Off - Hand Steel Hunting and Old Friends

[gbflyer]

I recently picked up a Sako Kodiak .375 in trade. As I am a lefty and it is not, I was easily talked out of it by an old buddy who had to have it. But not before shooting it. It came with the standard express sites and a set of 30mm rings. I didn't want to mess with swapping scopes around at first so I took it out sans optics.

We found it to be hitting about a foot low at 100. We had to go online to figure out that Sako put an adjustment screw on the front site, there's no ramp on the rear. It's spring loaded, actually quite clever. Anyway, we got it on paper and ended up having some decent groups in the lead sled. It was fun! My old pard is 77 years young and can outshoot me with his stuff or mine.

When I got home, I got to thinking. It seems like I've lived behind a bench for the last 10 years or so, and frankly I've gotten a little bored.

I opened up the safe and pulled out the old Remington 700LH .338 Win Mag that my buddy Truman Wilson put together for me before I moved to Alaska. She sports a 22" #5 Hart barrel and a McMillan BDL stock set up with a blind magazine. I sent it to Robar years ago for a Roguard/NP3 coating, and it's seen the bottom of a boat and the strut of a Super Cub more than once. Still looks like it was done yesterday. It's always been a very dependable, confidence inspiring shooter. In fact, when scoped it killed every animal it had ever been pointed at...2 moose, a brown bear, a Sitka deer, and a Colorado Elk. I carried it during my river guiding days with an Ashley Outdoors, now XO, ghost ring site.

A quick trip into the vice, and after about an hour of searching, muttering, and cussing numb fingers that drop tiny screws, the old Swarovski 3-9X36 was off and the Ashley sites were back on. Out the shop door I did my cursory bore sighting which consists of a bench rest and a look down the tube lining the sites up with a yellow sticker on a green Conex in my construction yard about 200 feet away. It was off to the range.

I am pleased to report that it was on paper, only took a round up on the peep and a very slight shift to the left. My shoulder is thankful as she only weighs 7.5 pounds.

I have a 12" steel gong, figured that would be a good start. With a fresh coat of pink upside down paint, and my glasses, I can see it very well at 100 yards. The first few shots were a dismal failure, but I'm getting to where I can whack it nearly every time. It's been a very long time since I've shot off hand, and I've really never been any good at it. I hope to stretch it out to 150 before the end of the summer, maybe mix in some shooting sticks, kneeling, tree rests, etc.

Hopefully my key-pecking will inspire someone else to drop the glass and get out there...or give me some good pointers.


Have a great day friends, and good shooting!

 

[Cleveland48]

I recently picked up a Sako Kodiak .375 in trade. As I am a lefty and it is not, I was easily talked out of it by an old buddy who had to have it. But not before shooting it. It came with the standard express sites and a set of 30mm rings. I didn't want to mess with swapping scopes around at first so I took it out sans optics.

We found it to be hitting about a foot low at 100. We had to go online to figure out that Sako put an adjustment screw on the front site, there's no ramp on the rear. It's spring loaded, actually quite clever. Anyway, we got it on paper and ended up having some decent groups in the lead sled. It was fun! My old pard is 77 years young and can outshoot me with his stuff or mine.

When I got home, I got to thinking. It seems like I've lived behind a bench for the last 10 years or so, and frankly I've gotten a little bored.

I opened up the safe and pulled out the old Remington 700LH .338 Win Mag that my buddy Truman Wilson put together for me before I moved to Alaska. She sports a 22" #5 Hart barrel and a McMillan BDL stock set up with a blind magazine. I sent it to Robar years ago for a Roguard/NP3 coating, and it's seen the bottom of a boat and the strut of a Super Cub more than once. Still looks like it was done yesterday. It's always been a very dependable, confidence inspiring shooter. In fact, when scoped it killed every animal it had ever been pointed at...2 moose, a brown bear, a Sitka deer, and a Colorado Elk. I carried it during my river guiding days with an Ashley Outdoors, now XO, ghost ring site.

A quick trip into the vice, and after about an hour of searching, muttering, and cussing numb fingers that drop tiny screws, the old Swarovski 3-9X36 was off and the Ashley sites were back on. Out the shop door I did my cursory bore sighting which consists of a bench rest and a look down the tube lining the sites up with a yellow sticker on a green Conex in my construction yard about 200 feet away. It was off to the range.

I am pleased to report that it was on paper, only took a round up on the peep and a very slight shift to the left. My shoulder is thankful as she only weighs 7.5 pounds.

