New shooter: blame me or the gear?

[Holmes]

HIstory: I have no family history with hunting or guns. I bought my first shotgun 4 years ago for shooting clays with friends, discovered upland birds and realized that I like hunting. Bought my first rifle 2+ years ago to get into big game hunting, got my first moose this year. I'm now trying to become competent with my rifle (not great! just competent will be fine for me) and I have tons of doubts; looking for help.

When I'm practicing, how do I know if a bad group is because of me, or because of my gear? I read all the threads here about developing loads, and testing lots of ammo through a rifle, and how different ammo can lead to +/- 1MOA in accuracy. I doubt I'll ever shoot enough to try many different kinds of ammo, and I'll certainly never reload my own. I think in the 2+ years I've owned this rifle (Tikka Superlite .30-06) I've put maybe 100 rounds through it. How can someone who doesn't really like shooting judge the ability of their equipment and their own skill? Also, if I don't enjoy shooting enough to do it often, how should I maximize the utility of my practice time?
thanks.

 

[Shootinsurveyor]

Tikka Superlite are usually more accurate than the people shooting them. There always are exceptions to that though. If you are worried about your equipment being the problem, recheck all your scope Mount screws for loosening and your screws that hold the stock on.

 

[Outdoorsman12b]

Good for you looking to improve your shooting. Testing different factory ammo until you find a good load is definitely something you will need to do if you want to achieve that performance. Sounds like you are already looking through a lot of threads on here that have told you some techniques so I won't go there, but I will say that an 06 in superlite is going to pretty stout in recoil and that will have a big impact on your accuracy. Especially for an inexperienced shooter those forces will have much more negative impact for you without the proper form.

I think the easiest way to test your setup would be if you know someone who can shoot like you are desiring to test your rifle. That will give you an idea of what the rifle setup can do. Long term look at getting a trainer rifle with much less recoil so you can focus on shooting fundamentals.

Best of luck!

 

[Gunnersdad49]

Who doesn't enjoy shooting? I've found that ringing steel at long range is more fun for me than chasing tiny groups over and over again on paper. Find a way to shoot reactive targets like steel, balloons, water jugs or something similar and see if it sparks your interest more.

Is it possible that you are recoil sensitive? (not a dig on you, some people are more so than others)

The easiest way to see if it is you or the equipment would be something like the Caldwell Lead Sled to reduce your contact with and movement of the rifle. Once you have determined it isn't the rifle, you have your answer: it's probably you.

All of the competitive shooters I know do a lot of dry-fire practice. You can do this without developing bad habits like you would with live ammo. Old school guys would say to build your position with the rifle on a rest/bag/bipod, etc, and have someone rest a dime on the top of your barrel, near the muzzle. Squeeze the trigger. If the dime falls, you jerked the trigger. If it wobbles, you probably jerked the trigger. If it falls before the trigger is squeezed, you are gripping the rifle too hard. If the rifle falls, you dropped the gun.

If you are recoil sensitive, or opposed to spending a lot of money to learn the basics, I would suggest a reasonably accurate .22 rifle. You can shoot a lot of .22 for the cost of one range session with a .30-06. The other benefit is there is almost no recoil with a .22 so you can easily find flaws in your form. You can also video yourself with your phone, and watch for errors in your form/process.

A class in rifle marksmanship is also not a bad idea.

 

[Flatgo]

i'd get a 22 lr or a 223 and practice with that. i think you owe it to animals you are hunting to practice more than sighting in a rifle. if you have not shot much going to a 30-06 in a superlite probably increased the chances of flinching. in addition shooting a shotgun is a lot different than shooting a rifle precisely. all things considered i'd say its you and not the rifle, but have someone else shoot. depending on where you are at i bet you could even find someone on ROKSLIDE, if you don't have any friends you trust to shoot it accurately.

 

[Elkfitness]

For me, if things are going good, it’s due to my skill, and if things are going bad, it’s due to the gear. At least that’s what I tell myself

All kidding aside, good advice so far regarding practice firing and a bolt action 223. Heck even a good BB gun or 22 can help with form. I think either using a led sled or some bags (making sure you use one for the rear) when you practice can help you get the most out of your hunting rifle. I’d make sure you know your rifle as well, know how to correctly mount the scope, torquing the action screws correctly, etc.....

The bag or led sled if you have one, can help tell you what a rifle is capable of with different rounds.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[OXN939]

(not great! just competent will be fine for me)

Good on you for setting realistic goals and asking important questions. The ability to have "acceptable" field level accuracy to 200 yards is way more important than nerding out about tiny little groups. If you find ammo that gets you around 1.5 inch groups at 100 or better, that is all you need for most hunting scenarios.

(Tikka Superlite .30-06)

I don't enjoy shooting enough to do it often

I used to see this all the time when I instructed. We ran a snap cap drill the first day of shooting whereby the spotters would load the shooters' mags with a random combination of snap caps and live rounds, and GoPro the shooters' trigger squeeze sequences. When I asked the guys with really bad flinches about their shooting history, a really significant majority of them answered with something having to do with magnum or big bore hunting rifles. Reality is, an ultralight .30-06 is not easy or pleasant to shoot for most people. 100% agreed with Flatgo that practice with something smaller would be the first thing I'd try. Even shooting some .22 at distance is a great option that can help expose flaws in shooting technique.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

If you have a limited budget, do this one thing:
I would strongly recommend taking a shooting course (preferably one on one) to address any issues with your fundamentals. Since you are relatively new to shooting this is the perfect opportunity to "forget" any bad habits that you may have already learned as well as a great time to learn good habits.

