What Single Men do on Vacation
June 24th, 2020More Data for the Gitmo Admissions Committee
I’m white, I’m male, I’m conservative, I’m a far-out Christian who speaks in tongues every day, and I shoot as a hobby. My blog has been banned secretly by the Department of Defense, as a hate site, for reasons that have never been revealed to me. What more can I add to my resume?
How about long-range rifle shooting? That ought to move me up a few spaces on several secret lists.
I’m getting ready for my first precision rifle shooting course. Right now, I’m more of a spray-and-giggle shooter. I take semiauto .22’s out to the berm and blast away at steel targets with humorous shapes. The course will have me shooting match .308 ammunition at 1000 yards.
I don’t know what more I can do to attract persecution. I should just send Joe Biden a letter requesting he have me disappeared the day after the inauguration. Assuming he gets inaugurated, which I don’t. I think leftists are scaring normal people to the polls.
If he gets elected, and he’s too busy to disappear me the day after the inauguration, Kamala Harris can always do it two days later, after she assumes command due to Biden’s dementia, which the press will suddenly discover.
You have to wonder how military people, who tend to be conservative, are going to feel when things go nuts and leftist regimes require them to guard conservative and Christian dissidents at Guantanamo and black sites while relatively liberal Deep State intelligence people torment them. They’ll probably end up guarding many of their friends.
I never really thought about the political contrast between the CIA and the military before.
The Deep State and its hostility toward conservatives are absolutely real. The more time passes, the more things happen that confirm that right-wing conspiracy nuts aren’t nuts at all. Not about the important things.
I am scheduled to take a class soon, and I’m trying to figure out what I need. The people who teach the class are not great at communication, and I have never been to a PRS (Precision Rifle Shooting) class before.
I had to get a couple of shooting bags. I’ve used a Rock Jr. rest and various bipods, but I have never shot off a bag. I chose the Armageddon Gear Game Changer front bag and the Armageddon Gear X-Wing rear bag. They arrived today. I put them on the dinner table and plopped the LR-308 onto them. Very nice. I see what I’ve been missing. They’re much more cooperative than rests and bipods, and the scope seems much more stable.
I realized my fancy tactical sling won’t work with the LR-308 until I get the right swivel for the handguard. I’ll probably have to cannibalize a sling from another gun, along with one swivel.
Today I bought a Gore-Tex rain jacket. It’s surprisingly hard to do this here. Gander Outdoors is gone, Dick’s Sporting Goods (spit) has nothing useful, Rural King doesn’t have Gore-Tex, and I didn’t even try the mall because it looked so bad the last time I was there. I found a nice jacket at Bass Pro, and it comes with a tiny bag. You can wad the entire jacket up and stuff it in the bag, and it takes up about as much room as a foot-long sub.
I like Gore-Tex. It’s likely to rain at the class, and it will definitely be hot, so I want something that keeps rain out and lets water vapor out. I don’t think evaporation will be all that helpful, but it has to be somewhat better than wearing a plastic jacket that doesn’t even try to release vapor.
I’m supposed to bring some tools. When they suggested that, they poked the wrong bear. I’m trying to whittle my choices down to things that will fit in one toolbox. I guess a cleaning kit, some Allen wrenches, and a can of One Shot should get me where I need to be.
They don’t provide lunch, and the food situation in the area is, well, there isn’t any. I have to figure out how to provide lunch for myself two days in a row.
I guess I should take a notebook. A real one, not a PC.
I looked at shooting glasses today at Bass Pro. The ones I have are cheap yellow plastic. I think they cost $14.99 at Gander Outdoors. I thought I should get something better. Bass Pro had Oakleys for $256. They looked exactly the same as the $14.99 ones. Am I missing something here? I decided I didn’t need new ones.
I want to take the bags out and pop off a few .223 rounds. The other day I shot 1 MOA at 50 yards using an uncooperative bipod and a plastic table with a railroad spring sitting on it to take out the bounce. If I can do that with terrible equipment, one would think I could shoot 1 MOA consistently with a good set of bags, even using the plastic table.
