Broke my distance record, been a good day.

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  • Kaneda13

    Adeptus Mechanicus
    Rating - 100%
    13   0   0
    Aug 13, 2013
    311
    18
    Indianapolis
    Went out shooting this morning, and broke my personal distance record for a 4" 5 round grouping... I think I'm starting to reach the end of what the .223 will do, going to have to move up soon, was holding over about 10 inches with a 200 yards zero. Shot these prone with a front sandbag only, rather proud if i do say so myself.

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    halfmileharry

    Grandmaster
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    65   0   0
    Dec 2, 2010
    11,450
    99
    South of Indy
    That 4" may be all the Howa and his loads will like. 363 yds and a 5 shot 4" group is excellent for the caliber.
    That's not "reading shooting" but it's "dinging shooting" at that distance.
    Wind speed and direction?
    That can be average shooting some days or it can be fantastic shooting on others. Lots of variables with distance.
    I set a limit on my 223/556 at 300 yds. Sure, they will shoot out a lot farther but why use the 223 at distance when there are better options
     

    jblomenberg16

    Grandmaster
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    67   0   0
    Mar 13, 2008
    9,920
    63
    Southern Indiana
    Nice job! I recognize the zip-code on your map...must be shooting somewhere in my general AO.

    I've shot a 4" group at 400yds at a known distance shoot a few years ago with a Savage 10FP. You can definitely do it with the right load for your rifle. Heck, lots of guys shoot out to 600 in High Power matches with AR15's.

    What bullets were you shooting? 69SMK's are good at that range, but at some point jumping up to the 77grain SMK's will be helpful.
     

    Kaneda13

    Adeptus Mechanicus
    Rating - 100%
    13   0   0
    Aug 13, 2013
    311
    18
    Indianapolis
    Nice job! I recognize the zip-code on your map...must be shooting somewhere in my general AO.

    I've shot a 4" group at 400yds at a known distance shoot a few years ago with a Savage 10FP. You can definitely do it with the right load for your rifle. Heck, lots of guys shoot out to 600 in High Power matches with AR15's.

    What bullets were you shooting? 69SMK's are good at that range, but at some point jumping up to the 77grain SMK's will be helpful.

    I'm using the bulk 55gr from Bobcat in Shelbyville. The Howa is a 1:12 twist, so I'm not to sure about moving up to anything to much heavier. I'm got my next rifle waiting in the wings, just waiting until I'm good enough to shoot it, and I can get some glass on it that's worth mounting to it.
     

    jblomenberg16

    Grandmaster
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    67   0   0
    Mar 13, 2008
    9,920
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    Southern Indiana
    I'm using the bulk 55gr from Bobcat in Shelbyville. The Howa is a 1:12 twist, so I'm not to sure about moving up to anything to much heavier. I'm got my next rifle waiting in the wings, just waiting until I'm good enough to shoot it, and I can get some glass on it that's worth mounting to it.


    I'd say you did your part for sure!
     

    oldpink

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Apr 7, 2009
    6,660
    63
    Farmland
    Those groups are certainly nothing to sneeze at, but it would be interesting to see how well you would do with loads tailored to your Howa, especially with fireformed brass that was only neck sized, bullets seated out just short of the leade, and the other basic tricks of the trade to improve accuracy.
     

    roscott

    Master
    Rating - 97.5%
    39   1   0
    Mar 1, 2009
    1,652
    83
    I love hearing about "practical precision." Props to you Kaneda13. A 5 shot 4" group is a practical goal at any distance. If you're shooting smaller, speed up. If you're shooting larger groups, slow down.
     

    Kaneda13

    Adeptus Mechanicus
    Rating - 100%
    13   0   0
    Aug 13, 2013
    311
    18
    Indianapolis
    Thank you all for the kind words. Being that I'm getting to my limit with the 55gr (see above why I can't go heavier), I'm ordering all the stuff to get my next step up going, my Savage .338 Lapua Mag. I've ordered my rail and ordering my rings tonight, need to sell my old bimmer to buy my glass, then we'll start the march to 500 yards (my next goal)and beyond. My next big hurdle is that I'm running out of long enough strips of land to shoot on. When I shot this group, I was laying prone at about 12 feet from the edge of the road (had my car between me and the road) and shooting all the way to the tree line. Either need to convince my boss to let me clear some trees on his property, or find another place to shoot.
     

    jblomenberg16

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    67   0   0
    Mar 13, 2008
    9,920
    63
    Southern Indiana
    FYI Atterbury has some longer ranges that are open to the public from time to time. And I think that down south around Borden there is a club with longer ranges as well.


    450 is the max I can get on our farm and I've found it to be doable with my equipment, yet enough of a challenge that it isn't boring yet to where I want to move out much past that.
     
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