Taking the Plunge

I'm finally going to enter a long range vintage military match in CA which is for fun but still goes out to 800 yards. Before anyone starts I'm aware that 1000 is technically long range and this isn't but as I've never shot past 300 before (and that only 5 rounds) it's pretty daunting. Only for fun but still pretty daunting So the only rifles I have with windage adjustable sights are a 1914 lithgow No.1 Mk 3 and one 1916 Enfield No.1 Mk 3 so it's those or nowt. I can't get to a long range range (as it were) before this date. is there anything I can do to help without that? I'm practicing prone firing over my packback at a .08cm black circle 5 yards away with snap caps about 10 times each day but can't figure out any other way to help. my big worry as anyone who's seen my threads will know is sight picture, my ****ty eyes and whether to try 6 oc clock or center hold. Can't personally see how six o clock can work with bigger targets as you get further out as the POI is getting further away from POA.

You really have to use a 6 o'clock hold. It's all to do with a repeatable sight picture. You'll find that the foresight blade will be thicker than your view of the target. Get hold of a good sling

You are technically correct about the six o'clock hold, newcastle, but on the remote chance that your POI matches exactly with the POA, just add the MOA change from the POA to the center of the target. With SMLEs it takes a little extra ciphering as there are only yardage hash marks on the sight itself, but you may utilize one of the ballistics calculators on the net to do the conversions.

Otherwise, just add 25 or 50 yds to your sight seting and fire a sighter. Then adjust accordingly.

If you have a good 300 yd zero, then moving to 800 won't be a huge challenge, but a 100yd known zero is MUCH less reliable.

Was thinking about the 25 yard zeroing target I've seen with the semicircle on it. I'll have no chance beforehand to zero at long range so It'll have to be done at short range. I have access to 25 yar s and 100 yard ranges before the shoot.
Does anyone have one of these targets and know how high the Mk7 bullet should strike the target at 25 yards to equal 300, 500 600 AND 800 yards respectively. I could measure it out, zero to each elevation at 25 yards and note the sight settings in advance. This is the only way I can think of to at least get on paper with two sighters before they start scoring. Alternatively does any know how much higher a bullet should strike at 100 yards to be on at 300, 500, 600 and 800 yards? Seems that someone would have this iinformation handy?
Also with the 6 o clock hold. if POI is 3 inches higher than POA at 100 yards, does this maybe translate to 6 inches at 200 9 at 300, 15 at 500 and 24 at 800 yards? it would if there was a straight line, and as I'm adjusting for elevation where I allow for bullet drop doe sthis take care of teh difference in POI/POA?

You also need to find out what targets your club is using. As the long-range targets at our range change in diameter the further back we go. The black inner changes in diameter from 300 to 600 at our range, which will alter your POA and POI with a six o'clock hold (just to confuse things)

Ok so the Blacks are as follows 300 yards - 19inches, 500 yards - 30 inches, 600 yards - 36 inches, 800 yards - 44 inches. The more I think about this the more it seems like the 25 yard zeroing target is the way to go. I know you can zero to 200 yards and maybe more using this specific target. Anyone have a link? SOMEONE must have the details on one of these where you can roughly Zero for 500 , 600 and 800 yards also as wel as the 200 yards. Please help me out here guys, I have a month to learn to shoot a No.1 at a distance I'd normally drive.

base line middle of a inch and half circle 200yd zero is top of circle,300yd + another inch, 400yd another threequarter of an inch, 500yd another inch and a quarter, 600yd another inch and a half. Thats all i have

In the old long-range competitions in this country, the bull generally ran about 2 MOA.

If they are shooting the 'tin hat' target you should set the rifle up so that the POA to give you a solid bull is with just a hairline of white below the 'tin hat'. If they are shooting a full black target, then it would be better (for you) to set the rifle up for a 'lollipop' sight picture.

Pop into the MKL and check out some of the old manuals in there. There were pretty good instructions regarding shooting out to Service ranges (which included 800) in the 1914 Musketry book..... which happens to be designed around your rifle.

