Humbled today by 200 yards..

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WWWJD

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So I pushed my shooting out to 200 yards today with the SPS Tac .308. It wasn't an awful thing; I managed to pull off some 2" groups.

Good Lord!! That target was tiny!! I definitely have gained an appreciation for these guys that shoot 3 to 4 times that distance for us in the desert, or wherever they may be.

I know now for sure that I need some work. I consistently shot slightly low and to the right, while my buddy (on the same rifle) shot a little high and to the left. I can't blame the ammo much; SMK 168 gr factory loads. All in all, perfect first day of Spring!!:D
 
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What glass were you using? Some of the guys shooting distance have optics that are 12x magnification on the low end and go up as high as 42x or higher.
 
Sounds like you don't have an ajustable objective or other paralax adjustment on your scope. Most manufacturers set 0 paralax at 100 yards. Put your gun on sandbags and look at a target at 200 or 300 yards and move your head around without moving the rifle. The crosshair will appear to move around!! Your buddy might have been putting his eye in the same place relative to the scope centerline. If this is a problem look into the adjustable models.
 
First time I laid eyes on a 200 yard target I wondered how I was going to even hit it. Here is a B-27 at 200 yards.

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Iron sights can do it, even if the shooter-fu is weak.

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Scopes help a LOT.

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Sounds like you have a very nice rifle and you did some excellent shooting, sir! Betcha you tighten those groups up even better.:cool:
 
Hey 2" at 200 yards is nothing to be ashamed of. Keep it up! Practice is a good thing..

I feel like I'm stuck somewhere between the "crawl" and "walk" phase of my shooting training. One reason I'm sure is insufficient range time. I blame work and the range.. cause they advertise open everyday but seems like every time I want to go they've got a controlled burn or another range close by opened and had to shut it down. And finally I blame this blasted wind. I couldn't tell you the last time I went that wind wasn't constantly 15mph with gusts higher. Sorry for the rant.. wasn't the best day at the range today :)
 
2" at 200 Yards is beyond the acceptable standard of accuracy for hunting, although I think it's just right at it. A good rule of thumb for a stock rifle is 1" for every 100 Yards.

If you're shooting 2" at 200 Yards you are already outshooting the majority of hunters that take to the field every year, from my observations at the gun ranges I frequent. I say that to encourage you and hopefully give you some motivation.

Keep shootin', and aim low. They be riding Shetland Ponies. :)

Biker
 
Thanks for all the positive feedback guys. Big Al and ripnbst, I'm using a Bushnell Elite 3200 fixed at 10X. It fits my budget for the now, and I would like to upgrade one of these days. I'm pretty sure that a deer should be worried!

I think the #1 thing I need to work on is stability; I'm shooting prone, and while I've improved over the last couple of weekends, I've still got a ways to go. I will definitely be mindful of parallax next weekend, and see if that's happening here.
 
Doing fantastic!

Are you using a butt-bag & a sling? Keep practicing, however you are doing it, you are dooing great!:D
 
I haven't used a butt bag yet; I've been balling up my fist under the rear sling stud. Nor have I used the sling for any kind of support; would this be similar to making a hasty sling while standing?
 
Keep shooting!

2" groups at 200 yards = more than good enough for deer sized game. And from prone postion too! that is pretty darn good for a hunter.:D

The more you shoot the better you get, if you keep an open mind and keep working at it. For medium game hunting a fixed power scope is good. If you want to get into tack driving, then a variable power scope with parallax adj. becomes your friend. Nikon are good as they have the objective focus on the side.
 
I would put 80% down to trigger press, 15% to stability (breathing) and 5% to paralax
Concentrate on trigger control.
When I press the trigger I place my finger tip on the outside edge of the trigger so that it feels like my finger will slip-off the trigger as I press, I get a much cleaner sear break without moving the rifle off target.
Training should be fun!:D
 
You probably need a better target. It would be easier to use something that has four 2" black squares, with 2" space between them, both vertically and horizontally. It's easier to see the crosshairs centered on the white space for precise aiming.

Williams Gunsight Co. made them as sighting-in targets, but I don't know if they still do. I print them from my computer.
 
I'm cracking up here,,,

Not at the OP or any of the responses,,,
I'm chuckling at one true statement.

Good Lord!! That target was tiny!!
Click to expand...

I listen to people I work with,,,
People I meet at my watering hole,,,
And people I run across at the Evil Pawn Shop.

So many of them talk about hitting coke cans at 100 yards with a 4" revolver,,,
Or making one ragged hole with their '06 at 300 yards,,,
I've come to the conclusion I'm a terrible shot,,,
I sure can't compete with those guys.

So it is a breath of fresh air to read something by someone,,,
Who acknowledges that 200 yards really is a long darned way away.

Aarond
 
That target was tiny!!

Indeed.

When I was younger, I shot a lot between 200 and 300m. It isn't that I was good, but I enjoyed figuring out the drop and the wind more than small groups closer in.

Later I spent several years at an indoor range with handguns where winding the target all the way out meant 50 feet.

Missing rifles, I was a fellow's guest at an outdoor range. We spent an afternoon shooting off benches at 100 yards. As dusk approached and we packed up to leave, I saw a family of deer down by the 200 yard berm.

200 yards never looked so far away.
 
Lol.. I try to keep it honest. In the same breath, I don't have any fish stories either. :D

Someone here had linked to several pages of free targets at one time or another. I didn't care for any of them, so I wound up making some of my own. Seen below was one of my groups. The target page is 8-1/2 x 11, with five 3" x 3" checker targets. The one in the middle is round, and the grid is 1". I'll jab a tobacco stick in the ground, and staple on a white cardboard backer. (I've used up most of the left-over Christmas gift boxes in the house... maybe on purpose. ;))

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I think next time out, I'll probably stick with the same. It's pretty easy to see that grid through the spotting scope. Aaron, I think I've learned to ignore most of the stories I hear at this point. I've heard some doozies, and now it's become clear to me that they were probably full of it. I did watch my uncle bag a ground hog at 300'ish yards once.. I was 12.. and in aw. That's about the only story I got. Not sure what it was he was using. .22-250 maybe? Ehh.
 
Those groups are where I want to get. I have the equipment and the motivation; sadly, KD ranges where I can take said equipment and ring it out are somewhere between few and nonexistent. Nice groupings though!
 
Nothing wrong with 2 inch 200 yard groups with factory ammo. Reload, and find a load your rifle likes, you can cut that down a bunch.

If you do get a good reload worked up, and have the opportunity, try 600 yards. That was an awakening for me.
 
Why, I have shot 1/2 MOA time and time again at 1427yds. with my ol' 700. No problem.....:barf:

Isn't it fun to get things to work? I've got a 700 PSS that can group very tight at distance.

I'm really looking forward to putting some rounds downrange soon with my 15-22 family outdoors.

regards,
Hobie
 
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