Shooting technology for a gearhead...

[Tanks]

In the past I would range a target, look at my dope that was developed days/weeks prior and take the shot after adjustments.

I am building a rifle specifically for prairie dogs next May, I already have upgraded my Leica rangefinder to Leica Geovid Pro 32 binoculars with Bluetooth and AB shooting solutions. I also bought a Kestrel Elite 5700X and even sat through some zoom training sessions for it.

It was time for a test. First I made sure my R8 in .300 RUM was sighted in perfectly at 100 yards at my local range. Then I used the Kestrel to develop the range card to 300 yards for the turrets on my Swarowski Z6i 3-18X scope and set it up.

Next was the hour and a half drive to a range that allowed paper targets to 300 yards and steel to 600 yards. Time for the test. I double checked the range at 300 yards and shot using the turrets only. Elevation was almost perfect but I was a couple of inches to the right (would make no difference at game). I took the Kestrel out, spinned it to clear the old environmentals and measured the wind. Sure enough, I needed to make a wind correction. Decided to do a wind hold instead of messing with adjustments (4W reticle) and I was right on the money.

I went out to 400, 500, 600 yards using the Kestrel and rang steel each and every time. It was almost too easy and of course fun.

Now, for Africa other than calculating the range card and MPBR (if I wished to use it instead of turrets) prior to the trip I probably will leave the Kestrel home as I do not anticipate making long range shots. However, nice to have that technology and option.

The binoculars also have shooting solutions from AB built in if one wants to use it (I haven't dug into it yet). Same software as in Kestrel (though might be different versions).

It was a fun day, worth the 4+ hour round trip (hit LA traffic on the way back).

 

[VertigoBE]

Are their manuals, or tutorials out there that you would recommend for someone who does not know about MPBR, range cards and stuff like this, to really dial in a rifle?

Here in Europe, I know of no one in the hunting community who knows about this stuff.

 

[Tanks]

There are many online resources least of which are basic ballistic and MPBR calculators. Also, doing a search on YouTube will yield many results and after that it just depends on how far you wish to go into the rabbit hole .

 

[shootist~]

JBM Ballistics is a good place to start.

JBM - Calculations - Trajectory

www.jbmballistics.com

Then a better solution is to install a ballistics App on your smartphone and/or tablet.
$10 for "Shooter Ballistics" by Shawn Kennedy (sp) has worked well for me for a decade or two.

Ringing steel at 600 Yards is easy and (for me) up to 925 (our max) is very doable if you can call the wind.

It can link my phone App to my local weather station for the all important Density Altitude (DA) number. A few years ago, I added a Kestrel with Blue Tooth that will update Shooter Ballistics with the environmentals. A somewhat poor boy solution, but it has worked very well for my needs.

In the field I can simply estimate the Temp and DA, look at my phone App and get good results (so long as have the distance and the time).

 

[Tanks]

..

Ringing steel at 600 Yards is easy and (for me) up to 925 (our max) is very doable if you can call the wind.

...

After I get my rifle built, planning on heading to Cuyuma shooting range where I can shoot out to 1,000 yards. It is a bit over 200 miles from me, but very close to Santa Barbara so I can make a weekend out of it and mix it with some sailing as I rent sailboats out of there at times. Unfortunately, max out at the range I went is 600 yards. Still, the purpose of the day was to try out the electronics and it worked.

 

[Tanks]

A few years ago, I added a Kestrel with Blue Tooth that will update Shooter Ballistics with the environmentals. A somewhat poor boy solution, but it has worked very well for my needs.

Have you updated the firmware on your Kestrel? With built-in Applied Ballistics calculations you should not need an external ballistics program.

 

[shootist~]

Gotta

Have you updated the firmware on your Kestrel? With built-in Applied Ballistics calculations you should not need an external ballistics program.

I have not. Not sure if that would even be possible on my Kestrel 5500. But for me the Kestrel is the external hardware. That would change if I did serious PRS.

My phone is always in my pocket and a small abreviated printout of range data is taped to my stocks. I use 59* F and 5,000' DA which would be close at any reasonable hunting distance. (Maybe not for prairie dogs, however.)

