F-class with a 222?

[Scharfschuetze]

if I'm having wind problems

If you have a good 20X spotting scope, set it up right next to you and then focus the scope to see the atmosphere in front of the target at say 250 yards. The target will be a bit blurred, but if the conditions are good, you'll be able to read the mirage and thus hold off to compensate for the wind.

[CHeatermk3]

Ahhh...So THAT's how you do it!

[Scharfschuetze]

It's really a great way to see what the wind is doing.

No value wind: No wind, or a wind from 12:00 or 6:00 O'Clock
Half value wind: Quartering across the range.
Full value wind: from 2:00 to 4:00 or from 7:00 to 9:00 O'Clock

At 0 mph or if the wind is at 12:00 or 6:00 O'Clock, the mirage will appear to "boil." Even a 20 MPH wind at 12:00 will appear as a boil.

A 15 mph wind quartering across the range is a half value wind and when viewed through your scope, will give you a mirage indication of only a 7 or 8 mph wind once you get used to reading the mirage. That's because a quartering wind is actuality only a half value wind as far as it affects your bullet's flight.

As the value of the wind increases, the mirage will lay down and bend in the direction the wind is blowing. A full value wind (2:00 to 4:00 and 8:00 to 10:00) at about 13 to 15 mph will just lay down flat, but you can still see the direction it's going. Of course when the wind is this strong, you can feel it on your face and also see it as it affects the grass, shrubs and tree branches as well as how it buffets you in your shooting position.

Good mirage conditions are dependent on a warmer ground temperature than the overlaying air temperature. The ground warmed air rises through the cooler air and as it does so, it refracts or disturbs the light photons coming through it and thus the boiling or wavy water like characteristic of mirage. Most of us know mirage as the water or mirror like appearance of the air over a hot road surface while driving in the summer. As marksmen, we can refine that coarse observation into usable data for sight deflection. I have actually used mirage to good effect over snow on rare occasions, but it is best seen over sun warmed ground.

[oldblinddog]

If you have a good 20X spotting scope, set it up right next to you and then focus the scope to see the atmosphere in front of the target at say 250 yards. The target will be a bit blurred, but if the conditions are good, you'll be able to read the mirage and thus hold off to compensate for the wind.

How is that scope attached to the base? And what brand is that base?

[Scharfschuetze]

How is that scope attached to the base? And what brand is that base?

That's an old Freeland base. The scope ataches to the steel rod with a friction fit. The large black wheel to the front left of the scope mount tightens or loosens to alow verticle adjustment of the scope to your eye. The wheel at the back end gives you fine elevation adjustment.

Just packed it up for a varmint hunting trip to Central Montana in the morning.

[fatelvis]

Well I just shot my first F-class last Wednesday with my 222. There was absolutely no wind, and any dropped points were due to my inept shooting. I scored 281-6xs out of 300 @300 yds, using 25.5grns CFE223 under a 50grn Hornady V-max. I seated them for a slight jam in the rifling at 2.215" OAL. It is a complete pleasure to shoot prone, and I plan on improving on that score next week by being ready for the pesky mosquitoes and intense sweating! Lol I'm thinking of upping the charge a bit also, as there are no signs of excess pressure. Thanks for all your input guys!

[308Jeff]

261-6 is nothing to sneeze at. Nice shooting!

I haven't shot an F-Class match in about 6 years, and it'll be months before it's cool enough here to think about shooting one. You've got me psyched up to get back into it.

Congrats!

[fatelvis]

Thanks 308. Just bettered my score this week with a 286-14X. The thing to note here is that although the range has berms on both sides, it was quite windy. The 222 shined brightly, despite the swirling winds! Don't hesitate to use this cartridge for F-class @ 300, it will compete right up there with the "better" cartridges.

[Scharfschuetze]

Good shooting Fatelvis. It's all about rifle accuracy, ammunition quality, fundamentals, and doping the wind at such events.

Burms along the side of a range can give you some interesting wind patterns. I've noted opposing cross winds at different distances between me and the target on many ocasions on such ranges.

[country gent]

Also with berms on both sides ( especially if there are firing mounds in between the 300 and targets) watch for swirling conditions. Our club in certain conditions will have surveyers tape flags at 100 yd line blowing straight up at times. LOL. Great performances there keep going and tuning the load, Keep a score book or note pad of conditions, zeros, corrections, loads, and other information. AS the data in the book grows it will become more and more usefull. You will be able to see the days conditions find it or close in the book and have good starting corrections from it. The spotting scope is a boon for showing hits and also reading wind and changes. The mirage will show this quicker and better than flags do.

[fatelvis]

I just shot a 287-6 last week. I think the lightweight barrel on my 700 is causing rounds to walk slightly after about 5-6 rounds are fired, as I need to start adding clicks on my scope to bring it back to center. It's costing me points. Also, I think I'm going to buy a higher power scope to better my target view. I can shoot ok with my 20x view, but all the other competitors are using 32 to 55 power scopes and almost cleaning their targets weekly. I'm looking at the Vortex Golden Eagle 15-60x scope. I'm just looking to systematically eliminate anything that can cost me points......

[TXGunNut]

Good shooting, glad it's working for you. I'm not an F-class shooter but if I was to eliminate anything that cost me points (birds) on the trap or skeet fields I'd have to stay home!

