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Posted: 1/31/2009 4:24:40 PM EDT
| Picking up a 308 SASS this week and wondering if this will be a reliable 800 - 1000 yard rifle? DPMS touts "sub MOA at long range", but looking for first hand experience. Would be very interested in any loads out there as well. Thanks... |
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An 18" barrel 308 will always be at the limits trying to reach 1000. Its just a math thing. You need all the velocity you can get. If you want to shoot to 1000, 24" is much better bet. Ammo selection is critical at that range. Don't think you are going to reach out with 150 grain American Eagle FMJ.
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| Thanks. I figured 1000 would be pushing it and have a 24" I'm picking up at the same time. Was considering selling one of the two as they amount to more than a few dollars combined and if ballistically they'd be similar enough it would make it less painful to consider selling one of them. Not sure I can stomach the thought of selling the SASS as the thing is so damn sexy. I'm hoping to to do some long range range shooting and will look to hunt with the rifle in the fall. The SASS is a bit more hunting friendly, while still weighing nearly as much as the 24". Let me ask you this, would you have the 308 24" or a 260 24" for long range? |
| Most of my data says that 850 - 925 yards is about the limit unless I am shooting in the Alps or Death Valley in the summer. At most normal temps and conditions I go subsonic anywhere between 825 to 925 yards. That's not to say that a 1000yd shot is undoable but the platform is probably going to be best from 800 yards in. So far I have been able to average about 0.9 moa for multiple 5 shot groups. 0.75 being my best, 1.2 being my worst unless I just loose focus, flinch or yank the trigger. On a 500yd target my first outing, I dropped two sighting shots 2.5" apart, I fired 4 shot that were within 5" of each other. 3 shots of that landed within 1.5" of each other. I was pretty damn happy. Wind kicked my butt though. Never fired past 100yds before that event. |
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Quoted:
Most of my data says that 850 - 925 yards is about the limit unless I am shooting in the Alps or Death Valley in the summer. At most normal temps and conditions I go subsonic anywhere between 825 to 925 yards. That's not to say that a 1000yd shot is undoable but the platform is probably going to be best from 800 yards in. So far I have been able to average about 0.9 moa for multiple 5 shot groups. 0.75 being my best, 1.2 being my worst unless I just loose focus, flinch or yank the trigger. On a 500yd target my first outing, I dropped two sighting shots 2.5" apart, I fired 4 shot that were within 5" of each other. 3 shots of that landed within 1.5" of each other. I was pretty damn happy. Wind kicked my butt though. Never fired past 100yds before that event. Great info...thank you. Sounds like you are liking your rifle and have it figured out. |
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Grunteled hit on the key, finding a load that stays supersonic out to 1000 yards. That will be very difficult with factory 308 ammo and an 18" barrel. A longer barrel improves muzzle velocity needed to stay supersonic longer. For example, Palma shooters use 30" barrels to stay supersonic at 1000 with 155 gr SMK bullets, but 30" barrels are unwieldy. Increasing bullet weight also improves downrange velocity but really heavy bullets displace too much powder volume in the cartridge case and muzzle velocity suffers.
A potential solution is to use a smaller diameter bullet with high ballistic coefficient. 260 Remington and 6.5 Creedmoor are two cartridges with good reputations for accuracy at long ranges. If shooting out to 1000 is important to you, you might consider one of those cartridges and custom barrel by Lilja or another custom barrel maker. |
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Quoted:
Grunteled hit on the key, finding a load that stays supersonic out to 1000 yards. That will be very difficult with factory 308 ammo and an 18" barrel. A longer barrel improves muzzle velocity needed to stay supersonic longer. For example, Palma shooters use 30" barrels to stay supersonic at 1000 with 155 gr SMK bullets, but 30" barrels are unwieldy. Increasing bullet weight also improves downrange velocity but really heavy bullets displace too much powder volume in the cartridge case and muzzle velocity suffers. A potential solution is to use a smaller diameter bullet with high ballistic coefficient. 260 Remington and 6.5 Creedmoor are two cartridges with good reputations for accuracy at long ranges. If shooting out to 1000 is important to you, you might consider one of those cartridges and custom barrel by Lilja or another custom barrel maker. Once again...thank you for the great info. You know, I'm not sure that 1000 is critical but want to get a feel for my limitations and options. Thanks to this thread and your responses I am getting a better feel for what I'll have. Sounds like the 24" 260 may be a good option...in addition to the SASS. I may consider selling the 24" 308 and picking up a 24" 260...possibly the best of both worlds. |
| You might try Lapua 155 Scenars if velocity and getting to 1000 is important. I can move 155gr bullets pretty lively from the SASS but I have no real world data on them. Should be able to hit 2600 to 2650 pretty easy and .500 BC on the Lapua bullet helps it get out there. Might be worth looking into. .260 is a smoking round though no doubt about it. Barrel life might be reduced since it's over-bore but they really extend the range of the shorter barrels and .308 compatible bolt-faces. |
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