Range Report Range report

[KE5MUJ]

New guy here for the most part. Just got into shooting seriously for the most part. i have been shooting since i was young, mostly sighting in for hunting really. I am right handed and have known that I am really left eye dominant for some time, just have been stubborn enough to keep shooting right handed for years. I have decided today to step out of my comfort zone and try at left hand and am pleased with the results. Best I have shot in my life (dont laugh, still working at it, haha). First time I have shot at 200yds too. I did notice that for some reason my bore stayed a lot cleaner with the Varget than when I used H380. I didnt clean the bore the whole time, sent about 40 rounds down range, but these are the two loads that I shot the most that are pictured.

I plan on using the 165gr Sierra Game King HPBT after talking to Sierra on what I should use for hunting and paper punching. I did have a few AMAX left to shoot which I did group better with. Comments/help/opinions would be appreciated. Gun is whats in my signature.

100yds 168gr AMAX with 41.7gr Varget

200yds 165gr Sierra Game King HPBT 40gr. Varget (aiming center bull)

 

[308sako]

Re: Range report

Deleted in protest!

 

[AUJohn]

Re: Range report

Accuracy first then power. 200fps gain means little if your accuracy is so poor you hit the animal in the arse.

 

[jakermeister]

Re: Range report

Seems a little low to me. I'm loading at 44.0 gr. of varget. The A-Max bullets are awesome!

 

[MitchAlsup]

Re: Range report

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: trigger happy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">100yds 168gr AMAX with 41.7gr Varget
200yds 165gr Sierra Game King HPBT 40gr. Varget </div></div>

This has to be a low velocity loading. Try working up towards 45g Varget watching pressure signs along the way up. There should be a nice accuracy node between 44.5g and 45g.

 

[ReaperDriver]

Re: Range report

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jakermeister</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Seems a little low to me. I'm loading at 44.0 gr. of varget. <span style="font-weight: bold">The A-Max bullets are awesome! </span></div></div>

Yes they are. I continue to be impressed with AMAX bullets everytime I shoot them. In fact just yesterday - our group got together and did a 1000yd desert shoot. I had just gotten in some Varget for the 1st time last week and tried a quick load development using some friends known good loads of 44.4-44.6 Varget, Lapua Brass and 175 SMKs. I also then matched the same load with 178 AMAXs but with a bit longer seating depth. They both (175 SMKs and 178 AMAXs) seemed to be fairly accurate at that 44.4 node but seemed a bit slow out of my 20" SPS-T (2540-2560 fps). Knowing I was going to be shooting at 1K in a couple of days, I wanted to try to get them a little faster - so I loaded up a batch of 45.0 Varget, with the same brass and primers with both bullets as above. I never got to shoot them across a chrono or on paper before shooting them yesterday on steel. All I can say is WOW!

We shot the 45.0 Varget loads at 1K with my friends M24 Rock Creek Barrel Rem 700 and was able to get a 2nd shot hit with both loads (good spotter calls!). They were hitting so consistantly, that we then shot at the 6" hostage taker swinger on the steel. 4 hits on that in a row at 1000yds!

So anyway, I was on my way home from the desert with some of both loads left over and I was itching to see how they would group on paper with MY rifle after seeing them shooting lights out at long range. So I detoured to my local range and shot this group with the 178 AMAXs before I ran out of light.

Load data:

178 AMAX
45.0 Varget
Fed 210 primers (not match)
Lapua Brass FL sized and trimmed to 2.005
2.865 COAL
45F, 3400' MSL
20" SPS-T


Not sure the velocities since I didn't have my chrono with me yesterday, but I will chrono them the next chance I get.

 

[hffvdbl]

Re: Range report

Reaper,

How far off the lands are you loading those AMAX?

Gary

 

[ReaperDriver]

Re: Range report

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: GDA</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Reaper,

How far off the lands are you loading those AMAX?

Gary </div></div>
I don't know, I never measured the chamber. I arrived at that by the very un-scientific method of loading the rounds to my longest possible mag length in an AI mag (about 2.875) and then chambering a loaded round to see it if contacted the lands. It didn't so, I shot the load with 2.875 and 2.865 COAL) just to see if there was a seating depth the rifle liked. I was going to continuing working shorter but when I shot the group above and it repeated, I figured I would stop there with the AMAXs at 2.865".

I did notice that the gun seems to like the 175 SMKs seated a little deeper like in the 2.820-2,815 range. I;m going to continue trying some various seating depths with the 175 SMKs to see if I can find a sweet spot.