HELP MOVING FROM SMALLBORE TO HIGHPOWER

More expensive to feed, but worth it.
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JarHeadTim
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HELP MOVING FROM SMALLBORE TO HIGHPOWER

Post by JarHeadTim »

I'm a former 3P Highpower shooter that has taken up Smallbore Silhouette and now want to start shooting Highpower Sil.

Which caliber, which rifle, which scope...???

Semper Fi,

Tim
Semper Fi,

Tim
Joaquin B
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Post by Joaquin B »

Tim,

I you want to start shooting in STANDARD and would like to keep your investment to a minimum, find a Remington 700 Varmint gun in .308, 7-08 or .260 Remington and replace the factory trigger with a Jewell Light Pull model.

If you would like to build one while still keeping the cost somewhat reasonable, I would recommend you start with a blueprinted Remington 700 action, install a Jewell Light Pull trigger and a heavy sporter or light varmint weight barrel from Shilen, Pac-Nor, Schneider or other reputable source in either .260 Rem. or 6.5 x 47 mm Lapua, with a 1 in 8" twist rate.
7mm-08 and 7mm IHMSA are also good caliber choices in 1 in 9" twist barrels.

H-S Precision makes a great "drop-in" silhouette stock (you still have to do some bedding work), or you can choose a McMillan or one of Mark Pharr's designs. They are all excellent.

As far as optics go, If you can find a Weaver T-24 with 1/4 minute clicks and a 1/2 dot, snatch it up immediately, since it's probably the best value for the buck. Leupold 6.5-20X and Bushnell 4200 6-24X scopes will also serve you well.

Just my 2-cents worth...
Joaquin B
JarHeadTim
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Post by JarHeadTim »

Joaquin B

Thanks for the reply....Staying in standard calibers what would your preference be between the 708 and 308.
Semper Fi,

Tim
Joaquin B
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Post by Joaquin B »

Tim,

If you already have a .308, by all means, stick with it.
150-155 gr. bullets loaded to ~2600 fps muzzle velocity will work very well for Chickens, Pigs and Turkeys. 168 or 175 grainers loaded to ~2650 fps will work well on rams. My shooting partner uses 190 grainers at 2450 fps for rams without complaining of recoil. I've only seen him lose one hit ram with this load in over 15 years.

If starting from scratch, go with the 7mm-08. Less recoil and less cost.
140 grainers ~2600 fps (Winchester cases & primers and ~36 grains of Varget or 4895/4064) will work grat for C-T. I personally use a max. load of Varget with sierra 168 gr, HPBT match bullets for rams and I have yet to loose one when hit.

Best od luck,
Joaquin B
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Post by carl425 »

"staying in standard calibers" implies to me that you don't want to load your own ammo. If this is the case, the 308 is the better choice because there is at least some selection of factory loads available - and some include match bullets. For the 7-08, the factory ammo choice is 140 grain hunting loads only. That's all I've seen anyway.

Like Joaquin, I shoot the 7-08, but I'm loading much lighter than he is. I'm shooting 130 gr MK's at the c-p-t at 2500 fps, and 168 gr MK's at the ram at 2300 fps. Everything I've hit falls obediently.

BTW, I'm surprised you don't consider the 260 a standard caliber. Most everybody chambers factory rifles for it, and it is the most popular cartdrige in HP silhouette.
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Post by JarHeadTim »

Carl,

I definately intend to hand load, I load everything that I shoot.

I'm not looking however to get into "Exotic / Wildcat" chamberings if plain and simple standard calibers will do the job. I have shot tons of .308 and the recoil does not bother me, but might lean towards the 7-08 if it will get it done on the Rams...
Semper Fi,

Tim
yankee
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Post by yankee »

Most people will agree that the 7-08 will get the job done better at the rams than the 308. The 260 will do better than the 308. Study the ballistic tables, wind drift and all that and you will see why people are shooting the 260.
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skydiver41
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HP Match

Post by skydiver41 »

Tim, we have a HP match at BRRC on the 25th of this month...come on out and check out what's on the line. I have a custom 7BR and I'm building a 7-08. Most shooters are pretty nice about letting new guys try their rifles...they certainly were with me.
Skydive:Take risks not to escape life...but to prevent life from escaping!
carl425
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Post by carl425 »

Yankee brings up another good point. The ballistic performance of the VLD bullets in 6.5mm (260) and 7mm are awesome. Take a look at the long range target bullets at bergerbullets.com. The 6.5 mm 140 gr, 7 mm 168 & 180 gr are great ram bullets because of the high ballistic coefficients. This results in more retained energy at 500 meters for a given muzzle velocity.

The tradeoff's between the two is that the 260's higher velocity (for a reasonable recoil) gives you a flatter trajectory and less wind drift at the potential cost of more ringers on the rams. The 7-08 requires a few extra clicks of the scope, doesn't do as well in the wind, but also doesn't leave as many rams standing.

In terms of ringers, I don't mean to imply that the 260 is insufficient. It is far too popular for that to be the case. Every cartridge will ring one now and then, but in the long run, the 7 mm 168 & 180 will ring fewer than the 6.5 mm 140.

For me, I suck in the wind anyway and as long as I'm within 1 turn of the elevation knob on the scope from chickens to rams, I'm not concerned too much about flatness of the trajectory. I also have more than enough mass (too much more actually) to provide an adequate backstop for all but the most severe recoil.

BTW, when you visit the Berger site, take note of the twist rates recommended for those bullets. It'll have a major impact on your rifle shopping.
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Post by JarHeadTim »

Carl,

Thanks...I have always been a fan of the 7mm bullet because of the high BC in deer sized bullets. I have not dabbled with the 260 yet...but I'l give it a look.

To start out though, I may have to shoot a relatively stock rifle and unless I'm wrong, there aren't near as many offerings in 260 as 7-08.

For giggles..I hunt with a 280 rem (7mm bullet again) does anyone shoot this caliber in Highpower?
Semper Fi,

Tim
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Post by ajj »

There is no reason at all not to get started with the .280 you already have. In fact, that would be the wisest thing to do. You can easily handload mild C-P-T cartridges. If you buy/build a rifle for the sport I'd definitely recommend a hunter-legal rifle for both classes.
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Post by JarHeadTim »

ajj wrote:There is no reason at all not to get started with the .280 you already have. In fact, that would be the wisest thing to do. You can easily handload mild C-P-T cartridges. If you buy/build a rifle for the sport I'd definitely recommend a hunter-legal rifle for both classes.
Alston,

What does C-P-T mean?
Semper Fi,

Tim
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Jason
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Post by Jason »

Chickens, pigs, and turkeys.
JarHeadTim
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Post by JarHeadTim »

Jason,

Yes, I figured that out but Thanks very much for the response.

I posted a poll that doesn't seem to be very popular...I am trying to determine what barrel length is typically shot in HP Sil?
Semper Fi,

Tim
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