Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

I got my Tikka T3 .270 WSM last friday !! It was easy to get on at 100 yards and even 200 yards !!

But at 250-300 yards I didn't do very well !! When I backed back up to 200 yards I shot well !! I had some great groups with this gun at 100 and 200 with all 3 ammo's I tried !!

My gut feeling was that I was hitting to the right at 300 yards but I couldn't tell on the backstop because it was shot so many times by others !!

There was about a 10 mph wind going from left to right that day !!

My question is probably very simple.........is this more than likely just me ?Maybe Ijust see the target "that" much better at 200 yards.........maybe I am pulling a little ??? I just don't see how I can hit so good at 200 and be off 4-6 " to the right at 250-300 yards !!

I tell you one thing.........good 300 yard shooter's have my respect now !!
Although this is my first real rifle shooting in many years(been 99% bow for 10 years)!!

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

What power scope are you using?

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

There you have it.

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

Swarovski PV 3X12X50-30 MM !

You think 10-15 mph would throw it off that much ??

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

A 10mph wind at 300 wards could very well through your round off quite a ways. The wind may have even been stronger down closer to the target then where you shooting from as well, so 10mph could be slower than actual.

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

Looking at the tables on Federal's website, at the 270 WSM, here are the wind drifts for 300 yards.

10MPH crosswind
130gr Nosler Partition 6.1"
140gr Nosler Accubond 5.2"
150gr Nosler Parition 5.7"

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

Wind can and does do strange things. One of the easier things on this planet to do is to completely miss an animal at 300 yards. I have always preached against long shots on game animals because just as you noticed, things don't always go as planned. When I shot 500 meter steel silhouette, I began to notice how much difference there can be in wind reaction at different ranges.

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

If its on at 100 and 200, then it probably was the wind. Try going back to the range on a calm day, and it probably will be alright at 300 yards and further, as long as you make the right adjustments on your scope.

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

Dang...Don't you know this is the BSnet....You're supposed to get on here and tell everyone that your gun shoots 2 inch groups at 300 yards!!!:D

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

Sorry guys, I am not buying it. It is not the wind. If it was the wind, then the shooter would also be noticing a difference at 200. The shooter said he was dead on at 200. Unless the wind was bucking wildly, and only between 200 and 300, thenthe bullet did not drift 6 inches from 200 to 300. Notice I did not say that it definitely was not the wind. However drift is calculated from 0 to 300 yards. And not from 200-300.


I believe it is just the distance, and you being out of practice. Yes, 300 yards is where you start to separate the top notch shooters, and the everyday shooters. I can shoot precisely out to about 450 yards. On a good day I can push it out to 500. I have alot of respect for the guys that can shoot past that. I agree with Nchawkeye. It is refreshing to hear someone share a real experience. Tom.

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

He didn't say he was dead on at 200 yards.

He said it was easy to get on at 100 yards and even 200 yards.

At 200 yards you would only be 2"- 2.5" off with a 10mph wind. Very easy to compensate for. At 300 yards you get 5.5 - 6 inches off and is much more noticible and if the wind insn't a steady 10 mph,much more dificult to compensate for.

Of course it could be him but my money is on the wind. ;)

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

I gotta disagree, I've done rifles quals on some windy days and a 10-mph wind at 100 and 200 yards isn't going to affect the shot a whole lot. There've been times where I wouldn't even make sight adjustments at 200 and 300 yard lines, but once you hit a 500 yard line, you really notice a difference and the wind affects the bullet a lot more then it would at 100 or 200 yards.

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

I hunt "long-range" woodchucks,500 yards plus for close to 30 years and crosswind will be a factor when the winds get 15 mph or more. Here is a ballistic chart for the .270 WSM...;)

http://www.cpcartridge.com/270wsmB.htm

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

He said he got pretty good groups at 200 yards, he didn't say they were right on. You can have a good group way over on the edge. I have seen a lot of long range shooter in action and they usually have wind flags every 50 yards. The wind at 500 yards can sometimes be blowinjg from a completely different direction. I don't think that in this case is was all the wind. 300 yards is a long ways. Ever notice how small a target that a deer is at that range?

Targets at 500 are fun to shoot at. If you miss you can laugh and try it again.

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

Guys I have been on bowhunting forums for years...........I figure it's better to be honest and get some help than to tell half truth's or worse and get a bunch of deserved wise cracks !!

