We first ran this article in 2012, and it was very well received. Since then, many Forum members have requested an explanation of MILS and mildots, so we decided to run this feature again…
In this NSSF Video, Ryan Cleckner, a former Sniper Instructor for the 1st Ranger Battalion, defines the term “MilliRadian” (Milrad) and explains how you can use a mildot-type scope to range the distance to your target. It’s pretty simple, once you understand the angular subtension for the reticle stadia dots/lines. Cleckner also explains how you can use the milrad-based reticle markings in your scope for elevation hold-overs and windage hold-offs.
Even if you normally shoot at known distances, the hold-off capability of milrad-reticle scopes can help you shoot more accurately in rapidly-changing wind conditions. And, when you must engage multiple targets quickly, you can use the reticle’s mil markings to move quickly from one target distance to another without having to spin your elevation turrets up and down.
WEB RESOURCES: If you want to learn more about using Milliradians and Mildot scopes, we suggest the excellent Mil-dot.com User Guide. This covers the basics you need to know, with clear illustrations. Also informative is The Truth about Mil Dots by Michael Haugen. Mr. Haugen begins with basic definitions: 1 radian = 2 PI; 1 Milliradian (Milrad or ‘Mil’) = 1/1000th of a radian; 1 Milliradian = .0573 degrees.
Alpha Unknown, which had two shooters in the match, reported “This was the coolest place we’ve ever shot from… we’ll see you next year.”
Joe Burdick, owner of Rock Solid Shooting Solutions, provides this report from Wyoming: “I’m having a blast at the Nightforce ELR Steel Challenge at the Q Creek Ranch south of Casper, WY. Made my longest hits ever in competition at 1800 and some change. This 300 Winchester Magnum is absolutely PUNISHING the steel. The short targets here are at a thousand yards. I had multiple hits and clean runs on stages with targets from 1200-1800 yards. I missed the longest target of the match (2100 yards) by about 0.2 Mils.”
All photos by Joe Burdick other than as indicated by Alpha Unknown and Mitchell Fitzpatrick.
Target locations are indicated with red dots.
Burdick had high praise for the match and the venue: “This is a super cool match in an incredible location. It is remote but the size and beauty of the venue make it well worth the trip. The range is covered with life-size elk, wolf, ram, antelope, and even kangaroo targets with plenty of circles and squares as well.” The vast Q Creek Ranch encompasses 560,000 acres of scenic Wyoming landscape.
Burdick, whose company Rock Solid Shooting Solutions runs matches and sells custom gun covers, wanted to acknowledge his sponsors and equipment suppliers: Bushnell, Kelbly’s, WildEar, Precision Rifle & Tool, Huber Concepts, The Heritage Flag Company, Armageddon Gear, MasterPiece Arms, Kahntrol Solutions, BEST Targets, and Patriot Cases.
“Incredible location. It is remote but the size and beauty of the venue make it well worth the trip.”
Confirming Elevation Dope Is Essential for ELR Competition
Prior to the match, Joe verified his long-range “dope” at the Q-Creek Ranch shooting at distant targets. Joe reports: “Shooting my 300 Winchester Magnum, I made my longest hit ever with any rifle at 2086 yards.”
The 2086-yard target is marked with the red dot on the photo. The yellow dots represent the location of the 1000, 1409, 1725, and 1816 yard targets for reference.
And the Winners Are…
Chris Gittings and Brent Wood tied for Overall and Hunter Class honors at 115 points with Brent taking the tie-breaker. Notably, Brent’s son Tyler won the Junior Division. With 114 points, Mitchell Fitzpatrick took First Place in Open Division at the Nightforce ELR Steel Challenge. Congrats to all four marksmen on their great shooting! Fitzpatrick works with Applied Ballistics in the AB Weapons Division. He was shooting an AB Weapons Division M30TS rifle chambered for AB’s new .338 EnABELR cartridge, running 300gr Berger Hybrid OTM bullets at 3160 FPS. The scope was a 5-25x56mm NF ATACR with T3 reticle.
Soon after Lapua released the 6.5×47 cartridge, wildcatters recognized the potential of a necked-down 6mm version of the case. The 6-6.5×47 has emerged as a great, do-it-all cartridge that performs well in High Power competition, 600- and 1000-yard benchrest, and PRS tactical matches. But the 6-6.5×47 is not just for paper-punching. An efficient cartridge with great inherent accuracy, the 6-6.5×47 can be an excellent, flat-shooting, long-range varmint round. Here we feature Stan Stewart’s BAT-actioned 6-6.5×47 varminter. Fitted with a Krieger 1:10″ barrel, Stan’s rifle excels with a wide variety of varmint bullets. Whether driving 70-grainers at 3700 fps, or pushing the Berger 88gr High-BC FB bullet at 3400 fps, this 6-6.5×47 delivers half-MOA (or better) accuracy, in a well-balanced, easy-handling rifle.
