Yesterday, I finally got my chance at a 1,000 yard shot.
This started this past Sunday, when docpadds and I went to a private range to dial in my out of the box Remington 700 SPS Varmint in .308. The rifle showed up last week, along with my Bushnell Elite 4200 Tactical scope. Got it all mounted up on a 20 MOA base, and headed to the range Sunday.
Got the zero pretty much on with PMC 147 gr FMJ BT ammo, then tightened up the groups with Federal Gold Medal Match 168 gr BTHP. We then set off for the 300-600 targets. Dialed the scope based off the JBM Ballistics calculator, and got first round hits on 300 and 375 yd steel targets. I knew that the ballistics calculator was only a starting point, and just happened to be close for those two shots. Longer shots would require getting my own dope for the rifle.
We pressed on to the 500 yd target, and the shot was just a hair low. Dialed in a little more elevation, held center, and listened to the satisfying ding that followed. We shot that target for a bit, just having fun for a while, then transitioned back to the 300-375 targets. We had set up a Tannerite target at 300, and I wanted to be sure my adjustments were repeatable. So, I dial what I had written down for 300, and the target exploded. Not a great feat, as 300 is basically a gimme shot, but it confirmed that my numbers were correct.
From there, we transitioned back to the 500-600 range. It was time to try for the 8" round steel plate at 600. Once again, I took a reading from the JBM calculator, adjusted a little bit for velocity change from my barrel length, and got pretty close on the first shot. A couple of adjustments later, and I was dinging the little 600 yard plate. It was getting late, and it was a long drive home, so we called it a day after that.
Fast forward a few days, and a few sleepless nights, with that 1,000 yd line haunting my dreams. For years, it's something that I've wanted to try. Had to try. I had to know that I could or could not do it. So I made the call, and got permission for the range again yesterday, July 4th. Started off again at the 100, just plinking on some short range steel, then moved back to 300-600 range with a few other rifles for some more fun. We dinged the 500 several times, and the 600, but did find that the slight temperature difference from Sunday to yesterday, did make a difference in the dope on my rifle.
We say another tannerite at the 300, and as I'm adjust for it, I felt a little wiggle in the scope. Oh no. NOT good. Sure enough, my base had loosened up on me. Being that this was a temp set up, with the rifle getting a new chassis soon, I had not put lock tite on all my screws. My heart sank. The scope had to come off, base tightened, and everything put back on. Obviously, at this point, my zero was shot. We made out way back to the 100yd range.
After getting the rifle zeroed, we had no time to dial it in at various distances. We headed straight to the 1,000 yd line.
Again taking an educated guess, I dialed the turret on my scope, and peered at the same 8" steel disk that we shot from 600. It was now 1,000 yards away........ Docpadds settled in on the Savage 110 BA with a high powered Nightforce on top, to spot for me. First shot, elevation was low, but windage was right on. So I dial more elevation, and my heart skips a beat. I'm out of elevation adjustment, even with a 20 MOA base under my scope. I hate Kentucky windage. I'm a firm believer in dialing the correct dope, and holding dead on. I'm sitting on the 1,000 yard line, and a chance I've waited years for is over half a mile away. I'm not backing down now.
I hold 3 mils high, and again it's low. Guess we need even more elevation. I'm now holding the thick bar at the bottom of the reticle, over the top of the frame that's holding the 8" steel disk, which I can no longer see. With doc down on the Nightforce, I dance within inches of the target for a few shots. I have two rounds left.
On the second to last round, I send it, and a couple second later hear doc laughing. Soon after, I hear a light "ding" find it's way across the valley. The laughing was from how much the target was swinging. The severe arc, and downward angle that the bullet struck, made the target swing like it never had before.
I had done it. An 8" circle at 1,000 yards. I cannot even express how happy I was at that moment. It had been a long day. I was dehydrated from a long day in the sun, my head was pounding, but none of that mattered right then and there on that lonely 1,000 yard line.
This is a view from the line, the target is in the vicinity of the yellow circle...
And this is one happy guy after my 1,000 yard shot
Sorry for being long winded, but I had to share this. And make no mistake about it, without Docpadds spotting and giving me excellent dirrection, this would not have happened.
Even at 600 yards the spotter knows about the hit long before the shooter hears the noise.
