when you seldom see splash or plate shooting where you sometimes see it.

Not strong wind, about 3-4mph but oscillating left and right. Have to compensate about 1mil to the left and is still not enough.

Rifle wise it weights about 4kg including the scope. I'm having an Arken EP5 on it which is pretty heavy.