lurker needs help

[swampwise]

hello all! i've been lurking around this site amazed by the length of the shots made by its members for a while. i'm but a lowly georgia boy who never sees whitetail opportunites past 200 yards, so its quite a site to see when somebody out west makes 1200 look easy...
that said, i bought my first hunting rifle a few months back and now i need some advice from some real sharpshooters.
said rifle:

2007 model Tikka T3 lite in .270, Tasco world class 3-9X40 (to be upgraded soon) zeroed at 150yds., Caldwell 9-13'' adjustable bipod. somewhat humble, but a good gun for the money and my location.

anyway, i've been doing some MOA testing (at 100 yards, of course) today with 3 different rounds, and here's what i've come up with. targets are 1" bullseye with 1" ring spacing:

Remington Core-Lokt whitetail pro 130 grain

these were the best groups that i got today.

Hornady Custom 130 grain (3060 fps)

decent?

Winchester Ballistic Silvertip 130 grain

?

I understand theyre high because im zeroed at 150 and im shooting at 100. are the groups i'm shooting expectably good given the circumstances? like i said, i'm a noob to this and im just seeking any opinions/advice anyone has to offer. thanks a ton!
-tanner

 

[swampwise]

are these pictures not working? i used photobucket but maybe i did something wrong. if they arent working, can somebody please tell me the best way to post pics? thanks again, and sorry im a such a noob.

 

[woods]

I'll see if I can post them for you

You may have to have a certain number of posts before you can post pics, not sure

 

[woods]

Nice rifle, should be a tack driver.

If you are limited to factory ammo and do not reload then I would make the following recommendations:

Try Federal Trophy Bonded Bear Claws 140 gr

Get a one piece coated cleaning rod, some Wipeout or Outers Bore Foam and keep it clean.

Work on your shooting skills (not that they are bad, but if you do not reload, you don't have a lot of things to work on)

 

[swampwise]

good deal, thanks for the tip.

i saved the brass i used today because reloading occurred to me after seeing what my rifle did today. i have an old mec 600 jr that has proved worthy of reloading 12 gauge shells last duck season. i'm just a cop, so money is a definite issue. how much would my startup costs be for reloading, and more importantly, how practical is it for me to get into all of that? what i have now is sufficient for what i do, that is, my gun makes consistent kill shots inside of my usual ranges, and i dont do any competition shooting, however, like a lot of guys, im constantly looking to one-up myself

p.s.- scope suggestions are welcome. so far my pick is the nikon monarch 4.5-16x50.

 

[woods]

Reloading is costly to get started, I would think minimum $500.00. It will add more cost because you will shoot more. Each reload will be cheaper after the initial cost of the brass but you will be popping more primers so saving is not the primary reason for reloading.

It's like this, if reloading is for you, you will be dragged into it, won't be able to stay away. It may take a few years but it will nag at you until you take the plunge. For one gun and occasional hunting it would not be the same as having multiple guns, a yearly membership in a shooting club or a dedicated shooting place. It will take a lot of time and cost more and more money to drastically improve over factory ammo.

If that rifle were mine I would stick a Zeiss Conquest 4.5x14x44 RapidZ 800 on it. Should fit the ballistics on the 270 well.

Call one of the on-line shops like

Large Selection of Discounted Scopes, Binoculars, Rangefinders from Nikon, Leupold, Weaver, Zeiss, Clearidge, Bushnell, Burris and More!
Cameras, Binoculars, Spotting Scopes, Rifle Scopes - Camera Land NY
Quality optics and accessories from Leupold, Bushnell, Burris, Nikon and more!

and ASK them for the price. Most times they are required to post retail pricing and will give you a much better price if asked. Also, check out the sample list on SWFA or look for the demos at Cameraland

 

[RockyMtnMT]

I think the Nikon Monarch scope will be tough to beat for the money. Good choice. The scope alone will probably help the group. If you can start to hand load, then you will be well on your way.

Welcome aboard.

Steve

 

[swampwise]

the zeiss sounds good due to the 44mm size. i was told that my rifle wont take anything larger than 44 with the factory rings, and high rings are like 40 more dollars. i saw a retail of $749. what might i actually be able to get one for?

 

[woods]

That's a good price but call them and they may do better.

Here are also a couple of good deals on Gunbroker

Zeiss 3x9x40 RapidZ600
Zeiss Conquest 3-9x40mm Z600 Matte 5214609971 : Scopes / Optics at GunBroker.com

Zeiss 3.5x10x44 RapidZ600
Zeiss Conquest 3-10x44mm Z600 Matte 5214209971 : Scopes / Optics at GunBroker.com

If you are hunting the swamps and 200 yards is a long shot you may not need the RapidZ800. I was saying that that is what I would put on it, but I often see deer or hogs at 500 yards or more.