Pictures of My Long Range Addiction

[11Charlie]

I have no idea what the twist rate is. Some forums say 1:10, other say 1:12, and yet others say 1:14.

It's not stamped on the barrel? 1:10 would be great. Didn't know they made 1:14 don't know much about them. @Ura-Ki you know anything about these.

 

[Ura-Ki]

It's not stamped on the barrel? 1:10 would be great. Didn't know they made 1:14 don't know much about them. @Ura-Ki you know anything about these.

No Idea, depends on the year of manufacture, by the photo posted, I would guess 58 and later, and most rifles in that period were 1/12, so that would be my guess! That was pretty standard by then and remained till just a few years ago when the 1/10 finally caught on with the long range shooters, and now it's rare to find a "Slow" rifle! Tikka was always the odd ball out with 1/11 twist for years and years, even with the mighty .30/06, but finally changed it up for us 'Muricans and our propensity for using 180 gr and heavier pills! LOL
If you really wanted to know, you could have the bore slugged and find out for sure!

 

[Ura-Ki]

I have an old 1949 Rheinmetall Borsig in .30/06, a real tank of a rifle, but a super smooth running bolt and quite accurate! Those 1950's Sporter Rifles are some of the best ever made, todays stuff just doesn't match up to those, though barrel manufacturing is vastly improved, you just cannot equal those Old Sporters in Quality and feel!

 

[wildcat455]

I have no idea what the twist rate is. Some forums say 1:10, other say 1:12, and yet others say 1:14.

Hey there 1971Chevelle!
You can find out what your twist rate in that rifle is by a very simple test. No special tools.
Take your cleaning rod, with a tight fitting patch.
Start it into the barrel rifling.
Mark the location of the action/bore guide on the cleaning rod for the entire circumference of it. Use a sharpie.
Make a mark at the 12 o'clock position on the cleaning rod up by the handle.
Push the rod through the barrel until your 12 o'clock mark returns to the 12 o'clock position. (1revolution).
Make another mark on the cleaning rod for the entire circumference with your sharpie at the original reference point on the rifle.
Pull the cleaning rod out of the rifle and measure the distance between the 2 circumferential marks with a tape measure.
You now will know the twist rate, expressed as 1 turn in xx inches.

Let us know or if you have questions, ask!

 

[wildcat455]

I don't think mine counts. I finally got my Sightmark Citadel 5-30x56 scope mounted on my Parker Hale .308. I have no idea when I will be able to take it someplace to try some long range shots (I honestly don't know what kind of accuracy this rifle will have with a 24" barrel).

View attachment 4538

Qualifies perfectly! Don't sell yourself or your equipment short!

24" is plenty of barrel for the 308. You aren't burning magnum amounts of slow powder. You'll be fine!

First order of business would be take it to a normal range and find out what it likes.
I assume you don't reload? Not to worry, buy some match ammunition and see if it'll shoot anything in the 168 to 178 grain range. Do this at 100 yards and your looking for a group under an inch.
If you find something it likes, time to start increasing distance. Have fun with it, but remember rifles shoot most consistently at a consistent temperature. In other words, disregard cold bore shots bringing it up to temperature, and don't shoot it so that the barrel can't be touched comfortably.

If all shoot kind of lousy, that's ok too. There's something to be done for it.

First, clean that rifle well. I use Bore tech products and let the chemical do it's thing. I start with their carbon remover, and when that's all done and no more black comes out, I switch to their Eliminator product for copper.
If copper fouling is really bad, you may need some of their CU2 product. The important thing is saturate the barrel with wet patches, usually 4, then wait. After >15 minutes, run another patch through. If it still comes out with heavy black or turquoise, you may need to scrub with their nylon bristle bore brushes. Bronze ones will dissolve in the chemical and give you false readings. So get the nylon ones. They are called something like proof positive.
That's what I do, but do whatever you want.

If fouling isn't your accuracy problem, check barrel floating. With a wood stock and being an older rifle, there may be contact between barrel and stock. The pressure of this contact changes as the barrel heats up, changing your point of impact. Most will run a dollar bill down the length of the barrel where the stock is to feel for contact spots. I like a little more clearance so I usually use business card stock or folded paper.

After that, there is action fit in the stock. For a wood stock, I like mine to be glass bedded. I've always left this to gunsmiths, so no help here.

But first things first. Take it out and see if it'll shoot as is.
I have no idea of its history of ownership, or use, so you may be able to circumvent some of this.

Good luck and let us know how it does!

 

[11Charlie]

Hey there 1971Chevelle!
You can find out what your twist rate in that rifle is by a very simple test. No special tools.
Take your cleaning rod, with a tight fitting patch.
Start it into the barrel rifling.
Mark the location of the action/bore guide on the cleaning rod for the entire circumference of it. Use a sharpie.
Make a mark at the 12 o'clock position on the cleaning rod up by the handle.
Push the rod through the barrel until your 12 o'clock mark returns to the 12 o'clock position. (1revolution).
Make another mark on the cleaning rod for the entire circumference with your sharpie at the original reference point on the rifle.
Pull the cleaning rod out of the rifle and measure the distance between the 2 circumferential marks with a tape measure.
You now will know the twist rate, expressed as 1 turn in xx inches.

