The answer is yes and no for me. Shooting a rifle is like football. When I played in high school I learned how to play the game. When I went to college it was the same game but much faster. I used the same skills but not only did I have to adapt to the new level of play but I had get used to new teammates and their tendancies.

It just " felt" a little different. After all isn' t great marksmanship a whole lotta " feel" . I actually am very intamate with my favorite Smith & Wesson 7mm Rem Mag. I' ve been shooting since I was off the bottle so I' ve learned the skills and basics involved in accurate shooting. But nothing " feels" quite like that old 7 mag. I could probably pick up any gun and shoot it fairly accurately assuming its sighted properly but I' ll bet it would take 100 of rounds of practice for me to " feel" super comfortable with it.

I' d be asking myself " ok its sigthed for 100 yds but what will it do at 200 yds? 300?" I know it' ll drop but how much? How will the wind effect my bullet? I know it' ll drift but how much? If I was shooting at an animal I' d wonder how it would perform at different angles and ranges causing me to possibly alter where I' d place that shot. I would make me question whether or not I could even make that shot. How hard will this rifle kick and how will that alter my shot?

When I pull up my 7 mag there is no question my mind what it will and will not do. I know exactly what I' m capable of and what I' m not with it. Its automatic and second nature like a reflex. If you start thinking that you may not be able to make the shot then you' re already in trouble. Not only that but your bad habits will not show nearly as much with a 22 shooting at 50yds as they will with a 300 UM shooting at 300 yds. Different cartridges require more discipline or dare I say more skill.

So yes the skills transfer but the " feel" need for deadly accurate shooting at all reasonable ranges is re-learned with each rifle. Heck once you have the rifle picked out you also have to get the " feel" for the scope you put on it AND the loads you use in it. This is only learned through many rounds of shooting in a variety situations and at different kinds of targets using different kinds of shells. Whoosh, sure seems like a lot of work but man is it fun.