will hold up to the recoil and give you an outstanding mil-dot reticle.

For a little over $400, you could grab a Vortex Viper. It gives you a BDC reticle and a stellar reputation for an outstanding scope. Dont forget to pick up some quality scope rings either. 1. If youre not, quite, up to a .338 Lapua lifestyle, you can make do with the poor mans version the .325 WSM, which should be accurate if you want to push it out to 1200 1300 meters or so. It has similar pressures, and Savage makes several with muzzle brakes starting at around $900

Long Range Hunting Rifle On A Budget

By Jerry Teo So, you are interested in building a long range hunting rifle but are intimidated by the cost of some of the custom rigs that are built by members of this board. I would like to share with you my experiences over the last 10 years in building economical hunting rifles that shoot very well out to a mile. First off, let's define a few parameters in what is a long range hunting rifle so that we know when we get there. A long range hunting rifle is not just the part that makes noise and launches lead. It is a package of optics, rifle, ammo and rests that allow a hunter to engage game accurately at very long distances. In its essence, long range hunting is about spotting your quarry at extended distances, determining its range to within a few yards, adjusting a scope to compensate for distance and ambient conditions, seeing clearly enough to aim precisely. It is also about a hunting rifle accurate enough to hit that game first shot from a cold barrel, a bullet designed to create a fatal wound at distance, and a shooter capable of making it happen under field conditions. Because of all the items needed to achieve this, long range hunting is not a cheap sport but let's see how we can make it more affordable. Quote: Publisher's Note: For a different approach to a long range hunting rifle, see my own rifle site for a fully custom, ready-to-ship long range hunting rifle from me: Long Range Rifles, LLC -- by Len Backus Optics: Let's just cover the basics as this topic can cover volumes of info and choices. You will need a pair of binoculars for general glassing. A spotting scope is useful once you have located the game, especially if determining horn structure is important. In my area, certain animals must wear so many points to be legal so being able to count these at long range is critical. For this, the most economical glass I have found that works are made by Nikon. I personally use the Monarch ATB 8X42 roof prism binos for walkabout glassing, the Action Extreme ATB 12X60 for long range glassing (make sure it is the extreme line as there are some much lower grades with the Action brand that don't really have the optics to work), and the XL 15-45

spotting scope. All are blessed with excellent glass and resolution rivaling that of very expensive products. You will see that these are some of the least expensive quality products you can find. They are also light, weather proof, making them ideal for packing into the hills. In general, Japanese brands offer great glass for reasonable dollars. Best thing you can do is try as many as you can get your hands on and see what works best for you. Once you spot the game, you need to know how far away it is. Nothing faster or easier then a quality laser range finder. Here, money should not be saved. Leica and Swarovski make the best. The Bushnell Elite is a well priced product that many are happy with too. Next up is your scope. This is the most critical part of your long range rifle. If this doesn't function, you are out of luck. I have had wonderful success with the Bushnell/Bausch&Lomb Elite 4000/4200 series of scopes. Their optics are superb with tremendous resolution, clarity and color trueness. They also have the newest coatings making low light visibility as good as scopes costing many times more. The most important part is their turrets. In all of the higher magnification models, they come with low profile true target turrets. Low profile means the knobs will not be catching on everything or get bumped easily (they also have covers). A true vernier turret, they allow you to dial up your needed elevation and windage. I don't consider Kentucky windage viable for ethical long range hunting. There are multi-lined reticles that can also work but should have spacing no more than 1 MOA. My scopes have mildot reticles, not for ranging but for windage hold off. I always dial up my elevation and use the reticle should I miss the wind call. The Bushnell Elites are also one of the few brands that I can afford that have repeatable and reliable adjustments. I have owned over 12 scopes in various models and have not had a turret issue yet. For what they cost, this is simply a best buy. Again, Nikon makes some excellent products for very reasonable costs. When testing scope adjustment, you have to be completely honest and brutal. Any scope that sticks or needs some polka two-step to get adjusted will fail when that buck of a lifetime trots out. The scope must dial up, first time, every time. Many scopes, even some mega dollar scopes can't do this. What level of accuracy do we need to be qualified as a long range rifle? I feel that consistent, dependable 1/2 MOA mechanical rifle accuracy is an excellent level of performance. Less is, of course, great but there are other considerations besides pure accuracy like functioning and feeding. That cold barrel first shot POI must also be dead on repeatable. Test to make sure under the conditions you will hunt. The Factory Rifle Option: The most economical way is to tune up a modern factory rifle. Options from Savage, Tikka and Remington can and should do everything we need at reasonable prices. Every rifle should be properly bedded (even alum bedding chassis stocks should be bedded), barrel free floated, and trigger tuned as light as you can safely handle. Learning to use a lighter trigger pull will also aid in increasing pin point accuracy. I don't mean 2 oz triggers but around 1.5 lbs. My triggers are at 1 lb or less. With a bit of luck and a lot of load tuning, a modern factory rifle can delivery 1/2 MOA performance way out there. Unfortunately, there is that luck factor. If your factory barrel will not shoot, then your costs

skyrocket trying to remedy that. The Economical Custom long range 1000yds and Under Hunting rifle: How to Build a Tack Driver for under $1000. To ensure that I would be getting everything I wanted the first go round, I have focused on an action that will give you the performance with very low costs. In fact, the total of this semi custom build can be less then some factory rifles once you account for the tweaking costs. For me, the most 'usable' and economical commercial action is the Savage/Stevens (sporterized surplus actions actually cost more in the long run). I have built all of my recent long range and competition rifles from these actions. They provide a superb lock-up to handle those toasty loads, a strong action, a fixed or detachable magazine that will feed improved shoulder wildcats, an awesome factory trigger (Accutrigger) or many after-market options (SSS, RifleBasix, Timney), ability to do home smithing if desired all for dirt cheap pricing. All of my rifles were built using out of the box actions. No blueprinting was done nor required (savings of at least $200 compared to a Remington). With that floating bolt head, many woes that plague every other solid bolt action are eliminated. The first way to a dirt cheap semicustom is to get a Savage w/Accutrigger in the action length and bolt face you want (HB 110FV come in 7RM and 300WM and make great rifles). If the factory barrel doesn't shoot as desired, sell it and spin on a quality pre-threaded/pre-chambered barrel in a cartridge of your choice. Barrels from Pac Nor, Shilen, or Lothar Walther will give you the performance you want and are very well priced. Most are around $200 to $350, which is a steal considering you don't have the install costs. If desired, most any gunsmith will headspace that barrel for you for a few bucks. You can also buy a barrel blank and have it installed. It will end up costing a few dollars more, but you have the option of wildcats and headspacing off the barrel shoulder. You can get lucky with barrels from MidwayUSA and ER Shaw but if going this route, I would just stick with the factory barrel. Most factory Savage barrels shoot very well...for factory barrels. Contour, length, fluting and other dimensions I will leave to your tastes and style of use. I personally do not want a very heavy bulky rifle as mobility is important. No more then a 26" #5 or fluted #7. I want an overall weight of around 10lbs. You don't need a heavy barrel to be accurate. If building a true bench rifle, then much higher weights/sizes can be used. Finish on that barrel can be as simple as a bit of spray paint or a few bucks if going with the new baked on finishes or bluing. In my hunting rifles, I am more concerned about performance then looks. For stocks, again, there are now so many choices. Personally, I use the factory plastic stocks. They work surprisingly well once bedded, forend opened WAY up, and reinforced. A bit of elbow grease and a can of spray paint, they look like many composite stocks today. I would certainly replace the recoil pad for a Limbsaver or Hogue. The most economical after-market stocks are the Boyds laminates, Bell and Carlson composites, then the Brownells/Stockade composites. You can easily replace that plastic stock for $100. If interested, Ebay can also provide lots of options. The Biggest Bang for the Buck Build Up: Another route is to use the Stevens 200 rifle as the

