Hi everyone - I'm one of the noobs around here. I've lurked since probably September or October of 2011, and already learned a great deal from all of you. Thanks for all the great info, by the way!
I started shooting when still a kid in the 1970s, and took the hunter safety training course way back then. I was so proud of that orange patch! In the late '80s I owned a few firearms - a couple of pistols and a Mini 14 which was always fun to shoot. Sold 'em all in '90 when I was a grad student living in student housing in LA and no firearms allowed.
I joined the AF in 1992 and learned a few things in basic training, including basic marksmanship and stripping/cleaning and shooting an M16 or whatever the plastic-stocked gas gun was that they gave us. I narrowly missed my marksman ribbon by one shot - still to this day I think I put two bullets through one hole, but I'm not bitter about it
. Got out of the AF in '96 after one term and haven't done much shooting since.
However, I did get years of "trigger time" in with an air rifle - an RWS Diana in .177. Just lots of backyard plinking, especially when I had a 1 acre plot in Connecticut. First with open sights, then later with a 4x scope. Sure - it's only an air rifle but I got awfully good with it - practice makes perfect, right?
Fast forward to last fall when I again became interested in shooting - particularly precision/long range shooting. I did some research (including here) towards a basic bolt rifle and selected the 700 LTR in .308. I found one on Armslist that was being sold by a LE armorer with very close to the configuration I wanted: a B&C "Varmint/Tactical" stock, Jewell trigger, Badger bolt knob, Farrel 20 MOA scope rail.
It came with a Nikon scope I didn't really want so I sold that on Ebay and picked up an SS 3-9x42 FFP Mil/Mil which is a sweet scope for the $. Again - thanks to discussions and reviews here on SH. I mounted it with Burris "low" XT rings.
The one thing it didn't have that I wanted was a DBM so I purchased a CDI setup and had a machinist friend do the inletting.
After only a few months and about 120 rounds through the rifle, I feel like I'm still just getting started. The advice here about cheek weld, natural point of aim, trigger finger shape & pull, etc. has been invaluable. I'm sure I have a ton more to learn and lots more trigger time to put in. My dad has some reloading equipment so that's my next project - to reload my brass and learn the process.
Here's a target with my 6 rd. group at 200 yds at an outdoor range from a couple of weeks ago. Looks like about 1.25 MOA. I feel like the rifle is still better than I am so I'm working to get my 200 yd. groups down below 1 MOA and hopefully even smaller. I have hit "steel on the hill" targets at 550 yds which is always a thrill.
Sorry about the long story but just wanted to introduce myself and say "many thanks" for everything I've learned so far. Looking forward to learning more and of course shooting more.
Cheers!
I started shooting when still a kid in the 1970s, and took the hunter safety training course way back then. I was so proud of that orange patch! In the late '80s I owned a few firearms - a couple of pistols and a Mini 14 which was always fun to shoot. Sold 'em all in '90 when I was a grad student living in student housing in LA and no firearms allowed.
I joined the AF in 1992 and learned a few things in basic training, including basic marksmanship and stripping/cleaning and shooting an M16 or whatever the plastic-stocked gas gun was that they gave us. I narrowly missed my marksman ribbon by one shot - still to this day I think I put two bullets through one hole, but I'm not bitter about it
However, I did get years of "trigger time" in with an air rifle - an RWS Diana in .177. Just lots of backyard plinking, especially when I had a 1 acre plot in Connecticut. First with open sights, then later with a 4x scope. Sure - it's only an air rifle but I got awfully good with it - practice makes perfect, right?
Fast forward to last fall when I again became interested in shooting - particularly precision/long range shooting. I did some research (including here) towards a basic bolt rifle and selected the 700 LTR in .308. I found one on Armslist that was being sold by a LE armorer with very close to the configuration I wanted: a B&C "Varmint/Tactical" stock, Jewell trigger, Badger bolt knob, Farrel 20 MOA scope rail.
It came with a Nikon scope I didn't really want so I sold that on Ebay and picked up an SS 3-9x42 FFP Mil/Mil which is a sweet scope for the $. Again - thanks to discussions and reviews here on SH. I mounted it with Burris "low" XT rings.
The one thing it didn't have that I wanted was a DBM so I purchased a CDI setup and had a machinist friend do the inletting.
After only a few months and about 120 rounds through the rifle, I feel like I'm still just getting started. The advice here about cheek weld, natural point of aim, trigger finger shape & pull, etc. has been invaluable. I'm sure I have a ton more to learn and lots more trigger time to put in. My dad has some reloading equipment so that's my next project - to reload my brass and learn the process.
Here's a target with my 6 rd. group at 200 yds at an outdoor range from a couple of weeks ago. Looks like about 1.25 MOA. I feel like the rifle is still better than I am so I'm working to get my 200 yd. groups down below 1 MOA and hopefully even smaller. I have hit "steel on the hill" targets at 550 yds which is always a thrill.
Sorry about the long story but just wanted to introduce myself and say "many thanks" for everything I've learned so far. Looking forward to learning more and of course shooting more.
Cheers!
