Prairie dogs with the M1A

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Prairie dogs with the M1A

Posted: 6/23/2013 3:57:11 PM EDT

My Buddies son loaned us an M1A for our annual Prairie dog trip. He had not had a chance to shoot it since he just started a new job so we were going to sight it in and see how our handloads worked in it.

My introduction to the M14 was almost 50 years ago. My, how time flies. I always liked the rifle but spent most of my time with M-2 carbines, BAR or the M1 rifle. Front line guys got the newer gear and until I happened to be on a Match rifle team, I had little trigger time with the M14.

The rifle is a Springfield Armory model with a Troy chassis, Magpul butt stock and an older Leupold 3X9 Tactical scope. It also had a bipod which we removed for this trip.

The Mildot scope is useless for ranging prairie dogs so we used a WW2 optical range finder to establish ranges. It's good to 1500 meters on prairie dog and that's more than this rifle is able to make hits at. For ammo, we loaded up a few hundred 168 SMKs to 2550 FPS in Winchester cases and since we had no time to test the ammo prior to the trip, we called it good.

I found a rock at 400 meters located on the side of a sand hill and we got on target then placed a water bottle at 200 meters for fine tuning. We did all of our shooting from portable benches. Most of the dogs were well past the 400 meter mark and very hard to see in the 3X9 scope. The cross hairs covered them up. Finely a very dumb dog took a seat close to where the water bottle had been. For those that have never seen one, the prairie dog is about the size of a water bottle so at 200 meters it's a pretty small target. Small as he is, he will never make that mistake again. The photo shows the RV in the background.

A close up for the blood thirsty. A head shot of course.

I'll have the rifle for a few weeks here at home so I can develop a proper load for it and get it set up correctly.

Posted: 6/23/2013 4:01:09 PM EDT

[#1]

in before peta trolls?

Posted: 6/23/2013 4:02:09 PM EDT

[#2]

Nice

Posted: 6/23/2013 4:02:18 PM EDT

[#3]

Ah, if only we were still fielding a real rifle, instead of that poodle shooter...

Posted: 6/23/2013 4:02:38 PM EDT

[#4]

Prarie dogs with an M1A.....winning!

Posted: 6/23/2013 4:04:42 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
in before peta t.rolls?

Yes, but they will be here soon. OP may want to add "Graphic" to the title. Nice shot.

Posted: 6/23/2013 4:07:38 PM EDT

[#6]

Did you tease the youngin's with the corpse of their mother?

Nice shot

Posted: 6/23/2013 4:09:38 PM EDT

[#7]

I am surprised there is something left over.

Good shoot.

Posted: 6/23/2013 4:10:20 PM EDT

[#8]

Posted: 6/23/2013 4:13:30 PM EDT

[#9]

mine got dialed in to 168 smk, 41.5 gr imr 4895, iI will look up length when I get home.

.5 gr in either direction, my patterns started to open up.

Posted: 6/23/2013 4:13:55 PM EDT

[#10]

Sweet!

Posted: 6/23/2013 4:16:00 PM EDT

[#11]

Must have an M1A. Now if the LGS would get one in. I'd like a scout squad but will take a standard.

Excellent shot at that range with that glass. I really need to take a trip and try these critters once.

Posted: 6/23/2013 4:22:31 PM EDT

[#12]

Thanks op. looks like you boys had good time. Nice shot.
Peta, know that no animals were harmed in the filming of this documentary.

Posted: 6/23/2013 4:25:03 PM EDT

[#13]

Looks like the front fell off the prairie dog

.

Posted: 6/23/2013 4:26:34 PM EDT

[#14]

Nice job

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

Posted: 6/23/2013 4:27:21 PM EDT

[#15]

Nice Wuk. (Swartzenegger accent)

Posted: 6/23/2013 4:28:13 PM EDT

[#16]

Pretty cool

Posted: 6/23/2013 4:29:32 PM EDT

[#17]

Old school range finder FTW!,

Posted: 6/23/2013 4:47:23 PM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
Prarie dogs with an M1A.....winning!

Our church's pastor used to go out shooting ground hogs with an '03 Springfield. He joined the Army Reserve as a chaplain and went active duty after being called up for Desert Storm. I can't imagine seeing the chaplain show up at the range on a weekend to blast way with an old 1903. I know he spent a lot of time at Bragg with the 82nd, wonder if the Army guys here on Arfcom would have known him. I think a sharp-shooting, power-lifting chaplain would stand out to most folks. He just did retire a couple of years ago after he got back from Iraq.

Posted: 6/23/2013 4:48:58 PM EDT

[#19]

Some scavenger is going to eat good tonight.

Posted: 6/23/2013 5:32:13 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
Some scavenger is going to eat good tonight.

We had a Golden Eagle and five Vultures plus a flock of Ravens spend the week with us. No critters went un-used.

Posted: 6/23/2013 6:27:48 PM EDT

[#21]

I built that rifle and still have the data for the hand loads. 175 Sierra match kings and a little varget and I was grouping .89 moa. Hit me up on here for the specs if you want it. The scope is the NEW leupold vx-r patrol that came out last year. Man sized target at 700 and she is toast, anything past that and she can't keep up. I also have that guns dope card for my loads to if u want that.

Posted: 6/23/2013 6:38:31 PM EDT

[#22]

OP, please post your process of developing a load for that gun. I've worked hard at getting one of my M14's to shoot and it appears I finally got there, then ran out of H4895 powder and couldn't get anymore. That was 5 months ago and I was just able to score 5lbs today!

Will you be adding to this thread, or starting a new one if you do post your load developing process?

Posted: 6/23/2013 6:48:31 PM EDT

[#23]

Awwww...

those poor p-dogs. good thing you got out there before they started eating the corpse.