Maybe I’m going to be a good long-range shooter. That would be nice.
When I first started shooting at 100 yards with scopes, I refused to take my left hand off the guns. I was stubborn. I felt like a shooter who didn’t hold the gun with both hands was so uninvolved, it was almost unnecessary for him to be there.
I used bad ammunition, mostly, and I got something like 3 MOA. I now think most of the error was due to my efforts to delude myself. The more human being touches a gun, the worse it shoots at long distances. It’s just a fact. To shoot as well as possible, you should mount your gun in a vise and pull the trigger remotely. I think I wasted a ton of ammo trying to disprove something everyone else already knew.
This time, I’ll have a great trigger, match ammunition, a good rest, and good technique. Maybe things will go better.
Ammunition confuses me. On the one hand, people talk about the importance of accurate ammunition, and they say you need handloads to do well. On the other, I’ve got cheap ammunition in at least two calibers that will shoot 1 MOA, guaranteed. How can I reconcile these things? I’m starting to think I shouldn’t listen to people who criticize ammunition I haven’t tried. If you look on the web, you will see people shooting 1.5 MOA with Wolf, which is some of the cheapest ammunition available. If they can do that, maybe ammunition usually isn’t that critical.
Most people can’t shoot. This is a fact of life, and it’s probably caused by stubbornness and lack of training (unless I’m the only one those things affect). It doesn’t prevent them from shooting badly and then going to Internet forums and saying this or that ammunition is accurate or inaccurate. If you shoot 5 MOA on your best day, you’re not qualified to evaluate ammunition or anything else. I’m sure there are people out there telling others certain guns or ammunition are accurate when they really mean they don’t shoot them any worse than other things they shoot badly.
There’s a Youtube guy who does wonderful videos in which he loads .223 ammunition and does systematic experiments to see what shoots best. He has used many powders and bullets, and he bought a high-end barrel. His good loads shoot maybe 0.75 MOA, and his bad ones probably run 3 MOA. I have a bunch of cheap Fiocchi ammo which, I’m pretty sure, will do 1 MOA at 100 yards out of my non-precision AR-15 with the barrel it came with out of the factory. I have seen a guy shoot very tight groups at 200 yards with the same stuff. If Fiocchi will do all that for fifty cents per round, how can the Youtube guy not be wasting his time?
It’s puzzling, but it sure looks like 1) factory barrels on second-tier AR-15’s can shoot 1 MOA, so you don’t need to upgrade unless you’re extremely picky, and 2) there is no point at all in reloading .223.
If I can shoot 1 MOA, then I have the potential to put a bullet in a 3″ circle at 300 yards. That means I should be able to hit prairie dogs three football fields away, reliably. That’s awfully good accuracy, in a world where 4 MOA was very respectable 40 years ago. Will my life really change if I find a load that reduces the circle to 2″?
It’s great to think I can shoot very precisely with cheap ammunition, but it’s a bummer to think I may not be able to justify making my own .223 or .308 rounds. Or .204 Ruger. Dang it.
I found a brand of top-quality .223 rounds with temperature-stabilized powder (not a gimmick) and 55-grain polymer-tip bullets. This is essentially the same thing as a very popular defensive product called Hornady TAP Urban, which is considered a law enforcement product. The stuff I found is packaged in little plastic packets that should preserve it forever, and if I zero my scope at a certain temperature, I can shoot it at a different temperature with nearly no change in the point of impact.
The Hornady stuff, which has been discontinued, sells for 75 cents per round. The stuff I bought costs about 50 cents, and it’s better. I will never have any reason to buy Hornady, and it will be hard to justify buying .223 dies just to make 55-grain ammunition.
Why did I buy defensive .223 ammunition, if I don’t plan to use my rifle defensively? Because I didn’t get the ammunition for use against people. I got it for targets and coons and so on. It can also be used for pigs and deer. But you never know what the future will bring. Maybe I won’t use it, but I’ll end up giving it to someone who needs defensive ammo.
