Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Competitive Shooting best target load to use

I am new to this and have been getting some great info from you guys. I have been asking about target rifle questions and have been figuring on getting it in .308 (whichever rifle i decide on) because of most likely hunting with it, eventually.

but if i were to just use it to target shoot and hopefully compete in leagues/events around here, and on Long Island 200 yds is the max distance around here. What is the best round/load to use???

Say I were to take hunting out of it, just shooting 100 and 200 yards targets. what round and grain bullet is best?

thanks

155 and 168 are never bad choices for 200 yards and less.

If it were me, and if I reloaded, and 200 was max I'd look hard into a 125ish flat base though. I think Berger may make something along those lines, Flat base are ACCURATE, and 125 gives you not much in the recoil deparrtment.

But as we have mentioned, you damn sure better go see WHAT you can compete in, as you may buy a rifle thats ILLEGAL IE they won't let you compete with.

Its all about knowing WHAT you want before you buy IMHO.

Wife and I went to a couple of highpower matches BEFORE we ever bought. Then were lucky enough that shooters are nice, and offered if we'd come back, to try this gun or that etc.. and for a few matches we did until we decided to buy Springfield M1A rifle for me and an AR for her. And then since there were no heavy AR bullets at that time, she lost bad at 600 yards using 69s, someone gave her an M14 for a few months, and ammo... and boom our second springfield was on the way...

Had we bought a bolt gun, it likely would have been a brand not best, and then not suitable at all for service rifle, but even with match rifle there would have been a LOT of things wrong with just buying a bolt gun off the shelf.... stock, stripper clips, barrel twist etc.... ability to mount sights instead of scope and I can go on and on.

Again, figure what you are going to do FIRST, then move to gun. After gun worry about ammo.

great point, i will contact my local clubs to find out what your compete in.

IF there is a class open to any caliber, what is the best, most consistent round to use. I hear some shoot flatter then others and i assume some are better at 100 to 200 yards and others are good/better at 300+..
what round is best out of a bolt actions at 100 and 200 yards?

Scroll down to the rifle section. NRA competitive rifle programs. Give your location and what you want to do.

New Jersey has some good shoots as well.

http://competitions.nra.org/directory-contact-information.aspx

Good advice as stated before on this thread and his other thread.

OK, here's my take based on info posted.

100/200 yard shooting--- . I shot highpower silhouette for years with guys shooting deer rifles because they could not afford better equipment that outshot the designated silhouette guns and that's shooting standing out to 500 meters.====== buy an accurate hunting rifle

Jarhead88 does not reload so ammo at this point so factory ammo is his only option.===== buy an accurate hunting rifle and enjoy formal or informal target shooting. Not many limiting factors on a hunting rifle shooter and he is on Long Island, NY.

J88 has little/zero experience in formal target shooting and he stated that he would like to go hunting at some point and a designated target gun ain't much fun to lug around in the woods.====== Buy a hunting rifle and he can enjoy target shooting with it.

Limited funds and being stuck with a designated target gun that has to be fed $$$$$$ target ammo.===== Buy a hunting gun.

I see him starting out with a hunting rifle that he can target shoot with .

Denny.

hahahha point well taken... so what hunting rifle do you suggest? and I guess I shouldn't go with the varmint rifles as most are heavy barrels correct? Dicks has that rem 700 ADL SS. does that look like a good rifle? what does stainless steel do for me besides no rust, anything? or on the rem website there is a SPS wood tech that looked nice.
Ok, so what caliber? is my original .308 a good choice?
What about stocks, do I go with synthetic or wood?
thanks for all the help

308 is fine. Buy a used 700BDL in excellent condition and you will have a gun for life. Easy to find. Be patient.

Savage is a strong number two choice but there's about umpteen billion aftermarket parts & accessories out there for the 700.

Kinda like building a Harley.

It all boils down to your comfort zone and what you want to do.

Denny.

Used Rem 700 ADL might be even cheaper, no need for the BDL part for uses.

And you are right, that might well be the best way to go. Shoot decently, have ok triggers.

Don't worry about bullet drop, you are worried about wind. I use my 308 to take game out to just over 700 yards so far. I cna range the distance and dial that in, what you want is something a bit more resistant to wind.

308 is as solid as they come for all around use IMHO.

