Estimating muzzle velocity for dope chart

Northwinds308

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Look up Maximum Point Blank Range. The box will get you close enough to use it successfully, and keep your shots under 300.

There are ways to true your ballistics without use of a chronograph that involve a particular type of software. By entering data at various ranges it will spit out a true muzzle velocity and BC. That said, you need access to a range of at least 600 meters and quite a bit of ammo to get it perfect, and it is a relatively advanced technique. If you're new to long range shooting I wouldn't recommend it.

Cheaper to buy or borrow a chronograph.

6.5 Creedmoor shouldn't be used for hunting at extended ranges anyways (before someone throws the .308's numbers at me, the .308 shouldn't be used for HUNTING at extended ranges either).
 
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Then you'd be ~5.5" high at 125 to 200 yards, which is too much imo. With a 225 yard zero, you're only 2.5" high at those distances, so you can still hold dead on, but just have to hold slightly high at 300.
that depends on the cartridge and bullet (velocity) - 180 .30 at 2800 is not that high at 100 or 200, for elk it's near optimal with a 300 yard zero unless you are shooting at a "spot" in the kill zone
 
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Use a ballistic calculator like hornady online, plug all known data in, shoot at 100 zero then shoot at 300 and measure your drop. Then raise or lower your velocity in the calculator until it matches your drop at 300. The further you shoot the more accurate it will be. This is how I figure out all my dope charts and I dont own a chronograph.
 

Mulyhuntr

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that depends on the cartridge and bullet (velocity) - 180 .30 at 2800 is not that high at 100 or 200, for elk it's near optimal with a 300 yard zero unless you are shooting at a "spot" in the kill zone

Maybe on the moon.... A 180gr sst at 2800fps is exactly 5.5" high at 150 and 175 yards with a 300 yard zero.

This thread is regarding Pronghorn, not Elk. You do as you wish with your zero, but 300 is not what I'd personally do for Pronghorn. 5.5" could mean that you miss the kill zone on a Pronghorn.
 

Northwinds308

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Use a ballistic calculator like hornady online, plug all known data in, shoot at 100 zero then shoot at 300 and measure your drop. Then raise or lower your velocity in the calculator until it matches your drop at 300. The further you shoot the more accurate it will be. This is how I figure out all my dope charts and I dont own a chronograph.


This is an incredibly inaccurate way of going about it and assumes the advertised BC is correct for your muzzle velocity and twist rate. Very rarely are manufacturers published BC's correct for your rifle and it varies by brand. For example Berger is pretty good, Nosler is pretty bad.

If you're going to create data tables this way and you want to be accurate you need to run it through Applied Ballistics and true your BC, especially as the round gets further out and starts to slow down.
 
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Maybe on the moon.... A 180gr sst at 2800fps is exactly 5.5" high at 150 and 175 yards with a 300 yard zero.

This thread is regarding Pronghorn, not Elk. You do as you wish with your zero, but 300 is not what I'd personally do for Pronghorn. 5.5" could mean that you miss the kill zone on a Pronghorn.
Well, with all the similar threads right now I was mistaken on the animal …. but on MY "moon" a .30 180 Accubond leaving the muzzle at 2800 on a 300 yd trajectory path hits +4.3 at 100, +5.1 at 200 and -11.9 at 400, I have killed 16 elk using this formula, 1 round each - for sure not what anyone knowledgeable would suggest for goats or any like sized critter -
 
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Guys, what the heck is going on in this thread? If the OP has only practiced at a 100 yard range, guess what his limit is....100 yards. Why would it be a good answer to take a 300-350 yard shot for the first time in field conditions, under stress, on an animal?

@pattimusprime22 if you aren't able to get within 100 yards this year, work on your stalking and/or find somewhere that you can practice shooting further for next year. It's okay to pass on a shot you're not comfortable with, and you shouldn't be comfortable shooting an animal at a range you haven't practiced.
Absolutely right you are ! don't know what got into me …. OP, remember that the "hunt" most important, as the "man" said "get close and shoot straight"
 

CHAD PEZZLE

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I'm in the Bay Area. The only place I've gone to shoot out at range was Panoche Hills and that was bulk ammo (not the brand I'll be using on my hunt), and it's under fire restriction now so no target shooting. I'll check around for national forest area I can shoot. Any recommendations?

