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The Engineer – His Set-up. His Story Guest Post by David Cruthirds, TRACT Customer
Life on the Job The Engineer
I am 36 years old and was born and raised in New Orleans. I moved to North Georgia in 2010 where I soon met my wife and now raise my 2 young sons (7 and 4 years of age). I work as the Service Supervisor/Field Engineer/Technical Sales for a German Engineering firm that specializes in bolting solutions on an industrial scale. The scope of my job mainly revolves around maintaining and repairing various types of power turbines at power plants across the country, so I travel quite a bit.
My First Event
I have been around firearms my whole life and took up long range shooting as a hobby about 3 years ago but have never had any formal training. I researched any and all info and material I could find that would help me get that much better. I practiced at random events or whenever I could get on some larger property and stretch the legs of one of my rifles.
At the beginning of 2021 I started getting a lot more involved in trying to get to competitions of various kinds (PRS, F class, ELR). Unfortunately, because of my work travel schedule, I have not been able to compete regularly. At the beginning of last month, I was able to attend a casual ELR event at a UKD range with targets out to 2300m (the Arena in Blakely GA). The other shooters there were engaging targets at distances that I had not dreamed of attempting before. With a lot of effort and some luck, I was able to walk out a Bergara B14 HMR pro in 6.5 Creedmoor out to a mile. After that accomplishment, I decided to build a dedicated rifle to compete at extreme distance/steel challenge/benchrest events. There are a few upcoming events in my area that I plan to attend and compete at once I have this new build broken in and with some proven DOPE.
My New Build
Savage 110 Elite Precision on MDT ACC Chassis
26″ Stainless Heavy Profile Barrel chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor.
Elf SE trigger set to 1lb
Vortex 1.10″ height PMR Rings (I wanted the Tract rings, but they are OOS 😢)
TORIC 4.5-30×56 MRAD ELR
TRACT Bubble level
TRACT (MKM) Throw lever
Atlas BT10 V8
I have future plans for the rifle but most likely only minor changes (Arca rail, Weights, barricade stop) until accuracy drops off.
Time to Zero
I got the rifle together this past Friday (7/23/21). I had some rounds made for a different rifle and decided to make more of the same load to just go to the range, function test, and get a zero. Getting a load worked out for the rifle would come later (or so I thought). I wanted a 200 yard zero. I was able to site in by my 3rd shot on the barrel and put down a 1/2″ 3 shot group at 200 yards. I had only 5 shots of muzzle velocities that were all over the place (new barrel duh) but I used that to get a some rough come ups and started engaging targets. I was just trying to get some groups while also getting some fouling and it turns out that I might have already lucked upon a load the gun likes.
Please see the enclosed pictures of the groups at 600, 800, and 1000 yards. The electronic target system does the measuring of the group spread as well as the SD of impact velocities (top right of target pictures). As you can see the group at 1000 yards is a .51 MOA with a SD of 5.1 and this was with the 12th, 13th, & 14th shots from the rifle.
Groups at 600, 800, and 1000 yards – Electronc target system at the Dead Zero range in TN
The Outcome
In my opinion, one of the major contributing factors to this outcome of awesomeness was the Tract Optic. The glass clarity is on par with other scopes in a price range twice as high. I love the locking turrets and they feel so precise with a very obvious click per adjustment. The optic tracts incredibly well. I was able to go out to 1000 and right back to 200 and put 3 rounds in the same spot as the first 3 round group. I could write so many things about this optic, but just plain and simple : I love it. Thank you for putting out this high-quality product direct to consumer.
You have made a lifetime customer and I can’t wait to put your products on the rest of my rifles.
The Load
(for any ballistic geeks like me)
Hornady 140gn ELD-M
Hornady Brass (annealed by hand before full length sizing)
CCI 200 Primers
40.8gn IMR4350
2.80″ COAL
Muzzle Velocities ended up in the 2740fps range.
