Bullet Wind Drift Correction – by Ed Hale

Posted on August 11, 2015 by Ed Hale

If you want to know calculated wind drift correction at long ranges of 200 to 600 yards you need accurate data from a chronograph and an on-line ballistic calculator such as the JBM Ballistics calculator at www.jbmballistics.com. Go to trajectory data input.

Here is a wind table I have created of wind correction in inches needed to be on a 6 inch target if the rifle was zeroed at 250 yards with a BC of 0.489 and bullet muzzle velocity of 2950 fps. To the left is wind speed and to the right is the wind correction needed to keep the bullet on target at distances out to 600 yards.

At the bottom of the table is the bullet drop as it is affected by gravity. This table now needs to be proven at the ranges and corrected as needed for real world data. I interpret that at wind speeds of 5 mph or less that you can shoot all the way out to 294 yards as the True Max Point Blank Range without need to compensate for gravity to stay in a 6 inch circle. At 400 yards the bullet will drop at the same rate 32 feet per second per second no matter what the wind does and will drop 15 inches (in yellow) based on its ballistic coefficient (wind drag) or you can compensate by turning your vertical adjustment up 3.5 MOA.

Tools:

Chronograph (cost 80 to 120 dollars)

A Camera stand that can connect to the Chronograph base

Data of Ballistic Coefficient for your bullet

A Ballistic Calculator such as www.jbmballistics.com

Once you shoot your rifle to get data for your bullet speed using the chronograph, In theory many serious hobby ballistician’s use the 6 inch circle as the ideal target bullseye of the heart lungs of a whitetail deer when plugging in data to the calculator. Some will use 8 inches for Elk heart and lungs. The lungs of a deer are laterally longer than 6 inches but you get the idea. So you have a little print out of this field tested data on your stand. You note a buck is standing at 500 yards facing left and the wind is blowing right to left at 10 mph where should you aim? I mean if you are practiced at this. Laterally you should aim around 17 inches to right of the lungs just forward of the rear ham muscle and adjust your vertical height on the scope accordingly to compensate for the 33 inch drop which is 6.4 MOA. This kind of shot needs to be practiced in training to be sure of the shot. If you have not practiced this kind of shot then let the deer walk away. Perhaps another day he will be at 100 yards, right? It is about the ethics, a clean kill and training.

Savage 11/111 Long Range Hunter Rifle and Leupold VX-6 Scope and Nosler Bullets Out of the Box (Part 1) By Ed Hale

Posted on August 7, 2015 by Ed Hale

I chose this 7mm Remington Magnum caliber to test because of the availability of ammo and brass for reloading and its outstanding accuracy record at any hunting distance. I chose the rifle because it has so much versatility with the built in cheek rest and muzzle brake. Due to the popularity of this rifle, it took my friends at Savage some time to obtain one for me to test for NH Rifleman publication. We will be testing this rifle with the Leupold VX-6 3-18 44mm CDS Illuminated Boone and Crockett system and with Nosler E-Tip Expandable solid gilding copper bullets in 140 and 150 grains.

Hunters can spend many thousands of dollars on a fine hunting rifle and never equal the engineered quality of this Rifle at this price point MSRP of $1136. Yes it is not cheap but for what is in this rifle it is truly amazing if it can shoot as well as they say. Read on…

For the Techies like me…The rifle is for right handed shooters with a barrel rate of twist of 9.5 thus for 140 grains to 175 grains bullets are stable. Stability is calculated at http://www.jbmballistics.com/cgi-bin/jbmstab-5.1.cgi where bullets are very stable above a factor of 1.5.

THE RIFLE

The rifle weighs in at 8.65 pounds without scope. Barrel Length is 26 inches and includes a 2 inch muzzle brake that can be turned on and off by a simple twist. Ammo capacity is three rounds and the cartridge is based on the large .375 Holland & Holland Magnum and necked down to 7.2mm or .284 inches. I think of this rifle as a 24 inch barrel with a 2 inch muzzle brake. So what is so engineered? I liked the Savage videos below to share with our readers all the details. The adjustable cheek rest needs an allen wrench to change the height.