I have a 12" steel gong, figured that would be a good start. With a fresh coat of pink upside down paint, and my glasses, I can see it very well at 100 yards. The first few shots were a dismal failure, but I'm getting to where I can whack it nearly every time. It's been a very long time since I've shot off hand, and I've really never been any good at it. I hope to stretch it out to 150 before the end of the summer, maybe mix in some shooting sticks, kneeling, tree rests, etc.

Hopefully my key-pecking will inspire someone else to drop the glass and get out there...or give me some good pointers.


Have a great day friends, and good shooting!

Sounds like a lot of fun! I had a mauser re chambered to 9.3x62 last summer, and xs ghost ring sights installed. I have finally gotten pretty decent with it. I can keep all my shots in 8” target, so definetly in a Whitetail kill zone. Once I really started practicing with the ghost ring sights I loved them. Now I have a load built up with 285 gr Round nose with enough Ramshot big game to get 2,500 fps our of my 22” barrel. Gun probably only weighs about 7 1/2 lbs, so after about 15 rounds I start getting pretty beat up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[gbflyer]

I recently picked up a Sako Kodiak .375 in trade. As I am a lefty and it is not, I was easily talked out of it by an old buddy who had to have it. But not before shooting it. It came with the standard express sites and a set of 30mm rings. I didn't want to mess with swapping scopes around at first so I took it out sans optics.

We found it to be hitting about a foot low at 100. We had to go online to figure out that Sako put an adjustment screw on the front site, there's no ramp on the rear. It's spring loaded, actually quite clever. Anyway, we got it on paper and ended up having some decent groups in the lead sled. It was fun! My old pard is 77 years young and can outshoot me with his stuff or mine.

When I got home, I got to thinking. It seems like I've lived behind a bench for the last 10 years or so, and frankly I've gotten a little bored.

I opened up the safe and pulled out the old Remington 700LH .338 Win Mag that my buddy Truman Wilson put together for me before I moved to Alaska. She sports a 22" #5 Hart barrel and a McMillan BDL stock set up with a blind magazine. I sent it to Robar years ago for a Roguard/NP3 coating, and it's seen the bottom of a boat and the strut of a Super Cub more than once. Still looks like it was done yesterday. It's always been a very dependable, confidence inspiring shooter. In fact, when scoped it killed every animal it had ever been pointed at...2 moose, a brown bear, a Sitka deer, and a Colorado Elk. I carried it during my river guiding days with an Ashley Outdoors, now XO, ghost ring site.

A quick trip into the vice, and after about an hour of searching, muttering, and cussing numb fingers that drop tiny screws, the old Swarovski 3-9X36 was off and the Ashley sites were back on. Out the shop door I did my cursory bore sighting which consists of a bench rest and a look down the tube lining the sites up with a yellow sticker on a green Conex in my construction yard about 200 feet away. It was off to the range.

I am pleased to report that it was on paper, only took a round up on the peep and a very slight shift to the left. My shoulder is thankful as she only weighs 7.5 pounds.

I have a 12" steel gong, figured that would be a good start. With a fresh coat of pink upside down paint, and my glasses, I can see it very well at 100 yards. The first few shots were a dismal failure, but I'm getting to where I can whack it nearly every time. It's been a very long time since I've shot off hand, and I've really never been any good at it. I hope to stretch it out to 150 before the end of the summer, maybe mix in some shooting sticks, kneeling, tree rests, etc.

Hopefully my key-pecking will inspire someone else to drop the glass and get out there...or give me some good pointers.


Have a great day friends, and good shooting!

Sounds like a lot of fun! I had a mauser re chambered to 9.3x62 last summer, and xs ghost ring sights installed. I have finally gotten pretty decent with it. I can keep all my shots in 8” target, so definetly in a Whitetail kill zone. Once I really started practicing with the ghost ring sights I loved them. Now I have a load built up with 285 gr Round nose with enough Ramshot big game to get 2,500 fps our of my 22” barrel. Gun probably only weighs about 7 1/2 lbs, so after about 15 rounds I start getting pretty beat up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's moving a big bullet! I'm practicing with a Hornady 250 at about 2500. About 5 per session is enough for me right now, still trying to figure out good technique. I also try to dry fire about 10-20 a day. I've got a Jewel trigger in it which I am not all that happy with right now at hunting gun trigger pull weight.

I've got a couple of boxes of factory loaded 250 Partitions I have had good luck with for field use.

