Ok, Brenda’s home, spent the morning with the case manager from home health, (spent a large part of both of our lives being case managers for people with Mental Retardation it was sorta like old times). Brenda is up and walking with a walker, but not doing much else. I am the househusband and I might add, not measuring up too well, but we are surviving.
Caveat. I own two 6GT rifles with MPA chassis. One is a gray chassis which originally was chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, and the second is a Tiger Striped chassis that has always been in 6GT. The Tiger started out being a real issue but is NOW my goto rifle, and the Kestrel and it agree on every range and every distance that I can find targets to shoot at. The issue is the Gray Rifle.
View attachment 8458190
Here is the data from Tuesday.
1. There are no chronographed velocities for this day. For once, I was having issues with the Labradar (our son had changed settings and I was not aware). So, one of my main plans on Tuesday was to chrono the Gray 6GT and the Vudoo. Did not happen. However, while attempting to get the Chrono to give me velocities on the gray rifle, it shot a pretty good, well under Sub MOA, group that was more than three shots. So, it can shoot.
2. So, I shot some practice stages, had a good time, tried to stay cool, was having issues with the Gray Rifle hitting the extreme long range targets. Otherwise, the rifle is not having issues hitting targets.
3. I moved to the ABC range at Altus. The C range has targets from 200 yards out to 840 yards and all are backed by plain dirt backdrops and thus it is easy to spot missies.
I decided to use the old fashioned way of sighting it in out to 800 yards. I used the Kestrel data for the Tiger Rifle and adjusted accordingly. Be it scope difference (both MK5HD’s in 5x25 with PR2 MIL reticles) or sight in differences (sighting in a Top Shot at Hodge does some very funny things to rifles) or barrel differences, the data does not agree, thus requiring the creation of a second gun in the Kestrel. The chamber throat on the Gray rifle is markedly different from the Tiger Rifle having a much tighter throat.
So, it took very little time. There was a strong crosswind component which was the most difficult issue of the day. But reading wind, is my specialty.
300 1.0mil
400 1.7mil
500 2.5mil
700 4.5mil
800 5.3mil
The Kestrel agrees with every sight mark except 800. At 800 it calls for 5.8mils which basically puts the round above the shoulder/head of a silhouette target. Won’t work. 5.3 mils with a .25 wind hold put the round hit in the center of the blue line , in the center of the silhouette. My written notes simply states; Pefect!
Environmental data
Taken at 7:47AM
Wind WSW 3.7 - 5.0mph and gusts were much higher
Temperature 83.2F
Humidity 81.2%
Barometric Pressure 29.86inHg
Density Altitude 2030
Normally I take a second reading as the day goes on but on Tuesday I did not. The high temperature that day was around 90. Had I planned on staying longer, I would have taken a second reading, however, I left the range by 11:00 accomplishing all I could and heeding the warning of my dear Brenda to not get too hot. (75 years will do that to a fellow)
That evening, i decided to backdoor the Kestrel. Without MV I started out creating a new rifle in the Kestrel, using the data for the Tiger rifle and worked backwards, using velocity changes to true the Kestrel to the elevation used to achieve hits. No problem to 700 yards. A very good match I might add. As stated above, if the target was set at 775 yards, the Kestrel would be perfect. Another shooter ranged the 600 yard target at 550 yards on the Sunday previous so target setting error could be a possibility. However, the Kestrel and the Tiger rifle agree at 800.
DATA
Round 6GT
GA/Hornady brass
Varget 34.5 grains, each charge individual measured on beam scale
Scale verified by scale check weights before each reloading session
CCI 450 SRM primer
Berger 105gr Hybrid
Barrel Length 26 inches MTU profile
MPA brake
Barrel has 843 rounds
Rifle had been regulated to practice status. Tiger Rifle has demonstrated better grouping. However, the Tiger’s barrel is getting a bit long in the tooth.
Old style MPA BA chassis. Trigger Tech Special trigger, MPA/Curtis action, Leupold MK5HD, in Leupold rings. Atlas bipod, and using a Game Changer waxed bag, reduced fill. Rifle weight 18.0 pounds.
Main difference, the Tiger has an ESR chassis, a Trigger Tech Diamond trigger and using an Area 419 ARCA mount for the Atlas Bipod.
Final note, the picture is using a different bag, the picture was taken last summer on the day that barrel was first shot