donor getting rid of most of the factory parts and using the action which is identical to the Savage. This is the route I have taken because I want very light trigger pulls that only the aftermarket triggers from Sharp Shooters and Rifle-Basix can provide. A stripped Stevens is around $150. The Sharp Shooters Supply trigger (under 1 lb pull) unit is $85. A ready-to-install Pac-Nor match chrome-moly barrel in the white is $280. Weaver scope bases are $15. Burris rings w/ inserts are $35. Recoil pad is $25. Boyds laminated stock is $85 if you don't mind a bit of finishing, $150 if factory finished. Bedding is only the cost of materials if you do that yourself - $10. Total: Under $700 if you do the work yourself. $725 if you want an after-market bolt handle. Even less if you modify the factory stock - around $600 to 675!!! My rifles built this way are shooting in the 2's out to 300 meters. That is near match rifle performance in a rig that can handle the rigors of hunting and costless then many factory rifles. The Muzzle Brake: One item I feel should be on a long range rifle is a muzzle brake. This rifle is not intended for snap shooting but rather planned static shooting from a 'hide'. So I will have time to put on ear plugs. A muzzle brake not only reduces recoil but more importantly, allows me to spot my own shots. It is always advisable to have a spotter with you because two sets of eyes are better then one! Given the distances, you need to know that the bullet arrived as desired or it missed. Odds are the animal will move after the shot and if you don't know what that bullet did, you are likely having a miserable time tracking or loosing game - not good! Also, shot recovery is much faster so follow up shots, if needed, can be sent on their way promptly. The most economical brake I use is by Miculek and is his AR-15 style. The bore is opened up to match my caliber and spun onto the barrel. These brakes work very well and cost around $45 at Brownells. Installation cost is around $25 to 50. With handloads, you will have a rifle that can hold the boiler room of most large game as far as the effectiveness of your cartridge. All for under $1,000. That's economical. How accurate does the long range hunter have to be? Here are some personal thoughts on the subject. Many focus on the performance of their equipment but how many focus on the practice needed to shoot well under field conditions? My personal requirement is being able to engage a gallon milk jug first shot EVERYTIME as far as I want to hunt under the conditions presented. A smaller target would be chosen if hunting game smaller then a deer. In dead calm first light air, that might be 1,000yds. In a snow storm, it might be 100yds. I can honestly say that the many experienced long range hunters on this board have that ability or else they pass up the shot or get closer. This is not target shooting where a miss is simply lost points. A long range hunter must have the same certainty of delivering a fatal shot at extended distances as a hunter jumping a deer at 75 yards. Jerry Teo shoots regularly out to one mile and also competes in F class. His current cartridges are 223, 6.5 Mystic, 7 Mystic, 308, 300RUM and 338 Mystic. He enjoys experimenting with gear and

wildcatting in order to increase accuracy performance and to debunk accuracy myths. "The Load" is 13 Grains of Red Dot" (If you missed this when it appeared in Handloader's Digest, 10th Ed. here it is again... By C.E. Harris, Revised 2-16-94 My success in economizing by using up leftover shotshell powder has changed my approach to handloading. I had a caddy of Red Dot, and no longer reloaded shotshells, so asked myself, "what can I do with it?" My shooting is now mostly high-power rifle. I needed several hundred rounds a week to practice offhand, reloading, and working the bolt in sitting and prone rapid, but didn't want to burn out my barrel or my wallet. Powder used to be cheap, but today is $20/lb. (or more), so cost is a factor in component choice. I used to ignore pistol or shotgun powders in reduced rifle loads for the usual reasons: the risk of accidental double-charges, fears of erratic ignition, and concerns with maintaining accuracy, and reduced utility with a low-power load. Still, the caddy of Red Dot kept "looking at me" from the corner. Would it work? Looking at data in the RCBS Cast Bullet Manual No. 1 and the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook suggested it would, so I tried it, much to my delight! Red Dot is bulky, compared to the usual rifle powders used in .30-'06size cases. It occupies more powder space in typical charges than common "reduced load" rifle powders, such as #2400, IMR4227, IMR4198 or RL-7. The lower bulk density of Red Dot adequately addresses my safety concerns because it makes an accidental double charge far less likely. After considerable experimentation, my friends and I found "The Load" IS 13 grains of Hercules Red Dot, in any FULL SIZED rifle case of .30 cal. or larger."The Load" has distinct advantages over more expensive alternatives, within certain limitations, which are: 1. The case must be LARGER than the .300 Savage or .35 Remington. 2. The rifle must be of MODERN (post 189 design, suitable for smokeless powder, with a bore size of .30 cal. or larger. 3. The bullet weight must be within the NORMAL range for the given cartridge. 4. Inert fillers such as Dacron, kapok or are NOT RECOMMENDED! (Nor are they necessary). Within these restrictions I have now engraved in stone, "The Load" works! The bullet may be either jacketed or cast. Gaschecked cast bullets required in the .30 cals., otherwise you will get leading, but plainbased ones work fine in the 8mm Mauser or larger. "The Load" has shown complete success in the .30-40 Krag, .303 British, 7.65 Argentine, .308 Win., 7.62x54R Russian, .30-'06, 8x57 and .45-70 (strong-actioned rifles such as the 1886 Winchester or 1895 Marlin -- 12 grs. is maximum for 400 gr. bullets in the Trapdoor Springfield -- Ed.) Though I have not tried it, I have no doubt that "The Load" would work well in other cartridges fitting these parameters, such as the .35 Whelen, .358 Winchester, .375 H&H or .444 Marlin, based on RCBS and Lyman published data. "The Load" fills 50% or more of a .308 Win or .30-'06 case. The risk of an accidental double charge is greatly reduced, because the blunder is immediately obvious if you visually check, powder fill on EVERY CASE, as you should whenever handloading! A bulky powder measures more uniformly, because normal variation in the measured volume represents a smaller percentage of the charge weight. Red Dot's granulation is somewhat less coarse than other flake powders of similar burning rate, such as 700-X, which aids metering. Its porous, uncoated flakes are easily ignited with standard primers. So-called "magnum" primers do no harm in cases larger than the .30-'06, but are neither necessary nor recommended in smaller ones. I DO NOT recommend pistol primers in reduced rifle loads, because weak primers may cause erratic ignition, and their thinner cups can perforate more easily, causing gas leakage and risk of personal injury!

