what to do when your equipment no longer matches your skills?
- Thread starter mdd
- Start date
Scottish Highlander
New member
Hi MDD,
I personally have a 308 in the Tikka T3 Hunter brand. The recoil you get from a 308 does kick but it's fine for me. It's not to bad at all in my eyes and I am slightly similar to yourself as I shot 12 gauge when I was younger and I'd never buy a 12 bore its always 20 gauge I've owned because 12s kick like mules.
@ 100 yards the rifle was shooting 1 1/4 groups with sako shop bought 123 grain loads which was very frustrating. I reloaded a Nosler 125 grain ballistic tip boat tail load for the rifle and my god it pulled it right in to a 1/4 inch group. 3 shots at target, 2 were in the same hole and 3rd was in the 1/4 inch. That was when I relised it wasn't me it was the bullets and loads I had been using. All I am saying is that from my experience personally factory ammo may not give you the consistency that you are looking for. At least if you are reloading your own ammo then you can rule that one as the problem for the groups being slack.
The other thing is and this isn't directed at you but some people struggle to estimate the range of the shot without pacing it out so a range finder might be a handy tool to get the exact range your shooting and compare that to your ballistics's. As an example I was stalking with a guy last winter and his judgment on distance was terrible. I stalked a Red stag and he said " that stag is at lest 350 yards" and it was by no means that far. Max it was 200 yards out.
Jamie
I personally have a 308 in the Tikka T3 Hunter brand. The recoil you get from a 308 does kick but it's fine for me. It's not to bad at all in my eyes and I am slightly similar to yourself as I shot 12 gauge when I was younger and I'd never buy a 12 bore its always 20 gauge I've owned because 12s kick like mules.
@ 100 yards the rifle was shooting 1 1/4 groups with sako shop bought 123 grain loads which was very frustrating. I reloaded a Nosler 125 grain ballistic tip boat tail load for the rifle and my god it pulled it right in to a 1/4 inch group. 3 shots at target, 2 were in the same hole and 3rd was in the 1/4 inch. That was when I relised it wasn't me it was the bullets and loads I had been using. All I am saying is that from my experience personally factory ammo may not give you the consistency that you are looking for. At least if you are reloading your own ammo then you can rule that one as the problem for the groups being slack.
The other thing is and this isn't directed at you but some people struggle to estimate the range of the shot without pacing it out so a range finder might be a handy tool to get the exact range your shooting and compare that to your ballistics's. As an example I was stalking with a guy last winter and his judgment on distance was terrible. I stalked a Red stag and he said " that stag is at lest 350 yards" and it was by no means that far. Max it was 200 yards out.
Jamie
I'm trying not to be curmudgeonly this morning, but why on earth would you be frustrated with 1 1/4" groups out of the box with factory ammo? That's a pretty good group for starters.
Behind me, on the wall, I have a group shot with a Tikka 25-06 that I don't have the capability to measure. It's just one slightly oval hole. It's so small as to be unbelievable...and it is. It's luck. Very good luck, but luck. It's from my hunting loads that probably average 1.5-2.0 inches from my setup. But I like the ballistics and bullet, and it's fine for me. I shoot deer at ranges of less than 300 yards with it. Do I call that a .10" inch rifle? Not with a straight face!
It's been said to death, but accuracy in a rifle is not the only thing to consider, and a stock hunting rifle that shoots 1.25" has nothing wrong with it.
Behind me, on the wall, I have a group shot with a Tikka 25-06 that I don't have the capability to measure. It's just one slightly oval hole. It's so small as to be unbelievable...and it is. It's luck. Very good luck, but luck. It's from my hunting loads that probably average 1.5-2.0 inches from my setup. But I like the ballistics and bullet, and it's fine for me. I shoot deer at ranges of less than 300 yards with it. Do I call that a .10" inch rifle? Not with a straight face!
It's been said to death, but accuracy in a rifle is not the only thing to consider, and a stock hunting rifle that shoots 1.25" has nothing wrong with it.
I also like certain brand rifles, and am willing to do some work to get one to shoot better. The factory barrels can be hit or miss so to speak, tho all I've had have been plenty accurate for general hunting use (generally 1 1/4"-1 1/2" with loads they liked). If you want that next step up though, a truly good barrel is money well spent in my opinion. Yes, other guns may shoot better out of the box, but, if you like a certain type, then do a bit of work with it. It isn't simply a cost vs outcome/benefit relationship. If you're like me, you'd be thinking about the other gun while carrying the new one, and wishing the old one would do what you wanted it to. Other makes simply don't interest me for various reasons
You know the basics, and they've been mentioned. Decent bedding, you have a good trigger, have the action trued when getting a barrel installed.
The course has optimal guns, but I'd take it with whatever you have thats close, load the best long range type bullets, and go do it. The 25-06 would lob bullets out there. A 6.5-06 or 260 would do it, with better BC bullet choices, though in your case, that would require another barrel. Barrels can be set up like savages, to be switch capable. They've been done on other makes of guns. I'm having a Ruger 77 tang safety done as a switch barrel. At that point the cost of different barrels are buying the blank and setup machining cost, but no further gunsmithing cost to change calibers or for a new barrel if you manage to wear one out.
You know the basics, and they've been mentioned. Decent bedding, you have a good trigger, have the action trued when getting a barrel installed.
The course has optimal guns, but I'd take it with whatever you have thats close, load the best long range type bullets, and go do it. The 25-06 would lob bullets out there. A 6.5-06 or 260 would do it, with better BC bullet choices, though in your case, that would require another barrel. Barrels can be set up like savages, to be switch capable. They've been done on other makes of guns. I'm having a Ruger 77 tang safety done as a switch barrel. At that point the cost of different barrels are buying the blank and setup machining cost, but no further gunsmithing cost to change calibers or for a new barrel if you manage to wear one out.
mdd, are kost of your rifles tang safeties or the newer style? If they're tang safety a Savage will be pretty close in operation. If there the newer style of safety look for an FN PBR and it will be very similar as well. I'm assuming you have both style really since you stated you've been shhoting awhile. 