The Right Tool for the Job

[Kirk111]

I'm new to marksmanship. Very new. My main interest is eventually getting good at long range target shooting as a hobby. So after a lot of research I've picked up:

Tikka T3 Sporter 24"bbl, 308
Bushnell DMR 3.5-21x scope

Forgive the aside for a sec, but I have to share my first experiences... I absolutely love the rifle and the scope. Just feels right. I shot it for the first time on a hunting trip to Arkansas last week. This was also my first time hunting ever. I took a doe on the first day and an 8pt buck on the third. Okay, I'm hooked. I spent the first day in Arkansas sighting in my rifle at 100yds and it was pretty much dialed in after 3 shots, though I took 5 total to verify.

The downside of the rig was the weight. It was cumbersome. Especially using the 24"bbl in a stand and in the woods. I know what you're thinking, duh! But keep in mind my main interest is in target shooting, eventually long range. What saved me was the TAB biathlon sling. It was like carrying nothing on my back, but the damn rifle was heavy to hold in my hands, maybe too much for all day hunting.

I am also interested in developing a good base of general marksmanship skills (of course) and I plan to practice positional drills. While I think I can handle shooting my Sporter in a kneeling position and in prone, I don't think I'll be able to effectively practice shooting in a standing position without getting fatigue very quickly. So it seems I'll need a different rifle for hunting and developing basic marksmanship skills.

So I'm trying to decide what rifle would be best to supplement. I was thinking a really lightweight Tikka T3 Lite in 308 with a 20" barrel. However, it's very tempting to pick up something like a 300 win mag or 7mm rem mag to have a rifle with more take down power for hunting and one that has better performance than the 308 downrange. A different tool in the bag so to say. For hunting that would be great as recoil wouldn't bother me only taking a few shots per day. However I know these calibers will be way too much recoil to use practicing basic marksmanship.

A few questions...

1. How light should a rifle be to be considered a good weight for practicing basic marksmanship?
2. How many repetitions shooting standing should I be able to do without fatigue affecting accuracy? I think I could only manage about 10 max with my Tikka before getting tired. I could do more, but probably not keeping accuracy.
3. What should I get in addition to my Sporter for hunting and for marksmanship?

Thanks for enduring this long post. I'm a bit excited after my trip and shooting my rifle for the first time!

 

[Kirk111]

 

[sled_mack]

If this is going to be your competition gun, then you should practice with it. For positional shooting, dry fire is your best friend. The more you do it, the less fatigue you'll feel - you should be using bone to support the rifle, not muscle.

If you want to purchase another rifle, a 22lr trainer would be a big help. Especially if you can get it in a similar configuration to your 308 rifle. Supplement your dry fire practice with 22lr practice to save money on ammo and barrel life on your 308.

 

[Sterling Shooter]

Your knowledge or base of understanding for what's important to good shooting is deficient and therefore answers to your questions will not yield what you need to know. Take advantage of an M1 Garrand Clinic in your area. That will set you straight on what's important. Right now, your concerns are moot. Nevertheless,
1. A heavier weight barrel/rifle generally supports marksmanship but indirectly.
2. Dry fire repetitions build stamina, motor memory, and recognition of NPA/follow through.
3. Get a spotting scope: record your call/strike corollary to be able to analyze performance in progress. This helps to build consistency.

 

[Kirk111]

Thanks sled, Thanks Sterling.

Sterling: Do you mention an M1 Garrand clinic because it's also a bit heavier rifle and the specific skills will be similar in positional work? Thanks for your help. I'm all ears and eager to start working.

Can you recommend a good text to get me started with the basics of marksmanship? I am planning on taking classes, but time prohibits at the moment. I am also looking through the online training videos on this site, but I think I need a wider base of knowledge as I start developing basics.

Thanks again. I will look for classes around Austin, begin dry fire practice. I'll take a look around for a spotting scope.

 

[ksthomas]

Kirk111,

Need to narrow down what you're looking for here. There's a tremendous amount of differences between what the new shooter may call "target shooting." Are we talking about informal plinking at long range targets, or is this Long Range Prone, Benchrest or F-Class competition? Big differences here, and the rifles and training need to be specifically tailored to the one that you're wanting to learn.

 

[Kirk111]

Again, my main interest, as a hobby is long range marksmanship and to a lesser extent hunting. So the Tikka Sporter is a good solution. I can use it for both. However, the weight was a bit much to endure during the entire 5 days. So I'd like to eventually get a lighter rifle for that use, something 6-7 lbs before adding a scope, etc. I understand though that to build a good base of knowledge you must first work on basics of marksmanship and I know that's going to involve working on positional shooting. And as Lowlight has stated in his training videos, rifles such as mine that weigh in at 12lbs or more fully loaded are just not the best for work in a standing position.

So I'm simply trying to research my options on rifles for hunting and one for general marksmanship (positional shooting, etc). I keep coming back to a .22lr for general practice and maybe then a lite 308 or similar specifically for hunting. I think the issue is trying to find one additional rifle that suits all those needs.