.308 at 1,300 yards today

[QuietShootr]

I got access to a 2000 meter UKD range today and took my FN and handload out to 1,300 yards successfully and consistently. My load is still supersonic at 1300 and was quite capable of staying in the 8 ring of an NRA 1000 yard target even with a shifting 2:00-4:00 7mph wind that gusted up to 18-20 at times. My cold bore shot at 1300 using dope from Shooter was a 10 at 10:00. I wound up with 1.5 mils of R wind dialed in, then I held for the changes.

We had NRA 1000-yard targets only. The other two shooters were firing .300WM and .300RUM that they took out to 1500 - the .300RUM shooter was still solidly supersonic with a 220SMK at 1500 (I was in the pit for the other two shooters) the .300WM shooter was firing a 200gr SMK that was going subsonic at about 1460 or so - and apparently that bullet does NOT handle the transition smoothly. He had no problems at 1300, but at 1500 he could not stay on the board at all.

Interesting day. I may try to take my load to 1400 next time and just see if it'll do it - but FFS, 1300 is way more than I would expect out of a .308. Good day, good learning experience.

[Reagans Rascals]

was that the farthest distance you tried, or was that just the most consistent?

[taliv]

dang, that's good shooting

what 308 load do you have that's still supersonic at 1300?

[ALCOAR]

Nice work, and I bet it was a blast to do!

You know me...I ain't no bolt man, however I will acknowledge through first hand experience that if one is limited to the .308, and one is dead set on shooting north of 1100yds or so, a high end bolt with a very long barrel, and hand rolled pills is still the only game in town.

I spotted and filmed this footage of my pal killing it at 1200yds on a 2/3rd torso steel target. This string of his @ 1200yds, and then the group size once measured was one of the most impressive pieces of shooting I've witnessed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_HhAQFlEmw

For serious purposes I would never count on a .308's performance past 1k regardless of what rifle was shooting it....just to much comes down to individual wind reads by the shooter/spotter every single shot at these distances for myself personally to ever rely on.

[QuietShootr]

was that the farthest distance you tried, or was that just the most consistent?

I quit at 1300 while I was still getting good results Per Shooter, it was going to go transonic at 1350 on the nose, so I figured I'd pushed my luck enough for one day. Plus the other guys wanted to move back, so I packed my stuff and went to the pit for them.

dang, that's good shooting

what 308 load do you have that's still supersonic at 1300?

Hornady 178 HPBT, 45.9gr Varget in Lapua brass and CCI BR-2 primer, COAL to ogive is 3.133 using the Sinclair ogive tool. I have chronographed it at 2730, but it was very hot today, and by the comeups I was using it had to have been coming out closer to 2800. Putting 2800 into Shooter gave me a match from 1000 to 1300 with what I actually used, so I have to assume... ETA: that's with a 24" barrel.

Nice work, and I bet it was a blast to do!

You know me...I ain't no bolt man, however I will acknowledge through first hand experience that if one is limited to the .308, and one is dead set on shooting north of 1100yds or so, a high end bolt with a very long barrel, and hand rolled pills is still the only game in town.

I spotted and filmed this footage of my pal killing it at 1200yds on a 2/3rd torso steel target. This string of his @ 1200yds, and then the group size once measured was one of the most impressive pieces of shooting I've witnessed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_HhAQFlEmw

For serious purposes I would never count on a .308's performance past 1k regardless of what rifle was shooting it....just to much comes down to individual wind reads by the shooter/spotter every single shot at these distances for myself personally to ever rely on.

Until today I would have generally agreed with you, but until today I didn't have much experience shooting a known good gun and load in .308 past 1000. The wind was so squirrely that I really wasn't doing that much worse than the other two guys with much hotter guns (both state champions and better super-long-range wind readers than me. The proof of the pudding there was when my friend started spotting for me and actually telling me where to hold, then using command-fire when he thought the condition was right. Once he started spotting, I nailed two tens, an eight, and another ten.) Would I DEPEND on it? I don't know, man. I think if I get better at wind it could be done. But this was just fooling around for me past 1000 - I was going to be happy if I did OK, but not super-surprised if I didn't. I figure I'll count on 1000, but if I need to throw a Hail Mary a little further, it ain't impossible.

Shooter is squared away, though. We had good radio comms to the pits, and the shooter doing my pit service called back after the first round and said it was solidly supersonic, as were the rest of them. That 178 HPBT is a ****ing bad-ass bullet.

[QuietShootr]

A couple of pics fwiw - pic 1 is standing at 1300 looking at the targets.


Pic 2- the cold bore shot

[ALCOAR]

"then using command-fire when he thought the condition was right."

When me and my spotter...vice versa...finally got enough experience/rhythm together, and could switch over from calling splash/adjustments for one another to command fire based on the reads at 3 locations....we saw some amazing improvements in what were doing at 1k +.

[QuietShootr]

"then using command-fire when he thought the condition was right."

When me and my spotter...vice versa...finally got enough experience/rhythm together, and could switch over from calling splash/adjustments for one another to command fire based on the reads at 3 locations....we saw some amazing improvements in what were doing at 1k +.

That's exactly what we were doing. There was a flag at the target, one at 600, and one at 1000. Tough to watch all that by yourself.

Next time no flags :-D

[Pappabear]

Cool stuff guys. The one time I tried 1,400 yards with my 308, it was all over the place. It was rainy so that may have played against me.
1,300 with 308 is good shooting, especially consistent. Anyone can throw 10 down and hit one.

Saturday, we had a flag at 1k, it was not budging but wind was blowing 400 to 800, and I could pick up mirage. QS, I dig that shooting location. Ours gets screwed up past 1K, so we are going to have to figure something out. There are other options that we are going to try because the 300wm is lights out all day long at 1K. It's pretty interesting shooting both each week and seeing how much easier hits are with the WM. However, as you already know, the 308 makes you better.

Cool stuff fellas

[QuietShootr]

Cool stuff guys. The one time I tried 1,400 yards with my 308, it was all over the place. It was rainy so that may have played against me.
1,300 with 308 is good shooting, especially consistent. Anyone can throw 10 down and hit one.

Saturday, we had a flag at 1k, it was not budging but wind was blowing 400 to 800, and I could pick up mirage. QS, I dig that shooting location. Ours gets screwed up past 1K, so we are going to have to figure something out. There are other options that we are going to try because the 300wm is lights out all day long at 1K. It's pretty interesting shooting both each week and seeing how much easier hits are with the WM. However, as you already know, the 308 makes you better.

Cool stuff fellas

1K is going to feel much easier (though it really isn't) compared to 1300 - but knowing the system is capable of it is a real confidence booster. I'm interested to see how I do at 1K the next session.