My factory VARMINT/HEAVY BARREL rifle shoots sub .75" all day! Really? Prove it!

I have been watching and waiting for a day to try this challenge. I have a failed attempt but I will post anyway and next time out I WILL complete this.

100% Factory stock Sako vixen 6MM PPC
Weaver T-16 scope

Group sizes:

1. 419
2. 416
3. 395
4. 368
5. 984 (FML)





 
I just bought the exact same rifle except in 22 PPC. I'll be attempting this challenge asap. I've only put down 3 5 shot groups with some factory ammo I have and they were around .250" give or take, mostly give. Three groups doesn't mean sh!t and I'll be putting my money where my mouth is once my 220 Russian brass in fire formed, prepped and match ready.

bcsnake. I'm surprised your groupings are not tiny knot holes which such a awesome rifle. You shooting factory or reloads?


bcsnake said:
I have been watching and waiting for a day to try this challenge. I have a failed attempt but I will post anyway and next time out I WILL complete this.

100% Factory stock Sako vixen 6MM PPC
Weaver T-16 scope

Group sizes:

1. 419
2. 416
3. 395
4. 368
5. 984 (FML)





Click to expand...
 
hend238 said:
I just bought the exact same rifle except in 22 PPC. I'll be attempting this challenge asap. I've only put down 3 5 shot groups with some factory ammo I have and they were around .250" give or take, mostly give. Three groups doesn't mean sh!t and I'll be putting my money where my mouth is once my 220 Russian brass in fire formed, prepped and match ready.

bcsnake. I'm surprised your groupings are not tiny knot holes which such a awesome rifle. You shooting factory or reloads?
Click to expand...

I am using hand loads but its with factory sako brass and I have only put 165 rounds through this gun since new. I just got some 220 Lapua brass and some berger column bullets that I will try with next time out. I do not like to make excuses but the wind was nasty for group shooting and I am fairly new at shooting groups.

Cheers
 
I measured the necks of my factory Sako 22 ppc ammo and they range from .246 to .254. Some of them won't even chamber without forcing them so I'll end up pulling the bullets to use the brass. I wouldn't be surprised if your Sako brass may have very inconsistent necks as well. Also, if the wind was nasty and you didn't have flags up no wonder your groups are bigger than expected. I'd put money on it that you would have passed the challenge easily if you had. Did you? I'll be interested to see how your column bullets shoot. I have not yet tried those in my bench rest rifle. Good luck and enjoy that gorgeous rifle!
 
Thanks Hend, the Berger column bullets is all I will be using from this point forward. I use them in a 6 ppc custom and I had better grouping with them in the sako. The sako brass is way to soft from what people say so I hope with the new 220 Russian it will group better.

On a side not I think I almost made the "my gun shoots 1/2 groups" challenge. Sucks but it's all a learning curve and I will get this done.

Cheers
 
2sec nice shooting. They let you lay prone at silverdale? I'm going to ask next time. I hate the bench, especially with those new baffles.
 
I am probably going to try this one on my days off with my mossberg mvp in .223 off a bipod with no bags. I finally got a decent load worked up and have successfully put three rounds under half numerous times, 5x5 will be a challenge but I just slapped together 200 rounds so I hope to be able to get it done in an afternoon. I know it's all just talk right now but a couple weeks of work then I hope to have a few pictures to back it up.
 
Very tempting, could anyone bother to mention about his/her barrel cooling timing, I think for the large caliber, the barrel temperature increasing will affect the POI much more significantly than 22lr.
 
Here is my failed attempt.
I'm using a Savage 10 BA with around 3,000 rounds down the pipe.
I'm chasing the lands which have moved 0.040" since it was new.
The center group was shot first. the lower right group was shot last.
I was rushing my shooting because it was getting late and we had to leave.
Next week I will make another attempt to improve my shooting.


 
I'm an idiot.
I went back and shot it again. That is when I finally realized that I didn't calculate the difference between 100y and 100m.
100M=109.361y

In the above post my largest group was 0.818"/1.047=0.7813
0.7813/1.09361=0.714 moa

This was my latest attempt:

0.749"=0.654 moa
0.531"=0.463 moa
0.689"=0.601 moa
0.779"=0.680 moa
0.508"=0.443 moa


0.779"/1.047=0.7440
0.7440/1.09361=0.680 MOA

 
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Today I tried, and failed at, this challenge.

I am not a great shot and newer at reloading so I don't know which is holding me back the most.

Anyways I wasn't sure what was meant by setup so here is my rifle and shooting range:

20151031_120818_zpspgtsbvcl.jpg


20151031_120843_zpschrfwbo2.jpg


Rifle is a .308 Accuracy International AE MKIII with a Vortex PST 6-24x FFP scope and an Atlas bipod and a Tab Gear rear bag. Goes well with the purple carpet I rest it on.

