dope
DOPE - Data on Previous Engagements
For a high % of gun owners the maximum distance they ever shoot is 150-200 yards. Finding longer ranges is tough and shots over 100 yards isn’t practical for many applications. Fortunately, at Florida Multigun we have access to ranges out to 600 yards and almost every match we will be shooting to 300 yards and sometimes further with our rifles.
So, how does one get data and comfortable out to longer ranges with their AR? First off you need a solid rifle. That doesn’t mean you need to spend a mortgage payment on a new rifle (though it doesn’t usually hurt) but you do need to make sure your rifle is set up for success. Success can be defined a million different ways but a good trigger, rifle barrel, scope mounts and scope can make or break long range shooting with an AR.
Beyond 200 yards, most of the time you need to put your 55 grain blaster ammo away and try to find some high quality heavier grain loads. For most rifles a 68-69 grain load (either hand loaded or factory) will perform well. If you happen to have a faster twist barrel (under 1x8) then you might be able to get away with 75-78 grain bullets. The only way to determine if your rifle likes that particular load is to buy a couple boxes of various loads or load up your own pills and take them to the range. I recommend shooting groups at 100 to find a load that works well (smaller groups are better). After that and if you have access to a chrono, then now would be the time to take that speed test. (A note on 55 blaster vs higher quality long range rifle ammo - yes higher quality is more expensive, usually 1.5-2x the cost off 55 grain, but going 1 for 1 on long range with better ammo is way less $$$ than 2+ make up shots per target with cheap 55 grain blaster ammo. )
From there you need some baseline data to get you started. A lot of this information can be found free on the internet. All you need is your chrono speed (FPS) and a ballistic coefficient of the bullet and put into one of the many free ballistic calculators out there. (You may use the FPS that is commonly written on the box of most factory ammo, but realize that number is taken usually from a longer barrel and won’t line up directly with your rifle so you might have to tweak the value a little, usually slower FPS.) JBM Ballistics is a free online ballistic calculator I have used for years, but there are ton more. From that you should get some drop and wind values to start.
Once you figure out the (theoretical) drop and wind deflection from the internet, app or Kestrel and have it stored someway (I have multiple shooting data books, but a notebook or notepad is perfect) then it’s time to figure out your optic and head to the range.
Most modern Low Power Variable Optics (LPVO) have some extra lines on the vertical and horizontal lines. Those extra lines mean something and you will likely have to look in the scope manual or google to determine their value. Commonly they are considered Bullet Drop Compensation (BDC) reticles, as at a certain zero range, the hashmarks below the center x, correspond to big whole numbers. Say you sight your rifle in at 200 yards (hint hint) and the lower lines correspond to 300, 400, etc. based on an average drop of most commonly used bullets and speed. Theoretically, a shooter could hold the corresponding line on the target for the various corresponding book yardage, account for wind and get a hit with one of these reticles.
Those lines should be close enough for hits on large 3-Gun targets, but you need to check. I’ve never had a rifle and load line up perfect to those numbers on BDC reticles so you need to check by shooting out to a further ranges. Other scopes have lines that are in MOA and MILS and with a little quick math can give you the same information but in those scopes lines usually won’t correspond to round big numbers.
For those that are shooting a red dot you will likely be using Inches and Kentucky windage but that is a whole other world and more difficult, but based on our Limited division participation is very infrequent. I have shot red dots successfully for long range for many years though and if you have further questions let me know.
So you have your rifle, ammo, data and now you understand your scope and it’s reticle. You will need to double check at long range and finding a place to shoot out past 300 is hard to find. Manatee Gun and Archery has ranges out to 300 on the main line and would be a great place to start. You should double check your zero first and then move to 300 yards and test. If you have access to further ranges or different ranges in between 100 yard increments you can test that as well and the more data you have the better. We now have the ability to move targets at various yards at Florida Multigun so holds will have to be a little more precise in between those 100 yard increments and holds between hash marks will become more important.
In a match, you need to get a good stable rest on one of our many barricades and use the right DOPE and make a solid squeeze to engage those further out targets. Finally, if you don’t make a hit on your first shot, do your best to see where your impact was and correct for that miss. The biggest mistake I see at matches is shooters engaging targets very precisely but not accurately. I’ve seen shooters plug the same hole over and over again while arguing with their rifle about the zero. If you made a good trigger pull and miss by 6 inches high then move down 12 inches on the center of the target and send another one. Your last miss the most important DOPE you are ever going to get so apply it to your next shot. You can worry about your zero or your perfect hold after you finish the stage!
Shine
