With the turrets sorted out on the Zeiss scope with custom labels, it was time to turn to using the scope to its full potential.
The manual (courtesy of Steve’s Pages) says the scope should be fitted “with an inclination of approx. 25 angular minutes”.
I only had about 13 mils of adjustment in the scope (out of a maximum of 16 mils) with a 20MoA rail. That gave me enough adjustment for my 190 Sierra MatchKings out to 1,000 yards, but left me holding-over beyond that.
I really needed a 30MoA rail on my Barnard action to get the most out of the scope – after a bit of maths converting between mils and MoA to work out that 25 MoA was not enough and 35 MoA was probably too much (3.438 MoA = 1 mil).
Nothing, of course, is ever that simple. The 30MoA rail that Barnard make is designed for their .338 Lapua Magnum action. It will fit the .308 action but extends to the rear beyond the receiver to the rear and so looks untidy. It is also designed for use with the Barnard 07 Tactical Stock and so the scope is higher than it needs to be in my Jennings stock.
I could get a 20MoA rail for the Barnard in the UK, but no-one made a 30MoA rail. I could get 30MoA rails for other actions (Sako, Tikka etc) but not the Barnard.
As they say, Google is your friend. But only just, as I could not find anyone advertising 30MoA rails for a Barnard SM action. Finally, I found a reference on the Victorian Rifle Association website to A&M Engineering, a small engineering company in Victoria, Australia that makes rails. The page on the VRA website seems to have gone, but A&M’s email address is [email protected]
Ashley Wright (I am guessing he is the “A” in “A&M”) was very helpful and can make a range of custom rails for different actions and different MoA inclinations. He also ships internationally.
The 30MoA rail he made for me is anodised aluminium and fits the action neatly. The Picatinny rail is cut sharply and the Tier One rings I use match it exactly. It also has “30” stamped on it, which is a helpful reminder!
The end result is that the 100 yard zero for the 190 grain Sierras is now 1 mil above the bottom of the adjustment range. That means I now have 15 mils of usable range in the scope, enough for 1,200 yards.
Do I shoot often at 1,200 yards? No, but that is not the point of a hobby. I can shoot at 1,200 yards without holding-over, made some new contacts and solved a few puzzles – and that’s the important thing!
