After adjusting the Cold Shot M.O.A.B. for 600 yards, it was returned to zero and shot at 100 yards. These targets represent a couple of the groups shot after it had been readjusted to the zero setting.
a proper impact at 600 yards. The basic reason why only that amount of adjust- ment was necessary is based on the fact that elevating the rear of the M.O.A.B. (in turn raising the muzzle of the rifl e) results in dramatically changing the fl ight pattern of the bullet. OK, that is pretty understandable, but things get a little more complicated when you at- tempt to determine exactly how much adjustment will be necessary to get your bullets to impact properly at long range. Most shooters will still begin with one of the earlier methods to get them in the ballpark, but there is no substitute for actual live-fi re shooting to refi ne those adjustments. TESTING AND EVALUATION
I chose to mount the M.O.A.B. on a rifl e known for its accuracy – a Savage
The M.O.A.B. is adjusted by rotating the numbered index dial, located at the rear of the unit. Each click of the dial is equivalent to 1/4 MOA and each number represents 1 MOA.
Model 12 heavy barrel bolt-action and chambered in a cartridge that is growing phenomenally in popularity with both long-range target shooters and varmint hunters – the 6.5 Creedmoor. That combination seemed to be the perfect choice for evaluating the potential of the M.O.A.B. system. The relative light recoil and fl at trajectory of the Creed- moor makes it a fi ne choice for critters like long-range prairie dogs and ground squirrels, and the high ballistic coeffi - cient and heavier weight bullets provide plenty of whop to bring the largest of predators quickly to the ground. The rifl e came stock with standard two-piece scope bases, which were of no use in this particular application. So I contacted Savage and a few days later I received a Picatinny rail possessing the proper
screw pattern for the rifl e. Picatinny rails also can be purchased from various sporting outlets like Brownell’s. To top off the M.O.A.B. I mounted a Leupold M8 12x40mm Standard scope using Leupold QRW (quick release) rings. My testing took place on my
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private range, which is equipped with silhouettes out to 600 yards. But I began on the 100-yard line in order to properly zero the rifl e to shoot dead-on at that range with the index dial turned to the zero stop point. Once I became satis- fi ed that my bullets were consistently impacting at the center of the target at that range, I moved on to 600 yards. The shooting portion of the testing consisted primarily of fi ring Hornady Superformance factory ammo loaded with 120-grain GMX® and 129-grain SST® bullets, but I supplemented a few of my handloads as well. I quickly found that adjusting the M.O.A.B. to 5.0 MOA produced a direct hit at 600 yards with the 120-grain GMX rounds, and when fi ring the 129-grain SST ammo a setting of 6.5 MOA was needed to pro- duce the same effect. Later on I checked to see what those settings looked like at 100 yards and found that the 129-grain SST® bullets impacted 6" high and the 120-grain GMX® were about 5½ " high. From the start, I wondered if the
M.O.A.B. would be able to accurately return to an earlier setting without ex-
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