The 6-6.5×47 for Precision Long-Range Varminting
The rifle carries a 12-42x56mm Nightforce NSX in Nightforce rings “hand-lapped for optimal fit/alignment”.
‘Seller’s Remorse’ Spurs 6mm Project Report by Stan Stewart
After selling my 6mm Remington Ackley Improved a couple of years ago and wishing I hadn’t, I begun to think about a new custom rifle for work on Prairie Dog towns and New York wood chucks at 600+ yards. I have a .223 AR and 22-250 for medium ranges but I missed my 6mm AI for long-range work so I started asking questions.
The 22-250 is a fine chambering, but it is hard on barrels, and I think the 6mms may have an accuracy edge out past 400 yards. Also, shooters today enjoy a vast collection of really great 6mm bullets. Barrel life and bullet options were two main reasons I decided to build a 6mm rather than another .224-caliber gun. But the question remained… what 6mm chambering to choose?
I started doing serious research on the 6-6.5×47. I received a lot of good advice from AccurateShooter.com and other websites on the pros and cons. I also talked to gunsmiths — quite a few recommended the new cartridge as well. Some of the cartridge attributes I liked was the small rifle primer, enough case capacity to efficiently reach 3700 fps with a 70gr bullet and 3400 fps with an 85-grainer without being terribly over-bore. Most important was the 6-6.5×47’s reputation for inherent accuracy without being finicky like my 6mm AI. So, having chosen my cartridge, I started asking for gunsmith recommendations. Again the folks on the AccurateShooter.com Forum were very helpful. After many conversations I settled on Dave Bruno in Dayton, Pennsylvania. He was a good choice.
Putting Together the New Rig with Premium Components
From the get-go, I knew I wanted a BAT action and Krieger barrel. BAT Machine and Krieger Barrels enjoy a great reputation in the shooting industry. BATs are beautifully-machined, smooth, and strong. Krieger cut-rifled barrels are known for dependable accuracy and long barrel life. While many 6-6.5×47 shooters choose an 8-twist barrel to shoot the 100-108gr bullets, I would be using smaller, varmint-weight bullets, so I selected a 1:10″ twist Krieger. This would allow me to shoot bullets from 60 grains up to 90 grains. Dave chambered the barrel with a .269″ neck and fluted the barrel to save weight. I also had Dave install a Vais muzzle brake. Dave fitted the BAT with a 2 oz. Jewell trigger, mounted a +20 MOA scope rail, then pillar-bedded the BAT into a McMillan Hunter-Class-style fiberglass stock.
Load Development for Varminting
I had selected a few powders and bullets recommended by other 6-6.5×47 shooters and started by seating all the bullets .005″ off the lands. The powders I selected were Varget, Vihtavuori N-550, and Reloder 15.
I was very pleased with the 88gr Bergers. In initial testing, they grouped well and I was able to drive them to 3400 fps easily. As I wanted a gun for long-range varmint work, I was hoping the 1:10″-twist barrel would provide enough stability for the heavier weight bullets. It did — the 10-twist worked great! I was able to shoot the lighter weight bullets and the 88s were superb. With a BC of 0.391, leaving the barrel at 3400, these bullets were still traveling at 2600 fps at 600 yards!
I did a lot of testing, recording group sizes for a variety of different bullets (see below) and powders. With group size/velocity data in a spreadsheet I was able to “crunch the numbers” and choose my preferred loads. The data drew a clear picture of what the rifle shot best. Here is a chart showing comparative group sizes, arranged by bullet type. On the last three lines, powders are listed by average for all bullets.
Final Thoughts on the 6-6.5×47 Lapua
I have owned three rifles chambered in 22-250 and will always own a rifle in this caliber because it is inherently accurate and drives a 50gr bullet at 3800 fps. No question the 22-250 can be deadly out to 500 yards. However, I’ve found that shooting past 400 yards with the light bullets is difficult if there is any wind at all. That’s why I liked my 6mm AI for those longer shots and why I decided on the 6-6.5×47 Lapua. I couldn’t be happier with my choice. The only thing that could make it better is if Lapua would produce the 6-6.5×47 as an “official” factory 6mm cartridge with 6mm necks right out of the box. But overall, I am very happy with the cartridge, and I thank Dave Bruno for producing a superbly accurate varmint rifle.