 

[SaintPanzer]

Are their manuals, or tutorials out there that you would recommend for someone who does not know about MPBR, range cards and stuff like this, to really dial in a rifle?

Here in Europe, I know of no one in the hunting community who knows about this stuff.

Wait, what?

Both Range Cards* and MPBR are right there on your box of ammo.

For example, I have here a box of RWS .30-06, Evolution 11,9 gram (184 grain) cartridges. It's my "go to" for boar and red stag.

The back of the box is actually a "flip up" panel. There's some marketing info there, but at the very top is ballistic data in both English and German. The German is in metric, the English in yards. For the purposes of the discussion, let's stay metric.

The chart shows that for a 60cm barrel, if zeroed at 100m, the bullet will strike 6mm low at 50m, dead on at 100 (of course), 3.8cm low at 150mm, 12.3mm low at 200m, 26.3cm low at 250m, and 34.2cm low at 300m. There is your range card. What I encourage my students to do is copy the same data, but depending on how their scope works (is one click a quarter MOA, or a half? Check the data that came with your scope), "translate" the drop from cm to "clicks". Then they don't have to do math on the stand. They can just look at their cards and dial in the clicks.

Maximum Point Blank Range is related, and on the card, but not as clear. The card lists (in German) "GEE" or Günstigste Einschieß Entfernung. In English, it's MRD, or Most Recommended Distance. GEE is listed as 171m, and MRD is listed as 190 yards. My calculator says 171m is 187 yards, so call it even.

In the GEE row, if I zero at 171m, I will hit 1.4 cm high at 50m, 4cm high at 100m, 2.2cm high at 150m, 4.4cm low at 200m, 16.3cm low at 250m, and 34.2 cm low at 300m.

So what does this mean in real terms?

Suppose I'm at the range, that only has 100m paper targets. No problem. If I sight my rifle to hit 1.4cm high, it will hit zero at 171m. What's more: If I consider the size of the "boiler room", i.e. the heart and lung area, as being about 25cm, I know that if I hit zero at 171m, I will strike somewhere in the "boiler room" at any range from the muzzle out to about 275m. That makes 275m my "Maximum Point Blank Range, because I can get a lethal shot without ever touching my turrets. I might want to keep it to 250, just to be sure, but pretty much I know that anything in that range can be effectively engaged without any adjustments.

Hope this helps...


*special note: This is what is meant by a "range card" in this case. If I'm in a stand, I dig out my old infantry skills and make a "real range card". I get out my compass and my laser range finder and sketch out obvious landmarks, their azimuth, and their range. I sketch in any "dead zones" like draws, creeks, or other areas I can't hit with direct fire. I might sketch in a "principle direction of fire", but that's it. It's an old habit, but I can use it if something pops up, it's easy to judge how far it is without too much trouble. It's just that old habits die hard...

 

[BeeMaa]

@Tanks - Sounds like time well spent. However you look at it, it's an investment...an investment in getting to know your equipment and what works best for you in different situations. On top of that it's shooting and that's just plain fun.

Personally, I'd use the information collected to make a range card with some notes on the back for a low tech solution. I've been taught through trial and error that the higher the stakes, the lower the technology to reduce the chance of failure.

Let us know how it works out at the 1K yard range.

 

[Tanks]

@Tanks - Sounds like time well spent. However you look at it, it's an investment...an investment in getting to know your equipment and what works best for you in different situations. On top of that it's shooting and that's just plain fun.

Personally, I'd use the information collected to make a range card with some notes on the back for a low tech solution. I've been taught through trial and error that the higher the stakes, the lower the technology to reduce the chance of failure.
...

Actually, one of the features of the Kestrel Elite version is a range card feature. One can input the divisions (every 10 yards, 25 yards etc.) and it will tell you the adjustment needed for each division.

Also, under gun specs it has the MPBR feature. You tell it the target size and it will tell you the hold (or adjustment) you need for MPBR. For example, for the .300 RUM sighted in at 100 yards my MBPR is 0.5 mils UP (1.73 MOA) out to 328 yards for a 6" target. I can just do a hold or just move my elevation by 7 clicks and not worry about anything out to that range.

Now, I have a ballistic turret on my Z6i scope, so I actually set the turret up using the information from the range card feature in 50 yard increments.