Tom Sarver has entered the ranks of the Immortals. Shooting at the Thunder Valley (Ohio) Range on July 7th, Tom nailed a truly spectacular 1.403″ 5-shot group at 1000 yards. This represents a new IBS Light Gun group-size record that edges Rich DeSimone’s 1.564″, previously thought “untouchable.†What is even more amazing is that the group was centered, producing a 50-score with 5 Xs. That will be a new IBS Score record as well.


Tom was shooting a big 30 wildcat he calls the “300 Hulkâ€. We’ve been told this is a shortened 338 Lapua Magnum necked down to 30 caliber, pushing 240gr Sierra MatchKings (0.711 BC) at close to 3000 fps. After the record Group/Score target on Relay One of Match 7 in the Ohio 1000-yard series, Tom added a 6″ group that secured the Light Gun class victory

Holy Jesus I wish I could do that at way less than half the distance. Nice shooting Tom!

For anyone who does 1000 yard shooting, how do you make sure your groups are in the middle? I'm assuming theres really nothing that could see bullet holes that far. Do you just sight in and record your scope settings?

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I'm assuming theres really nothing that could see bullet holes that far.

Closed circuit TV.

Wow thats gettin high tech...how did they do it before electronics?

Actually no TV. You primarily try for small group and if they land in the X ring so much the better. They do not see their bullet holes. You shoot as fast as you can before the wind conditions change.
Butch

That's nothing short of amazing.

Tom doesn't live too far from me and I've met him on several occasions. He spends time promoting long range shooting at some of the local sporting shows where he exhibits some of his rifles. Unfortunately we live in a small rural area and they've just started, in the last few years, trying to put together a worth while event. He has his own 1000yd range in Plainfield that has the drawn attention of some pretty good shooters worldwide. He's a heck of a nice guy and well deserving of the record. They ran an article in the local paper about his exploits when he broke them.
Here's a link to his site.
Thunder Valley Rifle Club

Way to go Tom!

That is amazing!!

What scope did he use and what size squre is it on the target?

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For anyone who does 1000 yard shooting, how do you make sure your groups are in the middle? I'm assuming theres really nothing that could see bullet holes that far. Do you just sight in and record your scope settings?

In the FCSA matches that I shoot, the ranges have pits. The targets are on a frame that is pulled down by a target puller each shot. At the start of a relay we have up to 10 minutes of an unlimited number of "sighter rounds." I usually take 3 to 5. The full 10 minutes for this is rarely used. As the sighter rounds are being fired, the puller pulls the target after every shot, and marks the hole with a 3" orange spotter disk. As the sighter rounds are fired, the disk is moved to follow, and the previous holes are patched.
The Range Master then declares that the five "record rounds" will now be fired. The 1rst record round gets a 3" sighter disk. As the 5 record rounds are fired, the 3" disk moves, shot to shot, and the previous rounds are then marked with a 1.5" spotter disk. It really is a different shooting experience, watching your group develop at 1000 yards, right there, plain as day.
Most any other sanctioned long range match would be done in a similar fashion.

goneballistic, that's the way most "Longrange Highpower" matches are run. Very few 1000 yd. BR matches (like the one in this thread) have the luxury of pits or pit crews.

At least the BR shooters have enough sense not to lay "in the dirt" to shoot. Ha Ha!

There is no pits at Tom's range.I helped him work on it a few years ago when I first retired.

He uses a Nightforce scope and says he can see where he hits on the target most of the time.

He was a marine sniper when he was in the service and it one hell of a shot!

muskrat

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Originally posted by eddieharren:
At least the BR shooters have enough sense not to lay "in the dirt" to shoot. Ha Ha!

At least the HP shooters have enough sense not to get excited about 5 shot tiny groups.

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Originally posted by Bart B.:

quote:

Originally posted by eddieharren:
At least the BR shooters have enough sense not to lay "in the dirt" to shoot. Ha Ha!

At least the HP shooters have enough sense not to get excited about 5 shot tiny groups.

Boy, some guys are a touch sensitive. How many pages back did you go to dig this thread up and throw your two cents in... I think he may have just been kidding around a bit, don't you?

BartB, good to see you back. I've missed your witty musings. I see your sensitive skin is still intact.
Did you get a chance to go and shoot some groups with Bob Beyer? If so I'm dying to see the results.
As always, Eddie.