Basic Tactical Assembly - .223 Rem 700 in a TAC-21

[Mystic Precision]

FH, shooting from your backyard. Wow, no fun in that

I actually like the look and function of that PERP mount backwards with your scope. There might be some advantages to mounting that way. nice job.

Jerry

 

[Farmer Harv]

FH, shooting from your backyard. Wow, no fun in that

And you'd think with all the shooting I should be doing I'd start to get good at it too. Hopefully maybe someday. With luck the new Magpul vid will give me some Aha! moments and I'll see some improvement.

I actually like the look and function of that PERP mount backwards with your scope. There might be some advantages to mounting that way. nice job.

It keeps everything well away from my fingers for sure. I never tried it the correct way, but figured it shouldn't hurt to mount it this way.

 

[Mystic Precision]

If you want to improve shooting over the winter, grab a rimfire, some match ammo and shoot at 100yds. You will have to learn to be very consistent in hold and follow through.

The wind doping will be a huge aid.

Then move out to 200 and 300yds.

Lots of trigger time, easy on the wallet and that is what helps ones skill levels.

Jerry

 

[Farmer Harv]

Not having much luck at finding consistent/cheap/sub MOA factory ammo, and having more than enough free time on my hands I decided to clean out the old reloading room in the shop that I had been using for (mostly junk) storage...

A few hours of online shopping, a couple of weeks of waiting, and I was ready to dive back in after a 25 year hiatus...

Flipping a coin I started at the top end of the bullet weights I had purchased, and loaded up a conservative batch of 69gr SMK's. Using a truncated version of the OCW test I fired five shots of each charge weight in a round robin sequence, and got the following groups at 100yd...

I'm quite happy with the results for the first bunch of reloads with new equipment. I have 25 more of the same loads to try yet, and am looking forward to see how they do at 200 under calm(er) conditions. This bunch of pieces might just turn into a precision rifle yet.

 

[Epoxy7]

One of the better threads on CGN!!

As much as I don't miss the 6 months I spent in Saskatchewan Regina (Arrived in January at -53 celcius) I have to say the prairies sure look great for shooting.

Just a heads up stools are $9 at Canadian tire when on sale. Don't get me wrong the empty hydrolic or diesel oil cans have their charm but they look out of place with that nice reloading stuff.

 

[50calshooter]

Farmer Harv You ROCK!!!


Looks like you're living the dream!

 

[Farmer Harv]

Thanks guys. This is turning out to be seriously fun and educational, and hopefully helps someone else coming into precision shooting.

Buoyed by my results from yesterday I went out and fired the other batch of my first loads at 100 yards. I don't know if it was the excess coffee, overconfidence, rushing or just poor technique, but the results were less than what I'd hoped...

As I'd planned on working towards max recommended charge anyways, I stayed off the caffeine and made up another 25 rounds from 22.6 to 23.4 grains. As the wind was still below 8kph I figured it was time to try the 200 yard stand, and after a nice quarter mile walk in the fresh air and sunshine (next time I'll drive) I really settled in and tried to be as consistent as possible from shot to shot.

And Wow! Aside from totally forgetting to adjust for the breeze with the first shot, these groups more than exceeded my expectations at this stage of my skills building...

Now to clean the barrel, try out my new collet die, load up a batch of 23.3 grain rounds and see if I can repeat the performance.

And so the addiction begins...

 

[Farmer Harv]

From the looks of the forecast my shooting is going to come to an abrupt halt for a while now. I'm totally pumped about the results I'm getting from the first attempts though, and will have to start trying some different components this summer when I start stretching the range out.

Decided to just load and fire the last of the 69gr SMK's using some slightly different seating depths (maybe...see below) and the collet neck sizer. Didn't get another group under an inch at 200, though with an average of ~.6MOA for all the 200 yard groups I'm pretty content (for now).

More stuff I'm learning:

Monopods are wobbly (see last 6 shot group) compared to a sandbag.
OnTarget is very cool and very useful software.
My heartbeat moves the crosshairs about 1/4 MOA.
I didn't see any accuracy degradation over the 100 rounds I fired. That or it was masked by my less than elite skillz.
Gophers are going to be in real trouble this year if I learn how to read wind.
I'm glad I didn't get a new barrel before trying the stock pipe out. This one will do quite well for the learning processes this year, and I'll get a Gaillard when I start trying for 1/4MOA.
I need to get a tool for checking true seating depth. Using callipers I'm seeing a variance of up to .010" OAL.
There were 101 bullets in the box. WhooHoo! I got a free one!
The reloading bench needs another 3/4" layer (or two) to stiffen it up.

