mr ratchet

Cool to Cold is the best weather to shoot in - guns perform better...

Pie plate/Paper plate - the center portion of those are OK @ 200 yards, but at 50 you better be using a 2" circle and only using an 1" or so of that all the way out to a 100.

One thing you will have to get use to coming from a moderncenterfire is bullet performance - Those 400+ BC's you can get in a modern centerfire do not come real easy with a ML bullet. THEN - you will not believe the effects of X-winds in shooting the longer distances.

All that said you will not believe how incredibly fun it is to slow down and shoot a ML.

The Savage you are looking @ is an incredible gun - you can even revert to smokeless powders, but I really do not understand that aspect - if you want to shoot a smokeless just get a single shot Ruger or only put one bullet in you rifle. Another big powerful gun is the Ultimate, you can do a search for it on the internet. Dropping down from those two the are some really quality guns - from the $800 Knight Master Hunter all the way done to the most inexpensive ML's.

Another aspect you are not going to be used to is there in no standard in barrel bore diameter, a 50 cal can be anything from .50? to .504/5. The quality guns control this a lot better than the inexpensive ones.

You can get a great 100 yard gun - you can get a great 200 yard gun, but niether of these just happen - you will have to do your share in finding the charge and the bullet your gun REALLY prefers - this occurs from gun to gun let alone from manufacturer to manufacturer.

I really hope you find what you are looking - shooting a ML is great, my centerfires all st in the cabinet un-used for years now.

Good luck