Top Bird Hunting

Insertion

As mentioned in the previous article (top bird hunting, ammunition part 1) you can choose in the middle of a dot of for example 150 m, with 6.5 55 or 308 win and be sure that you are quite accurate at a distance up to 180 m below provided that you use your head a little and compensate by holding low if the hold is closer or over if the hold becomes longer than the firing distance on top bird hunting. In my world, it is too limiting when I conduct top bird hunting and I want to be able to extend the distance significantly more than 180 m. Sometimes the top bird sits in the middle of a clear-cut without protection that I can use to get close.

The second option available is to use the ammunition manufacturer's information, which is usually available on their website. These indicate the trajectory of the ammunition caliber you purchased. But is not particularly reliable in my opinion, at least not for top bird hunting. Often the speed specified according to the manufacturer is lower in reality, which affects the hit position at longer distances.
 

What I do

There are mainly 2 things that will affect where the bullet hits, at least at normal top bird hunting distances which rarely exceed 400 m.

1. The bullet's BC (ballistic coefficient) the more streamlined the bullet is, the less air resistance and wind will affect it, (however, the bullet needs to emit energy in the animal, which a hole tip usually does by opening up and being useful for top bird hunting).
2. Ball speed. The burning time of the powder (read speed) is often affected by the outside temperature, so if possible you should test shoot in top bird hunting temperatures, or at least near the right temperature. Different gunpowder is differently sensitive to temperatures, but it is not entirely uncommon for 0.5-0.7 m / s change in speed per degree Celsius.

 
In order for everything to be correct, I usually need to measure the bullet's exit velocity at the mouth with a chronograph and the distance between the center of the barrel to the center of the binocular sight on my particular weapon. With this information, you can either on the ammunition manufacturer's website or via shooting apps get reliable information that SHOULD be accurate in the field. However, you always need to verify the data before embarking on a top bird hunt. If you use a shooting app such as a shooter, it also wants a rifle pitch on your barrel and preferably the length of the bullet to be satisfied.

I usually push in in the middle of 100 m and then screw on the binoculars' target funnels based on the data I received. Then I test shoot at 200 m, 300 m and 400 m. If you have done the preparatory work well and everything is correct, you should be able to expect many accurate years ahead. Most ammunition manufacturers have working basic data on the bullets and with the right exit speed and binocular sight height, this is usually true when test shooting also before top bird hunting.

Field verification is the key to success.

Shooting distance 100 m, red dot approx. 1.5 cm in diameter. Test shooting at 300 m. A little crosswind that moves the bullet, but just right in height.

 

Speed is smooth and important to check, at selected temperature and ammunition with chronograph.

 

The height of the binocular sight from the center of the barrel to the center at binocular sight.