 

[Mystic Precision]

And so the addiction begins...

Looking at the target above, the 23.4gr showed alot of promise. Your groups have been consistently improving as you have increased powder charge and I would continue to go UP in powder. Likely 23.5 to 24.0gr will show some promise.

I doubt you are at max listed loads yet for the 69gr MK and benchmark.

hold the seating depth to the length of the above target.

If the 23.4gr holds, you are very close to achieving the mechanical accuracy of this rifle.

If interested, this coupled with a rear bag will eliminate any wobble. Pedestal front rests or a bunch of sandbags work great too.

You are definitely well on you way to having a very nice PD blaster. Just remember that when the temps warm up, you will need to REDUCE your best loads a schnick.

Enjoy...

Jerry

PS Tell us about that very interesting toy hanging in the top pic..... is it real?

 

[Farmer Harv]

Looking at the target above, the 23.4gr showed alot of promise. Your groups have been consistently improving as you have increased powder charge and I would continue to go UP in powder. Likely 23.5 to 24.0gr will show some promise.

I doubt you are at max listed loads yet for the 69gr MK and benchmark.

hold the seating depth to the length of the above target.

I think max in the books is right at 23.5, though I'm seeing no pressure signs at 23.4. Hmmm, that reminds me...I need to get a chronograph too.

If the 23.4gr holds, you are very close to achieving the mechanical accuracy of this rifle.

If I could've had one more nice day I'd have some 400 or 600 yard targets to review. How much would I expect to see them open up at longer range? Or should they continue to hold .6MOA all the way out to 800 (assuming the wind and I are up to the task)?

If interested, this coupled with a rear bag will eliminate any wobble. Pedestal front rests or a bunch of sandbags work great too.

I've just been shooting off an Atlas bipod and a rear bag so far. I might get one of your bipods yet for load development, as it would probably eliminate another variable.

You are definitely well on you way to having a very nice PD blaster. Just remember that when the temps warm up, you will need to REDUCE your best loads a schnick.

Enjoy...

Jerry

PS Tell us about that very interesting toy hanging in the top pic..... is it real?

Thanks for all your help so far. And sadly, that is only a toy in the pic. Dad made the bottom three when I was a kid (I was a GunNut at a young age), and the top one was made for him by my grandfather. Scrap wood, a jigsaw and a lathe combined with a bit of skill made for fun toys in the day.

 

[Haagen_Dazs]

While we're talking about load data, here's mine for the 69gn Sierra. It was from a Savage 12 VLP with 1:7" twist.


My conclusion after 100 rounds was the best load was 26.1gn, seated to jump. 3096 FPS. I'll see if I can blow up this image...

 

[manitou210]

Rays Gunshop

Looks like you are having great fun. I didn't have much luck with factory ammo with my SPS Tac. (didn't try all that many types tho') but it really shines with 69 gr SMKs. 70 gr. Bergers showed promise, but I never got around to tuning them. Don't even think of 75 gr. Amax, they are really long and the 9 twist doesn't like them at all. Hopefully this will give you some ideas when you start to brew your own. I think you are on the right track. If you are not competing I would keep the factory tube and tune up a nice load. Cheers.

wapitiwhacker where did you get your targets, I remember them well, Ray Thomas he was a great shooter he shot a .117 group in a competetion at Stittsville shooting with guys like, Walt Berger, Clyde Hart, Jack Deming some of the best benchrest shooters in 70s
Ray had a small company on side called Shamrock Bullets, he and my brother made some fine 52gr .224 his 222 HV Varmint 22lbs you could watch bullets hit target like a 22 rime fire. Ray Passed last year sad day, one of the good ones
manitou

 

[Mystic Precision]

If I could've had one more nice day I'd have some 400 or 600 yard targets to review. How much would I expect to see them open up at longer range? Or should they continue to hold .6MOA all the way out to 800 (assuming the wind and I are up to the task)?

