How Many Rounds in a Shooting Session?

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Apr 19, 2015
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Seattle, Washington
Curious what the average number of rounds you shoot in a given shooting session is. I am just getting into long range shooting after years of handgun, carbine, and some shotgun shooting so moving up to a magnum caliber has me curious how many rounds people are averaging.

Here's a little template I figured would help us all to keep it orderly and get an idea of what is being shot as well.

Total Rounds:
Total Time Spent:
Caliber:
Muzzle Break/Suppressor:
Rifle Setup:
Any Other Relative Info:
 
Curious what the average number of rounds you shoot in a given shooting session is. I am just getting into long range shooting after years of handgun, carbine, and some shotgun shooting so moving up to a magnum caliber has me curious how many rounds people are averaging.

Here's a little template I figured would help us all to keep it orderly and get an idea of what is being shot as well.
Typical Rimfire session
Total Rounds: 250
Total Time Spent: 2 hours
Caliber: 22LR
Muzzle Break/Suppressor: No
Rifle Setup: Bipod
Any Other Relative Info: Modified 10/22 and/or Ruger American Rimfire

26-Nosler Wildcat testing session
Total Rounds:42
Total Time Spent: 2 hours
Caliber: Various
Muzzle Break/Suppressor: Yes, radial port.
Rifle Setup: Bipod.
Any Other Relative Info: Weatherby Mark Vs or Remintong 700 setup as hunting rifles.

338 Edge session
Total Rounds: 20
Total Time Spent: 1 hour
Caliber: 338 Edge
Muzzle Break/Suppressor: Yes, radial port.
Rifle Setup: Bipid
Any Other Relative Info: 14lb Weatherby Mark V setup like a TRR. Target is a "dueling tree" with 5 inch flappers at 700 yards.

Lever gun play session
Total Rounds: 50
Total Time Spent: 2 hours
Caliber: 30-30
Muzzle Break/Suppressor: no
Rifle Setup: 1866/1966 Anniversary edition Winchester '66
Any Other Relative Info: Off hand shooting to 400 yards :D iron sights.

Rimfire race match practice session
Total Rounds: 250
Total Time Spent: 2 hours
Caliber: 22lr
Muzzle Break/Suppressor: no
Rifle Setup: race gun, ruger 10/22 and 22/45
Any Other Relative Info: Ring the steel, ring the steel.gun)
 
Going to vary dramatically depending on what I'm shooting and why.

Checking zero?

3 rounds, five minutes range time.

Shooting turtles? 1-3 hours of fun with the Ruger 10/22. Maybe a hundred rounds fired.

Zeroing a scope? No more than 20, no more than an hour. If it's not zeroed by then something is wrong.

Plinking with one of the AR's? Unlimited except by how much ammo I can carry.

Same with prairie dog hunting.

Working up a load? Generally no more than 10-20 rounds per rifle, maybe 2 hrs at the range.

Verifying drops? 10-12 rounds but because of the distances to targets may take 3 hours or more depending on where I am.

Shooting the Muzzle loader trying to find the right bullet/sabot/load combo? 50-100 rounds if I have the time and maybe as much as 4 hours.

So many variables in these equations and so many different types of shooting it's really very hard to be any more accurate.
 
300 WM, 300 WSM, 308, 6.5 and/or 270 (multiple rifles in these calibers)

12 -15 rounds per rifle

Break for magnum calibers and no break for non-magnum

Bipod for some sessions and bags for other

At least an hour or two per session
 
My typical LR shooting session has changed over the years. These numbers could be 2x when I first started and doesn't include break-in or initial load development which csn double these numbers.

Total Rounds:15-30
Total Time Spent: 1-2 hours
Caliber:6.5-284,260
Muzzle Break/Suppressor:yes/no
Rifle Setup:with and w/o bipod
Any Other Relative Info: In recent years I have participated in local long range competitive shoots that keep my skills honed. These have replaced the number of shooting sessions that I would generally do. Once a rifle is set up, I'm generally working on wind doping and shooting skill refinement. I will use rifle set-ups thst are similar to my LR hunting rifles. These include, 200-300 yard eggs shoots, sniper shoots, and other specialty shoots.
 
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As some of the others have said, it depends on what you're doing. For me on average..

Checking zero/ sight in
Total Rounds: 20-40
Total Time Spent: 2 hours
Caliber: 243, 270 WSM, 300 WIN MAG
Muzzle Break/Suppressor: N/A
Rifle Setup: Rem model 700, Savage Model 12, Ruger M77 MKII
Any Other Relative Info: Usually shoot 3-5 rounds, walk down to the 100-200 yard target to check POI and groups, and to let the barrel cool a bit, walk back, repeat.

