Collecting DOPE

[168Grainer]

So I am new to long range shooting. I want make more hits at distance. I have a had time making hits past 700 yards. I believe either I am the weak link or that my data. So I do have plans to take a class next year. But i still want to collect data. Suggestions on doing this?

I was thinking just set targets out from 100 to 1000 at every 100 yards and recording adjustments? Thoughts on this?

 

[tna9001]

You could do that or you could buy a good chronograph some high quality match ammo and a ballistic solver app for your phone. You’d still need to verify what the solver is telling you by checking actual vs predicted drops but it would save you a lot of time and if you’re serious about learning long range shooting your going to need the chronograph, solver and consistent ammo anyway.

 

[Lowlight]

I have every piece of software on the planet and still gather my dope the old fashion way, every 100 yards. Even this past weekend I went out one day before the match and wrote it down.

Anymore the problem with the Chronograph method is, you have to have a value to confirm in order to true the software. The rifle cannot match your software you software has to match the rifle and without that data you have nothing.

Chronographing alone, most software is changing that number, it needs a value to change it too, so why even buy a Chronograph is the computer is just gonna give it a new value?

Gather the dope, get your head out of the computer you have established your drop of which it can be confirmed against.

The trick is, written data recorded from the actual shooting has every possible variation already in the answer. Instead of explaining why you got that number. This is what people dont' get when they talk about the other variables. They take this value and think they are starting adding in SD, CE, CWAJ etc, when in fact it's all in there already.

Better record keeping means better results, databooks matter.

 

[168Grainer]

I am running Prime ammo, and my magnetospeed shows them pushing around 2600fps

 

[168Grainer]

I have every piece of software on the planet and still gather my dope the old fashion way, every 100 yards. Even this past weekend I went out one day before the match and wrote it down.

I am willing to put in the work to get good data. I wasn't sure where to start. Thank you.

 

[themightytimmah]

My experience with solver apps is that they’re good enough to get on paper, but not enough to hit the X-ring. For new loads, I usually work up a table in Strelok and true up the elevation adjustments with pen and paper after firing on targets at every 100.

I do sometimes use solver data for wind holds as I don’t have a kestrel to true my actual holds to.

 

[308pirate]

One of the best dope gathering opportunities is an NRA fullbore match, if you can find one.

Bullseye targets (mostly electronic nowadays), that will tell you exactly where each of your10 or 15 shots per yardline went, at 300, 500, 600, 800, 900, and 1000 yards.

 

[tna9001]

What I've seen, using a Magneto speed chronograph and the Applied Balistic custom curve for Hornady ELD Match ammo is an average vertical dispersion at 1,000 yards of 9" or so for three different 5 shot groups on three different days. That is dead nuts on, especially considering that ammo has an SD around 15fps depending on the lot.