I have a new hunting rifle coming in and would like to get it squared away in as few rounds as possible, how long does it take you to gather DOPE out to 1200 yards? and what method do you use?
Advanced Marksmanship Whats the fastest way to gather DOPE?
- Thread starter Jackomason
- Start date
Shoot holes in paper (or groups on steel if that is precise enough for you), check, adjust, record.
Repair/repaint target, move yardage back 100, repeat.
When you are done, come straight back down to a few intermediate yardages, and check the zero to see if the scope is at least qualitatively tracking.
Don't overthink this.
Repair/repaint target, move yardage back 100, repeat.
When you are done, come straight back down to a few intermediate yardages, and check the zero to see if the scope is at least qualitatively tracking.
Don't overthink this.
If you can shoot good groups, don’t shoot every 100 yards. By the time your done the day will have moved onto a new environment 
Well if you are school...sure.
Depending on caliber— for a faster better BC bullet like a 7mm
Confirm your Zero, enter the velocity into a solver to get predicted drop. You should be able to set your target at 400-600 // 900-1000 // 1200 (in your case) further for most ELR guys. You should shoot groups on paper in no wind with all the same AOF. Measure the POA/POI offsets writing it all down. Once DONE rerun the solver (you can even do this from home) with the exact conditions, adjust if need be, the velocity to match “exactly” the value needed to be dead center at 400-600. Next do the same but with BC at 900-1000. See if this agrees with your 1200 now. There are usually DK or other adjustments that can be used for 1200 + is you still see a small offset.
Key, is that you can shoot small groups and have perfect range (this is a huge deal), write EVERYTHING down and measure the offsets
Well if you are school...sure.Depending on caliber— for a faster better BC bullet like a 7mm
Confirm your Zero, enter the velocity into a solver to get predicted drop. You should be able to set your target at 400-600 // 900-1000 // 1200 (in your case) further for most ELR guys. You should shoot groups on paper in no wind with all the same AOF. Measure the POA/POI offsets writing it all down. Once DONE rerun the solver (you can even do this from home) with the exact conditions, adjust if need be, the velocity to match “exactly” the value needed to be dead center at 400-600. Next do the same but with BC at 900-1000. See if this agrees with your 1200 now. There are usually DK or other adjustments that can be used for 1200 + is you still see a small offset.
Key, is that you can shoot small groups and have perfect range (this is a huge deal), write EVERYTHING down and measure the offsets
I do similar to Diver, verify/true velocity to 600, verify/true BC @ 1k...has worked well for a bunch of bullets/calibers
Awesome, that's kinda what I was going for! The last few rifles I just shot a bunch on different days and then worked with all that data. It's a bit easier when shooting a cheap 6mm. Ill give this a go and hopefully learn a thing or two.
As far as MV/BC I don't touch my BC unless I've changed my MV by or over 100fps. Is this a good practice?
As far as MV/BC I don't touch my BC unless I've changed my MV by or over 100fps. Is this a good practice?
You really should adjust the proper item.
But to do this you need to be interested in making sure the range is absolute. Again, great care here do NOT trust a range. Then you really need to measure the center of the group verses your POA.
Usually, if you set up a magnetospeed correctly your short range dope will be good anyway. So if your off at 1k it is usually BC that needs help.
Edited to add to add - all assuming tall target adjustment have been accounted for.
But to do this you need to be interested in making sure the range is absolute. Again, great care here do NOT trust a range. Then you really need to measure the center of the group verses your POA.
Usually, if you set up a magnetospeed correctly your short range dope will be good anyway. So if your off at 1k it is usually BC that needs help.
Edited to add to add - all assuming tall target adjustment have been accounted for.
I don't shoot at a marked range so I'm pretty well left trusting my range finder. That also leaves me setting up my own targets. The one I use at 1k is only 12" and I'm not sure how accuarte the kilo will pick the targets range vs berm. I know it gets me close though.
Is the idea to make a water mark on a large target and print a group and go from there? I was just going to walk it in on the targets I have then print a group.
Run the Kilo from the target to the FFP use a truck or a dead solid object so you are assured you a not seeing a return from the background.
Use steel to make sure you are on target. Run a paper target that you can accurately index. Use the paper the measure.
I am lucky enough to have places and lots of targets if need be. But luck for us, all of us, physics work in our favor. Let’s say If you are zero at 100 on at 400-600.. but off at 300, either your scope is not correct or 99.9% of the time the ranges are not exact.. with that same logic if your on at 600 but high at 900-1000 if it is not one of the former issues, it is BC
Use steel to make sure you are on target. Run a paper target that you can accurately index. Use the paper the measure.