The velocities obtained with 13 grs. of Red Dot appear mild, but "The Load" is no pipsqueak! In a case like the .308 or .30-'06, you get (from a 24" sporter barrel) about 1450 f.p.s. with a 200- gr. cast bullet, 1500 with a 170-gr., or 1600 with a 150-gr. cast load. "The Load" is fully comparable to "yesterday's deer rifle", the .32-40, and provides good expansion of cheap, soft alloys (10-13 BHN) at woods ranges. Jacketed bullet velocities with "The Load" are about 120-150 f.p.s. less than a lubricated lead bullet of the same weight. Regards, Ed From : Ed Harris 1:109/120.3006 12 Mar 94 Subj : Red Dot Rifle Loads, Pt. II "The Load" is 13 Grains of Red Dot" --- continued from previous message -Longer-barreled military rifles pick up a few feet per second, but "The Load" starts to slow down in barrels over 28", such as the M91 Moisin-Nagant and long Krags or 98a Mausers. My preferred alloy in the .30 cals. is a mixture of 3-5 lbs. of .22 backstop scrap to 1 lb. of salvaged linotype. Wheelweights also work well, as do soft "Scheutzen" alloys such as 1:25 tin/lead. in bores of 8 mm or larger. "The Load" drives soft- cast .30-cal. to 8 mm bullets fast enough to get expansion,but without fragmenting. These out-penetrate factory .30-30 softpoints, and kill medium game up to 150 lbs. well at short ranges up to 100 yards, when placed accurately. In medium and large bores like the .375 H&H or .45-70, "The Load" gives typical black powder ballistics for the bore. A 255-265 gr. cast bullet in the .375 H&H approximates the .38-55 at 1330 f.p.s. Soft 300- 405gr. cast bullets are pushed at 1300-1350 f.p.s. from a 22" barrel .45-70, sporter are very effective on deer at woods ranges. Cast bullets over .35 cal. do not have to expand appreciably to work well on game if blunt and heavy for their caliber. The Load" works well with jacketed bullets, giving somewhat lower velocities than with cast lead, due to less effective obturation and greater friction in the bore. The 85-gr. or 100-gr. Hornady or 90gr. Sierra JHP for the .32 H&R Mag. revolver, or the Remington 100-gr. .32-20 softpoint bullet become mild, but destructive varmint loads at 1600 f.p.s. from a .308 or '06. If you substitute a stiffly jacketed 110-gr. .30 Carbine softpoint bullet, designed for higher velocities than imparted by "The Load", you have a non-destructive "coup de gras", small game or wild turkey load which shoots close to your deer rifle's normal zero, but at 25 yards! A more accurate and effective small game or varmint load uses a flatnosed 150-gr. pr 170-gr. 30-30 bullet instead. These don't expand at the 1400-1450 f.p.s. obtained with "The Load", but their larger frontal area improves killing power compared to roundnoses or spitzers. I have use pulled GI .30 caliber Ball, and Match bullets with "The Load" for cheap 200-yd. NMC boltgun practice. Accuracy is equal to arsenal loads, but I use my 600-yard sight dope at 200 yards. I expect 5-6" ten-shot, iron-sight groups at 200 yards using M2 or M80 pulled bullets and about 3-4" for the M72 or M118 Match bullets. I use these mostly in bolt-action rifles, but they can be singleloaded for offhand or slow-fire practice in the Garand as well. These .30 cal. pulls shoot fine in the .303 British or 7.62x54 Russian, despite their being a bit small, because the fast-burning Red Dot upsets them into the deeper grooves. The 173-gr. Match .30 cal. boattail bullets may not shoot as well at these low velocities as lighter flat bases in the 12" twist .308 Win. barrels, but they do quite well in ten- inch twist barrels such as in the '06, 7.62 Russian, .303 British and 7.65 Argentine.

The longer bore time of these 1400 f.p.s. (typical 170-180-gr. jacketed load velocity) practice loads makes errors in follow- through apparent, a great practice and training aid. The light recoil and lower report of these loads helps transition Junior tyro shooters from the .22 rimfire to the service rifle without being intimidated by the noise and recoil. Zeroing is no problem in the M1 or M14, because "The Load" shoots into the ten-ring of the reduced SR target at 200 yards from your M1 or M14 rifle at using your normal 600 yard sight dope! The somewhat greater wind deflection blows you into the "8" ring at 200 yards with the same conditions you would expect to do so at 600 yards with M118 Match ammunition. This provides your Junior shooters some useful wind-doping practice. The economy of a lighter charge is obvious. A full power .30-'06 load using 50 grs. of an IMR powder like 4064 costs 10 cents a pop, just for powder, at 140 rounds per pound (if you are lucky enough to find new powder for $14/lb.). Substituting 13 grs. of Red Dot gets 538 rounds per pound at a cost of 2.6 cents which is a savings of over $7 per hundred rounds in powder alone! Greater savings are possible if you get the best price and buy powder by the caddy. Velocity and point of impact of "The Load" is not noticeably affected by varying powder position in the case. I shoot them either slow fire, or clip-fed and flipped through rapid-fire in the boltgun with equal accuracy. Red Dot is very clean burning and is economical both on the basis of its lower charge weight, and its lower basic cost per pound compared to other "rifle" powders. Best of all, using a shotshell powder I already have reduces the kinds of powder I keep and eliminates the need for a special "reduced load" powder. This approach is ideal for rifle shooters who are also shotgunners, since almost everybody who reloads for 12-ga. probably has a keg of Red Dot already! I now realize it is foolish to use heavier charges of more expensive powder for routine practice, varmint or small game loads in my center-fire rifles. I seldom shoot at over 200 yards, and don't enjoy wearing out expensive target barrels unnecessarily. Since I already have good sight dope and need to work more on technique and save my remaining barrel accuracy life for matches. I am glad I found the way to get alot more shooting for the dollar. Economical powder choice IS possible, and my reloading has become less complicated and more enjoyable simple since I realized I could do most of my rifle shooting with 13 grains of Red Dot! In Home Mix We Trust, Regards, Ed And one more article Cast Bullet Basics For Military Surplus Rifles By C.E. Harris Rev. 9-6-93 Cast bullet loads usually give a more useful zero at practical field ranges with military battle sights than do full power loads. Nothing is more frustrating than a military rifle that shoots a foot high at a hundred yards with surplus ammo when the sight is as low as it will go! Do NOT use inert fillers (Dacron or kapok) to take up the excess empty space in the case. This was once common practice, but it raises chamber pressure and under certain conditions contributes to chamber ringing. If a particular load will not work well without a filler, the powder is not suitable for those conditions

of loading. Four load classifications from Mattern (1932) cover all uses for the cast bullet military rifle. I worked up equivalent charges to obtain the desired velocity ranges with modern powders, which provide a sound basis for loading cast bullets in any post-1898 military rifle from 7 mm to 8 mm: 1. 125-gr., plainbased "small game/gallery" 900-1000 f.p.s., 5 grains of Bullseye or equivalent. 2. 150-gr. plainbased "100-yd. target/small game", 1050-1250 f.p.s., 7 grs. of Bullseye or equivalent. 3. 150-180-gr. gaschecked "200-yard target" 1500-1600 f.p.s., 16 grs. of #2400 or equivalent. 4. 180-200-gr. gaschecked "deer/600-yard target" 1750-1850 f.p.s., 26 grs. of RL-7 or equivalent. None of these loads are maximum when used in full-sized rifle cases such as the .30-40 Krag, .303 British, 7.65 Argentine, 7.7 Jap, 7.62x54R or .30-'06. They can be used as basic load data in most modern military rifles of 7 mm or larger, with a standardweight cast bullet for the caliber, such as 140-170 grains in the 7x57, 150-180 grains in the .30 calibers, and 150-190 grains in the 8 mm. For bores smaller than 7 mm, consult published data. The "Small Game or Gallery" Load The 110-115-gr. bullets intended for the .30 carbine and .32-20 Winc hester, such as the Lyman #311008, #311359 or #311316 are not as accurate as heavier ones like the #311291. There isn't a readily-available .30 cal. cast small game bullet of the proper 125-130-gr. weight. LBT makes a 130-gr. flat-nosed, GC bullet for the .32 H&R Magnum which is ideal for this purpose. I recommend it highly, particularly if you own a .32 revolver! The "100-Yard Target and Small Game" Load I use Mattern's plainbased "100-yard target load" to use up my minor visual defect culls for offhand and rapid-fire 100-yard practice. I substitute my usual gaschecked bullets, but without the gascheck. I started doing this in 1963 with the Lyman #311291. Today I use the Lee .312-155-2R, or the similar tumblelubed design TL.312-160-2R. Most of my rifle shooting is done with these two basic designs.

