How good we have it...modern shooting.

Went out this afternoon to start working up the rifles for the upcoming season.

Took out my son's new to him Tikka .270WIN with a VX2 3-9x40...2 3 shot groups with Barnes TTSX 130gr. 1-1.25 MOA... 1.5" high. 6 rounds. Ready to hunt.

Took out my Browning .270WIN with a VX3 2.5-8x... 3 3 shot groups, 1 MOA with Browning's BXC 145gr ammunition. Final group, 1.5" high at 100yds- on the centerline. Ready to hunt.

Ruger American Compact 7-08REM with a Vortex 2-8x32, 1 3 shot group, 1.5 MOA with Federal Fusion 140gr. 2" high at 100....ready to hunt.

Nosler 48 in 300WSM with a Zeiss 3-9x40, 1 3 shot group with Nosler Trophy Bonded 180gr. .75 MOA 1.5" high on the centerline- ready to hunt.

What blows my mind is that I have 4 rifles and scopes of varying degrees of cost/quality/country of origin firing a selection of factory ammo, none of which was chosen for optimal accuracy in that rifle (the .270 loads were both first time out of the gate for me). And all four are shooting just fine for about any hunting I'll ever do. No muss, no fuss, and all shots were prone over a backpack-replicating field shooting.

To newer shooters, this seems pretty ho-hum and run of the mill. 30 years ago it would be unheard of.

These are truly the salad days!

Ya, it's pretty doggone easy to get great groups from today's rifles.

Some of the old ones weren't bad either...

Guy

Guy Miner":1dz7q68j said:

Ya, it's pretty doggone easy to get great groups from today's rifles.

Some of the old ones weren't bad either...

Guy

Click to expand...

Yeah- some of the old ones were pretty awesome, but it was something of a crapshoot. To buy 4 and get 4 winners would have been pretty unusual- particularly with random factory ammo.

I will say this, the older ones I've got sure have more soul than all new CNC/Injection molded plastic stuff...It's easy to get accuracy these days, but a deep blued finish and a figured walnut stock takes some serious doing these days.

hodgeman, you are so spot on, rifles, scopes, bullets, a lot of good ones on the market today---plus another point you made whether you meant to or not--we didn't have or let me state this another way, we could not afford as much equipment 30 years ago as we have now

however a lot of the action manufactures still like to say their actions are as good as a mauser 98 or a pre 64 win --so as Guy says, some of the old ones were not bad either. I think he was referring to rifles but possibly he was referring to himself and Dr Mike. either way he is right

( actually you answered Guy as I was typing but I will let my post stand lol )

The good old days were lacking in some matters, without a doubt. I would absolutely hate to do without some of the newer conveniences. And, yes, some of the old stuff was good, though I question my own contribution, April. :lol:

I know for a fact that every factory made rifle can definitely out shoot what I can do. The new glass is so much clearer & just about every company now has a life time warranty.
We have it pretty good compared to 50 years ago :wink:.

Blessings,
Dan