6.5CM vs .308 as it pertains to this forum

[Sawin]

Seems to me that if you're into long range precision, then hunting with lighter projectile should be a wash since presumably your skill level would be higher.

One might hope that's the case, but when looking through a scope at game, especially big game, you're undoubtedly going to have increased shakiness from adrenaline and higher heart rate, more so than when shooting at silhouette's or paper. Then there's also the angle of your shot to consider. Most rifle ranges shoot on a pretty flat horizontal plane, but hunting scenarios can pose some pretty wide shot angles that do affect point of impact.

[Irving]

I've always wondered how adequate LR shooting is for training for hunting.

[Jamnanc]

I've hunted with guys who aren't great target shooters, but have great instincts and shoot straight when it matters. It's a different skill set for sure, but if a guy practices with his rifle it can't hurt.

[Sawin]

I've hunted with guys who aren't great target shooters, but have great instincts and shoot straight when it matters. It's a different skill set for sure, but if a guy practices with his rifle it can't hurt.

Agreed. LR shooting IS good training for hunting, if only to ensure consistency with cheek weld, trigger control, breathing, range calculation, etc. All of those things matter... but LR shooting does not provide the same internal/physiological response that hunting does. Any kind of practice makes you better... but practice while hunting is a misnomer unless of course you're bird hunting, or shooting hogs from helicopters in TX

[Sawin]

I've hunted with guys who aren't great target shooters, but have great instincts and shoot straight when it matters. It's a different skill set for sure, but if a guy practices with his rifle it can't hurt.

Agreed. LR shooting IS good training for hunting, if only to ensure consistency with cheek weld, trigger control, breathing, range calculation, etc. All of those things matter... but LR shooting does not provide the same internal/physiological response that hunting does. Any kind of practice makes you better... but practice while hunting is a misnomer unless of course you're bird hunting, or shooting hogs from helicopters in TX

Back on topic, I have recently considered building a 6.5CM silhouette rifle, but cannot sufficiently justify it yet... I have a .308 and need to spend more time behind it before I feel like I've "grown out of it". Having more $ saved would help too...

[Delfuego]

Sawin, You need to come to the Raton Sporting Rifle Match or other matches like it and and then re-evaluate what you consider LR shooting.
We often will shoot a 17lb rifle off of sticks, from a ledge, across a valley, in 10+mph winds, at 6-10" targets, at distances of 400-600y yards. All while on a timer.
Let's see is 5% of you average hunter can do that.

Back to the topic at hand: Yes 6.5 is still better in every way.

[Jamnanc]

Sawin, You need to come to the Raton Sporting Rifle Match or other matches like it and and then re-evaluate what you consider LR shooting.
We often will shoot a 17lb rifle off of sticks, from a ledge, across a valley, in 10+mph winds, at 6-10" targets, at distances of 400-600y yards. All while on a timer.
Let's see is 5% of you average hunter can do that.

Back to the topic at hand: Yes 6.5 is still better in every way.

Except that ammo and components will be unavailable. If your foraging you may find a tin of steel cased 308 in a basement, very unlikely to find 6.5 in any quantity.

[Sawin]

Sawin, You need to come to the Raton Sporting Rifle Match or other matches like it and and then re-evaluate what you consider LR shooting.
We often will shoot a 17lb rifle off of sticks, from a ledge, across a valley, in 10+mph winds, at 6-10" targets, at distances of 400-600y yards. All while on a timer.
Let's see is 5% of you average hunter can do that.

Back to the topic at hand: Yes 6.5 is still better in every way.

Yes, I do! That sounds like a fantastic time and great training!

[XC700116]

Yes, I do! That sounds like a fantastic time and great training!

Yeap, Matches like the Steel Safari are specifically designed around the hunting mindset. You walk up to the shoot position, the RO shows you the right and left limits and tells you 6 targets at one position or 3 targets from 2 positions, and says go. You have 5 minutes to find, range, and engage your 6 shots (oh and btw the targets aren't painted so they blend in pretty well) And maybe 50-60% of the shots are prone and the rest you have to work around the natural terrain obstacles and target placement. There's very few targets that are level with the shoot position, some high, some low, etc. Winds are weird due to canyons funneling them, and the time pressure and the competition ratchets up the pressure to put just as much or more stress on the shooter as hunting does. It's a hoot!

That said, back to the original premise, if you're counting on foraging for ammo, you're already fawked. And If I'm mobile, I'm not hauling around my big heavy precision rifles.