archmaker
12-29-2013, 02:31 PM
Went to the range and shoot a 243 I put together (took an old savage 110 30-06, and put a Shilen barrel, Timney trigger, and Choate Varmint Stock on it).
I spent more on the parts than I planned, but the gun was not the shooter that it was in the past, received it as a HS graduation gift from my parents (so sentimental value, and 243 because that is my Dad's favorite caliber), and i shot it a lot! Competed with it in some local 'tactical' matches using cast boolits and did ok. But it was bought used and I punched a lot of paper with it over the years, and the accuracy was in the 3-4" range with rounds that used to be 1".
But anyway, breaking in the new rifle and doing some load development, I was able to get a 4 shot group of .4" with one load (flyer from a clean barrel made the 5 shot group .8"), and another load turned in a .65 (5 shot group). Don't remember who said it but it is true "Only accurate rifles are interesting".
The past 25 years I have been doing almost ALL handgun shooting, including hunting and competing, (lately I have been averaging about 100-400 cast boolits a month down range), but shooting the rifle and doing so at 100yds, has me excited about shooting rifles again. I find it 'interesting' that a hobby that I love so much has just has some rust knocked off and another aspect to it is now being rekindled. Makes me wonder why I waited so long. I was even dreaming of shooting the targets last night as I went to sleep, if that tells you anything. :-D
I spent more on the parts than I planned, but the gun was not the shooter that it was in the past, received it as a HS graduation gift from my parents (so sentimental value, and 243 because that is my Dad's favorite caliber), and i shot it a lot! Competed with it in some local 'tactical' matches using cast boolits and did ok. But it was bought used and I punched a lot of paper with it over the years, and the accuracy was in the 3-4" range with rounds that used to be 1".
But anyway, breaking in the new rifle and doing some load development, I was able to get a 4 shot group of .4" with one load (flyer from a clean barrel made the 5 shot group .8"), and another load turned in a .65 (5 shot group). Don't remember who said it but it is true "Only accurate rifles are interesting".
The past 25 years I have been doing almost ALL handgun shooting, including hunting and competing, (lately I have been averaging about 100-400 cast boolits a month down range), but shooting the rifle and doing so at 100yds, has me excited about shooting rifles again. I find it 'interesting' that a hobby that I love so much has just has some rust knocked off and another aspect to it is now being rekindled. Makes me wonder why I waited so long. I was even dreaming of shooting the targets last night as I went to sleep, if that tells you anything. :-D