Bullets I intend for plainbased loads are blunted using a flatnosed top punch in my lubricator, providing a 1/8" flat which makes them more effective on small game and clearly distinguishes them from my heavier gaschecked loads. This makes more sense to me than casting different bullets. Bullet preparation is easy. I visually inspect each run of bullets and throw those with gross defects into the scrap box for remelting. Bullets with minor visual defects are tumble-lubed in Lee Liquid Alox without sizing, and are used for plain-based plinkers. Bullets which are visually perfect are sorted into groups of +/- 0.5 grain used for 200 yard matches. Gaschecks pressed onto their bases by hand prior running into the lubricator-sizer. For "gaschecked bullets loaded without the gascheck," for cases like the .303 British, 7.62 NATO, 7.62x54R Russian and .30-'06 I use 6-7 grains of almost any fast burning pistol powder, including, but not limited to Bullseye, W-W231, SR-7625, Green Dot, Red Dot, or 700-X. I have also had fine results with 8 to 9 grains of medium burning rate pistol or shotgun powders, such as Unique, PB, Herco, or SR-4756 in any case of .303 British siz e or larger. In the 7.62x39 case use no more than 4 grains of the fast-burning powders mentioned, or 5 grains of the shotgun powders. These make accurate 50-yd. small game loads which let you operate the action manually and save your precious cases. These plinkers are more accurate than you can hold. Repeated reloading of rimless cases with very mild loads results in the primer blast shoving the shoulder back, unless flash holes are enlarged with a No.39 drill to 0.099" diameter. Cases which are so modified must NEVER be used with full-power loads! ALWAYS identify cases which are so modified by filing a deep groove across the rim with a file and label them clearly to prevent their inadvertent use. For this reason I prefer to do my plainbased practice shooting in rimmed cases like the .30-30, .30-40 rag, .303 British and 7.62x54R which maintain positive headspace on the rim and are not subject to this limitation. The Harris "Subsonic Target" Compromise Mattern liked a velocity of around 1250 f.p.s. for his "100-yard target" load, because this was common with the lead-bullet .32-40 target rifles of his era. I have found grouping is best with nongascheck bullets in military rifles at lower velocities approaching match-grade .22 Long Rifle ammunition. I use my

"Subsonic Target" load at around 1050-1100 f.p.s. to replace both Mattern's "small game" and "100-yard target" loads, though I have lumped it with the latter since it really serves the same purpose. Its report is only a modest pop, rather than a crack. If elongated bullet holes and enlarged groups indicate marginal bullet stability, increase the charge a half grain and try again. If necessary increasing the charge no more than a full grain from the minimum recommended, if needed to get consistent accuracy. If this doesn't work, try a bullet which is more blunt and short for its weight, because it will be more easily stabilized. If this doesn't do the trick, you must change to a gaschecked bullet and a h eavier load. The Workhorse Load - Mattern's "200-Yard Target" My favorite load is the most accurate, Mattern's so-called "200yard target load". I expect 10-shot groups at 200 yards, firing prone rapid with sling to average 4-5". I shoot highSharpshooter/low-Expert scores across the course with an issue 03A3 or M1917, shooting in a cloth coat, using my cast bullet loads. The power of this load approximates the .32-40, inadequate for deer by today's standards. Mattern's "200-yard target load" is easy to assemble. Because it is a mild load, soft scrap alloys usually give better accuracy than harder ones such as linotype. Local military collectorshooters have standardized on 16 grains of #2400 as the "universal" prescription. It gives around 1500 f.p.s. with a 150-180-gr. cast bullet in almost any military caliber. We use 16 grains of #2400 as our reference standard, just as highpower competitors use 168 Sierra MatchKings and 4895. The only common military rifle cartridge in which 16 grains of #2400 provides a maximum load which must not be exceeded is in the tiny 7.62x39 case. Most SKS rifles will function reliably with charges of #2400 as light as 14 grains with the Lee .312155-2R at around 1500 f.p.s. I designed this bullet especially for the 7.62x39, but it works very well as a light bullet in any .30 or .303 cal. rifle. Sixteen Grains of #2400 Is The Universal Load The same 16 grain charge of #2400 is universal for all calibers as a starting load. It is mild and accurate in any larger military case from a .30-40 Krag or .303 British up through a .30-'06 or 7.9x57, with standard-weight bullets of suitable

diameter for the caliber. This is my recommendation for anybody trying cast bullet loads for the first time in a military rifle without prior load development. I say this because #2400 is not position sensitive, requires no fiber fillers to ensure uniform ignition, and actually groups better when you just stripper-clip load the rifle and b ang them off, rather than tipping the muzzle up to position the charge. Similar ballistics can be obtained with other powders in any case from 7.62x39 to .30-'06 size. If you don't have Hercules #2400 you can freely substitute 17 grains of IMR or H4227, 18 grs. of 4198, 21 grs. of Reloder 7, 24 grs. of IMR3031, or 25.5 grs. of 4895 for comparable results. However, these other powders may give some vertical stringing in cases larger than the 7.62x39 unless the charge is positioned against the primer by tipping the muzzle up before firing. Hercules #2400 does not require this precaution. Don't ask me why. Hercules #2400 usually gives tight clusters only within a narrow range of charge weights within a grain or so, and the "universal" 16 grain load is almost always best. Believe me, we have spent alot of time trying to improve on this, and you can take our word for it. The beauty of the "200-yard target load" at about 1500 f.p.s. is that it can be assembled with bullets cast from the cheapest inexpensive scrap alloy, and fired all day without having to clean the bore. It ALWAYS works. Leading is never a problem. Once a uniform bore condition is established, the rifle behaves like a .22 match rifle, perhaps needing a warming shot or two if it has cooled, but otherwise being remarkably consistent. The only thing I do after a day's shoot is to swab the bore with a couple of wet patches of GI bore cleaner or Hoppe's, and let it soak until the next match. I then follow with three dry patches prior to firing. It only takes about three foulers to get the 03A3 to settle into tight little clusters again. "Deer and Long Range Target" Load Mattern's "deer and 600 yard target load" can be assembled in cases of .30-40 Krag capacity or larger up to the .30-'06 using 18-21 grs. of #2400 or 4227, 22-25 grs. of 4198, 25-28 grs. of RL-7 or 27-30 grs. of 4895, which give from 1700-1800 f.p.s., depending on the case size. These charges must not be used in cases smaller than the .3 03 British without cross-checking against published data! The minimum charge should always be used initially, and the charge adjusted within the specified range only as necessary to get best grouping. Popular folklore

suggests a rifle barrel must be near perfect for good results with cast bullets, but this is mostly bunk, though you may have to be persistent. I have a rusty-bored Finnish M28/30 which I have shot extensively, in making direct comparisons with the same batches of loads on the same day with a mint M28 and there was no difference. The secret in getting a worn bore to shoot acceptably is remove all prior fouling and corrosion. Then you must continue to clean the bore "thoroughly and often" until it maintains a consistent bore condition over the long term. You must also keep cast bullet loads under 1800 f.p.s. for hunting, and under 1600 for target work. A cleaned and restored bore will usually give good accuracy with cast bullet loads if the bullet fits the chamber THROAT properly, is well lubricated and the velocities are kept below 1800 f.p.s. The distinction between throat diameter and groove diameter in determining proper bullet size is important. If you are unable to determine throat diameter from a chamber cast, a rule of thumb is to size bullets .002" over groove diameter, such as .310" for a .30-'06, .312" for a 7.62x54R and .314" for a .303 British. "Oversized .30s" like the .303 British, 7.7 Jap, 7.65 Argentine, 7.62x39 Russian and frequently give poor accuracy with .30 cal. cast bullets designed for U.S. barrels having .300 bore and .308 groove dimensions, because the part of the bullet ahead of the driving bands receives no guidance from the lands in barrels of larger bore diameter. The quick rule of thumb to checking proper fit of the forepart is to insert the bullet nose first into the muzzle. If it enters to clear up to the front driving band without being noticeably engraved, accuracy will seldom be satisfactory. The forepart is not too large if loaded rounds can be chambered with only slight resistance, the bullet does not telescope back into the case, or to stick in the throat when extracted without firing. A properly fitting cast bullet should engrave the forepart positively with the lands, and be no more than .001" under chamber throat diameter on the driving bands. Cast bullets with a tapered forepart at least .002" over bore diameter give the best results. Many pre-WWII Russian rifles of US make, and later Finnish reworks, particularly those with Swiss barrels by the firm SIG, have very snug chamber necks and cannot be used with bullets over .311" diameter unless case necks are reamed or outside turned to