I started sighting(going for a 250 zero)in with federal fusion 150's.......I got on at 100 ...dead on but 2.5" high within 6 shots with the brand new set up !! got it on at 200 within a few more shots . This was all with a sand bag !! Shot it at 300 and they all hit lower than I expected and missed the target(some below and some a tad right)!!

So I tried some Fed. Accubond 140's and they shot like crap !! So I locked it down and went hunting with the Fusions !!

Next day : It was windy like I said........shot the Fusions again at 300 and aimed higher ......missed all the target several times(BTW....this was probably a 6-8" black circle target that flakes theblack paint off when you hit it)! Was running low on Fusions so I shot a few Fed.Accubonds.......nothing. Went back to 100 and was 2" high........went to 200 and was 2" low and right !!

Felt like something was wrong and I cleaned my gun and went back to 2" high apprx at 200 ! My buddy showed up with his lead sled or whatever rifle vise.........so I locked it down and the Fed. Accubonds were (surprisingly)cutting holes with it and I felt really good but my groups were about an inch right @200 !! I shot my last group of Fed's at 200 and had 4 shots touching but about 1-1.5" right !!

I borrowed a box of Win Supreme Accubond 140's from my buddy (since I ran out of shells) and adjusted my sight one clickleft ! First shot was 2" high .......dead on at 200..........so I am feeling good ! Next shot was at 300 and aimed aroun 4" high and hit about 1" left of bullseye.........next shot was 4" right of bullseye and no other shot hit ! I couldn't tell where they were going (backstop was too shot up to tell)!! Went back to 250 and shot a 3 shot group......only one bullet caught the far right corner of the target barely but dead on heigth wise !!

So I shot at 200 again(cleaned it again)and was high and around1.5-2.5" right .........moved it over 3 clicls left and shot 1" left and higher.............decided to just move it and zero it 200 and shot 2 that touched at 200 dead on and locked her down !! Went hunting that evening and shot a buck at 125 and dropped him and hit right where I aimed !!

Have not shot again at 300 but I would have no confidence at this point !!

Any thoughts, advise, criticism, or otherwise would be appreciated .......because I generally learn the hard way !! Took me a long time to figure out bows.........but I finally got it !! :D

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

How much lower did you expect them to hit at 300 yards, and how far lower did they hit? If you are dead on at 200 yards, I would adjust the elevation up 3 minutes to get you close to where you should be at 300.

If you sight in with one brand of ammo then switch brands, or even bullets or bullet weights with the same brand, you are going to be chasing your tail. They will all hit in different places unless the stars, moon, and the planet venus are perfectly aligned for you.

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

1) Decide what ammo your gun groups the best
2) Buy a case of that lot number
3) Sight-in about 2 1/2 high at 100...much higher is kinda high on our Southern deer...(meaning I have tried 3 inches and shot over deer at 175..)
4) Buy a decent range finder ( I bought a Nikon 660) its amazing how distance fools you while in a tree over a flat field.
5) Shoot at 100/200/250 and 300 yards....You will probably be dead on at 250 and about 3 inches low at 300. (Its especially helpful if this is done out of a tree stand...It kinda keeps you from taking those Hail Mary shots)
6) Enjoy your new rifle...Don't forget to pull it out this summer for crows, coyotes, groundhogs etc, to keep in practice...

Oh yea...Congrats on the 1st deer with the new gun....

Sorry to be so short, but I'm making deer spaghetti, deer jerky and trying to watch UNC and Clemson...:D

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

Good advise from nchawkeye. Practice is always the key.

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

Thanks for the help guys !!

It is sort of sobering to realize I will spend nearly as much money on sighting it in.......figuring out what it likes and stocking up on bullets .........as the gun itself cost me !! Did not really think about that going into this purchase !! But $25-$45 a box shells bring in the reality fast !! [8D]

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

That's why people who like to shoot a lot and aren't independently wealthy either
A: buy the cheapest ammo possible
or
B: start reloading

B is by far the better option. You can reload premium huntingor match gradeammo for 1/2 the price of commercial ammuntion or less.

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

To CBM SC: You finally found out why they invent these new calibers. To generate revenue. A regular 30-06 or 308 Winchester would have done just fine. And you can buy ammo for 1/3 of the cost. You can even find hardball(sometimes) for less.

I totally concur with your scope choice. I have a couple of Swarovski's myself. I like the Tika, but I must admit I have very limited experience with them(over and under, rifle shotgun combo from almost 25 years ago). Good shooting and save that brass, Tom.

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

I would think you hit the nail on the head when you said you might be "pulling".I'm also guessing your right handed which might explain part of problem(other than wind) pulling to right at 300.I'm a lefty so I have the same problem when bench shooting pulling/jerking trigger.I get shots pulling to left(no wind) until I get settled down.Don't have that problem when X hairs on the deer :)


BTW - NC had a very good point on buying a range finder.I've used one in every deer stand on property to ck distance at key points.I then use perm black marker to annotate distance(s) on stand rail.When that deer walks out you have a very good idea how far he is - 50 or 300yrds.

Good Luck

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

Reloading is the Key to Accuracy. Fun too. :)

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

CBM SC, I think you bought a heck of a nice rifle and scope.
I think you are pushing yourself too hard & fast. Give yourself some time with this rifle. You will get it dialed in for 300-yards with a little more time on the range.

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

Strange that no one mentioned the scope on this problem. Everyone is talking about ammo. If you're on at 100 yds, 2" right at 200 yds, just catching the target at 250 and off it at 300 (on a 6" target). It may be possible that the scope is not mounted exactly correct and there is some slight canting of the crosshairs. This could easily throw your bullet either left or right.

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

I think your right !! I have been very impatient from deciding on a gun .....to scope.... to sighting it in !! I have went about all of it as hard/fast as I could !! I shot nearly 2 boxes of shells before I even thought about cleaning it ..........when my shoulder and eyes were tired........I kept on shooting anyway because I am trying to force it to group like I want !!

I will get back at it when I can and post the results !!

Thanks for all of the help you guys have given me...........I really appreciate it !! :D

