Practice Ammo

[jt4]

What do you shoot after you know you're sighted in? It feels a bit wrong to spend $30+ a box on the actual hunting ammo after you're sighted in just to shoot paper and practice. I know come closer to the season I'll go back to the actual ammo I'll be using in the field to make sure everything is still on, but what about for the time in between?

 

[Shrek]

I shoot whatever the load is I built for the rifle. Roll your own !

 

[Rob5589]

Reloading is the way to go.

 

[Rich M]

I bought 12 boxes of Core Locts at $14/box. Use it for shooting and short-range hunting and for the brass.

Have some that I load that will shoot an inch at 200, the Core Locts shoot about 4 inches at 200 out of my rifle. Messes with the mind a bit to be shooting and have this huge honking group knowing the gun & I can do much better.

Reloading is a big investment and what you save is paid for with your time. If you have time to reload and plan to shoot "all the time", then it can be a saver. Your $30/box hunting loads will probably cost $15 box for components. $.75 per shell vs $1.50 but you still need the time, space, and equipment.

 

[archp625]

I only practice with what I hunt with. That way everything is the same and I dont have to mess with dope charts and suck switching back and fourth. Plus, when the time comes i will have muscle memory on where to spin my turret and hold for wind

 

[16Bore]

This is where 30-06’s, 308’s, 6.5 CM (yes, I said it) are handy. Usually not hard to find 50 round boxes.

Not sure what your “practice” looks like. If you’re just trying be a better shot, shooting period helps. This is why I like 223’s and 75’s.

Drop doesn’t mean shit if your dialing, drift is what you gotta “learn”.

Soooo. Similar BC’s at similar speeds can give you a pretty good education.

A fella can learn a lot with a single box of ammo and a stack of paper plates.

Staple a plate to a grade stake and place at random distances to your “max” ability. However as many as you want. Don’t measure any distance until you get back to your shooting position.

Pick 1 plate....judge the distance (good practice) range the distance (good practice) determine your DOPE, (whether you dial or hold over, good practice) fire ONE shot and write down whatcha did. Repeat until you’ve shot each one once. Then see how it all turned out. No need for “bullseyes” on the Target because the center of the center is the center.

 

[Rock-o]

I shoot whatever the load is I built for the rifle. Roll your own !

^

 

[Gearqueer]

If the longest hunting shot you expect to encounter is over 250 yards I suggest the following-

If you only shoot 100 rounds a year then save yourself the hassle and stick with your hunting load. There won’t be much savings. K.I.S.S.

If you shoot over 100 rounds a year then consider having both a practice load and a “game day” load. If you feel like there will be any confusion whatsoever converting your zero and DOPE between the two loads then it’s not worth taking this chance.

Consider maintaining your scope’s zero for your hunting load while shooting your practice ammo. POI won’t be identical, but close enough if you stick to similar bullet weights and/or test to see what loads fly like your hunting load.

 

[Crowmangler]

what's this $30 / box ammo you speak of?

 

[jt4]

Reloading sounds good in theory, but I don’t shoot enough to see reloading being worth the initial investment just yet. Not to mention with kids and other hobbies the time just isn’t there.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jt4]

A fella can learn a lot with a single box of ammo and a stack of paper plates.

Staple a plate to a grade stake and place at random distances to your “max” ability. However as many as you want. Don’t measure any distance until you get back to your shooting position.

Pick 1 plate....judge the distance (good practice) range the distance (good practice) determine your DOPE, (whether you dial or hold over, good practice) fire ONE shot and write down whatcha did. Repeat until you’ve shot each one once. Then see how it all turned out. No need for “bullseyes” on the Target because the center of the center is the center.

I like this idea, but the range I’m at I can only shoot at 50, 100, 200, and 400 in those exact distances. I can’t put target in “no mans land” in between those ranges. Any ideas similar that would work with my situation?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jt4]

what's this $30 / box ammo you speak of?

Technically around $33 when it’s on sale. But it’s 308 Nosler partitions.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[CiK01]

If you are happy with your groups widening up with practice ammo, then go for it. For me, I shoot what I hunt with and have tinkered a bit with handloading.

Its weird, but with archery I go from field points to broad heads and back again and tune the bow to the arrow each time. I just don't like doing that with my firearms.

 

[16Bore]

I like this idea, but the range I’m at I can only shoot at 50, 100, 200, and 400 in those exact distances. I can’t put target in “no mans land” in between those ranges. Any ideas similar that would work with my situation?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

......that kinda sucks. If I were solely looking to maximize my shooting ability, it’d be 200 and 400 then.

Odd distances are where the rubber meets the road....

 

[muddydogs]

I handload so I'll load up a cheap bullet of the same or close grain weight to shoot for practice. Not sure what all the complaining is about having to adjust your scope for one round then another, don't adjust your scope. Most the time I'm only off a few inches with my practice ammo over the hunting load, I know this and take it into consideration. If I can shoot a 5 shot group with the practice ammo with all 5 rounds touching but the group is 3 inches low and 2 inches right what do I care its the group that matters not where its at on the paper. Once hunting season roils around I'll send a couple hunting rounds into the target to make sure they are hitting where there supposed to be.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Now that I reload, I practice a lot with exactly what I plan to hunt with. I can generally load high quality hunting Ammo for less than cheap practice Ammo costs me.

 

[pyrotechnic]

1. Find some ammo your rifle likes that you can afford to shoot alot.
2. Shoot the piss out of your rifle all year.
3. Use a box or 2 of hunting ammo to confirm zero and drops at distance before season.
4. Go hunt

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

 

[5MilesBack]

I've never been much of a practice guy for anything. I was always driving my sport's coaches crazy because all I'd do in "practice" was goof around. But come game time I was "all in".......but still having fun with it.

For a big game hunting rifle, I'd make sure it was set up for game time and then shoot something else the rest of the year while targeting small critters. Shooting paper and such gets boring very quickly for me.

 

[Reburn]

I'm going to be the one out guy.

I don't-won't reload. Just use the ammo you gun likes the best for your hunting round. The cost to practice is the cost to practice. Work on actually bettering yourself instead of just burning powder.

16bore gave good advice and if you can find a place to do it that would be best.

Even at the range where you can only shoot 200 and 400 get some snap caps. Have someone else load your gun. You should have 50% live rounds. Practice and Practice. Verifying your guns capabilities is easy. Training yourself to be a better shooter is where the practice is at. You will likely see issues in your mechanics come up when you pull the trigger on a snap cap. If your crosshairs move off the target bulls eye on a snap cap that would be the first problem to address.

 

[KurtR]

Dry fire a lot