Just go back last week from the biannual prairie god trek to S. Dakota.
I brought just three rifles. My "deer gun"-a Rem 700 25-06 factory stock shooting 75 gr V-max 1/2"@100 yards, a custom 6-284(.268 neck)on a Rem 700 short action. This rifle has a 30" Lilja barrel(1:8 twist) and shoots 107 gr Sierra MK's @ 3540fps. Group size so far hasn't been all that promising- just 3/4"@ 200 yards. And last(but not least) was my coveted AR15. This beauty wears a 1-13 twist Krieger barrel chambered by Frank White of Compass Lake. Most everthing else on the gun came from Brownells. Trigger is a Jard single stage w/ a 1.5 lb pull.
The first day was really windy-sustained speeds of 35mph w/ gusts to 45. Shot to kill percentages were fairly low. Most shots were taken w/ the AR so I could see bullet impact and adjust. Found out what the wind could do toa bullet at not so long range. W/ the wind coming from right to left, it seemed to pick the bullet up, so impact was a lot higher than I was thinking it should be. Something to do w/ the rotation of the bullet cutting into the wind.
Anyway, the long shot was a 2-shot kill at a lasered 350 yards w/ the 6-284. Not real spectacular but the wind blew the bullet over 12".
The rest of the week got progressively better. The AR15 turned out to be the star of the show. It shot 1/4" groups @ 100yards w/ 28.5 gr H335 and 40 gr. moly Ballistic tips to 3800 fps before we left. Out to 225 yards w/ a moderate breeze , she was super deadly 90% of the time. Sometimes ti would take several shot to get the windage dialed on to my turrets, but after that she was money almost every time. Most dogs taken were the juvenile dogs that weren't all that sharp. if at all possible, I would shoot the adult first. All the little seemed confused and ran around the mound looking for an escape route, or somtimes they would just walk over and sniff their deceased sibling. The 40 gr baltips were very explosive even at that range. Sometimes all I had to shoot at was a head-but it was enough.
One day the 6-284 really reached out there w/ a shot at 700-750 yards. It took me 4 shots to figure out where to hold w/ the 10mph breeze.
Over the 5-day shoot, I burned up over 1100 rounds of .223, 50 rounds of 6/284 and 100 rounds of 25-06. W/ a conservative estimate of 80% thats one hell of a lot of dogs that won't be spreading monkey pox. Had a great time along w/ my dad and brother. Its fairly expensive for a guy who live on plumbers wages and supports 4 children and a wife, every 2 years is all I can afford- but I can hardly wait.

Good report.

That's basically the same sort of wind that I experienced near Winner, SD.

Seemed like 40mph also. The Kestrel meter showed wind at 18mph. The Atrag2 ballistics program on my hand held recommended 3.2 moa of windage or about 9.6 inches at 300 yards, with the 100 grain 6.5 Sierra 100 grain Varmint HP.

300 was about the limit for that bullet.

D.

[ 07-12-2003, 22:41: Message edited by: DMCI* ]

Carverelli: I am glad you had a good time and congrats on that long shot! Wow!
I wish the weather had been more conducive to pleasant shooting but we all know we can't control the weather!
I am often AMAZED at how well those slam bangers can shoot! I once saw my friend and Varminting partner shoot a 5 shot 200 yard group with his AR-15 clone right at .500"! I was stunned! I had shot along side this Rifle a couple of years before I saw that demonstration at the range and it put an end to the thought in the back of my mind "oh he's just lucky on those long shots at Prairie Dogs! No luck about it that gun was just more accurate than I thought it could be!
Live and learn.
Keep after em!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy