This 1000yd Stuff Is Expensive

[WildRose]

Personally I'd say quit waisting your money trying to shoot groups at 1,000yds.

The only shot that really matters when hunting is the first cold bore shot.

If the rifle will group sub MOA you've already done all the group shooting you need to do.

I'd say just focus on those cold bore shots and you'll save a tremendous amount of money.

If you want to shoot groups at long range get something more economical to shoot like the .308 as suggested above or even a .260. For the difference in the cost of ammo you'd pay for the smaller rifle pretty quickly; especially with a .308 since there's such an abundance of reasonably priced ammo for it.

 

[Reelamin]

Personally I'd say quit waisting your money trying to shoot groups at 1,000yds.

The only shot that really matters when hunting is the first cold bore shot.

If the rifle will group sub MOA you've already done all the group shooting you need to do.

I'd say just focus on those cold bore shots and you'll save a tremendous amount of money.

If you want to shoot groups at long range get something more economical to shoot like the .308 as suggested above or even a .260. For the difference in the cost of ammo you'd pay for the smaller rifle pretty quickly; especially with a .308 since there's such an abundance of reasonably priced ammo for it.

Yep I agree on the first shot needs to count. Exactly why I will shoot as much as I can at the distances needed. Sure all the other stuff helps, but it is not the same. The only way to learn to really read, wind, terrain, etc., is to shoot a lot and to shoot some rounds relatively close together in time to compare POI.
Shooting one round, waiting a day, shooting one round is not going to get me the experience needed, but it will help.
I am already onto a different rifle, and will start with a current 223 I have. Cost savings in the long run will easily cover the cost a new rifle. I just don't have the spare $1500 bucks laying around to buy a rifle and quality scope.

Regardless this 1000yd shooting, is the most expensive shooting I have encountered.

 

[4xforfun]

Not that it matters...but I did a little figuring on the cost of shooting. This DOES NOT take into account the cost of the action scope, trigger...ect.....just the cost of components (which I consider a bbl to be) AND GUNSMITHING COSTS.

I based my figures on my 300 wby IBS 1000 LG. Built it 6 years and seven BBLS ago. When I figure the cost of the actual ammo parts, PLUS the cost of the BBL and the smithing costs....I come in at $2.00 every time I pull the trigger. I figure 80 gr of powder, Berger 210 VLD's. I figure around 1000 rounds of compeditive accuracy per tube. I figure 5 loadings per (norma) case.

Now, to be fair.....I flute my bbls to make weight. I know lots of you guys flute yours too. I have a muzzle brake installed, but I only have one break...I just switch it when I swich tubes. Lots of you guys also use breaks. This adds to the cost.

I added a 6.5 WSSM to the mix...for FUN stuff...cheaper to shoot.

I say get a second gun...or get another bbl in a smaller, cheaper caliber. If you need to get a second bolt to make things work, do it......they're just parts, and can be resold later.

This is for my bench gun, but I shoot a 300 wby in my hunting gun, and the costs are the same for both.


Just my .02
Tod

 

[WildRose]

Yep I agree on the first shot needs to count. Exactly why I will shoot as much as I can at the distances needed. Sure all the other stuff helps, but it is not the same. The only way to learn to really read, wind, terrain, etc., is to shoot a lot and to shoot some rounds relatively close together in time to compare POI.
Shooting one round, waiting a day, shooting one round is not going to get me the experience needed, but it will help.
I am already onto a different rifle, and will start with a current 223 I have. Cost savings in the long run will easily cover the cost a new rifle. I just don't have the spare $1500 bucks laying around to buy a rifle and quality scope.

Regardless this 1000yd shooting, is the most expensive shooting I have encountered.

You don't have to wait a day or even an hour to see how repeatable your cold bore shots are.

A single shot with a 5-10 minute wait will allow your barrel and chamber to return to "cold bore" status just fine especially if you leave the bolt open between shots.

One of the big problems with trying to shoot the groups is that when you go from shooting a clean bore cold bore shot, to three or five successive shots you are "changing the canvass" so to speak in that the conditions under which your first shot was fired no longer exist unless you clean between shots.

Of course this is why I never shoot a freshly cleaned barrel. Even after a thorough cleaning I'll put 3 quick fouling shots through it if I'm going to be carrying it or taking it on a hunt.

 

[rscott5028]

You don't have to wait a day or even an hour to see how repeatable your cold bore shots are.

A single shot with a 5-10 minute wait will allow your barrel and chamber to return to "cold bore" status just fine especially if you leave the bolt open between shots.

One of the big problems with trying to shoot the groups is that when you go from shooting a clean bore cold bore shot, to three or five successive shots you are "changing the canvass" so to speak in that the conditions under which your first shot was fired no longer exist unless you clean between shots.

Of course this is why I never shoot a freshly cleaned barrel. Even after a thorough cleaning I'll put 3 quick fouling shots through it if I'm going to be carrying it or taking it on a hunt.

Yep.

I've heard that before... wait a day, shoot, wait a day, shoot...
Why not wait a month so that the conditions really change?
And, never shot from/to the same location?

Shooting groups has it's place.

Doing as you say is just as effective for a hunter. And, you can come back and practice the next day too.

Another thing you can do is to setup multiple targets at varying distances so that you gain confidence in dialing or holdoff.

Almost any practice is better than banging away on a keyboard.

-- richard

 

[WildRose]

Yep.

I've heard that before... wait a day, shoot, wait a day, shoot...
Why not wait a month so that the conditions really change?
And, never shot from/to the same location?

Shooting groups has it's place.

Doing as you say is just as effective for a hunter. And, you can come back and practice the next day too.

Another thing you can do is to setup multiple targets at varying distances so that you gain confidence in dialing or holdoff.

Almost any practice is better than banging away on a keyboard.

-- richard

There was a time in my life where I'd sit in a hide and wait days for a single shot. I'm not into that any more HA!

Once I have a rifle "dialed in" I see no "need" to keep banging away with it, but I do like to just take snap shots to test both my speed/accuracy as well as to see how well the rifle holds zero along with just practicing range estimation.

I'm blessed to have a large field full of white rocks bordering my place on the north (ever see a farmer who'd get in a snit out of someone destroying the rocks in his field?) as well as some ridges to the south and west with the same white rocks. At any range you KNOW where you hit because the impacts are about like hitting a bag of flour.

This also very much mirrors how I do a great deal of both my meat and predator hunting and I like to keep my "practice" as realistic as possible

The first thing I figured out about my 300 Rum was the fact I enjoyed shooting the damned thing WAY too much!

Back to how long to wait... .

As long as you aren't taking successive shots 3-5 at a time in fairly short intervals your bbl and chamber will return to ambient temperature very quickly.

One/Two shots, 10 minutes and you'll be fine.