Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Maybe we obsess too much

Absolutely

Conversely, one can't get better at long range without actually practicing at long range... with a load that provides adequate feedback of course.

They do, and just like fixing a truck, just gotta know where to go and what to do. Sadly, I know more about rifles than I do about trucks. That's what my one mechanic son is for. He reads the codes and knows exactly where to go and what to do. Pretty handy feller to have around.

Would you agree that threading a shot 175 yards through the woods full of branches and blow downs is probably equally as tough a shot as what most would consider "long range", and require just as much precision and predictability?

I passed on a VERY nice buck 2 years ago at 68 yards in that type of woods because I was not confident I could thread that needle with my flintlock and iron sights. Just too much crap along the way and the holes were SMALL. Had it been rifle season and armed with any of my lever rifles or bolt actions that deer would be on my wall right now.

In my opinion "long range" isn't the only qualifier for an accurate hunting rifle/load.

It’s just not MOA and bullet construction that’s important anymore. Now it’s change of POI due to temperature changes. Wind is something that can be dealt with. Application programs can help with that. Perhaps what is most important after POI is bullet construction. Then there’s those with better eyes than me that insist a $700 scope is required.

Before this, it was Lake City brass, H4831 or IMR4350, 180 grain Core Lokts in a semi-custom 03 Springfield with an El Paso K4. 1 to 1.5 MOA was fine.

Yep, guilty as charged!

I suppose to a golfer it’s one less stroke - I wouldn’t know about that because when I played a few rounds of golf keeping score just pissed me off.

Fishing with a cane pole and a worm was fine enough but now…

Go ahead make fun of us Lunies.

Yes
Archery is even more difficult in brush. Self restraint is required in all types of hunting.

The fact is, people do obsess.

This is an Internet forum with no checks and balances that allows the same space for BS as it does for truth.

I have found that obsessing with reloading will wear out barrel as fast as bad shooting, so who is the real winner?

Rifle Loonies....there's a term I haven't heard in a long time.

Ha! Nothing like poking the 'fire! In all honesty I have chased a few rabbits down the accuracy hole. Spent a lot of dollars and it was sometimes worth it and always educational.
We'll see how far this hole goes.... and if we catch the rabbit!

Ive been HL for about 10 years. The small amount of ammo I make shoots better than store bought stuff. I don’t make it quickly but it’s on the gnats ass consistent.

First thing that has to start if you wanna shoot small is the gun, shooter, scope, knowledge and components capable and I mean not at just 100 yards. Any one of those missing you will never shoot under .5 moa probably even at 100 yards certainly not 500-700.
.25-.5 moa accuracy is some work especially in brass prep and testing its not an obsession its the willingness to to do it.
Find a mentor who is successful at precision shooting like BR and F- Class and do alot of listening and few questions and will save yourself alot of time and money, there's alot of them are more than willing to help.
You can't take a 1 moa gun and turn it into a .5 moa by your ammo but you certainly can turn a .5 moa gun into a 1 moa gun

Horses for courses. The work is only worthwhile it its benefits can be realized by the user. For example, the minutiae of brass prep for benchrest or F-class rifles would be largely wasted on still hunting deer ammo for Grandpa's Savage 99 with a 2.5x post reticle scope.

I'm glad the long range and obsessive group shooters have brought their knowledge and equipment to the hunter's world.
Where and how I hunt, I don't need it...my time would be better spent practicing offhand...but just the confidence gained in knowing what your well developed rifle and optics are capable of, gives the hunter an edge he never had 30 or 40 years ago. As equipment improved, hunters demanded more of suppliers than ever before. Many of us geezers remember the late 50's, not so fondly sometimes. The poorer among us had a bubba sporter Mauser or Springfield, maybe a box of factory Remington or Winchester, topped with a Weaver 4X...we'd fire a couple shots off the hood of the pickup, hopefully hitting a 4" white rock a hundred paces away...goood 'nuff. They weren't the good old days. These are the good old days, whether you choose to obsess or not.

Most with half a lick of sense would realize that, but grandpa's gun is still not a good enough excuse to get sloppy and not find it's full potential. Unless not giving a shi t is your standard operating procedure.

I disagree to a certain extent. If I am hunting at modest ranges with something like the rifle/scope mentioned above, using a hunting bullet of my choosing, and I'm getting the accuracy I deem necessary for the use, I'm not sure that searching out additional precision is always a good use of my time. I'm also not likely to put my pocket pistol in a Ransom Rest and burn through $200 of defensive ammo to see what shoots best at 50yds. Good enough can be good enough. It's not necessarily "not giving a shi t".

100% truth right there.
Obviously he didn't read what I said about 100 yards, or guns capability.

Years ago, when I was younger and reloading components were readily available, I obsessed a great deal more than now!

Fast forward to present, my last load development was with a case nearly double that of a .308 Win., I was increasing powder charges in 1 full grain increments. With each subsequent charge increase, the velocities increased slightly and the group sizes (only 3 shot groups) reduced slightly. I would shoot one group per day, with two to 3 groups per target. The groups were nearly superimposed over each other. This continued until I reached a point at which the pressures were a concern. I then backed down, again in a 1 grain increment, to what appeared a safe level.

Years ago, I would have likely went from that point each direction in .1 grain increments to try and attain the best possible group size. However, at this point the group was pretty darn good, trying to improve would have only resulted in a waste of components and very likely much frustration! All to what end…..perhaps reducing the group another 1/8”. It’s a darn hunt’n rifle!

The group (s) are very likely within the parameters of both the rifle and my shooting capabilities!

I stopped right there……I slept very peacefully that night! It appears that those years of therapy really did help! 🤪 memtb

Why even bother then.....

Buy a box of factory ammo to last you the next half dozen seasons or so, and go bass fishing with all the time and money you saved.

Grandpa's gun is gonna max out at some point, likely a lot less than what could be defined as "precision", but probably a little more than what I would realistically expect from my Marlin levers. I would find out, if only for shi ts and giggles.

This is funny actually. For most on here its gotta buy this gadget, now I need this gadget and after another gadget and several hundred or thousand dollars later I have everything needed to speed up my operation, I havent got time to do this or that so let the machine do it.
Now its a not give a sh*t operating procedure to not wasting your time doing Benchrest or competition brass prep on a hunting rifle that has but 1 job, put 1 bullet in the boiler room and go home, not 25 or 30 rounds into an x size 10 ring in x amount of time at x distance.
Funny place this is.

You think it's funny here, try keeping up with the Joneses in the PRS circle.....