[Reloader06]

next time you buy some supplies, buy a box or two of the 60 grn Sierra hollow points and some H332. Perhaps some 63grn soft points and some IMR 3031. Both combos have shot numerous sub inch groups from my .222. Just trying to help.

[fatelvis]

Well, my quest for a perfect 300-30X score persists! I put a new Vortex 15-60 Golden Eagle scope on my 222, and also a Timney Calvin Elite trigger, set at 12 ozs to the mix. The closer view of the target and nice light, crisp trigger really make a difference! I'm now loading 22grns of Alliant 10-X powder under a Sierra 53 FBHP bullet. Last week I scored 293-12X. It seems to be working, now I need to invest in a heavier barrel that doesn't wander after heating up! More $$$$$$.... Arrrrh!

[country gent]

If your going to invest in a heavier barrel the you can go to a faster twist and use a heavier bullet. the 69 sierras will shine at 300yds as will the 75 Hornady. You could also consider going to 223, having a chamber cut is about the same cost regardless of caliber. I shot the 75 grn Hornadies in my AR match rifles at 200 and 300 with great results. You might consider a 1-9 twist with the new barrel.

Your doing really good. Another place to work is on position and the set up of the gear. Sometimes a slight change in position makes a big difference. Try to set up so as little movement as possible is needed to use the spotting scope get the ammo load and sight and fire. Lowering movements saves changes in the shooting position.

[308Jeff]

If your going to invest in a heavier barrel the you can go to a faster twist and use a heavier bullet. the 69 sierras will shine at 300yds as will the 75 Hornady. You could also consider going to 223, having a chamber cut is about the same cost regardless of caliber. I shot the 75 grn Hornadies in my AR match rifles at 200 and 300 with great results. You might consider a 1-9 twist with the new barrel.

Your doing really good. Another place to work is on position and the set up of the gear. Sometimes a slight change in position makes a big difference. Try to set up so as little movement as possible is needed to use the spotting scope get the ammo load and sight and fire. Lowering movements saves changes in the shooting position.

Out of curiosity, why would you recommend a 1:9 versus a 1:8? With a one in eight you can shoot almost anything, from 55's up to 80's, with 68 and above shooting very nicely. IMHO, 1:8 is the perfect twist for 223. I'm surprised to see a lot of rifles still being built with 1:9.

[fatelvis]

Out of curiosity, why would you recommend a 1:9 versus a 1:8? With a one in eight you can shoot almost anything, from 55's up to 80's, with 68 and above shooting very nicely. IMHO, 1:8 is the perfect twist for 223. I'm surprised to see a lot of rifles still being built with 1:9.

I was always under the impression that the slowest twist that you can get away with, and still stabilize the bullet, the better, in terms of pure accuracy . I figured that was one of the contributing factors that made the 222 inherently accurate. (i.e. It's relatively slow 1:14 twist).


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[country gent]

I actual used 1-7 kriegers on my match rifes for 80gn bullets. my Coly H-Bar is marked 1-7.7. 1-8 dosnt always stabilize the longer vld style 80s all the way to 600yds. For 300 yds the75s and 77s are a great bullet and do very well. Ive seen savages with the 1-9 factory barrel and 75 grn hornady match hollow points shoot some real bug holes at 300yds. 80 grn bullets are normally loaded long and single loaded. Limiting use some what. In a bolt gun not as big an issue. My reason for the 1-9 was to fold they are sometimes easier to find, and the bullet twist rate match the job he wants to do almost perfectly. With the proper chamber, 69-77 grn bullet and good load in a tuned rifle He should make his 300-30 with room to spare in the x ring. The 1-8 will do the job as well( as will the 1-7) but the 1-9 twist is a better match to the bullets I recommended. Another reason for the 1-9 his his caliber , .222 rem. WHile its a great cartridge it is going to be wanting in the powder capacity and pressure area for 80 grn bullets. Also loading data will be harder to find. There were some 6.5 twist barrels out there for 90 grn bullets also.

On a side not I have an AR10 in 22-250 with 1-7 Krieger I push 80 grn sierras and JLKs to 3450 fps with it. At 600yds the come up is 7 mins from 200 yd zero. very flat and goes thru the wind like a knife. A good friend pulled pits at several 600 matches and he claimed that it sounded like a 223 at 200 yds coming thru the paper. It is like shooting a laser at 600 yds. Drawback is that I'm only expecting 1800 - 2000 rds from the barrel. Other than barrel life this combination would make him a star LOL.

[country gent]

Fat Elvis pick up a score book and plot your calls and shots for each shot, This will track sight changes though out the string showing any changes and issues. The score book can be a very useful tool, showing sight settings, wind change and effects, elevation due to temps, changes due to number of rounds fired.

[fatelvis]

You touched on a subject I know very little about. Calling shots....
I consider myself a decent shot, and I'm always striving to improve my shooting, so I must ask: can many of you accomplished shooters call where your shots will land in relation to the X-ring, or can you just say if it was a good shot or if you pulled the shot? When you fill out the shot log, do you plot where you called the shot and the actual POI? I'm still trying to make each shot count, and practice my form, breathing, sight picture, trigger squeeze, and follow through, but honestly when I see the value flag in the 9 position, it is almost always a surprise. Do I just need more practice? Is 35 years not enough? Lol