It was during the American Revolution that the first guns with rifling were put to the test. It was George Washington who enlisted the service of Daniel Morgan, a rough and tumble marksman, hunter and Indian fighter to create our first Military “Riflemen”.  Later to become General Daniel Morgan under General George Washington and famous for his Revolutionary war “Battle of the Cowpens”

http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/battle-of-cowpens

Many folks haven’t a clue who Morgan is and I neither did I till I did this research of this American Hero with a Rifle. Amazon sells a book on him you may find fascinating.

First and foremost he was a civilian marksman with a Pennsylvania Rifle who had intimate knowledge of the trails and mountains as a hunter and Indian fighter.  Morgan was among a long list of Civilian men with such skills.

Before America was born, families of the 13 colonies, for survival sake, needed to be skilled at hunting, reading sign, and shooting of wild game, predators and fend off native Indian attacks. It was the Pennsylvania Rifle that gave them an edge for  long distance, a tool to  maintain their Freedom. It was the Mountain men of the 13 colonies territories in the mid 1700’s that embraced the Pennsylvania Rifle many call the Kentucky Rifle. It was created for Mountain men headed to new land called Kentucky. The first rifle that had grooves or “rifling in the barrel.  It was the civilian marksmanship skills and the Pennsylvania rifle created by German and Dutch immigrants which led to such a long range rifle.

It was from the Civilian ranks from birth that Marksman that made the difference in Battle. Do you remember Alvin C. York who with his marksmanship hunting skills and courage given him by God, handily used his marksmanship to aid in defeating the German Army of WW I.

It was from civilian marksman hunter ranks that Rob Oneill of Seal Team 6 below was created. It was Rob Oneill that killed Osama bin Laden.

It was from civilian marksman hunter ranks that Marcus Luttrell of Seal Team 10 was created.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Luttrell

In time of war it was Civilian Marksmanship that brought a rapid end to battles in the Revolution, WW I, WW II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanisan and today to kill Osama Bin Laden.

Below American Sniper Chris Kyle

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Kyle

So Civilian Marksman and Hunters be proud and if you enlist or are called to the nations service you will add those civilian hunter and marksmen that have stood tall in behalf of the nation in times of war. In the meantime learn your marksman, woodsmanship, hunting and survival skills as they will serve you well in this ever changing world.

Last week as you know, I shot at the Sig Sauer Academy using the Leupold VX-3i 6.5-20 50mm CDS Riflescope (Target). I was shooting 8 inch balloons at 1000 yards. The clarity and crispness of the balloons at that distance was unbelievable. It is easily one of the finest scopes on the Planet and it is made in the USA. More below on the VX-3i. The add is very cool. Check it out!

Nashua High Power Match Score Cards July 9th at Nashua F & G with new .308 Criterion Barrel was tested in Jason Hale’s previous article.

Below is Jason’s first 3×600 Prone shoot score cards. 20 shots for each  of the 3×600 matches that day. Each line represents 10 shots for score, Max score for each shot is 10 points with the X being the very center of the bullseye. In the first card you see s1 and s2 and are non scoring practice shots. The 95 means 95 out of 100 as a possible score and the 3 represents the number of X’s. Now you can read the rest of the score cards. His rear rest was a squeeze bag in this case and made it more difficult. Not bad for his first 3×600 shoot. We are awaiting how he placed in the shoot.

I am looking forward to the Reach for 1000 training at the Sig Sauer Academy this July 19th with my son Jason who has already taken the class but desired to attend with me as a father/son event. I have already competed at Nahsua’s  300, 500 and 600 match with my AR-15 and 77 grain Nosler Bullets and calculated bullet drop tables after measuring bullet speed with a chronograph. Now with the 6.5 Creedmoor we have lots of bullet weight for the caliber, store bought Hornady 143 grain Extremely Low Drag Hunting Bullets (see the article inside). They are not tack drivers but sub-moa never the less in my rifle so I should be able to easily reach the 1000 yard mark… and a lot more if it was available.  The velocity spread is wider as I measured with my Chronograph so I expect some vertical stringing at 800 and 1000 yards They do not allow hand loaded ammo. I will report back after the course.

I am taking the course because professionals are teaching it and want to see what new things I can learn from the Pro’s.  Cost $300 + 150 rounds of store bought ammunition. We shall see if the cost of training was worth it?

The training includes:

• Zeroing and Grouping at various distances.
• Precision Shooting drills
• Improvised shooting positions
• Field shooting 100,300,500,800 and 1000 yards.
• Preventative Maintenance, inspection and safe storage.