 

[Europe]

gbflyer, sounds like fun and good for you. Before I had to quit hunting, I had not hunted with open sights for years, but when I was younger I enjoyed doing so, especially with a 30/30

Cheyenne hunts the Territories in Canada and she uses open sights and off-hand shooting with her Win 71 348. She uses a 250 gr Woodleigh bullet.

Also Jamila uses a 450/400 double rifle with open sights and off hand for dangerous game hunts in Africa

Also, loved the plane you built gbflyer--well done!

 

[maverick2]

I don't play with open sights much, but do shoot off-hand quite a bit. When I set up my backstop/bullet trap I laid it out for hanging steel plates above my target so whenever my daughter and I do any target shooting we also do some offhand shooting. I've got 12", 9", 6" and 3" plates down there right now. We tend to practice hunting scenarios so more often than not will go from a carry position to shouldering the rifle to acquiring the target and taking the shot and then making a couple follow-up shots as fast as we can. Tends to make it a little more fun than just shooting off the bench.

 

[Cleveland48]

I recently picked up a Sako Kodiak .375 in trade. As I am a lefty and it is not, I was easily talked out of it by an old buddy who had to have it. But not before shooting it. It came with the standard express sites and a set of 30mm rings. I didn't want to mess with swapping scopes around at first so I took it out sans optics.

We found it to be hitting about a foot low at 100. We had to go online to figure out that Sako put an adjustment screw on the front site, there's no ramp on the rear. It's spring loaded, actually quite clever. Anyway, we got it on paper and ended up having some decent groups in the lead sled. It was fun! My old pard is 77 years young and can outshoot me with his stuff or mine.

When I got home, I got to thinking. It seems like I've lived behind a bench for the last 10 years or so, and frankly I've gotten a little bored.

I opened up the safe and pulled out the old Remington 700LH .338 Win Mag that my buddy Truman Wilson put together for me before I moved to Alaska. She sports a 22" #5 Hart barrel and a McMillan BDL stock set up with a blind magazine. I sent it to Robar years ago for a Roguard/NP3 coating, and it's seen the bottom of a boat and the strut of a Super Cub more than once. Still looks like it was done yesterday. It's always been a very dependable, confidence inspiring shooter. In fact, when scoped it killed every animal it had ever been pointed at...2 moose, a brown bear, a Sitka deer, and a Colorado Elk. I carried it during my river guiding days with an Ashley Outdoors, now XO, ghost ring site.

A quick trip into the vice, and after about an hour of searching, muttering, and cussing numb fingers that drop tiny screws, the old Swarovski 3-9X36 was off and the Ashley sites were back on. Out the shop door I did my cursory bore sighting which consists of a bench rest and a look down the tube lining the sites up with a yellow sticker on a green Conex in my construction yard about 200 feet away. It was off to the range.

I am pleased to report that it was on paper, only took a round up on the peep and a very slight shift to the left. My shoulder is thankful as she only weighs 7.5 pounds.

I have a 12" steel gong, figured that would be a good start. With a fresh coat of pink upside down paint, and my glasses, I can see it very well at 100 yards. The first few shots were a dismal failure, but I'm getting to where I can whack it nearly every time. It's been a very long time since I've shot off hand, and I've really never been any good at it. I hope to stretch it out to 150 before the end of the summer, maybe mix in some shooting sticks, kneeling, tree rests, etc.

Hopefully my key-pecking will inspire someone else to drop the glass and get out there...or give me some good pointers.


Have a great day friends, and good shooting!

Sounds like a lot of fun! I had a mauser re chambered to 9.3x62 last summer, and xs ghost ring sights installed. I have finally gotten pretty decent with it. I can keep all my shots in 8” target, so definetly in a Whitetail kill zone. Once I really started practicing with the ghost ring sights I loved them. Now I have a load built up with 285 gr Round nose with enough Ramshot big game to get 2,500 fps our of my 22” barrel. Gun probably only weighs about 7 1/2 lbs, so after about 15 rounds I start getting pretty beat up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's moving a big bullet! I'm practicing with a Hornady 250 at about 2500. About 5 per session is enough for me right now, still trying to figure out good technique. I also try to dry fire about 10-20 a day. I've got a Jewel trigger in it which I am not all that happy with right now at hunting gun trigger pull weight.

I've got a couple of boxes of factory loaded 250 Partitions I have had good luck with for field use.