I am lucky enough to have places and lots of targets if need be. But luck for us, all of us, physics work in our favor. Let’s say If you are zero at 100 on at 400-600.. but off at 300, either your scope is not correct or 99.9% of the time the ranges are not exact.. with that same logic if your on at 600 but high at 900-1000 if it is not one of the former issues, it is BC
Well I think that solidifies it for me, thank you. I have a plan and I'm excited to see it in motion! I'll have to play with some ideas for ranging, sadly my situation isn't that simple (wide open mile by mile, no vehicles allowed) but I appreciate the emphasis on how important true range is. Maybe I'll get my wife to stand at my FFP and range her wearing a hunting vest. We'll see.
A GPS is also an excellent means of gathering yardage. Here in North America they are usually accurate to + or - 8'.
Set your shooting position as a waypoint, then in navigation you use a Go To, or similarly named item, and it will show you your distance from that waypoint.
I use JC Steel targets designed to set on tposts, and set posts at 300, 500, 700, 900, 1100, 1300, 1500, 1760 (one mile), and 2000 yards. All with a GPS.
Set your shooting position as a waypoint, then in navigation you use a Go To, or similarly named item, and it will show you your distance from that waypoint.
I use JC Steel targets designed to set on tposts, and set posts at 300, 500, 700, 900, 1100, 1300, 1500, 1760 (one mile), and 2000 yards. All with a GPS.
My first choice was First season either sex elk, hopefully I'll find a nice bull but in any case it's going to be elk. Who said anything about shooting one at 1200 yards? I'll likely try to keep it around 1000 +/- but not bound to any distance. I'll move in if conditions aren't favorable.
And to birddog, I don't have a GPS (although it's not a bad idea in the area I'm hunting now) in the past that's how I've doped rifles, just get as many yard markers as possible and start shooting. I guess I'm just curious about a "Better way" of course I'll verify as much as I can, given, funds and time. Would you suggest getting datta out to 1500 just for refinement?
On my PRS rifle and my 300 Norma mag that I hunt with, I gather data to 1300 yards. I usually shoot something like 500, 900, 1300 to gather dope. I never shoot more than 3 distances. It's always been sufficient.
Most of my other long range rifles I usually dope to 900 or 1100 yards. Usually, 300, 700, and 1100 works very well.
I also gather dope on my Norma out to a mile, just because it's fun. I might fling one at a wolf or coyote that far, but realistically I'll never shoot at a game animal at those distances.
Most of my other long range rifles I usually dope to 900 or 1100 yards. Usually, 300, 700, and 1100 works very well.
I also gather dope on my Norma out to a mile, just because it's fun. I might fling one at a wolf or coyote that far, but realistically I'll never shoot at a game animal at those distances.
You don't have to shoot a bunch of different yardages to verify dope. As birddog mentions above, 3 is more than sufficient. Hell, you can even get away with less than that.
Verify at the longest distance possible. Preferably over 1000 yards. In the past I have verified at 600 yards, and then at 1,100 yards. This has been sufficient to get me to ~1,900 yards with first and second round impacts with a 6.5 creedmoor.
Just as importantly (or more so) than shooting at distance to verify dope, is to ensure that you have all the correct data inputted into the ballistic solver. As silly and obvious as this may sound, I would say most people (I have been guilty of this myself in the past), are not putting in all the correct data in their ballistic solvers.
When you true your data, true BC before you true muzzle velocity. You shouldn't have to adjust muzzle velocity, modern chronographs are pretty damn accurate. A bullets BC can vary barrel to barrel - though it shouldn't be a drastic change. Use custom drag curves, and know how to use the drop scale factor (if using AB in a kestrel).
I would say the majority of people who have issues of lining up their actual DOPE with their ballistic solvers are not using the ballistic solvers correctly, and inputting incorrect data. If you have to adjust your muzzle velocity from what was measured from a good chronograph, you are doing something wrong.
Long story short, shoot as long of a distance as you can to verify, and make sure you are putting in all the correct information into your ballistic solver.
Verify at the longest distance possible. Preferably over 1000 yards. In the past I have verified at 600 yards, and then at 1,100 yards. This has been sufficient to get me to ~1,900 yards with first and second round impacts with a 6.5 creedmoor.
Just as importantly (or more so) than shooting at distance to verify dope, is to ensure that you have all the correct data inputted into the ballistic solver. As silly and obvious as this may sound, I would say most people (I have been guilty of this myself in the past), are not putting in all the correct data in their ballistic solvers.
When you true your data, true BC before you true muzzle velocity. You shouldn't have to adjust muzzle velocity, modern chronographs are pretty damn accurate. A bullets BC can vary barrel to barrel - though it shouldn't be a drastic change. Use custom drag curves, and know how to use the drop scale factor (if using AB in a kestrel).
I would say the majority of people who have issues of lining up their actual DOPE with their ballistic solvers are not using the ballistic solvers correctly, and inputting incorrect data. If you have to adjust your muzzle velocity from what was measured from a good chronograph, you are doing something wrong.
Long story short, shoot as long of a distance as you can to verify, and make sure you are putting in all the correct information into your ballistic solver.
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