.011" wall thickness to provide safe clearance. Bullets with a large forepart like the Lee .312-155-2R or Lyman #314299 work best in the 7.62x54R, because the forcing cones are large and gradual. Standard .30 cal. gaschecks are correct. Finnish 7.62x54R, Russian 7.62x39 and 7.65 Argentine barrels are smaller than Russian 7.62x54R, Chinese 7.62x39, Jap 7.7 or .303 British barrels, and usually have standard .300" bore diameter, (Finnish barrels occasionally are as small as .298") and groove diameters of .310-.3115". In getting the best grouping with iron sighted military rifles, eyesight is the limiting factor. Anybody over age 40 who shoots iron sights should to equip himself with a "Farr-Sight" from Gil Hebbard or Brownell's. This adjustable aperture for your eyeglass frame was intended for indoor pistol shooters, but it helps my iron sight rifle shooting, and adds about 5 points to my score! So now you have enough fundamentals to get started. If you want to have fun give that old military rifle try. You'll never know the fun you've been missing until you try it! In Home Mix We Trust, Regards, Ed
Object 1

'Ed's Red' Bore Cleaner

''Ed's Red'' Bore Cleaner... Home-Mix Really Works By C.E. ''Ed'' Harris Updated & Revised 9-29-95.
Four years ago I mixed my first "Ed's Red" or "ER" bore cleaner and hundreds of users have told me that they think this home-mixed cleaner is more effective than commercial products. I urge you to mix some and give it a fair trial, compared to whatever you have been using.

Competitive shooters, gun clubs and police departments who use a gallon or more of rifle bore cleaner annually can save by mixing their own, and they will give up nothing in safety or effectiveness. This cleaner has an action very similar to standard military issue rifle bore cleaner, such as Mil-C-372B. Users report it is more effective than Hoppe's for removing plastic fouling in shotgun bores, or caked carbon fouling in semi-automatic rifles or pistols, or in removing leading in revolvers. It is not as effective as Sweets 7.62, Hoppe's Bench Rest Nine or Shooter's Choice for fast removal of heavy copper fouling in rifle bores. However, because "ER" is more effective in removing caked carbon and abrasive primer residues than other cleaners, metal fouling is greatly reduced when "ER" is used on a continuing basis. I originally came up with this mix because I am an active high power rifle competitive shooter and hand loading experimenter who uses a lot of rifle bore cleaner. I was not satisfied with the performance and high price of commercial products. I knew there was no technical reason why an effective firearm bore cleaner couldn't be mixed using common hardware store ingredients. The result is inexpensive, effective, provides good corrosion protection and adequate residual lubrication so that routine "oiling" after cleaning is rarely necessary, except for long-term storage of over 1 year, or harsh service environments, such as salt water exposure. This formula is based on proven principles and incorporates two polar and two nonpolar solvents. It is adapted from the one in Hatcher's Notebook for "Frankford Arsenal Cleaner No.18," but substituting equivalent modern materials. I had the help of an organic chemist in doing this and we knew there would be no "surprises." The original Hatcher formula called for equal parts of acetone, turpentine, Pratts Astral Oil and sperm oil, and optionally 200 grams of anhydrous lanolin added per liter. Some discussion of the ingredients is helpful to understand the properties of the cleaner and how it works. Pratts Astral oil was nothing more than acid free, deodorized kerosene. I recommend "K1" kerosene of the type normally sold for use in indoor space heaters. Some users have reported successful substitution of civilian aviation grade kerosene such as Turbo-A. I am reluctant to "recommend" substitution of aviation grade kerosene, because the effects upon firearm components of the additives required in aviation fuels are unknown. Some "jet- fuels" are gasoline/kerosene blends and absolutely should not be used, because of their increased flammability. An inexpensive, effective substitute for sperm oil is Dexron (II, IIe or III) automatic transmission fluid. Prior to about 1950 that most ATF's were sperm oil based, but during WWII a synthetic was developed for use in precision instruments. With the great demand for automatic

transmission autos after WWII, sperm oil was no longer practical to produce ATF in the quantity demanded, so the synthetic material became the basis for the Dexron fluids we know today. The additives in ATFs which include organometallic antioxidants and surfactants, make it highly suitable for inclusion in an all-purpose cleaner-lubricant-preservative. Hatcher's original Frankford Arsenal No. 18 formula used gum spirits of turpentine. Because turpentine is expensive today, and is also an "aromatic" solvent, which is highly flammable, I chose not to use it. Safer and cheaper is "aliphatic mineral spirits," a petroleum based "safety solvent" used for thinning oil based paints and also widely used as an automotive parts cleaner. It is commonly sold under the names "odorless mineral spirits," "Stoddard Solvent" or "Varsol". Acetone is included in "ER" to provide an aggressive, fast-acting solvent for caked powder residues. Because acetone is an aromatic, organic solvent, it is recommended that users leave it out if the cleaner will be used in enclosed spaces lacking forced air ventilation. The acetone in ER will evaporate, liberating volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere unless containers are kept tightly closed when not in use. The cleaner is still effective without the acetone, but it is not as "fast-acting." There isn't anything in Ed's Red which chemically dissolves copper fouling in rifle bores, but it does a better job removing on carbon and primer residue than anything else which is safe and commonly available. Numerous users have told me, that exclusive use of "ER" reduces copper deposits, because it removes the old impacted powder fouling which is left by other cleaners, which reduces the abrasion and adhesion of jacket metal to the bore surface, leaving a cleaner surface condition which reduces subsequent fouling. Experience seems to indicate that "ER" will actually remove metal fouling it if you let it "soak," so the surfactants will do the job, though you have to be patient. Addition of the lanolin to ER bore cleaner mix is entirely optional. The cleaner works quite well and gives adequate corrosion protection and lubrication for most users without it. Incorporating the lanolin makes the cleaner easier on the hands, and increases lubricity and film strength, and improves corrosion protection if weapons will be routinely exposed to salt air, water spray, industrial or urban corrosive atmospheres, or if you intend to use the cleaner as a protectant for long term storage of over 1 year. If you use other protective films for adverse use or long term storage you can leave the lanolin out and save about $8 per gallon. At current retail prices you can buy all the ingredients to mix ER, without the lanolin for about $10 per gallon. I urge you to mix some yourself. I am

confident it will work as well for you as it does for me and hundreds of users who got the "recipe" on the Fidonet Firearms Echo. CONTENTS: Ed's Red Bore Cleaner 1 part Dexron II, IIe or III ATF, GM Spec. D-20265 or later. 1 part Kerosene - deodorized, K1 1 part Aliphatic Mineral Spirits, Fed. Spec. TT-T-2981F, CAS #64741-49-9, or may substitute "Stoddard Solvent", CAS #8052-41-3, or equivalent, (aka "Varsol") 1 part Acetone, CAS #67-64-1. (Optional up to 1 lb. of Lanolin, Anhydrous, USP per gallon, OK to substitute Lanolin, Modified, Topical Lubricant, from the drug store) MIXING INSTRUCTIONS FOR "ER" BORE CLEANER: Mix outdoors, in good ventilation. Use a clean 1 gallon metal, chemical-resistant, heavy gage PET or PVC plastic container. NFPA approved plastic gasoline storage containers are also OK. Do NOT use HDPE, which is permeable, because the acetone will eventually evaporate. The acetone in ER will also attack HDPE, causing the container to collapse, making a heck of a mess! Add the ATF first. Use the empty container to measure the other components, so that it is thoroughly rinsed. If you incorporate the lanolin into the mixture, melt this carefully in a double boiler, taking precautions against fire. Pour the melted lanolin it into a larger container, rinsing the lanolin container with the bore cleaner mix, and stirring until it is all dissolved. I recommend diverting a small quantity, up to 4 ozs. per quart of the 50-50 ATF/kerosene mix for optional use as an "ER-compatible" gun oil. This can be done without impairing the effectiveness of the remaining mix. LABEL AND NECESSARY SAFETY WARNINGS: RIFLE BORE CLEANER CAUTION: FLAMMABLE MIXTURE HARMFUL IF SWALLOWED. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN 1. Flammable mixture. Keep away from heat, sparks or flame.

