Our campsite, the "Hilton On The Prairie."
and the bullet’s velocity was 3,140 fps. Only two in three shots made it to the target at 100 yards and there was no impact dust in the berm at all. This should not be construed as a complaint about the excellent MatchKing bullet but most probably the result of a combination of the bullet’s velocity and barrel’s twist rate. This hypothesis will be tested next year with a barrel with a slower twist rate and, also, monolithic Barnes bullets will be tried with the 1:7" twist barrel. The 22-6mm Rem. AI barrel was not used in Montana. The 6mm Rem. AI barrel accounted for hits with aerial displays in the mid-500 yard range. Thank you, Robert Gradous, for such a fine rifle. Since we usually camp on the prairie, all of the equip-
ment needs to be checked out in the spring for function and cleanliness. The tents need to be set up in the back yard. Sleeping bags aired out. Make sure that the stove, BBQ, and lamps are functional. Then go through the dishes and other cooking gear, making sure they are clean and there will be enough of them. A table or two and chairs are needed. Tarps are necessary for covering gear and food when it rains. An awning for the kitchen/dining area is very useful. You will need at least one large ice chest and a few water containers. Out West, the wind is a prevailing factor to be dealt
with daily. Usually one avoids windy days when going to the range at home. However, practice in windy conditions at home is definitely something to consider before ventur- ing out West. When dealing with the wind, one must decide whether to correct your aim with Kentucky windage or by scope adjustment. I strongly recommend scope adjustment for both windy conditions and varying distances. I have tried Kentucky windage and Tennessee elevation (even with those snazzy and cluttered reticles) but once you get past 300 to 400 yards, twirling the knobs is the way to go if your target is as small as a prairie dog. Shooting that far may be doable, by others, with Christmas tree-looking reticles, but I have found that twirling is more precise when doggin’. On the prairie, approaching rain is easily observed.
John Hibbits, 548 yards, AR15, 20" Centurion barrel. 62- gr. PMC TAC fmj ball ammo. Leupold MK IV 2-8x.
Watch for approaching dark clouds. You can see the rain ex- tending from the clouds to the ground. In addition, one can often smell the approaching rain; the air cools and becomes increasingly humid. Rain brings several adverse effects. There is the risk of lightning and tornadoes. On my Colorado trip, we observed rotation in the clouds, as they passed us, indi- cating conditions favorable for a tornado. Also, dust devils were observed on the ground in the distance. Obviously, shooting needs to stop when lightning is observed – think Ben Franklin and rifle barrel lightning rods. The dogs usually are down in their burrows by then anyway. As previously pointed out, rain can turn the prairie into mud as slick as grease. I strongly encourage you to leave the shooting fields for a hard-packed gravel road (notice that I assume you are away from pavement) while you still can. Although I plan to shoot at greater distances, I zero
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www.varminthunter.org Page 167
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