ELR advice needed

[pitdog85]

So I have access to a place where I can shoot my 6.5x47l out to 1500m which in Australia is not easy at all so consider myself very lucky.


It is not the perfect place for ELR however so looking for some ideas. Basically the ground is undulating so laying prone on ground you cannot see the target as its hidden behind the rises. I solved this by shooting out of the back of the ute to get up off the ground.

Problem now is I have the target hanging about 1m off the ground and even out of the back of the ute I can only just see the target. This makes misses impossible to see.

The mirage where i shoot is impossible to see impacts as soon as te sun comes up. Today there was even mirage there before the sun rose!!! But was clear enough to see. My shooting window to see hits on plate is from first light until sun comes over horizon. After that I'm shooting blind.

What I'm basically doing is firing 5-10 shots then driving down to target to see impacts. This does give some feedback but very wasteful on ammo. My steel plate is 18x18inch

I can't set up anything permanent everything has to be taken in by ute. I'm thinking of maybe just collecting some large cardbord ie 36x36inch and put behind plate? At least this might catch some of the misses to give bit more feedback. Any other ideas? I don't have money for elborAte camera systems or anything like that kinda looking for redneck solutions.

My hit rate today at 1000m was 50%. The other option I have is there is a mountain a mile away that I can see from my shooting position and it has less mirage due to elevation. There is rocks there I could shoot at but I can't get my plate up there.

Is there anyone out there shooting rocks at ELR? Sucks that I wouldn't be able to measure group size or anything but I could possibly see misses due to the hill as a backstop.

 

[Backspace]

If you can dig out beneath your target and fill it with water, it will help you spot hits better. I have access to a range that is over water and shoot my 6.5x47 out to a mile. The splash in the water from the bullet hitting the target above is very easy to see, even with a lot of mirage.

 

[Deleted member 113831]

I would skip the 1500 and go to the mile. I shoot rocks a lot. I measure a spot with the reticle and make that the target.

 

[jasent]

Me too. I love hunting rocks. Measuring with the reticle I find an moa’ish size rock, range, dial, squeeze. It’s nice having a large back drop to spot impact and splash.

 

[pitdog85]

Thanks guys I think I will go for the mile hill next time. Good to know others are shooting rocks as well lol. Be interesting to see if the 139 kick up any dirt out there.

Backspace Nar no chance of that mate this spot is in the Australian outback no access to water here.

 

[Clearlight]

Magnetospeed target hit indicator is a very useful accessory . Try to find an area with dry ground around the target ,
spotting misses in grass with a little caliber is difficult . Dial your magnification down to deal with mirage ; thats
not going to help seeing the misses unfortunately .

 

[pitdog85]

Clearlight thanks man I forgot avout those magneto things will have to get one I think. The main reason I can't spot other than when mirage kicks in is that the undulations in the ground only allow me to just see the target from the back of the ute and the target is around 1m off the ground. So basically the 1 metre Below the target is invisible because of the hill between me and the target.

 

[Boostinmarc4]

Are you guys allowed tracers in Australia?

Otherwise I agree you are going to be easiest served by the magnetospeed. Cardboard won't provide immediate feedback without maybe painting for contrast.

 

[THEIS]

Hi,

Tracers??
Have you ever seen a tracer in 6.5x47?
Have you ever seen tracer accuracy at the distances pitdog is discussing?

Sincerely,
Theis

 

[powdahound76]

Plus there is ALOT of dryness. Hence the OP follow up post about no water in the Outback.

Maybe just pay a poor kid to sit say 50M in front of your target behind a berm or rock. Give em some binos and a radio to relay hit info. Binos should have reticle as kid silly enough to do that isnt gonna be bright enough to call mils or moa on your misses.......

Im a solutions based guy. Thats my quick answer.

 

[vh20]

I'd try to get creative and come up with a way to get the target and the shooting platform raised. Perhaps a taller platform on a small trailer for the shooter, and a taller stand of some type to hang the target. Right now your line of sight to the target goes through the very worst of the mirage. Even a little bit higher will help. Maybe just a bench and stool in the truck bed instead of shooting prone...that's nearly 3 feet right there.

Next time you're out there, try standing up in the truck and viewing the target/mirage through the scope. It might give you some idea if it would help to get your platform up there. Also, from your normal position, view again and mentally transpose the target higher to see how much you'd have to raise it to get it out of that severe mirage that's right on the ground level.