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

Here is some balistics for the .270 WSM...;)
~~~~~~~~~
Name: .277 Cal, Hornady SST, 130 grn
Ballistic Coeff: 0.460
Bullet Weight: 130
Velocity: 3294
Target Distance: 300
Scope Height: 1.500
Temperature: 70
Altitude: 500
Ballistic Data
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Range Elevation Velocity Energy ETA Drop Max Y 10mph Wind Deflect
0 yds -1.50 in 3294 fps 3132 fpe 0.000 sec 0.00 in -1.50 in 0.00 in
25 yds -0.10 in 3240 fps 3030 fpe 0.023 sec 0.10 in -0.57 in 0.04 in
50 yds 1.10 in 3186 fps 2930 fpe 0.046 sec 0.41 in -0.50 in 0.16 in
75 yds 2.08 in 3134 fps 2834 fpe 0.070 sec 0.94 in -0.36 in 0.33 in
100 yds 2.84 in 3081 fps 2741 fpe 0.094 sec 1.68 in -0.17 in 0.57 in
125 yds 3.38 in 3030 fps 2650 fpe 0.119 sec 2.65 in 0.09 in 0.87 in
150 yds 3.68 in 2979 fps 2561 fpe 0.144 sec 3.86 in 0.40 in 1.26 in
175 yds 3.74 in 2929 fps 2476 fpe 0.169 sec 5.30 in 0.79 in 1.69 in
200 yds 3.54 in 2879 fps 2392 fpe 0.195 sec 7.01 in 1.24 in 2.22 in
225 yds 3.08 in 2830 fps 2311 fpe 0.221 sec 8.97 in 1.78 in 2.85 in
250 yds 2.34 in 2781 fps 2233 fpe 0.248 sec 11.22 in 2.39 in 3.56 in
275 yds 1.32 in 2733 fps 2156 fpe 0.275 sec 13.75 in 3.08 in 4.35 in
300 yds 0.00 in 2686 fps 2082 fpe 0.303 sec 16.57 in 3.86 in 5.24 in
325 yds -1.61 in 2638 fps 2009 fpe 0.331 sec 19.69 in 4.73 in 6.20 in
350 yds -3.53 in 2592 fps 1939 fpe 0.360 sec 23.11 in 5.69 in 7.24 in
375 yds -5.76 in 2546 fps 1871 fpe 0.389 sec 26.85 in 6.75 in 8.35 in
400 yds -8.31 in 2500 fps 1804 fpe 0.419 sec 30.90 in 7.91 in 9.54 in
425 yds -11.23 in 2455 fps 1740 fpe 0.449 sec 35.33 in 9.19 in 10.86 in
450 yds -14.48 in 2410 fps 1677 fpe 0.479 sec 40.08 in 10.57 in 12.25 in
475 yds -18.12 in 2366 fps 1616 fpe 0.511 sec 45.24 in 12.08 in 13.76 in
500 yds -22.18 in 2322 fps 1557 fpe 0.543 sec 50.80 in 13.72 in 15.40 in
525 yds -26.65 in 2279 fps 1499 fpe 0.576 sec 56.77 in 15.50 in 17.15 in
550 yds -31.55 in 2236 fps 1443 fpe 0.609 sec 63.18 in 17.42 in 19.02 in
575 yds -36.88 in 2194 fps 1389 fpe 0.643 sec 70.02 in 19.49 in 21.00 in
600 yds -42.66 in 2152 fps 1337 fpe 0.678 sec 77.30 in 21.72 in 23.09 in
625 yds -48.90 in 2110 fps 1285 fpe 0.713 sec 85.04 in 24.10 in 25.29 in
650 yds -55.59 in 2069 fps 1236 fpe 0.749 sec 93.24 in 26.64 in 27.58 in
675 yds -62.75 in 2029 fps 1188 fpe 0.785 sec 101.91 in 29.35 in 29.97 in
700 yds -70.61 in 1989 fps 1141 fpe 0.823 sec 111.28 in 32.30 in 32.61 in
725 yds -78.67 in 1948 fps 1096 fpe 0.860 sec 120.84 in 35.35 in 35.15 in
750 yds -87.41 in 1909 fps 1052 fpe 0.898 sec 131.08 in 38.63 in 37.91 in
775 yds -96.84 in 1870 fps 1010 fpe 0.938 sec 142.03 in 42.16 in 40.86 in
800 yds -106.99 in 1832 fps 969 fpe 0.979 sec 153.68 in 45.95 in 44.01 in
Moving Target Lead Data
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Range 5 Mph 10 Mph 15 Mph 20 Mph 25 Mph 30 Mph 35 Mph 40 Mph 45 Mph 50 Mph 55 Mph 60 Mph
0 yds 0.00 ft 0.00 ft 0.00 ft 0.00 ft 0.00 ft 0.00 ft 0.00 ft 0.00 ft 0.00 ft 0.00 ft 0.00 ft 0.00 ft
25 yds 0.17 ft 0.34 ft 0.51 ft 0.68 ft 0.84 ft 1.01 ft 1.18 ft 1.35 ft 1.52 ft 1.69 ft 1.86 ft 2.03 ft
50 yds 0.34 ft 0.68 ft 1.02 ft 1.36 ft 1.70 ft 2.04 ft 2.38 ft 2.72 ft 3.06 ft 3.40 ft 3.75 ft 4.09 ft
75 yds 0.51 ft 1.03 ft 1.54 ft 2.06 ft 2.57 ft 3.09 ft 3.60 ft 4.12 ft 4.63 ft 5.15 ft 5.66 ft 6.18 ft
100 yds 0.69 ft 1.38 ft 2.08 ft 2.77 ft 3.46 ft 4.15 ft 4.84 ft 5.53 ft 6.23 ft 6.92 ft 7.61 ft 8.30 ft
125 yds 0.87 ft 1.74 ft 2.61 ft 3.48 ft 4.36 ft 5.23 ft 6.10 ft 6.97 ft 7.84 ft 8.71 ft 9.58 ft 10.45 ft
150 yds 1.05 ft 2.11 ft 3.16 ft 4.22 ft 5.27 ft 6.33 ft 7.38 ft 8.43 ft 9.49 ft 10.54 ft 11.60 ft 12.65 ft
175 yds 1.24 ft 2.48 ft 3.72 ft 4.96 ft 6.20 ft 7.44 ft 8.68 ft 9.91 ft 11.15 ft 12.39 ft 13.63 ft 14.87 ft
200 yds 1.43 ft 2.86 ft 4.29 ft 5.71 ft 7.14 ft 8.57 ft 10.00 ft 11.43 ft 12.86 ft 14.28 ft 15.71 ft 17.14 ft
225 yds 1.62 ft 3.24 ft 4.86 ft 6.49 ft 8.11 ft 9.73 ft 11.35 ft 12.97 ft 14.59 ft 16.21 ft 17.83 ft 19.46 ft
250 yds 1.82 ft 3.64 ft 5.45 ft 7.27 ft 9.09 ft 10.91 ft 12.73 ft 14.54 ft 16.36 ft 18.18 ft 20.00 ft 21.81 ft