Required Equipment

• Hard Cased – Precision scoped rifle w/sling – I am bringing the test Savage Model 12 Long Range Precision Rifle with a test Leupold 20 MOA picatinny rail and test Leupold VX-3i 6.5-20x50mm scope with fine duplex crosshairs
• Spotting Scope – A Leupold Sequoia 15x – 45x
• Rangefinder – Leupold test RX-1200i TBR/W Good for the activity? We shall see?
• Rifle cleaning equipment – bringing 2 full length cleaning rods w brushes and brass jag tips, Butches bore shine, and cleaning pads.
• Field Note Book and Pencils
• Clothing suitable for training in any weather. With Poncho if necessary
• Hydration System – Test with 3 liter Camelpak Thermopak back pack from e-bay
• Sunscreen and Bug Spray
• Hat with brim
• Wraparound eyewear, polycarbonate lens or no shatter prescription.
• 150 round estimate of ammo.

See  below for update.

This Precision Hunter™ ammo from Hornady features “the 143 grain  ELD-X™ bullet and carefully selected propellant and primer to deliver match accurate hunting ammunition.”  Every gun is a bit different in how this ammo shoots. Below I tested it for bullet speed. It is advertized to shoot 2700 fps at the muzzle but does not state barrel length. I assume a 24 inch barrel but I am shooting a 26 inch barrel and as advertised it was 2700 fps plus my two extra inches of barrel making it around 2738 fps give or take. Nice!

I left the zero as it was from shooting Sierra 142 grain HPBT target bullet traveling an average speed of 2706 fps. Below are Groups 1 thru 4. Cold barrel shots are very different 1.3 inch group and high. I made no changes and shot groups 2,3, and 4. G 2 was 0.73″, G3 was 0.53″ and G4 was 1.45 inches.

Population Standard Deviation, σ 9.66
Variance (Population Standard), σ2 93.44
R range=28

Mean (Average): 2738.6

This is good for hunting but I need to try these again in a separate experiment. At 100 yards these should all be within an inch. Need to test again in a clean rifle and may be the rifle. . Group G1 was shot out of a cold barrel as in hunting. Only G2 and G3 are sub-MOA. All will mushroom and kill game from close to far as slow as 1800 fps up to 2660 fps.

G4 shot should have all been together as in G2 and G3. More experiments planned soon to see what the problem is.

UPDATE

Cleaned a scrubbed the barrel July 4th and took to range. All shots are sub-moa varying from 0.97 inches to 0.25. This factory ammo is excellent for hunting out to 600 or so yards.

© 2016

The NEW Leupold VX®-3i 6.5-20X50mm CDS Target Scope from Leupold and Stevens is an improved version of the VX-3 where I verified that the power dial is much easier to turn, especially with gloved hands in the field. https://www.leupold.com/hunting-shooting/scopes/vx-3i-riflescopes/vx-3i-6-5-20x50mm-30mm-side-focus-cds-target 

With a 30mm tube it draws light in like a magnet from the 50mm Objective Lens and its Twilight Max Light Management provides maximum brightness in all colors and intensifies contrast on the range and in the field. The tall turrets are designed for ease of use and visibility to change windage and elevation setting on the go. The scope does not come cheap, its MSRP is $1169.99 but I have seen it for just under $900 on-Line. You get what you pay for. This scope is capable for long range hunting and varmint and comes with its famous dual erector springs so it can take a beating with a big bore rifle. Setting the Zero on the turret is easy to do with the provided Allen wrench. This wrench is very small indeed so keep it in a safe place. Each turret has three Allen screws to loosen to free the dial so it can be turned to Zero as seen in the photo below. I have dialed in a 600 yard solution and turned the elevation dial and fired Hitting just out of the bullseye on the first shot. The adjustments are crisp with a felt and heard (audible) click and right on.

In the image above you can see the elevation turret with the Allen wrench sticking out and the side focus on the left with hash marks. The Side focus really aids it creating a sharp image. At 600 yards the F Class target X ring as seen through the scope is as clear as day so you can count the points on an Elk just as easy from that range. Leupold scopes are really rugged and can take the abuse of hard hunting.

From the website above Leupold states: “America’s favorite riflescope just got better. VX-3i brings legendary Leupold Gold Ring performance to a new level. Twilight Max Light Management System provides maximum brightness in all colors and intensified contrast across the entire field of view. Dual Spring Precision Target Adjustments perform with match grade precision and when paired with the Custom Dial System (CDS) long range shooting solutions have never been easier. The 30mm maintube dramatically increases windage and elevation travel while the side focus adjustment makes fine-tuning parallax effortless. The easy turn power selector can be quickly turned, even with gloves on while watertight seals ensure fog free performance for a lifetime.”

