[navvet08]

I recently posted a thread about Hornaday custom vs. superformance ammo. I am considering mainly hunting and light competition shooting with the same scope and rifle. Can you use the same high performance ammo for hunting and competition shooting?

[c3shooter]

Well, that depends to some degree on what you are hunting, and what caliber you are shooting.

I use an old .220 Swift for groundhogs/ prairie dogs. For them, I load an accurate bullet- at close to 4000 fps, for them, any bullet is more than effective.

However, for .308 and deer, I do NOT want a fully jacketed bullet (and in many states, they are not legal for hunting deer). I want an expanding bullet that will penetrate but make a BIG hole while doing that.

So..................whatcha hunting?

[Dennis845]

I learned the hard way! There's a big difference in accuracy between .22 hunting rounds and competition rounds, and price too! Also, your .22 hunting 2x7 or 3x9 rifle scope will be inadequate for .22 competition match shooting. You'll need a minimum of 16 - 24 power to be competitive. Switching scopes back and forth between competition and hunting (sighting in) is not for me. Guess I'll buy me a match grade .22

[navvet08]

Originally Posted by c3shooter

Well, that depends to some degree on what you are hunting, and what caliber you are shooting.

I use an old .220 Swift for groundhogs/ prairie dogs. For them, I load an accurate bullet- at close to 4000 fps, for them, any bullet is more than effective.

However, for .308 and deer, I do NOT want a fully jacketed bullet (and in many states, they are not legal for hunting deer). I want an expanding bullet that will penetrate but make a BIG hole while doing that.

So..................whatcha hunting?

I will be hunting deer and maybe hog. I will be using a Browning X-Bolt Medallion 30-06. I plan on buying a $500-$1000 scope. I like using the Hornaday ammo probably superformance or custom.

[c3shooter]

Hornady makes good stuff. Just be sure that you are using a bullet intended for hunting when hunting.

I don't know you, or your experience level in deer hunting, so if advice is unneeded, just pay me no mind-

Scope- new hunters tend to overscope in magnification. Higher the magnification (all other things being equal) the dimmer the image, and the narrower the field of view. My 26x varmint scope would be about useless for deer- cranked up, try to FIND the deer.

Effective HUNTING range: I use the dessert plate rule. Get some paper dessert plates. The little ones you serve birthday cake on. They are about 5 inches. The greatest distance you can hit that plate with 5 shots using that rifle, that ammo, and THAT SHOOTING POSITION is your max range. 5 inches is about the size of the reliable kill zone on a deer.

Improving your accuracy- I am damned good off the bench with a Caldwell Lead Sled rest. Too bad I can't drag 900 lbs of bench, rest and weights out to where the deer and the antelope play. BUT- where I hunt most often, I CAN take a collapsable chair (prone does not work in broomstraw that is 3 ft high) AND a set of shooting sticks. Works well for me.

OK- lecture's over- and good hunting to you.

[CourtJester]

Iowa doesn't allow high power rifles for deer in the area I live in and I've never been a big fan of deer hunting. But I do use match ammo in my .22 when squirrel hunting if that helps at all. Never missed and never not had one fall. Of course a good sling shot would do the same thing if close enough.
I'd take match ammo for deer hunting but only for what I was willing to take a head shot at.
In the end, it just depends on how well you can hit the vitals. The only thing worse than missing a shot is making it and never finding the target.

[jpattersonnh]

This is truely where reloading comes into play. There are bullets that are similar to each other, close enough that your POI and POA are almost identical.
Using match ammo on medium game is a foolish thing to do. It is not made to break bone, expand, or perform in a hunting roll. The Rifle you have is a hunting rifle. No matter how good the accuracy, it will not compare w/ a dedicated target rifle. C3 has a good idea w/ paper plates. I use Clay pigeons
set at different distances. Shoot the way you hunt! I've never seen a bench in the woods, so practice shooting off hand. Try and find a 3 position shoot, or just do it w/ your buddies. It is much harder then most would suspect. It is great practice for the field. Best of luck, JP

[navvet08]

[QUOTE=jpattersonnh;577300]This is truely where reloading comes into play. There are bullets that are similar to each other, close enough that your POI and POA are almost identical.

What is POI and POA? I can only assume that it has something to do with accuracy and impact.

[Gatoragn]

POI = Point of Impact = Where the bullet strikes the target

POA = Point of Aim = Where the barrel pointed so it strikes POI

[jpattersonnh]

[quote=navvet08;577907]

Originally Posted by jpattersonnh

This is truely where reloading comes into play. There are bullets that are similar to each other, close enough that your POI and POA are almost identical.

What is POI and POA? I can only assume that it has something to do with accuracy and impact.

POA, Point of aim is the point you are looking at w/ sights/scope.
POI, is the actual impact point.

I shoot allot of 8x57. I use 1949 Turk Surplus which is very hot and has a 196gr bullet. I have found that a 175gr Sierra pro hunter w/ 47.5gr of IMR4320 gives me an almost identical POI at 100 yards.