Preparing for a KD Event ~Start with a No Wind Zero~ and other tips

[USNAVYCHIEF(Ret)]

For anyone preparing for a KD event (or any distance shooting event) the importance of a no wind zero cannot be overemphasized.

I think one of the greatest things Appleseed uses is the "squares" targets.  On my rifles, I obtain a no wind zero using the squares targets at 25 yards.  In addition to the feedback one can obtain on the squares targets for position flaws, it is a great target to use to get centered up for a no wind zero, and also to establish a starting 100 yard zero *which for the most part has been spot on for me*. 

What happens when we do not have a no wind zero?  Well, the shots could be skewed, and you will never know if it was actual wind, or position, or simply your sights were set to make the bullet go there.  Many people that have say 5 MOA windage on at 400 yards likely do not have a no wind zero established and only "think" they have 5 MOA on.

No wind zero's are ammunition specific as well.  That 55 grain no wind zero will likely not be a no wind zero with a 75 grain bullet.  I've realized windage shifts of 1 to 1.5 MOA with different brand/weights of bullets. Speaking of ammo, highly advise one to utilize the same ammo throughout the event.

If your rifle is wearing a scope, if it is possible to rotate the windage turret to a zero marking, highly recommend doing that.  While you're there at 25 yards getting a no wind zero, you can use a ballistics calculator to get a very close approximation for a 100 yard elevation zero.  Again, if your scope turret caps can be rotated to zero, now is the time to do that.

Tip:  Anytime I rotate my turret caps to zero, I try to do that at a range so that I can check the settings in live fire to verify they are correct.  Some scope turrets are easier to rotate to zero than others, and sometimes the actual setting gets changed a bit while doing so.  Bit of trial and error/and then verification after the adjustment is worth it here.

If you are unable to get a no wind zero and 25M elevation (set to 100 yards afterwards) before your event, hopefully the event you will be attending allows you to shoot at 25M first.  I recall at the Ramseur Home Range they had us shoot a Redcoat at the 25M range then head up to the KD range.  Either way, even at 100 yards a solid no wind zero can be obtained (provided you are not shooting in hurricane force winds).

The above applies just as well to iron sighted rifles as well. 

Obtain and bring some sort of a data book, it does not need to be a high tech one, a small flip pad works just fine.  You can do some pre-work if you know the distances you will be firing at (typically 100/200/300/400 yards).  Look up in a ballistics calculator and write down the "come ups" for each distance, with a 100 yard zero.

TIP:  ALWAYS TAKE THE RIFLE BACK TO ZERO AFTER SHOOTING EACH YARD LINE

If you make the above a habit, it will serve you well.  If not, there are a lot of undesirable consequences that come with forgetting to take your dope off the rifle.

Logistics:

If at all possible, operational check magazines if your rifle is using them, or EnBloc clips for the Garand for functionality.  Segregate any poor performers and mark them as such.  Issues with magazines or clips can hurt one during the rapid fire stages. 

Lastly,

DO NOT BE INTIMIDATED BY THE DISTANCE

I recall the first time I ever shot out to 400 yards, it was at Ramseur and I laugh now to admit this, but I was pretty intimidated by the distance.  I also recall how cool it was to actually shoot well at distance, and it was the beginning of a long journey with KD shooting.

See my post on Hydration/Fatigue, as that is also very important.  First thing to go when you start to get dehydrated is eyesight, and that is obviously very important to maintain.
https://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=56697.0

Shoot KD, shoot KD often, then come back to 25M and see if anything gained/learned at distance improves your scores at 25M.  KD is a great revealer of flaws that can get hidden/lost in the noise on the 25M AQT.  For instance, horizontal stringing inside a 4MOA square or the bottom row of a 25M AQT may be dismissed at 25M.  Horizontal stringing is a pretty good indicator of an issue with trigger control, and that will absolutely reveal itself more at 400 yards.  KD can teach you a lot, if you take the feedback that the KD target is giving you.  I didn't for awhile.  I was way too overcome with excitement and pride that I simply "qualified" KD, LOL.  And that is OK as well.  But, had I really looked at my targets for feedback then (6 years or so ago), I may have shortened my learning curve.

Below is a pic of myself and "Fred", during my first KD event, I recall it vividly, Fred said "Hmmm, that Yankee can shoot", LOL

R/
Chris

[pblanc]

I have shot at a couple of KD events now and have a few comments.