I did look at the 700ADL... is the stock the same? it felt different then the SPS. like cheaper

I would like to buy something new though

Same ... Cheap stocks. Metal is the same. I use an sps varmint in a stocky's stock as my WTF rifle (white trash F-class rifle). Shoots well, but F-class isn't what I'm drawn too. I plan on competing this year, so we'll see what happens.

Still think you should shoot that AR in different events (even if its not legal). Most organizations will let you shoot to learn, you won't be in the prize pool.

[quote=avagadro]Same ... Cheap stocks. Metal is the same. I use an sps varmint in a stocky's stock as my WTF rifle (white trash F-class rifle). Shoots well, but F-class isn't what I'm drawn too. I plan on competing this year, so we'll see what happens.

Still think you should shoot that AR in different events (even if its not legal). Most organizations will let you shoot to learn, you won't be in the prize pool.[/quote

OK, so the action, trigger, barrel are all the same just a cheap stock? which is fine i guess, then I can just replace the stock with an aftermarket when i save up... that's what i will go with then.

would you go with the 700 ADL SS or the 700 varmint that dicks has? and is the stainless steel barrel any better?
if it's mainly for target shooting am i better off with the varmint because of the heavy barrel?

I wouldn't sweat the SS vs CM. If just punching paper off of bags or bipod the varmint model is good and will provide much enjoyment.

very cool... would you go with the Remington or savage... both look good.

I went with the M700 because there were no heavy Savages in .308 local. I've always had good luck with the M700, but know of too many good shooting savages not to buy one.

Bottom line is all rifle purchases can be (or are) a crap shoot, you pay your money, you roll your dice and take a chance.

Only other reason to go savage is you COULD rebarrel on your own if you ever wanted/needed too.

Doing a 700 requires more tools typically than most of us have access to or can afford.

Buy a 700 with a wood stock, skip the expense of an aftermarket stock and put the $$$$$$$ you saved into a good bedding job if the barrel shoots.

Denny.

Thats what I was after when I said used ADL, with the old wood stocks. Great triggers, good barrels and very workable wood stocks...The old ADLs were great guns generally.

I've been hammering about getting an older 700 but I think he's got his mind set on a new gun. He will be $$$$$ ahead and happier in the long run buying a quality used gun instead of buying from a shoe salesman at Dick's or Gander Mountain.

Denny.

Dunno if you can buy a used ADL with wood for 299 like the new SPS ones these days?

See your earlier post below. I'm going to recommend the older ADL that will last him for ages. He still hasn't really said what kind of target shooting or hunting and "cool" doesn't cut it if he's really serious.



Denny.

Yes I'm aware but cost was an issue. Like I said, no clue if you could walk into a pawn or gun show and buy a used ADL wood stock for 300 bucks.

hey guys.. used guns around here aren't that easy and shipping to NY isn't easy either.
primary use will be target inside 200 yards. want to shoot the rifle as is when i get it then upgrade as funds are available. I am a bow hunter and may rifle hunt one day, but probably get a new rifle for that by then..haha

If you're not going to hunt with it, get a .223.

If you will get a new rifle as noted, for hunting, then by all means IMHO dump the 308 idea and run 223. At least a 8 or 9 twist if you can manage it. Just fine for 200 yards. Even with a slower twist than that.

I have no clue what twists bolt guns come in these days though as I never was a bolt gun shooter, only the AR shooter in competition.

Its half the cost to feed for sure, won't beat you up at all, etc...

Great points..... Just have to really think of the chances of rifle hunting.. I bow hunt and love shooting. Just wanted to shoot a bigger rounds/caliber. But the more you guys talk about it it make sense to stick with 223. So does that change any of your thoughts as far as rifles go.?

What I can tell you RE 308 vs 223.

The 308 will beat the 223 at longer ranges in the wind.
As noted it recoils more, I'm not overly recoil sensitive but slung up in a 308 running 210s in warm loads at 1000 yards, running 60-80 rounds in a few hours, my body does get sore. Wife and I shot M14s for years at Perry, and used shooters adhesive so the face and hands stuck to the guns in recoil in rapids... after 2 weeks at perry with both had literal scabs on our faces from the abrasion. I could shoot, but it wasn't all that much fun after sometimes up to 100 rounds a day for 2 weeks.

We have shot a LOT of game with the 308.

When the 223 came out, and then when GOOD bullets came out finally that didn't drift huge amounts in the wind at 300 and 600, it was a no brainer. Very little recoil. Very accurate guns. On the whole more accurate and easier to keep that way than a 308 hands down. Barrel life was similar to sometimes twice as much at a 308. Did I mention cost of ammo?

