When I moved to Chicago and lived in an apartment, I had to suspend my car hobby. I had to tinker with something, and since I worked at Gat Guns, I started modifying rifles in my spare time. It is so similar to cars, in the sense that you start with a "stock" gun, add a few pieces here and there, and the gun becomes better and better. You can also go all out with the aftermarket action, custom from the get-go build. Like cars, you can keep it relatively inexpensive, or you can get into guns that cost 10's of thousands of dollar.
Now I'm back in South Dakota, and I can drive 5 minutes to shoot up to 1000 yards. Great place to be if you appreciate guns, whether it be for hunting or long range practice. There is a few well known manufactures of ammunition, rifles, and stocks here.
I, sadly, don't have time to shoot like I used to. I do love rimfires the most, it's cheaper and shrinks down the necessary yardage. A 200-300 yard shot with a .22 is like shooting 700-1000 with a high caliber, except at a fraction of the cost and time to retrieve targets.
When I moved to Chicago and lived in an apartment, I had to suspend my car hobby. I had to tinker with something, and since I worked at Gat Guns, I started modifying rifles in my spare time. It is so similar to cars, in the sense that you start with a "stock" gun, add a few pieces here and there, and the gun becomes better and better. You can also go all out with the aftermarket action, custom from the get-go build. Like cars, you can keep it relatively inexpensive, or you can get into guns that cost 10's of thousands of dollar.
Now I'm back in South Dakota, and I can drive 5 minutes to shoot up to 1000 yards. Great place to be if you appreciate guns, whether it be for hunting or long range practice. There is a few well known manufactures of ammunition, rifles, and stocks here.
I, sadly, don't have time to shoot like I used to. I do love rimfires the most, it's cheaper and shrinks down the necessary yardage. A 200-300 yard shot with a .22 is like shooting 700-1000 with a high caliber, except at a fraction of the cost and time to retrieve targets.
It's a blast!
I have a Tactical Solutions .22 with a Hogue stock - NightForce NXS 2.5 X 10 and a GemTech GM-22 Suppressor...... That is one of the most fun guns to shoot in my entire lineup!!! I absolutely love that little rifle!!
I like to group it (best you can with .22 ammo) at 100 yds - then we have steel silhouettes at 175 and 225 up the hill behind the 100 yard flat line stuff..... I love plinking those two guys! And then ---- there's clay remnants laying on the hill -- and I take aim at a piece and keep shooting the smaller and smaller piece until it's gone - then choose another one! LOL
This was at the McMillan Firearms Long Range course I took (Near Phoenix) -- this pic shows our position and the 12" by 12" (one MOA) target we were shooting at. Surprisingly -- many of the shooters - even after a 4 day class - just couldn't ring it. I didn't find it hard at all..... but it does take some trigger control and some breathing and getting behind the gun etc.
This was at the McMillan Firearms Long Range course I took (Near Phoenix) -- this pic shows our position and the 12" by 12" (one MOA) target we were shooting at. Surprisingly -- many of the shooters - even after a 4 day class - just couldn't ring it. I didn't find it hard at all..... but it does take some trigger control and some breathing and getting behind the gun etc.
1200 yards uphill in the mountains is pretty impressive.
I have a Ruger precision rifle in 6.5 creedmoor
that I have a Vortex Razor gen 2 5-25 that shoots sub MOA at the Sacramento Valley gun range on their 1000 yard range.
My favorite to shoot is my AR-15 with a 6.5 Grendel 20" Bear Creek Armory upper with a Primary Arms 4-14x44 ACSS scope. Shooting factory ammo at or below MOA at 1000 yards with an $800 rifle is pretty fun.
1200 yards uphill in the mountains is pretty impressive.
I have a Ruger precision rifle in 6.5 creedmoor
that I have a Vortex Razor gen 2 5-25 that shoots sub MOA at the Sacramento Valley gun range on their 1000 yard range.