Let us know or if you have questions, ask!

Damn I like that!!!

 

[1971Chevelle]

There are no twist rate stamps anywhere on the barrel. I also can't get the cleaning rod/patch trick to work (the rod won't spin). So, I just won't worry about it.

 

[runeight]

Not sure what your talking about? What do you mean out the window?

Night force scopes are very expensive. That's all I meant.

 

[wildcat455]

Uhh ohh.
Which end of the rifle did you start it in? If it was breech end, your rifling lands could be worn. If you feel inclined to do so, try a tight patch from the muzzle end...

 

[wildcat455]

Night force scopes are very expensive. That's all I meant.

Yeah... all my scopes are less expensive Vortex, but I do own some of their top tier glass...

 

[1971Chevelle]

Uhh ohh.
Which end of the rifle did you start it in? If it was breech end, your rifling lands could be worn. If you feel inclined to do so, try a tight patch from the muzzle end...

I tried it from both ends and it didn't work either way. Perhaps if someone posted a picture of how they set up the patch it would help.

 

[11Charlie]

Night force scopes are very expensive. That's all I meant.

Oh yes I know!! But damn they are sweet!!

 

[wildcat455]

I tried it from both ends and it didn't work either way. Perhaps if someone posted a picture of how they set up the patch it would help.

Here's a video of an alternate method.
My way is essentially the same, just more than one way to skin the cat.

 

[runeight]

Oh yes I know!! But damn they are sweet!!

I guess if you think about I have spent amounts equal to a NS scope on pistols so it's all good.

 

[11Charlie]

I guess if you think about I have spent amounts equal to a NS scope on pistols so it's all good.

I love my rifles and shooting long distance. I have done a lot of pistol training and enjoy it when shooting steel but paper gets a little boring after awhile. In my eyes a pistol is just there to get you to your fighting rifle.

 

[Full Auto]

I don't need to post a photo of my Ruger Precision RPR in 6.5 Creedmoor, it's stock. I put a Vortex PST gen 2 on it and I can pound steel at 1000 yards with Hornady American Gunner ammo. I will never be able to out shoot this gun so why spend more?

If someone gave me a Nightforce I would certainly take it, but I have several Vortex Viper scopes and they do fine out to 800 yards. I can even hit steel at 800 yards with an 18" AR-15.

 

[MadDuner]

I love my rifles and shooting long distance. I have done a lot of pistol training and enjoy it when shooting steel but paper gets a little boring after awhile. In my eyes a pistol is just there to get you to your fighting rifle.

If only I could figure out a way to conceal carry a carbine.... in shorts and t-shirt.

 

[Oohrah]

Shot the AR15 to 250 yards and I was getting solid hits. I haven't shot the LaRue yet.

I'm thinking that anything when talking the extreme long range and the 1000 areas, the 223 calibers even the heavy are not going to have stay power to keep consistent bullet dispersion. Winds, cross winds, and bullet velocity changes will likely have greater changes than the more consistent heavy larger diameter bullets. I think the further out, that MOA becomes greater. MOA @100= 1" where at 1000 will be 10 times that. I recall that with open sighted Garands the 500 yard 10 ring was 36" Possibles were difficult, but not impossible with a standard M-1 Garand. An advantage was using 162 grain AP instead of the 150 grain FMJ. I don't think the same scores were possible with the .223 rounds, but the weapon and caliber was after my time. It's only been the last couple of decades I have used the AR platform and 223 caliber. I have noted it to be much more sensitive for distance shooting than larger calibers.

 

[Joe Link]

I'm thinking that anything when talking the extreme long range and the 1000 areas, the 223 calibers even the heavy are not going to have stay power to keep consistent bullet dispersion. Winds, cross winds, and bullet velocity changes will likely have greater changes than the more consistent heavy larger diameter bullets. I think the further out, that MOA becomes greater. MOA @100= 1" where at 1000 will be 10 times that. I recall that with open sighted Garands the 500 yard 10 ring was 36" Possibles were difficult, but not impossible with a standard M-1 Garand. An advantage was using 162 grain AP instead of the 150 grain FMJ. I don't think the same scores were possible with the .223 rounds, but the weapon and caliber was after my time. It's only been the last couple of decades I have used the AR platform and 223 caliber. I have noted it to be much more sensitive for distance shooting than larger calibers.

Good info! I understand it's pushing it's limits but if I can shoot the AR15 out to 500 yards I'll be happy. Those 250 yard shots were done with regular 55gr ammo, I need to pickup some heavier match stuff.

 

[Ura-Ki]

The AR really needs that 20 inch tube to be able to reach out there! 800 meters is quite possible, and most good optics specifically for the AR will take you there! I'm not trying to shoot to those distances with my little retro Carbine, but 600 is quite within it's capabilities, and that's plenty!