Another tournament rifle question

[ducksmuggler]

Me being a full believer of the shoot more shoot more often train of thinking....

lets say I hunt with 22-250 and am comfortable with it to 400 yards.( range goes to 600) but not a tack driver.. and I want to enter tournaments and was thinking of getting a 223 to be a range gun to "TRY" to improve my long range shooting. On the thinking that I could get 223 ammo cheaper the 22-250.

do you guys think that's a good idea or just shoot the snot out of my field weight 22-250

Thanks
Matt

[bucksnbears]

i think shoot whatever you can get and shoot alot. i go through bricks of .22lr a year and doing so helps me big time. i've hunted with alot of different people and you can tell the ones that shoot seldom. they are slow to get into position, look extreamly clumsey getting into posistion, ect. so in a nuttshell, shoot a bunch with whatever and i think it will help when the TIME comes...

[Optimax90]

If you are not reloading, no factory ammo is cheap. Plus if you are buying poor preforming ammo just to "practice" that is silly. Nothing gives you more frustration than missisng over and over again and wondering "why".
Shoot what you are going to shoot hunting, in the same way you are hunting. When we go out and shoot prairie dogs or rocks, we shoot with the same gun, same bi-pod, in a sitting position, same as if we were on stand. If you lay down on stand then practice that way, try to practice the same as your hunting, otherwise your not going to get much better.......

[Tim Anderson]

lets say I hunt with 22-250 and am comfortable with it to 400 yards.( range goes to 600) but not a tack driver.. and I want to enter tournaments and was thinking of getting a 223 to be a range gun to "TRY" to improve my long range shooting. On the thinking that I could get 223 ammo cheaper the 22-250.

My thought on this is use what you are going to use for hunting mostly and learn to shoot it and learn its bullets traj. by practiceing at different yardages and in different wind conditions. Know what youre bullet is going to do at that 500 yd mark with a 5 mph wind don't rely on ballistic charts, in most calling situations you won't have time to use it...My other thought is have two of the same guns chambered the same or with a cartridge that has simular vel and bullet weight..

For example: I have a few 17 rems shooting 30 gr. bullets at 3800-3900 fps, my 17 Pred. also with a 30 gr. at 3900 fps and a 22-250ackley with a 52 gr. at 3900-4000 fps and my new rifle the 20x47L with a 50 gr. or 55 gr. from 3800-4000 fps...
The traj. is pretty close to each other and wind drift is about 1" difference..I can go and shoot either one for practice and don't have to re-learn anything from switching rifles..

You could possably do the same with a 223 and a 22-250 if you can match the loads to come out at same vel. , lite bullet in 223 and heavey in 22-250. Past 300 yds though you would'nt be able to achieve the same results...

Some people say you need to practice in field conditions and in the position you willbe useing the most. To be honest i don't do it that way.. I just practice from a bench and work on trigger control and site picture and getting youre brain in tune with youre eyes and trigger finger.
At one setting i may only shoot 10-20 rounds and call it good for a few weeks or a month then go out and do it again and as hunting season gets closer i may go out with a few rifles and double check the zero and get enough practice this way..
Like was mentioned about being calm when you have a coyote come in and not rushing things. This i believe can only be done in the field with live targets. What i do is look at the coyote comeing in and get rifle ready and then get the coyote in the scope and then track it till everything feels right and just squeeze the trigger.

[Dcoy]

Shoot anything as much as you can when working on technique.Thoughtfully shooting a lot helps.Bricks of 22s often helps basics more than noisy,recoil machines.Heck you can do a lot just dry firing.If you are trying to improve your long range technique for next years tournies,you can still practice 'basics' with anything(positions,trigger work,'calling' the shot,etc) but actual shooting at distance should be with the rifle you intend to hunt with IMO-or something with near identical ballistics as TA mentioned.

[Tbush]

I think your saying your 22-250 is a heavy gun and you want something lighter to carry around ..Then yes! I have a heavy barrel 22-250 that I hunt with BUT use a diff 22-250 for serious times. I'm comfortable with either out to 500 and shoot both alot but, The heavy barreled gun on running or off hand shots tends to get pulled by gravity to much for me But I do stay with a caliber that I know.

[bucksnbears]

The heavy barreled gun on running or off hand shots tends to get pulled by gravity to much for me .

wimp you need to drink more schmidt light

[coyotelatrans]

Matt you should really get into reloading as you will find it not only cheaper but will allow you to fine tune a load to your gun, making it more accurate and also allwoing you to shoot more, so I would forgo the other rifle or bricks of 22 shells and get into reloading. My .02

[ducksmuggler]

I think your saying your 22-250 is a heavy gun and you want something lighter to carry around.

I actually have a light gun.... got sick of carrying that heavy barrled gun ..... and my light gun shoots just as good.

I am just getting into reloading and that os one of the.. other... reasons for getting a 223.... I was thinking I could get more bang for my buck on powder.



And thanks guy... it never dawned on me to use my 22lr

[barebackjack]

i think shoot whatever you can get and shoot alot. i go through bricks of .22lr a year and doing so helps me big time.

Yup!

You obviously need to practice with the hunting rig and hunting load you will be actually using for coyotes. Have to know the subtle nuances of it as far as drift and drop, with time and experience behind it, adjustments to field conditions become second nature. But the value of just good old fashioned fun .22 lr plinking is largely underestimated by many guys. My old man and I used to do a LOT of .22 lr plinkin, and at some pretty long ranges. The three fundamentals are established and practiced, trigger control, breathing, and consistent sight picture no matter what the caliber.

[Prairie Ghost]

Practice as much with the gun that you're shooting for the tournaments but anytime you're shooting is a good thing.

[Coyotehunter]

you do not have to send a bullet donw range to practice. dry firing a gun works fine if you are consintrating on your breathing, trigger pull, getting into position. If the gun is sighted in and you are confident in its ability dry firing at a target or even visualizing a set scenerio a few minutes each evening before bed can do wonders. Yes of course shooting is always fun and builds your confidence know you can make the shot but if you do not have time to get out or the expense of the ammo. you still have very viable options. My coyote gun only shoots coyotes...............for the most part anyways. seldom does it leave the truck for anything else. I do have a .22 mag, .204 and a .22-.250 AI that I shoot everyday......at the very least 4-5 days a week (rain days, sundays...) I know my .22-6mm shoots and I am not going to waste bullets and the barrel on praire dogs with that gun. if you visual 10 shot scenarios and 10 dry fires each night before bed I can gaurantee you will be more prepared in the field. You can do it every day rain or shine and only takes a few minutes of your time.