I just realized you were talking about shooting off hand. I definetly can NOT keep all my shots in a 8” circle at 100 yards free handed. Just wanted to clear that up lol. I can do 50 yards pretty strongly, but 100 yards is a whole new ball game free handed lol.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[gbflyer]

gbflyer, sounds like fun and good for you. Before I had to quit hunting, I had not hunted with open sights for years, but when I was younger I enjoyed doing so, especially with a 30/30

Cheyenne hunts the Territories in Canada and she uses open sights and off-hand shooting with her Win 71 348. She uses a 250 gr Woodleigh bullet.

Also Jamila uses a 450/400 double rifle with open sights and off hand for dangerous game hunts in Africa

Also, loved the plane you built gbflyer--well done!

Thank you very much. I enjoy your posts!

 

[gbflyer]

I don't play with open sights much, but do shoot off-hand quite a bit. When I set up my backstop/bullet trap I laid it out for hanging steel plates above my target so whenever my daughter and I do any target shooting we also do some offhand shooting. I've got 12", 9", 6" and 3" plates down there right now. We tend to practice hunting scenarios so more often than not will go from a carry position to shouldering the rifle to acquiring the target and taking the shot and then making a couple follow-up shots as fast as we can. Tends to make it a little more fun than just shooting off the bench.

That's a good setup. I am trying to get the hang of what I like to call dynamic motion (may not be the correct term), in my case deliberately tracing a "U" with my front site and pulling the trigger at the same place every time. I read about the real offhand shooters doing it that way, figured I should try it.

How old is your daughter? I have a son that's nearly 11, another 23. The older one lives away but likes to shoot, the younger one is way too busy yet.

 

[gbflyer]

I recently picked up a Sako Kodiak .375 in trade. As I am a lefty and it is not, I was easily talked out of it by an old buddy who had to have it. But not before shooting it. It came with the standard express sites and a set of 30mm rings. I didn't want to mess with swapping scopes around at first so I took it out sans optics.

We found it to be hitting about a foot low at 100. We had to go online to figure out that Sako put an adjustment screw on the front site, there's no ramp on the rear. It's spring loaded, actually quite clever. Anyway, we got it on paper and ended up having some decent groups in the lead sled. It was fun! My old pard is 77 years young and can outshoot me with his stuff or mine.

When I got home, I got to thinking. It seems like I've lived behind a bench for the last 10 years or so, and frankly I've gotten a little bored.

I opened up the safe and pulled out the old Remington 700LH .338 Win Mag that my buddy Truman Wilson put together for me before I moved to Alaska. She sports a 22" #5 Hart barrel and a McMillan BDL stock set up with a blind magazine. I sent it to Robar years ago for a Roguard/NP3 coating, and it's seen the bottom of a boat and the strut of a Super Cub more than once. Still looks like it was done yesterday. It's always been a very dependable, confidence inspiring shooter. In fact, when scoped it killed every animal it had ever been pointed at...2 moose, a brown bear, a Sitka deer, and a Colorado Elk. I carried it during my river guiding days with an Ashley Outdoors, now XO, ghost ring site.

A quick trip into the vice, and after about an hour of searching, muttering, and cussing numb fingers that drop tiny screws, the old Swarovski 3-9X36 was off and the Ashley sites were back on. Out the shop door I did my cursory bore sighting which consists of a bench rest and a look down the tube lining the sites up with a yellow sticker on a green Conex in my construction yard about 200 feet away. It was off to the range.

I am pleased to report that it was on paper, only took a round up on the peep and a very slight shift to the left. My shoulder is thankful as she only weighs 7.5 pounds.

I have a 12" steel gong, figured that would be a good start. With a fresh coat of pink upside down paint, and my glasses, I can see it very well at 100 yards. The first few shots were a dismal failure, but I'm getting to where I can whack it nearly every time. It's been a very long time since I've shot off hand, and I've really never been any good at it. I hope to stretch it out to 150 before the end of the summer, maybe mix in some shooting sticks, kneeling, tree rests, etc.

Hopefully my key-pecking will inspire someone else to drop the glass and get out there...or give me some good pointers.


Have a great day friends, and good shooting!

Sounds like a lot of fun! I had a mauser re chambered to 9.3x62 last summer, and xs ghost ring sights installed. I have finally gotten pretty decent with it. I can keep all my shots in 8” target, so definetly in a Whitetail kill zone. Once I really started practicing with the ghost ring sights I loved them. Now I have a load built up with 285 gr Round nose with enough Ramshot big game to get 2,500 fps our of my 22” barrel. Gun probably only weighs about 7 1/2 lbs, so after about 15 rounds I start getting pretty beat up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's moving a big bullet! I'm practicing with a Hornady 250 at about 2500. About 5 per session is enough for me right now, still trying to figure out good technique. I also try to dry fire about 10-20 a day. I've got a Jewel trigger in it which I am not all that happy with right now at hunting gun trigger pull weight.

