Lesson Learned

[RFtinkerer]

Last year I bought a Savage Bear Hunter in 300 WM, figuring I wanted a do-all rifle for any target or game in North America. I had trouble controlling the rifle, getting horizontal stringing, which I eventually fixed by paying attention to the advice and online lessons here. But I could never group better than 1-1.5 inches with the ammo I bought, so I thought I should reload, but I didn't like the idea or the time commitment (wife+3 kids+busy job).

Finally, after figuring out the really big game (elk, moose) was going to cost a ton of money to hunt and unfeasible, I decided the 300 WM could go and I should go down to a 308 for the easy to obtain match ammo. So there went the Bear Hunter up for sale, and I got a Savage 10FCP with Choate tactical stock from Cabelas.

Broke in the rifle this weekend with Black Hills 175 gn match, and after 8 shells to zero the scope, I started shooting 4 shot groups (the mag holds 4, it was natural). Boom*4, a cloverleaf appears. Second Boom*4, another cloverleaf. Yet again, then that box disappeared. All measured less than 0.5 inches. I shot other ammo, some Hornady, but wasn't quite as good.

Needless to say, I learned my lesson, so commence with the I told you so's. EVERYBODY needs a 308 to start. Now to extend my range...

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: Lesson Learned

Good job!

While it may be a bit early in your career to be advising everyone on what they <span style="font-style: italic">really</span> need, I absolutely applaud your fervent optimism, and bid you forge on regardless.

Greg

 

[RFtinkerer]

Re: Lesson Learned

True, I shouldn't be advising! But when I said I got a 300 WM last year, everybody told me I should have gotten a 308 to start. Now I know why. But I'm happy with it, getting it threaded for a muzzle brake so I can watch the pretty vapor trails after a few hundred yards...

 

[Cproflow]

Re: Lesson Learned

I was in that same boat a year ago...and I'm glad I (finally!) listened to that little voice inside my head that said "Just get the .308 and see how that feels".

 

[BuckskinRider]

Re: Lesson Learned

Congratulations! Now, don't beat yourself up over it. Enjoy that you only had to go through one gun to get to your happy place!

Everybody should decide for themselves ... and then fix their own mistakes. It's called, "learning". I commend you for following through until you reached your objective. How can you feel bad about that?

Personally, I'd save the 'hair pulling' for raising your kids. THAT'S when you'll be second guessing yourself.

 

[RFtinkerer]

Re: Lesson Learned

Achieved my primary goal!!! I got the rifle back from the gunsmith with muzzle brake on Tuesday. Zeroed it over lunch Wednesday, got out to 300 meters to verify velocities and drift estimates, then today...well, I was going to slowly ramp to 1000 meters, but I am so impatient. I found myself at the 1000 meter mark and trying to see the target. I have an 18x18 target that I was shooting over gravel country roads. The mirage was terrible; I could barely tell the target was there. I gave the wind what *I* thought was a pretty decent estimate, and gravel exploded low and to the right 1.8 seconds later. I was ABLE to see the hits, actually rather easily, no real back pressure, just a firm bipod load. Couldn't do that with the 300 WM and lighter rifle.

Adjusted a couple times and viola, hit after hit. Better than sex. Once I tweak the velocity estimate and get MUCH better at reading wind, I'll be able to get a cold bore hit, my next goal.

While accepting my 1 km hit award, I'd like to thank Frank, the guys at Sniper's Hide, Savage of course, Hornady for their 178 BTHP Superformance Match load, Bryan Litz for his great Applied Ballistics program and G7 data...am I forgetting anything? What do you mean, there's no award?

 

[WhiskeyWebber]

Re: Lesson Learned

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RFtinkerer</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Better than sex. </div></div>

Congrats on the the 1K club! My condolences on it being better than sex. The good news is that shooting is a whole helluva lot cheaper and you can do it again within 2.5secs if you know how to run your bolt well.

 

[RFtinkerer]

Re: Lesson Learned

LOL. I've been married 13 years. Sometimes just SLEEP is better than sex. But hey, hitting the target out there multiple times was exciting...

 

[TOP PREDATOR]

Re: Lesson Learned

had a 300 mag, same thing. abused myself at the range unneedingly, blew a big ol' hole in the side of a black bear with it thought that it was way too much for what i actually did or needed.

went to the .308 and didn't look back.

plus you cut your reloading powder consumption almost in half.

 

[Shooter_308]

Re: Lesson Learned

Congrats on the new gun, and nice shooting! I'm insanely happy the .308 bug bit me at first. Just a great all-around round. The only reason i bought a 7mm Rem Mag was because it was under $200, otherwise i woulda bought a third .308!

Better than sex though....thats debatable...some nights more than others

haha

You should post up some pics of your groupings, sounds like you got a nice shooter....

 

[DroidSniper]

Re: Lesson Learned

I dont agree with EVERYONE needs to start with a 308, I started with the WM and it worked out well. I subsequently purchased a 308. Alot cheaper to shoot all day at short range.