Nightforce Optics scopes almost never go on sale. This weekend is one of those rare opportunities to acquire a Nightforce scope at a significant discount — 20% off. From May 23 through May 28, 2019, you can SAVE 20% on all Nightforce NXS scopes. This promotion covers the entire NXS line-up:
You can purchase Nightforce NXS scopes from major retailers including EuroOptic.com, Cabelas.com, and Midway USA. We recommend EuroOptic because of its excellent customer service and after-sale support.
From Nightforce: “As we honor the fallen heroes of this great country we would like to extend an amazing offer to our loyal customer base! May 23rd – May 28th visit one of our many online or in-store dealers to get exclusive pricing on our legendary NXS series of optics!”
According to Shooting Industry magazine, a large segment of gun buyers are now gravitating toward long-range shooting. Short carbines with red dots are OUT. Precision rifles with high-power optics are IN. Interest in long-range shooting has driven sales of modular bolt guns and upgraded ARs in .224 Valkyrie or 6.5 Grendel. Shooting Industry states: “Dealers around the country report interest in long-range shooting has ignited over the past 12+ months”. In fact, “long-range shooting has become a passion for a larger number of shooters, leading to increased potential for sales of guns, ammo, and accessories[.]”
Doug Gifford of CORE Rifle Systems and GTO Guns in Florida observes: “For the past 12 months or so, I’ve seen a huge move toward interest in long-range accuracy.” Modern bolt-action rifles in popular chamberings such as 6.5 Creedmoor “are probably the fastest-moving modular sporting guns at the moment”.
Ruger Precision Rifle Leads the Way
Vikram Mookerajee of Pinnacle Firearms in Indiana says the introduction of the Ruger Precision Rifle (RPR) several years ago really “opened up the market” to a broader spectrum of customers. The RPR created a whole new market segment for modular chassis rifles. With “street price” under $1250 (and under $1000 during sales), the RPR delivered a modern-looking, modular rifle system at an affordable price. This was not your grand-pappy’s deer rifle — the modular look appealed to a younger market segment. RPR accuracy out of the box was pretty good too.
Following the success of the basic RPR, offered in 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, and .308 Win, Ruger has introduced a big Magnum version in .300 Win Mag and .338 Lapua Magnum. This is a large rifle, weighing 15.2 lbs. without optics. And, with a $2099 MSRP ($1700 street price) it is considerably more expensive than the original RPR.
Long-Range Interest Drives Sales of Expensive Optics
The increasing interest in long-range shooting has driven sales of higher-magnification optics, particularly First Focal Plane (FFP) scopes with Mil-type reticles. Core’s Gifford notes: “The long-range trend is moving into real science. Shooters are looking at parallax and focal plane; they’re getting into the science of optics.” The latest generation of scopes aren’t cheap. For example, the 7-35x56mm FFP Nightforce ATACR, one of the most popular optics with PRS shooters, retails for $3600.00! You can buy a pretty nice used motorcycle or bass-boat for that kind of money.
This photo is one of Nightforce’s series of picturesque “Gunscapes”. SEE MORE HERE.
With all the commercialization and buying frenzy associated with Black Friday/Cyber Monday, we should remember the real reasons most of us enjoy the shooting hobby. Many of us like shooting because it gets us outdoors, away from work pressures. Shooting gives us a chance both to enjoy solitude as well as have fun with friends and family in the outdoors. For this editor, a solo trip to the range in mid-week was often the perfect antidote to job stress. Going to a scenic venue and sending a few shots downrange was satisfying. And getting out of the hustle and bustle of the city did indeed calm the soul.
Talented 3-position shooter (and trick-shot artist) Kirsten Joy Weiss says that any day at the range is “always a good day”. Here is her photo to prove it. If that shot doesn’t motivate you to spend a day outdoor with rifles, we’re not sure what will. Here’s hoping you’ll have a chance to get in another few days of shooting this season before the snow falls. This Editor hopes to test some rimfire ammo this weekend…
Here’s a new ATACR scope from Nightforce that looks to be a fine choice for PRS and tactical competitors who prefer a medium zoom range. The new ATACR 4-16x50mm F1 features a first focal plane (FFP) design that keeps the reticle size constant relative to the target at all magnification levels. This scope boasts other qualities that made the previously-introduced second focal plane 4-16X ATACR popular — it’s tough, compact, and has a ton of “up”. The scope offers either 110 MOA or 30 Mils of elevation, with Zerostop, in a 33 oz. package with 34mm main tube. There’s an integrated stubby throw-lever for fast zooming.
