I can get hits @850ish about 70% on a 12x20 IPSC.
Longest you can consistently make contact?
Longest you can consistently make contact?
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Longest you've lobbed a 5.56 Gas Gun?
- Thread starter Pbjunkiee
- Start date
I took my 10.5" 5.56 with 77g projos out to 500 yards with an 80% hit ratio using a Vortex HD 1-6 power optic. If my firing position is sloppy, my results are drastically different. Anything beyond 500 yards is a ball buster when fighting the wind, and it lacks energy making visual and audible spotting difficult. Being an SBR, consistency at range isn't practical .. I only shoot it to distance in an effort to let my other long guns cool off.
Back when I shot highpower, I could keep 20 shots inside the 8 ring or better (4 MOA) at 600 yards without issue. On a lucky day, I could shrink all those 20 to inside the 9 ring or better (3 MOA).
That was using a sling, a coat, and front post/rear aperture sights.
That was using a sling, a coat, and front post/rear aperture sights.
I'm okay at 1,000 with the AR-15 20" SR; not great, but I'd surely keep somebody's head WAY down. I'm about 93% on a 20", but probably only about 15-20% on 10". But I AM running a really good ratio of 1st sighter (cold bore, first round) 10" hits...I'm proud of that.
Had some procedural issues this year at Nat'ls and finished up at 90.1% (BAWLLLZ), but I DID figure it out, so maybe next year won't suck so hard.
-Nate
Had some procedural issues this year at Nat'ls and finished up at 90.1% (BAWLLLZ), but I DID figure it out, so maybe next year won't suck so hard.
-Nate
That’s about how I shoot mine. Of course that’s with a 3.5 ACOG. Results will be “lessened” with irons...
I've noticed when i miss at 800ish the rounds are dropping feet behind the target, kinda easy to call wind seeing splashes like that
the wind is the hard part though, with 77gr pills a 3-6mph wind drifts me 1.2-1.6 mils
the wind is the hard part though, with 77gr pills a 3-6mph wind drifts me 1.2-1.6 mils
I lobbed an A2 from the second floor of a building during MOUT once... Does that count? 
I've only taken mine to 1000 once. I had about 40% hits on an 18" plate from bipod and rear bag. 50% near misses. 10% WAY off in windage, elevation, or both. Guessing I was going transsonic and some of them really destabilized.
50 degrees, 700 feet, wind 10ish. 77 TMK at 2750.
After that trip, I just left the AR at home when going to 1000 yard range.
50 degrees, 700 feet, wind 10ish. 77 TMK at 2750.
After that trip, I just left the AR at home when going to 1000 yard range.
It's easy for the internet to blame the shooter for the wide misses, but yeah man, you were probably really lucky to be holding 30-40" out there. 77's are about 500 yards past their comfort zone, and at least 300 beyond "max".
I think stories from the sandbox indicated an approximate 800 yard range for the Mk 262 Mod 0 stuff, but the amount of rounds that were sent for every hit--while well WORTH the hits--were undoubtedly higher than we prefer to send in "target" shooting.
-Nate
Yep, by "near misses" I don't mean 1-2", but rather "plate size" so 36-40". Some of the wide misses were a full mil off.
I'd say your assessment is spot on. With the 77 tipped matchking I've had very consistent results out to 600. At 700 its still shooting accurately, but a little change in wind has a big impact.
I've taken the 80 eld-m at 2850 in a bolt gun to 1000 multiple times now and had much better results. But I still have some unexplained flyers on the colder days.
Oh, they're explained.
Talk about long range .223 with some of the older Servicemembers that had to shoot them for the teams, and it's like telling jokes about their mothers and livestock.
Some guys get to stay forever, but there are a lot of Division and Reserve shooters that may only be there for a few years...spend that whole time trying to get a .223 Service Rifle to group at 1,000, and it could really suck. The issue for them is that they have to find some "spec" load that will sorta-kinda get the 90's to shoot in TWENTY rifles, or FIFTY rifles, not just tune the one.
Speaking from experience, the 90s are a PITA enough in one rifle that it's almost impossible to imagine tuning a load for tens of rifles, being that our goal is to get the AR to do <8" at 1,000.
But at 600, most of our rifles are 6" guns or better without too much work, though that does depend somewhat on how hard a guy wants to chase tune. Maybe only a few chase it to the 1/2 Minute mark, and fewer can shoot it. Best one I had was legitimately a 3" rifle...I'm sure of it. I'm no 1/2 Minute holder, but WAY too many of the X's and close 10's (6" X-ring) would show up in the same location over a 20-round string for it to have been any more than 1/2 Minute. Krieger and Holliger do good work...who knew?!
-Nate
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I about lobbed mine 50ft into a tree, when the oil on the firing pin and -20 degree weather conspired to make my first opportunity at a bobcat non-fruitful. That stupid fucker stood there and watch me rack 5 rounds through my AR too, Click, Click, click, fuck it, I will just enjoy watching him. Then I am going to rap this rifle around a tree. LOL. I might have been able to pull the BCG and wipe down the firing pin while he stared at me, if I would have thought of it, in the heat of the moment.
https://www.cherrybalmz.com/product-page/winter-balm
I only have 1200rds on it myself, guy before me said he had under 500
Interesting, never heard of them. For hunting purposes the very light oils are, and minimal lubrication seem ok. If I was going to go put 1k through it, I would want something to stay put.
Maybe he did, maybe he didn't.
I don't have really solid numbers on Douglas, but it's not unheard of for other buttoned barrels to give it up by 2,500 rounds. Wilson is one that comes to mind as being REPLACED at about 3,000 rounds.
Douglas are usually pretty fast tubes, too.
So anyway, if it shoots fine, then keep shooting it. But you might be a little slow for a reason, that reason being that the throat has moved out.