2. FIRST AID, If swallowed DO NOT induce vomiting, call physician immediately. In case of eye contact immediately flush thoroughly with water and call a physician. For skin contact wash thoroughly. 3. Use with adequate ventilation. Avoid breathing vapors or spray mist. It is a violation of Federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labelling. Reports have associated repeated and prolonged occupational overexposure to solvents with permanent brain and nervous system damage. If using in closed armory vaults lacking forced air ventilation wear respiratory protection meeting NIOSH TC23C or equivalent. Keep container tightly closed when not in use. INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING "Ed's Red (ER)" Bore Cleaner: 1. Open the firearm action and ensure the bore is clear. Cleaning is most effective when done while the barrel is still warm to the touch from firing. Saturate a cotton patch with bore cleaner, wrap or impale on jag and push it through the bore from breech to muzzle. The patch should be a snug fit. Let the first patch fall off and do not pull it back into the bore. 2. Wet a second patch, and similarly start it into the bore from the breech, this time scrubbing from the throat area forward in 4-5" strokes and gradually advancing until the patch emerges out the muzzle. Waiting approximately 1 minute to let the bore cleaner soak will improve its action. 3. For pitted, heavily carbon-fouled "rattle battle" guns, leaded revolvers or neglected bores a bronze brush wet with bore cleaner may be used to remove stubborn deposits. This is unnecessary for smooth, target-grade barrels in routine use. 4. Use a final wet patch pushed straight through the bore to flush out loosened residue dissolved by Ed's Red. Let the patch fall off the jag without pulling it back into the bore. If you are finished firing, leaving the bore wet will protect it from rust for 1 year under average conditions. 5. If the lanolin is incorporated into the mixture, it will protect the firearm from rust for up to two years. For longer term storage I recommend use of Lee Liquid Alox as a Cosmolene substitute. "ER" will readily remove hardened Alox or Cosmolene. 6. Wipe spilled Ed's Red from exterior surfaces before storing the gun. While Ed's Red is harmless to blue and nickel finishes, the acetone it contains is harmful to most wood finishes).

7. Before firing again, push two dry patches through the bore and dry the chamber, using a patch wrapped around a suitably sized brush or jag. First shot point of impact usually will not be disturbed by Ed's Red if the bore is cleaned as described. 8. I have determined to my satisfaction that when Ed's Red is used exclusively and thoroughly, that hot water cleaning is unnecessary after use of Pyrodex or military chlorate primers. However, if bores are not wiped between shots and shots and are heavily caked from black powder fouling, hot water cleaning is recommended first to break up heavy fouling deposits. Water cleaning should be followed by a thorough flush with Ed's Red to prevent after-rusting which could result from residual moisture. It is ALWAYS good practice to clean TWICE, TWO DAYS APART whenever using chlorate primed ammunition, just to make sure you get all the corrosive residue out. This "Recipe" is placed in the public domain, and may be freely distributed provided that it is done so in its entirely with all current revisions, instructions and safety warnings included herein, and that proper attribution is given to the author. In Home Mix We Trust, Regards, Ed Setting Up Your Long Range Scope By Jerry Teo As the title implies, long range shooting requires more than just setting up a scope. You also need the use of a range finder, drop charts and possibly atmospheric measuring devices.In my first article, I showed you how you can put together an accurate long range hunting rifle on a small budget. In this article, we will get it set up so that you can engage game at extended distance with first shot hit probability.

TORTURE TESTING YOUR SCOPE

Taking the box up a notch.The first thing that needs to be done is ensuring your scope is up to the task. 'Dialing up' for elevation and windage is critical to success so you have to know that your scope's adjustments are reliable and repeatable.To test this, I have come up with a brutal procedure. Many scopes do not pass this test, even some very expensive ones. Better to know now than in the field.

SCOPE TEST #1: RETURN TO ZERO

Mount your scope on an accurate rifle you are familiar with. A rifle that can

shoot 1/2 MOA or less AVERAGE. You want to use a solid bench and rests. Shoot on a calm day. We want to eliminate any and all shooter error. A bench rest rifle is ideal. At 100 yards, sight in the scope for dead center POI. Zero and record the turrets as you will need to use this setting often.Turn the elevation turret several times through its entire range. Just spin the knob back and forth through several rotations. Return it back to zero. Don't tap the turret or do some two-step polka. Just dial it back to zero. I just finished my 3rd complete hunting season using Huskemaw scopes. I like the Huskemaw optical quality, the light weight and the ease of "getting on" the game at the right yardage so quickly with the Huskemaw scopes. As you can imagine, I can use any brand of scopes at any price point on my personal hunts. I choose Huskemaw scopes because Huskemaw scopes work! -- Len Backus --Publisher of LRH Take a shot. Did the shot fall into the group? Not close by but right into the same group, dead center? Repeat this test pacing to ensure that the barrel does not get hot - the cooler the better. I like doing this at least 5 times.Repeat the test but this time use the windage only.When that is done, repeat but move BOTH turrets at random through their entire range. At this point you either have a group that looks like someone used a shotgun (toss the scope) or one bug hole about 1/2" across.If the mechanicals are going to stick, they will show up right away and it is very obvious. Have the scope serviced or go to a brand and model that repeats.If the scope survives the above, go to test #2.

SCOPE TEST #2: LINEAR TRACKING

[/B] For long range hunting, you need to 'dial up' the needed elevation to ensure dead-center hold. The scope must adjust not only straight but also the amount expected. If a scope is off even a few clicks, it means a huge difference in POI at distance.To test, set up a target board 50 yards in front of the rifle. Put an aiming point near the ground and a plumb line up from it. Shoot and adjust so that you are dead on that bottom aiming point. That is your new zero.Turn the elevation knob one full rotation, shoot. Repeat until you are at the top of the scope?s travel. Try and test the full elevation range of the scope.Shim the scope if necessary. Measure the distance between these holes. They should be equidistant apart. It doesn't matter if the value is not exactly so many MOA as predicted by the scope. That will be dealt with later in the fine tuning and calibrating. What must happen is that the distance between groups is the same.The error allowed is equal to the accuracy of the rifle which should be pretty much one hole.Now at

random, start at the zero setting and dial up to any of the other elevation marks. Shoot. Did the bullet fall into the same POI? Return to zero. You may or may not want to shoot one here to confirm return to zero. Pick another elevation and dial up to it. Shoot. Repeat until you have at least 3 shots at each elevation setting but done at random. You will have a series of very small groups all in a straight line equal distance apart. If you get flyers, repeat to ensure it wasn't shooter error.If the groups are large, the scope is not repeating and it is giving you different changes. Good bye scope.If the tracking is not linear or straight up, it will cause a canting error in the field. This will likely lead to a miss. I have seen some scopes that did an ?S? pattern, others that veered off one way or the other. These scopes need fixing or replacement.Do the whole test again but use the windage knob this time. You should end up with a horizontal line with several groups on either side of dead center.The target now looks like the top half of a mil dot reticle.If you feel really ambitious, you can test both at once and track a diagonal line. I don't bother because the need for massive amounts of windage is rarely called for in long range hunting. If it is windy enough to need more then a few minutes of windage, it's too windy for me to shoot at a big game animal. I sometimes re-test using 1/2 revolutions just to be sure nothing is sticking.If the scope has passed these two tests, CONGRATS. You have a scope that is repeatable, linear and reliable.The big bonus is the confidence you now have for this scope. I do check my scopes periodically as wear does occur.Now to set it up on your long range rifle...

SETTING UP YOUR SCOPE BASE ZERO

I love Burris rings with inserts. These wonders allow me to shim the scope while retaining a low height above the receiver. The 1" rings allow up to 30 mins and the 30 mm rings 20 mins of shim either in elevation, windage or some combination of both. They also hold a scope without ever leaving ring marks (no more ring lapping). Have yet to have a scope go loose when properly installed.In general, I use good old Weaver bases. They have worked on millions of rifles over decades. I have never worn one out or had one fail. Dirt cheap and readily available too.I will use a Farrel MOA base when LOTS of shimming is needed. These are very well made and lighter then the he-man tactical stuff costing several times more.