Stock – The AccuStock is engineered to seat the floating barrel firmly in a metal housing. A video presentation makes this clear. http://savagearms.com/accuracy/accustock/

Trigger – Next is the innovative and Adjustable AccuTrigger which allows low trigger weights and with Safety primary. The trigger on this rifle is set just under 3 pounds at 2 pounds 15 ounces and breaks crisply. Video http://savagearms.com/accuracy/accutrigger

Barrels are button rifled with a floating bolt head and head-space control and video clips are seen here. http://savagearms.com/accuracy

Recoil Pad and Muzzle Brake

The rifle has a state of the art recoil pad and absorbs lots of felt recoil. But the best option is the Muzzle Brake. Savage added a 2 inch Muzzle Brake that can be turned on or off, adding more or less to velocity and recoil absorption (Pictured below with the brake activated. See the background through the center holes)

THE SCOPE

The Leupold Scope is the VX-6 3-18 44mm CDS Illuminated with Boon and Crockett Reticle. We will set the scope on 10x for 100 yards with no Illumination. The body of this scope is too short for the existing mounts on the rifle so a set of high rings and a longer forward mount was purchased from Weaver to move the rings closer together.

THE BULLET

See the You Tube videos of Nosler bullets and E-Tips on the internet.

On one video the bullet began expand on impact of ballistic gel and at 5 to 6 inches and beyond it creates a maximum wound channel of 4 inches for an ethical kill and maintained more than 95% of bullet weight throughout and mushroomed perfectly.

BULLET GROUP TESTS (OUT OF THE BOX) SUB MOA August 7, 2015

Bullets were reloaded according to SAAMI spec’s and Nosler Manual Powder and Load recommendations for each bullet. IMR 4831 powder was chosen because it was available and had a starting load that was already proven to be accurate.

140 grain 100 yard Test at a MV of 2950 fps with 62 grains of IMR 4831 with the Muzzle Brake turned off ( Recoil was very acceptable with 140 grain bullets)

DATA and Photo’s

Group 1 = 1.06 inches

Group 2 = 0.812 inches

Group 3 = 0.687 inches

Average = .853 inches

JBM Ballistics Table for Drop, Velocity, Energy and Max Point Blank Range MPBR for a 6 inch target. Max Point Blank Range is 293 yards when sighted for 250 yard zero. If the wind was 10 mph the shot would be limited to 220 yards without any correction. The maximum height of bullet flight is at 3 inches high at 141 yards.

I was thrilled with the rifle, scope and bullet set up as this combination shot sub minute of angle right out of the Box! WOW!!!

Scope Mounts for Savage 11/111 in 7mm Rem Mag

Posted on July 31, 2015 by Ed Hale

Preparing to Test the Savage 11/111 Long Range Rifle:

This Savage 11/111 rifle with the long 7mm Remington Magnum cartridge requires either a scope with a long body or a modified Weaver extended base. The VX-6 requires an extended base. I found this out with lots of research the Weaver Rep. Weaver 402m part #48429. I have not put it on the rifle as it has been ordered but not installed. More to come…

weaver

Some say a picatinny rail can work but will hamper reloading.

Leupold VX-6 – ZERO TO 600 IN 1 SECOND

Posted on July 31, 2015 by Ed Hale

Below is the VX-6 3-18 44mm CDS Illuminated. Leupold has sent this scope for me to test. Lets see how it works.

a zero to 600 ad

This scope is not for any hunter, it is a scope for a Long Range and Short Range and everywhere in between hunter that wants the best in just one scope that does it all, short or long, and knows your bullet’s Ballistic Coefficient too.

As my friend on the Radio says;

Don’t touch that Dial!

Nosler Expansion Tip Solid Copper Hunting Bullets

Posted on July 29, 2015 by Ed Hale

etip

When I have a need for speed, I choose Nosler Bullets like on my African Safari, my Moose Hunt and my Bison Buffalo hunt and whitetail hunts. Nosler bullets are proven by millions of hunters to bring home the game. Of course you have to do your part and put the bullet in the vitals.

I have both 140 grain and 150 grain Nosler E-TIPS to test with the Savage 11/111 Long Range Rifle in 7mm Remington Magnum. In fact I shot a few today with loads I am working up for hunting. I used IMR 4831 pushing these pills at around 3020 fps.

etip image 3

The E-TIP or Expansion Tip Bullet is one of the finest Hunting Bullets in the World. It is solid gilding Copper and not a drop of lead to be found. It is soft enough to expand in game and hard enough not to leave copper in your barrel. I have been shooting E-Tips for years and I just love them for accuracy. I will take them hunting this fall for whitetails.