Also, I have done what you mentioned about the cardboard. I used disposable signs from a nearby gas station made of corrugated plastic. They usually are advertising some kind of special deal (Cokes 12 pk cans/$2.50, etc) and they throw them out when the special is over. They're stiffer than cardboard, and about 3x4 ft. Wider is better than taller because, well...wind is harder than elevation to figure out. I zip-tied a couple stiffeners across the top and bottom to keep the wind from folding them up (I used some scrap metal conduit. They'll survive a hit unless you center-punch it). Paint them a different color than your target or you won't be able to see it at that distance. It's a poor substitute for spotting misses as they occur, but sometimes you get at least some useful info from the post-mortem. Tape over the holes when you go downrange and you're ready to go again. splatter from an edge hit on the target will rip them up good, but duct tape fixes it. The corrugated plastic will hold up a lot better than cardboard in this regard.

 

[brianf]

Hi,

Tracers??
Have you ever seen a tracer in 6.5x47?
Have you ever seen tracer accuracy at the distances pitdog is discussing?

Sincerely,
Theis

brought my ar-50 out to tipton kansas, after pheasant hunting we would shoot rifles
got my hands on some APIT.
we were shooting a 55 gallon drum and a old ford Taurus station wagon they got for me at the junk yard at about 750 yards
after a few other guys shot and missed the ground started smoking and went on fire
what a shit mess
the 50 cal would burrow and make a "mole tunnel" for about 5-10 feet
tracer was still lit
and of course the wind picked up, burnt about 2 acres before we finally stomped it out
melted my hunting boots, i had to borrow a pair for the next days hunt

i thought i was going to be in trouble for making a total disaster
they were pissed the next year when i didnt bring it out again
i was like WTF, dont you remember

 

[pitdog85]

I'd try to get creative and come up with a way to get the target and the shooting platform raised. Perhaps a taller platform on a small trailer for the shooter, and a taller stand of some type to hang the target. Right now your line of sight to the target goes through the very worst of the mirage. Even a little bit higher will help. Maybe just a bench and stool in the truck bed instead of shooting prone...that's nearly 3 feet right there.

Next time you're out there, try standing up in the truck and viewing the target/mirage through the scope. It might give you some idea if it would help to get your platform up there. Also, from your normal position, view again and mentally transpose the target higher to see how much you'd have to raise it to get it out of that severe mirage that's right on the ground level.

Also, I have done what you mentioned about the cardboard. I used disposable signs from a nearby gas station made of corrugated plastic. They usually are advertising some kind of special deal (Cokes 12 pk cans/$2.50, etc) and they throw them out when the special is over. They're stiffer than cardboard, and about 3x4 ft. Wider is better than taller because, well...wind is harder than elevation to figure out. I zip-tied a couple stiffeners across the top and bottom to keep the wind from folding them up (I used some scrap metal conduit. They'll survive a hit unless you center-punch it). Paint them a different color than your target or you won't be able to see it at that distance. It's a poor substitute for spotting misses as they occur, but sometimes you get at least some useful info from the post-mortem. Tape over the holes when you go downrange and you're ready to go again. splatter from an edge hit on the target will rip them up good, but duct tape fixes it. The corrugated plastic will hold up a lot better than cardboard in this regard.

Thanks mate some great ideas there we think alike. I have thought about shooting off the roof of the ute which would give me another 1metre or so of height. You are correct that my line of site due to the hills between me and the target are right through the worst of the mirage. Combine that with being in tropical outback Australia (winter 80f, summer 110f+) you can imagine how severe the mirage is. Oh and its also a bitumen air strip which I shoot just to the side of so that make it worse as the bitumen really heats up.

yer the cardboard idea was just to get data post mortem like you say to see where I was missing. At the end of the shooting area (1500m) I can actually tie my steel plate too two trees and get it off the ground but again I wont be able to spot misses as it is surrounded by trees and will be around 2 metres off ground. Still though at first light in no wind I could have a good crack at it before mirage kicks in.

 

[Blasst]

brought my ar-50 out to tipton kansas, after pheasant hunting we would shoot rifles
got my hands on some APIT.
we were shooting a 55 gallon drum and a old ford Taurus station wagon they got for me at the junk yard at about 750 yards
after a few other guys shot and missed the ground started smoking and went on fire
what a shit mess
the 50 cal would burrow and make a "mole tunnel" for about 5-10 feet
tracer was still lit
and of course the wind picked up, burnt about 2 acres before we finally stomped it out
melted my hunting boots, i had to borrow a pair for the next days hunt

i thought i was going to be in trouble for making a total disaster
they were pissed the next year when i didnt bring it out again
i was like WTF, dont you remember

Were you using a 50 cal Beowulf? I keep coming close to buying an upper. Just isn't a gun I'd use much unless I was in bear or moose country so I have continued to restrain myself

 

[brianf]

no sorry, should have added 50 BMG