HOW MUCH SCOPE MOUNT SHIMMING DO I REALLY NEED?

A common question asked. The only way to know is through shooting your rifle with its favorite ammo.With your accurate handloads, sight in your rifle dead on at 100 yards. Now see how much up elevation adjustment you still have. With most flat shooting magnums we use for long range hunting, 25 to 30 mins will get you to 1,000 yards. Far enough away for most hunters.If your scope has enough elevation without crowding the top few clicks, you are done and can go to field testing.If not, then shim the scope the amount you need. For example, you have 15 min of up left but need 35 mins total. You need to shim your scope at least 20 mins. I always do a bit more as the change of scope can affect what it 'sees'. For really long shooting, I might use a mil-dot reticle and shim so that full down and a few dots more is my 100 yard zero. This way, dead center of the reticle is actually zeroed for some distance down range. This maximizes elevation adjustment range. Keep an eye on leveling the scope. You do not want to induce a cant as this will cause undesired 'windage' at distance.

SYNCHRONIZING YOUR SCOPE

Now that you have a scope you can trust and a usable zero with lots of elevation to reach out, let's set up the entire shooting package so that you can engage targets with one shot hits from a cold barrel.First off, you need to generate a drop chart for your load. I have been using the JBM Ballistics free-ware for years and it works as well as any other program out there. Big thing to keep in mind rarely will a drop chart agree with real world shooting! Don't just print out a drop chart and feel you can dial in for all distances from a 100 yards zero. There are simply too many variables and failure is likely. What we want to do now is make up our own real world drop chart using the generated one for reference. It really doesn't matter if your final chart is significantly different as long as it is reliable and repeatable.We are making a drop chart that is calibrated to one rifle, scope, load, range finder, and shooter! If you can get to a range that allows you so shoot long range, awesome. Otherwise, you will need to get out into the field for the next step. Using YOUR range finder, range a target at distance. Dial up based on the drop chart, shoot. Adjust as needed so that you are dead on POI at that distance. Repeat several times to ensure you are hitting as desired within the expected accuracy of the rifle. This also verifies the accuracy of your load at distance. 100 yard groups tell you nothing about accuracy further out. I make sure to test as far as I intend to hunt. You might be surprised at how inaccurate a load might get as distance increases.Repeat for as many distances as you can. I like to do 300 yards, 500 yards, 700 yards and 1,000 yards, whatever your max distance is, to start.

Tweak the ballistics program numbers until the generated drops agree with your scope adjustments. It will be very close over your four data points.With the 'new' drop chart, repeat shooting, verifying all ranges with YOUR range finder. This time range other distances. Hopefully, you will be hitting dead-on based on your new chart. If not, collect the new drops and adjust the chart again.I have had a couple of rifles where most distances were different from the computer print out. I ended up with my own customized chart that suited my setup. I had come-ups for every 50 yards from 300 yards to 1,000 yards. This is a lot of shooting but that set up was dead on in the field. At this time, you have shot your rifle, adjusted your scope, and used your range finder enough to get a feeling for how repeatable and reliable your package is. If nothing seems to repeat, look long and hard at changing some if not all of the items. Also, be critical about your ability to shoot long range in the field. Assuming all is well, this is the final test tha toccurs over as many outings as possible.With a cold barrel, range a target the size of the game's boiler room, dope the conditions, dial up the needed adjustments, shoot - HIT.Repeat always from a cold barrel. ONE SHOT, ONE HIT.When you get to this point, you have a very high degree of confidence in your set up and your ability to put that first bullet on target at many football fields away. Practice, practice, practice, and then practice some more. Go out in all weather conditions to test your gear and learn what it and you can do under real world situations. This will define your limits. You will learn a lot, too. It will also identify changes due to ambient conditions. Watch for substantial drop changes going from hot to cold weather. A change in primer and/or powder might be in order. Ensure there is no change in accuracy either. It really should feel as "easy" to do a long range shot as a 200 yd shot. Spot, range, dope, dial up, shoot, go getyour game. The mechanics of long range hunting should be that simple and straightforward.This is hunting, NOT target shooting. The goal is to harvest game, not launch lead in the hopes of getting something. If you don't have this level of confidence, tweak your gear and get A LOT more trigger time. Either that or get a whole lot closer. Mils Versus Mils Versus Mils By Joe Huffman Copyright 2000 'Mil' in the context of long distance shooting is short for milli-radian. This is, literally, onethousandth of a radian. More on what a radian is later. For now think of it as a unit of angle, like degrees, as in a 180 degree turn, that sort of thing. Mil-dot reticules in optics are used for various things. They can be used for range finding and they can be used for windage

and elevation offset when shooting. They are found in rifle scopes and in binoculars. I won't go into the details of using these here. There are numerous references available that go into great detail on them. What I do want to explain is the differences between the versions of what is commonly called a 'mil'. A radian is commonly used in mathematics as a unit of measure for angles instead of the more common known degree because of some very convenient properties that result in calculus and other advanced math usage. One of those convenient properties, at the low level math usage, is also of great use to us in the shooting world. Something that measures one milli-radian is 1/1000th as long as the distance to it. Or put another way -- if something 1 yard long measures 1 milli-radian then it is 1000 yards away from us. Now for the confusing stuff. In a complete circle, 360 degrees, there are 2 pi radians. This is about 6.283 radians per circle. Since there are 1000 milli-radians in one radian, there are about 6283 milli-radians in a circle. This is where the confusion starts. The US military found the concept of a milli-radian very useful and adapted it for use with maps, artillery spotting and numerous other things. However, the US military made things 'simpler' by standardizing on 6400 mils in a circle. To make things even more interesting the Russians, and perhaps others in Europe, use 6000 mils in a circle. The errors from the mathematical definition are not that great for most uses. Suppose you are ranging an object that is about 2 yards long you don't know for certain but that is your best guess. If you come up with exactly 4 mils then: Object True Size Range Using True Mils Range using US military Mils Russian Mils Exactly 2 yards 500 yards 509 yards 477 yards 2 yards + 2 inches 514 yards 523 yards 491 yards In other words, if you are off just two inches in your estimate of the size of an object that is six feet long then your total error from that one source is greater than the error from using the US military version of mils and over half of the error if you are using a Russian mil optic device. Another way of looking at it is that a true mil is 102% of a US military mil and 95.5% of a Russian mil. When estimating the size of object 500 yards away and with the errors in measuring the number of mils in most optics, the errors in estimation and number of mils are almost for certain greater than the errors introduced by the approximations used by the US and Russian military. I did some tests with two Leupold scopes and a pair of Russian binoculars with mil reticules. I put a series of markers at 99 (+/- 1) yards away. I then measured the distance for an integral number of mils. The results are below: Optics. Object size (inches). Apparent mils. Actual mils. "mils"/circle. Error. Russian Binoculars 76.75 20 21.5 5850 7.0% Leupold 10 X scope 29.5 8 8.28 6070 3.4% Leupold 4.5 -> 14 scope (at 14) 28.75 8 8.07 6223 0.87% My measurement were probably accurate to about 1%. My conclusions are: 1) One should test their optics before relying on them for critical measurements -- even if you know what the manufacture intends them to be. 2) My 14-power Leupold optics can be assumed to use the mathematical definition of a milli-

