Well guys, the day was perfect. Overcast, warm but not hot, very calm conditions, perfect lighting. Only spat rain at us once and then just as we were packing up.
We had 8 shooters coming from Vanc and the valley. Great bunch of guys and some very nice rifles. Was great getting everyone dialed in at distances they didn't think possible.
The day started with a quick warm up and sight in at 540yds. A few shots later, most had already reached beyond their days expectations. All did very well and one guy just wouldn't miss (good shooting Peter).
Then the gongs and clays got set up out to 710yds. Was nice to see so many Leica rangefinders and one very lovely but weak batteried Swarovski (it'll work next time for sure).
One guy brought up these really nice gongs but they were huge. Made it easy to see the much smaller groups that were pounding into the gong. Off bipods, table rests, guys were just pounding those poor gongs. IVO, you are going to need thicker or stronger steel. Could always just make them harder to hit...
Then the attention turned to shooting clays. A bit of doping and clays were disappearing in clouds of dust. Very good shooting indeed. A few rifles didn't have turrents or ran out of adjustment so some Kentucky was being used with very good effect.
Bob, was just pounding targets using holdover alone. Yikes, wait till he can actually dial a scope in. Nice shooting.
Lars brought out a Springfield trapdoor carbine in 45-70. Using the orig grooved sights he was definitely pounding the area around the gong. If not for the straight down trajectory of those cast slugs, he would have hit the gong for sure.
Amazing accuracy for a 125+ yr old rifle, black powder, cast bullets, and open sights. We consider these rifles crude and not very accurate by todays standards, but seeing that display of accuracy at 700yds, makes you wonder how anyone survived the civil war.
We will try to get out to 1000m and further with the Sharps soon.
We got hit with a short rain shower allowing us to get a bite to eat and share stories. Do not let IVO hunt in your area or there will be no more animals left.
Lionhill showed us a very nice tuck away Ruger. A very nice CQB rig indeed. Pity we didn't shoot it. The dot sight could have worked. We would just have had to aim at the moon give or take a few MOA. Next time. Could have let Bob Kentucky that rifle.
After the storm, attention turned to 950m. Guessing a 10 to 12" size boulder nestled in the hillside got a very rude awakening from several rifles. IVO used his 338 Lapua with great effect. Too bad they were only 'rough' loads. Might have to look for fleas for you to hit next time.
My 7 Mystic and 300RUM also pounded the rock convincingly. Happy to say that ballistically, the 162gr AMax and 220gr MK are very similar from these two rifles. Of course, the RUM hits a wee bit harder.
A 300WM was tried but loads just weren't up to it. More tweaking and that rig would work just fine. Adding a muzzle brake would help too. OUCH!!!
With 5 mulies mingling in the target area, we moved to 1280m. Again, a boulder was rudely awakened.
This was now later in the afternoon with lots of rds being fired at different ranges and everyone with big grins on their faces. Big bad clouds were coming in but I had one more surprise for everyone.
'Who wants to shoot to a mile?'
IVO stepped up with his 338 Lapua and I started dialing him in. First shot was at a boulder more or less at 1250m. Just beside so drop is just fine.
Next rock at 1400+ meters, again estimated dial up right on. This rifle and the 250gr Scenars is also very similar to my Mystic and RUM drops.
Now the next target, 1600m or roughly 1760yds - ONE MILE.
Bullet is dropping hard now and first shot lands one 'bump' in the hillside short. 3 more MOA and 'that was close'. One more adjustment (one or two MOA I think) and the bullet digs into the base of the boulder throwing dirt convincingly on the face.
Contact at 1 MILE.... Big smiles and cheers.
Now to do it again. Boom, wait, wait, wait, puff. Off center but a hit never the less. IVO will have to post the amount of elevation used (hopefully, write it down too) but that SAKO is a one mile capable rig with fireforming loads.
All through the day Frozen Snake had been kind enough to help out with spotting duties and taking pics. Of course, getting in a few shots on different rifles. IVO opened an invitation for others to try and FS stepped up.
One shot, one hit. Great gun, good shooting. I think the second shot hit too.
That was a great way to end the day. Storm came rolling off the hills and we were packing up in 25MPH winds and rain. Timing couldn't be better.
I am sure that many pics and stories will be posted soon from the other guys.
The group was a great bunch of guys willing to share experiences, gear, ammo, and chicken. We all had a great time and I think there will be turrents added onto scopes and a few rifles being tuned quite soon.
I am also very sure this will not be the last fun shoot behind Summerland...
Thank guys. Was a great day...
Jerry
