300yd practice

[Scotchmo]

In reparation for the 2023 EBR Open big bore match, I shot some 300yd F-class targets for score today. No practice shots. 4 targets, 5 shots at each target.

Scores for each target were: 44, 40, 44, 46. For a total of 174 pts.

Here is the best of the four targets. I plugged the holes with 7mm slugs.

Winds were light. 3 or 4 mph.

 

[Motorhead]

Pretty wicked shooting buddy !!!

 

[trlrman]

Heck of a cold bore target !!!

 

[beerthief]

very good shooting im my opinion .

 

[Scotchmo]

Heck of a cold bore target !!!

Also, what I was most happy with was the consistency in accuracy. It's fun to get the occasional sub moa group, but for matches, this is what I like to see instead. I couldn't see any of the hits from the firing line, so I walked down range after the first two groups to check them out. They both looked a little low and left. I came back and clicked up two and right two. And the next two groups moved about to those new settings. Very predictable. I was fortunate to have a calm day to do this.

After checking the targets and lasering the distance (it was 303yds, not 300yds), I adjusted the clicks slightly.

 

[trlrman]

I hope you don't get tired of me trying to pick you brain in a couple weeks . I have lot's of learning to do !

 

[rodjava]

Nice shooting. I hope to shoot with you some day at the SLOSA.

 

[JungleShooter]

I — have a dream!

That one day,
in the not so far future (2-4 years),
I might be able to post similar targets....


Matthias (not Martin)



PS: Congratulations on some very awesome shooting, Scott!! And some very awesome gun modding, slug making and testing, scope rigging, etc, etc...

 

[rodjava]

What is an accurate description of a "cold bore" shot?
Is it the very first shots of the day at a specific yardage?
Or the first shots after sighting in the scope at a specific yardage?

The first thing I do when I arrive at my club range, is to sight in my scope at 100 yards. I do this regardless if the scope was at the same sighting settings the week before. It usually takes about 2 -4 shots to sight in. I mainly do this for windage adjustments. It's reasonable to think that my bore is no longer considered "cold"

If I move from the 100 yard scope sight in, to a 300 yard target, with these next shots be considered "cold bore"?
Probably not. But thought I should ask the membership.

Rod in San Francisco

 

[Scotchmo]

What is an accurate description of a "cold bore" shot?
Is it the very first shots of the day at a specific yardage?
Or the first shots after sighting in the scope at a specific yardage?

The first thing I do when I arrive at my club range, is to sight in my scope at 100 yards. I do this regardless if the scope was at the same sighting settings the week before. It usually takes about 2 -4 shots to sight in. I mainly do this for windage adjustments. It's reasonable to think that my bore is no longer considered "cold"

If I move from the 100 yard scope sight in, to a 300 yard target, with these next shots be considered "cold bore"?
Probably not. But thought I should ask the membership.

Rod in San Francisco

Airguns don’t really get hot, so I use the term “cold bore” to refer to the first shot. Like the first shot of the day at a target, for score, with no sighter shots. Though it could also mean shooting at a new target distance with no sighters.

At the recent EBR Bigbore match, it had been four days since I last shot the rifle. I unloaded it from the van, purged the reg, and proceeded to shoot the match. Every shot I took that day counted for score. That would be considered “cold bore”.

Once I sight in my rifle, preferably it stays that way for the long term. I sight in my airguns at the trajectory apex. That happens to be 37 yards for my 7mm. I use that because it’s constant even with different atmospheric conditions (barometric pressure). My range is near sea level, but most of the competitions that I attend are at 2000ft +. A 100yd sight in is about as far as I’d feel comfortable with (as long as conditions were calm). Much farther than that and you need to redo your sight in when barometric pressure changes significantly.

