Things you wished you knew when you started?

[338 dude]

Uncanny how long it takes to return to bite your ***... Not about money....
Because I'm not sitting next to her watching mindless, self imposed drama evening BS....

We had bought her a few guns she liked. And was always welcome.

Never answer the question! "Why do you go to the range so much?"
A) Guns don't let me down as much as you do... (never the right answer)

Oh boy be careful brother!

 

[hogheadv2]

If you're that overrun with Varmints then yes, you do need 6 rifles

I had 3 Harley's You NEED One for every Mood.

 

[hogheadv2]

Oh boy be careful brother!

It was the end... That was the week all guns and sharp things moved out for a year... I shared time with my daughter, 6 of 14 nights, child support $48 week. Lawyers are over rated. They get paid to find **** for people to fight about.

 

[7stw]

It was the end... That was the week all guns and sharp things moved out for a year... I shared time with my daughter, 6 of 14 nights, child support $48 week. Lawyers are over rated. They get paid to find **** for people to fight about.

Been there, done that, feel your pain brother. My gun cabinet had a fatal hemorrhage in 2013 due to that. Never again. All the best!

 

[Svashtar]

Uncanny how long it takes to return to bite your ***... Not about money....
Because I'm not sitting next to her watching mindless, self imposed drama evening BS....

We had bought her a few guns she liked. And was always welcome.

Never answer the question! "Why do you go to the range so much?"
A) Guns don't let me down as much as you do... (never the right answer)

Oh man, I'm there with you! Same answer as to why I practically live in the clean garage with my reloading benches and my dog, instead of going into the house and listening to what I call her "beep" shows in the background. Those are the shows with the stupid, vacuous, rich, overfed, plastic surgery "housewives" who bicker and fight with with each other constantly, so that every other word is beeped out.

I also love those rhetorical questions like you got, the "why do you...?" fill in the blank. I just learned to say, "I know, it's my fault!" to everything about 20 years ago.

 

[7stw]

Such an exciting place to learn all information about this forum. I have registered here because of my friends advice. I have already read a lot of interesting information here but it is hard for me to cluster the information that I've heard for the first time. I hope to find a lot of useful information as I used such websites as https://under-the-open-sky.com/ before discovering interesting things I can use for hunting and fishing as well as reading their blog. Have a nice day. I will start looking through this amazing forum and learn what I need.

Welcome to the forum, and good luck to all that you you may find and learn. There's a tremendous brain trust here, and you'll find that some are more versed on one thing, or more. Lots of " veterans" here, who've been there, done that sorta thing.
You never stop learning, no matter how much you've done it.
Wait until you start forgetting some of it!
Again welcome, enjoy the ride!

 

[7stw]

Some things I wish I knew when I started.

1. How to properly work up a load
2. How important seating depth is
3. How to correctly find my lands
4. How to size brass to fit my chamber
5. Using temperature stable powder
6. Use the highest quality brass available for the cartridge you're shooting
7. Saving a few bucks on this or that can cause a headache later on down the road
8. Using a Magnetospeed chronograph
9. Stop Neck Sizing
10. Don't shoot groups or go to the range if you're in a bad mood
11. You don't need a million rifles. Stick with a few, make each one have a specific task, and learn them inside and out.
12. Buy the best that you can afford. Save money for months if you have to in order to buy the best you can. It will pay you in the long run.
13. Never stop reading, testing, and tinkering. No matter how good you think you are or your setup is, always stay humble, always keep learning, and always continue improving. I've had a couple people in my life tell me that I was overthinking something or doing stuff that was unnecessary etc. What matters is what you see on paper and the proof is in the pudding. Even if there's no measure-able difference from the old way to your new way, if it gives you confidence, then keep doing it.

Jud, I keep coming back to your post, and it really rings a lot of bells, as well as my own. The last part really applies too, on the confidence part, and trying new things. Great write up!

 

[7stw]

Just a side note guys, I agree with JE custom, this is a great thread and a great forum for that matter. Let's keep in on the OP, subject, and not get personal. We typically come here to share, and decompress, but to get ugly is a turn off. Need I say that some have been discharged for the like. As was previously said, I'm not the forum police, or a moderator either, but enough is too much sometimes.
Peace out!

 

[7stw]

I don't know how to respond to this post so I will just jump In.

First, I agree with most of your post. except the part where you get personal. We like hearing from the guys across the big pond because of the differences in weaponry and hunting styles. I got off of several other sites because of the adversarial nature of the members and no one cared about
what was said. Many of these folks were what some call internet experts that had no real experience and for sure very little skill, they were just good at stirring things up and shutting down a very constructive post that could help others.

