my budget .308

[SoDak636]

not pretty but she's a work in progress
marlin x7vh in .308
tasco world class 3-9x40mm
currently shooting Hornady Match 168bthp

group was shot at 100yrds

future plans include:
-bedding the action into a new stock
-SWFA ss16x in Burris Signature rings
-load development soon as i get a set of .308 dies

 

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

I can see from you group that unless you were adjusting the scope the whole time your not pulling the trigger inconsistantly.

 

[SoDak636]

That's kind of what i was wondering. I know i've got a lot of ways to go as a marksmen both in the knowledge aspect as well as the skills aspect. Hence why i joined the forum, get the knowledge part here allow with advice and tips ad then get out and get some range time. I try to get out and shoot at least once a week, and I'm tryin to break the bad habits i've developed light pulling the trigger rather then squeezing it.

 

[Centxshooter]

Hey great start and some solid plans on the upgrades. Its all about finding what you like and then improving. Shoot straight and looking forward to the future threads gun)

 

[SoDak636]

I'm looking at building 2 more long range rifle's based on Stevens/Savage actions. Once those are built this one will remain as my "go-to" gun.
I'm also planning on getting a muzzlebrake installed at some point.

 

[joe0121]

That's kind of what i was wondering. I know i've got a lot of ways to go as a marksmen both in the knowledge aspect as well as the skills aspect. Hence why i joined the forum, get the knowledge part here allow with advice and tips ad then get out and get some range time. I try to get out and shoot at least once a week, and I'm tryin to break the bad habits i've developed light pulling the trigger rather then squeezing it.

How steady was your rest? And how heavy is the trigger pull. I string my shot like that on my Stevens .308 before I adjusted the trigger down.

 

[SoDak636]

Not sure where the trigger is set weight wise, but it is nicer then any of my other rifles. The factory setting is supposed to be right about 3lbs but i lightened it up a bit, gotta love user adjustable triggers.

 

[joe0121]

Not sure where the trigger is set weight wise, but it is nicer then any of my other rifles. The factory setting is supposed to be right about 3lbs but i lightened it up a bit, gotta love user adjustable triggers.

HMMM well thats a 1/2 MOA group verticle and like 1.25 MOA horizontal Looks like maybe you werent establishing a natural point of aim.

 

[SoDak636]

seeing as I'm not entirely sure what that is that could very well be the issue

 

[FEENIX]

This might help too ...

Good luck!

 

[joe0121]

seeing as I'm not entirely sure what that is that could very well be the issue

Look through the scope. Place the reticle on target. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath and open your eyes. If the scope has moved off topic adjust your position until you can take a breath and remain on target.

Fundamentals of Rifle Marksmanship : U.S. Marine Corps : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive

 

[ken snyder]

Looks like you are off to a good start, just remember to enjoy the sport and not let it become frustrating. I will suggest your first upgrade and it will go a long way for very little money. If you are using the OSB munufactured wood as a bench that your photo suggests, put a flat smooth surface over it

 

[SoDak636]

We actually don't shoot off that bench we basically just set the rifles that we're not shooting on it..the bench is pretty haggard and how its setup puts you in a very awkward and uncomfortable position. So instead we usually shoot prone on the ground off a bipod and a rear bag.

We went out and set up my steel plate on sunday at somewhere between 600-700 yards(no rangefinder or GPS, so we paced it off and it paced off at 673) and decided to give it a try. Used a free ballistics calculator to get a rough idea how much adjustment i needed and dialed it in, and the first shot was about a half MOA below the plate; so i brought it up 1 full MOA which just barely nicked the right edge of the plate. So i dialed in a half MOA left windage and the next 3 rounds all landed on the right half of the plate in about a 7" circle. I was also quite happy that my temporary $30 wal-mart special scope returned to zero after cranking it up to shoot out that far, I felt 4/5 at a roughly estimated distance was pretty fair.

 

[joe0121]

We actually don't shoot off that bench we basically just set the rifles that we're not shooting on it..the bench is pretty haggard and how its setup puts you in a very awkward and uncomfortable position. So instead we usually shoot prone on the ground off a bipod and a rear bag.

We went out and set up my steal plate on sunday at somewhere between 600-700 yards(no rangefinder or GPS, so we paced it off and it paced off at 673) and decided to give it a try. Used a free ballistics calculator to get a rough idea how much adjustment i needed and dialed it in, and the first shot was about a half MOA below the plate; so i brought the it up 1 full MOA which just barely nicked the right edge of the plate. So i dialed in a half MOA left windage and the next 3 rounds all landed on the right half of the plate in about a 7" circle. I was also quite happy that my temporary $30 wal-mart special scope returned to zero after cranking it up to shoot out that far, I felt 4/5 at a roughly estimated distance was pretty fair.

Building a shooting bench is one of the best things I ever did for myself.