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!
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!