Target shooting rifle caliber

Get a Thompson Encore and just start adding barrels to your collection.

I killed a lot more ducks with an old single shot .410 than I ever did with a 12-gauge autoloader. Perhaps only having only a single shot makes you more accurate?
 
I am not considering a 22LR or a .223 as I already have a .243
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So do I, but that is not the issue.


I have to admit that I have been saving my 243 and not shooting it as often as I would like, mostly due to the fact that the rifle ranges available to me within reasonable traveling distance are 100 yard ranges. (and that is still a 45 min drive) There are some 300 yard ranges available but are a hour and a half drive in each direction and at that point gas is costing me more than ammo to do it often. Anything that is 600 meters or better is a 3 hour drive away, and that is what I would like to shoot at, but I very, very seldom have the time or resources to follow up on going there.

Yes, 308 would be better to practice with and barrel life a bit better but I would rather reload my own ammo than use commercial or mil surplus for better accuracy.

So I went with a bolt action 223 Remington (recent purchase) which is what I reload the most and cheaply, not because it is a better caliber (it is not) but because it gives me the most trigger time to practice the basics and hone my skills. Most skills are transferable for me and it does give me more trigger time.

Your circumstances may be different, if not you may want to try the 223 option, you can always use it for varmint shooting as well.

Brian has given you some very good advice and I would follow it, but things are never the same for all of us and you need to follow your needs.

Good luck and shoot straight.
Jim

 
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Even your 223 will be good out to 500 yards.
I'd practice my shooting with that, especially if ammo is a decent price. Hornady training ammo is generally pretty cheap and very accurate considering the price.
 
Yea I am sure I will have a bunch of new guns in the next five years after I graduate college :D. I am sure I will end up with a 223 at some point. I really need to get the stuff for reloading (and I may do that this summer), but I would also like to buy a 300WM too...so we will see what happens.
 
Jim,

Is that a Levange Linear on your rifle? I think those are interesting, but have never used one.

Does it do anything for you that another bit of barrel would not have?

Thanks
 
The .308 in a decent weight rifle is comfortable to shoot, isn't as sensitive to wind as many smaller calibers, and has a super selection of ammo/reloading components.
 
After many years of hunting most big game here in Utah with everything from stock 30-06 to custom .25-06 to 30-378 Weatherby magnums and everything in between including a nice Sharps 45-70 I have now resigned myself to target shooting from a bench just for the same practice you are talking about. Now on a limited budget I am shooting a nice 7mm-08 Ruger American with a 4-18 Tasco world class scope and with some small cartridge load development I am getting consistant sub 1" groups with some cloverleaf sub 1/2" groups all 6 shot strings.

It is easier to shoot many rounds at a sitting from a bench taking time to shoot, let cool and clean every 10 rounds or so. It is a highly enjoyable way to spend some quality range time especially with my wife for a spotter and to read wind gusts. A tail gate lunch out in the desert here and then some great .22 and AR plinking and carry handgun practice. A full day of quality shooting sport.

The 7mm-08 is a marvelous big game rifle as I have come to learn and can even be a fair varmint caliber as there are so many quality bullets in all weights to get when most other calibers are in short supply. Whats difficult right now is brass so I buy cheap loaded ammo and reload them. Prvi Partizen is just $16.00 a box of 20 and is very accurate to start with and gives me many reloads keeping away from max. loads. Just my take on continuing to enjoy the shooting sports at a senior age. Stay safe always. Bob
 
Yep, shooting that .243 is perfect. .243 win is *pretty* cheap, relative to other "full-powered" rounds. A little less recoil than what you're ultimately training for, BUT at least a little bit of recoil - gives you ability to learn to handle it well without developing flinch.

I think Mr. Ruger480 and Mr. Pflueger speak wisely.
 
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