 

[trlrman]

Once I sight in my rifle, preferably it stays that way for the long term. I sight in my airguns at the trajectory apex. That happens to be 37 yards for my 7mm. I use that because it’s constant even with different atmospheric conditions (barometric pressure). My range is near sea level, but most of the competitions that I attend are at 2000ft +. A 100yd sight in is about as far as I’d feel comfortable with (as long as conditions were calm). Much farther than that and you need to redo your sight in when barometric pressure changes significantly.

Golden nugget of info !

 

[rodjava]

Airguns don’t really get hot, so I use the term “cold bore” to refer to the first shot. Like the first shot of the day at a target, for score, with no sighter shots. Though it could also mean shooting at a new target distance with no sighters.

At the recent EBR Bigbore match, it had been four days since I last shot the rifle. I unloaded it from the van, purged the reg, and proceeded to shoot the match. Every shot I took that day counted for score. That would be considered “cold bore”.

Once I sight in my rifle, preferably it stays that way for the long term. I sight in my airguns at the trajectory apex. That happens to be 37 yards for my 7mm. I use that because it’s constant even with different atmospheric conditions (barometric pressure). My range is near sea level, but most of the competitions that I attend are at 2000ft +. A 100yd sight in is about as far as I’d feel comfortable with (as long as conditions were calm). Much farther than that and you need to redo your sight in when barometric pressure changes significantly.

Scott,
Thanks for the detailed explanation. I don't have the talent to cold bore for score. So sighters are my weakness. I used to sight in at 50 yards which was never a challenge. Then began to sight in at 100 yards, thinking if my accuracy was good that 100, it would be even better at my 200 yard targets. I'm not sure is my theory makes sense or a difference?

Rod in San Francisco

 

[Scotchmo]

Scott,
Thanks for the detailed explanation. I don't have the talent to cold bore for score. So sighters are my weakness. I used to sight in at 50 yards which was never a challenge. Then began to sight in at 100 yards, thinking if my accuracy was good that 100, it would be even better at my 200 yard targets. I'm not sure is my theory makes sense or a difference?

Rod in San Francisco

There is a whole process to go through to select and setup an air rifle, barrel, projectile, scope, etc. for ELR.

Once that’s done, I’ll take an educated guess at the expected velocity and BC. That (along with any other applicable data such as scope height) goes into a ballistic app to determine a starting zero. I go to the range with my Labradar. and get some initial velocity readings and actual BC calculations. Update the ballistic app to match the actual data. Any other distance is dialed in based on the ballistic app. Then I’d probably dial it for 100m to get some idea of accuracy potential.

That’s the basics, though there’s usually a lot of other things to do such as optimizing the tune and maybe comparing a couple of different slugs.

If the data in your ballistic app is accurate, you should be able to predict the needed compensation and dial it in. Your first shot should at least be close (within it’s expected accuracy). If not, it could be some data not quite right in the ballistic app. And at some distance, things start to open up, indicating you may have reached a limit for that setup. Groups seem to hold together farther out at locations with lower air density.

 

[rodjava]

It's reasonable to think that when shooting cold bore, bullseye groups are not expected as much as 5 shot groups elsewhere on the target.

 

[Scotchmo]

It's reasonable to think that when shooting cold bore, bullseye groups are not expected as much as 5 shot groups elsewhere on the target.

Correct. A tight 1moa group is nice to see, but not necessary for my current airgun ELR purposes. My typical goal is to be able to hit a 4moa target on the first shot, more often than not, at any distance that I might be inclined to shoot.

 

[JungleShooter]

Freely dispensing valuable knowledge,
insider information,
tips & tricks of the trade —
that's our Scott/ Scotchmo!



In a competitive world, and a competitive sport — it is indeed very nice to have people like you around, Scott.
Thanks.

Matthias

 

[Centercut]

Freely dispensing valuable knowledge,
insider information,
tips & tricks of the trade —
that's our Scott/ Scotchmo!



In a competitive world, and a competitive sport — it is indeed very nice to have people like you around, Scott.
Thanks.

Matthias

Totally agree, we’re all lucky to have him on Team Centercut.