Opportunity for 300-1000 yard rifle at Camp Atterbury with CIHPRS

[76Too]

Rain or Shine? Looks like Saturday's gonna be a wash, but it'll be reminiscent of my Marine Corps days at the range in Ft. Devens, MA.

Edit: FYI, 77gr Sierra Match 'Factory Seconds' on sale today at Midway with free shipping. I just bought 'a few' and figured I'd pass it on (now that I got mine)

 

[natdscott]

Rain or Shine? Looks like Saturday's gonna be a wash, but it'll be reminiscent of my Marine Corps days at the range in Ft. Devens, MA.

Edit: FYI, 77gr Sierra Match 'Factory Seconds' on sale today at Midway with free shipping. I just bought 'a few' and figured I'd pass it on (now that I got mine)

Indeed you will shoot in the rain.

Indeed it can be much like your days in the Corps.

I have had enough water in my rifle after a match that it would mist grease-and-water when you dropped the bolt. Still shot 10's and X's, in enough rain to require counting targets.



...at least, I HOPE they will still shoot in those conditions. Who knows.

-Nate

 

[jrh84]

Indeed you will shoot in the rain.

Indeed it can be much like your days in the Corps.

I have had enough water in my rifle after a match that it would mist grease-and-water when you dropped the bolt. Still shot 10's and X's, in enough rain to require counting targets.



...at least, I HOPE they will still shoot in those conditions. Who knows.

-Nate

Yep, if the target frames are holding, we'll be shooting. We did call it last year in April when the lightning started getting close, but otherwise we'll be plugging away

 

[jrh84]

Had 25ish people come out for the match yesterday, despite the cold and rain/sleet. Not sure what the cutoff between sleet and hail is, but we were flirting with the distinction pretty hard.

Had some great sling scores posted from what I've heard (me not being one of them...I fell apart after 300 yards with my service rifle). A guy with the obsolete, inefficient, washed-up has-been .30-06 shot a couple of clean scores....200-12X and 200-15X. It's truly the Indian, not the arrow in the sling division.

After shooting slung up with the service rifle, I shot the 3x600 course with my Ruger Precision Rifle in 5.56 as an "F-Practical" rifle. I had scores of 189-3X, 196-7X, and 191-3X. Respectable for a $750 used rifle, a $20 cheapo bipod, and a squeeze bag from Wal-Mart. My point is not to brag, but rather to reiterate that you can come out with a factory setup and have a lot of fun, and post reasonable scores. You don't need a super whiz-bang cartridge with single digit SD's to have fun and shoot 10's and X's at a midrange match.



Hohn himself posted some very respectable F-practical scores with an 18" AR with a machine gun chamber, not a "match grade" rifle by any means. Maybe he'll post some screen grabs of his targets from yesterday.

 

[Hohn]

Saturday was an adventure for sure. It only took me 10 minutes and one forded puddle to learn something (that my boots are NOT waterproof after all). It was really great to get out there after a long winter of no shooting beyond 100y. Pretty miserable conditions overall. And with a whopping 3 prior matches of experience, I was squadded to help the "new guys". I guess I can't play the newbie card forever, though it did feel like the blind leading the blind.

The new F-practical division is the place to shoot your RPR or any kind of "precision" rifle in a run-what-you-brung kind of class. That's the class I'm hoping to shoot this year with one of my Savages. This class shoots the big boy pants targets with an X ring about a half MOA (3" at 600y).

Unfortunately, neither of my Savages was completed in time for this match, so I brought the only rifle somewhat ready: My AR (DDM4V11pro upper on lower I built over the winter). I figured it would be good to get some experience on the tougher targets, so I shot the F-prac with my AR instead of the AR Tac which shoots the sling faces. A 5.56 combat chamber in an 18" gun with a 3-15 optic isn't *quite* the ideal 600y gun for f-class targets.

I achieved the one goal I had set. The f-class targets are basically one scoring ring shifted-- the 9 ring on a sling face is the 8 ring on F class. The X ring on the sling face is 10 ring on F class. So I set the goal of "bogey golf"-- if I could average a "9" per shot on the f-class targets, it's somewhat similar to a clean on the sling face (averaging a 10). So I set the goal of >180 points per relay.

First time on the F-faces you really start to appreciate how challenging they are. That 1.5" X ring at 300y is no joke. Note how my sighters are all over the place because I was shooting a load I had zero development on (AR comp instead of 8208 XBR).

At 500y, I switched back to my the load I had developed for last year. A lot of 8208XBR pushing an 80 ELD. That eight was a really disappointment.