275 yds 2.02 ft 4.04 ft 6.05 ft 8.07 ft 10.09 ft 12.11 ft 14.13 ft 16.14 ft 18.16 ft 20.18 ft 22.20 ft 24.22 ft
300 yds 2.22 ft 4.44 ft 6.67 ft 8.89 ft 11.11 ft 13.33 ft 15.55 ft 17.77 ft 20.00 ft 22.22 ft 24.44 ft 26.66 ft
325 yds 2.43 ft 4.86 ft 7.29 ft 9.72 ft 12.14 ft 14.57 ft 17.00 ft 19.43 ft 21.86 ft 24.29 ft 26.72 ft 29.15 ft
350 yds 2.64 ft 5.28 ft 7.92 ft 10.56 ft 13.20 ft 15.83 ft 18.47 ft 21.11 ft 23.75 ft 26.39 ft 29.03 ft 31.67 ft
375 yds 2.85 ft 5.71 ft 8.56 ft 11.41 ft 14.26 ft 17.12 ft 19.97 ft 22.82 ft 25.67 ft 28.53 ft 31.38 ft 34.23 ft
400 yds 3.07 ft 6.14 ft 9.21 ft 12.28 ft 15.35 ft 18.41 ft 21.48 ft 24.55 ft 27.62 ft 30.69 ft 33.76 ft 36.83 ft
425 yds 3.29 ft 6.58 ft 9.87 ft 13.16 ft 16.46 ft 19.75 ft 23.04 ft 26.33 ft 29.62 ft 32.91 ft 36.20 ft 39.49 ft
450 yds 3.52 ft 7.03 ft 10.55 ft 14.06 ft 17.58 ft 21.09 ft 24.61 ft 28.13 ft 31.64 ft 35.16 ft 38.67 ft 42.19 ft
475 yds 3.75 ft 7.49 ft 11.24 ft 14.98 ft 18.73 ft 22.48 ft 26.22 ft 29.97 ft 33.71 ft 37.46 ft 41.20 ft 44.95 ft
500 yds 3.98 ft 7.96 ft 11.94 ft 15.92 ft 19.90 ft 23.89 ft 27.87 ft 31.85 ft 35.83 ft 39.81 ft 43.79 ft 47.77 ft
525 yds 4.22 ft 8.44 ft 12.66 ft 16.88 ft 21.11 ft 25.33 ft 29.55 ft 33.77 ft 37.99 ft 42.21 ft 46.43 ft 50.65 ft
550 yds 4.47 ft 8.93 ft 13.40 ft 17.86 ft 22.33 ft 26.80 ft 31.26 ft 35.73 ft 40.19 ft 44.66 ft 49.13 ft 53.59 ft
575 yds 4.72 ft 9.43 ft 14.15 ft 18.86 ft 23.58 ft 28.29 ft 33.01 ft 37.72 ft 42.44 ft 47.15 ft 51.87 ft 56.59 ft
600 yds 4.97 ft 9.94 ft 14.91 ft 19.88 ft 24.85 ft 29.82 ft 34.79 ft 39.76 ft 44.73 ft 49.69 ft 54.66 ft 59.63 ft
625 yds 5.23 ft 10.46 ft 15.68 ft 20.91 ft 26.14 ft 31.37 ft 36.59 ft 41.82 ft 47.05 ft 52.28 ft 57.51 ft 62.73 ft
650 yds 5.49 ft 10.98 ft 16.47 ft 21.96 ft 27.45 ft 32.94 ft 38.43 ft 43.92 ft 49.41 ft 54.90 ft 60.39 ft 65.89 ft
675 yds 5.76 ft 11.51 ft 17.27 ft 23.03 ft 28.79 ft 34.54 ft 40.30 ft 46.06 ft 51.81 ft 57.57 ft 63.33 ft 69.09 ft
700 yds 6.03 ft 12.07 ft 18.10 ft 24.14 ft 30.17 ft 36.20 ft 42.24 ft 48.27 ft 54.30 ft 60.34 ft 66.37 ft 72.41 ft
725 yds 6.31 ft 12.61 ft 18.92 ft 25.23 ft 31.53 ft 37.84 ft 44.15 ft 50.45 ft 56.76 ft 63.07 ft 69.37 ft 75.68 ft
750 yds 6.59 ft 13.18 ft 19.77 ft 26.35 ft 32.94 ft 39.53 ft 46.12 ft 52.71 ft 59.30 ft 65.89 ft 72.47 ft 79.06 ft
775 yds 6.88 ft 13.76 ft 20.64 ft 27.51 ft 34.39 ft 41.27 ft 48.15 ft 55.03 ft 61.91 ft 68.79 ft 75.67 ft 82.54 ft
800 yds 7.18 ft 14.35 ft 21.53 ft 28.71 ft 35.88 ft 43.06 ft 50.24 ft 57.41 ft 64.59 ft 71.77 ft 78.94 ft 86.12 ft

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

Well shot some more at 200 yards this weekend !! I was on a make shift table with a cheap vise !!

I am trying to sight in with Win.140 Supreme Accubond's but I picked up some Fed. 140 TBBC to try also (they would not group good with this gun)!!

The best I got with my rinky dink set up(vice and table)and Win 140's was 3 shot groups in the 2.5-3" range @200 !! When I was calm this was pretty repeatable !!

With my buddy's nice vice(set up on a nice bench)last weekend and Fed. 140 Accubond's/150 Fusions I had holes touching at 200 yards on many groups!!

So I am confused a little !! If I was referring to a bow.......I would call my set up right now "unforgiving" ...........if I do everything absolutely right it seems to shoot good at 200 ! But with even just a little bit of pulling I had shots off 6-8" @200 yards (which surprised me)!! My buddy's vice just wouldn't let you pull that bad.......but this is probably more realistic for in the field !!

I feel best about the Fed.Accubonds and Fusions..........I will try my next sessions with them !! Hopefully we'll get it figured out soon !!:eek::D

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

Just breathing and a slight flinch can cause you to be way off the mark at 300, not to mention wind
Just imagine how calm these fella's were when they squeezed the trigger and all the other factors that were involved.



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RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

