First time at the Bisley Zero range

[ptheta]

Hi all,
I'm shooting 1000yds on Stickledown on the 21st and although I've shot 1000yds before I've only shot my own rifles out to 600 and I want to get onto the zero range in the morning before I go onto Stickledown. I've never used the zero range before so I'd welcome any advice you can give me.

I have a No.4 with a 6x42 S&B on it and a Schmidt-Rubin with open sights. I'll be shooting my home loads through the No.4 and I have both home loads and Privi factory ammo for the Schmidt-Rubin. Now these aren't 1/2MOA rifles so all I want to do is make sure that I get on the paper so that I can adjust from there on Stickledown.

I imagine the 1000yd marker on the Schmidt's open sights will be about right but I was thinking that I ought to check it first. Am I worrying about nothing here? My home loads are an approximate match for the Privi factory which from previous experience matches what the sights say for 600m. Should I not bother with taking the Schmidt onto the zero range and just do the Lee Enfield or would it be a good idea to do both?

Also when can I get on the zero range on a Sunday morning? Will it be open at 9am and does it get very busy? Should I expect to have to wait a while?

Thanks,
Paul.

[20series]

I believe you can shoot on the Zero range at any time between 0830 and end of the day, You need to go to the NRA office and pay £1.50 to get a Zeroing target.

Alan

[Watcher]

Its always a good idea to check zero; especially if you are going to shoot at 1,000. You can buy .303 zero cards in the NRA Office so you'll be able to check your elevations but I'm not sure how you go on with your S-R. Presumably use a .303 or 7.62 zero target and note the variance?

[TattooedGun]

Sorry to hijack but would you not need to know how fast you projectile travels to be able to plot where the bullet will end up from the zero range.

The sheets for 7.62 you get are for known RG rounds (last time i went) - with this in mind, what happens when you go on a zero range without knowing the power of your bullet... the arc could be different to RG ammo and you could overshoot the target (or of course undershoot it too!)...

anyone have any information on this?

again, sorry for the hijack

[Watcher]

Maybe that the trick is to start with a .303 card and some known (commercial) ammo. Check the No 4 and then see where the hand loads shoot by comparison and then the S-R.

[ptheta]

TattooedGun, your question mirrors what I was thinking but hadn't got around to asking yet. I know that my 7.5x55 roughly equals the factory Privi and that my .303 is about an inch lower than Privi at 100yds but I don't know if I can learn anything from the zero targets if they're not matched to my load.

Perhaps I'm thinking too much about it. I wonder if all these rounds are going to perform sufficiently similar to get me onto the paper. After all, that's all I need to achieve at the start.

The 7.5x55 uses a .30/174gr/FMJBT bullet (I know I loaded them!) and the .303 round uses a .303/170gr/FMJBT bullet (I think - will have to check the packet). I imagine that if they come out of the guns at similar speeds they're going to do roughly the same thing and that might not be so different to the bemchmark .303 and 7.62 targets.

What do you more experienced shooters think?

[kennyc]

I tried it and it showed me that my rifle was shooting to the left (knew that) other than that, its difficult to extrapolate results as you have no idea as to trajectory.

[ptheta]

Thanks for the picture, KennyC. That's quite instructive. Looking at it I can't help wondering what is it going to do for me that just throwing the numbers into Shooter (Android ballistics app) and getting a number of clicks out won't. If anything, the computer ought to be better as I've already verified it's numbers with Privi .303 out as far as 600m.

I'd be happy for someone to tell me I'm wrong but preferably also why I'm wrong. :-)

[rox]

what happens when you go on a zero range without knowing the power of your bullet... the arc could be different to RG ammo and you could overshoot the target (or of course undershoot it too!)...

I once saw someone shoot at 600x with a .577/450 Martini Henry with an elevation that (it turned out) was obtained using a 155 grain 7.62 RG zero card. Sods flew from about 400 yards, and it looked like he might have created a new drainage ditch down the range.

..

[kennyc]

Thanks for the picture, KennyC. That's quite instructive. Looking at it I can't help wondering what is it going to do for me that just throwing the numbers into Shooter (Android ballistics app) and getting a number of clicks out won't. If anything, the computer ought to be better as I've already verified it's numbers with Privi .303 out as far as 600m.

I'd be happy for someone to tell me I'm wrong but preferably also why I'm wrong. :-)

forgot to say, that was with a K31 and 174gn Privi ammo