Newbie

[GJMauro12]

Hello everyone, I have started poking around your site because I am interested in getting into the long range game. I just signed up today and my name is Guy Mauro and I am in Arizona. I am on a few other hunting forums and have learned a lot from guys with more experience and figured this setting geared toward just long range shooting could really help. I was raised around hunting by my grandpa and picked up archery hunting about 7 years ago but now I want to get into some long range hunting. I started reading through some of the info in the different threads, and I planned on it not being an easy thing to learn but it looks like I could gather lots of information right here.

I currently have a 300 win mag topped with a leupold vari-x iii 4.5-14X40 (cant find the actual name of the reticle I am using, ill keep looking) and took my first coues deer at 518 yards in 2012. I had practiced quite a bit out to 500 and was comfortable with the shot but I had another coues deer tag this year that ended with tag soup which I am ok with but found my self wishing I could make those longer shots on the deer I was seeing and not able to close the distance on.

I am looking to upgrade my scope to something with turrets. At first I was hesitant about the turret system because it sounded like a lot to learn but now I want to learn all about it.

My first basic question would be if I should set up the Remington 700 7 mag I have or my 300 mag with synthetic stock with my goal being to get to 1000 yards to start with.

I read something about the twist rates and I have no clue what that is. How can I tell which rifle has the better twist rate?

One other question to help me get started would be is there an accuracy difference between wood stocks and synthetic.

I am sure these questions have been answered in another thread at some point if anyone wants to just point out the thread that I should start reading first.

Last thing: I am seeing a lot of vocabulary and abbreviations that I have never seen or heard before. Are there any threads on here that breaks down the vocabulary for idiots/newbies?

Sorry for the long winded first post.

Thank you for any responses I receive in advance.

 

[roninflag]

Guy - welcome. there is a thread on coueswhitetail about long range shots. there is a reason the the navy seals and others use an 18 pound 300 win mag. also in f-class competition at 1000 yards the guns they use the ammo stock bedding trigger and action are what "work" . the remington 700 sendero is a compromise on weight. they work real good for long range hunting

 

[roninflag]

barrel quality is more important than twist rates.krieger baertlein, broughton brux others

 

[roninflag]

do you reload??

 

[WildRose]

Welcome. Your budget is what decides the "upgrades".

You have some good gunsmiths in AZ and that's a plus.

Wood moves with changes in the environment so that's why most of us use composites or laminates. A properly bedded and sealed laminate is going to be just about as solid as any composite.

With either type though, it's all about the pillars/bedding block and bedding.

Start there and if you can get it to shoot MOA (one inch groups or less at 100yds) you have a rifle capable of getting you there.

I love both the 7mm mag and the 300wm but the 300 is superior so I'd go with it if the budget is limited.

AZ is a great state for LR shooting and hunting so you are definitely in the right spot.

 

[roninflag]

Guy - both your 7mm and 300 win mag are remington 700??

 

[Dosh]

Guy, welcome from Goodyear,Az. 518 yard Coues is not close range. The members here will get you to your LR goal. Good luck

 

[wstanton]

Hey Guy, welcome to the forum. In regards to your question about twist rates and barrels. There is no "better" or "worse" twist rate. It refers to how fast or how many RPMs the bullet is spun at, in order to keep it spinning like a football thrown by Peyton Manning. If the twist rate is too fast it has the potential to slow down the bullet/cause extra resistance, as well as make the bullet blow up because of too much twist. If you have too little twist, the bullet wont stabilize and will "keyhole" or will start to tumble sideways in the air; Kinda like trying to throw a football without spinning it....... The goal is to find the right twist rate for the bullet weights you fire from your gun. In a 300Win Mag a 1-10 twist would stabilize just about any bullet you could fire. Where-as a 1-2 twist would likely "blow-up" most bullets, And a 1-20 twist would only stabilize the lightest of bullets if any at all. Hope this helps!!

 

[jseverhart]

+1 to the previous posts and welcome to the site!