I've shot rifles only a little in my early years - small game hunting with .22 and dove hunting with 12 gauge back in my teens. Then about 2 hours learning the "Ready, Fire! ... Aim" theory of M-16 operation in the Air Force. Handguns are a different story - I have held a concealed carry license for almost 10 years now, and owned but didn't carry long before I got the license. The introduction of the Ruger (I can say that here, can't I?) Precision Rifle along with the amazing performance of the 6.5mm Creedmoor round made it possible for me to jump into target shooting on a budget I could afford. So I grabbed one of those RPRs in 6.5CM, slapped a Vortex Razor HD Gen II 4.5-27x56 scope on it and started in on it. I own a few other rifles such as a Mossin Nagant that my dad left me, a good looking Henry .22LR Military Commemorative that I actually don't plan on shooting, a S&W M&P 15 that I finally tuned up well enough to get 1-inch groups at 100 yards with, a nice little CZ 455 Combo (.22LR/.17HMR), and my latest find: the Browning X-Bolt Stainless Stalker in 6.5mm Creedmoor. To be honest I was looking at another, lighter rifle than the X-Bolt, but I was firm in my resolve to get something in the 6.5CM. Why buy many different bullets when you don't have to? Bad enough having to get .22LR, 5.56 Nato/.223 Rem and 6.5CM and potentially even .17HMR and 7.62x54R for the rifles I already had. Now that Hornady has come out with the 143 grain 6.5CM in a round suitable for the level of target shooting I'm happy with AND for hunting out to any range that I would consider ethical for my skill level, why invest in yet another caliber rifle? I lucked up and found the lonely little Browning X-Bolt in a local shop and grabbed it right up. I mounted a Leupold 4.5-14x50 VX-3L onto it and have started breaking it in and letting it get used to me. Yeah, a largish scope for hunting, but like the 6.5CM round - it fills the range of needs/future use from target shooting to varmint shooting to large game hunting. Even with only 24 rounds through the bore so far, it's down to sub-MOA groups at 100 yards and I have a feeling it will get better. Can't wait to take it to an outdoor range where I can start learning more about longer range shooting (my goal: be reasonably accurate out to say 500 or 600 yards) and dealing with the things you don't have to at an indoor range - like (ack!!) wind!! Actually, perhaps I should say my goal is to take the book-and-YouTube learning and turn it all into practical experience.