“Versatile magnification ranges and an attractive new look make the Leupold VX-3i riflescopes ideal for virtually any hunting situation. The aggressively redesigned power selector is easy to grasp and turn and allows the shooter to quickly verify the power setting even with gloved hands.

The Twilight Max Light Management System delivers the highest average light transmission in all colors with emphasis on the blue and red portions of the light spectrum for exceptional low light performance and contrast in all conditions.

Edge blackened lenses reduce diffusion and glare to improve resolution and contrast. Second generation Argon/Krypton gas more effectively resists thermal shock and the dual spring precision adjustment system ensures match grade repeatability and strength.

Top it all off with DiamondCoat 2™ external lens coatings for scratch resistance and you can see why the VX-3i is the first, last, and only name in riflescopes. As always, each Leupold Gold Ring riflescope is factory tested to be the ultimate in ruggedness, reliability and absolute waterproof integrity. Covered by the Leupold Full Lifetime Guarantee.”

There are many fine articles on the web that discuss this load combination but every rifle is different so loads with powder and bullets need to be worked up carefully and safely. This is a continuation of a series of articles here on this site highlighting the rifle, a Savage Model 12 Long Range Precision Rifle with the Leupold VX-3i 6.5-20 X 50mm. Both are a marriage made in heaven and work seamlessly together. See the image on the front page. In addition to this great marriage of rifle and scope we add Sierra 142 grain HPBT Match bullets lit by H4350 Powder seen in a recent article here.

Earlier articles used newer cases that were full length resized. Below I used cases that were twice used and neck sized. An advantage of using cartridge cases previously used in the same rifle is that they now fit the chamber perfectly and have a positive effect on group to a degree that is often noticeable. Since I am relatively new to the rifle some accuracy comes from the shooters comfort with the rifle, scope and loadings. That would be me!  I reloaded the H4350 with slightly hotter loads for the Sierra 142 grain HPBT observing for signs of high pressure adding a tenth of a grain at a time at near max loads.

Weather sunny with 12 oclock  0 to 5 mph wind. Ideal!

Shooter – Ed Hale

Group 1 was a three shot group that I previously tested in an earlier article with the best being 0.235 inches. This group was 0.3 inches. No data measured.

Group 2 is a 5 shot group with a flyer using 40.5 grains powder. With the flyer it shot 0.7 inches. If take out the flyer it is 0.36 inches.

Velocities; 2653,2630,2641,2633,2638

Mean (Average):2639

Range 23 fps

Population Standard Deviation, σ=7.9

This is a very tight spread.

Group 3 is a 5 shot group with 40.6 grains of H4350 measuring 0.34 inch spread.

Velocities 2661,2656,2648,2624,2633

Population Standard Deviation, σ=13.922643427166

Range is 37.

Mean (Average):2644.4

Best group with widest velocity range if the chronograph is correct. Best to repeat this test to be sure of the Range calculation.

Group 4 is a 5 shot group with 40.7 grains of H4350 measuring 0.69 inch spread and still no case or primer issues.

Velocities 2636,2655,2650,2636,2645

Population Standard Deviation, σ 7.5524830353997

Mean (Average): 2644.4

Range 19

The Target tells some of the story.

Low Range and Std Dev σ is best.

I have added today 6/22/16 image

Tested H4350 at 41.1 grains Group 1 and G2 at 41.2 grains powder trying to achieve a speed of 2700 fps and I did.

UPDATE BELOW FOR 6/22/16

Group 1 on 6/22/16 41.1 grains was a cold barrel and the first shot pulled right 1/2 inch. the other 4 shots grouped less than 1/2 inch statisticical variation of range “R”  in group 1 was 46 fps thus would exceed 3 sigma in standard deviations from the mean and will group poorly at long range.

2706,2693,2696,2659 One data point was not captured so i used the 4.

Population Standard Deviation, σ 17.69

Range R = 45

Mean (Average): 2688.5

Very poor long range reliability as the range and standard deviation conclude poor confidence.

Group 2 on 6/22/16 is 41.2 grains H4350 and measured 0.49 inches of 5 shots.

Chronograph of each shot 2687,2691,2708,2702,2687 in fps. Use an online Std Deviation calculator.

Population Standard Deviation, σ 8.5
Mean (Average): 2695

Range R=21 fps

This is excellent! Speed is there and the Standard Deviation is below 10 and with a range or spread of 21 fps the rifle should shoot very well at long distances with this load. A real winner and for all intent it is a 2700 fps load that can win at 600 yards in F class competition.  I would like more speed but this will work.

