I Will Admit

[Johnch]

I posted about wanting to try and see how good of a group I could get at 600 yards with a built up Savage 308 rifle with a match barrel

Well I was told here that I would not get the results I wanted
Also I trusted what they were saying as I have read a number of their posts

BUT being ever so slightly BLOCK HEADED I tried anyway

But as I was afraid what I was told was the truth
So I only shot 3 - 5 shot groups to not waist supplies
1 group at 400 yards and 2 at 600 yards

All groups were shot with NOE 311-195-RF at 1850 FPS
400 yard group was just over 12"
The 2 - 600 yard groups were 62" and 58"

The groups were shot at a large chunk of steel that I painted a aiming dot onto it
So I am not sure if the cast bullets were key holing at 600 yard

But this test confirms I need to find a different project

John

[dverna]

12” at 400 yards for your first group is not that bad. I would not give up. Not sure why you want to shoot at 600 yards but if that is your goal it looks like the advice you got was decent.

[JimB..]

The profile of that bullet doesn’t seem conducive to long range accuracy. I’d guess that it became subsonic and things went to heck. Maybe shoot it at 300 and 350 and see if the pattern is growing linearly to those points.

[AlHunt]

The F class guys use .308 at a thousand yards. I'd think you could do better than 5 feet at 600. I believe the poster above is on to something about the bullet speed dropping below subsonic. Apparently something bad happens to the flight path of the bullet when it transitions.

[Larry Gibson]

The F class guys use .308 at a thousand yards. I'd think you could do better than 5 feet at 600. I believe the poster above is on to something about the bullet speed dropping below subsonic. Apparently something bad happens to the flight path of the bullet when it transitions.

Yes, F class and NRA Match Rifle HP shooters use the .308W with very good results at 1000 yards....but not with cast bullets.

Probably right about where it goes subsonic with attendant loss of accuracy. Johnch could probably do better with a better designed bullet with a better BC for LR and/or push the velocity up a bit.

Several years back i ran a 500 yard test for waco with my .308W HV load using the 30 XCB bullet. The rifle is a 24" heavy sporter on a M98 action in a sporter stock, not "match by any stretch. Yet it is 1 moa capable with match jacketed loads. My HV load ran at 2250 fps and had proven 2 moa capable through 300 yards. At 500 yards I shot a 10 shot group that still held 2.35 moa. [Note Johnch's group at 1850 fps was running 3.5 moa at 400 yards] I also shot a 10 shot group with the 14" twist Palma 308W using the 30 XCB bullet at 2600 fps that ran 1.45 moa.

Johnch first try really wasn't that bad. I also think he should not give up on this "project".

[Bent Ramrod]

I’ve been able to get most shots into ~3-4 MOA at 600 yds with 160-210 gr cast boolits out of my Krag with 12” twist Douglas barrel.

Load is regular LRP and 21 gr SR-4759. Weighing the boolits within a grain and shooting them together made a noticeable reduction in the percentage of “outs,” and Hornady-type crimp-on gas checks are de rigeur. Nice, windless days help, too.

For some unfathomable reason, boolits sized to 0.308” work best in my rifle. I use that Rooster Red lube, which needs to be applied warm.

You might want to slow your load down a little.

[megasupermagnum]

So you took a few shots, and didn't like what you saw. If you don't want to work out possible variables, I think you will at least see different results with a different bullet. I've never tried for groups, but revolvers will generally give rocks something to think about at 600 yards. Surely you can do better with a rifle without too much headache.

[JimB..]

So you took a few shots, and didn't like what you saw. If you don't want to work out possible variables, I think you will at least see different results with a different bullet. I've never tried for groups, but revolvers will generally give rocks something to think about at 600 yards. Surely you can do better with a rifle without too much headache.

I presume that there are very large rocks in SD.

[megasupermagnum]

I presume that there are very large rocks in SD.

Smaller than 5' across. If I can hit a boulder at 600 yards with only a few tries from a revolver and open sights, I'm sure it can be done with a scoped 308 rifle.

[charlie b]

The problem with the small bore cast rifle bullets is many do not do well when going into the transonic range.

I've had the same experiences. 210gn (Eagan MX3), 2000fps. 500yd 4" group. I could hit my 5" gong every other bullet and sometimes 2 out of 3. 600yd and I had one hit the target sideways. Not a group as some didn't even hit the backer. This is from a factory Savage (12BVSS).

Ballistics programs tell me if I go to 2200fps then I might get to 600yd. But, it's not important to me, just curiosity. 500yd is just fine most of the time.

If I want to shoot further I get out my jacketed loads.