I don’t know whether the gun I’ll be shooting in class will hold 1 MOA, but I’ll bet it will. Other people have done it with this model. It will be funny if it works. I have no doubt at all that it will at least approach 1 MOA. If I can’t make it work, I can get a new barrel for $300.
I guess I should invest in a lunchbox. I don’t know what else I should take with me.
Next time I take a course like this, I’ll have a different rifle in a friendlier caliber that won’t beat me up. That will be nice. I’m not really sure what purpose a .308 serves in 2020.
June 25th, 2020 at 12:57 PM
Hope you enjoy it.
June 26th, 2020 at 12:54 AM
If you’ll visit the Ace of Spades Blog, every Sunday evening at 7 pm Eastern, you’ll find the weekly Gun Thread, hosted by commenter “Weasel”.
He is a Nationally Ranked “F-Class” shooter, which is a 1,000 yard game where one needs to be able to reliably shoot 18 out of 20 rounds into a 5″ circle at that distance. That’s just to be competitive, and the real winners are counted at the “X” ring.
Go back to about two, no more than three Sundays ago, in their archives. He talks about handloading and load development, and his illustrations will be most illuminating for you.
We’re not talking about 1 MOA. We’re talking about One Hole Groups at 100 yards.
He’s also the most patient and generous of instructors, and I would be honored to make the introductions ‘tween you two.
As for your class? Will everything be from the bench, or will “position” shooting come into play? If so, get a Shooter’s Mat, from Midway or Brownells.
Your knees and elbows will thank you, after.
Another ‘bit. Don’t skimp on optics. Send me mail if it interests you, but I’m connected to getting anything from the Vortex Optics catalog at 1/2 MSRP. I’ve got their highest end (Razor 27x60x85 Angled Finder) Spotting Scope, here.
They make absolutely wonderful optics.
Oh, and you’re right on the ‘bags. My local range pulled their wheelbarrows of proper sandbags for “sanitation” reasons.
I just got my Caldwell stuff from UPS, yesterday.
One final thing. You’re going to want a “wagon” (range cart) of some kind to haul your gear. Otherwise, it’s multiple trips to the truck. Look in to the boating world for collapsible aluminum dock carts, for the best on compact and sturdy. Not cheap though.
Otherwise, the cheap and heavy solution is a Horror Freight garden/utility wagon with the expanded steel mesh sides and pneumatic tires.
But. Wagon/Cart. Undisputable NEED. Getcha one!
And have fun at the class, too!
Jim
Sunk New Dawn
Galveston, TX
June 28th, 2020 at 12:44 AM
For a long distance rifle I’d bet that you would love a 20″ stainless Palmetto Creedmoor upper, you could just slap it on your DPMS lower and be good to go. PSA has a clinic where they take good shooters and have them shoot a mile with their stock rifles.
June 28th, 2020 at 8:13 PM
Jim, as always, your comments in this area are very useful. Thanks, and thanks again for finding me that .357.
I have taken the course, and my instructor likes the Vortex Viper something or other. I wrote it down. Considerably cheaper than Nightforce, which, he says, has clearer glass.
I didn’t think I had skimped on glass when I got the Leupold I used today, but my instructor told me some outfit he served with had a bunch of Leupolds, and only half of them worked. My Leupold’s elevation turret failed today, depriving me of the chance to make my last two shots.
The LR-308B turned out to be a poor choice. Everyone else had a target rifle. I managed to make it work, however. The instructor seemed impressed.
He also recommended the Ruger Precision Rifle. I’m partial to Savages because they shoot above their price range, but he thinks Ruger is the way to go. Says it has been crushing more-expensive guns in matches, and it can be rebarreled if I decide I don’t like the tube. The trigger is supposedly not good, though, and I hate bad triggers. That would cost money to fix.
This weekend, I learned what I don’t know, and that was very useful.\
Ck, after this weekend, I’m not sure I want to shoot gas guns at really long ranges. I can hit a steel gong at 1000 yards with one, but I assume I will shoot tighter with a bolt gun.