The 4-16x50mm F1 ATACR is available in with ether 0.1 Milrad clicks or 1/4-MOA clicks with reticle hash marks to match the click values. Both optics retail for $2425.00 (street price). That’s pretty expensive for a 4-16X optic, but still over $1000 less than a 3-20x50mm Schmidt & Bender PMII.
Both 4-16x50mm F1 ATACR models feature outstanding ED (low-dispersion) glass and digital illumination for low-light use (red or green at user preference) These scopes are quite compact — 13.1 inches overall. Eye relief is ample 3.5 inches (89mm). Included with the scope are custom Tenebraex flip-up lens covers.
How would you like to be able to switch out your scopes every three months, or try out a variety of optics without having to buy and then re-sell (at a big loss). Well the folks at Vulcan Circle have created a new service that is essentially like a “time-share” for optics. You pay a monthly membership fee, and then you can try out different scopes. Vulcan Circle calls this an “Optics Subscription Service”.
Vulcan Circle allows its members to receive and use high-end optics from brands like Vortex, Leupold, and Swarvoski and send them back to receive a new item every 3 months. The Vulcan Circle website shows a wide variety of scopes from trusted brands including Burris, Bushnell, Leupold, Kahles, March, Nightforce, Schmidt & Bender, Trijicon, Vortex, Zeiss, and more.
Vulcan Circle currently has three subscription levels. The basic “Legionary” Membership costs $45 per month for lower-priced scopes. Move up to “Centurion” ($90/month) to get Nightforce NXS, Vortex Razor, and similar optics. Finally, with the “Tribune” membership ($180/month) you can get high-end scopes such as Schimidt & Bender and Swarovski.
Truth about Guns explains: “Think of it as Netflix for your rifle. You’ve had your eye on a Zeiss 5-30×50mm Conquest V6 for your Ruger Precision Rifle, but $1900 is a lot of samolians. Or maybe you’d love to top your Nosler Model 48 with… something like the Steiner 3-15×50-T5Xi for an upcoming hunt. But you don’t want to buy one, you just want to use one for your trip. Vulcan Circle lets you try before you buy, offering various membership options to give you access to different optics[.]”
Vulcan Circle President John Tippets explains: “As interest in shooting sports continues to grow, Vulcan Circle seeks to help those new to the idea familiarize themselves with optics and determine their needs. Instead of purchasing the optic up-front, members have unprecedented access to the most advanced firearm optics on the market. Even better, members can exchange optics every 3 months to experience something else.”
Vulcan Circle also offers a point-based rewards program for its members. The “Vulcan Honors” program allows members to redeem points which are accrued every month for products like tents, binos, rangefinders, YETI coolers, and more. Members are rewarded with points for continued membership and for returning optics on time and in good condition.
EDITOR’s COMMENT: This is an interesting new business model. Time-based rentals of sports/hobby gear have worked in other industries. You can rent a motorcycle, or a bass boat, or an RV after all. The concern we have with Vulcan Circle comes down to potential liability for damage or even normal “wear and tear”. Scopes used on hunting trips or Gun Games can easily get scratched or damaged. If that $3500.00 Schmidt & Bender scope gets busted, who pays? And how much? For those considering a Vulcan Circle membership (at any level), you’ll want to have these and other “financial exposure” questions answered BEFORE you commit.
Nightforce scopes are built tough. This was demonstrated in the latest Nightforce Torture Test. In this remarkable experiment, a Nightforce NXS 5-22x50mm scope was subjected to some truly brutal treatment — freezing, blasting, and pounding. During the course of the test, the NXS was:
— Encased in a block of ice for 24 hours.
— Blasted with a 12-gauge shotgun (while in the ice).
— Pounded on a block of wood to clear the ice.
— Used as a hammer to drive a spike into wood.
The test had two phases. After the ice-encased scope was blasted with a 12 gauge shotgun, the scope was mounted on a Barrett MRAD rifle (1:00 time-mark) and used to successfully hit a steel swinger target at 100 yards. Then the scope was removed from the Barrett and used to hammer a long steel spike into a block of wood (1:55 time-mark). Then, after the pounding, the NXS scope was reattached to the rifle, and used to hit a binary explosive target (2:25 time-mark).
WATCH Nightforce Torture Test Video:
The entire torture test process was filmed in a continuous shoot (with no “time-outs”) so there is no trickery. Watch the video to see the continuous time-line in the lower right.
In the 2016 President’s 100 Match, Match Winner Keith Stephens, runner-up SFC Evan Hess, and third-place Hugh Reich all used scopes, making for an All-Optics Podium. Both Stephens and Reich used the 1-4.5x24mm March.
