Bored at 600 yards? Yeah, actually....

[The Wolfhound]

So, one of our local vendors hosts a "Precision Rifle and Optics" event at the only range in the region that goes out to 600 yards (a personal longest).  Should I go?  Oh yeah, throw me into that briar patch!  Lots of 6.5 Creedmore, some 5.56mm, a goodly handful of .308 Winchesters, a couple of 260 Remingtons and a .338 Lapua were on the line.  Except for the .338 which was a fund raiser, it was all free ammo.  I had figured on shooting the whole day away.  It was all either benched or bipods.  The targets out to and including 600 yards were all steel.  After a couple of hours, I actually got bored.  It was hard to shoot for actual precision (spotters mostly called: "hit") and where, oh where, was the challenge?  Some of the bench arrangements were so solid they did not even move with my breathing.  As long as my trigger press was steady and straight, center mass hits were assured.  Once I had tried the calibers new to me and tried the platforms that were of interest, I lost interest.  Free ammo and no desire to shoot it.  What has Appleseed done to me?   

[Nashville Stage]

Did you go unsupported prone to show 'em how it's *really* done? 

[The Wolfhound]

The only prone was the .338 Lapua on a bipod.  The rest was all bench height.  No opportunity for improvisation.  Too many people to be practical.  And not a sling in sight either.

[carlb]

Just curious, what rifle did you like best there?

[The Wolfhound]

I tend to like anything with a trigger. 
I was happy to try out the Ruger Precision Rifle in 6.5 Creedmore.  I have been drooling over it in catalogs.  The Montana Rifle Company rifle was one of the few "Non Tactical" rifles and matched with Leica Glass was quite nice.  It is hard to  leave a bigger impression than the suppressed Barrett in .338 Lapua.  It lets you know you can "reach out and touch someone".