Question for the "old gun" folks

[miketv]

Greetings all,

I am new to the forum and have a few questions but let me give you a bit of background first. I have been collecting military C&R firearms for just over 25 years, am an avid target shooter and I would say an "average" handloader. I get a great deal of satisfaction out of shooting these "old gals" and seeing exactly what they are capable of. Over the years I've dipped my toes into competitive Hi-Power shooting and competed in several military rifle matches as time permitted (family first).
Fast forward to today: I recently acquired a JP rifles LRP-07 in 6.5 Creedmoor through a trade deal with a good friend, it is completely setup with scope, ect. Now after reading on this site for a couple of weeks I have quickly realized that I am in way over my head and don't know squat about LRPS. That being said, has anyone here made the made the this type of leap? If so, would you be kind enough to offer a noob like me some direction?

The following photos are to help keep this " on topic".

 

[Blue Sky Country]

Welcome to the Hide, and a happy Fourth of July first and foremost.

To answer your question, when it comes to firearms and learning new skills, there are no such things as "too much gun at once" or anything like what is associated with motorsports. A new motorcycle rider for example, would not be advised to get a 800-1200cc behemoth as his first bike because he might lose control of the machine and potentially hurt himself or others.

With guns it is different. Even an "advanced" rifle like the Ruger Precision series or the one that you acquired offer plenty of room to grow and learn. You might not be able to start ringing steel at 1400+ yards right off the bat with your rig, but as you participate in discussions here, perhaps take some of the training courses, and go out there under the sky and shoot as much as possible, rest assured that your rifle and ammunition IS mechanically capable of making such long range shots and you will get there eventually.

By the way, do you happen to own any 2-band configuration P-1853 Enfield rifled muskets or the Schmidt-Rubin 1931 rifles? Those WERE the precision rifles of their day and still are today. Easily capable of 1000+ yard repeat performances with period or contemporary optics.

 

[Spblademaker]

@miketv Sorry to hear about that mishap that took place at the chocolate factory. Glad you got all squared away and are on the Hide. And a little tidbit of direction would be not to ever start an MOA vs MIL thread.

 

[brianf]

^^^funny but true

First thing you’ll notice I’d how much better the triggers are
Next will be the lack of recoil because of the weight and soft butt pad on most rifles/chassis

That was my first impression

 

[sandwarrior]

Miketv,

My jump into ELR came as a result of proof of concept testing to see just how far a 7mm Mauser could shoot accurately. I put a new barrel on an old VZ-24 (won’t do that again!) and started shooting out to 2200yds. (2000 meters).
The deal was to replicate distances found in the San Juan and Kettle Hill battles of the Spanish-American War.

You might not live where you have a whole bunch of room like I did, so you’ll want to find the longest ranges you can shoot at. The fundamentals are all the same except you can see a lot better with a good scope. JBM Ballistics is a good place to figure your drops. Zero at 100 yds. and all adjustments are up from there.

There is a section down a ways called “Stupid Marksmanship Questions”. It’s a good place to ask questions as well as here.

Good luck, and stay in touch.

 

[Racer88]

I can highly recommend signing up for the Online Training here on the Hide. It's $15 / month, which gives you access to Online Training Forum. There are several dozen instructional videos. You can cancel at any time. Well worth it, and you'll jump start the learning curve by quite a bit.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

It's like getting onto a commuter train. How long you'll need to ride to the destination depends on where you hop on. To start closer to the destination, with rifles, the cost of the initial investment can make a significant difference.

I've long been vocal about starting at the beginning; that the first few stops are crucial. I may be right, but if I tried that now, I'd likely never get all the way there.

Something to ponder, I'm guessing...

Don't sweat the money already spent. Just get good training (some of the very best is available right here...), and the investment will pay off fine.

Greg

 

[miketv]

Thank you for the kind replies and the direction. I'm going to start at the front of the train as Greg others have suggested. Looking forward to the journey!

Cheers!
Mike

P.S. Oompa Loompa's really are jackasses