I absolutely agree with getting a solid no wind zero on your scope or sights prior to the event.  Some people do the Battle Sight Zero thing, and zero at 25 meters, 33 meters, or 50 meters planning to use holdovers at 400 yards, and perhaps 300 yards.  I have tried it and found that method to be disappointing but YMMV.  If you plan to use a BSZ approach, I would if at all possible try to confirm your zero at your far zero distance. 

If you plan to use iron sights, obviously you should know how they work, how much one click of elevation adjustment on the front post moves POI at 100 yards, how much one click of windage adjustment on the rear sight moves POI, etc.  The last KD event I was at a fellow with an AR with A2 carry handle sights tried to zero by making elevation adjustments with the rear sight elevation drum intended for ballistic drop compensation, and got his sights so screwed up they were nearly unusable for the entire course of fire. 

If you are using a scope, as I do, it seems that the most logical zero would be 100 yards.  If you are shooting .223/5.56 that will be near maximum ordinate for most ammo, so you will need to use elevation come-ups or hold-overs using your scope reticle, or adjust your point of aim on target for shooting at 200, 300, and 400 yards.  If you don't have access to a 100 yard range, you may need to zero your rifle scope at 25 or 50 yards and use a ballistic calculator to determine what your POI should be at that short range for a 100 yard zero.  But abolutely confirm your zero at 100 yards whenever you possibly can.

For what it is worth, the KD Appleseed events I have attended did not afford the participants the opportunity to zero or confirm zero at 25 yards, so I would not count on that happening.  Your first live fire may very well be at 100 yards.  I would also not count on seeing those huge D sihouette targets with the big "3" zone around the black.  The events I have been to have used the so-called repair centers sold at the Appleseed store that include only the black of the silhouette and even truncate a portion at the top of that.  That means that you will want to have at least an approximate zero before hand or you might not even hit paper at 100 yards.  The instructor at the last KD I attended has been with the AS program since its inception and doesn't even know where to find those big targets or if they are available.

Ideally, the best approach would be to vet your rifle, ammo, scope combination at as many of the different ranges you will be shooting at right up to 400 yards, but that probably won't be possible for most folks.  In that event, I absolutely agree with using a ballistic calculator like that on the Federal ammunition site to estimate your come-ups for each stage as your range increases.  But the results will only be as good as the estimations you provide for the muzzle velocity and ballistic coefficient of your ammunition.  And even if those estimates are close, your actual ballistic path on the day might be significantly different due to local conditions that affect altitude density.  So take those come-ups with a grain of salt.  They will probably get you on paper, but expect to need to make some adjustments to those come-ups as you sight in at each range.  And be sure to write your observed come-ups down for each range, each day.

I would not recommend using any "standard" or "rule of thumb" come-ups per Appleseed lore, unless you have actually vetted these with your rifle and ammo.  The 3-3-3-4 rule for come-ups (in MOA) as range increased from 100 to 200, 200 to 300, 300 to 400, and 400 to 500 yards was based more on 30.06 and 308 Winchester ammunition.  If you are shooting .223 Rem with its faster muzzle velocity and lessor ballistic coefficient I think you will find that the actual come ups from 100-200, and 200-300 are less and the come-ups past 400 yards greater than that rule of thumb predicts.  As an example at the last KD I shot I used Hornady Frontier 5.56x45 55 grain FMJBT hollow point ammo in an 18" barreled AR.  My observed come-ups were 1.5 MOA from 100 to 200, 1.5 MOA from 200 to 300, 3.0 MOA 300 to 400, and 5.5 MOA 400 to 500.  If I had used the cummulative 6 MOA come-up from 100 to 300 predicted by the "3-3-3-4" rule, I would have been 3 MOA too high (9") at 300 yds and could have shot off the top of the smaller D silhoutte target.

Although I do reset my turret markers to zero after confirming my 100 yard zero, I do not reset my scope to my 100 yard zero after each stage.  If I get screwed up by turning my turret the wrong way and I need to go back to my 100 yard zero my scope turrets will tell me where that is.  But at the KD events I have attended, the shooting typically proceeds stepwise from 100 to 200 to 300 to 400 yards for the sighting in.  I can't see a reason to reset my turrets to my 100 yard zero after shooting at 200 yards, when I know the next target will be at 300 yards.  I just dial in my sequential (not cummulative) come-ups for each new range, and take off each sequential come-up coming back to 100 yards.