radian. 3) My 10-power Leupold optics may be using the European definition but are probably close enough to the mathematical definition for most purposes. 3) The Russian and probably Europe in general use a different definition of mils and one needs to take this into account. From our 'resident' military expert: From: Eugene Econ Sent: Friday, May 12, 2000 8:46 AM To: Joe Huffman Subject: Re: Mil-dots. Joe: [...off topic stuff deleted...] Soviet mils are 6000 to a circle. US are 6400. These are Artillery mils used for artillery work and apply to how the Russian and US artillery estimate range and give corrections for Artillery fire. If you do some math with these numbers you find that the US Artillery mil (6400) equates to one degree equaling 17.777 mils. Thus one mil equals 3.375 minutes. Therefore one mil equals just under one yard at a thousand yards and one meter at a thousand meters. The Russian mil (6000) equates to one degree equaling 16.666 mils. One mil equals 3.6 minutes. And so one mil equals very, very slightly over one yard at 1000 yards. Either way -- artillery considers hits if the round lands within fifty meters of a target so use of 6400 or 6000 mils is more a matter of convenience in fire direction control than precision in terms of exactly equaling one yard or one meter. Both are close enough. BTW -- the PSO-1 scope for the SVD bases its ranging reticle on a 5'7" man and we use a six foot tall man. The PSO-1 scope does not use mil dots. Instead it uses a scale where you fit the average 5'7" man into the scale and where he fits you read the range. Then you index the range on the elevation dial that is a BDC in hundreds of meters. Unlike the US optics, the windage of the Russian optics are graduated in Russian mils with two clicks between each mil on the knob. Each click then corresponds to about one minute of angle for windage. Hope this helps you out. Gene From: Shapiro Gregor Sent: Friday, March 17, 2006 1:34 AM To: joeh@boomershoot.org Subject: mils Swedish mills (used by the Swedish military) are 6300 mils (called streck in Swedish and symbolized with an apostrophe []) to a circle the French are a little more mathematically stringent with 6280 mils to a circle.

/GS From: Shapiro Gregor Sent: Monday, March 27, 2006 12:49 AM To: Joe Huffman Subject: RE: mils Yes you may use my name. I probably should make you aware that presently the Swedish military is in the process of internationalization and will adopt the NATO standards of measurements and methods of ordering indirect fire, other artillery orders as well as generally adopting international standards (read US forces) across the board. So the 6300 to a circle Swedish mils is on its way out. I have no time scale for this transition but the simulators that my company has delivered and is in the process of developing have multiple units of measurement including both 6300 and 6400. /Gregor Mil-dots and Minutes-of-angle From a Technical Perspective < 1999 By Jay Williams If you've always wondered what those little dots are for on a military rifle scope's reticle (crosshairs), then look no further. I hope to explain, in a clear and concise fashion, how the mil-dot reticle works and also what "minute-of-angle" means. Minute-Of-Angle The term "minute-of-angle" (MOA) is used regularly by target shooters at the range, but is probably understood, thoroughly, by few (the same goes for mil-dots). Defined loosely, one MOA = 1" @ 100 yards; so, if you shot your rifle 5 times into a 100-yard target and every shot went into a one-inch circle you had drawn on the paper, then your rifle could be said to shoot 1 MOA. Likewise, if every shot goes into a two-inch circle at 200 yards, then you're shooting 1 MOA. A 10-inch group at 500 yards would be 2 MOA. Now for the fun part. There are 360 degrees in a circle. Each degree can be broken down further into minutes. There are 60 minutes in a degree. Likewise, there are 60 seconds in a minute. Now, to figure out the distance subtended by 1 minute at any particular distance, we need merely to plug those two values into a simple trigonometric equation. The tangent function fits the bill nicely. Here's the equation: tan(angle) = distance subtended/distance to the target (units must be consistent--e.g., 1/36 of a yard [1"] divided by 100 yards) Now, we know the angle (1 minute or 1/60 of a degree) and we know the distance to the target (100 yards), but we need to figure out the actual distance subtended at the target (i.e., is 1 MOA actually 1" @ 100 yards?). What we need to do is solve for "distance subtended." Here's our final equation: tan(angle)*distance to the target = distance subtended Make sure your calculator is in "degree" mode (as opposed to "radian" or "gradian") and type in 1/60 (for degrees) and hit the "tangent" button. Then multiply that by 100 yards. This should give you the

distance (in yards) subtended at 100 yards. Multiply this by 36 to get inches. The answer should be: 1.047197580733" This is just a hair over the commonly quoted "one inch." At 1000 yards, this would be almost 10 1/2 inches. Apparently, it is just a coincidence that 1 MOA happens to be REALLY close to 1" @ 100 yards. It is, however, quite convenient. The Mil-Dot The "Mil" in "Mil-Dot" does not stand for "Military"; it stands for "milliradian." The radian is a unitless measure which is equivalent, in use, to degrees. It tells you how far around a circle you have gone. 2 PI radians = 360 degrees. Using 3.14 as the value of PI, 6.28 radians take you all the way around a circle. Using a cartesian coordinate system, you can use "x"- and "y"-values to define any point on the plane. Radians are used in a coordinate system called "polar coordinates." A point on the plane is defined, in the polar coordinate system, using the radian and the radius. The radian defines the amount of rotation and the radius gives the distance from the origin (in a negative or positive direction). ANYWAY, the radian is another measurement of rotation (the degree/minute/second-system being the first). This is the system used in the mil-dot reticle. We use the same equation that we used before, but, instead of your calculator being in "degree" mode, switch it to "radian" mode. One milliradian = 1/1000 (.001) radians. So, type .001 into your calculator and hit the "tangent" button. Then multiply this by "distance to the target." Finally, multiply this by 36 to get inches subtended at the given distance. With the calculator in "radian" mode, type: tangent(.001)*100*36 = 3.6000012" So, one milliradian is just over 3.6 inches at 100 yards. If we extrapolate, two milliradians equal about 6 feet at one-thousand yards. You'll see the importance of this, shortly. The Mil-Dot Reticle The mil-dot reticle was designed around the measurement unit of the milliradian. The dots, themselves, were designed with this in mind and the spacing of the dots was also based upon the milliradian. This allows the shooter to calculate the distance to an object of known height or width. Height of the target in yards divided by the height of the target in milliradians multiplied by 1000 equals the distance to the target in yards. For example, take a 6-foot-tall man (2 yards). Let's say that the top of his head lines up with one dot and his feet line up four dots down. So: (2/4)*1000 = 500 yards away. This same tecnique can be used to estimate lead on a moving target or to compensate for deflection on a windy day. The distance from the center of one dot to the center of the next dot is 1 milliradian. We are told (by the folks at Leupold) that the length of a dot is 1/4 milliradian or 3/4 MOA (Given this much information, one can determine that the distance between dots is 3/4 milliradian.).* I use the term "length" because the mil-dot is not round. It is oblong. The "dots" on the verticle crosshair run oblong in the vertical direction. The dots on the horizontal crosshair run oblong in the horizontal direction (i.e., they are lying on their sides). The width of each dot is an arbitrary distance and is not used for any practical purpose. Like a duplex reticle, the mil-dot reticle is thicker towards the edges and uses thin lines in the middle where the dots are located and the crosshairs cross. The distance between the opposite thick portions is 10 milliradians. *NOTE: 1/4 milliradian = .9" and 3/4 MOA = .785", so, obviously, a mil-dot cannot be both 1/4 milliradian and 3/4 MOA. I called Premier Reticles (they make Leupold's mil-dot reticles) and got an explanation: the dots on their mil-dot reticles are 1/4 mil. They are not 3/4 MOA. Apparently, they

(Leupold?) just figured that more shooters understand MOA than milliradians, so they just gave a figure (in MOA) that was close, but not super precise. You can contact Premier Reticles via e-mail and request literature or ask questions. Summary To use a mil-dot reticle effectively, all one need remember is that the distance between dot centers is 36" at 1000 yards. This lets you determine the range of a target of known size. At that point, you can dial the scope in for proper elevation OR use the dots to hold over the proper amount. The dots on the horizontal crosshair can be used to lead a target (if you know the range to the target, then you'll know the distance between dots, and thus the distance to lead) or to compensate for deflection. All you ever wanted to know about mil-dots and minutes-of-angle, and then some! http://95.143.193.148