Why do you shoot what you shoot?

M

Michael J. McCasland

New member
This is a general gun question:

Tell me why you shoot the type of gun you shoot the most?

Oever the years I had many shooting and hunting affairs. I just plain like to shoot and shoot a lot. Years ago I got my first great rifle, it was/is a Left handed Remington M700 7mm mag. I shot everything with it and it probably still is the most accurate rifle I've ever owned, but I started to worry about burning it up so to take the pressure off the 700 a bunch of rifles followed. 22's for round tailed ground squirrels, hard core varmint rigs for Prairie dogs, a heavy coyote rig (a 243win), a medium coyote rig (22-250), an all around "go to" coyote rig (a 223), a field shotgun for birds(20ga), a big coyote shotgun (10ga), my now standard coyote shotgun (12ga), a competition shotgun mainly for skeet (12ga), I even built a 1911 45 comp gun.

All have been shot hard for a period of time, all have served me well. But all have tought me some lessons. I hate to shoot the 7mm because its hard on barrels. The prairie dog rigs have each burned up at least one barrel a piece and been completely rebuilt into far better guns, but I don't shoot'em because I don't want to burn them up. My heavy coyote rifle needs a new trigger, the middle coyote(22-250) rig doesn't get shot because I love my general vcoyote rig(223). My 45 comp gun went away because I couldn't afford to keep shooting it. There is a general trend here, I like to shoot, but if I shoot I wear out my equipemnt. So what can I shoot and shoot alot that doesn't wear out equipement, besides a 22lr?

Skeet and other shorgun sports, you can shoot a quality shotgun 200,000 rounds without major trouble, even then a little loving care from a shotgun mechanic and you are back in business. Over the last 1.5 years I've shot in excess of 10,000 rounds and my shotguns are still going strong. That simply isn't going to happen with any rifle without burning several $500.00 barrels. Right now the shotgun sports are taking ove rthe vast bulk of my shooting. What about you?
 
6mm is there anything else /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
It is the most accurate rifle I have ever shot. I have a 22-250 and I cant get near as good of groups, My .17 HMR is fun but thats a new can of worms, and I have a 1300 Winchester the best shooting shotgun I've ever shot.
As for why the 6mm well my father had one in a Rem 700 bought the year I was born and when I was old enuff I hunted with it. Then I was about 15-16 and I wanted more so I bought a 7600 rem in a 30-06 had that till I was 25 and got a BAR 30-06 for helping Dad biuld his house. Since then we got into coyote hunting and for a wedding gift from the grooms men I got a VLS 22-250 (there were 10 grooms men) I like it a lot but not much of a long walking gun. So I decided I wanted a smaller caliber walking gun for coyote hunting. So in October 05 I was talking to a deer hunting buddy of mine and he said he was looking for a 30-06, now heres my oppertunity sold that and a friends neighbor had a med hvy barrel 6mm tanger for sale $300 I thought ok well see what shape it is in when I got there it was in quite nice shape for $300 so I scarfed it up now I have a do all gun and it shoots awsome .400 at 100 and I am very confident with that gun in my hands and that is half the battle.
 
But why do you use it? is it the only gun you've got, is it the most accurate, is it special in some way, are you stuck on it because it's not the more common 243? Have you had any unexpect realizations over the years?
 
I started with an 30-06 and bought a 7mag when I releized the advantage after hunting with my father and 2 uncles who all pack a 7mag.I handload for it and use it on everything I hunt in the big game realm including yotes and a bunch of gopher shooting.The rifle i shoot now I ordered from the Rem custom shop with some engraving and the detachable mag,I plan on adding a custom thumbhole stock but I dont ever plan on replacing the rifle,its the most accurate rifle I have ever owned and I love it.I have a ruger 10/22 for plinking,gophers,squirells,ect ect.A SKS for summer shooting and a couple shooting contests the family has every summer where everyone shoots a sks at ranges from 100-1000 yards,its great fun.Then a Rem 870 mag 3 1/2 for turkey,goose,duck,grouse,dove,snipe,ect,ect.We also have a trap shooting competition every summerr on my fathers birthday out at our cabin that several family members shoot in.I own a couple more guns but those three are the only ones I ever use,although I may break out the old -06 with open sights for a doe or two next season.
 