I personally have not had very good results relying on the ballistic drop compensation built into some mechanical rear iron sights (like the A2 carry handle, the Knight's Armament, or the MaTech rear sights) or the BDC reticles on many rifle scopes.  If you are lucky, they will be good enough to get you on paper at each range, but I much prefer to dial the elevation come-ups into the scope and use the cross hairs to center on my intended POI.  Even if the BDC reticle is fairly accurate, I can center much more precisely using the cross hairs rather than some little circle or cross hatch.  And keep in mind if you do use a scope with variable magnification and a BDC reticle, those hold over marker range values are going to be different for any change in magnification, unless you have a first focal plane scope.  If you do have a reticle that provides ranging information or ballistic drop compensation, I would suggest that you try to learn what MOA changes all those little cross hatches and circles correspond to.

[maxwell]

The instructor at the last KD I attended has been with the AS program since its inception and doesn't even know where to find those big targets or if they are available.

ITB says they're available directly from The National Target Company, but you have to call or email them.

I would not recommend using any "standard" or "rule of thumb" come-ups per Appleseed lore, unless you have actually vetted these with your rifle and ammo.  The 3-3-3-4 rule for come-ups (in MOA) as range increased from 100 to 200, 200 to 300, 300 to 400, and 400 to 500 yards was based more on 30.06 and 308 Winchester ammunition.  If you are shooting .223 Rem with its faster muzzle velocity and lessor ballistic coefficient I think you will find that the actual come ups from 100-200, and 200-300 are less and the come-ups past 400 yards greater than that rule of thumb predicts.

Absolutely, and that's why whenever we (in WA) give a quick KD presentation at a 25m event, we give the 2-2-3-4 comeups for .223, and make clear that 3-3-3-4 is for .30 caliber. I don't know what the value is for 500 off the top of my head, but I know that 11 MOA up from my 300 zero is 10 ring or better at 600 (20" barrel; Berger 73, Hornady 75, Sierra 77, Sierra 80, Berger 80.5 with the same powder charge).

Although I do reset my turret markers to zero after confirming my 100 yard zero, I do not reset my scope to my 100 yard zero after each stage.  If I get screwed up by turning my turret the wrong way and I need to go back to my 100 yard zero my scope turrets will tell me where that is.

For elevation, I agree completely. I think this is a holdover from the A2/M1/M1A days where you'd count clicks from mechanical zero, and go through multiple revolutions with a 1/4 MOA A2. My Vortex and Athlon scopes have values labeled in MOA, and a mechanical zero (Athlon) or tape mark (Vortex) that keeps me from getting off by a revolution. My dope book is all in MOA, so I just crank to the number on the dial (i.e., 8.25 for 300 yds, 19.25 for 600 yds). It is best if you form a habit for this, by always doing it at the same time…and set your wind appropriately, too!

[Tennessee Beast]

I don't know what the value is for 500 off the top of my head

The come up from 500-600 is supposedly 5 MOA

[USNAVYCHIEF(Ret)]

I'll share my comeups, AR 15 20" 1:7 twist barrel, and I use 3 different bullets (I march to the beat of a different drummer sometimes)....LOL

Yards   COMEUP
200:  0 with a 69 TMK
300:  2.5MOA Up 77-L Lapua Scenar
600:  11MOA Up 80 AMAX from 200 zero

I am about 4.5 MOA UP to 600 yards from 500 yards, of which I rarely shoot 500 yards.

Using the same rifle for an Appleseed 100/200/300/400 (yards) KD with a 69TMK I would be extremely confident I would hold the V ring with the following comeups:

Yards   COMEUP
100:   Zero
200:   1.5 MOA UP From 100
300:   4.0 MOA UP from 100
400:   7.0 MOA UP from 100

The above come ups with a 100 yard zero, will be fine for me with a 69TMK or even commercial 75 grain ammo, of course I would refine as the target tells me to thru the course of fire/sighting shots.

R/
Chris

[USNAVYCHIEF(Ret)]

Another important thought on no wind zeros.

Many that will shoot their first/or subsequent KD event, will be 25M Rifleman, shooting about ~3-4 MOA. 