I am not the site police so you can take this however you want, But believe me, we (Most of us) like to hear from everyone even if/ (Especially) they don't agree and have them explain why. I personally have learned many things that at first I disagreed with and after trying it and proving it to my self. became a believer.

It is easier to sell someone your opinion by explanation than shoving it down there throat. I shot competition for many years and now just enjoy hunting,shooting and building accurate rifles. So I know about the web of deceit that many competitors practice and what to believe and what not to. so I am not impressed with what anybody says, just with what they do.

I think we could learn a lot from you and your experiences, But I also think you could learn a lot from this membership If you approached it without an adversarial attitude. .

J E CUSTOM

Couldn't have said it better myself!

 

[hogheadv2]

Ron LaClaire said many times. "The center of an aspirin is no smaller than the center of a beach ball" He shot aspirins out of the sky with bow on a regular basis.

 

[Savage 12BVSS]

13. Never stop reading, testing, and tinkering. No matter how good you think you are or your setup is, always stay humble, always keep learning, and always continue improving. I've had a couple people in my life tell me that I was overthinking something or doing stuff that was unnecessary etc. What matters is what you see on paper and the proof is in the pudding. Even if there's no measure-able difference from the old way to your new way, if it gives you confidence, then keep doing it.

Lot of good ones but 13 really caught my eye.......words to live by for serious shooters.

 

[Savage 12BVSS]

What a fun thread to read while stuck home.
1. Knowing when to throw brass away.
2. Trying to decide, if you load to shoot, or shoot to load.
3. Listen to the targets, read the language.
4. Brass prep is measurable on paper.
5. Stay humble!
6. Sometimes you have to return to where you started, when you began loading!
7. Keep your loading bench clean,
8. Create records, that include, temp, rounds fired, and recipes. And notes
9. Know when to clean your gun, and when to not!
10.Share

Wow another really good list....haven't visited this thread for a while. #4 is truer than a lot of shooters ever realize. #5 gets harder the more the other 9 help you shoot smaller

 

[Buttstock]

1). The big positive accuracy benefit of flash hole uniforming ( K&M flash hole uniformer, $20. Excellent, because the cutting depth is consistent, and controlled at the inside of the case head with a fixed depth stop - NOT by a stop at the end of case mouth, which can vary in length for each case giving variable results on the flash hole itself ). You may get 25+% group size reduction with it. I have.
2). Benefit of dry lubing the inside of a case neck with 3-4 rotations of a #2 pencil ( graphite). Less drag from neck expander, and less neck stretch.
3.). Set an accuracy goal when working a load. Once you get it, STOP load development, and PRACTICE with that load. Learn to judge wind. Learn to judge distances. Become a rifleman, not just a shooter and tinkerer.
4). Yes, you can own too many guns. Get one that meets your needs, and PRACTICE with it. (Goes in the category of "K.I.S.S"). Again, get familiar and competent with the rifle you choose, and become a rifleman.
5). A good old school chambering in 270 Win, 308 Win, 30-06, in an accurate bolt action, just simply works for all big game, except big bears, cape buffalo, elephant, etc ( how many of use actually do that?). Don't get distracted by new cartridges ( marketing), it's re-inventing the wheel.

Be a rifleman.

 

[nicholasjohn]

1). The big positive accuracy benefit of flash hole uniforming ( K&M flash hole uniformer).
2). Benefit of dry lubing the inside of a case neck with 3-4 rotations of a #2 pencil ( graphite). Less drag from neck expander, and less neck stretch.
3.). Set an accuracy goal when working a load. Once you get it, STOP load development, and PRACTICE with that load. Learn to judge wind. Learn to judge distances. Become a rifleman, not just a shooter and tinkerer.
4). Yes, you can own too many guns. Get one that meets your needs, and PRACTICE with it. (Goes in the category of "K.I.S.S"). Again, get familiar and competent with the rifle you choose, and become a rifleman.
5). A good old school chambering in 270 Win, 308 Win, 30-06, in an accurate bolt action, just simply works for all big game, except big bears, cape buffalo, elephant, etc ( how many of use actually do that?). Don't get distracted by new cartridges ( marketing), it's re-inventing the wheel.

Be a rifleman.

This is solid stuff. Thanks. I REALLY like simple. I read recently that Einstein once said "Everything should be as simple as possible, but not simpler." Still trying to figure out how it can be simpler than possible ……....