Fiftydriver
Official LRH Sponsor
Re: need EVERYone\'s advice on gear
270izzy,
I would agree with most on this topic, do not get caught up in big magnum rounds thinking you need one to get into long range shooting.(many will be supprised with that comment coming from me /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif!!!)
Your most important thing right now is to learn to load and shoot. That means you should select a round that is "easy" to load for. That would range from anything like a 308 Win up to a 300 Win Mag. The choice is really yours and you need to be honest with what you can handle in recoil. Go out and find guys with different calibers and shoot them and see what you like and do not like.
Again, be totally honest with you , if a 300 Win kicks more then you would like to subject yourself to do not get ego bound and get one jsut because someone says it is a wonder round. There is no such thing as a wonder round. You are the key componant to making long range hits consistantly.
Personally I would look into something in the 7mm-08 to 308 range on the small end in a factory rifle that has good potential for building on down the road. In my opinion that is a Rem 700.
On the top end something like a 7mm WSM or 300 WSM is plenty of power to reach out to 2000 yards if you are up to the challange with your ammo and shooting skill.
The key is to get a rifle that you can build on so that when you master the round you have you can build an extreme accuracy rifle on that same rifle and this will save you anywhere from $400 to $600 to get a new receiver to build your next rifle if you want more down the road.
My advise also, forget about 1500 yards right now. This will come but probably not for several years. there are things you need to learn that will amaze and frustrate you to no end until you work through them. This is the challange of the sport so if you hit road blocks take comfort in knowing we all have from time to time.
Start shooting at 500 yards. This is a dramatically more difficult task then 200 or even 300 yards shooting. Get accustom to the range, get familiar with your bullets flight out to this range and most importantly, use this range as a filter for your long range ammunition.
Many loads will shoot good at 100 yards, even 200 and 300 yards. At 500 yards, the good loads will show themselves clearly from the OK loads. Use this range as a tool in developing good ammo and then you can proceed to the next level.
This does not mean 1000 yards like most think is the next step. I prefer 700 to 800 yard and this is again a major step in ranging ability. 500 yards will become routine but at 800 yards you will learn dramatically what wind drift and bullet drop really mean. Both begin to get severe.
At this range learn to read and dope the wind as well as tweak your load and learn more on your bullets drop at this range as well as everything closer.
Once you have a grasp at 800 yards then go to a full 1000 yards. This will show you instantly what level of shooting you and your equipment are at. Most shooters are extremely suprised and often return to the closer ranges as shooting at 1000 yards can be extremely difficult even for experienced shooters.
Past this is really for the elite and few ever get proficient enough to play in the 1500 yard range with consistant hitting ability. It is certainly possible and even practical but it is very difficult.
Take baby steps and lean as much as you can about your rifle and load as you go.
For learning about long range shooting, this is about the best web site I have seen. Hang around here, ask questions and read alot. DO what the top guys are doing because there is no need to reinvent the wheel, just cost alot of money and time!!
As far as big game hunting out past 600 yards or so, I would say practice extensively at ranges out to 800yards for at least 3 seasons before you ever take a shot at big game. Remember that if you wound an animal at +800 yards, more then likely you will loose the animal. There are no good second shot chances at 800 yards and out on a wounded animal.
Varmints is a different story and about the best practice you can get.
Good Shooting!!
Kirby Allen(50)
270izzy,
I would agree with most on this topic, do not get caught up in big magnum rounds thinking you need one to get into long range shooting.(many will be supprised with that comment coming from me /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif!!!)
Your most important thing right now is to learn to load and shoot. That means you should select a round that is "easy" to load for. That would range from anything like a 308 Win up to a 300 Win Mag. The choice is really yours and you need to be honest with what you can handle in recoil. Go out and find guys with different calibers and shoot them and see what you like and do not like.
Again, be totally honest with you , if a 300 Win kicks more then you would like to subject yourself to do not get ego bound and get one jsut because someone says it is a wonder round. There is no such thing as a wonder round. You are the key componant to making long range hits consistantly.
Personally I would look into something in the 7mm-08 to 308 range on the small end in a factory rifle that has good potential for building on down the road. In my opinion that is a Rem 700.
On the top end something like a 7mm WSM or 300 WSM is plenty of power to reach out to 2000 yards if you are up to the challange with your ammo and shooting skill.
The key is to get a rifle that you can build on so that when you master the round you have you can build an extreme accuracy rifle on that same rifle and this will save you anywhere from $400 to $600 to get a new receiver to build your next rifle if you want more down the road.
My advise also, forget about 1500 yards right now. This will come but probably not for several years. there are things you need to learn that will amaze and frustrate you to no end until you work through them. This is the challange of the sport so if you hit road blocks take comfort in knowing we all have from time to time.
Start shooting at 500 yards. This is a dramatically more difficult task then 200 or even 300 yards shooting. Get accustom to the range, get familiar with your bullets flight out to this range and most importantly, use this range as a filter for your long range ammunition.
Many loads will shoot good at 100 yards, even 200 and 300 yards. At 500 yards, the good loads will show themselves clearly from the OK loads. Use this range as a tool in developing good ammo and then you can proceed to the next level.
This does not mean 1000 yards like most think is the next step. I prefer 700 to 800 yard and this is again a major step in ranging ability. 500 yards will become routine but at 800 yards you will learn dramatically what wind drift and bullet drop really mean. Both begin to get severe.
At this range learn to read and dope the wind as well as tweak your load and learn more on your bullets drop at this range as well as everything closer.
Once you have a grasp at 800 yards then go to a full 1000 yards. This will show you instantly what level of shooting you and your equipment are at. Most shooters are extremely suprised and often return to the closer ranges as shooting at 1000 yards can be extremely difficult even for experienced shooters.
Past this is really for the elite and few ever get proficient enough to play in the 1500 yard range with consistant hitting ability. It is certainly possible and even practical but it is very difficult.
Take baby steps and lean as much as you can about your rifle and load as you go.
For learning about long range shooting, this is about the best web site I have seen. Hang around here, ask questions and read alot. DO what the top guys are doing because there is no need to reinvent the wheel, just cost alot of money and time!!
As far as big game hunting out past 600 yards or so, I would say practice extensively at ranges out to 800yards for at least 3 seasons before you ever take a shot at big game. Remember that if you wound an animal at +800 yards, more then likely you will loose the animal. There are no good second shot chances at 800 yards and out on a wounded animal.
Varmints is a different story and about the best practice you can get.
Good Shooting!!
Kirby Allen(50)
