1.43 seconds of flight

It doesn't sound like a lot of time but when the flight has such an impactful end getting that 1.43 second flight perfectly right can makes all the difference between success and failure; and the latter is not something I'm willing to accept considering at the end of that flight something dies.

As a trained long range shooter I'm always keen to push limits however it's not always appropriate; sometimes shots can be irresponsible.

A bullet, say a .308 calibre projectile for example, can travel for well over 5,000 metres (5 kilometres) if fired at a 45 degree angle (which would be irresponsible); it'll rise, reach its zenith and descend to land who knows where at that range. Effective killing range is much less than that of course, the trajectory being much flatter, so let's call the effective killing range 1200 metres for that calibre. I've made shots at that range and far beyond of course, and it's rewarding when one sees a target do what it does when struck in a vital point at that range - a lot of things have to come together to make shots like that.

With that in mind, I don't normally hunt at that range because wounding a target is irresponsible, killing it efficiently and humanely is my goal.

With the weather cooling it was time to blow the cobwebs out of one of my long guns (if you think there's actually cobwebs in or on any of my guns you're fucken nuts) so I grabbed some kit and made my way to a spot, the last part of the journey being a little off-road 4x4 adventure, nothing my trusty steed can't handle though. After an hour-long hike to a vantage point I know well, one that affords me a 230° field of fire across the hills and down a valley, I got set up and...waited.

The plan was to take one single shot, what they call a cold bore shot.

This is the first shot of the day when the barrel is cold (i.e. has had zero rounds through it for the day.) and as a long range shooter it's critically important to know what one's rifle(s) will do under such conditions.

Some ask why I don't just fire a round to warm it up and bring it into the same/similar condition in which the rounds were "developed" in, (I make my own rounds and test the correct gunpowder load to use in respect of barrel harmonics and other factors to gain optimal accuracy and repeatability), but doing so would alert potential targets of my whereabouts and that's not the done thing. Anyway, a cold bore shot will behave differently so knowing how to adjust for it, changing the aimpoint if "holding-over" (or dialing windage and elevation into the scope) to account for that variation is important and a required skill.

A cold bore shot is a challenge, but obviously I've done the pre-shot-work in the past meaning I take cold bore shots all the time and in various conditions then record the results: Point of aim and eventual impact, (did it go where I intended), weather conditions like temperature, humidity, wind, altitude, (also the density altitude (DA) which is a combination of temperature, altitude and humidity combined), and other factors like angle of shot in degrees and of course the rifle and round I'm using. There's a lot of information to record, but it's that information, called DOPE, (data on previous engagements) that allows me to set up, see a target and know I'll effectively kill it even with a cold bore shot. I have hundreds and hundreds of such cold bore shots recorded in my rifle log books.

Pre flight

It was early morning, the sun was only just cresting the horizon, its golden rays streaming over my shoulder bathing the vista before me in it's light as it rose. The last wisps of fog which still hung lazily over the small lake to my left would burn off quickly but for now it glowed golden as it clung to the reeds and caught the light enchantingly swirling now and then through movement of the birds there to drink. They sang happily, their voices the only sounds in what was an idyllic moment.

I lay prone, legs spread wide and feet splayed outwards in a bid to "ground" as much of my body as possible to assist in managing the recall better - the more of me touching the ground the better the energy transfers through it to the ground allowing rapid follow-up shots if required. I was (almost) in my firing position but simply scanned the land around me searching for targets. I never wind my scope magnification to the full 24x magnification power it has preferring to use a maximum of 12x which gives me a view of more area all at once. It means targets appear smaller but I've trained that way and it works. I moved the rifle sparingly, silently, and investigated every movement and shadow before moving on.

I was chewing on beef jerky, a habit I picked up a while ago, and was anticipating the shot that would come but also enjoying the moment. There's an amazing feeling that comes with the peace and quiet of such places and the moment in which the day begins to awaken; no people, just nature and its sounds, sights and smells...the smell of that morning air is intoxicating...and then I stopped chewing...I'd found a target.

I squinted slightly into the scope and confirmed then reached for my laser rangefinder and ranged it at 863 metres. As I got back behind the scope I thought about the energy the projectile would impart at that range and knew it'd cause a sufficient amount of damage to rapidly dispatch the target. The strip of beef jerky still hanging out of my mouth like a cigarette, I began my pre-flight procedure, it was automatic, something I've done thousands of times.

I've written previous posts about long range shooting before, the concepts, science, mechanics, physical methods and so on; I see no need to go over it again just now. I did some calculations on my ballistics calculator app (StrelokPro) based on the rifle system I was using, the environmental factors like wind speed and direction, Density Altitude (gained from my Kestrel Drop), angle of shot, distance to the target and so on, that's the field firing solution (FFS), dialed in the elevation and windage settings into my scope, and within a few seconds it was flight time.

I settled into my shooting position, not that I'd moved much, I just sort of scooched more into the ground to "ground" myself properly, and began breathing. I kept my eye on the target with the crosshairs of my scope on the point of impact I'd chosen, this was around the shoulder of the target as it was side-on to me, and moved my finger to the trigger.

I shoot with both eyes open. It took me a lot of time to learn the skill but it means I can see more of what's around the target and adjust if needed, change targets and make better decisions around when and when not to fire. It was unnatural to me at first as I'd always shot with my off eye closed. Now, both of my eyes looked forward, one didn't see much at that distance and the other saw the target up close.

I breathed normally, slowly and in a measured way, the rifle seemingly part of my body so the crosshairs rose and fell with my breathing but was doing so over the point of aim. I applied pressure to the trigger feeling the wind on my face as I did, it had risen after the sun was fully up but I'd accounted for it, and when at a point when my natural breath was fully exhaled and prior to beginning the next, I squeezed the trigger gently and sent the projectile into flight.

1.43 seconds

A lot can happen in that time, a perfectly good shot can be ruined.

I didn't move although felt the recoil ripple through my body. My eyes remained open and I focused intently on the target and my point of aim.

A lot of people often comment to me that it must be good to shoot things at such ranges as I'm "detached" from the death. That's bullshit. I shoot with only the best equipment and with the scope clarity and magnification the death is up close and personal. I see the energy impart on the impact, the pink mist of blood, chunks of brain or flesh flying, the way a body crumples down, like it folds down upon itself into a pile, or the involuntary muscle spasms that lift it...I see it all up close.

The flight ended with a good impact.

I kept looking down my scope at the target now upon the ground and still. I always feel some remorse at this stage but not always have I had the time to reflect upon it. For me it's vital that my shots result in a rapid and humane demise for the target and it annoys me if that's not the case, which is rare. It happens though and that's the reason I keep my skills sharp, do cold bore practice like this and shoot over and over again, because I don't like the thought of being the cause of suffering.

Here's some of the rifle and shot related data:

Rifle: 6.5mm Creedmoor (Ruger)
Scope: Kahles 6-24x50i (SKMR reticle)
Projectile: SMK 142g Sierra
Ballistic coeficient: 0.301 (G7)

Range: 863 metres
Slope angle: -17°
Wind speed 6.0 (mp/h)
Wind direction: -130°
Coriolis effect: -34/178
Temperature: 12°
Density Altitude: 4758 metres
Impact Speed: 1381(f/ps)
Impact energy: 602(ft-lbs)
Scope elevation: U9.0 (MRAD)
Scope windage: L1.2 (MRAD)
Flight time: 1.43 seconds