Anyways here is my attempt:

20151031_160559_zpsgobwmczt.jpg


I didn't convert to MOA or show the calipers as I failed the challenge. Range was 93 meters or 101 yards according to my rangefinder when used from my firing position.

I was shooting 178 Amax bullets in Federal cases with Federal 210M primers. Length is 2.84". I tried both 43.5gr and 44gr of Varget as I wasn't sure which was my best as previous testing was inconclusive.

I think my first big group is because either I wasn't loading the bipod or pulling the rifle into my shoulder consistently. That was my second shot.

My second last shot I'm pretty sure I pulled. The rifle fired before I was expecting it because of sloppy trigger control. Oh well. It was fun and I may try it again.

*Edited to add*

Sorry about the awful pictures. It's my first time using Photobucket and I don't know why they are so low resolution.
 
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Roddy said:
Today I tried, and failed at, this challenge.

I am not a great shot and newer at reloading so I don't know which is holding me back the most.

Anyways I wasn't sure what was meant by setup so here is my rifle and shooting range:

20151031_120818_zpspgtsbvcl.jpg


20151031_120843_zpschrfwbo2.jpg


Rifle is a .308 Accuracy International AE MKIII with a Vortex PST 6-24x FFP scope and an Atlas bipod and a Tab Gear rear bag. Goes well with the purple carpet I rest it on.

Anyways here is my attempt:

20151031_160559_zpsgobwmczt.jpg


I didn't convert to MOA or show the calipers as I failed the challenge. Range was 93 meters or 101 yards according to my rangefinder when used from my firing position.

I was shooting 178 Amax bullets in Federal cases with Federal 210M primers. Length is 2.84". I tried both 43.5gr and 44gr of Varget as I wasn't sure which was my best as previous testing was inconclusive.

I think my first big group is because either I wasn't loading the bipod or pulling the rifle into my shoulder consistently. That was my second shot.

My second last shot I'm pretty sure I pulled. The rifle fired before I was expecting it because of sloppy trigger control. Oh well. It was fun and I may try it again.

*Edited to add*

Sorry about the awful pictures. It's my first time using Photobucket and I don't know why they are so low resolution.
Click to expand...

is that measured edge to edge or centre to centre? as .908-.308 is .600, and this would be a successful attempt if measured edge to edge. Great shooting
 
porterhouse said:
is that measured edge to edge or centre to centre? as .908-.308 is .600, and this would be a successful attempt if measured edge to edge. Great shooting
Click to expand...
Exactly.
Make sure you're measuring correctly. Largest edge to edge dimension, then subtract 1 bullet diameter to get the center to center group size.
 
I zeroed out my calipers at -0.308 and then measured edge to edge. Otherwise that would make the smaller groups in the 0.2" range. I'm not that good!

Now I am just wondering if I should go with 43.5gr or 44.0gr and if the length should be changed. I want to move past load development and work on just marksmanship but I worry I may miss something.
 
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Well the range was crammed today, was trying different grain bullets. Forgot my bore snake so the groups started to open up, this was the best 100 M group of the day. I need bigger then 9x optics and having the range not packed would help.

 
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First time I tried this with my Sako TRG 22 in 308. Rifle has a Terje 12MM cheek piece spacer, is topped with an S&B 4-16 PMII ST in a Spuhr ST4701. Shot on the TRG bipod with a Red Tac rear bag. Ammo was Hornady 168gr AMAX match ammo. I have not done any load development because it will soon be headed to Insite Arms for a barrel chop and some cerakote.

Shot at the CDTSA Shepard Range. Wind was non-existent d the temperature was approximately -7. After the first string, the mirage off the barrel got pretty bad. The range runs east-west and the mid-afternoon sun comes pretty much straight down the scope. It all worked out though.

Group sizes were as follows:
0.710
0.705
0.532
0.668
0.694

Average of 0.662.



 
Ryan.M.Anderson said:
First time I tried this with my Sako TRG 22 in 308. Rifle has a Terje 12MM cheek piece spacer, is topped with an S&B 4-16 PMII ST in a Spuhr ST4701. Shot on the TRG bipod with a Red Tac rear bag. Ammo was Hornady 168gr AMAX match ammo. I have not done any load development because it will soon be headed to Insite Arms for a barrel chop and some cerakote.

Shot at the CDTSA Shepard Range. Wind was non-existent d the temperature was approximately -7. After the first string, the mirage off the barrel got pretty bad. The range runs east-west and the mid-afternoon sun comes pretty much straight down the scope. It all worked out though.

Group sizes were as follows:
0.710
0.705
0.532
0.668
0.694

Average of 0.662.
Click to expand...

Great shooting Ryan and congrats on a great looking setup!
4 of the 5 shots in each group probably went into 1/2" or less.
Looks like a bit of vertical in the groups which in my experience with the TRG and the Sako bipod would make me say that there is a bit of inconsistency with loading the bipod. Still great shooting from prone off a bipod and bag.
 
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