[David Mark 2,452]

Took some time last night and blew up 15 12" black balloon swith my shop compressor. Stuffed them into Hefty bags and threw them into the back of my truck for the range today.

 

The club where I shoot has a 500m range that has berms at 100m,200m and 300m as well as the 500m. Got there half an hour before shooting may begin and drove down range to place five balloons at the 500m, five at 300m and the last 5 @200m along with some 12' paper targets at the 200m.

 

Shot the Saiga .223 at the paper at 200 to confirm it was sighted in. I am running a Burris Fullfield II with ballistic plex mounted on a Texas Dog leg rail. I was getting nice groups at 200 so I decided to move my point of aim to the balloons at 300m. Using the ballistic plex and the proper hash mark in the plex the balloons at 300m were promptly dispatched.

 

Ok, time to move point of aim to the 500m balloons. This was my first time shooting this gun at the 500m range and I was not expecting much. Second round and balloon number one disappears! I'm thinking, holy shit.

 

Using Remington UMC 55 grain right out of the box and in twoshots I take out a 12" balloon at 500m!

 

I was feeling pretty proud of myself until it took the rest of that 30 rnd mag and half of another to pop the other four.

 

This was a fun experiment and proves to me that these rifles are probably more accurate than many would have us believe. While I never expect to take a 500m shot at anything other than balloons with this rifle I learned that it can be done. Even by an amateur like me.

 

Also ran all three of my Hungarian 20 rounders and a couple of comm block thirty rounder through my new 7.62 with out so much as a hiccup. Popped the four remaining balloons on the 200m range with those using iron sights and Wolf ammo. Surprisingly good cheek weld on the Ace folder. Definitely better that I expected.

 

Had the whole place to myself the entire time.

Edited May 6, 2010 by DaveM

[mav 459]

Sounds like a great time Dave, both entertaining and educational!

[kresk 10,063]

Fun experience no doubt!

[Klassy Kalashnikov 1,393]

Awesome shooting man! 500m is impressive.

[Paulyski 2,227]

Nice shooting!

[superA 289]

Great job.

[kdbutler 563]

Nice!

 

You said you were using an AR right? j/k

[Garys4598 1,065]

500 meters = 546.8 yards.

 

Assuming the round was FMJ, at 55 grains your bullet drop (with no cross wind) at 500 yards should have been approximately -53 inches from center of the target (e.g., the 12" balloon).

 

What was your point of aim? The top of the burm behind the target stand?

[David Mark 2,452]

What was your point of aim? The top of the burm behind the target stand?

 

Hi Gary,

The rounds were FMJ and the wind was calm.

The target stand is at the end of the range with about a twenty foot berm/hillside behind it.

I just followed the the guidelines offered by the Burris scope.

[bohound 281]

I did similar this past weekend... Doing a little mid range with the hubby's FAL, and decided, what the hell? I pulled out Marion, my S-223. Used Federal 55 grain FMJ, and knocked over the pepper popper (4ft high) at 400. I was suprised the .223 had the kinetic energy to do it!

 

Suprisingly enough, I did this with an EOTech. Point of aim just below the bottom of the reticle. Negligible wind (0-3mph from 5 o'clock). All the AR guys were really suprised. These things are about as accurate as your eyes!

Edited May 6, 2010 by bohound

[patriot 7,197]

raw eggs at 200yds are fun too. Cheap targets, and nothing to clean up.

If you're using your 50BMG, 1gal-5gal sealed buckets upside down full of water @ 1000yds are a BLAST!

[Garys4598 1,065]

All I can say is. . . I'm bloody jealous!

 

The range I shoot at only goes out to 300 yards.

 

 

[patriot 7,197]

...so shoot smaller targets. Aside from wind doping and drop calculation, the skills are the same. A 12" circle @ 500M is a 7.2" circle @ 300M.

An egg is a damned difficult target at 200 yards, especially lying in the grass.

 

Most of my shooting is at 3-gun matches (SASS) 75yds or less. I do enjoy going out for a bit of long range once in awhile.