Thanks for all your help so far. And sadly, that is only a toy in the pic. Dad made the bottom three when I was a kid (I was a GunNut at a young age), and the top one was made for him by my grandfather. Scrap wood, a jigsaw and a lathe combined with a bit of skill made for fun toys in the day.

Put up lots of wind flags. over that distance, air is rarely stable. given the bullet you are using, they will get bounced around in the wind so groups may be irratic. the further you go, the more then will bounce.

As long as the load shoots well at 300yds, the rest is up to your ability to read the air and be consistent in your follow through. Good time for wireless camera so you can see each shot vs the flags and mirage. When you know why a shot went there, you can get a much better feel for its intrinsic accuracy.

Many times, it exceeds the LR group you see on paper. If you dont know why, then a small group can be as misleading as a large group.

I have shot the 69's to good effect so they are accurate enough and it looks like your loading has very acceptable vertical. At some point, the bullet is a liability and nothing you do will help.

why we shoot 80 and 90gr slugs for F class. BC matters.

That is great fun to see those toys. Back in the day when stuff was made at home, by your hands, with your tools.

Good stuff...

Jerry

 

[wapitiwhacker]

wapitiwhacker where did you get your targets, I remember them well, Ray Thomas he was a great shooter he shot a .117 group in a competetion at Stittsville shooting with guys like, Walt Berger, Clyde Hart, Jack Deming some of the best benchrest shooters in 70s
Ray had a small company on side called Shamrock Bullets, he and my brother made some fine 52gr .224 his 222 HV Varmint 22lbs you could watch bullets hit target like a 22 rime fire. Ray Passed last year sad day, one of the good ones
manitou

A colleague at work is an ex benchrester. He sold off his Knobby Uno built .222 last year and had a bunch of "stuff" still kicking around. I got a stack of those Ray's Gun Shop targets plus a mountain of plotting sheets, and a whack of RWS match primers out of the deal. It was a good day at work.

Farmer Harv, I had a heck of a time holding it together with 69 gr. SMKs at 500 and 600 meters with any kind of wind and my meager skillset. I have since gone to a faster twist and heavier pills. All I've found out so far is that it wasn't all the bullets fault It's all good fun tho' right?

 

[Farmer Harv]

Dear Diary,

This rifle continues to impress the crap outta me. The wind dropped off, the snow stopped and the temperature went up to -10 so I thought I'd go sight in my new scope mount. Got it dialled in fairly quickly, plinked away at the target with some factory 45gr and got some decent ~1" groups at 100. As I'd been working away at some PMC brass (crimped primers are not fun), and had been playing with a new RCBS Precision Mic I loaded up a few rounds with a moderate load and .003 jump to the lands.

And got my first ever one hole/.2" group! I dunno if it can be repeated, but I'll be finding out this week for sure. This precision stuff is becoming stupid addictive. And almost too much fun.

 

[Mystic Precision]

Well done. I am sure the rifle will perform and good reflection to your care at the loading bench.

You are well on your way to the 'CRACK' that is precision shooting.

Jerry

 

[volks_r_us]

I love this Thread. Farmer Harv Thank you

 

[ViktorF]

Great Thread Farmer Harv. I was surprised when I saw you sell your Tavor, but I think you must be experiencing the same thing I have, as soon as I ditched my Tavor I realized how much fun it is/was to get back to normal plinking and after shooting one of those, any trigger feels as smooth as butter.

I was looking at those chassis too any idea what your whole rig weigh's in at? Im still on the fence about buying one but I cant get my head around the fact that its cheaper to buy an Canadian made product from Brownell's... I'd like one of the Cadex ones,which are complete with a folding stock but who's got $2+k to spend when an accuracy international one is $1k less and a well proven product?

Anyway, great thread, sorry I wasnt following it sooner!

If you keep this up and start making youtube video's you'll turn into a Canadian version of Hickock45.

 

[Mystic Precision]

Thanks to global demand, the 2012 price has plummeted.

Please visit my website for the new numbers. They are way below last years and match Brownells.

Taking orders as US demand alone is going to be stupid now.

Jerry

 

[albertacoyotecaller]

Optics

FH,

What optic did you go with and why?

Greg