July 2nd, 2020 at 1:36 AM
Steve, I’ve read everything above to 1 July, so congrats on a good shoot at the class. Pro-Tip? Upgrade your equipment, and then take the exact same class. You’ll have that apples to apples comparison and experience, and THEN you’ll CRUSH the Level II courses on offer.
Here’s why the Ruger Precision.
In a conventional rifle like the Savage (even in full tactical regalia), the bolt lugs lock into recesses which are in the large front ring of the receiver. The barrel does not accept the bolt’s lugs, and so headspace is dependent on how far the barrel is screwed down into the receiver until the “go, no go gauges” give the right answer.
The recoil forces register into the receiver via the bolt, and those stresses and harmonics flex the receiver, and not in synch with the barrel’s harmonic flex as the bullet moves down and out of the tube.
Conversely.
The Ruger’s receiver is only an UN-stressed part, to hold the barrel and it’s associated BARREL EXTENSION (more on that soon), and as a “guide” with rails, for the bolt carrier group to ride on as it moves through being manually cycled.
In short, the Ruger has a Barrel Extension, just like an AR-15 system. The bolt carrier (with manual bolt handle) carries the bolt, which is a multi-lug bolt-head, that locks into the corresponding female recesses in the Barrel Extension. All recoil forces remain with the barrel and Barrel Extension, and are NOT directly transferred to the upper receiver of the PRS system.
What you’ve got in essence, is a manually acutated, AR-10, non-gas upper, with no dynamic transfer of stress, harmonics or other adverse forces, to the receiver, stock or shooter.
Yes, the recoil from a Ruger PRS will be the same as the Savage.
But the physics path of the forces involved will favor the Ruger, on average.
Not to say that a Lucky Serial # Savage won’t ring the bell. One sure can, and many have.
But I’d buy the Ruger, too.
Jim
Sunk New Dawn
Galveston, TX
July 2nd, 2020 at 12:50 PM
Thanks for the info, Jim.
I was actually considering doing the course over, but I don’t know how the people who teach it feel about that.
I have a friend who couldn’t make it, and we wanted to do the course together. If he takes it later, we could both be there. Of course, he might not be all that happy about being so far behind me.
He would probably have to take a Savage Axis .308. I have no doubt that it will work, since an LR-308 with a shorter barrel got me through. Maybe I should lend him the LR-308!
July 4th, 2020 at 1:09 AM
..He would probably have to take a Savage Axis .308. I have no doubt that it will work, since an LR-308 with a shorter barrel got me through. Maybe I should lend him the LR-308!
Sure. After, of course, you’ve pulled that faulty Leupold, and installed a Vortex Viper PST Gen II on it.
For me, the Viper PST Gen 1 that’s installed on my precision AR, is fitted with MOA reticle and turret. 2nd focal plane, too.
I know that’s “anti sniper school”, but I have MOA in my DNA from the 1970s. I’m not going to rewire my skull to adopt the Metric Madness at this late stage.
I also have a 2nd, MOA eyepiece for that Vortex Razor 27x60x85 spotting scope. (they sell it in .mil-dot, too) You said (correctly) that a good spotter is everything in precision shooting. So, here’s a bit more advice. Spend into stupidville to get the best Spotting Scope you can find, and an absolute MONUMENT of a tripod upon which to mount it.
My tripod is a Bogen (Manfrotto) Model 3040. Look them up on eBay. Not exactly “portable friendly”. But stable? Low end studio TV broadcast friendly. Field reporters used them with fluid head mounts all through the ’80s and ’90.
I have a Manfrotto “squeeze grip” Ball Head mount on it. Fast, compact, secure and just ooozes “cool factor” all day long.
Remind me to take pics of that rig to send to you. I’ve been underwater with doing exterior work here on the house.
Jim
Sunk New Dawn
Galveston, TX
July 4th, 2020 at 11:32 AM
“Metric Madness”? Okay, grandpa. Aren’t you YOUNGER than I am?
