I'm new to long range shooting. I had an AR some time ago and made a couple long shots with it on targets. I'm finding that having 30 rounds ready to go also meant I was less careful with my shots because I had many more rounds available to back me up. With the bolt gun I'm taking my time and am being much more deliberate.
I don't have a lot of photos of targets which I realize is almost like breaking some unwritten Cardinal Rule but work with me for now.
Here's my philosophy for this rifle. It's intended primarily to deal with predators. I'll use commonly available ammunition, stuff that's easy to find on shelves. I don't want to get into ammo I have to order so I want to find something I like and keep plenty of it and get good with it. I don't expect to shoot clover leaf patterns at long distance. I expect my longest shot to be about 250 yards.
The rifle is the Model 11 Hog Hunter short action .223. It has the accutrigger but not the accustock. It's not the least bit bedded but the trigger is creep free with a nice break.
I have less than 100 rounds through the gun so far. My first time sighting in I was able to get to 1.19 MOA with Hornady TAP FPD 55 gr and 1.25 MOA with American Eagle FMJ 55 gr black box. I was shooting from a seated position with the rifle rested on a backpack. There was a measurable difference in POI between those two loads.
I picked up some Fiocchi FMJBT 55 gr a couple weeks later and wasn't initially impressed but it was cheap. I shot about 1.5 MOA from prone but the POI was also a little off on this load from what I had zero' previously. Last weekend however, I went to my neighbors place and did some shooting with him. He and I both were shooting about the same 1.5 MOA and were just slightly left. We call this guy the coyote killer and I was happy to see he and I were shooting the same so I made an adjustment to the right for 3/4". We set up to shoot prone, just threw some work clothes and jackets on the ground and used the backpack as a rest. We both then shot a tighter group, about 1 MOA. For my next set, he put up an unopened pop can in front of the target. My first shot hit the pop can and my next two shots were nearly touching at .5 MOA. I couldn't have been happier, but the excitement didn't last too long, my next group was more than 1.5 MOA! Oh well, it keeps me humble! My coyote killing neighbor also shot a .5 MOA group so I'm very pleased this far.
For a lower priced rifle without the pillar bedded stock, it's still capable of sub-MOA accuracy and I don't feel it's at all inadequate.
For now, just one photo of our 100 yards set up last weekend.
I don't have a lot of photos of targets which I realize is almost like breaking some unwritten Cardinal Rule but work with me for now.
Here's my philosophy for this rifle. It's intended primarily to deal with predators. I'll use commonly available ammunition, stuff that's easy to find on shelves. I don't want to get into ammo I have to order so I want to find something I like and keep plenty of it and get good with it. I don't expect to shoot clover leaf patterns at long distance. I expect my longest shot to be about 250 yards.
The rifle is the Model 11 Hog Hunter short action .223. It has the accutrigger but not the accustock. It's not the least bit bedded but the trigger is creep free with a nice break.
I have less than 100 rounds through the gun so far. My first time sighting in I was able to get to 1.19 MOA with Hornady TAP FPD 55 gr and 1.25 MOA with American Eagle FMJ 55 gr black box. I was shooting from a seated position with the rifle rested on a backpack. There was a measurable difference in POI between those two loads.
I picked up some Fiocchi FMJBT 55 gr a couple weeks later and wasn't initially impressed but it was cheap. I shot about 1.5 MOA from prone but the POI was also a little off on this load from what I had zero' previously. Last weekend however, I went to my neighbors place and did some shooting with him. He and I both were shooting about the same 1.5 MOA and were just slightly left. We call this guy the coyote killer and I was happy to see he and I were shooting the same so I made an adjustment to the right for 3/4". We set up to shoot prone, just threw some work clothes and jackets on the ground and used the backpack as a rest. We both then shot a tighter group, about 1 MOA. For my next set, he put up an unopened pop can in front of the target. My first shot hit the pop can and my next two shots were nearly touching at .5 MOA. I couldn't have been happier, but the excitement didn't last too long, my next group was more than 1.5 MOA! Oh well, it keeps me humble! My coyote killing neighbor also shot a .5 MOA group so I'm very pleased this far.
For a lower priced rifle without the pillar bedded stock, it's still capable of sub-MOA accuracy and I don't feel it's at all inadequate.
For now, just one photo of our 100 yards set up last weekend.