And I"ve killed possibly more game with the 223 if you count pigs in the kill numbers. And I have actually killed deer on the other side of 500 yards with the 223 and 75 amax. Not that I suggest it but under the right conditions... and IF legal...

223 with a TSX bullet will take just about any deer out there walking the earth. And do it very well. IF legal. Sure I'd be leary of long shots and hard angles and or lots of bone, but 223 is daily use for deer in Texas.

So with you mentioning you might buy a different rifle to hunt with.... 223 wins hands down. And even if you end up hunting.

And personally, as many rounds as you may shooting just target shooting, ( wife and I used to run over 20K rounds a year on targets not counting 22 and dry firing) vs how many you run hunting (we get 5 deer tags generally and IF I shoot 5 deer, we are talking maybe 7-8 shots a year. If I really needed for legal reasons a rifle to shoot game with or just had the desire to use larger than 223, and was on a budget, a cheap single shot rifle would kill all the big game I'd ever need.... so your second rifle need not cost much as it'll rarely get fired.

And when it boils down to it, a shot is a shot is a shot if you are practiced. DOesn't matter what you pick up rifle wise, teh shot sequence in your subconscious brain is still the same.

Rost... well put. My path is changed. With that all said what .223 do u suggest foe target. I should go heavier barrel in .223? Still focus on rem 700 adl..

Whatever caliber you choose please buy a rifle with a wood or laminated stock for stability then buy a reloading set up.

How many rounds do you think you will shoot in a year ???

Denny.

My job has crazy season/summer hour so i will mainly shoot fall thru spring which makes it weather dependent, so probably less then 3000/4000 rounds at maximum.

3-4K per year puts you in the market for a reloading set up. JMHO

Have you considered this as $$$$ has been a governing factor in your posts.


Denny.

Yep, 3-4 K you really need to reload likely.

I'm not up on costs of match grade ammo, but fairly sure I"ve seen it up to a buck a round for 223... and maybe as cheap as 75 cents a round for it on the cheap side. Not ball but match.

That runs 3000.00 bucks a year of ammo give or take...although 308 might well run quite a bit more than taht...

Actually was looking into reloading equipment. Where is the best place to look for it. Is there a complete, beginners set up somewhere?

Lee has a cheap kit with their cheap stuff ready to go. Last I looked it was called anniversary kit. Would suffice for starters.

RCBS rockchucker kit is probably still around and though more money a much more solid setup, IMHO.

Some will tell you Lee is all you need, and generally speaking lots of folks get by with it. My exposure to lee is that it is cheap. And somewhat junk. But then again I have some lee stuff in my loading room for various reasons.

I happen to prefer Redding dies typically. FWIW.

Boils down to how much you will end up using the setup basically.

When we were running 20K plus rounds of 223 a year, I"d have hated to rely on a lee progressive press, as their parts break and have to be replaced. At that time we were running a pair of Dillons and while Dillon will eventually break a part, in the years we used a 550 and 650 I never had to replace a part.

All the above being said I feel if you really get into loading, seriously, a kit isn't the way to go. SO I'd buy the lee cheap kit, and start. Then if you need better, buy it piece at a time.

You could also probably likely buy it piece by piece on fleabay or craigslist type adds used.

At this point I kind of feel sorry for him in that

A) Trying to load 3-4K with a kit re: basic press, dies,scale etc. will require a huge investment in time.

B) Starting out with a progressive and no exp. under his belt may be overwhelming for a newbie.

I'm going to revise my original recommendation and say go for a cheap wood stock rifle in the caliber of his choice which at this point doesn't matter for 200 yard shooting and have him shoot it for a season or two to gain some experience. After a season he will have better handle on equipment and supplies and the cheap rifle can be sold when it's time to upgrade.

Denny.

Jarhead88
Are you a member of a local gun club. If so
I suggest you put the word out you are looking to buy used rifle, reloading equipment etc.
When you say target shooting do you mean NRA high power or EIC, F class?
Maybe hang around a few matches and ask questions after the match is over.
F class is like prone bench rest and equipment gets spendy. I like leg matches
it used to be $2.00 entry fee and they would issue you
30-06 ball ammo for free until Clinton stuck his big nose in there.

Jarhead,

Instead of asking these questions piecemeal, you need to go to some matches and see what the shooters use and where to get it. I suspect they will be glad to help you.

Indy, J'head hasn't signed on since 2/14

Denny.