For me, most of the time, I wanted it before I could afford it, so I did lots of research. I got my first Big game rifle, and only one really, in 300 Win Mag because it could hunt pretty much any North American big game animal in pretty much any terrain. It kicks hard, but aside from that, it can handle almost anything. I custom built a 25-06 for predators and deer/antelope in open country because it was small enough to not make hamburger out of a coyote, and large enough to be legal and effective on deer sized game, while at the same time smoking 100 grain ballistic tips way out across the praries. Turned out the 25-06 was not as inheritantly accurate as I would have liked, but I'm not a benchrest competitor, I'm a hunter, so it's plenty fine. I went .222 Remington with my Contender for my carry gun because it had decent ballistics, was smaller, ridiculously accurate, and was just a ton of fun to shoot! Etc. Etc. For the most part I picked it out before I bought it. In a few cases I ended up with calibers I didn't carefully select, because I just plain found a deal I couldn't refuse! If it's there, for less than half it's value, well, you've just got to grab it! You can decide what it's best suited for later!
 
I've prob. shot my .243 the most. I love the gun, I guess because my wife bought it for me for our first Christmas. We didnt have 2 dimes to rub together, but she managed to rat hole the $$$ for the Ruger M77 MkII, stainless, laminate stock. If I burn it out, a .243 improved will rest in it's stock.
aaron
 
Kimber,Montana .243. It weighs 5lbs 3 ozs. and I have a bad back. With a leupold compact 3X9 on it I can walk all day long and not be up all night with back pain. It shoots Federal factory 70 grain BT's under one inch and that is good enough.
 
Other than .22lr's my only rifle is a .223. I bought it last year for coyotes. I hunt racoons with a henry lever action .22lr, Wonderfull little rifle, coyotes with the savage .223 and turkey, coyotes, ducks, geese and dove with the Benelli Nova.
I plan on adding an AR type rifle in .223 and something in 22-250 this year. I like the .223 guns simply cause of cost of the round.

I own a 1947 Remington Scoremaster .22lr in Perfect shape so I don't shoot it, it will be for the kids when I am gone.

I own a Reminton 870 that I use to use on turkey but it doesn't hold a candle to the Benelli.
 
The first rifle I owned was a Marlin single shot 22lr which I still have and shoot occasionally, in addition I have a Winchester model 670 in 30.06, Weatherby Vanguard in 300 Wthby mag, Bushmaster varmint special in .223, Franchi 912 set up as a turkey gun, Benelli M2 as a field/upland gun and a Winchester model 37 in 410.

I have gotten into the Bushmaster heavily lately and have fallen in love with the gun. Out of the box I was shooting .310 groups at 100 yards with factory remington ammo. The gun is probably more capable than I am as a shooter. Ammo is cheap also. The Benelli is probably my favorite though. Got a do-all dual clay thrower for Christmas and have already had tons of fun with it and the Benelli.
 
I shoot a BLR .223 for coyotes because I got a good deal on it and because our game regs here don't allow a bore diameter over .23 or shot larger than BB after deer season closes in Nov.If there were no caliber restrictions I would probably take a good hard look at .243,6mm or 25-06? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
 
Michael, I've gone just 180 degress from you. I've shot competitive trap for many, many years but back problems, back surgery, etc. have all but ended my trap shooting experience. I have found that I can shoot a rifle off a bench without too many problems. So I am actively shooting PD's and wearing out expensive barrels.
 
