I was talking to a buddy about Hunting yesterday(as if that is a surprise) and some questions came up that we both had to think on for awhile. If you do not Hunt, feel free to substitute Bench Rest Matches or Serious Plinking(in your mind) where you see Hunting.

Question:
Approximately how many Bullets do you typically fire each year at paper before going Big Game Hunting?

Choices:
1. Zero
2. 1-20
3. 21-100
4. 101-500
5. 501-1000
6. 1001-2500
7. More than 2501

Question:
Approximately how many Bullets do you typically fire each year at varmints before going Big Game Hunting?

Choices:
8. Zero
9. 1-20
10. 21-100
11. 101-500
12. 501-1000
13. 1001- 2500
14. More than 2501

Question:
Do you like to try a "new" Bullet or Load each year?

Choices:
15. Yes, I enjoy seeing how the latest and greatest performs.
16. No, I stick with the tried and proven.

Question:
Approximately how many shooting trips to go Practice or Develop a Load do you make a year?

Choices:
17. Zero.
18. 1-4
19. 5-24
20. 25-52
21. More than once a week - when I can.

 

You sure ask a lot of questions for an adopted Brier. roger

I'm probably underestimating the times I go to the range (I answered 5-24, but the club range is literally only about three times as far as my mailbox...

I live on "Gun Club Road" and the name is VERY appropriate

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Those 300 Win Mag rifles never seem to get more than sighted in once a year.

The .223 seems to get to shoot 50-100 rounds at the range, just to make sure.

And the .223 gets to go to the range often.
If the wind is calm, it would be a good day to take the .223 to the range.

I have the good fortune of having a 200 yard rifle range in my back yard so I don't have to make "trips" to practice unless you want to count walking 75 yards a trip.

quote:

Originally posted by tnekkcc:
Those 300 Win Mag rifles never seem to get more than sighted in once a year.

The .223 seems to get to shoot 50-100 rounds at the range, just to make sure.

And the .223 gets to go to the range often.
If the wind is calm, it would be a good day to take the .223 to the range.

I shoot my 300 every week, from just through September!!

quote:

Originally posted by bartsche:
You sure ask a lot of questions for an adopted Brier. roger

Hey bartsche, I could be wrong, but I believe the current colloquialism the Buckeyes and Hoosiers use is - Brier Hopper!

Speaking of the questions, does any of the results so far surprise you or anyone?

I had no idea we had so many "Tried and Proven Load" folks on the Board. Seems like I see a lot of threads about the Latest and Greatest which interest me. But, I should have included a "Both" answer, because I use Both new and old. Just didn't cross my mind at the time.

holy answers batman - thats more questions then it takes to get married

quote:

Approximately how many Bullets do you typically fire each year at paper before going Big Game Hunting?

This would depend on whether I am going to hunt with a gun/load which has already been developed, or with a new gun -- or a new load for an old gun. The established gun/load requires only a handful of shots to check or reset the zero. The new gun/load may require anywhere from 10 to over a 100 shots, depending on what kind of luck you have, how many different components you wish to evaluate, and what standards of performance you are seeking.

As an example, I picked up a nice .30-06 well into the deer season. I ran about 20 rounds through it, both established loads from another '06 and new loads for this particular gun. I was willing to settle for "good enough" with accuracy running about 1.25-1.35 MOA, considering that I was only going to hunt "casually" with it. (As it turns out, I shot a boar hog, a 21" spread whitetail, and finished a companion hunter's wounded whitetail, all in one day of "casual" hunting). Had I been more serious and intended to use the gun for the full season, I would have probably run 50 or so rounds through it before settling on a load which would yield the targeted velocity and consistently group at an inch or under.

Luck also plays a part. I came into possession of a single box of 50 Nosler Partitions for my .338 just before a scheduled African hunt. I loaded three rounds with a load I had interpolated from bullets of similar, but not identical weight. The three rounds went through the chronograph at a few fps over my target velocity, and cut a ragged one-hole group. I loaded three more rounds and rechecked the performance, which was consistent with the first set. Coincidentally, they shot to the same point of impact of some lighter bullets I wanted to use for lighter species of plains game. After only six shots, I had an excellent load and 40+ bullets left to load the two boxes of ammunition I needed for the African trip. This would be an extreme low-effort example of load development.

I was informed by another guy that seemed to know his stuff that it is considered bad form to hunt with the same rifle two years in a row. His theory was that the rifle might break down during the hunt. He used this rationale to justify buying at least one rifle each year and more if he could ...just in case. As a result he was always working up new loads......

quote:

Originally posted by ireload2:
...He used this rationale to justify buying at least one rifle each year and more if he could ...just in case. ......

Just noticed the "Latest and Greatest" folks are pulling ahead.

But, I'm floored that 33%(at this moment) don't go out and Blast some Varmints during the Off-Season. I realize there aren't Prairie Dogs all over the place. But surely there is some kind of Varmint that needs Ventilating in everyones general Hunting area.

Great way to pre-scout a Hunting area right now. Plenty of visible Rubs and Scrapes to indicate where they have been. Plenty of Hogs need Killing and I can assure everyone that you would enjoy it.

Good Hunting and clean 1-shot Kills.

quote:

Originally posted by ireload2:
I was informed by another guy that seemed to know his stuff that it is considered bad form to hunt with the same rifle two years in a row. His theory was that the rifle might break down during the hunt. He used this rationale to justify buying at least one rifle each year and more if he could ...just in case. As a result he was always working up new loads......

I heard that some rifles are bad luck, so a new rifle is needed after an unsuccessful year.
In WA state, that would be allot of rifle sales.

All varmints don't have to be with a centerfire. They are all good practice for regular hunting season. Heck, a good ground squirrel trip in Idaho or SW Montana will use up 1000 rounds of 22LR in a day! Add in the 22WMR and jackrabbits, and long range rock chucks with a 7 Mag and the numbers soar.

Hot Core ----- Thanks for the post, I can identify with it. I shoot 3000 plus rounds per year with my high powered rifles, .22's or 30 cal carbine. Add to that skeet shooting periodically and I do a lot of shooting. This is my hobby and I have two private benchs, one too 200 yards and another to 400 yards, that I shoot on three times a week if the weather permits, cold is OK, but snow or rain will keep me home. I reload everything I shoot, from .243 WSSM up to 50 BMG. I do this instead of playing golf and don't regret spending the necessary money to do my thing. I chronograph 99% of all high powered shots to see what my loads are doing and enjoy each and every minute of my time. I shoot many rifles besides mine for Deer and Elk hunting buddies who will not take to time to do the shooting they need to do in regulating their rifles. If you want it shot, I will shoot it, either factory or reloads if you supply the shells or die and components. Happiness is a one hole group with a rifle that had never shot anything less than two inchs. With the private benchs on my son's farm I don't have to listen to anyone else when I want to shoot, I just pick up 4 to 5 rifles and several targets and have at it, with music from country too classical in the background, this is my little piece of heaven. I would welcome company on my benchs at anytime, the more the merrier. The Elk hunters in my group (14 this year) that go to Colorado yearly are required to shoot for me and convince me that they are not blowing smoke out their ass about their shooting skills before they can be included in the group. I am also training my six grandsons and grandaughter and hopefully my great grandson someday to be serious shooters, that will help supply meat for the table with a few trophys thrown in. Well right or wrong, that is the I do it, for what it is worth. Good shooting.