 

[Sterling Shooter]

Re: Lesson Learned

Folks getting into long range shooting have perceptions about it all which are sometimes ridiculous. Most folks think that with a 300 Win. Mag., a high magnification scope, and bipod they will be competitive. They don't know that they don't know. Their emphasis is on the gun for sure. Most have not had any marksmanship training yet think they already know how to shoot. It's hard to imagine someone with no understanding of the fundamentals would actually think they know how to do it, yet they do. It's a mess. They reject most everything that is right for everything that is wrong. I see this in spades everyday. I used to try to help em, putting on free LR clinics. But, for the most part, these folks are content in their fantasy inspired by Sniper shows on cable TV and what they've read in gun rags.

Of course when these folks actually take it to the long line, and the results disprove their notions, these folks realize that execution of the two firing tasks is indeed not the equivalent of knowing how to shoot. Thing is, at that point of enlightenment, interest in LR may unfortunately have become a been there done that experience. These shooters have already mentally moved on to another fantasy pursuit which does not require the discipline that these shooters have discovered LR takes.

I'm glad the OP has come to learn a little something about consistent recoil resistance although I doubt he has yet contemplated it in those terms.

 

[RFtinkerer]

Re: Lesson Learned

^Everybody else, sure. But I'm a SNIPER! 0.5 inch groups all day at 10000 yards if I do my part.

Ha, I've learned my lesson. At least one. And it wasn't that pricey, fortunately. Somebody wanted my last rifle...it is a pretty thing.

 

[kraigWY]

Re: Lesson Learned

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">^Everybody else, sure. But I'm a SNIPER! 0.5 inch groups all day at 10000 yards if I do my part.</div></div>

WOW, 10,000 yards..............

I started 1000 yard shooting in the late '70s when you either shot Service Rifle or a 300 WM Match rifle. Didn't have the fancy stuff they got not.

Normally shot 4 Matchs a day, Any Rifle/Any Sights, Any Rifle/Iron sights, Service Rifle and Team Match (I usually used the 300 in the team match).

My Model 70 300WM was heavy enough recoil didn't get me, but I was sure wore out at the end of the day.

I pretty much have gone to the same Model 70 set up in '06 in my old age.

 

[CleanMoostang]

Re: Lesson Learned

Congrats on the .308, buuuuuut...you still need to reload, even with it.

I have 2 kids, a wife, a dog, and a semi busy job and still reload. Once you find the load for your rifle, you wont regret it...

Plus, atleast in my area, for the price of powder and bullets I am loading around 100 sells for about 40-45 bucks...

 

[RFtinkerer]

Re: Lesson Learned

You're right, but it is difficult for me to take that step. Southwest Ammo 175 SMK shoots GREAT in my rifle, and $180 for 200 shells ain't bad. I am saving my brass though...sometime I will get to it. We'll call that lesson learned number 2 when I find a great handload with Bergers or something!

 

[Sterling Shooter]

Re: Lesson Learned

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CleanMoostang</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Congrats on the .308, buuuuuut...you still need to reload, even with it.

I have 2 kids, a wife, a dog, and a semi busy job and still reload. Once you find the load for your rifle, you wont regret it...

Plus, atleast in my area, for the price of powder and bullets I am loading around 100 sells for about 40-45 bucks...</div></div>

Shooting in LR competition is too expensive and too much work to trust in factory loaded ammunition. Hand-loading gives a good shooter an edge. The idea is to make ammunition consistent enough to hold elevation pretty close to a pinwheel X. Since the bulls-eye is round, getting hits at the diameter of the target effectively makes the target bigger, allowing for some error in wind counters without having a consequence.

I reached HM status shooting with irons and Black Hills 175's as I recall; but, I realize now that I was making it more difficult than it needed to be. Hand-loading would have solved the issue stated; plus, I could have controlled velocity somewhat to assure my sight adjustment for elevation would indeed intersect line of sight at 1000 yards rather than at a lessor or greater distance.

A new shooter has a lot on his plate, so I doubt the shooter will ponder what I said, yet, make no mistake, at the highest levels of LR to not use massaged ammunition is going to handicap results.

 

[RFtinkerer]

Re: Lesson Learned

I'm doing more than pondering it, I'm researching it. But right now, learning wind is more important to me than exacting the load. The load is plenty good enough for me; I'm not good enough to take advantage of a precise matched load. The wind here has been terrible and magnificent at the same time. Conditions switch on a dime. I shoot 8-12 rounds over lunch often, and every time it's been an adventure trying to guess what hold off to use, and I've not gotten a first round hit yet. The elevation hasn't been a problem since I got the dope right for it...probably won't have to change my dial until the weather gets cooler!

The way it's going I may not reload until I rebarrel for a 6.5 or some other better cartridge. The 308 is good to learn on, but I doubt I'll compete in F class with it. Unless I reload with 230 gn Bergers or some monster BC bullet like that. Sheesh.