Michael I started out with a 8-06 on a 98 Mauser in 1962,shoot everything I could with it. Then began and is still going on'Look for the perfect rifle. I like German built guns and most of mine are built on per war 98's with a few per 64 Model 70's. Have several Model 12's in different ga.s Have a few rim fire older 22's one hand gun never could shoot a hand gun ery well. I hace killed many whitetails,few elk, several black bears,4 moose, many antelope,2 craboue,and many many preditors. At 58 I can't run up and down the mountains any more. Hunting,trapping,and fishing have been my life as you said just love to shoot, My favoirte cal I realy don't have a favorite it just has to shoot well, I like the older cal and the German mentric cal Mauser
 
there's 3 of them lately.

I have a savage 110 that came chambered for 30-06 and I put some corrosive ammo through it without knowing, and didn't clean the gun, so ended up with a boat anchor, so I brought it to 'smith in Vermont and had it rechambered for a .223 and put a Shiloh barrel on it, had it setup for the 69gr bullet, then topped it with a Springfield Armory 2nd gen range finding scope. that thing will anything from 100 - 800 meters on it by putting the correct crosshair on the target.

this past year though I've gotten into high powered compressed air rifles. use a SCUBA tank to fill them to 2,600 PSI of air, I get anywhere from 6 to 30 shots out of them depending on the caliber and the power setting. they are my current favorite since with the .22 I have, it's as powerful as a .22 rimfire shooting high velocity rounds, but is quieter then a .22 CB short. very nice pest control / back yard plinker.

my other newly aquired air gun is a 9mm 6 shot lever action air gun that throws a 90gr bullet out at about 900 FPS. I'm in the process of tuning this gun to get 1,000+ FPS with a 90gr bullet, and this will become my 'coon gun for the same reason as the .22 very quiet if I keep the bullets sub sonic and dead nuts accurate out to 75 yards.
 
All of my center fires are Ruggers: Mark II in a .270 and a .223. I use the 270 for all my big Game needs and my Synthetic stock 223 for all my predators and Pdogs. I also have the Ruger Blackhawk in 44 mag pistol. I have 2 .22 lr one in the Ruger Mark II Competitive bull Barrell Pistol and another that is an off name rifle that I use occasionally. I also have 1 shot gun that a Nova.

What do I love about them???/Well they are Ruggers, Lower Price and awesome dependability. My Favorite gun of the group my .270 shoots awesome, has a great range of loads, takes both deer and elk easily to 300 yards. It just fits right. I also got the 270 cause everyone I know (except my dad) shoots it.

I reall like them all, infact life is too short to own a gun you do not like....
 
That would be my Dtech AR15. There is nothing like looking at 7 pdogs on a mound and getting 5 of them before they really know what's going on. Or pulling the trigger on one coyote and immediately be on the other without lifting my head to eject a shell.
 
I have owned my rem 223 vssf for dang near 2 years and I have around 4500 rounds through it. I shoot it cause I can hit a knats rear end at 650 yards with it with out blinking an eye. I love it for its accuracy. I will shoot it till the barrel falls of and then put another on it. I by my firearms to shoot and thats what I do. I have a Colt Woodsman sec. generation and have owned it for 4 years. That I put around 3000 rounds a year through and is still going strong. Why do I shoot it? Cause thats what it is made for and if I wear it out I will fix it, and if I can't, Throw it away and try to find another.

My favorite and most reliable rifle is my m77 ruger 270 with the green laminated stock. I have owned it for a dozen years and I have nearly 8000 rounds through it. The barrel is starting to show some wear, but shoots 1.25" at 300 yards. I love this rifle that why I have so many rounds through it. And when I wear it out I will fix it. These things are made to shoot so do it.

It would be like buying a 4x4 pickup and never taking it off the highway cause you might get a scratch or get it dirty.

If money can fix it, it isn't worth worrying about.
 
