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Post your May 2023 Iron Sight Challenge targets here. Rules at first post.

433 Views 11 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  Nevins, 
Douglas Haig
May is here. More daylight for getting to the range. Looking forward to some great shooting.

The rules: It is open to all 30 cal. +/- iron sighted, as issued military rifles from 1900 to the cold war. Some examples, M14/M1A, US Krag, Springfield 03, US 1917, Garand, M1 Carbine, 8mm Mausers, 7.7 Japanese Ariskas, G3 and FAL clones, SKS, AK47, BM59, SMLE, Swiss K31, Russian Mosin-Nagant and Tokarev, British SMLE, etc. I fully expect the M14s to dominate but I think it will be fun to bring out those other old war horses and show them off , maybe educate everyone of on how accurate they were or not.

Rules, 8” Dirty Bird targets, (Walmart, Academy Sports, Amazon and other shops) iron sights, 100 yards, sling or bench with bag supports, no lead sleds or clamping devices. Scoring, if the blackened mark made by the bullet clearly severs a line, take the higher score. If you get a flyer in the white score a 7 for it. Challenges will run 1st of months till end. Write rifle type, ammo, score and date on your targets and post them. Multiple entries permitted. Just for fun contest, You goal is to continue to beat your previous best score until you get the elusive 100.

If you shoot other than Dirty Bird target and occasionally want to show off a great group, feel free to post but DBs are preferred as it makes for easier comparisons. If you would like to demo post a modern rifle like a FM SCAR or AR 10 feel free. I‘ll add to list separately.
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Douglas Haig
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Got out to the range Saturday with my Fulton Armory Match M1 and 150 gr Sierra handloads. 97-3X . Two X shots at 11 and 12 oclock were close. I put an unloaded bullet in the holes and no cigar for those two. Still have time for another range trip this month.
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Nevins
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Also got out to the range and enjoyed the nicer weather here. Target on the right is the only "qualifying" target, this was done with a Finnish M39 that I havent brought out in awhile. Struggled a little bit with getting a good hold, with the factory light ball (148 grain Wolf bimetallic cheap stuff) it was shooting about a foot high of the intended point of impact. Adjusted the front sight after this string as I also had to do a slight hold to the left to get the stuff centered.

After a little bit of frustration (the first few shots were all in the 10 ring for the Finn, then spread out) I decided to bring out something a little more modern. Scoped Sig 716 DMR gen 2 (Piston gun) with a 16" in 308 with handloads. After this clicked 3 mils right and its nice and centered up. A little easier to shoot like this with a modern optic, but doesnt count for the thousand dollar cash prize that doug puts out. :ROFLMAO:
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Douglas Haig
Nevins with that tiny notch in the rear sight I’d say you did really well just hitting the bullseye with all 10 rounds. Im surprised they drifted off as they did. Were you shooting fast? Maybe the stock needs some trimming in the barrel channel? BTW is there a build date on the rifle ?

That SIG sounds like a great rifle especially with a piston. Do you have back up sights on it? Sorry it doesn't qualify for the cash prize as is.
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Nevins
Yeah the bull was really tough to break out with the Finn notch sights, really great battle sights for shooting at larger targets but just can't compare in target shooting with the rear peep/fine front sight post found in most American milsurps. I had run about 20 rounds through it before this and was going at a decent pace but a lot of it is just due to the incredibly variable quality of Wolf along with a floating hold below the target that was tough to get consistently right. The shot string bounced around a bit between the center and right, it wasn't all in the middle and then started a drift out. It is a 1941 VKT M39 with the D marked barrel. I purchased some of the Lapua 200 grain projectiles that the barrel was intended to shoot years ago and have a bunch of them loaded. Issue is there is very, very little load data out there for this bullet so I only had a single charge loaded and the rifle didn't like it very much. Grouping was worse than the wolf, Ill likely pull those and do a true ladder at some point. They are pretty expensive projectiles that don't come in stock often so the training value out of just shooting them isn't really there.



This is the exact setup for my AR-10, no real way to get some irons on it so its out of the running here. I did just buy one of Magpul's PRS lite stocks for it would should help out quite a bit, there really isn't much value for me in the light collapsing SOPMOD it comes with. Once I eventually get a suppressor on it its going to be just too heavy for much other than bench shooting. Looks like I won't be financing that suppressor with prize money anytime soon though :( . Might have a go with the irons on my PSL once I get the KNS piston dropped in it.
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Douglas Haig
Nevins said:
Yeah the bull was really tough to break out with the Finn notch sights, really great battle sights for shooting at larger targets but just can't compare in target shooting with the rear peep/fine front sight post found in most American milsurps. I had run about 20 rounds through it before this and was going at a decent pace but a lot of it is just due to the incredibly variable quality of Wolf along with a floating hold below the target that was tough to get consistently right. The shot string bounced around a bit between the center and right, it wasn't all in the middle and then started a drift out. It is a 1941 VKT M39 with the D marked barrel. I purchased some of the Lapua 200 grain projectiles that the barrel was intended to shoot years ago and have a bunch of them loaded. Issue is there is very, very little load data out there for this bullet so I only had a single charge loaded and the rifle didn't like it very much. Grouping was worse than the wolf, Ill likely pull those and do a true ladder at some point. They are pretty expensive projectiles that don't come in stock often so the training value out of just shooting them isn't really there.



This is the exact setup for my AR-10, no real way to get some irons on it so its out of the running here. I did just buy one of Magpul's PRS lite stocks for it would should help out quite a bit, there really isn't much value for me in the light collapsing SOPMOD it comes with. Once I eventually get a suppressor on it its going to be just too heavy for much other than bench shooting. Looks like I won't be financing that suppressor with prize money anytime soon though :( . Might have a go with the irons on my PSL once I get the KNS piston dropped in it.
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What about loading the .310 123 grain bullet . I see mid-south and natches both have them less than .30 cents a pop. My Hornady book has a bunch of loads approaching 3000 fps for this light bullet.
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Nevins
Some of my very first loads for this were "fun" ones with frangible projectiles meant for AKs so I could shoot steel at whatever distance I wanted without having too worry about damaging the targets or the safety issues with ricochets etc. Now that .311 projectiles are actually available again in the 150gr range I have stuck with those for now, as I tend to get much better performance with those. My main goal with these has been to see if my PU mosin could be stretched out to 600yds to participate in vintage sniper matches, but considering the lower cost Ill probably run up some 123s as well. There are also a fair amount of 308 projectile data (I have the expander adapter as part of my RCBS die) that I will probably look in to as well. I believe my PU slugged at a .313 so the 308 stuff might be too small, will have to get a new kit to see what the Finn slugs at.

Infinite rabbit holes as always in this hobby
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Random Guy
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Quick range trip this month to try my 1998/2000 SAI Supermatch with a globe front sight and pet handload. Scored a 97-4x, but hopefully will do a letter better next time, looks like I drifted slightly left on 3 shots.

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Nevins
I grew up shooting target 22lr rifles with the same style sights - I think I was 14 before I ever shot something with a front sight post. Exceptional target sights
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B
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Yep, thought I could do it, but no. Seriously, off a bag at 100, how hard could it be? What's with the 8's?

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Douglas Haig
borch1911, Thats some fine shooting with your M1. Looks like you could have used 1/2” up if you have match sights. Funny how it doesnt take a lot to throw one. Breath, finger twitch, shoulder push. When I do it I almost know before looking in my binoculars.

Thanks for joining in.
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Nevins
Thats why the 10 shot groups are what really breaks out trends. Plenty of guys will go online and put a 3-5 shot group but 10 is where you really start to see a true spread.
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