Ballistics, Rifle Marksmanship and Why They Matter – Part 1, by Tunnel Rabbit

Introduction

I would argue that if Donald Trump’s would-be-assassin on July 13, 2024 had used a bullet with a higher ballistic coefficient, or if the wind had changed, regardless of the cartridge actually used, then Trump would have been killed or gravely injured.  How is it that Trump turned his head just before the bullet passed by?  This attempt on Trump’s life is a clear indication of the lateness of the hour.  Only by an act of God do we have more time to prepare.  Like many other SurvivalBlog readers, I was an admirer of the late Bob Griswold who often advised only half-jokingly:  “Panic early and beat the rush.”  There is always one last thing that can be done to better prepare ourselves.

JWR Adds: I am sure that most would agree, that we are glad that the would-be-assassin was an ignorant klutz.

Use the opportunity to get it done now.  And if we can not afford to buy more stuff, then we can use the opportunity and time to learn a valuable skill.  As the defense of our lives and home will be job number one, rifle marksmanship skills are at the top of the list.  Most own guns, yet do not know how to shoot them.  Fix that. The Swiss have a shooting culture that is different than America’s gun culture. The Swiss know how to shoot well at long range.  It is a national pastime.  Gotta ask why?  Because it works as a mainstay for their country’s defense.  In stark contrast, we own lots and lots of guns and ammo, yet do not know how to shoot like the average Swiss.  I say, use it or lose it.

The military has developed special ammunition for longer ranges for good reason. The attempt on Trump’s life goes to show us why choosing 75/77 grain OTM ammunition versus ammunition with 55 grain bullets in .223/5.56 NATO cartridges is important. Wind deflection is the most important factor that will cause us to miss targets inside of 200 yards, and more so as the target is well beyond 200 yards. Hits count, misses do not.  The shooter was reportedly only 140 yards from Trump, but he still only grazed an ear.  While standing, I can reliably hit a 6″x 6″ target with a horribly inaccurate AK-47 off hand with iron sights at 100 yards, yet the shooter missed with a rifle capable of 3 MOA or much less!

Skill matters, but so does our ammunition. When lives depend upon on a choice between different ammunition types, choose wisely and hope that those who are trying to kill you are not as well informed.

An Affordable Marksman’s Rifle

The photo at left shows my humble 1905 Model 1896 (“96”) Swedish Mauser with a Arken SH-4 4-12×50 Scope. The photo at right is a closeup of the scope and mount. It doesn’t look like much, yet this rifle has an excellent trigger and was recently glass bedded and the barrel free floated by a professional. It was capable of 1/4 MOA with H4350 and 140-grain Remington Corelokt bullets before the improvements were made. I’d like to see what it can do now with my handloaded match-grade ammunition. Because the M96 barrel is heavy and is now free-floated, I hope that it will hold 1.5 MOA or much less even as the barrel heats up.

One of the secrets of the Swede (Swedish Mauser) are that its barrels that never seem to lose their accuracy and they hold accuracy better than most other barrels even as the heat creates so much mirage that one can not see through the scope.  Try that with a modern 6.5CM.  And make sure that your modern tight tolerance 6.5CM or other modern bolt gun still functions after it gets and hot and dirty.  The M96 is purpose-built and battle-tested.  Know the limits of your rifle, and your ability to use it. And do not exceed those limits and you’ll be better off.

The total cost for the project was less the $600, including a bipod.  The cheek riser was made with 2 pounds of lead shot wrapped in a durable pouch for stabilizing weight that also reduces felt recoil. The added weight will also allow me to witness the bullet strikes or misses, and reduces the need for a spotter.  The felt recoil is similar to .243 Winchester. The weight of the rifle is 13.5 pounds without the sling.

The barrel is the original Swedish military M38, measuring 23.5 inches long, and the bore is in excellent condition with no flaws.  It has a low round count. The stock disc indicates it had ‘zero’ erosion during its last inspection. It was a pristine rifle prior to being ‘sporterized’ and would have been worth at least 10 times the price of what I paid for the rifle.  I am pleased to have found it and at a price that I could not refuse.

We do not need to purchase an expensive rifle to get the job done at 500 yards.  A brand new Savage or Mossberg rifle in .308 Winchester and an Arken scope or some other scope with a BDC (bullet drop reticle) will work and cost less than $1,000 out the door.