Data from JBM Ballistics Software provides the following results based on a Muzzle Velocity of a 150 grain bullet at 3020 fps and a BC of .498 (G1).

Max Point Blank Range is 300 yards for a 6 inch target.

Range of maximum height 145 yards 3 inches high.

Max PBR Zero is 256 yards.

Energy at 300 yards is 2044 ft-lbs

Velocity at 300 yards is 2477 fps.

This is a recipe for putting your deer down but pronto from zero to 300 yards with a shot to the vitals. WOW!!!

Invisible Rifle – Updated

Posted on July 26, 2015 by Ed Hale

Ok not Invisible but very well camouflaged I said: but to game animals a shiny barrel or stock is like putting a reflective mirror on it! I bet that Game from far away as 600 -1000 yards and more yards can notice it. Duh! Do you like camouflage on your turkey shotgun? Why not your rifle too if it has a synthetic stock. I have been putting camo on my rifles for years with high quality camo tape. My wood stocked rifles got removable camo tape on the barrel and help me get closer to wary game while on my African Safari.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Now you can camo your whole rifle, shotgun, scope, truck and more. I like Mossy Oak Graphics at their website below are video instructions how to camo your rifle.

http://www.mossyoakgraphics.com/rifle-wrap-mossy-oak-camo-skin

camo rifle 2

Another camo method I have used below on my wooden stocked rifles is McNett Camo Form™ Protective Camouflage Gun Wraps and they are easily put on and easily removed. It is very thick and protective too.

camo rifle 1

Allen Company offers Cloth Camo tape. One of the most cost effective hunting purchases you will ever make. Ok your gonna hunt Brown Bear with a Mirror barrel and stocked Rifle? And get one right? Ok you might, but with a un-mirrored camo barrel you maybe could have shot a real record brown bear instead of an OK bear. Hunting trophy game is measured in covering the minutia of what could spook the game. Smell, sight, sound etc. Or seeing a keeper buck instead of a fork horn.

camo tape

Don’t forget to camo your scope too. I will be doing that this fall as I have not in the past. Why? Cause I was not thinking clearly! More on Camo for game…© 2105

Savage 11/111 LR Rifle Arrived for Testing

Posted on July 25, 2015 by Ed Hale

The long awaited Savage model 11/111 Long Range Rifle in 7mm Remington Magnum has arrived and in excellent shape thanks to the heavy double boxing methods they use.

The scope mount bases on the rifle are a Weaver style with slotted bases. I will be testing this rifle with the VX-6 3-18 44mm CDS Illuminated Boone and Crockett as the add says ZERO TO 600 IN ONE SECOND. This is not just a scope it is a visionary light amplifying, magnifying, crystal clear to count antler points and scope your game from zero to 600 yards before squeezing the trigger kinda scope. Yea but it is not for everyone, it is for the hunter that wants it all, the very best in spades, anywhere on the Planet. More on it too!

Installation of the scope, which has a 30mm tube requires rings that will fit the Weaver base and high enough for the 44mm Objective lens to clear. My friends at Leupold are fast shipping a pair of correctly fitting rings so I can begin testing. Patience is a virtue and a good hunter must have patience. I hope to be at the range next week with it. I am hand loading rounds for it according to SAAMI specifications.

More Soon! I do have plans for this rifle and Scope combo that are equal to the tasks they can accomplish.

Thanks to my friends at State Line Guns Ammo and Archery, an FFL dealer, for receiving my rifle and the FFL paperwork. http://www.statelineguns.com/ I highly recommend them, fast, friendly and knowledgeable!

Ed Hale – Editor/ Owner

Backyard Summertime Youth Archery

Posted on July 22, 2015 by Ed Hale

What a great day in the sunshine of my own back yard to get my grand kids interested in archery and bow hunting. Here is Christian (9) and Joshua (8) trying for a kill shot on a whitetail target.

Today there are inexpensive ways to get youth involved in Archery. Fiberglass starter bows for 30 dollars or less. Arrows for $2.50 each. A hip quiver for 2.50 each and there you have it. Pull weights are 10 to 25 pounds and in many cases an arm guard or finger tab is optional.

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The object lesson here is safety; safe bow and arrow handling, how to shoot beside each other, and how not to run to get your arrows. They have sharp points so with some attention to shooting form, pointing arrows always down range, we can then have lots of fun. The quiver gives a sense of pride as they collect their arrows for the next shot. And when they hit the target give a hoot for their success! I am grooming these kids as future hunters so I have found youtube video’s of youth hunters taking their first deer.

