Stress Test .308 Range Report

[CaddmannQ]

Well, it was me stressed actually, the .308 didn't flinch. I flinched a lot.

I took the .308 RPR and .45 ACP back out to the rifle club to try again. I had re-pressed 50 ACPs to be 0.1" shorter, to help them feed. Meh. It didn't work. Jamb after jamb.

As I was tweaking the new .308 scope, my spotter was giving me strange info, and I made lots of holdovers that never worked. MEH! I was tearing at hair I don't have anymore.

It turns out I didn't quite understand how this rifle shoots at 50 yds with that 20 MOA cant on the rail. In addition I was starting with some light loads which drop fast. I didn't depress the scope enough and was shaving lead into the top layer of the 100 yd berm, spraying pea gravel up thru my target.

I didn't realize this and I was going nuts, as my shots were seemingly going random places. Anyhow I wasted a lot of ammo until I walked the range to check the target. At that point I had 8 shots left. I finally put 4 reasonably on target at 100 and 4 finally on paper at 200 yards. I scored a near bullseye on the last shot of the day, which was some relief. I shot 80 .308 handloads total but was really stressing out, after putting 2/3 of them in the dirt!

Match grade lead too ;(

The .45 loads I made wouldn't feed well, and I think it has everything to do with the bullet profile and the magazine lips. I didn't mess with them as I was pooped at that point.

Finally I had an awful time getting eye relief. I need a taller scope mount. Also the ambi safety pokes me in the web of my thumb. That's gotta come off. By the last shots I was not using the pistol grip at all. I'm amazed I hit anything at 200+ yds.
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[CaddmannQ]

On my last shot I had walked it up 12in to within 2 inches of the bull.

Unfortunately it really was my last round and then I went home.

But 2 in from the bullseye is the best ever for me with the 308 at 200 + yards.

Here you can see how I walked up my last four shots, but what you can't see is the $60 worth of ammo that I just plowed into the dirt berm.

 

[CaddmannQ]

I have to say some more about this because I was seriously stressed having shot up 76 rounds of 308 and never putting anything on paper at 100 yards.

After I walked out and looked at my targets and realized what was going on, that is that my spotter was really just spotting shrapnel I kicked up, I was able to put my last 8 rounds on paper.

Unfortunately I did not keep the 100-yard Target, but because I was finally actually able to hit that target, I knew I could probably put those last four on paper at 200 without wasting them, and I did.

It was a freaking relief because otherwise I would have been beating myself up all the way home and into next week.

I've decided I need to raise the scope or I will never get a good eye relief on this rifle. I guess I need another trip to the gun store...