Note there are barrel harmonic vibrations at play and each barrel is different. By testing in this way you are trying to shoot in the valley of the rifles harmonic vibrations. I did note that the barrel performed more consistent when it was warmed with a few shots first.

The quality and clarity of the Leupold VX-3i 6.5 -20 x50mm makes a huge difference for me the shooter. The image was so crisp that I could hold within 1/8th inch of crosshairs or less and is specifically designed for long range. At 100 yards I shot it at 14X. This scope has a side focus to reduce parallax. More on this scope soon!

© 2016

For those just joining us today to read about the Savage Model 12 LRP Bolt Action Rifle, take a moment and look back at recent articles introducing the Savage Model 12 and the Leupold VX-3i Scope I am testing. This will aid in a full picture of the testing we are doing. This is a competitive target rifle that can shoot 600 to 1000 yards in a NRA competitive shoot… and win.

It was the first time that I took the Savage Model 12 Long Range Precision Rifle to the Nashua 600 yard range just a few days ago. It was with all the seriousness of a Competitive shooter that I came to shoot at Thursday practice.

Planning included significant research into the Rifle itself, the scope used, the bullet,powder, seating die and Cartridge Overall Length. Read earlier articles.

The day was very breezy with a shifting 11 to 12 o’clock wind that peaked at 20 mph and averaged around 10 mph. Yes some would say that was easy with wind blowing at me, the wind was blowing “mostly” at me but on occasion swirled right to left unpredictably. Temperature was about 60 degrees and humidity low. I was on time to shoot but was partnered with someone who was not shooting F class and was shooting first. That meant I was headed to the shooting pits to pull targets for him first and I got to shoot later. The target above represents 2 shooters, I have studied the target before I shot and confident of my shot groups. What appears evident is that shooting close to a bullseye is not a 10, it is a 9. I shot lots of 9’s with some in the 10 and one or 2 in the X ring. At 100 yard this rifle is sub-MOA all day long, so to have a 10 inch spread seems way off until you include wind. Matter of fact it was a very tight group but needed more skill to click left a 1/4 (1.5 inches) and maybe down 1/4 Minute to center over the 10 ring. Burning powder at the range will help that. What was so satisfying is the work I did with my rear sand bag height. It was as perfect as I could want. The crosshairs could be adjusted with a little rear pressure to hold steady on the X ring. Each shot was comfortable to shoot with light recoil due to the 12 pounds of the rifle and scope. I calculated a 15 minute correction from 100 yards to shoot 600 yards with my JBM Software. My first shot was a 9. Nice! I was very impressed with the Leupold VX3i 6.5×20 50mm scope. It is an improved version with an easily turned power dial. As I was in the Pit first I got to see what other shooters were doing. Honestly I did extremely well but there were a few hot shot shooters that I did not see shoot. Those folks are my real competition and my own best self. I was pleased with my partner and his speed of marking and putting up my target. I was done first of 12 shooters.

So at 100 yards I grouped sub MOA less than 1 inch at 100 yards. My best 3 shot group is less than 0.25 inches but my 600 yard range leader says I need more speed than 2600 fps to buck the wind so I may give some MOA accuracy to get some speed to the target. That is a work in progress. As you can see below the Savage is a BIG barreled Rifle and without the scope it is a hefty 11 pounds. Three pounds or more than a big game rifle. Its primary task is Competitive Shooting at long range such as F Class. The rifle can be used when hunting from a stand or blind with a monopod, bipod or tripod but there are better lighter rifles for that. See the Savage article on the Model 11/111 I took to North Carolina for deer hunting.

Lower right is sight in 3 rounds to get on an orange square. Upper left is group 1, lower left is group 2.  I realized at that moment that my cheek weld could be better and perhaps part of the problem. Then I shot three rounds for group number three at 0.235 inches. So the take away was that a good cheek weld with this scope was vital and it paid off.

Hunting rifles are not designed to shoot 20 rounds in 15 minutes and keep the barrel cool and on target for long range accuracy, they are designed to kill game in the first few shots. So if you have a hankering for competition like i do then it is a great rifle. I have two more competitions this summer with this rifle so we shall see what I can do. The competitive path will surely make me a better long range shot while hunting. More to come…

Good Shooting!

© 2016

My first shots with Savage Model 12 today. My best group 1/2 inch at 100 yds out of the box. Of course we will shoot even better as I get accustomed to the rifle. Today I used my Leupold VX-6 at 10 power. Bullets were Sierra 142 g HPBT with 40.7 g  H4350 powder and CCI BR-2 primers. Wind was swirling 5-10 mph mostly toward the shooter from 12 oclock or around there.