I've got a couple of boxes of factory loaded 250 Partitions I have had good luck with for field use.

I just realized you were talking about shooting off hand. I definetly can NOT keep all my shots in a 8” circle at 100 yards free handed. Just wanted to clear that up lol. I can do 50 yards pretty strongly, but 100 yards is a whole new ball game free handed lol.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I bet you could after a little more practice. It is amazing to me how well a peep site works offhand.

 

[maverick2]

That's a good setup. I am trying to get the hang of what I like to call dynamic motion (may not be the correct term), in my case deliberately tracing a "U" with my front site and pulling the trigger at the same place every time. I read about the real offhand shooters doing it that way, figured I should try it.

How old is your daughter? I have a son that's nearly 11, another 23. The older one lives away but likes to shoot, the younger one is way too busy yet.

My daughter is 12. She's good for the 12" plate at 100 yds shooting prone and kneeling, but hasn't hit it yet shooting offhand. She's getting fairly comfortable and proficient at cycling the action after the first shot as she's re-acquiring her target, so I expect her hits shooting offhand will start happening fairly soon.

 

[gbflyer]

That's a good setup. I am trying to get the hang of what I like to call dynamic motion (may not be the correct term), in my case deliberately tracing a "U" with my front site and pulling the trigger at the same place every time. I read about the real offhand shooters doing it that way, figured I should try it.

How old is your daughter? I have a son that's nearly 11, another 23. The older one lives away but likes to shoot, the younger one is way too busy yet.

My daughter is 12. She's good for the 12" plate at 100 yds shooting prone and kneeling, but hasn't hit it yet shooting offhand. She's getting fairly comfortable and proficient at cycling the action after the first shot as she's re-acquiring her target, so I expect her hits shooting offhand will start happening fairly soon.

Awesome!

 

[Guy Miner]

Good on ya!

Yup, scope or sights... Get Off The Bench!

Unless of course you hunt from one of those blind-contraption things and have a built in bench, then by all means, practice your bench rest technique.

Guy

 

[JD338]

We went out to the range Sunday evening, first time this year. I checked the zero on Sue's 280 AI and turned it over to her. After a couple shots on the 5" gong at 200 yds, which she center punched, I had Sue load up 2 rounds and get on her tripod trigger stick. Shooting at at 18x18" gong center hold, she fired, racked in a second shell and steaded for a quick follow-up shot with the same hold.
I timed her at 25 seconds.
Round two was about the same. After some coaching on hand placement during reloading, round three was under 20 seconds.
Well, by round 7, and adding in some drama like "Big Bull, take your time he doesn't know we are here,...POW...WACK.
Clickity Clack.. Hit him again, right in the shoulder. Hit him again, Hit him again....POW...WACK. 9 seconds!
Needless to say I was impressed with such a great improvement on the first outting. Sue did some additional dry firing, which I think I will have her do next time out.
She throughly enjoyed this rapid fire exercise, as did I.
I plan on moving back to the 300 yard mark once Sue becomes proficient at 200 yards. This is going to be part of our shooting regiment as we prep for our moose hunt this fall.
Sorry no pictures, I'll take some next time out.

JD338

 

[Polaris]

Good for you for leaving the bench behind. You're miles ahead of most hunters that take the field.

In competition circles, it's known as "AWFULHAND". Amazing how many (including myself) can punch clean targets sitting and prone and still only reach 90% on a good day.

Nobody likes negative feedback (misses). We like to hit what we shoot at. Probably the reason most of the shooting sports keep gravitating towards "easier" targets where gear, reloading, and reading the wind play a larger role than shooter error or lack thereof. Good feedback, lots of hits even for the novice, no doubt still hard to win, as that usually comes down to x count and an almost imperceptible wind call. Getting harder to find a match that includes offhand, but bench rest, F-class, precision rifle series and other games played laying down with a bipod or from a bench are growing. On the other extreme, 3 gun and action pistol (how fast can you dump a mag into a big target up close) have also grown exponentially, and I feel true riflecraft in this country has suffered as a result. We may be fielding the best Snipers and entry teams in the world, but the days of the average infantrymen laying down accurate fire from a service rifle to 400 plus yards are over for now. Same goes for hunting. Some darn fine bipod shooters out there, but have heard some appalling stories from folks pushing beyond their limits without a solid rest. If they practiced, they would have made an ethical shot instead of assuming their sub-moa rifle came with RADAR guidance.