If you still have room in your budget, then do this:
I'd also look at grabbing another Superlite in a smaller caliber (ex: 223, 243, or 6.5 CM). It would potentially be a bit less expensive to practice with (ammo cost), would have less recoil which makes range sessions more enjoyable, and would further develop muscle memory since it is the same setup as your 30-06.

When you hit the range, bring your 30-06 and your practice rifle (see above). Take turns shooting them. This helps keep he barrels cool as well as give your shoulder a break.

With a cold bore, what is your average size for a 3-shot group? Not your all time best, but what all of them would average out to? Have you always used the same ammo? If not, what were their group sizes?

 

[Antares]

I applaud you for recognizing that you have room for improvement in your shooting (we all do). Couple thoughts, most have already been suggested above.

You're a new shooter and Tikkas are pretty accurate, so if the gun is set up properly and you're using decent ammo, it's probably safe to assume that you are the cause of the poor groups. However, the gun could just hate the ammo you've selected or you might have a lemon (unlikely). Get an experienced shooter on the gun and see what they can do. If they make 1 MOA groups, then we've answered the question. It's you. Which is good, now we know what the problem is, so you can set about fixing it. If this other person can't get the gun to shoot right either, then it's the gun...get the gun sorted and then see how it shoots for you.

You've really jumped right in with both feet and it's not surprising you're struggling a bit. Going from never shooting before to a Superlite .30-06 is a tall order. It probably kicks you're teeth in and isn't very fun to shoot. You're going to have trouble developing good form and consistency if your getting beat up and spending $2 every time you pull the trigger. A bolt action .22 or .223, a bunch of ammo, and some formal instruction will help you improve by leaps and bounds. You're actually in a really desirable position. Most of us who've been shooting our whole lives also have a lifetimes worth of bad habits we're dealing with. You're a blank slate, take advantage of it and start off right.

 

[davidsapp]

A T1x 22LR with a scope and trigger weight set up the same as your 30/06 and shooting it frequently would be a great investment. Dry firing your 30/06 would also be quite helpful in learning your trigger, breath control etc.

 

[EastHumboldt]

Good on ya for wanting to improve. An air tech limbsaver recoil pad made a huge difference for me and tamed both my 30-06 rifles from ouch to “Hey that’s not so bad “.

30-06 is also my poison of choice and the first high power I bought after learning the basics with a 22. Both of mine are lightish guns at 7-1/4 lbs or so. With ammo above 165 gr they are not much fun to shoot so for off season practice I shoot lighter loads. Many use a 223 set up as close as possible to their heavier cal rifle for practice.


To become a dependable shooter (or guitar player for that matter) you must practice. You don’t have to go at it year round although that helps. But at least every weekend for 10-12 weeks prior to the season burn a box or two. There are quite a few suggested shooting drills mentioned on here that will be helpful.

 

[Brendan]

Someone else suggested this above, but I'd find another good / competent shooter locally (maybe someone else here) and have them shoot your rifle at the range. That way you know what the rifle is capable of to start.

Then, it's use your limited practice shooting in field positions...

 

[EastHumboldt]

If your pay to fly me to Alaska, and take me on a moose hunt, I will gladly shoot your rifle for you. I will probably get some sloppy groups and promptly announce it’s not me.

 

[hereinaz]

The gun very likely shoots better than anyone who hasn't received training and practiced. Its just reality.

If you can shoot competently in field positions, kneeling, sitting, standing, then you are good to go out to 200 easily.

Get a recoil pad if needed, and practice the way you will hunt and call it good. You may never like shooting, but if you got an easy shooting rifle it could all change for you. No one likes shooting much when the rifle beats them up.

 

[Holmes]

Thanks for the great advice all, really appreciate it!
Updates:
- Fortunately an old friend recently moved up here to AK. He's a gun nut and a 1000yard shooter. Hopefully he can help me out.
- I like the .223 practice rifle idea.
- I really like the "balance a coin" dry fire drill. I'd actually heard of that before, but forgotten about it. Maybe I'll go pull my rifle out now, instead of goofing off on the internet.
- I've started planning a spring black bear hunt (I can see the Chugach Mtns from my house, might as well, right?) as a stimulus to get me to the range earlier in this year, not wait until August to start thinking about shooting.

 

[WestKyHunt]

I agree with those above.
Find a smaller caliber rifle (ideally the same model or brand of rifle)
We're lucky to live in a time where you can learn almost anything on the internet/youtube. Start there and find some solid advise. Then if available and money allows go through a marksmanship course or find a mentor.

Like most things wanting to improve and then putting the time/effort to improve are the biggest steps

 

[Holmes]

I took the advice of this forum. Here are the twins. Even managed to find 500 rounds of .223 to practice with this Spring. [edit to add: huh, didn't notice until I looked at this photo that the scopes are in totally different places. I wonder how I adjusted them with such different eye relief?.....hmmmmmm]

 

[Antares]

Very nice! I haven't been able to get this idea out of my head. I'm jealous. If can find a case of 5.56, I'm buying it and a T3x to go with it.

Why is the stock so much longer on your .223? Is your .30-06 a Compact model?

 

[Holmes]

Why is the stock so much longer on your .223? Is your .30-06 a Compact model?

The stocks are the same, must be distortion in the camera or the camera angle.

 

[Holmes]

Just listened to this podcast and WOW am I feeling a lot better about my shooting (and my backcountry hunting skills) and how I've been approaching shooting skills. This Chris Way guy is on my wavelength.

275 | Your True Accuracy and Shooting Standards with Chris Wa‪y‬The Hunt Backcountry Podcast​

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podca...ndards-chris-way/id1020880772?i=1000513432787