Reloading 6.5 Creedmoor

[Ernest T]

An idea I adopted several years ago. I used to keep targets in a notebook (I print my own). Then I figured why not just keep pictures of the targets? So, that's what I do. When I get home I annotate the targets with things like range, load, sight settings, wind, temperature and then each bullet impact is numbered and the velocity noted. Also whether I am shooting off bags or bipod. I have almost all my shooting sessions going back several years now. Comes n handy sometimes with load development. If I want to change something I can go back and see if I tried it before and what the impact was, or, just for the dope.

When shooting I have a small version of the target at the bench. I shoot, look at target through the spotting scope, mark the shot location. By that time the labradar has processed the vel and that is marked. If I adjust sights I note that as well. I also note if I did something dumb, like jerk the trigger or lift my head.

I have not done the time consuming part. Loading all that info in a comprehensive spreadsheet. One of these days :)

I have photos of about half of them, but cataloging them is a good idea.

[charlie b]

Forgot. Sometimes when shooting things like gongs and other 'reactive' targets I take a video camera I have that has a 24x zoom.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0uNMmw85cw

These are edited and save in folders with the paper targets and chronograph data.

[Fuj']

And last but least.....Shooting over flags. I'm sometimes lazy in that respect when testing loads.
Our one 100 yard test lane is heavily shielded from the wind, but I've been to match's where the
cars were rocking in the parking lot....LOL

Something I've been doing when I set the rifle in the bags and settle it in. I lift the rifle out of the
rear bag and check how easy the front slides. I repeat that lift the front of the bag and see how the
butt slides. I prefer them to be equal in feel or a bit more slick on the rear bag. If the rear bag is to
grippy, the rifle can ride up on the front under recoil and throw the shot high. A hard front bag can
induce bounce and compound an even higher shot. I put a thin teflon strip in my Protektor DR bag
to quarantee a good and smooth track.

[CFJunkie]

Fuj

I have used the same rear bag for more years than I would like to admit.
Even switched to fine lava sand for the ears in the first year.
I will try the teflon strip to minimize friction. Thanks for the tip.

[charlie b]

Also glad for that tip. I have used talcum powder on the bags just for that, but, I also have to admit I am not consistent at doing so.

Flags. Yep. Some days I am very good about checking them before a shot. Other days I have fired three or four rounds and then thought, 'hey, the wind is blowing'. Duh. (and it blows here a lot :) ). But, I do check it a lot at the 500yd, 600yd and 1000yd tgts. Not that it does me any good :)

[Fuj']

Also glad for that tip. I have used talcum powder on the bags just for that

I still see guy's using dryer sheets for good results. I have a bottle of the powder sold by Bench Rite but makes
more of a mess then anything else. There is also the slippery tape sold by the same company that quite a few
use. I just don't like the looks. One of the buds has a patch of silk that he uses on the front bag. Like always, it's
always test and tune.

[Ernest T]

I went to the long range today and they have reduced the maximum distance from 1250 to 1100 yards because of the deer blind the neighbor put up next to the property line. It was kind of a jerk move, but it is what it is. I shot 16 rounds of 140 gr Nosler RDF, with 42 gr of H4350, at 2.298 CBTO. I bought a Leupold RX-2800 range finder and the targets ranged at 205, 267, 400, 515, 585, 680, 687, 847, 925, and 1101 yards. That's slightly different from the stated yardage. I used the Hornady 4DOF app to calculate the hold overs and windage. These bullets shoot really well with that load.

I started near and shot one shot each out to 687 yards and three each at the remaining distances. I can hear the rounds hit, with my ear muffs on, up to 687 yards and I didn't miss any of them. I thought I missed the first shot at 847 yards because I couldn't hear it. Then I realized it took so long for the round to reach the target, I could actually lift one of my ear pieces and hear the target impact. I didn't miss any other shots. The target at 847 yards is a pretty big torso, the target at 925 yards looks like a 24" gong and the target at 1101 yards is a big square, maybe 3' X3'. Not a really challenging target. Without a spotter I couldn't tell where I was hitting it.

The primers were still cratering today, so after shooting, I worked on the firing pin some more. Its now down to .041" with a pretty square profile. I'll take it down a little more after the next session at the range if the primers are still cratering.

[Ernest T]

Here's a link to the one mile range in Burnet for those interested in shooting that distance. I'm sure there are plenty of them around the country.

https://www.rprrange.com/