600 yard steel shooting with 5.56 - 9/2/2017 - Sub MOA @ 1000 (lol but for real)

[mic2377]

Hello Ned,

From a quick search on the Bushnell, it looks like they made a 1-6.5 and a 1-8.5? Just wondering which you had and seeing that you said you were at 6.5x for those shots if you felt that was enough for shooting to 600m.

There's a (I think) 12" plate out at 650y at my local range that's calling my name. I'm looking to get a 1-x for my newest rifle, just want to make sure the X is high enough. Would a 1-6 be okay or should I be looking for a 1-8?

Any input you or anyone else has would be most appreciated.

Sent from my PIP-BOY 3000 using Tapatalk

Do not be deceived and think you need a particularly fancy rig or high magnification scope. I have had great success with shooting my 18" AR out to 600+ yards with even a 1-4x scope (Vortex Viper) provided the glass is OK and it has a reticle amenable to precision. On a side note, I do shoot a 10x scope on my 308 out to 1000 yds on a somewhat regular basis.

You would really be surprised. I was able to make a hit percentage >80% on a 10x10" steel at 560 and 640 yards, albeit wind was mild. Loads were 75 gr Hornady's with a moderate load of H4895.

Even more amazingly, I was even able to make the occasional hit at 900 yds, although clearly the group size was way opening up and the bullets were crossing transonic and not really stable anymore.

My next quest is loading 80 gr's long and going for the 900 yd gong again...

[Eurodriver]

Do not be deceived and think you need a particularly fancy rig or high magnification scope. I have had great success with shooting my 18" AR out to 600+ yards with even a 1-4x scope (Vortex Viper) provided the glass is OK and it has a reticle amenable to precision. On a side note, I do shoot a 10x scope on my 308 out to 1000 yds on a somewhat regular basis.

You would really be surprised. I was able to make a hit percentage >80% on a 10x10" steel at 560 and 640 yards, albeit wind was mild. Loads were 75 gr Hornady's with a moderate load of H4895.

Even more amazingly, I was even able to make the occasional hit at 900 yds, although clearly the group size was way opening up and the bullets were crossing transonic and not really stable anymore.

My next quest is loading 80 gr's long and going for the 900 yd gong again...

Amen.

While I am flattered people think my shooting is impressive - it really isn’t that difficult if you learn wind holds.

People just lack the availability of 600+ yard ranges to do it and see for themselves, and that’s unfortunate because 100y shooting is for Glocks.

[Ned Christiansen]

Latest: at 750 yards, ten shots fired, nine in evidence but with a few clusters of shots, it might be there inside the group-- or it might be off the steel. One unexplained strike is more than a foot below the center of the group and appears to have struck sideways. A low shot that skipped in? The chart says these are probably going subsonic at about 750, so is it a trans sonic effect? Anyway-- discounting that one and the possible missing one, 8 into 11". I again wound up using 7.5 mils holdover, kinda surprising since that's what I used at 660 too but this was a different load (Black Hills 77's). It's frustrating because neither me nor my spotter can for-sure call hits from the sound.

As I mentioned it is helpful the build the aiming point around the reticle. I felt as though I was approaching the limit of this at 6.5X, like maybe I was repeating reticle position on the target with no better than plus or minus 2".

[Kansaswoodguy]

I brought one of my AR's to the mother in-laws for Friday night dinner a couple weeks ago with the intent of heading out to the range after dinner. After eating I started to head to the range and one of the in-laws decided to join me I dialed it in for my closest target at 585yds took a couple shots and let him give it a try, took him a couple shots and me reminding him to check the bubble level and he got a couple hits his comment was "that's the farthest I've ever shot". I then dialed it in for 1000yds and made a couple hits at that range then let him give it a try big smiles when he finally rang the steal at that range. The comment about not many folks having access to 600+yd ranges is spot on. As anybody that has made hits at a grand with an AR-15 knows I'm not using a 16" carbine to do this type of shooting. The not being able to see hits very well at all, to make corrections gets annoying and throw in some variable winds and oh boy just get the bigger guns out but it is a absolute hoot to be able to do it with a mouse gun when conditions are favorable.

[mic2377]

Went out to Thunder Valley this weekend. Continues to confirm that high magnification and fancy equipment is not necessary. The 18" AR was easily able to make almost a 90% hit percentage on the 600 yd gongs (8-10"? I am not sure the size) in gusting 10-15 mph winds... The caveat being that your wind calls had to be spot on. This was shooting 75 gr Hornady's over H4895. Had all the other members from my party who were shooting bolt guns get behind it, and they were easily able to get shoot it really well. We all agreed it was probably the by far the most economical gun to practice with, and the best to learn wind reading with because how easy it is to spot your own shots.

However I was most pleased to say that I managed to join the 1000 yd club with my 6.5 CM LR-6.5. Another very simple combo with 24" McGowen barrel, shooting 123 Nosler's over Varget. Scope is one of the budget Weaver Tactical 3-10x, probably the best budget long range optic out there. It was just running out of elevation at 1k though, next step is a 20 MOA base. Best hit percentage I could manage was around 40% on the 1k steel I was shooting at, with most of the misses VERY close, but I think it was only 8 inches so I don't feel too bad at all to be holding in the 1-1.2 MOA range with a gas gun and 10x scope in the wind.

Simply put you just don't need very fancy equipment or alot of money to get in the 1k game even with a gas gun. In my case the 6.5 CM AR cost $1k including optics.

[Ned Christiansen]

My most recent evening out resulted in frustration. I fired the most solid 10-round group ever at 650, I just don't know where they went. When I got back and looked things over, I was at 5X and not 6.5X. Mega-duh on my part. This calculates to me shooting 5-6' high..... lesson learned.

[Pappabear]

We call that a “ sticker moment” I shot my 10.5 with 1-8 Burris and was like eff me Mark the reticle is on the steel.

However previously I shot to 750 dialing in mil DOPE. Being retarded is just tuff sometimes. They may not have been your situation, but I feel you

[Vegas]

I’ve been known to hold for wind the wrong side of the reticle and be puzzled when the round hits even further in the wrong direction. We all have our days for sure.

[Ned Christiansen]

We call that a “ sticker moment” I shot my 10.5 with 1-8 Burris and was like eff me Mark the reticle is on the steel.

However previously I shot to 750 dialing in mil DOPE. Being retarded is just tuff sometimes. They may not have been your situation, but I feel you

It most certainly was my situation :-(

[Eurodriver]

I’ve been known to hold for wind the wrong side of the reticle and be puzzled when the round hits even further in the wrong direction. We all have our days for sure.

I took the subject rifle of this thread to a PRS match.

It wasn't until the third stage that I realized I had been using a 200y zero for my holds when the scope had recently been reset to a 100y zero.

I wouldn't have won - but I would've been top 5 for sure. Still, 16th out of 37 people and I shot 3/7 stages with an incorrect dope? What's that say about them