The one I shoot is usually my latest acquisition. Currently it is a Rem 700 VS chambered in 22-250 AI. I like remington actions. I got this one for the speed, which correlates into less hold over at longer distances. I like the long shots.(RanUtah will tell you they dont allways work, But if I can find him in the scope I will take the shot.) The AI will hang with the swift that I set aside while I play with this one. I am shooting the 55 gr bullet with it. It is a nice compromise for velocity combined with long range impact energy.
 
I have several that I shoot. First, my rem ADL .270. It belonged to my Dad, and he gave it to me when I was in college and passed away a few years later. Besides the sentimental value, it is dead on accurate. I have killed many deer with this gun, and feel very confident with it. My next is not necessarily a gun, but more of a caliber; 22-250. I started out with a 788 in 22-250 when in high school. My parents bought me a reloading kit for christmas soon after, and I shot that 22-250 for many years. I sold that gun(wish I hadn't) but continued to own atleast one 22-250 of some kind. My newest is my win. m70 featherweight. I absolutely love shooting this gun. It is my go to calling gun. I just can't seem to get away from the 22-250. The last gun is my stevens model 311 20ga. My good ol' Elmer Fud. This gun I take rabbit hunting with our beagles. I have even used it dove hunting. This gun always makes me look like a better shot than I really am. I guess that doesn't really answer your question, so if I really had to give you an answer it would be that I feel confident with these guns.
 
Usually I'll mostly play with one until I get it shooting the way I want, then move on to another project.

My favorite gun at the moment is my Rem police sniper .308. I've got it shooting 1/4 moa at 100YDS, and I'm having doubts I can get it any better with the current (still good) factory barrel, so I'm starting to take a Howa 1500 22-250 out more.

The Howa is a little disappointing, as it shot 1/2 MOA or better, out of the box, with just about any load, and there's not going to be much "tinkering" to do on it. Still... bedding, floating, trigger, and an undercoat stock treatment are in store for it at a minimum.

I've got a 40XC I'm having re-barreled to 6.5-284 for 1000YD, and I'm planning on a .338 either on a 400 Jeffreys or 416 Rigby AI parent case to try for that elusive 2000YD+ coyote (but that takes a lot more than just a gun).

I've got 4 safes full of guns and basically shoot them all. I tend to have a favorite for a while and then "rediscover" another one. It often depends on what kind of hunting or shooting I plan on doing and at what ranges.

I will often take 2 or 3 guns hunting and use whatever I feel is appropriate for a particular stand. For instance I might take a 12ga for close in work, a .223 or an iron sight 30-30 (just cause it's fun) for short to medium range, and a 22-250, .308, or 7mm mag for longer stuff. Other than the obvious range constraints, it's more or less just impulse.

Shooting out a barrel has never bothered me. Re-barreling, maybe to a different caliber, is almost like getting a new gun, and the fun (and learning process) starts all over again. Sometimes just putting a different scope on a rifle will keep me happy for a little while.

I enjoy hunting, and predator hunting in particular, but I really enjoy a "project", from start to (hopefully) 1/4MOA or better.
 
I know what you mean by a project gun. I've got several total project guns and all my guns have had at least a few minor modifications. Right now I've got my 30 year old Remington 3200 Skeet gun out to Liab's Gunsmithing upgrading the origional 25.5" barrels to new Remington 30" barrels. With these barrels I get to choose my chokes (IC/IC) and POI (60/40) for both barrels. A true semi-custom skeet shotgun. I love it. Ohhhhh the clays are in trouble now. I just know I'm going to scratch down my first 50 and then for my first 100. This is going to happen, it's in my bones.

I enjoy shooting my rifles, but knowing that every shot is one less the barrels can take has taken a toll on my ability to truly enjoy it. I can shoot out a barrel just playing with loads. That just doesn't make sence to me. Yes I know that lots of folks think you can shoot thousands of rounds in your gun, well I've kept track of the number of rounds shot and I can tell you that a 22-250 will not shoot thousands of rounds. A 223 can, but 223's are like candy and its easy to shoot a bunch and suddenly the barrel is gone. I just can't afford to burn barrels working up a load.
 
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