...So here it is BuhLockay, I was wrong to criticize you; hunting is meant to bring pleasure and entertainment; how you choose to go about it is a matter of personal preference. Besides, what is more exciting than the anticipation of getting a kill with your badass new rifle on it's first fielding. I apologize for my soapbox rantings and wish you the best of luck on your upcoming hunt, please post pics when you get back.
Dave, I appreciate the sentiment, but there's no need for an apology. I'd be concerned if some folks weren't questioning the ethics of long shots on game animals.
Moving on...I'm back from a GREAT, long weekend in TX. Since this isn't the hunting thread, I'll stay focused on the DTA, though.
I got my .338 LM mag and bolt the Friday prior and only had one day for load development. Quickload and the OBT theory were spot on, predicting 90.2 grains of H1000 under Hornady 285 grainers through a SAC 28" Bartlein 9.5 twist. Due to the compressed time table and unfired brass (incorrect H2O capacity), the original prediction was at 91 grains, so 90.4 was the lightest batch of five I had loaded up. Regardless, it shot a great group, so I decided to stick with that. The results are attached.
The first pic on the left is sighting in at 1K yds. I dialed 7.4 mils but held for no wind. I wanted to be able to mil the impact from the bull in order to get real-world data on what the wind was doing. It was only 2-3 mph, left to right. The next imact shown was holding .4 mils. The vertical spread can't be more than 3/4". I know this isn't a fluke because I shot two 4-shot groups with sub-5" spreads the day before at 1K. The other splashes are from a .300 WinMag and a LA Precision 6.5CM.
The next day we stepped it back to 1250 yds. After a first round hit (big deal, it's a 3'x3' target) and some banging away above the bull, I came down .1 mil and held a group for my last 4 shots. The magnet we were using for a bullseye got knocked off, but it was right under my buddy's hand. I'm sure the gun could perform even better under ideal conditions. We were fighting a pretty bad mirage.
Finally, I included a pic of the range with the my A1 chomping at the bit. Where the trees close in on the right is 1250 yds.
Bottom line: This is an amazing rifle. It's easy to shoot, amazingly accurate, and I had zero issues getting used to the new bolt throw. You guys still waiting will not be disappointed. Thanks to Mike at Oakland Tactical for busting his ass to ensure I was set up for my trip, Mark at SAC for doing his usual, and DTA for bringing to market a great product. This was the most fun I've had behind a rilfe.
