Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Rifle logs...

Do you track round count, modifications or other information on all your rifles?

What and why...

I keep an EXCEL file for each rifle and handgun that are my person firearms with all of the pertinent information.

Make - Colt
Model - Light Rifle
Serial number - LR00333xx
Cartridge - 30-06
Date of purchase -
Place of purchase -
Purchase price -
Invoice number -

Date Activity Load Darta Comments

I write up range reports in gmail, a searchable database.

I write up rifle builds in gmail, a searchable database.

I track gun collection in excel on desktop.

"Who would have thought reading and writing would pay off?" - Homer Simpson

I keep a pocket size notebook for each gun. Serial #, purchase info and date. Keep track of round count, any modifications and load info notes.

I keep a SN list for insurance purposes, and then a notepad with loads for each one, and chrono numbers on the loads I end up settling with on each rifle. I don't keep track of rounds fired or anything else like that.

Excel file. Details on rifle, stock, weight, barrel contour/length/twist, base/mounts, scope, load data with zero distance and drops, rough round count. Notes column for related info.

I may be off a few on the round count as I generally do it after shooting, not while,...don't keep up with shots fired hunting or if it's only a couple checking zero/drops....but it's pretty close. I don't keep up with round count on 22 rimfires.

I have notebooks with a page dedicated to each batch I load. I just record them in sequence by the date they were loaded. I generally dedicate boxes and number them for each rifle.

At the top, each page is marked for the date, which box, the cartridge and which rifle. Entries include the different components, any special case prep such as trimmed, annealed, etc. I generally leave the bottom of the page for firing notes…velocities, accuracy results, impact points, etc.

If I want to, I can go back and add up the rounds loaded for each firearm or how many times a box has been loaded.

^^^ Same

I keep a spreadsheet that includes case status (fired, resized, trimmed, primed and loaded) and number of times fired, as well as what they expired of when they were retired. It gives me an idea of what I'm up for when I want to take out a firearm for a session, and I can check while I'm at work and plan for a reloading session, if required. I hate reloading and generally have to make time for it.

I also track the shot count through my rifle barrels, with the intention of seeing if my 22 benefits from barrel clean or not - mainly not.

Gererally info for info's sake.

You guys need a life!

No.

I've been keeping "log books" on all my rifles (and shotguns and handguns, and even air rifles) for decades. The photo is of the four 3-inch spiral binders that contain the written info, along with quite a few targets--though also keep a separate file of larger targets. Oh, and there's a separate binder with shotgun info--and a bunch of shotgun patterns in a corner of my office.

I do admit to being somewhat OCD about this stuff, but it became very handy after starting to write about it. Started writing professionally in my 20s, and was able to do it full-time by 30, on a bunch of different subjects. But eventually gun-writing became the majority of my living, and I was very glad to have kept semi-decent records for all those years. The only regret is not recording even more details--though the ones I've kept since around 1990 include round-counts on every rifle or handgun, along with cleaning intervals. (Oh, and which big game animals have been taken with each rifle, including the load, range, how far they went after the shot, etc. etc.)

Also keep some computer records on all my guns, not just rifles, including serial #s, trigger pulls, changes in scopes, rebarreling, chokes and chambers in shotguns, etc. etc. But this is my life. I don't go hunting a a few times a year, in my "spare" or "vacation" time. I hunt something just about every month of the year, whether in Montana or elsewhere. In other words, this IS my life.

X2

Probably around 15 years ago my wife peered into the inner sanctum of all things shooting related and said "Uh, aren't you like a software engineer? What's with all this paper?"

Busted.

It took a hell of a lot of work, but now it's all in the 'system', cross-referenced, easily searchable, printable, and triple-backed up.

It's greatest value is whenever I get my next dumb idea I can quickly search the 'system' by any number of criteria and quickly see where I've been down that path before.

I installed a digital round counter on each of my rifles. They synch up with my iPhone after each range session to update total rounds fired (TRF). Data is stored in the cloud.

I keep a detailed account in the cab of my truck...

I stopped using rifle logs well over ten years ago. Many weights and distances were factored: along with wind, and temperature; accompanied by elevation. I really did not see any need to document the data any further. There is nothing more to be added.

Rifles And More: Back in 1985 I started entering pertinent information in my new, official, spiral bound "MTM Handloaders Log" - regarding the Rifle in addition to load information and load testing results.
I include info on the Rifles weight, origin, new or used, serial number, barrel length, action screw torque amounts, scope power and serial numbers and on some Rifles when modifications and what modifications were done (new trigger, bedding etc).
Out of curiosity I counted up the number of Rifles I now have logged information for - and it includes 105 (one hundred and five!) Rifles that I currently own and shoot and I saved info on about 12 more that I have since sold't off - this info comes in handy for load development reasons.
I long ago learned NOT to try to commit important info to memory - its best to log it/write it down.
Yeah.... I'll be loggin Rifle info into my log right up until the end (I hope).
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

las: "I" have a life and "I" enjoy my life to the extreme!
How bout you - you sound kind of angry and pathetic?
Sheesh.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

As usual, two guys I tend to agree with.