ORIGINAL: salukipv1
I think practice with any rifle will make you a better marksman, I don't think most guys can shoot more than a box of any .300+ mags at a time without pushing the discomfort barrier.
It's really not hard to figure out how a rifle works, and how to shoot one well. Once you have that figured out, it doesn't take much work to get on target and stay on target. Competition shooting is another story.
Am I missing something? sight in your rifle for a 300yd shot, put the crosshairs on the target, pull the trigger, gun goes boom, bullet hits crosshairs.How many rounds do you need to send down range? If I want to shoot downrange all day long, I'll shoot my .270 or something lighter/easier to shoot all day long. and cheaper ammo to boot!
I've just yet to find ammo costs a deterrance in figuring out which rifle to buy next, with few exceptions....
ORIGINAL: homers brother
Saluki,
So then, what makes a good long-range marksman if it isn't sending rounds downrange?
Then, respectfully, I will have to disagree with you here.
The bottom line we've all heard before: "if you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen".If recoil keeps you from shooting yourrifle, then you're never going to realize its full potential - or yours, for that matter. I can shoot a .223, .22-250,.243, or .308all day long at the range or at prairie dogs. I suspect that's why I'm much more comfortable (and effective) with them at 500 yards than I am my .30-06, .300 Wby, or .375 H&H at that same range - NOT because I sighted any of them in at 300yards.
And actually, every one of them is sighted in at 100 yards. I know the trajectories of each in 100 yard incrementsout to 600 yards with the rounds I shoot. Those calculations have been "proofed" by hours at the range, and are imprinted in my head. Much more effective in my opinion than simply sighting a rifle in at300 yards and opening up an entirely new setof variables with few controls applied.I'm assuming that you're first sighting in at a shorter distance like 100 yards to determine whether the particular ammo you're using is worthy of attempting long range work, vice something that prints 2" or larger groups like I've seen some rifles do at that range? That takes ammo. Then you're stepping it off to 300 yards and attempting to put rounds on paper there? That takes ammo, too.
Unfortunately, a lot of guys I'm listening to at the gun counter WANT some sexy magnum cartridge, but don't appear to have the senseGod gave grapes when it comes to understanding what it's going to take forthem to shoot it well- which is, purely and simply,PRACTICE. They focus on terms like "knockdown", then wonder why the thing's tearing off their shoulder and they can't apply it to their targets.
If you can't afford the practice, whetherdue to the price of ammo or the resultant physical therapy bills,it's inconsequential that you can afford to buy (or "need")the rifle in the first place.