Short Siberia Load Development Questions...

[TattooedGun]

Okay, So I have a lane booked on Saturday Afternoon on Short Siberia (with my gf's mom) and I was wondering if anyone can help me out.

I have only ever shot at the clay range and the zero range at Bisley, and whilst its obvious that targets 8ft wide would be provided on the larger ranges... what targets are used on Short Siberia?

i am looking to do load development for 308, and I'm not sure how to target them? (its TR so open sights makes it a little more difficult to line up the sights on a dot like optics)...

Does anyone have any advice to share on how i can develop my loads, find out what grouping is best from which selection of rounds I have produced?

we will be doing the same course of fire over 2 rifles, to find out which ammo combination works best for which rifle so i can tailor further rounds to suit!

any tips/tricks/advice about the range, targets, loads, and course of fire would be very much appreciated! (and if anyones around, come say hi! I'll have a red RPA Ranger and an arm full of tattooes looking very confused as to why I can't get my rifle to group )

[ovenpaa]

Have you loaded the ammunition for your trip to SS yet? My method is ladder loading and I would say get a marker you can see nicely with open sights, and a good rest to shoot off to take a couple of variables out of the equation. Ideally get on one of the benches as well so you get a very robust platform.

When I am shooting a ladder load I get the Viking to mark the shots at the other end with a line to the number of the shot (The line means I dont shoot out previous numbers) We communicate by radio as well during the session. I also shoot a couple of shots first just to get everything warmed up and ready to go.

[TattooedGun]

ahh, That makes sense...

I guess with a scope its easier to line the rifle up on different small targets all on one sheet for different loads...

i think from my little experience, it'll be harder and a Bigger target to aim at to shoot at 100yards with open sights :(

it'll need alot of black - w3hich may make marking on the shots hard...

also, I don't have a radio to use with butts :(

I'm so ill prepared :(

i also dont have a chrono, which will make ranging for longer distances harder :/

can't help but think I've bitten off more than i can chew...

surely its as simple as shooting at the target and seeing where it goes! :-(

[Christel]

I could be totally wrong here but is it not possible to borrow radios from the range office?

If not and you are going past our house on the way to Bisley you are more than welcome to borrow ours.

[ovenpaa]

A standard 100 yard target should be on the frame when you get to SS so you should be OK with that. You will get patches and an orange marker when you sign in and pay at the range office, if you don’t then ask for some. One thing to watch out for is SS is not 100 yards, from memory off the benches is either 107 or 114 yards, Dangermouse knows the number off by heart! :lol:

If you give me your load details I can crunch it and give you an reasonable approximation for the MV and drops to 1000 yards and you can confirm this on the zero range as well. Why not come and join us at McQueen, I am sure someone will have a Chrono.

[TattooedGun]

christel - I have no idea, and thats very kind of you to offer :)

ovenpaa - we will probably be lying down prone if its possible.. need to grab a couple ofbag to rest the rifle on to... never really done much resting, but i really need totake "me" out of the equation!

Thanks for the heads up on distance though, should come in useful.

Right, load:

federal primer
45gr, 46gr, 47gr, 48gr, 49gr - Hogden Varget powder
Sierra 155gr Match 2155 Matchking Bullets

And there will be deep seated (I don't have a vernier caliper at the moment) and one will be slightly shallower seated (If that makes a diff to range performance (which i'm guessing it might!)...

[Christel]

We are near Milton Keynes, going past that?

....just been informed that radios are for talking to the butt person...

[ovenpaa]

Just one question... How do you know the OAL if you do not have a method of measuring the finished rounds?

[Dangermouse]

RE shooting from the benches,

I have shot from them twice now in recent weeks and after the last session realised that I would have been much better if I had shot from prone - which is my normal position anyway.
The problem is that as good as the benches are, the seats are useless. They are not adjustable, the wrong hight and in poor condition. If you are lucky to get one you may well end up in a strange unnatural position, straining to get your act together.

The benches are at 114 yards - just to confuse matters, even the prone firing point is beyond 100 yards.

Looks like rain at the weekend so take waterproofs. Mobile phones are patchy at best on SS, so don't be relying on them for communication.

Good luck,

DM

[TattooedGun]

Just one question... How do you know the OAL if you do not have a method of measuring the finished rounds?

Err, pass! - I don't!

I followed the instructions from what the redding dies said - mixed with a bit of what you said, and also a bit of what came natural...

the first batch of 30 i did i think are seated a bit far in (compared side by side with some old factory rounds I have)... but they should still be fine, I did 30 like that so they were consistent for load testing...

I'm also going to make another 30 with OAL as close to 2.800" as possible - but I need to borrow a vernier caliper from someone - hopefully my brother has one!

RE shooting from the benches,

I have shot from them twice now in recent weeks and after the last session realised that I would have been much better if I had shot from prone - which is my normal position anyway.
The problem is that as good as the benches are, the seats are useless. They are not adjustable, the wrong hight and in poor condition. If you are lucky to get one you may well end up in a strange unnatural position, straining to get your act together.

The benches are at 114 yards - just to confuse matters, even the prone firing point is beyond 100 yards.

Looks like rain at the weekend so take waterproofs. Mobile phones are patchy at best on SS, so don't be relying on them for communication.

Good luck,

DM

Hmm, over 100 yards is not ideal, but it'll give me a great benchmark for the MOA spread of my groups... (100 dead on would be better, but its close enough)

Thanks for the tips :)

I don't own any benchrest gear so i'll have to try and make do with some makeshift bags to rest rifles on, but I'll do it from prone and it should be a bit easier for me :)

We are near Milton Keynes, going past that?

....just been informed that radios are for talking to the butt person...

Unfortunately not really that close to Milton Keynes...

going down M40, not the M1 :-(

thanks for the offer though, I'm sure I'll sort something out!