My budget hunting rifle build thread

[TStone]

... maybe people should just practice more.

Now there is a novel idea

Probably not going to catch on though.

[Messor]

But seriously Mr Stone it’s a debate all on its own.
In the bakkie we always have a .22 and a centerfire, and regardless if one is iron sights or the other have a 50mm objective you shoulder and shoot the same, no handicap.
It’s like a handgun shooter that competes with a red dot, is he incapable of shooting with iron sights on his self defence weapon?
Or a PH carrying a big stick, if he changes from iron sights to red dot does that mean he must change the stock because he won’t be able to use it?

Shouldering and pointing instinctively comes from years of shouldering and pointing, your setup can help with this but not replace this. People spend hours and hours making their rifle bench or bipod ready for top accuracy, this includes all the bells and whistles. That matters none when you suddenly have to shoulder your weapon in the field and shoot instinctively, for that you need experience.

Offhand shooting for example should be mandatory practice for hunters, because regardless if you will ever need to use it, it teaches you many things you really need to know.

[TStone]

Offhand shooting for example should be mandatory practice for hunters, because regardless if you will ever need to use it, it teaches you many things you really need to know.

Many people disagree with this, but it is the one shooting position that I religiously practice from. It does seem to be going out of fashion though.

[pre 64]

Messor...practice be damned [in this specific scenario]. It is physically impossible to stand on your own hind legs and shoot an ill fitting rifle well. First of all,you have lost a vital bracing point in losing a decent cheek weld,and secondly the perceived recoil is far greater without having your cheek firmly on the stock. Thirdly,hunting with clients,it is all too common for them to battle to even find the animal in the scope because they first have to lift their cheek or crane their neck at a silly angle before they can even see through the scope.
No amount of practice will help to any significant extent with this problem especially when a shot needs to be taken fairly quickly.
[I do understand that your limited hunting experience which revolves around shooting springbuck with a 270 in the free state vlaktes makes it difficult to grasp a situation where real hunting is involved...so for that,i forgive your ignorance in such matters ]

[Messor]

Firstly, you know you are dealing with a 30-06 shooter when he starts a sentence with "practice be damned".
Secondly, clients, they battle because they don't practice.
Thirdly, you are correct, my experience is limited, limited to shooting stuff dead, don't understand you 30-06 guys with your missing ways.

Lastly, I doubt I will be able to shoot my next animal quickly, you see I will be standing there wondering if I should shoot from my hind legs or my front legs.

Ps: We are joking of course but now I will speak honestly, all the misses I have seen from noobs in the field had nothing to do with their equipment, 30-06 or not, they missed because they did not have the skillset required. And in the year 2019 what I see more and more is people trying to buy success.

They miss the point.

[Messor]

Many people disagree with this, but it is the one shooting position that I religiously practice from. It does seem to be going out of fashion though.

So while we are hijacking.

A good old slow 200 or 220gr bullet for the old six, nice red dot sight, them piggies in the bushveld.

Surely Toxxyc sees the opportunity in that?

Life is too quick not to have fun.

[Toxxyc]

Tox...close your eyes and shoulder your rifle in a natural fluid motion. Now open your eyes and you should have a perfect view through your scope.
Then...the rifle fits you and you will shoot better with it in all positions.We are talking specifically hunting.
Beware of too high scope mounts and large objective lenses.I will bet you 5 cents that the vast majority of hunters doing this test will find they are looking under the scope and have to lift their cheek high on the stock to get a decent scope picture.

This is exactly what I did, in measuring the eye relief on the SMALLEST magnification. In other words, 3x. It's a 3-9 scope, and in the bush I hunt on 3 or 4 mag for 99% of the time. I've found that when I push the magnification higher, chances are I won't be shooting offhand, and then I don't care about the sight picture anyway as I can move my head where it needs to be, so that's a moo point. But yes, good advice. I was actually pretty surprised at how "easily" the bases, rings and scope all came together and fit like a glove. This is a scarily comfortable combination, as it is now. Just want to tweak the trigger a bit. It's a tad heavy for me, but it has a funky US-sized allen key adjustment screw, so that'll have to wait until I can find one in that size.

So while we are hijacking.

A good old slow 200 or 220gr bullet for the old six, nice red dot sight, them piggies in the bushveld.

Surely Toxxyc sees the opportunity in that?

Life is too quick not to have fun.

I think the 24" barrel is a bit long for a short-range piggy gun. Odd to say, I know, considering my shotty has a 28" barrel, but I'd eventually LOVE to shoot a piggy with the shotgun. That's a big goal of mine, actually. Shoot something big with the shotgun. I've even considered taking it on a normal hunting trip, with those S&B rifled slugs, but that's a discussion for a totally other thread.

[Brenneke]

It may be possible to use grades other than those recommended (I didn't research that far)

See other post in this thread
I am sure if one looked around one could find a suitable alternative for the jacket material
Lead cores can be cast with the correct multi-cavity mould

[Toxxyc]

I got bullets. Got some GS Custom 100gr bullets (about 30 of them), but I'm not 100% sure I want to load them. Super hot. Also got some Kriek 155gr bullets (like 18 of them), which I'm interested in shooting, and also got my hands on a full box of Frontier Range Masters, the 155gr monos with the rebated boat tail design. Looks really promising. Another very kind member also offered me a few Peregrine 193gr hunting bullets, I just need to go pick them up. Between these lots, I'm 100% sure I'll find a good working load, as well as an attainable hunting load.

[Maroelas]

Don't write off PMP proamm bullets for range use (and the odd Impala).