 

[Guy Miner]

JD338 - good job.

Polaris - take in a "PRS" match if you get a chance. They're putting real rifle marksmanship back into competition. They tend to be a "sniperish" match, but, some awesome shooting is being done.

Of course there are still "across the course" matches with standing at 200, sitting at 300 and prone at 600 yards, as well as rapid fire portions. I used to really enjoy those matches, though I only shot a few here at our local range.

Early last fall I taught a hunting rifle course. We didn't shoot much beyond 300 yards, but all of our shooting was from field positions. We even "stalked" one steel target! I used a bunch of lifelike deer, elk and bear targets. Everyone had a typical hunting rifle. It was very well received.

During the year I do most of my rifle shooting at more modest range, with a .22 Marlin 39A, and some small steel spinner targets.

As hunting season approaches, my normal weekly training routine is 50 rounds at a 300 yard steel target:

20 from standing
10 from kneeling (my knees HATE that position, but it's useful)
10 from sitting (I've taken most of my game from sitting)
10 from prone

Do that for a few weeks, after months of plinking at 25 - 50 yards with my .22 rifle... And I get pretty good. For some reason in 2016 I just wasn't getting as solid as I like, so I did some of my hunting with the bipod on my 30-06 and took the mule deer & pronghorn from prone with the bipod. Normally I don't use the bipod. My two longest shots that fall, each over 300 yards, were from sitting & prone. I did rest the rifle over a backpack in prone, for the 338 yard shot taking my elk.

Getting off the bench and actually practicing decent field shooting positions has been so helpful for me!

Practice at 300 with my 30-06:

At 25 with my 375 H&H:

At 300 with the 375 H&H Ruger Number One:

Yup, shooting from unsupported positions doesn't produce braggin' sized groups, but it sure does teach marksmanship.

Regards, Guy

 

[truck driver]

My off hand practice was always on live critters like groundhogs and when I was a teen I would find a wood lot that was over run with chipmunks which made for a tough target to find and hit with a .22 lr and open sights, they wouldn't hold still very long.
Today I only use a scope but thought I have some high powered glass I prefer shooting scopes of lower power for field of view and fast acquisition of target.
My favorite position is leaning against a tree and sitting.

 

[Guy Miner]

My favorite position is leaning against a tree and sitting.

In 2009 I think, hunting mule deer in Wyoming, I found a dead tree with a sturdy branch sticking out from the side of it... Perfect height for a rifle rest! I stood there, put my left arm on the branch, rested the rifle on my arm, and took a mule deer at a lasered 400 yards! Nailed it with my 25-06, and was pretty pleased with that result.

Ya, if there's a rest to be had, use it!

Regards, Guy

 

[JD338]

Guy
Good point about shooting the 22 rimfire.
We can do that in the backyard!
I'm anxious to do some offhand shooting at 200 and 300 yards. Sunday I was focused on getting Sue going as well as getting my 338 RUM zeroed at 200 with the new 265 gr ABLR. It was hitting the 300 yard gong hard.
JD338

 

[gbflyer]

Where I live, 100 yards is a long shot. The only exception to that is a Sitka deer hunt in the alpine. I try to go back to CO each year for Elk, west side. I like to still hunt the timber, especially the cedars. There's opportunity for a long poke I guess but I've never taken one over 350. And that one I missed.

I shot short range bench rest some as a young man. I still enjoy the tedium. I think that along with always building another rifle to see if it will shoot a tiny group is where I developed the habit of too much bench time.

My goal remains to get away from the bench more this year. I tell ya, the load of stuff in the truck that I pack to the range sure has lightened. Another bonus!

 

[Polaris]

I find that I get a lot of field position practice time with a certain type of rifle. Nothing too specific on the rifle, other than it is inexpensive, reasonably accurate, and the ammo is also easy. In my case I do a lot of casual plinking with a couple of different Mosin Nagants and the pile of ammo I bought for pennies a round. If you can shoot a mosin well offhand, you can shoot anything.

In a more modern light, any of the inexpensive bolt actions in .223 or .308 or the Zastava in 7.62x39 fit this bill very well. Set one up with some weights and glass similar to your go to hunting rig, and you have a good hunting rifle simulator that you don't mind kicking around and wearing out.