Another factor I'm surprised no one has mentioned is letting your barrel cool down between groups. I had the same issue sighting in my .243 for 300 yards. After 10 rounds, the barrel would start to heat and it would start shooting low at 300 yards. After 30-40 rounds, it would be 2 - 3 inches low at 200 yards. It took a while to figure this out. With a cold barrel, I can hit a gallon of water at 300 yardsconsistently.

I'll shoot a 3-5 shot group, then let the barrel cool. I bring the 22lr to pass the time while the barrel cools. Never adjust your scope when shooting a hot barrel.

As mentioned in prior posts, correct breathing, trigger squeeze, and windcompensationare all key factors when shooting at 300+ yards.

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

I have been trying to let the barrel cool between groups !! Not sure how long you should wait ???

I have been shooting 3-6 shots and then wating 4-5 minutes .........the barrel feels slightly warm to the touch but not "hot" by any means !!

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

Look at it this way, MOA at 100 is 3 inches at 300, add in 6 inches of deflection with a 10 knot wind and your at 9 inches. Factor in mechanics and it would be very easy to completely miss at 300. I have a 270 WSM in the Ruger 77 MKII topped with a Nikon Prostaff 3x9. With the scope at 6x shooting winchester 150 gr pp's I'm on chicken shaped silhouettes at 200 like nobodies business, move past that and the heavy trigger pull puts me low/right just about every time. Shooting my 140 accubond handloads and 130 gr SST's or BT's and the gun is very accurate to 300 meters. The first thing is to get the trigger to a point where it's not a factor, then chronograph that load to find out exactly what it does in your gun. Then you can figure out what the ballistics really are. In my experience the values giving by the manufacturers are rarely what you see in the real world and should only be used as an estimate. Then comes the fun part, practice, practice and practice some more.

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

Do you shoot in Long Range Competition? Because if you shoot that well you need to. That group would win a lot of Long Range Benchrest matches. I'm not disputing your claim, I'm just wondering. My best 5 shot group with a dedicated BR gun at 600 yards off a concrete bench with bags is a little under 4 inches. I mean 1 7/8" at 660 yds is 5/16 MOA and then throw any wind in and that is awe inspiring.

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

CBM...Have you had the trigger adjusted?? If not, have a gunsmith take it down to 2 1/2 -3 pounds..

Also...with my gun, I shoot two shot groups, then let it cool, the 3rd shot will be high almost every time...

This all being said, the more you practice, the better you will get...I find that most guys really don't need to be shooting in a hunting situation much past 150 yards...

Once you get the gun sighted in, get off the bench, use a bipod, rest, whatever you will use in your deer stand and shoot that way...After all, it's more important how you shoot from a field position than from a bench...

One thing I like to do is put up a blank 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper, set it up horizontal (this is about the size of the lungs on a deer) and shoot at that, this lets you know if all your shots are in the kill zone...

Look at it this way...How long did it take you with a bow to keep all your arrows inside 3-4 inches at 30 yards???

Trust me, 300 yards in the field is a long shot, especially down South, most of our deer are not too far from a cutover or a swamp...When you get that opportunity, you need to be absolutely positive that you can put the deer down quickly....Its not like out West, where you can see the deer run off 100 yards or so after the shot...In over 40 years of deer hunting, I have only killed a handfull of deer at 250-300 yards, and our farms in eastern NC are large, and the land flat...I love to hunt soybean fields, but most deer are still killed in the 75-175 yard range...

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

