OzFclass

The inaugural event at the new Coonabarabran Range is an invitation Match Rifle and Long Range F Class (Open) event on Sunday 25 and Monday 26th April.

Event will consist of 15 shots at 1000, 1200 and 1500 yards on the Sunday and 1100, 1200 and 1500 yards on the Monday (Public Holiday). The two 1500 yards shoots will be a separate Aggregate to the Grand Agg.

For an invite email to info@matchrifle.org

Please note only rifles that meet Match Rifle and F Class Open (i.e. up to 8mm) are permitted.

This will be the first time 1500 yards has been shot in Australia so it will be learning experience for everyone! The program has been designed with additional sighters to allow people time to get elevations. Range will be open on the Saturday afternoon to allow a few test shots at 1000 and if time permits 1500 to get an idea of elevations.

If you want any further info, contact me through the info@matchrifle.org email address.

Regards

Philip.

bainp wrote:The inaugural event at the new Coonabarabran Range is an invitation Match Rifle and Long Range F Class (Open) event on Sunday 25 and Monday 26th April.

Event will consist of 15 shots at 1000, 1200 and 1500 yards on the Sunday and 1100, 1200 and 1500 yards on the Monday (Public Holiday). The two 1500 yards shoots will be a separate Aggregate to the Grand Agg.

For an invite email to info@matchrifle.org

Please note only rifles that meet Match Rifle and F Class Open (i.e. up to 8mm) are permitted.

This will be the first time 1500 yards has been shot in Australia so it will be learning experience for everyone! The program has been designed with additional sighters to allow people time to get elevations. Range will be open on the Saturday afternoon to allow a few test shots at 1000 and if time permits 1500 to get an idea of elevations.

If you want any further info, contact me through the info@matchrifle.org email address.

Regards

Philip.

1500 yards!!!

And: 1500 yards!!!!

That rules out the 308 winchester....

Woody_rod wrote:1500 yards!!!

And: 1500 yards!!!!

That rules out the 308 winchester....

Why?

They've done 2200 yards in Britain with a .308 match rifle.

johnk wrote:They've done 2200 yards in Britain with a .308 match rifle.

Hmmm... I calculated (based on MV 2800fps with a 0.63BC projectile) that velocity at 2200yd would be about 400 fps, and more importantly, angle of descent would be at a gradient of 1 in 4! And a 1% variation in BC would incur over 9 feet elevation spread! So when you say "they've done 2200yd" John, what exactly did they do?

Alan

Martin Brown, a Scot Match Rifle shooter fired his stage at one of these extreme ranges in Scotland (not sure if it was 2200 yards or longer) and 5 of the 10 shots he fired could fit under his hand span. I believe he was using 200 gn Sierras 308W case. There was an article and photograph in the Target Rifle (Australia) magazine about this some years ago which was a reprint from the NRA of GB Target Magazine. Even if we have some problems in shooting this distance I think it will be fun trying.

Regards - Phil

I was wrong on the maximunm distances - short actually. Here's the link (last two paragraps):

http://www.gbmrt.org.uk/history.asp

Very interesting. I've been trying to ensure a load that'll be supersonic at 1500!

It doesn't have to be supersonic - just capable of traversing the sonic zone with elegance. In 30 calibre, it's been found that the Sierra match kings 190 to 240 grains (except the 210) do that very well.

Thirty calibre VLDs don't manage the sonic wave particularly well & need to stay well back in the transonic zone for good 1200 yard results. It's speculated that this is as a consequence of the long hollow tip causing imbalance or being less tolrant of buffeting, but who knows? However, I suspect that smaller calibre VLDs will have the same issue.

John, you took the words out of my mouth.
I normally use 210 VLD's to 1200 yards but now looking for a load with Sierra 200's and 220's for 1500 yds. Not sure if the 220's are stabilised properly in my barrel as about 1 in 5 of the shots are out of group, so not sure yet if I just dont have the load quite sorted out or some other factor coming into play.

