mchughcb - I have no reason to disbelieve Steve's prowess with a rifle. He's been in the game for a long time.

7,500 rounds is bugger all for a year's shooting.

I'm no professional (was at one time, I guess, depending on what you'd call a professional) and yet I've done close to that just working up loads for a couple different, difficult rifles - wearing the barrels out in the process.

When I was doing a lot of handgun shooting, (.45 and 'some' .38) for the 'modified' IPSC I ran for my boys and the local RCMP, I averaged close to 300 rounds a week (1 day a week), every week except for 2 in one year alone. Some weeks, shoot weeks would be closer to 600. That's close to 15,000 rounds in practice for only one gun. I also hunted - smokeless and muzzleloader, worked up loads for new toys and also shot my 14 bore rifle almost every week as well. That's on top of the other 5 or 6 rifles a I shot a lot.
Every other year was a training year for me, which meant a trip to the Justice Institute for trainer training. That was 2,500rounds of handgun in one 5-day week (500 a day) - along with classroom instruction.
The numbers add up quickly when you are having fun.