NCH .......I have not had the trigger set yet......the Tikka is supposed to come in @3# so I thought I would just try it..... but it does not feel that light to me !!

Interesting about the 3 shot groups !! Because I am getting a lot......in fact mostly 2 very close or touching and one high/righta little .......or 2 close and one just high.......but mostly one high and slightly right after my first 2 shots !!

Thanks for all the advise!!

Also this gun is supposed to have a completely free floating barrel !! The owners manual says to check this by running a piece of paper around .5mm thick down the entire length of the barrel !! Well I can only get it about half way ........even with a thinner piece of paper........would you guys look into that......does it really matter.......what would you do ??? I bought the gun pretty far away so it's not like I can just run down the street and take it back !!

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

I have a tikka t3 lite stainless and i can run it almost all the way down. Try it with a dollar bill, its less still and might go a little smoother.

If you can literally only get it half way, i would bring it to a gunsmith just to see if they think its a problem (which they should beable to just look at it for free) and if they say yes, see what they would do for it, then call beretta and see what they say.

also, the trigger comes stock at 3.5 lbs (im pretty sure).

Its really easy to lower it, and i just did it last week and it feels a lot better, and it was pretty darn good to start out with!

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

A free floating barrel means just that. FREE FLOATED. It should have no contact all the way to the barrel lug. Is the lug bedded?

1 7/8's" at 660 yards with a bipod. Not even a tripod. Are you shooting off a hard surface? I live in Morgantown, WV. I have my own rifle range out to 540 yards. I would sure love to see someone shoot like that. Tom.

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

i have a savage model 110 30.06 with a bsa mil dot 4-16x40ir and i'm usingremington core-lokt 150gr. psp. and i'm having a very hard time sighting in. any advice? i'd like to get a 3" or less group at 200m

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

You have a Tikka in 270 WSM. But you failed to say what type and grain of the round. My statistics on a 140 grain Accubond shows that the wind drift will go from 2.2 inches at 200 yards to 5.5 inches at 300 yards given a 10 mph cross wind. It very well sounds like it could have been the cross wind at maybe more like 12 mph.

RE: Sighting in at 300 yards ??
 

CBM when you said you couldn't get a paper down more than part way of the barrel a light bulb went off in my head.
I bought a 25/06 tika t-3 and couldn't get it to shoot very good sometimes it would shoot fair and sometimes it would shoot not at all even at 100 yds.I thought that something was wrong with the crown the way it was acting with different gr bullets.
I sent it back they didn't say what was wrong with it and I couldn't tell they had done anything to it but now it really shoots.
reading your post I remembered that I had tried to get a dollar bill down barrel to check the floating and it wouldn't go but a little more than half way.I just went and checked mine again and now I can slide a dollar bill all the way down.So now I am thinking that was the problem instead of the crown????
All I know is that it has shot a lot of one hole groups since I got it back.
I got a 308 in the t-3 varmit and it was shooting some one hole groups soon as I got the scope set.
Also I have a 270 wsm in browning stalker and after 2 shots it is too hot to shoot untill it cools a few minutes.
I shoot at a range one to three times a week and 300 yds is a long way,it takes practice some days I shoot some very tiny groups and some days I am all over the paper.
tater19,I would try another brand and bullet in your savage,some guns just don't like certain bullets or loads.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/owensby/tikkaaccbond222333.jpg?t=1169953281