Precision shooting questions

[Goosepilot]

So I've shot jaycee/4-h bb gun as a kid and hunted now for 40 years. 4-5 years ago i had my first custom hunting gun built which led to load development at 500 yd and then stretching it's legs to 1k just to say I did it. In the last 3 years ive attended an annual fun day at a ranch shooting to 1200 yds with some pretty good local hunters/600 yd competitors.
I've got swarovski z5s with customs 2 revolution Moa turrets on my hunting rigs and use an old gunwerks br2 for ranging and comeups. Last year I bought an x5 5-25 for an old custom bench 22-250 I've had since the 90s but have not done any reloading for it. Just shooting hornady 55 vmax and it shoots marbles at 100yd and have taken it out to 1k but beyond 800 it's falling off compared to my 6cm and 7mm blaser hunters.

Recently I bought a used kestrel 5700 elite link and garmin xero and have access to a shot marker and 1k range at neighbors place.

Today I got my butt whooped shooting in the wind (25-35 mph and targets 400-1200yards spaning 45 degrees direction of fire with quartering tailwinds). Z5s don't really dial much wind or have a reticle to hold much offset. My x5 does but slow twist 22-250 not the greatest bc.

Everyone there seems to only use the kestrel very simply and minimally and differently.

Any advice on what I need to learn about long range precision shooting outside of hunting? Where should I start? I feel like I'm jumping in somewhere in the middle but I missed some basic stuff or there is dozens of places to start but I'm not sure what really should be first, if that makes sense?

What reticle/scope should I get if I were to swap out a scope on say my 6cm for long range shoot days?

What's the best way to learn to utilize the kestrel more fully?

If I were to get a new barrel spun up for my old 22-250 in 6 dasher or something more modern for 600/1k type shoots and just leave my hunters as they are? On days 10mph or less they both more than capable of .5 moa to 1k and I'm very confident hunting big game to 6-800 yards in good conditions.

Whatever I do i want to be a better hunter first. At least at this point, "competition" is second and just for fun... but who knows

Thanks

 

[kravi]

Ok, short version based on my limited experience (I'm going through lessons now myself).
1. MOA vs MIL doesn't really matter, but most PRS guys and NRL hunter guys use MILs. But from a practical level, it really makes no difference.
2. Don't overthink the Kestrel. It is a great learning tool to give you a baseline of wind where you are, but not where the bullet is travelling. Only way to get good at reading wind (I suck at this and am trying to learn myself) is by shooting and learning. And comparing your basic reading on the Kestrel to what you see and learning the differences.
3. Find a range where you can shoot to 1k or more. Necessary for learning wind. Or get a 22lr and shoot out to 200 / 300 to learn wind. But just shoot and learn that way.
4. Hunting guns are designed for the round count of competition rifles. It isn't just the heavy barrels. At the same time, a $850 Bergara or $1200 Tikka CTR in 6.5 CM would be a great beginner gun. You could shoot either of them in actual competitions as well as shoot the piss out of 'em in practice.
5. You can't buy skill. At a beginner level, anything beyond a decent, mechanically accurate rifle (0.8 or so MOA with 5 round groups [not 3!!!!!] and a good budget scope (Athlon Cronus, Burris XTR III, etc) in the 3x18 or 5x25 or so range is a waste of money. Get the basic guns, the scope, and spend lots and lots of money on ammunition shooting at hard targets at a variety of distances. And pay attention to your very basic kestrel readings and learn to associate those with wind. And learn to notice when the Kestrel gives the same measurement as yesterday but the everything looks a bit different and your shots are going wide.
6. I built, for $22, a shooting tree. It is a 4x4 that goes up 4.5' and has short(ish) 2x4 arms sticking out the sides at a variety of heights. I then spent $100 on a DFAT and dry fire like a donkey. That has freaking made a 'UUUUUGE difference in my actual live shooting. And since I work from home, I can take 10 minutes between meetings and dry fire every day. You can also take that same tree to the range and practice there.
7. All of this will carry over to making you a better hunter.

Cheers!