My frist match

[Dougnutz]

I'm looking for a little advise after my first match. It was at 600 yards across a windy valley. I've never had to read wind before or shot at that distance. Mostly I shoot at a local 200 yard range with lots of tree cover, so there is rarely wind. I was using a completely unaltered RPR shooting .223 Hornady black factory loads. At my local range I regularly shoot .7 moa from a bench. The match was three stages of 20 rounds prone. I managed 182 of 200. The second set the wind became more gusty and lots of people scored lower but I noticed more horizontal deviation in their groups as opposed to mine which seemed to just open up all around. The third round was even worse, I practically drew a circle around the target.

I'm really not sure what happened. I even sat up and repositioned myself. Paying attention to my position, heart rate breathing etc.
The match was an absolutely great experience. If I didn't already have the long distance bug I sure do now. I just wish I knew what happened between stage 1 and stage 3. If it was just horizontal I would just chalk it up to the wind.

 

[ShtrRdy]

It looks like you did pretty well! Were the three stages from different positions? Did you happen to feel like you were getting tired by the third stage?

 

[Dougnutz]

All three stages where 600 yards prone. I didn't feel tired at the end of the third stage but I probably was, especially considering it was past lunch an I had only brought a snack.

 

[b6graham]

when shooting mid range. assuming wind wasnt the issue.

learn to minimize muscle input. and learn to minimize eye strain. its very obvious you dropped down each relay

 

[Dougnutz]

when shooting mid range. assuming wind wasnt the issue.

learn to minimize muscle input. and learn to minimize eye strain. its very obvious you dropped down each relay

Thanks it sounds like strain is the general consensus. Which it might be, I didn't really feel like this was an issue but yes I deteriorated with each stage so strain might be it.

I also thought back about it and I think I shifted to more of an old military style prone position after the first stage. I remember my knee not being on the matt anymore at the end of the stage. In stage one I was more focused on wind, target, bipod etc. Everything external to me. Then later I think I was focusing more on me. And in retro spec doing it wrong.

 

[Campguy308]

How big are those squares?

 

[Dougnutz]

How big are those squares?

I'm not sure. It says it's an NRA-MR1FC-600 yard target face. I looked briefly and didn't see the spec online.
Based on the 2.2moa of the first group I think it's a one MOA grid. So at 600 yards I would think it's 6.282". They may be 6" in lines though. I didn't actually ask I was just looking at the scores popping up on the right.

I have to say I really liked the electronic targets.

 

[308pirate]

How big are those squares?

1 MOA

The aiming bull on that target is 36" in diameter, 5.73 MOA.

 

[308pirate]

OP, 507/600 isn't shabby for your first time out.

Highpower (including F class) demands the ability to flawlessly execute the fundamentals time after time after time, which requires true precision in a way that so-called Precision Rifle does not.

 

[Campguy308]

It doesn't seem like you did too bad to me, especially with factory ammo.

 

[Huskydriver]

I'm looking for a little advise after my first match. It was at 600 yards across a windy valley. I've never had to read wind before or shot at that distance. Mostly I shoot at a local 200 yard range with lots of tree cover, so there is rarely wind. I was using a completely unaltered RPR shooting .223 Hornady black factory loads. At my local range I regularly shoot .7 moa from a bench. The match was three stages of 20 rounds prone. I managed 182 of 200. The second set the wind became more gusty and lots of people scored lower but I noticed more horizontal deviation in their groups as opposed to mine which seemed to just open up all around. The third round was even worse, I practically drew a circle around the target.

I'm really not sure what happened. I even sat up and repositioned myself. Paying attention to my position, heart rate breathing etc.
The match was an absolutely great experience. If I didn't already have the long distance bug I sure do now. I just wish I knew what happened between stage 1 and stage 3. If it was just horizontal I would just chalk it up to the wind.

View attachment 7065109

What range was this shot at?

 

[308pirate]

What range was this shot at?

600 yards

 

[Huskydriver]

600 yards

I got that it's a 600 yard mid-range...I was curious where the range is

 

[AIAW]

Not too shabby! I can appreciate a little self-criticism, but you did pretty damn good, especially for an unpracticed positional change.

 

[Slo cat]

How big are those squares?

The size of the scoring rings are in inches, close to MOA, but not exactly the same, from the F-Class rule book:
X ring ...................................3.00", 10 ring ..................................6.00", 9 ring ..................................12.00"
The square grids appear to be the same size at the 10 ring.

 

[Dougnutz]

Not too shabby! I can appreciate a little self-criticism, but you did pretty damn good, especially for an unpracticed positional change.

Thanks for the encouragement.
I felt like I should have been holding closer to 1 moa with the gun and ammo, based on what I have done in the past. I was not used to shooting prone or in the wind. So I expected to have a little more trouble. It was really the last group that disappointed me. The match results where posted today. Everyone got worse as the day went on. The third stage was everyone's worse. But what I observed with others was that they had more horizontal spread and not as much vertical. I seemed to draw a circle around the target in the last stage.

I got that it's a 600 yard mid-range...I was curious where the range is

The range is in north central Washington. www.ncwgunclub.com

The size of the scoring rings are in inches, close to MOA, but not exactly the same, from the F-Class rule book:
X ring ...................................3.00", 10 ring ..................................6.00", 9 ring ..................................12.00"
The square grids appear to be the same size at the 10 ring.

Thanks for that. I wasn't sure. it seemed like it was close to that but hard to tell

It doesn't seem like you did too bad to me, especially with factory ammo.

What should I expect out of 223 at 600 yards? I took my 300 win mag out the following day and had no trouble (from a bench) pounding an 8" steel plate at 480 yards in the same gusty wind. With the 223 I was averaging one miss in 5. Even with box ammo the 300 WM was much more consistent, holding close to .5 moa at 300. I guess what I am asking is should I expect 223 to be competitive? Or should I caulk it up as practice ammo ? Both guns are RPR's and shoot tight groups at the 200 yard mark.

 

[Campguy308]

What should I expect out of 223 at 600 yards? I took my 300 win mag out the following day and had no trouble (from a bench) pounding an 8" steel plate at 480 yards in the same gusty wind. With the 223 I was averaging one miss in 5. Even with box ammo the 300 WM was much more consistent, holding close to .5 moa at 300. I guess what I am asking is should I expect 223 to be competitive? Or should I caulk it up as practice ammo ? Both guns are RPR's and shoot tight groups at the 200 yard mark.

A 223 with a 75-80 grain bullet of decent velocity will walk the dog just fine at 600. I shoot a 223AI with 80 grain ELDM at 2875FPS at our 600 yard PRS style match. That's a different ballgame than a F-Class or bullseye type match, but a good 223 load and a good driver can do just fine at most 600 yard disciplines. A 75-80 grain 224 projectile at 2850 or greater will roughly match the wind drift of a 175 matchking at 2650, while shooting flatter with less recoil. You may need to find a good handload to increase consistency.

 

[Precision Underground]

It is easy to be really focused all of the way through the trigger pull and recoil at first and then start to slip as you continue to shoot. Not necessarily in a match but in any long range shooting. Are you allowed to dry fire before a string? If so dry fire a good 6-10 times before each string and remember what it feels like to be perfectly still and your brain not budge at all when the trigger breaks.