Rifle to become a better marksman

[LAK]

What Will Fennell said.

Except in place of "heavy" I would go with a sporter with the best trigger you can find. CZ perhaps.
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[Michael Courtney]

New rifles are always nice, and if they do nothing else, they give us motivation to shoot more since the new rifle's capabilities need to be explored.

However, scopes with 4x magnification and higher tend to emphasize the kind of slow rifle shooting that can be common in varmint hunting, and stand hunting of larger game, but they don't do much for the faster rifle skills needed in stalking game, or in defensive situations. Of the two, the faster rifle skills are harder to acquire and maintain.

I recommend the book, _The Art of the Rifle_ by Jeff Cooper. I also recommend that you obtain the NRA qualification booklet and work your way through some of the rifle qualification processes described in it.

Michael Courtney

 

[dm1333]

My vote is for a lot of .22

I have been shooting a minimum of 300 rounds a week for a little more than a month because I am also interested in bettering myself. I have been working hard on my trigger squeeze and breathing. My routine is to shoot 5 or 10 round groups sitting, off hand, prone, then to plink various targets(broken clay pigeons, bottles, rocks, etc.) with another 5 or 10 rounds and then repeat it all again. I managed to impress myself today in a very windy (30+ mph) gravel pit today with some really tight groups shot sitting at 50 yards. I hit just about every piece of junk and can that I aimed at while plinking up to 80 or 90 yards. I also shot my M38 scout and my groups were tighter on that too.

Don

 

[dm1333]

One other thing I forgot, PHYSICAL FITNESS! I'm 40 and thought old age was finally catching up with me(lots of lower back pain). Some physical therapy and a new work out routine with lots of dead lifts, squats, and clean and press has made a huge difference in every day life. Very easy to get into sitting positions now and no creaking when I bend over.

 

[michael_aos]

I have been shooting a minimum of 300 rounds a week for a little more than a month because I am also interested in bettering myself. I have been working hard on my trigger squeeze and breathing. My routine is to shoot 5 or 10 round groups sitting, off hand, prone, then to plink various targets(broken clay pigeons, bottles, rocks, etc.) with another 5 or 10 rounds and then repeat it all again. I managed to impress myself today in a very windy (30+ mph) gravel pit today with some really tight groups shot sitting at 50 yards. I hit just about every piece of junk and can that I aimed at while plinking up to 80 or 90 yards. I also shot my M38 scout and my groups were tighter on that too.

Don

Yep, that's the sort of shooting I'm talking about -- although perhaps more in the 200-300yd range.

An old abandoned junkyard / gravel-pit would be ideal. No ad-hoc targets allowed at my range.

There's an old farmhouse / outbuilding / associated junk and lots of garbage in an area I used to hunt antelope. It's a couple hours from here. I aught to inquire if I can get in there in the off-season and maybe hunt some rabbits.

Mike

 

[dm1333]

I have a choice of 3 gravel pits and no ranges! I can actually shoot close to 100 yards in the pit I was in today but I was trying to stay in the sun to keep warm. Shooting at known distances is good, but I think plinking cans and rocks and stuff that is scattered all over the pit helps a lot because I don't get stuck in the rut of shooting at the same range. Since I don't have the option of 2,3 or 400 yards shots my goal is to be able to shoot tight groups on very small targets. I'm also going to try to get a few friends interested in shooting matches, things like CMP Sporter and maybe running/shooting type biathlons. What part of Colorado are you in? I am stationed in northern CA right now, but have been thinking of retiring to northern AZ or NM, maybe southern CO.

 

[rangerruck]

get an old remmy mohawk at a gun show, get it in 6mm , put a bipod on it, learn to breath and control that weapon from the bench and the prone. a 6mm will smoke a 243, Academy still sells the factory remmy 6mm bullets, and they are same price as 243. plus you will probably the only dude around with a tiny 16 in bbl , beautiful Mohawk.

 

[michael_aos]

I've read good things about the "no neck" 6mm BR. I'm not sure how well it would feed from a magazine though.

I've yet to really rationalize a valid "need" for it, but I've just always wanted a Remington 700P LTR.

 

[michael_aos]

Mike,

You already have the rifles you need to develop better marksmanship skills. A good start would be to shoot Eddie's standards until you can ace them every time, then work on speed. You can do it with your AR and M193, nothing fancy.

I guess I just kind of think of my M15A4 is my "3Gun gun", as opposed to a general-purpose, do-everything sort of rifle.

I took out on Monday for a while. It's pretty amazing.

 

[michael_aos]

How would different equipment help? Was the weak-hand pistol stage at TV3G hard because we were shooting the wrong pistols?

I think that particular stage would have been easier with a high-capacity, minor power-factor 9mm, yes.

Should I have been able to do it with a single-stack .40 S&W and major power-factor? Yes.

Shooting is a lot more of a mental game (at least for me) than I originally thought it was.

Having the "right" equipment helps me mentally, which helps me overall.

Mike

 

[colt.45]

if you want to become a real marksman you definately dont want a scoped bolt-action hunting gun chambered in a special purpose round, youl waste your time reloading and waste all your money on ammo. get a good accurate (2-4moa) semi auto rifle chambered in a faily common, powerful and cheap military round, also make sure it can accept hi-cap mags and get alot of em. whoever says that semi's make you spend less time on your shots is wrong, this only applies to people with no disipline or children.

your ar-15 will wor just fine, but inorder to become a rifleman you need to practice, so get LOTS of ammo, get to the range and practice the fundimentals, triger squeeze, sight picture, spot weld, the three positions, breathing and any others i forgot. and dont underestimate the power of airgun practice, it helped me alot.

 

[michael_aos]

idont underestimate the power of airgun practice, it helped me alot.

I used to shoot my air-rifles a lot, and I think it helped me a lot.

Unfortunately I lost my big backyard a few years ago. Now I feel when I've driven 45-minutes to the shooting-range, I might as well shoot a firearm.

Mike

 

[pete f]

do you live in a apt now or a house. Indoor everday practice is good too.

pellets in the basement or .22 CB caps work wonders on your shooting. A few old phone books, a box of garage sale books or an old log will work for backstops.

not always legal but fun.

 

[michael_aos]

No new rifle for me. Still shooting my AR-15's and 260's.

 

[Terrierman]

Everybody needs a good accurate bolt rifle and .243 is a mighty fine choice. Don't let anybody talk you out if it.

 

[rangerruck]

i disagree with the 243 for several reasons. now , on game , this is a great all around cart, but for primarily target shooting your are should be good out to 300 yds easy, if you wanna do some longer range work, i would suggest 3 , my personal fave the old 6mm remmy , the 308, and the 6.5 swede. the 308 and the 6.5 swede you can get excellent quality milsurp or new mfgr rounds for both. the 6mm and the 6.5 are noted for shooting like a lazer throuhg the wind and not moving. the 6mm , you can still get new mfgr rounds at academy for about 8 to 10 bucks a box. also the 6mm case design is much better and longer lasting on the throat/neck/ chamber of a rifle than a 243, the 243 is very unstable in this regard.
i would get a rifle that makes you be a better shot, that you have to work for it.
go find an old remmy mohawk, or 788, with a upper vent rib, 16 in bbl, and fully adjustable rear site, in 6mm, you can get them at gun shows for about 3 to 500 bucks, depending on condition. they are a great, light, handy rifle.