Just having some fun plinking
Total Rounds: 100 per firearm
Total Time Spent: However long/short it takes to spend 100 rounds
Caliber: 22LR, 9MM, 45ACP, .223 rem
Muzzle Break/Suppressor: N/A
Rifle Setup: Marlin model 60/Handgun/AR
Any Other Relative Info: I usually don't make a time limit, rather a limit of 100 rounds per firearm, or it gets really costly, really fast. Then the rest of the day is spent cleaning them up.
 
Just got back from a 4.5 hour session. Here is a breakdown.


Total Rounds: 100
Total Time Spent: 2 hours
Caliber: .223 (AR)
Muzzle Break/Suppressor: No
Rifle Setup: 24" Bushmaster w. 5-20x50 SWFA SS HD FFP
Any Other Relative Info: From 350 to 1000 yards (only 10 rounds at 1K, but 50 @ 820 yards)


Total Rounds: 53
Total Time Spent: 2 hours
Caliber: 6.5 Super LR
Muzzle Break/Suppressor: Badger Thruster
Rifle Setup: Rem 700 SA, 27" Sendero contour Bartlein, Manners T2A, Kahles K624i w. SKMR reticle
Any Other Relative Info: 350 to 1770 yards


Total Rounds: 20
Total Time Spent: 40 minutes
Caliber: .25-06 Ackley
Muzzle Break/Suppressor: No
Rifle Setup: Rem 700 LA, 28" #5 sporter Lilja, H&S Precision stock, Steiner 5-25x56 T5Xi
Any Other Relative Info: 350 to 1371 yards
 
I typically spend about 3-4 hours. At an official range with required cease fires it would probably take twice that long! I like to move around and change the yardages and angles I am shooting at.

I tend to take along 4 guns. My Remington 700's in .308 and 7mm Rem Mag, my CZ 455 .22 and a Ruger SR 22 pistol. I'll usually put 50-100 rounds through the CZ .22 and 50 through the SR 22. I usually shoot 20-30 out of the .308 and 10 out of the 7mm. I don't own anything with a brake or suppressor. An accurate bolt action .22 is awesome practice for a hunting rifle. If you want to learn to read wind a .22 at 200+ yards will accentuate every bad wind call you make
 
I have a 40 minute drive to the range, and typically take 3 rifles.
280 AI, 6.5/284, 6.5 Creedmoor, all with brakes. 50 rounds per rifle. I like to start with cold-bore challenge at the longest distance available:703 yards. I recently joined another club, 2.5 hour travel each way to shoot 1000 yards. Facility is "realistic", by which I mean the range is carved up the side of the mountain, even distance for the first 500 yards, then it gets more natural with oddly placed targets of steel or handy rock outcroppings. Same 3 rifles, same ammo count. Same long cold-bore start.
 
Thanks for all the info. While it varies widely depending on caliber and purpose of the range visit it seems that most calibers and purposes are all falling within the same time frames and round counts.

My rifle arrives tomorrow and I'm hoping to get her all setup and ready for action over the next week or so and out to the range for my first long range work.
 
Going to vary dramatically depending on what I'm shooting and why.

Checking zero?

3 rounds, five minutes range time.

Shooting turtles? 1-3 hours of fun with the Ruger 10/22. Maybe a hundred rounds fired.

Zeroing a scope? No more than 20, no more than an hour. If it's not zeroed by then something is wrong.

Plinking with one of the AR's? Unlimited except by how much ammo I can carry.

Same with prairie dog hunting.

Working up a load? Generally no more than 10-20 rounds per rifle, maybe 2 hrs at the range.

Verifying drops? 10-12 rounds but because of the distances to targets may take 3 hours or more depending on where I am.

Shooting the Muzzle loader trying to find the right bullet/sabot/load combo? 50-100 rounds if I have the time and maybe as much as 4 hours.

So many variables in these equations and so many different types of shooting it's really very hard to be any more accurate.


I agree with WildRose....

But typically When I shoot the 300WM I usually shoot between 40-120 rounds depending if I am just getting load velocities for development.
I have an SF brake.
Atlas Bipod or Harris
Rear shooting bag is a necessity IMO for sighting in and accuracy.
3 hours shooting. When barrel heats up I practice my short game. Glock and XD.
Good luck.
 
Rounds:1500
Hours: A bunch can't really guess (4 days a week tweeking loads, verifying drop charts, or ground hog hunting)
300WSM
Muzzle brake: yes
Nightforce ATACR on a model M bat
Seb Max rest with a protector bag and shooting table

I am trying to narrow down what I shoot to get better at what I do. I probably shoot an assorted 200 rounds of other stuff during the year, but that is just plain for fun.
 

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