Forum shooting challenge: The under 500 500

[Ultimitsu]

Ultimitsu, I bought this for $500. And many others like it that would shoot nearly as well, old BSA's and old Brno's.

It will shoot anything I load for it into an inch. I cannot get it to shoot badly. I have fucking tried. I just put it into a different stock and it still shoots as well. I am at my wits end.

The 40 year old scope I put on it puts it $100 over the entry minimum, but I bet I could beat you with it at 500 metres using its open sights. I throw down my challenge.

Hi Carlsen,

Well done, that is a good looking rifle for 500. Looking forward to see your score.

Your challenge is flattering. But, no, I do not have 500 bucks to throw around for this challenge. In any event my view has been explained well enough -

"If a person did not already start with an accurate rifle that only cost 500 from some distant past, there are only three ways to succeed this challenge:

1. bargain ruthlessly and shamelessly, pay 500 dollars for a rifle with known accuracy that simply is worth more.

2. draw of luck, keep buying 500 dollar rifles until you hit one that is actually quite accurate and sold by an unsuspecting owner - which can happen with estate sales.

3. buy an average 500 dollar rifle and then spend a lot of time rework every part of the rifle: rework the trigger, true the action, lap the barrel, adjust head space (on top of re-crowning, bedding, load developments). Basically the sort of work usually only gunsmith can do properly. In my view unless luck is on your side even with all that work done you may not get a 1 MOA gun. "

I do not have a 500 dollar gun that was bought long ago, I know of no one I can haggle ruthlessly and get a good gun for under 500. I never had the luck when buying something blind secondhand. I almost certainly do not have the time to tinker a gun to make it shoot better.

But I am happy that your gun is doing well. I will watch this how challenge develops with interest. Happy shooting.