Target size scale

[xdmjohn]

I'm looking to take my rifle out to 600 yds but don't have a range within a few hours drive from me. Having a 300 yd range would it be feasible to use a target half the size just to see if I'd be at least able to hit it? I know bullet drop and windage would be different but Id like just a little confidence going hours away just to find out I dont have the right equipment or skill.

[Graham Smith]

If you want to take the time to make up your own targets, then you can create some targets with 1, 2, and 3 MOA zones. You can create these for any distances you want to shoot at.

[BobS761]

You didn't say what size or kind of target. But a 4 MOA target at 300 yards is about 12 inches in diameter. But if you want to simulate a 600 yard 4 MOA target at 300 yards, it's still about 12 inches diameter. See what I'm getting at? Visual aspect is going to be close to same. Another thing to try is shoot 300 yards using 600 yard subtention, and see how it impacts and compare with a ballistic calculator. Hope I made sense...

[Guy Neill]

If we are dealing with MOA, it's (rounding) about 1 inch per 100 yards.

So 1 MOA at 600 yards would be about 6 inches. So 4 MOA would be 4 * 6 = 24 inches.(rounded - really a bit over 25 inches)

For moving to an equal MOA at 300 yards it would be about 4 * 3 = 12 inches.(closer to 12½ inches)

Essentially - yes to the question of halving the target size for halving the range.

Guy

[usmc1974]

I am not the great long range shooter, and this stuff is confusing. For 300 yards, I just use a 6 inch shoot-n-see target. on a peice of white printer paper. 300 yards is all our range has.

[BobS761]

Essentially, what I'm trying to say is use your 600 yard holdover at 300 yards. You should group high. You can predict how high it should be by using a ballistic calculator or chart, depending on your load and caliber. If you're there, it's a good starting point for when you encounter 600 yard targets. Write down everything!

Edited August 30, 2014 by BobS761

[davsco]

see what size groups you're shooting at 300 yards. let's say they're 3" groups which is around one moa. that would theoretically indicate you could shoot 6" groups at 600 yards which is the same approx one moa. but as you noted, wind and other elements come into play so the effect of any miscalculations or bad shooting is magnified such that one moa groups at 300 could be two moa (12") groups or worse at 600 yds. but if you're shooting 12" groups at 600 yards and your target is 2' x 2' you should be hitting it pretty regularly.