How much do I shoot? Not nearly as much anymore as I would like.
I have never shot at formal competition, nor have I ever owned an autoloader until this week.
I used to do load development as recreation.
I have shot out two bolt rifle barrels, and the Teslong shows that a Ruger #1 and a couple other bolt rifles are not far behind. But for thirty years I had a benchrest ten yards from the front door.
Today, I have to drive seven miles to my old benchrest and steel plate range, or ten miles out to unlimited range on the BLM, or twenty miles to an actual gun club range which I have been to once in the last year.
These days I shoot handguns much more than I do my rifles.
To address the accuracy needed to hunt big game. Yes, my Dad hunted that way. An elk is as big as a cow, and just fill them full of lead.
But I discovered a better way. I figured out that a lot less meat is wasted and you do not have to hunt wounded game if you hit the aortic arch with the first shot, rather than hit the elk.
I made sure my rifles were capable of that task out to 500 yds.
Did you ever make it out to the Colorado Gateway Dynamite shoot? Probably not a bad drive from where I think you are at. A great time - Long range competitions for cash - exploding targets at great distances and the cash pot grows until someone hits them. All different classes of guns (open sights all the way to high powered stuff)
Sadly, it looks like it will never be held again.