Ideally, I would have two nearly identical rifles, one as my backup or alternate rifle in case the first is damaged or inoperable in some way. This way, I will not lose a long-range rifle capability, if and when repairs are performed on the primary rifle.

I would also want to have at least two long-range rifles so that a second marksman can use one of them and at least one backup rifle to share between these two marksman.  Each rifle must be sighted in for each shooter as each shooter is physically different and will handle the same rifle differently.  This matters a lot at longer ranges.

I have also greatly reduced the length of pull of my rifles.  This means that I have shortened the length of the stock to fit my short stubby arms.  This will reduce the felt recoil and improve my ability to hit accurately in all situations, even unsupported with only a sling.  My sling is from an M1 Garand.  It is a practical shooter’s sling.

In addition, the stock had to be shortened so that I could operate the bolt swiftly and without breaking my check weld and losing my aiming point.  I’ve cut down all the stocks of my rifles using a miter saw, because it was necessary.  The rifle must fit the shooter.  Mossberg offers a rifle in .308 Winchester with an adjustable stock marketed as a youth rifle.  That rifle would be perfect for this short old man like me.

Because I have been a handloader for many decades and because my first long-range rifle was also a Swedish Mauser, I know these rifles quite well.  My first one was a M38 and my first handloads were sub-MOA in that rifle. After only testing 10 rounds, I was sold.  That rifle is now my backup rifle.

Preferred Long Range Cartridges, A List of Common Cartridges

I’ve prepared a list of common cartridges (below) using the JBM ballistics calculator that are known to be accurate. In descending order, the commercially available cartridge that bucks the wind better to the least able to buck the wind and its ability to maintain a flat enough trajectory to significantly improve the hit probably.  This is about practical accuracy at mid-range targets out to 500 yards.  Past 500 to 600 yards, the ability of the bullet to buck the wind becomes the most important factor.

For handloaders, I am sharing my favorite load that tops the list to illustrate the advantages of hand loading and why we should strive to improve our cartridges with more capable powder and bullet combinations.  It is still not too late to improve our game by purchasing better components or better commercial ammunition for the purpose of defense.

Because .300 Win Mag drops 8 inches less than 6.5CM I’ve selected 300 Win Mag as the better choice at ranges out to 500 yards. One could argue that the difference is negligible, yet for the purpose of practical accuracy a significantly flatter trajectory might be more important for mid range shots at the 500-yard limit. At longer ranges, this is less of a significant factor.  For ranges beyond 600 yards, it is best to use heavier projectiles or projectiles with a higher ballistic coefficient that buck the wind better.  Cartridges that have additional capacity to hold larger amounts of slow-burning powders such as is required for 300 Win Mag, .30-06, 6.5×55, and cartridges that are overbore. These cartridges and others have a distinct advantage.

While it is somewhat tedious for some, handloaders and marksmen who strive to “aim small, miss small” (see: Mel Gibson in The Patriot) will achieve the best results.

At 500 yards here are the numbers when the rifle is zeroed at 100 yards. The 300 Winchester Magnum example uses a standard 180-grain BTSP hunting bullet at 2,950fps. This is representative of commonly available 300 Win Mag ammunition. The 6.5CM uses a typical 140-grain OTM (Open Tip Match) bullet at 2,650fps. My hand-loaded .30-06 ammo uses a Hornady 178-grain ELD bullet at 2,840fps is the best overall choice.

The table below is for comparative purposes and is generally an accurate representation of these cartridges. Take note of the wind deflection and muzzle energy numbers.

Handloading Notes:

My .300 Savage handload uses a Barnes 155-grain Match Burner bullet with a B.C. of 0.467 at 2,640 fps out of a 24-inch barrel at near maximum pressure of 46,000 CUP using IMR4064.  See Hornady’s 10th Edition.  This performance could be safely duplicated in a Mauser action re-barrelled to 7.62 NATO.)

Bottom line: If a band of raiding thugs or alien invaders approaches, they will likely be using AR-15s and AK-47 rifles that are limited to a practical range of only 200 to 300 yards.  They could be grossly outclassed by the fire superiority of high powder rifles that use heavy for caliber bullets that are not as easily defected by the wind and that also are flatter in trajectory.  I choose to use the most effective bullets that I can afford.

(To be concluded tomorrow, in Part 2.)