I don't generally try to shoot 5.56 far away, but I and some friends got consistent (all day long) hits, every damned time, on steel IDPA/IPSC sided guys at 600. With 55 grains, and no more than 4x scopes, through all sorts of guns.
Because, slightly down into a valley. I have seen people fail to get 200 yard hits with a good bolt rifle on a windy day.
Also: agree 600 is it for easy hits. Past that, with 55, it really fell apart. Rare hits to the 725 plate. Nothing further, not even consistent splash to adjust.
I agree that 600 yard is pretty easy. I did high power mid range prone in the AR Tactical category (new category since 2016) and got my high master out of it, which requires 98.5% hit within the 10 ring which is 2MOA. And that was with IMI 77 grain factory ammo on a 20" Wilson Combat 223 wylde. I know people who shoot 223 (don't know the bullet weight) in 24" barrel out to 1000 yard in NRA LR matches but have never attempted that myself.
Edit:
Think I did the % wrong. 98.5% score means 17 out of 20 times you need to hit the 2MOA ring, the other 3 times the 3MOA ring. On a shot by shot basis that would be 85%.
Edit:
Think I did the % wrong. 98.5% score means 17 out of 20 times you need to hit the 2MOA ring, the other 3 times the 3MOA ring. On a shot by shot basis that would be 85%.
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I consistently shoot my 18” rock river ATH and 20” rock river varmint AR’s with 60grn vmax (which out performs 68 and 75 Hornady BTHP’s by far) with groups ranging 3” to 7”, and best group at 2”... wind pushing bullets around us obviously more of a factor
Longest barrel I've heard of anyone mention for 1000 yard + shoot is 24". I have seen a guy shooting mid range FT-R with 26" barrel but he wasn't doing all that well so I don't know if 26" is overkill. As barrel gets longer it becomes less stiff and can become less accurate.
The guys who shoot F-TR, Palma, and NRA Long Range with 223 bolt guns are almost all invariably using 28"+ barrels with nothing slower than 1-7 rifling and pushing serious high BC bullets in the 80 - 90 gr range.
Since single round loading is required in those matches, barrels are throated such that those long bullets are seated well out of the case with still some minor jump left.
Assuming we start with a 16" bull barrel, you cannot possibly maintain the same stiffness with a longer barrel.
OP asked specifically about gas gun. All the references I gave are for gas gun.
Using my LMT M4 16" 1-7 in good conditions, I can typically hit 3 out of 4 at 723 yards using hand loaded 69gr SMK's going flying at 2820 fps. Target is a 7" wide 12" tall plate. About to test the 69gr TMK and Nosler 70gr RDF's to see if I can improve.
Several years ago my daughter and I were at Thunder Valley in Ohio. It was a shoot everything you own day. She was shooting my SPR-ish build. 77's at 2680 fps. She owned the 600 yard gong. She ask if it would shoot to 1000 and I said try it. She put a fresh 20 rnd mag in and turned the M-3 turret to 10. She hit the gong on the FIRST F*&KING ROUND!! If I was thinking I would have said ok lets not show off and put it back in the truck. Out of the rest of the mag she didn't make another hit, just missing by inches to the left or right (seems like the gong was a 12" plate). The wind was light and switching . When we got back home I checked on the puter (before ballistic apps) and a 1 mph wind would move the bullet 10" at 1K.
Hope you like the story. I'll never forget it.
Hope you like the story. I'll never forget it.
I have a fence row down the hill with all the posts ranged between 1020-1095 yards. Just happens a bunch of coons like to scamper around those posts. I've managed to find a light blood trail twice but no dead coons. I won't say how many rounds I've sent that way though.
At 850yds with the same gun a 12" plate is cake on a calm day. I might as well not try on a switchy day.
At 850yds with the same gun a 12" plate is cake on a calm day. I might as well not try on a switchy day.
Sounds a reason to buy a new gun
It seems most everyone here is on the same page distance and wind wise
HE winsI lobbed an A2 from the second floor of a building during MOUT once... Does that count?
1082 meters on 12"x12" cement slab from my 18 inch mk12. Getting on target took about 10-12 rounds with no previous data or a bc. after that with good wind calls 6/10 hits with black hills 77gr otm. The rounds literally just chip away at the slabs. I miss that rifle.
850 yds., 8000’ASL in the mountains of CO, 16” round plate, 18” SPR, BH 77 OTM @2850 fps..
Crazy erratic wind including lift. Repeated hits are not too hard, untill the wind shifts...
Crazy erratic wind including lift. Repeated hits are not too hard, untill the wind shifts...
Black Hills factory ammo (civilian Mk262, mod.1) loaded with new military crimped primer brass, no popped primers. The IMI non crimped brass pops primers in these barrels- Compass Lake Bartlein barrels with CL match chambers, 18” and 20”.
The BH 5.56 77 OTM and 77 TMK, also the IMI 5.56 77 gn.
All three loads are 2850 fps. out of the 18”, and 2900 fps. out of the 20”.
Tight chamber, hot ammo. Only the IMI pops primers.
I now understand from experience why military 5.56 has crimped primers!
880 yards in 30+mph FV winds (800ft above sea; 40F) on 16x20" but only 25% hit ratio.
Black Hills Mk262 running 2780 fps out of 18" barrel.
General rule:
800y is about the max for my 18" gun for anything over 60% or above in normal conditions on nothing shy of 12x12" (1.5 MOA)
700y plus maybe a few yards for 16" for the same above standard.
Black Hills Mk262 running 2780 fps out of 18" barrel.
General rule:
800y is about the max for my 18" gun for anything over 60% or above in normal conditions on nothing shy of 12x12" (1.5 MOA)
700y plus maybe a few yards for 16" for the same above standard.