Thank you Johnk for the link, it seems remarkable that they could achieve those results with what would be cast lead projectiles which would restrict velocity? Would be interesting to know the original calibre, projectile weight and barrel length/twist.Also just how much "kick" the rifle had assuming it probably was .45+ calibre.
While on this thread, what twist would be needed in .308 to stabilize the 220gr and 240gr Sierra's?, and I also saw awhile back that there are two choices[?] in the 240gr's.
Ray.

Ray,

My first match rifle barrel was a real dog, never got normal velocities, never really grouped, but shot best with 220s. It was a 10 twist. A few of the Queenslanders shot them back around the 2003 Tassie nationals & a tad later in their 10 twists & shot as well as anybody. Since then, though, the world has passed on & we've got smarter loading. A week or two ago, one of the aforementioned ran some of the 220s he still had & frankly, they weren't up to it - didn't shoot any better than they did back then.

Wilf Wright has been playing around with 220s & 240s in between carveups & says that they are showing promise in 8 twist.

I guess that if I planned to shoot them, that's what I'd go for, but one memory that stays with me is the neuralgia I had from my cheek to my hip for weeks after I shot those misbegotten 220s in a TR plus scope weight rifle in Tasmania in 2003. The older I get, the more attractive rat guns & 6BRs look.

John

Hi guys sorry to hi jack the thread but it looks like a few match rifle shooters here that maybe can help me out, just new to match rifle myself so am chasing any good and fair dinkum info. In regards to reloading in winchester cases i have been told that if the throat is too short the pressure will rise and velocity drops and that you need to extend the throat to improve position of the projectile so my question is how do you effectivley extend the throat and to what dimensions??? This is if what i have been told is correct!

Cheers

Tas where do we start.. Welcome to the match rifle challenge , new blood is allways needed . First up if you are going to shoot heavy pills 190 to 210 a 1 in 10 twist , 220 to 240 1 in 9 & 1 in 8 Forget winchester brass, after all the case prep and to get 1 to 2 firings is a waste of time and money , due to the high pressures the primer pockets expand. Lapua brass only Seating projectiles base of pill level with neck to shoulder junction or a bit lower. so if using 208 amax or 210s there is a lot of pill sticking out hence a long throat . The best way to get the dimensions as you call it is to make up a dumby round and get the throat cut to suit. in saying that 155 hbc will do the job . i shot 50 / 9 at 1000 today but at 1100 & 1200 you have got to on top of the conditions miss a slight change it will cart them from 1 side to the other.. Ratshot.....

Thanks ratshot, the reason i am querying is that i have a new MAB 1:10 cut barrel chambered for 210gn, using 208gn Amax in winchester case with 49grn of 2209 set at 15 thou jump with federal magnum primers and only achieving 2547 fps have tried with different primers and even 2208 it is still low velocity which is confusing, am going to try different jumps of 10 and 5 thou but am not sure if i am heading in the right direction

Cheers

Tas
Re extending the throat in your match rifle, your gunsmith should have a throating reamer. This is used to advance the throat to an amount that you specify. What I do is set up a dummy round using the projectile that I intend using for that barrel. I usually seat the parallel section of the projectile 3mm (to max of 4mm) into the neck of the case. I ask the gunsmith to ream the throat to suit this dummy round so that the projectile in the dummy round is just touching the lands.

As I've discovered through extensive testing with various amounts of jump, Sierra 210 grain and AMAX 208 grain projectiles shoot best when touching the lands. The 3-4mm of parallel of the projectile in the neck provides ample allowance for throat wear over the life of the barrel. With use the throat will erode forward but still allow plenty of hold on the projectile by the neck of the case.

Your 49.0 grains of 2209 is getting close to the mark but once you have moved the throat forward you should be able to fit up to 49.7 or 49.8 grains in. I have found that magnum primers are not necessarily required although some use them. I use CCI 200 primers.

When using 208 or 210s, 2650 fps is more than adequate to retain supersonic velocities at 1200 yards.I've had great success with loads similar to this however some others use Vihtavuori 550 which will give you at least another 100 fps velocity but my experience with it is that it is not as consistent as 2209.

Regards

Phil