Fun times in Rat Patch, SD this week

[204Luver]

Great times and challenging shooting with my son this week in SD. Best shot with my .204 was a cold-barrel, one-shot-kill at 313 yds with a good breeze. Longest was a second-shot kill at 415 yds that required 4 MoA up and 4 MoA left. The power ("terminal performance" ) of the .204 32-gr. V-Max or Z-Max is quite impressive. The hydrostatic shock sends some flying througgh the air, blows others to pieces. The farmers like seeing us show up even if the squirrels don't. It's a great way to learn how to be a long-shooter.

I gladly give up FFP to get the super-fine MOART reticle.

[bloc]

Congratulations. I sure do understand what you mean about good practice for long distance shooting! Small targets, long range and breeze make for lots of (in my case) trial-and-error!

We're going to Klamath Falls tomorrow for a couple of days shooting ground squirrels. It will be our second trip this year, our first having happened about a month ago.

On that trip, precious few of our shots were within 150 yards, and most were beyond 200. It was very challenging because of a gusty breeze and the small size of the many very young squirrel pups. So we didn't hit a super high percentage of our targets, but certainly hit enough to make the trip worthwhile. My shooting partner hit one at 400 yards and I hit several at a bit over 300. I was adjusting 3 or 4 MOA for windage.

We used Savage FCVs loaded with 39 grain SierraBKs and 27.5 grains of Varget. I'm getting right at 3800 fps with that, which is really nice with a high BC bullet. We also took .223s and scored okay with them too.

[jsh]

Got out this past week myself with the crew.
Just got going last year with the 204. I chased around some loads, came up with accuracy loads for a CZ and a Savage that both of them liked. The CZ has the better glass and performed over the savage by a fair bit. I was really happy and amazed at how the 32 gr Vmax performed in the wind, my loads and some Fiocchi.
I only switched to the 40's when the wind and mirage got bad.

Couldnt seem to get the other three up an at'm early. I would have liked to have been in the field an hour earlier. None the less a super time was had by all of us!

Stretched the legs on the 17 Remington, I do believe I have a winner. Since again this was a brand new rig for me. First shot cold at 375 second morning was a splat. 20's were used for a while mostly inside of 300. This particular town was smack in the middle of some cactus with tall grass all around. A very tough one to shoot flat as a pancake.

I do believe I am going to add a fair amount of weight to my savage 204, use the CZ for a walking rig.
Jeff

[Rick in Oregon]

204Luver: Looks like fun to me, thanks for sharing the adventure.

BTW, that last shot of Skippy's head is priceless!

[204Luver]

Thanks, Rick. Had one barking at us like crazy from about 75 yds, with just his head out of the hole. Prefer more challenging shots but needed to shut him up. The shot blew him down into his hole but then something came flying out and landed 8' away. Walked out with my camera and found that shot.

We're only going to make one big change for next time, and that will be marine compassess on each table. My son and I love to spot for each other almost as much as we like to shoot (watching those fast rounds fly to the target is cool!), but we waste huge amounts of time trying to communicate target location, and even then often end up saying, "Dang, I was watching the wrong one." I said, NEXT TIME we're bringing two marine compasses! I just ordered them, a Ritchie brand with nice "aiming indicators." They should make things much more fun, if that is possible!

[Rick in Oregon]

204Luver: Yep, it's annoying when one of the little buggers harasses you from a nearby burrow. Our fix for that sort of malfeasance is 22LR pistols, but it appears you also had a good "fix" for the problem also. Great photo op for sure!

Those marine compasses should work well. We just use the old "right under the third fence post, 25 yards in" sort of direction, but on the open range or prairie, it's tough to find any references on the horizon. The compass thing may just be the trick. More than one rat has been left safe because the shooter could not follow the verbal directions from the spotter. This must be stopped!

Good luck on the next trip out, let us know how the new system worked out, and by all means......remember to take your camera.

[hemiallen]

Nice "head shot" image, it looks like he has both cheeks full of Alfalfa, lol

How fast are you pushing the 32 grain bullets with the XBR powder? I have some, but haven't done any loading with it, yet.

I also have one of the shooting benches like your 2, haven't given it much range time, and it looks like you have what I dislike, too short of a top. I hate having my trigger elbow unsupported. I need to give it one more try before sending it down the road.

Great report and images, Congrats on you and your son getting "bonding in the field time"

Allen

[204Luver]

Thanks, Allen. They are about 3,900. My trigger hand is well supported, my son's, too, usually, though he was unsupported in the photo. At first the short tabletop drove me nuts, but now I shoot across it, diagnally, and use the Caldwell bag instead of a bipod. That way I have room for great support for' and aft'. (See what the marine compasses are doing? ) My only complaint is that with any portable, the table (and you) get blown around a bit in a good breeze, and the table moves in recoil more than a good, solid bench at the range. However, two of them do not take up much room, don't weigh much (for those times we are forced to pack them a couple hundred yards) and they swivel 360 degrees. I have grown to really like them.

[204Luver]

Here's what I ordered, 2 of these:



I've used marine compasses a lot, just never for anything except steering a boat. I knew I wanted a marine compass so the whole dial floats, not just a needle. And with this one the red "aiming" indicators should work great for getting an azimuth on a particular Skippy. Also, marines are made to work even with a pitching, listing boat, so if the tabletop is sloped from uneven ground it will not matter.

Unfortunately we won't get to try them until later in the year, but you can bet I'm counting the days!

[Rick in Oregon]

Unfortunately we won't get to try them until later in the year, but you can bet I'm counting the days!

Well then, seems like a logical decision to me. When you're able to get back out again, we'll expect a full rat report with emphasis on how the new compass system worked out in the field. You may have started something here......

[204Luver]

Will do, Rick. I'm thinking all we will have to do is align the red lines on each compass so that axis is parallel to the barrel beside it, which is to say, scope. All we need to do is to get pretty close. Then I spot a rat that needs attention with my scope, see what my compass dial reads (say, 255 degrees) and then give that azimuth and the approx. range to my son. He will then spin his table until his compass reads 255, look thru his scope at low power and VOILA!, Skippy should be right there.

We should be able to do the same thing with the binoc's, by simply spinning the table until the binoc's are looking right over the barrel of the rifle, or at least parallel to it.

Gee, I dunno, I may have to make another trip to S.D. soon just to try it out, before it gets too hot on the prairie.

[skipper]

Hey, congratulations! I do believe you have discovered Coastal Piloting with the compasses. You should try a handheld compass with sighting marks for easy bearing identification. Then refer to your range finder to determine the distance. This is how sailors can plot themselves on nautical charts by using the reciprocal bearings from known landmarks on the coast. Very precise. I didn't get my nickname for nothing. Next thing I'll find out is that you guys are calculating sight reductions from sextants.

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[Bill K]

Skipper a good Old Salt trick. Handy and pretty darn quick. Bill K