[JGguns]

Hey guys I am looking for a good long range rifle. I want something that will shoot far and accurate. I know most of it depends on the shooter and some on the scope but i want to start with a good gun. I am not planning on using it for hunting but I may. I basically want it for fun, just setting up long shots and taking them. I am learnig as much as I can from sniper books and the internet but I know practice makes perfect. I am not really concerned with cal but I know I cant afford a 50 cal lol. I will probly buy used for cost reason but I am wanting to be set up (gun and scope) for 650 or under. any help is appreciated Thanks Oh and I am new to the site but have to say its a excellant source of knowledge and entertainment!

[Supar]

How long are we talking when you say "long range"?

[Gene L]

Depends on your budget as for rifle. But for caliber at those ranges, a .308 would work fine. Savage offers a very accurate but inexpensive rifle.

[JGguns]

Under a 1000 yards. Thanks for the replies.

[Dillinger]

Welcome to the Forum -

1,000 Yard shooting is one of the hardest things I have ever done. And if you are starting out, I would suggest setting your "sights" a little lower. One does not simply JUMP into shooting 1,000 yards... LOL

I assume you want a bolt gun? Correct?

And you want the weapon and the scope to come in at $650??

Don't want much, do you??

The first thing you need to do is decide on a caliber. From there, we can work on the weapon and the glass.

The .308, mentioned above, is a good choice, but the maximum effective range for that weapon is really about 650 yards. And at that, it's quite a moon shot because the bullet drops like a brick.

And before some yay-who comes along ranting and raving about how the Marines shoot 1,000 yards with their M24 in .308 all the time - you're right, but that is because they HAVE TOO. They are not retooling the entire Corp, or the Army, with new weapons at the moment.

There are NO .308's going to the sand box at the moment. Everyone is taking, at a minimum, a .300 Win or a .338 Lapua

The FBI's HRT Team went to the 7mm Remington Magnum about 6 or 8 years ago and there is a thread some moron is building on that cartridge in the Projects Section

So, we need to decide on a cartridge first. What do you want the round to do? Realistically? What are you expecting out of the weapon? What kind of ranges do you have around your home?

There are only a couple of places that we can even shoot further than 300 yards around here, so building a 1,000 yard gun is something that you need to plan on being able to use...

So, provide some insight and we can go from there.

What books have you read? I might be able to suggest some great reading material on the subject, I have an extensive library...

JD

[JGguns]

Thanks! lol yeah I am not thinking of trying for a shot like that off the bat. I said under a 1000 with the thought of that being the max I would ever do. But I will probly be looking at more of 4 to 6 hundred yrd shot on a weekly basis. Lol yeah I am not trying to spend a ton and i think I am going to go with the 308. After looking around on the web I am realizing i will probly end up spending alittle more lol but I am gonna do my best to build the best cost effective rifle I can. I really hoping to trade someone for a good scope after I buy a rifle. Yea definately going with a bolt. i was looking at the savages wich seem to be real nice guns but I am not sure I can swing the price for a new one, and I am having trouble finding any used in my area so far. So I guess I am looking for a reasonable 308 bolt good for probly 3 to 8 hundred yard. And as far as scope goes i have no idea, I am a bow hunter so my gun experiance is very little besides my personal guns, glock 40 cal, rossi 22 pump, marlin semi auto 22 lr, and my winchester 20 gauge (my small bird hunter) Thanks guys!

[SlamFire]

"Under 1000 yds" means less than . . .

.308 caliber bullet gives you the most options for bullet weight. You could go with 308 Win. but 30-06 Spfd. gives you a larger case and more options for loading. If you're pushing on range, a larger case is nice to have.

Speaking of which, 300 Win. Mag. fills the bill too.

I found a Weatherby Vanguard, 30-06, 3 - 9x Leupold in a pawn shop, 85% condition for about $350. Pays to shop. Doesn't hurt to have an idea what you're looking for so you'll recognize it when you see it on the used rack.

[JGguns]

How powerful of a scope am I gonna want to get for 3-7 hundred yrd range? Yea I went around today and checked a couple shops but I didnt see much. I definately need to educate myself on both rifle and scope before I pull the trigger on anything though. Thanks

[Gene L]

Got to disagree with Dillinger on the .308's max effective range. The MER of the M 14 is about what he said, but that's with iron sights. The round in 168 gr. BTHP is well above supersonice at even 1K. And 650 yards (while a long way) just isn't that far, target shooting wise. Palma matches are shot at 1K and under and with the .308, which is very accurate even in the wind.

I know a guy who shoots p-dogs at 600 yards and less with a 6mm. Maybe a bit more, but not often.

But the .308 isn't absolute best round at longer ranges in theory. The .300 WM is better, but a whole lot less fun to shoot, and the .338 Lapua is even better and even less fun to shoot because of recoil. The 30-06 is slightly better ballistically with long range bullets, but most people think the .308 is "more accurate" because it's a higher pressure round and the shorter action can be made stiffer. It's a great round and not bad on the shoulder.

Were I buying a rifle for pleasure and fun, it would be a .308 and not something bigger and more punishing. When I went to the US Army Counter Sniper Instructor course back in 1982 or so, we shot at 900 yards with the 7.62 Nato M-Whatever (Sniper version of the M 14) and it was a cinch to dial them in and hit the target, which was a steel silhoutte. And pretty well hit it in the sweet spot. Most of the time, that is.

[mrm14]

.243 Win. is another good choice for long range shooting (High Velocity). Theres also 6MM and 6.5MM BR. If your shooting 60 to 80 rounds in competition you may want to consider the recoil factor, which these smaller calibers reduce. Also the higher a velocity bullet has less time to be affected in distance by wind. Alot of guys in NCPPRC (a long range club that shoot 1000 yards competition at the range I go to) use alot Night Force and Leupold brand scopes. I myself use a Leupold MK IV 6.5-25 X 50mm objective and a Leupold VXIII 4-18 X 40mm. The latter of these two scopes is good for me to 600 yards. I think you might be spending near $1100.00 plus for a good scope with good light gathering abilities good resolution. I'm currently building a 1000 yard Remington 700 in .300 Win Mag. (A terrible recoil beast) I also am looking to picking up a Kimber bolt gun in .204 Ruger. These are real tack drivers (holes in holes at 200 yards) with very little work to do out of the box, and little to no recoil comparitively. A good trigger job or a Timney or Jewell aftermarket trigger with a very light pull is practically a necessity also. You cant go wrong with a Remington 700 chassis. Theres more aftermarket parts and pieces available at lower prices than for most any other bolt gun out there. Kreiger and Bartlien barrels make very good barrels for when you decide to eventually "go there". Also Surgeon Rifles and Pierce Engineering make alot of cool Remy 700 stuff.