- Joined
- Jun 11, 2008
- Messages
- 1,409
I have been competing in F-class shoots, out to 1000 yards. I also hunt, but the rifles to do each of those hobbies are pretty different. For long range competition I usually use a custom single shot that was built off a Custom action, 28 in Shillen barrel in .338 Fed, and a H-S precision M-24 stock, and topped off with a Nightforce scope and rings. The gun is amazing but it weights a ton, not something I'm willing to pack around all day on foot while stalking White Tail or Mule Deer. Not to mention, .338 Fed is NOT a round to shoot game of that size with because it would just splatter that trophy that you stalked for three days into a dozen pieces of bloody jello. My favorite (this year at least) rifle for deer hunting has been a Howa in .243. Its a tack drive, consistently grouping 3/4 MOA at 200 yards (sight in distance). The gun is almost stock. I have done a trigger job and Accra-glassed the action but that's it. It is very light weight and is very pleasent to carry. The only complaint I have is that it won't shoot VLD's. I've tried every handloading adjustment I know and its the only gun I have that just plain doesn't like them. I have switched to VLD's almost exclusively for hunting because of the way that they open at low velocities (longer range). I decided a few weeks back to build a hunting rig that was somewhere in between those two guns. It had to be fairly short for hunting but extremely rigid for long range accuracy. I decided to use a Savage 10FP barreled action in .308 with a 1 in 10 twist barrel that I had lying around. I chose a B/C Medalist stock with a full length aluminum bedding platform, Zeiss scope and rings, a Harris bipod, and a JP brake for shooting offhand and remaining on target for faster follow up shots. It isn't as light as my .243 but is not bad either. It loves VLD's and shoots Sub-Half Minute with the load I finished working on Thursday!!!