I didn't have enough of that 8208 load left so I switched back to my wild guess AR Comp load (23gr/8208/2.432"). Back into the 180s we go at 600:

I didn't get a screen grab for my 2nd 600 and I didn't shoot my last 600 as it was very late, I'd have been the last shooter, and we all just wanted to get dry, warm and home.


I think JRH and myself are pretty pleased with how we acquitted ourselves overall. For some perspective: JRH shot a 197-6x with a .223 RPR and a 5-25 Vortex with 80SMKs. A shooter I was with was running 6.5 Creedmoor Bergara and never cleared 190. It was his first match, and he was a great guy, so I'm sure his skill will advance quickly if he stays with it. The other shooter I was with was shooting F-open and pulled a 198 (don't recall the X count). But he was shooting a Savage F-class with a 30" tube in 6.5-284, had a $$$$ front rest and nice rear bunny bags and a super-high power Sightron optic.

With all that gear, his best was one point better than mr JRH's with his used RPR off a cheap bipod with a rear squeeze bag in .223.

If you have anything .223 or bigger (7 or 8 twist and heavy bullets recommended for .223), you can absolutely be competitive and have a great time shooting with us.

Come on out in April!

 

[76Too]

Yeah...I chickened out. I didn't feel like the weather would have been conducive to learning the ropes. Really glad to see that you guys had a good turnout, all things considered.

I signed up yesterday for the match on the 28th and SHOULD have my 'service rifle' lower ready by then, but will using my A4 (non free float) upper until I can finish breaking in my WOA barrel (and get a REAL service rifle optic for it).

 

[jrh84]

Yeah...I chickened out. I didn't feel like the weather would have been conducive to learning the ropes. Really glad to see that you guys had a good turnout, all things considered.

I signed up yesterday for the match on the 28th and SHOULD have my 'service rifle' lower ready by then, but will using my A4 (non free float) upper until I can finish breaking in my WOA barrel (and get a REAL service rifle optic for it).

Can't say I blame you....a little rain and cold doesn't bother me, but I was ready to get dry and warm by the end of the day.

Hope to see you there on the 28th. I'm sure hoping I can make it. You do realize that's an "Across the Course" match, not a prone only match, correct? Just making sure you're aware of what you're signing up for.

I'd recommend bringing the WOA barrel if you can get it assembled and a 100 yard zero....broken in or not. John Holliger himself recommends the following for break-in:

HOW SHOULD I BREAK IN MY BARREL?

I suspect that more barrels have been damaged than helped by "breaking in". Barrel makers take a lot of care to get a uniform finish on the inside of a barrel. Barrels are lapped not so that they will be smooth, but so that the finish and dimensions will be uniform over the entire barrel. When you use an abrasive cleaning compound you will change the finish on the inside of the barrel. Since some areas of the barrel are going to be protected by copper that you are trying to remove, and others areas are not, the surface finish is no longer going to be uniform. Since I got a bore scope I have backed off on my use of abrasive bore cleaners. I use them, but not nearly as aggressively, particularly on a new barrel.
My personal break in procedure is to take a new upper to the range and zero the front sight and shoot a group or two. This will take about 15-20 rounds. I then bring it back to the shop and clean it good with shooters and a good quality brush. I check it with a bore scope, but generally very little copper fouling is present. Depending on how it looks I may hit the throat lightly with some JB. That's it, it is now broken in.
This is for all for good quality hand lapped barrels. I will get a little more aggressive with mass produced barrels.
For general cleaning and barrel maintenance we use Hoppes #9 for cleaning, Break Free CLP for lube, and only use Dewey rods.

 

[Gingerbeardman]

Looking forward to next month! I elected not to attend given the weather, sounds like that was a good call until I'm properly addicted to long distance!

 

[Hop]

Good shooting guys! I'll drag my butt out there one of these days. I miss laying in the grass at Atterbury.

 

[jrh84]

Good shooting guys! I'll drag my butt out there one of these days. I miss laying in the grass at Atterbury.

50 round across the course match on March 28th after the 3x1000. Sign up!

 

[Hohn]

Match results are here. Do note that mr JRH and his mighty .223 RPR outshot two f-open shooters in the 3x600. I don't know about you, but I'm impressed. Just goes to show that even in the higher classes, Indian>arrow.

 

[james50cal]

Hope you guys are still shooting at Atterbury this year. What's it take to come out and shoot long range with you all? Do you have a mailing list for F-Open? Thanks.

 

[***Ironhead***]

Question...

I spent a number of years shooting in CMP matches and I am itching to get back into it (I used to live in WA state and had good options there). Atterbury is a bit of a drive for practice but would be worth it for an occasional match....