My favorite to shoot is my AR-15 with a 6.5 Grendel 20" Bear Creek Armory upper with a Primary Arms 4-14x44 ACSS scope. Shooting factory ammo at or below MOA at 1000 yards with an $800 rifle is pretty fun.
Ruger and Savage have both put out great bolt action rifles that are amazing. I had a Savage 10 BA Stealth.... and that rifle could shoot! I had put my NightForce B.E.A.S.T. scope on it (5 X 25).
What I notice the most from switching to the HEAVY Surgeon/McMillan built rifle is the follow up. This rifle weighs so much that the recoil is really minimized - and at long range, I can see my own hits. Makes it nice when I'm at the range without a spotter. I couldn't do that with the Savage.... it just jumped too much.
I have a NEMO ARMS XO (6.5 Creedmoor) with the steel barrel - and while it shoots great - I can't reach out there and spot for myself.
I have switched to the heavier Hornady 147gr ELD Match rounds from the 140gr. Where I shoot - it's really fluky winds - and the heavier the round - the better. And while 7gr doesn't sound like a lot - I'll still always choose the heaviest round I can get.
I can't claim that I can shoot "sub MOA" groups -- because we're shooting steel - and nobody is hiking up these hills to put fresh paint on them. LOL ---- but I have found that I can choose an "area" on the target and shoot it repeatedly. Lets say -- I decide to call out "bottom left" -- I can nail that call. Our steel is 24" X 24" for the most part -- so at 1000 yards -- that's 2.4 MOA
Great thread, I am enjoying the reading. I am not a great shot, i had to learn while in the military. I taught my daughters to shoot while they were teens, they can out-shoot me.
From back in the day, Mt Fuji, Japan, qualifying.
As you can see by the rifle, and the olive drab I am pretty old
We did actually have M16's in training. I guess this base was just so far out in the sticks they didn't have a budget
When I moved to Chicago and lived in an apartment, I had to suspend my car hobby. I had to tinker with something, and since I worked at Gat Guns, I started modifying rifles in my spare time. It is so similar to cars, in the sense that you start with a "stock" gun, add a few pieces here and there, and the gun becomes better and better. You can also go all out with the aftermarket action, custom from the get-go build. Like cars, you can keep it relatively inexpensive, or you can get into guns that cost 10's of thousands of dollar.
Now I'm back in South Dakota, and I can drive 5 minutes to shoot up to 1000 yards. Great place to be if you appreciate guns, whether it be for hunting or long range practice. There is a few well known manufactures of ammunition, rifles, and stocks here.
I, sadly, don't have time to shoot like I used to. I do love rimfires the most, it's cheaper and shrinks down the necessary yardage. A 200-300 yard shot with a .22 is like shooting 700-1000 with a high caliber, except at a fraction of the cost and time to retrieve targets.
It's a blast!
The sweet little (and locally made in Boise) Tactical Solutions .22...... This is so accurate - and never fails to feed -- just a wonderful piece!
Even the girls can get in to it !! Here's Adrienne's birthday gift -- a Black Rain Ordnance in "Muddy Girl" camo... popping the 525 yarder with first round hit. That rifle had a Vortex 1 X 6 Razor colored to match -- but I just pulled that off and put on a Vortex Viper 6 X 24 - it's better for the longer stuff.
I love Basher's comment in the background (he was taking video)
That was a great weekend and I had a blast with the pee shooters, perfect way to spend an afternoon.
I imagine the real talent comes when you can ring a target at 1500, 1000 and 7-800yds in one sitting. Like the pistol competition you do, do they have long range events as well?
Lucky for someone, I can’t seem to find the good picture of Adrienne’s Black Rain Ordnance...
Brian Hobaugh SCCA National Tour June 2014
First Hemi 'Cuda Convertible Ever Built
Short clips: Goodguys Pleasanton autocross and pit videos
Hybrid Mode