.243 Winchester Shot Placement on Deer

Posted on July 12, 2015 by Ed Hale

According to the many short articles I have read on the .243 Winchester suggest that because the .243 is easier on felt recoil that the shooter will have more confidence, enhanced accuracy etc. I agree with that! Light Caliber Shot Placement on deer with the .243 Winchester should always be “ideally” the double lung shot and broadside or slightly quartering away as with all calibers. A large magnum caliber needs lots more of perfect practice to make long range kill shots in the field conditions as the recoil must be dealt with. That said, if competent with a larger caliber, use it! More delivered energy and a larger caliber allows more latitude on shot placement as in a head on frontal shot taken with a large caliber capable of deep penetration but can result in more meat damage too.

A doctor bowhunter once shared the medical term for double lung hit is a bilateral pneumo-thorax. The lungs cannot inflate and carry oxygen because air enters the bullet holes as the air is attempted to inflate the lungs. Accordingly, the animal loses consciousness and dies a fast painless death. Recovery of this animal is often less than 50 yards from where the deer was shot. Of course you can shoot them surgically in the heart with a much smaller invisible target the size of a fist and shoot low and miss and a few more inches hit the shoulder bone. Or you can shoot for the larger oval of the lungs. When I hunted Africa, all my kills were one shot with rifle and bow and arrow and I shot them all in the same place. The Lungs! If the bullet or broadhead does its job of either mushrooming or slicing wound channels then death is moments away. My most spectacular double lung hit on a Pennsylvania 6 point buck was with my bow, and the deer ran 60 yards and expired after being hit with a 4 blade Muzzy broadhead at 20 yards. The arrow was painted bright red from tip to knock. Of course the deer ran those 60 yards in less than one minute. Watching your bullet hit deer after the shot is critical if it takes off. Just like in bowhunting, if you are in a tree stand, take out your compass and take a bearing on where you shot and where you last saw your game. A fast broadside kill makes for better venison and less damaged meat. © 2015

Best Handloaded 30 Cal Picks for Deer and Bear

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Ed Hale

What is best in 30 cal for deer and bear depends on your likes and dislikes. Likes would be a round that has ample penetration and energy at ranges out to say 300 yards. That would be the 30-06 and .308 Winchester. At less distances the 30-30 Winchester is a low recoil rifle that often is in a lever action model such as the Marlin 30-30. From a reloading perspective, brass from any of these 30 calibers is readily available. Bullets range in weights from 110 grains to 220 grains for the .308 and 30-06 and best of all you get to choose the bullet like the Nosler AccuBond or the Hornady InterBond that are so well constructed. Other manufacturers are aplenty so there are more choices. For years I shot game with Nosler Partitions a great choice! The AccuBond and IB from Nosler and Hornady respectively have a high ballistic coefficient (BC) for long range use. If shots are under 100 yards then a round nose will act more like a hammer as it enters the vitals. I shot a buck with a round nose at 25 yards and it collapsed and the deer fell stone dead, not taking a step so pointed bullets are not always the norm here in the northeast.

On the Magnum side is the 300 Winchester Magnum, .300 H& H Magnum, the 300 Remington Short Action Ultra Magnum, .308 Norma Magnum and the .300 Winchester Short Magnum to name a few. They can be hand loaded up or down to mimic the .308 or .30-06 energies and velocities and when needed to shoot further at say 600 yards. Most popular of these is perhaps the .300 Winchester Magnum. Most all 30 Cal rifles have the blessing of a wide range of bullets, weights and powders.

If you are not a hand loader then I would stick with cost effective off the shelf ammo and rifles in .308, 30-06 and 30-30. You can go into any store that sells ammo and find these cartridges cost effectively anywhere.

Tips for new shooters and veterans alike is to make sure that the recoil pad is one of the newer high tech recoil pads that absorb up to 50% of felt recoil. Simms SVL and Pachmayr Decelerator sell slip on pad and mounted pads that will be sure to make you smile instead of wince at the shot.

In closing, I have opted to shoot magnum calibers that I can hand load down to .308 or .30-06 or even the 30-30 level as long as accuracy does not suffer. If you wish to compete at long range then the .308 Winchester is widely available and a best choice for brass availability.