Just kidding. I like metric and radians because of my science background, though. The metric system and radians really are far superior, but adapting isn’t fun.
I think I blogged about it, but here: I bought a Primary Arms 4×14 Mil-dot for my AR-15. Interesting company. Prices are very low, but the optics work. Wonder if you’re familiar with them. I don’t want to blow a thousand dollars on every gun I own, and I thought Primary Arms was a fantastic option for a 5.56 gas gun.
Hoping I can manage 300 yards here at the farm without killing the neighbors.
July 5th, 2020 at 11:12 AM
Brother Steve, I’m midway through being 62, with 63 coming up on the odometer next April.
Scope-wise, Primary Arms is a lot of bang for the buck, and they work perfectly well in the AR-15’s nominal range envelope. They have a fairly good reputation for holding up well in 3 gun matches, but I don’t know that any .mil has really put them through the wringer over in the Sandbox.
Oh, and one other thing. Don’t skimp on any of the scope mount bases or scope rings. Good ones are NOT cheap.
And seeing that you’re working optics on multiple rifles, I’d say it’s well worth the price to go to Brownell’s, and invest in a Lappping Bar(s) (1″ and 30mm) so that you can true-up a set of rings. You’ll also need the pair of Pointed Centers in each size, to test the lapped rings to see if they’re truly concentric and aligned.
You’ve already worked with inch-lb. torque-drivers to properly tighten all the fasteners, would I be wrong to assume you’ve already got that tool covered?
Finally. A good rifle-vise on your workbench, and bubble levels for the rifle and scope, as well as a plumb-bob “reference” line hanging as far from your workbench as you can manage. Let’s you cross reference your bubble levels and reticle, and make sure everything is set up true and square.
Back to the $ on the scopes. For your Ruger Precision, spare no (reasonable) expense. I don’t think you gain much with Swavorski or U.S. Optics over a Nightforce or Vortex Razor series, other than combat ruggedness and reliability. Optically, you’d already be at about the pinnacle.
Between equipping the Ruger PRS and a top-flight spotting scope, I think that’d pretty much set you up right, equipment-wise. And it’ll give you all the better discernment as to “what’s good enough” as you continue to improve your “lesser” rifles.
Once you fire your first “cloverleaf” group at 100 yards, you’ll never really settle for less. I’ve yet to shoot a true “One Hole Group” myself, but I’ve come close a few times. Not that THAT is SO important in and of itself.
But when you’re about to squeeze off that 1,000 yard shot, it’s nice to have that confidence in your rig and your own abilities.
Jim
Sunk New Dawn
Galveston, TX
July 5th, 2020 at 11:43 AM
I got a Viper for the Ruger. They’re selling discontinued Vipers for about half price, and my instructor recommended it. If I get picky later, I can upgrade. He claimed it was the equal of a Nightforce but for glass clarity.
I had a hard time finding a decent torque wrench. The ones made by gunsmithing companies appear to be unreliable, so I got a cheap Neiko beam wrench which ought to last forever.
I got Seekins rings for the Viper. Seekins told me I shouldn’t need lapping. We shall see.
I got a Midwest Industries offset mount for the Primary Arms scope. I don’t know whether it will need lapping yet. I am thinking I’ll just make a lapping bar, since they’re not complicated.
The .204 Ruger seems to have potential to shoot 1-hole groups at 100 yards. You would be pretty amused by the low-end ATN night scope I put on it. Now that I know a little bit about shooting, I’m going to see what I can do with this rifle.
Fiocchi ballistic tip ammo seems to be extremely accurate, not to mention excellent for giving coons and coyotes permanent indigestion. It looks like very cheap, very accurate ammo is a common thing now. Some guy on Youtube shot a small gong over and over at 656 yards with Sellier & Bellot 6.5 Creedmoor FMJ range fodder. I think it’s 65 cents per round.
July 5th, 2020 at 9:33 PM
My AR-15 scope is the Vortex Viper PST, and I’m thoroughly pleased with it.