Posted: 6/23/2013 6:48:38 PM EDT

[#24]

I must have a Troy chassis!!!

Posted: 6/24/2013 4:30:16 AM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:
I built that rifle and still have the data for the hand loads. 175 Sierra match kings and a little varget and I was grouping .89 moa. Hit me up on here for the specs if you want it. The scope is the NEW leupold vx-r patrol that came out last year. Man sized target at 700 and she is toast, anything past that and she can't keep up. I also have that guns dope card for my loads to if u want that.

Thanks for that update. It's a small world for sure. The scope wasn't listed in my catalog so I assumed it was an older model and I'm not that familiar with the Tactical line. I would like your dope card and specs if you don't mind. I had planned to use the 168 SMK since I have a good supply of them and use them in the M10 and 700. If the 175 SMK shoots better, and they ever become available I'll have to give them a try.

You built a fine rifle and gave Dan a good deal on it.

Posted: 6/24/2013 4:32:53 AM EDT

[#26]

BOOM, HEADSHOT!!!!

Posted: 6/24/2013 4:50:40 AM EDT

[#27]

Nasty dinner pics.

Sloppy presentation , undercooked , not something I would eat.

You did kill it so that gets some points.

The rifle is cool but I am a oldschool guy so I get uncomfortable when a M1-A shows up with all that new stuff on it
I guess 3/10

Posted: 6/24/2013 4:52:06 AM EDT

[#28]

Very cool.

Do you like the Troy chassis?

Posted: 6/24/2013 4:57:57 AM EDT

[#29]

1500m on an M1A? That's a pretty bold claim for prairie dog sized targets.

Looks like a fun time.

Posted: 6/24/2013 5:05:25 AM EDT

[#30]

Quoted:
OP, please post your process of developing a load for that gun. I've worked hard at getting one of my M14's to shoot and it appears I finally got there, then ran out of H4895 powder and couldn't get anymore. That was 5 months ago and I was just able to score 5lbs today!

Will you be adding to this thread, or starting a new one if you do post your load developing process?

I hadn't planned on posting a follow up and don't like to post load data other than to say I prefer Varget over 4895. I did use 4895 for many years and there is nothing wrong with using it. My preference for Varget comes from using it in many other of my rifles so I have a good supply of it. As for my process of load development, Start low, work up, only change one thing at a time.

Posted: 6/24/2013 5:06:49 AM EDT

[#31]

I think he was talking about the ww2 optical range finder being good for 1500m

Posted: 6/24/2013 5:07:49 AM EDT

[#32]

Quoted:
1500m on an M1A? That's a pretty bold claim for prairie dog sized targets.

Looks like a fun time.

Bold claim???? What claim are you talking about??

Posted: 6/24/2013 5:10:16 AM EDT

[#33]

"Think you used enough dynamite there, Butch?"

Posted: 6/24/2013 5:25:04 AM EDT

[#34]

Good shooting.

Posted: 6/24/2013 5:27:16 AM EDT

[#35]

Quoted:

mine got dialed in to 168 smk, 41.5 gr imr 4895, iI will look up length when I get home.

.5 gr in either direction, my patterns started to open up.

Which cases are you using?

Plans to compare equal charge weights in Winchester and LC NM cases across the chronograph with my M1A and M1 yesterday got blown out by thunderstorms.

41.5 grains of IMR 4895 with 168 MK's and Winchester cases in my 26 inch barrel 40X yield about 2525 fps.

Posted: 6/24/2013 5:50:18 AM EDT

[#36]

Quoted:
Very cool.

Do you like the Troy chassis?

Yes, for a single purpose match rifle. For anything else I prefer other materials.

Posted: 6/24/2013 5:59:33 AM EDT

[#37]

That's a good looking rifle.

Glad you and your buddies got to spend some time together shooting

Posted: 6/24/2013 6:02:09 AM EDT

[#38]

Quoted:
1500m on an M1A? That's a pretty bold claim for prairie dog sized targets.

Looks like a fun time.

Looks like he was saying his range finder was good up to 1500m "on a prairie dog", then goes on to say that is much more than they will need for that rifle set up.

Posted: 6/24/2013 6:03:15 AM EDT

[#39]

7.62x51 NATO - it's the perfect prairie dog round.

That's some fine shooting, OP!

Posted: 6/24/2013 6:13:13 AM EDT

[#40]

Nice looking WILD.

Posted: 6/24/2013 4:18:20 PM EDT

[#41]

Quoted:

Quoted:
OP, please post your process of developing a load for that gun. I've worked hard at getting one of my M14's to shoot and it appears I finally got there, then ran out of H4895 powder and couldn't get anymore. That was 5 months ago and I was just able to score 5lbs today!

Will you be adding to this thread, or starting a new one if you do post your load developing process?

I hadn't planned on posting a follow up and don't like to post load data other than to say I prefer Varget over 4895. I did use 4895 for many years and there is nothing wrong with using it. My preference for Varget comes from using it in many other of my rifles so I have a good supply of it. As for my process of load development, Start low, work up, only change one thing at a time.

EVERYTHING I've read about powder for the M1A said Varget was either too slow or fast (don't remember which). Never said it was dangerous to use, but that it just wasn't an optimal powder for the M1A's gas system.

Posted: 6/24/2013 4:20:33 PM EDT

[#42]

Quoted:

Quoted:
1500m on an M1A? That's a pretty bold claim for prairie dog sized targets.

Looks like a fun time.

Looks like he was saying his range finder was good up to 1500m "on a prairie dog", then goes on to say that is much more than they will need for that rifle set up.

I see. I must have misunderstood.