Circle S in Petaluma has 100, 200, 300 yard targets and probably isn't more than 2 hours drive. Get there early cause it gets busy. $15 for all day, cash only.

You want to setup in the middle section of the covered benches in order to shoot out to 200 and 300 yards, and those spots fill up quick.
 

Northwinds308

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Guys, what the heck is going on in this thread? If the OP has only practiced at a 100 yard range, guess what his limit is....100 yards. Why would it be a good answer to take a 300-350 yard shot for the first time in field conditions, under stress, on an animal?

Definitely agree with this and just wanted to add to my earlier statements.

My contribution was more to point out you can't do proper data tables without a chronograph and/or applied ballistics to true the results to your rifle. Putting half @$$ data in means you're guessing, not calculating. When you reach out "good enough" isn't good enough. How to do something doesn't mean you "should" do it.
 
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This is an incredibly inaccurate way of going about it and assumes the advertised BC is correct for your muzzle velocity and twist rate. Very rarely are manufacturers published BC's correct for your rifle and it varies by brand. For example Berger is pretty good, Nosler is pretty bad.

If you're going to create data tables this way and you want to be accurate you need to run it through Applied Ballistics and true your BC, especially as the round gets further out and starts to slow down.
Yes you are right, it is probably off a considerable amount at 1000 yards, I can hit 8" steel with multiple rifles out to 500 using this method. Is the OP going to be shooting past 500? I hope not. Will hitting within an 8" circle at the given distance kill an elk? I sure hope so. Would I do this before heading to a prs event? No.
 
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pattimusprime22

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What type of scope do you have? If it has turrets that you can dial, you can get a really good estimate of velocity by zeroing at 100 and then figuring out how many mils/moa it takes to hit at a further distance.

If it doesn't have turrets that you can dial, just zero the rifle at 225 yards and then you'll be a dead on hold out to 250 and ~6" low at 300.

My scope is an Athlon Midas TAC 6 - 24 x 50. I've done a tracking test and it tracks spot on.

Last time I went out to the BLM area before to shoot at range, I shot a 8" plate from 100 out to 450, but that was with some American Eagle 120 OTM (which is not what I'll be using for the hunt). In order to get my ballistics somewhat trued up I plugged in the advertised BC and adjusted velocity in the Strelok app until the predicted elevation in MILs matched reality at 450. Then confirmed that the app was on from 450 back in to 200. Since I hadn't done that with the Barnes ammo I'll be using for the hunt I was curious if there was a method to estimate velocity, but based on the comments here I definitely need to shoot the ammo to validate trajectory.
 
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pattimusprime22

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Circle S in Petaluma has 100, 200, 300 yard targets and probably isn't more than 2 hours drive. Get there early cause it gets busy. $15 for all day, cash only.

You want to setup in the middle section of the covered benches in order to shoot out to 200 and 300 yards, and those spots fill up quick.

Nice! I didn't know that was up there. I'll be heading out there if I can head out early or Sacramento this Saturday to spend some time validating drop and velocity.
 
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"apps" … "apps" this and that …. if you can find an area 300 yards or more just get out and SHOOT !! The way us "geezers" have been doing it for 50 years !! It's NOT rocket science FGS … it is "shooting" and the more you actually do it the better you'll be

If you shoot at 100 y then 300 y and the "math & apps" work for you it will work at 500 y too (just DON'T shoot any further than that, not necessary anyway)
 
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pattimusprime22

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"apps" … "apps" this and that …. if you can find an area 300 yards or more just get out and SHOOT !! The way us "geezers" have been doing it for 50 years !! It's NOT rocket science FGS … it is "shooting" and the more you actually do it the better you'll be

If you shoot at 100 y then 300 y and the "math & apps" work for you it will work at 500 y too (just DON'T shoot any further than that, not necessary anyway)

I plan on it! Just picked up this rifle earlier this year and want to get better with it.

Also, I'm relatively new to deer hunting, grew up duck hunting and have done a good amount of pig hunting, and in neither of those have I ever needed to shoot past 100 :)
 

jolemons

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I guided an antelope hunter this year who never shot past 200. With me spotting, I was able to get him on steel at 400 for a few practice rounds. The rest of the hunt he would pull out his ballistic app and want to take 400 yard shots. It really rubbed me wrong. He ended up killing after muffing a 175 yrd shot and blowing off a rear leg. Practice makes marksmanship, not technology.

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