I went with the upscale Razor on the spotting scope, because I might have several rifles, but I’ll have only one spotter. So it’d better be the best I could obtain, within reason.
Today, I ordered some 6.5×55 ammo from SG Ammo, including a box of S&B in the 140gr. weight. Seven varieties, total. I’m going to do a detailed test with two to three groups of each, and we’ll see what happens, then.
I’m going to be sending off an envelope of three fired casings to a gent up in N.J., who will cut a set of reloading dies to match my chamber’s exact dimensions. I’ve got most of the other reloading gear ready to set up on an indoor bench which is dedicated to the purpose. But I’ll have to build up my supply of components, powders, books and the like.
One thing I’ll spend on is a LabRadar chronograph. No sky-screens, it sits on the bench with you, and sees the bullet’s flight out to quite a distance. So, it can tell you muzzle velocity, 50 yard velocity, 100 yd., and etc., etc. Tells Standard Deviations, and does a bunch of ballistic math of various kinds, too. $600 ish, I believe.
Download that into an external ballistics computer, and you can get an exact ballistic arc diagrammed, make up a ranging card, and note the exact graditions on your scope reticle, or “come-ups” on your turret, to be *exact* in your holdovers.
This thread will soon drop off the main page, so I’ll either correspond with you directly, or catch you in a newer post. Your one at the top of the page as to rings and mounts is spot-on, in all respects.
Till next!
Jim
Sunk New Dawn
Galveston, TX
July 5th, 2020 at 10:06 PM
My instructors like the Labradar, but they used a chronograph with a doodad that attaches to the gun’s barrel. I’m sure you know the one I mean. The name escapes me at the moment. It’s a lot cheaper, but who wants to strap things to a barrel?
They only recommended two chronographs, and of course, they ruled out the entire class of chronographs including the one I bought recently.
My ProchronoDLX is really nice for a lower-tier chronograph. Shoots all the info to my phone and does the math. Great for reloading pistols, but it would be nice to have a Labradar for accuracy.
I didn’t know custom dies existed.
I don’t know if you’ve tried a Kestrel. Really neat.
It will be interesting to see your ammo results. What rifle are you using?
If you email, might want to send a quick text to alert me. I use the downstairs computer most of the time, and my email goes to the upstairs PC.
It’s a good thing you started commenting, because your household was on my daily prayer list, and you got misplaced due to absent-mindedness. I can now remedy that.
July 6th, 2020 at 11:23 AM
I’ve played with a Kestrel, but haven’t yet invested in one. It’s on the list.
Steve, do kindly send me a direct e-mail to: j_seigler@hotmail.com , and include with it your regular e-mail address, and textable phone number.
I’ve (once again) had to replace my cel unit, and all the contacts in the old one vaporized.
I’ll use the info and send you photos of the M-77 Ruger African. I’ve got the Lypsy’s Distributor’s Letter, certifying it as a “1 in 250” rifle, as Lypsey’s ordered only 250 such to be made by Ruger. It was also the Lypsy’s “Display Rifle” at the 2016 and 2017 SHOT shows in Las Vegas.
It’s wearing a rather trim 2.5x10x42 Nightforce scope. It does *not* have exposed Tactical Turrets, but rather, conventional scope caps. It’s a hunting-purposed scope, and looks quite right on the rifle.
On the Ruger African Series. All other calibers in this series were distributed BY Ruger, and featured a removable, but very ugly muzzle brake. And they were made in vastly higher numbers than mine.
Only the Lypsy’s were chambered in 6.5×55, and were made without that hideous brake. The 24″ barrel wrests more velocity out of the 6.5 Swede, so that’s a bonus!
Picture if you will, a classic 1920s bespoke .257 Rigby, British bolt action based on a Mauser ’98 action, as fielded by the Great White Hunters in the heyday of the Safari. That’s the “look” of this rifle. And it IS a pretty one, with great bluing and remarkable wood.
Tactical? Maybe not, but it’s an instant heirloom.
I’ll watch for your mail, my friend!
Jim
Sunk New Dawn
Galveston, TX