Are you a Service Rifle shooter or would you like to give Service Rifle competition a try? The big news in this discipline is that magnified optics up to 4.5 max power can now be used. You can still use classic iron sights, but most serious Service Rifle competitors have moved to optics — and nearly all the “top guns” at major matches are running optics. Our friend Dennis Santiago, who is doing a long-term test of the Nightforce SR 4.5x24mm scope, says magnified optics are the future of the Service Rifle Game. If you want to win these days, you need glass.
Optics Options from $120 to $2400
You have many optics choices running all the way up to a 1-4.5x24mm March at $2338.00. But you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a good optic. Our Systems Admin, Jay Christopherson, will be trying the Konus XTC-30 1-4X24mm sold by Creedmoor Sports and the CMP. Priced at $495.00, the Konus has good glass and parallax set at 200 yards. And if you want the best deal going for a Service Rifle scope, right now Cabela’s offers the Vortex Crossfire II 1-4x24mm scope for just $119.88 with Free Shipping (Promo Code 2017FREE). That’s an incredible deal on a scope that can do double-duty on your hunting rifle. This same Vortex 1-4X optic sells for $188.88 on Amazon.
Super Deal — Vortex 1-4x24mm Scope for $119.88
Service Rifle Optics — How They Will Change the Game
Under NRA and CMP Rules first promulgated in 2016, Service Rifle competitors can use a scope with up to 4.5X magnification, and 34mm max objective. This rule revision to allow magnified optics will be a game-changer says Service Rifle shooter Dennis Santiago.
Dennis explains: “Per the 2016 Rulebooks of the CMP and NRA, today’s Service Rifle is now defined to include an M-16/AR-15 variant with an optical sighting system not to exceed 4.5X magnification. So, this optic-equipped rifle goes head-to-head with the match-tuned M-16A2/AR-15A2 iron sight guns in the same class. The rules were updated to take into account that some military branches no longer train service members to shoot iron sights as their primary marksmanship method and have switched to reliance on combat optics. The rules were debated and tried in 2015 and codified at the beginning of 2016. The 2016 Nationals were the first where the old and new generation guns compete side-by-side.
Here is my personal prediction: There will be improved scores by Expert Class shooters who figure out how to work with optics jumping into Master class. At the High Master level, there may be a slight rise in numerical scores but there will be a massive jump in X-Count. EICs will remain the all-out race they’ve always been; whoever makes the fewest mistakes wins the day.”
What to Look For in a Service Rifle Optic
by Johnny Fisher
2016 brought with it a long-anticipated rule change that allows for the use of optics in Service Rifle competition. Thus far, it seems the biggest concerns that Service Rifle shooters have when considering an optic are: quality, repeatability, parallax, reticle choices, and durability.
Parallax Considerations
The vast majority of Service Rifle Rule-compliant scopes currently on the market have a fixed parallax. That means there is no separate focus knob to adjust parallax to target distance. Accordingly, there has been much concern about the potential for parallax error over the three different distances in Across-The-Course competition. It is possible that the repeatably-indexed head position maintained while shooting a Service Rifle, along with a little extra emphasis on sight alignment to ensure that the shooter’s eye is directly behind the scope, can greatly mitigate the potential effects of parallax error. [Editor: However, we have talked with a number of Service Rifle shooters. Most would like adjustable parallax. If the parallax must be fixed, they would like it set at 200-300 yards. 100 yards is too close.]
Reticle Choices — Something to Consider
My Nightforce 1-4X scope has the IHR Reticle, which provides a very clear, unobstructed and simple sight picture. The IHR reticle for the NXS 1-4x24mm boasts an illuminated center cross-hair. Unfortunately, the red-color illumination is really only intended for low-light situations and is not bright enough to offer any aid to National Match shooters competing in broad daylight at stationary targets.
Editor: Unlike PRS competitors who (mostly) shoot bright-painted steel plates, Service Rifle competitors aim at traditional black bullseyes. The bullseye target design makes sense for iron sight shooters. With magnified optics you have some kind of black reticle that may not stand out at well against the black bull at 4.5 max power. You probably want to look through a number of different scopes to chose a reticle that works best for your eyes and aiming procedure.
In this NSSF Video, Ryan Cleckner, a former Sniper Instructor for the 1st Ranger Battalion, defines the term “MilliRadian” (Milrad) and explains how you can use a mildot-type scope to range the distance to your target. It’s pretty simple, once you understand the angular subtension for the reticle stadia dots/lines. Cleckner also explains how you can use the milrad-based reticle markings in your scope for elevation hold-overs and windage hold-offs.
Joe Burdick, owner of 
Burdick, whose company 
‘Seller’s Remorse’ Spurs 6mm Project
Final Thoughts on the 6-6.5×47 Lapua