1. When I went to Atterbury there was only a 100 yard range that I saw. Are the 300, 600, and 1,000 yard ranges part of "Camp Atterbury"? Are they available to the public?

2. Also at Atterbury... I have never been to a range with massive concrete baffles over head. When I got there, I heard someone down on the pistol range and it was the loudest pistol I had ever heard. I thought someone was down there with a hand cannon of some sort.... Nope! Just a 9mm under the baffles. Then I sat down with my .223; Holy hell I have never experienced such a racket from a .223. I typically wear inner ear protection and a pair of muffs so I can focus more and it was still loud. Do the longer ranges also have the concrete baffles over head? I imagine shooting a match with 30 guys down there takes a while to get used to.

3. Practice! I live on the west side of Indy and I am dying for a 100-200 yard outdoor range where I can run my higher power stuff. Does anybody know of anything reasonable (distance and quality of facility)? Atterbury is like an hour and 20 minutes for me which is more of a hike than I prefer for only 100 yards of the loudest shooting imaginable. I saw a possible location called "Custom Cop Corporation" that is about half way to Shelbyville. I saw something about it having a 200 yard range but I can't find any info about the place, there is no website, and I can't get them to call me back. I am dying to shoot some of my high power stuff.

Any guidance and info would be great! Thanks

Last time I was there it looked like the concrete baffles were full of damage from rounds hitting them, is this the case? My father in law says no way but dang it sure looked like it.

 

[jrh84]

Hope you guys are still shooting at Atterbury this year. What's it take to come out and shoot long range with you all? Do you have a mailing list for F-Open? Thanks.

There's not really a mailing list unless you're a regular shooter and/or member of CIHPRS. All matches are posted at http://cihprs.wildapricot.org/page-1861211

If you've never shot with us before, and especially if you've never shot to 1000 yards before, I'd recommend starting with a midrange (300-500-600 yards or a 3x600) first. We try and shoot a midrange on Saturday and a 3x1000 on Sunday once a month, but July/August are a bit weird most years with nationals going on, so the schedule can be "off" sometimes. Any other questions, let me know.

 

[jrh84]

Last time I was there it looked like the concrete baffles were full of damage from rounds hitting them, is this the case? My father in law says no way but dang it sure looked like it.

Those marks on the concrete baffles are 100% from rounds hitting them. There's a good reason for that whole "finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target" rule.

 

[bobjones223]

Those marks on the concrete baffles are 100% from rounds hitting them. There's a good reason for that whole "finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target" rule.

That is not how they get there!....It is more like "Hey Bro....lets go shooting....Cabelas bore sited my scope!...It is DEAD on!"

Had one of those this weekend...went shooting with a friend who got a new AR and couldn't hit a paper plate at 50 yards, sighted in by Cabelas.....had to move in and start walking it in until we at least put it on paper.

 

[jrh84]

That is not how they get there!....It is more like "Hey Bro....lets go shooting....Cabelas bore sited my scope!...It is DEAD on!"

Had one of those this weekend...went shooting with a friend who got a new AR and couldn't hit a paper plate at 50 yards, sighted in by Cabelas.....had to move in and start walking it in until we at least put it on paper.

The ones I'm referring to are the marks almost directly over the firing point. Like a 45-60 deg angle up from horizontal. I have no doubt that some of the bore sighted rifles from Cabelas are off, but not by that far. Maybe the ones further downrange are from those.

 

[natdscott]

Guys.

It’s a military range, being used for military purposes, by military shooters, using military equipment from 50 through almost 2,000 yards.

They have been playing in the same sandbox since the mid-1940’s.

With machine guns.

You’re gonna have some pock marks. IF you ever have the privilege of pulling real targets, you are even gonna get showered with dirt from time to time because your shooter left their 300 yard dope on at 600...or similar FUBAR.

What you are not gonna..is get shot. The VAST majority (99.99%) of casualties on paper bullseye ranges for recorded history were caused by sprained ankles and heat stress.

Just go, shoot, and be merry. Make sure to introduce yourself to jrh, and then follow him around pestering him with questions all day, most specifically while he is shooting.

At least, if I am also there shooting.

If I am there and NOT shooting, then pester away.

 

[natdscott]

Last time I was there it looked like the concrete baffles were full of damage from rounds hitting them, is this the case? My father in law says no way but dang it sure looked like it.

Wait. Are you talking about Camp Atterbury proper, or are you talking about the DNR-operated Johnson County range on the north side of the road?

 

[jrh84]

Wait. Are you talking about Camp Atterbury proper, or are you talking about the DNR-operated Johnson County range on the north side of the road?

I took him to mean the public range. I was there a couple of weeks ago, and noticed idiot marks galore on the baffles.