500yds in the wind is no fun!!! still had fun.

Ok, i accomplished multiple things today!

Well mirage at 400-500 was absolutely rediculous, no bullet holes and 2" black square looked like 6". Also wind kicked up to around 9-10 mph, would settle down to about 6 or so with a couple seconds of no wind then bam hits again.

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._3110736_a.jpg

I went ahead and set up my brand new 500yd target!! (old dryer lol).

Set up my stuff at the bench and adjusted my scope up for a 400yd zero. the group came out to about 3" with all the freaking wind. I took time between shots for barrel to cool because I had to drive 400yds to see my hits. Vertical spread was about 3/4" but lateral spread was 3". acording to this, it confirms my thoughts. less then 1" group feasable at 400!!


Ok I pulled up my ballistics chart which is the one on biggameinfo.com. I guessed at my muzzle velocity and put in the known bc and weight of bullet and 400 yd zero.

Said I needed so many clicks to 100yd zero so I proceeded to click and shot a dead nuts 3 leaf clover 1/2" high An a little left from the wind at 100. So now I have a starting 100-400 dope. Set it up again to verify 400 and sure enough right in the middle of the other 3.

Back down to 100 hit same spot. Ok now to 500. The ballistics chart showed how many clicks for 500 yds. Clicked it up and set for a while to see if wind would die down.

After a while we got fed up and shot 22s for a while discussing things about barrel heat and effects on poi. Well bout that time the wind suddenly stopped so i jumped on the big gun and what ya know it kicked back up to arou 5-7 so I said screw it.

The wind was anywhere from nothing to around 6 so I tried sending 7 rounds down range as fast as I could while the wind was calm.

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._5060100_a.jpg

As you can see the first shot was the lowest. The second shot hit left, third shot stacked rift on top of first, 4th shot is a lil higher but left, I pause for a sec to feel the barrel which was warm and fired the next one which was higher but center, i waited a hair longer each time now and each rose higher and higher.

I stopped after 7 because it was plain to see. Shot one at 400 to verify and was high. Waited bout an hour and was back on at 400.

as you can see i was low at 500. I adjusted in the ballistics program for scope sight height and recalculated, adjusted scope a few clicks up according to program and shot once at 100 400 and 500 going by program dope and was dead nuts out to 500!!! and seems safe to say im shooting right at 3250fps.

Now i I have my 50-500 dope that i can count on.

All in all I am very pleased. Very capable of 1.5" groups at 500 in good conditions.....(look at that vertical spread or lack there of for first 4 rnd)

One day I will get a calm day and move back to 600.

Nicely done. ;D

What is the cartridge, bullet, and gr weight?

They are factory loads. Winchester supreme silver ballistic tip 150gr.

Guess I just got lucky. No I'm not afraid to throw down on anything down to the size of a rabbit out to 500 lol

30-06?

Regardless of what it is. The main thing is you now know where it shoots out to most reasonable hunting distances. Good work.

7mm rem mag

Ah ok that makes sence with the weight and speed :)

Not really trying to be a jerk, but 9-10mph breezes aren't really wind. The days I get excited about shooting are days when it's windy. And i'm not talking about 10-15mph, i'm talking about 20+. I had a day a few months ago that all my friends, except for the one with the .338 Lapua mag, chickened out and said it was too windy. I was dialing 7moa of wind for 500 yards, kept that dial and held over another mil or so to hit 800.

I tell everyone I talk to this very thing, practice more during extreme conditions and ranges, and the normal conditions and ranges become easier. However, no matter what, those groups look good for 500 yards. As long as I can shoot MOA or better at 500 and beyond, i'm happy with that. I'm not a wind pro, wind gets me all the time.

Branden

If 10mph is windy, I've never shot in other than windy conditions. I've lived in the desert for the last 6 years and that's a calm day. This time of year 20mph is standard. If it gets much stronger than that, depending on direction you can't shoot here at range, not because of drift but because you can't see much more than 200yds with the blowing dust. Got a lot of practice with my coyote rifle out to 450 or so with full value 15-20mph cross winds and holding for windage and elevation with a standard duplex reticule.

Learning to read and account for the wind is the most beneficial thing you can do to improve your long range shooting. You can calculate every other variable and account for it mathematically, not so with the wind.

First off being able to dope the wind and hit your target separets the "wantabe shooters" from those that can indeed get the job done! It takes lots of practice all the time under those type conditions and others to become the kind of shooter we have called "snipers" overseas right now.

You first must know the velocity of the round your shooting to get exact information needed. The putting in of an incorrect number is like trying to add 3 + 4 = 10, not really and same goes for the ballistic program.