Let's accept that as fact for this scenario, and lets simply refine that to 4 MOA.

So, a 4 MOA shooter is now about to shoot KD.

Here is why it is so important to zero if possible on a 25 M squares target if at all possible.

A No wind Zero, for a 4 MOA shooter, has a lot of error built into it.  4 MOA centered will be 2 MOA Right and 2 MOA Left.

At 25 yards, that error is reduced in inches to 1/2 inch right or left correct?

At 100 yards, that error is now, 2 inches right and 2 inches left.

The point is, if you set a no wind zero at 25 meters, your chances of being "Closer" with the no wind zero setting are a lot better than if you do this at 100 yards.

2 MOA of variation in the hold right or left at 400 yards is 8 inches on either side.  If one went the wrong way at 100 yards (or even 25 M as MOA is still MOA), that could be a larger error at distance.

This is why I make the comment, that often times I hear "I had 5 MOA on at 300 yards" and cringe.  When I know damn well it was really less than 1 MOA.

To get a true no wind zero, one must be able to hold well to get that group as centered up as possible.  For a 4 MOA shooter at 25M that 2MOA left and right dispersion, is probably trigger squeeze related.  It surely is not the wind.

It is also another reason that MSgt(ret) Jim Owens advises to cut the wind call in half. 

So, if the KD event will not (for whatever reason) be able to afford you the opportunity to get a 25M no wind zero, consider obtaining that on your own at a range prior to the commencement of that event.

R/
Chris

[USNAVYCHIEF(Ret)]

Although I do reset my turret markers to zero after confirming my 100 yard zero, I do not reset my scope to my 100 yard zero after each stage.  If I get screwed up by turning my turret the wrong way and I need to go back to my 100 yard zero my scope turrets will tell me where that is. 

For elevation, I agree completely. I think this is a holdover from the A2/M1/M1A days where you'd count clicks from mechanical zero, and go through multiple revolutions with a 1/4 MOA A2. My Vortex and Athlon scopes have values labeled in MOA, and a mechanical zero (Athlon) or tape mark (Vortex) that keeps me from getting off by a revolution. My dope book is all in MOA, so I just crank to the number on the dial (i.e., 8.25 for 300 yds, 19.25 for 600 yds). It is best if you form a habit for this, by always doing it at the same time…and set your wind appropriately, too!

This is really something that is personal preference, and whatever one chooses to do, it is important that it becomes a habit.

There we were, shooting the Presidents 100, and my daughter was sitting on a real solid score at the 600 yard line.  She somehow over (or under) rotated her Vortex PST elevation dial by one (or 2) complete turns (like 24 MOA) and proceeded to place 10 misses in a row at 600 yards and was heartbroken!

The next day, during the National Trophy Individual match, her first standing shot was a miss....she rotated her elevation knob one complete turn down (we discussed this the night prior), and her next shot was a 10!

Daddy neglected to install the shims for that scopes "zero stop", and that would have prevented that disaster.  They have since been installed.

If you are using a scope, and it has the option for a zero stop I highly recommend using it.  My March is a dead stop, meaning without looking, it will stop at zero if I rotate down.

The Vortex PST uses shims, and it will over rotate past zero, but then friction will be felt and you know your there, just click back up to zero.

In the absence of a zero stop, what I do (not saying you the reader need to do what I do), is run them back down to zero after every yard line.  I do not work well in "Cumulative" come ups or...adding MOA to what is already on the rifle.  My data books have the starting zero for each yard line, based off of a 200 yard zero.

Enter Rimfire KD....where I needed to rotate UP one complete turn (and a little more at the first event).  This was the first time they held this type of event, and MDShooter and BeSwift did some excellent homework on it.

What they HIGHLY recommended, was that for those that did not have a zero stop (which was pretty much everyone), that we count down the rotations and clicks to mechanical bottom on the elevation turret.

That was worth its weight in Gold, as when we walked up to 50 yards for the standing portion, and I proceeded to send 2 or 3 shots over the target....I was able to go all the way down and count my way back up to my zero.  Still managed a qualifying score after doing that.  I would have been lost in "no mans land" had I not known what the come up was from mechanical bottom on my rimfire scope.

So yes...this is something I would highly recommend for any scope, that being, count down to mechanical bottom, and record what the # of turns are and clicks to come up to your desired starting zero.  Then RECORD THAT!