Good luck, friend!
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"base line middle of a inch and half circle 200yd zero is top of circle,300yd + another inch, 400yd another threequarter of an inch, 500yd another inch and a quarter, 600yd another inch and a half. Thats all i have"
THIS is perfect. Odd that it should add ONE inch from 200-300yds, 3/4" for 300-400yds and an Inch and 1/4 for 400-500 yards. Anyone know how much further up for 800 yards? I'm guessing about 3 inches but if anyone knows.....

Actually came to make some targets like this last night and realised I have one more quetsion. The 25 yards zero target is a black semi-circle. IS the circle that this would be half of, an inch and a half in RADIUS or an inch and a half in DIAMETER?

Inch and a half across

Thank you sir. Will try this tomorrow.

Newcastle, I don't know anybody who uses a No 1 SMLE at 1000 yds. I think it is a hell of a tall order.
I predict the big problem at 1000 yds is that your bullets will not be landing on the paper and you won't know in what direction to adjust.
Thus, before you start, you should ask the butt markers to keep a careful look out for fall of shot - so you can get an indication of how to adjust. At the same time, ask buddies with good quality spotting scopes to watch out for you If it is an electronically-marked target then I don't know what to suggest, except have some buddies look through spotting scopes for your splash.
Best of luck.

The No1s shoot just as well as No4s at 1000yds

Here's what I'd do: get to the 1000y mound early, and get someones rifle with a known zero, preferably in .303, then bore sight it at the target and then look to see where the sights are pointing, make a mental note of it. Set your rifle up at the same spot and bore sight it to the target then adjust the sights to the same spot. If noone else has a sighted in .303, borrow a .308 and do the same, but set your sights up to aim 4' lower.
You'll be in the paddock for elevation at least.
When new people come to shoot at the clubs I shoot with, that have no idea of their 300, 400 500etc zero, they are always given extra sighters until they are on paper. A 25m zero is meaningless in figuring a 1000 y zero, so is 100. If you don't have at least a 300m zero then you're just going to need a spotter. If you do have a 300m zero (and a central) then just add about 10% to 7.62/.308 data.
If you're using service sights, I'd say you've got buckleys anyway. Last week at 800m, in some fairly steady 12knot breeze we had 11 or so points of wind for 7.62, about 8', good luck making anything like, or perhaps double that sort of hold over repeatably.
And how does the rifle shoot?

I have a decentish SMLE and will be up against mosins mostly, some and garands and mausers. original sights only - I do at least have a windage adjustable rear sight though. so on a standard windage adjustable rear sigh on an SMLE how many inches at 100 yards is one of the graduations?

---------- Post added at 07:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:58 PM ----------

And yes this is a super tall order Im aware but what the hell - they used to shoot SMLE's with open sights at 1000 yards in the good old days. They also used to shoot .22's at 200 yards when there were more riflemen around (shortly before they all got machine gunned at Ypres I'd think) so if they could do it without internet advice then I'm not going to give up before trying it. but Ill be back here for advice constantly until June I'd think:)

Great things are never accomplished by the timid or fearful.

Exactly, but on the other hand the timid or fearful never fall flat on their arse:) SO my order of things to accomplish are as follows. 1. shoot at 100 yards target with S&B and Privi Partizan ammo to figure out which ammo works best in the two rifles I'm considering. 2. Zero at 25 yards for out to 600 yards, taking detailed notes not only on sight settings but also how many click/ turns of the wheel it is from one range to the. 3. Make sure I also note what each rifle does when shooting from cold as I'll get two sighters on the day and will have to take this into account. 4. Get to 200 yard range to check that the zeroing at 25 yards at least vaguely corresponds to reality. 5. Read 'AG's book of the rifle' another 25 times. Q: So on the Windage adjustable No.1 Mk3 rear sights. Is each graduation left and right an inch at 100 yards?

At 100 yards each "click" is 1" and each graduation is 6".

*Best of luck to you, by the way.

The general consensus here is that Privi Partizan won't shoot worth a damn past 300.

So S&B it is then unless i can score any greek HXP before the competition. . Thank you all forthe advice. Zeroing session this weekend.