First, a big thanks to all the Hide folks! I have learned a ton just from reading on this site (for hours until I got w/ sideways looks from the wife...) Thanks to all for answering a lot of my questions, and especially all the advide in the "new guy" threads and fundamentals threads. I have been shooting rifles shotguns and pistols nearly since I could walk as a farm kid from Ky but when it comes to precision rifles specifically I knew I had a lot to learn and this is a great place to start. In fact, my entry rig here is based nearly entirely on what i have learned here with the obviously cash flow limitations...here it is though everyone prob knows what it looks like, all stock, no bedding or trigger jobs etc:
Well, finally got the base on the rifle after stripping a screw and finally took out my new rifle for the first time. Rem700 5r, Badger 20moa base, Loopy Mk4 4.5-14x50 TMR in Seekins rings. Harris 6-9 BRM-s with podloc and a BT04 monopod. Wasnt sure if I would like the monopod but after giving it a shot I love it.
Boresighted the old fashioned way and got it on paper with Winchester 150gr power points and shot my first group prone at home, 1.5 inches, not so good, but just a hasty test. Was a little worried about that. Got to the range the next day (yesterday) and shot from the bench. It was 75 degrees midday with some shifty spring winds. For some reason the target stand is 103 yards which I measured after shooting, didnt know that before hand. All groups are five shot groups. The first two are shown below. The upper group is FGMM 168SMKs, I removed the target repair dot for the picture. About an inch or so-an immediate improvement of course over the cheaper winchester ammo. I used this group to re-zero the scope and reset the elevation to 0. The one right below that is the second group, right on the bull. The "flyer" at 10 oclock and about 7/8in was the first shot, the next four were touch more or less at point of aim. Not sure about that first shot. I was fiddling around with the monopod and bipod between rounds and wasn't real consistent in my approach to the rifle and was hoping that would explain it.
So the third group was just like the second with four touching/overlapping except this time the fifth one was about an inch at 4 oclock. So another inch group basically. I was frustrated with one shot throwing the group out like that but I guess that is the value of the five shot group - you know have a real group with at least five. I figured if 4 will go together that fifth one is probably me but hard to say so I wont fool with 3 shot groups, another thing I picked up here. I made a mistake at this point and covered that group with a dot to conserve targets - sorry - and shot the fourth right on top of it. AGAIN four together and one at 6-630 oclock this time - the one at 3-4 oclock is from the third group, my mistake for overlapping like that.
Then I switched to the 175gr FGMM and really concentrated on a smooth trigger press and lightened my hold on the gun a little. Also waited two min between shots and switched to the paper target as I thought the shootncee target made it hard to see where the bull was. Below is the best group I have ever shot with any rifle, all 5 in one ragged hole:
Here are a couple more:
I couldnt believe it when I saw this group. Unfortunately I had to leave and didnt get to follow up and try and get another one of those-arghhh really wanted to do that again. I really dont expect to get those all the time but I was pleased that this gun will shoot if i do my part and concentrate. I really want to nail down whether it was the switch to 175s from the 168s or if it was better concentration on the fundamentals on my part, maybe both. Trigger is ok and seems to be crisp and clean if a bit heavy, seems par for the course with the x-mark I guess according to what I have heard here. Oh, and did a track test with a special target I made with moa, mil and inch graduations (sorry no pics) and found out the scope does track true, is definetely tracking in 1/4 moa not 1/4IPHY. Didnt have timeto shoot the box since I had to leave but I am happy with it so far.
I can say one thing for sure though - I'm hooked! That last group felt like my first 25 straight on the skeet range! If it wasn't for this pesky mortgage....
Well, finally got the base on the rifle after stripping a screw and finally took out my new rifle for the first time. Rem700 5r, Badger 20moa base, Loopy Mk4 4.5-14x50 TMR in Seekins rings. Harris 6-9 BRM-s with podloc and a BT04 monopod. Wasnt sure if I would like the monopod but after giving it a shot I love it.
Boresighted the old fashioned way and got it on paper with Winchester 150gr power points and shot my first group prone at home, 1.5 inches, not so good, but just a hasty test. Was a little worried about that. Got to the range the next day (yesterday) and shot from the bench. It was 75 degrees midday with some shifty spring winds. For some reason the target stand is 103 yards which I measured after shooting, didnt know that before hand. All groups are five shot groups. The first two are shown below. The upper group is FGMM 168SMKs, I removed the target repair dot for the picture. About an inch or so-an immediate improvement of course over the cheaper winchester ammo. I used this group to re-zero the scope and reset the elevation to 0. The one right below that is the second group, right on the bull. The "flyer" at 10 oclock and about 7/8in was the first shot, the next four were touch more or less at point of aim. Not sure about that first shot. I was fiddling around with the monopod and bipod between rounds and wasn't real consistent in my approach to the rifle and was hoping that would explain it.
So the third group was just like the second with four touching/overlapping except this time the fifth one was about an inch at 4 oclock. So another inch group basically. I was frustrated with one shot throwing the group out like that but I guess that is the value of the five shot group - you know have a real group with at least five. I figured if 4 will go together that fifth one is probably me but hard to say so I wont fool with 3 shot groups, another thing I picked up here. I made a mistake at this point and covered that group with a dot to conserve targets - sorry - and shot the fourth right on top of it. AGAIN four together and one at 6-630 oclock this time - the one at 3-4 oclock is from the third group, my mistake for overlapping like that.
Then I switched to the 175gr FGMM and really concentrated on a smooth trigger press and lightened my hold on the gun a little. Also waited two min between shots and switched to the paper target as I thought the shootncee target made it hard to see where the bull was. Below is the best group I have ever shot with any rifle, all 5 in one ragged hole:
Here are a couple more:
I couldnt believe it when I saw this group. Unfortunately I had to leave and didnt get to follow up and try and get another one of those-arghhh really wanted to do that again. I really dont expect to get those all the time but I was pleased that this gun will shoot if i do my part and concentrate. I really want to nail down whether it was the switch to 175s from the 168s or if it was better concentration on the fundamentals on my part, maybe both. Trigger is ok and seems to be crisp and clean if a bit heavy, seems par for the course with the x-mark I guess according to what I have heard here. Oh, and did a track test with a special target I made with moa, mil and inch graduations (sorry no pics) and found out the scope does track true, is definetely tracking in 1/4 moa not 1/4IPHY. Didnt have timeto shoot the box since I had to leave but I am happy with it so far.
I can say one thing for sure though - I'm hooked! That last group felt like my first 25 straight on the skeet range! If it wasn't for this pesky mortgage....
