Yet another entry long range shooter looking for a budget set up

dbmeed

dbmeed

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Hoping to get into some long range shooting, on somewhat reasonable budget(~$2000-2500 all in). Ive been doing some research, so Im just going to drop everything Ive been looking at, and hopefully someone can tell me where Im going wrong, and what I might be overlooking or putting too much emphasis on.

I only have access to a 100m range right now, but one of the local ranges is planning to build a 1000m range soon, which kinda got me started down this rabbit hole.

Current strongly considering a Ruger Precision Rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor - From what Ive read, very customizable, many aftermarket upgrades available, yet still extremely accurate out of the box. Also, Im a bit of a Ruger fanboy, and I just love the way the RPR looks. Id like to get a Vortex Viper 6-24x or PST 5-25x to put on it, but unless I can find a good deal or used, that is going to run up to and over my budget. Eventually Id like to get an Accushot Atlas bipod, but that will definitely push it over my budget for now, so Id welcome any other suggestions in the <$100 range. Further down the road, Id like to get a Magpul PRS, but thats a long ways away.

Other rifles I have been considering (All in 6.5 Creedmoor)
- Bergara B14 HMR - I would like to consider the B14 BMP, but I think that would push me a little above my budget, unless I can find something used.
- Tikka T3x - Cheapest option, and would probably give me a better ratio for rifle:glass costs
- T/C Performance Center LRR - Can you even get these in Canada yet? I really like the look of it, but I might have to wait awhile until they become more widely available.

Other considerations:
Im kinda tempted on the Athlon Argos 8-34x instead of Vortex optics...I know I shouldnt cheap out on glass, but this would put me in a much more comfortable budget. 34x is probably way more than Ill ever need, but it sure is tempting. My only hesitation is the seeming lack of reviews for it. Other reviews of various other Athlon products seem tentatively positive, especially at the price point. IIRC, from whatever random forum post I read however long ago, they are made in the same factory as Primary Arms? but dont quote me on that! I would definitely like a verification on that.


Eventually Ill be getting into reloading, but I havent done nearly enough research on that yet, so if anyone has a quick and easy idiots guide to point me to, that would be much appreciated!

Hopefully thats enough info to give you some idea of likely how woefully unprepared I am lol
 
Bushnell Spacemaster 20x or something like that....fantastic old school Japanese glass for around $100. It’s the greatest value around the community.....

Everyone loves the newest and latest baubles when it comes to spotting scopes. I tell my clients this is the unsung hero of our CAF Brigade shooting teams (or Division , I should say). These scopes are like workhorses. I’ve seen them tossed around in the team vans or trucks and they just keep working... :wave:

Cheers, Barney
 
Any of the guns you're looking at should more than fit the bill, but generally avoid Cabela's and check out the site sponsors. Particularly on a weekend like this one where there are a lot of Canada Day sales going on. $2500 bucks is considerably more than I started with.

Might want to check out the Nikon Black series too. I picked up a 6-24 for under $1000 bucks and I'm really happy with it.
 
rkm456 said:
Any of the guns you're looking at should more than fit the bill, but generally avoid Cabela's and check out the site sponsors. Particularly on a weekend like this one where there are a lot of Canada Day sales going on. $2500 bucks is considerably more than I started with.
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Yeah, I just listed those Cabelas links because they're easy to find - I plan on doing a LOT more searching around before I actually end up buying.

I havent really looked into Nikon much at all, for some reason I figured they'd all be above my price range. Thanks!
 
If you start with a savage 10 cou:

you will have close to 1800$ left for glass.
Enough for a used but not abused nightforce nxs or something else new with respectable quality and features
 
MartyK2500 said:
If you start with a savage 10 cou:

you will have close to 1800$ left for glass.
Enough for a used but not abused nightforce nxs or something else new with respectable quality and features
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What, if any, is the general consensus around here for cost of rifle:glass?
 
MartyK2500 said:
If you start with a savage 10 cou:

you will have close to 1800$ left for glass.
Enough for a used but not abused nightforce nxs or something else new with respectable quality and features
Click to expand...

Nothing wrong with this. I have a Savage in 308 and another in 6.5 creed. They are very accurate shooters and leave lots left for glass and ammo. You could get a savage 10t-sr in 6.5 creed, Nikon black X1000, and have plenty left over for ammo...
 
I say this because myself started with and still love savage actions.
Seen them outperform rifles that we’re twice the price

If you go ruger RPR by example, you’ll have less than 900$ left for glass in your 2500$ budget.
Good glass is very nice
A basic rifle can be slowly upgraded to your liking
 
rkm456 said:
Sky's pretty much the limit. Good glass has gotten really inexpensive in the last few years.
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MartyK2500 said:
I say this because myself started with and still love savage actions.
Seen them outperform rifles that we’re twice the price

If you go ruger RPR by example, you’ll have less than 900$ left for glass in your 2500$ budget.
Good glass is very nice
A basic rifle can be slowly upgraded to your liking
Click to expand...

Getting mixed messages here...lol

My thinking is that, yes, I can upgrade as I go, but is there any reason I start with good glass and cheap rifle, or vise versa? Because it can go both ways. Right now, the best scope I have used is a cheap Tasco 2-7x on my .22 that my grandfather passed down. Is it the case where I dont know what Im missing, so Im fine going cheap, or is there something huge Ill be missing?

Sorry if this is hard to make sense of, Im kinda tired and cant formulate sentences well right now lol
 
I'd stay somewhere in the middle ground for rifle and glass but only becouse if you end up sticking with it you'll end up upgrading both anyway. I'd would get an affordable rifle and decent glass and spend the rest on ammo becouse expensive rifles and glass don't mean #### if you don't know how to shoot.
 
skoal said:
I'd stay somewhere in the middle ground for rifle and glass but only becouse if you end up sticking with it you'll end up upgrading both anyway. I'd would get an affordable rifle and decent glass and spend the rest on ammo becouse expensive rifles and glass don't mean #### if you don't know how to shoot.
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I was under the impression that the RPR/Vortex and competitors WERE the middle ground entries into the precision world? What kind of price range would you(or would others) consider an "affordable rifle and decent glass"?
 
hawk-i said:
Another option is a rem 783...install a custom barrel. ...bed it...enjoy it.
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Myself started savage, but also reading great stuff on rem 783.
Same barrel style locking system and bolt than savage

Started sub moa out of the box
Got sub 3/4 moa with an MDT chassis
And now sub 1/2 moa with an upgrade barrel

My own opinion still stands (you know what they say about opinion eh?)
A 700$ Savage with an 1800$ Optic will sling lead more accurately than a 1800$ rifle with a 700$ optic.

I get you are stuck at 100M.
Sure you can find nice looking glass for not too much.
Reliable tracking turrets are not cheap.
And if you end up shooting further, proper turrets are nice to have.
 
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Good glass will likely stay with you longer than a rifle. As interests change or other styles of gun peak your interest, I would think you'd be more likely to keep your scope. My thoughts on Vortex are this: If your biggest selling point is your warranty, you likely have a lot of clients that are warrantying your product. Other brands out there have essentially the same warranty, and don't need to sing it off the rooftops. When it comes to their spotters/binos, I've looked through them a few times in comparison to other brands (Leupold,Leica,Zeiss, Swarovski) in all light conditions at distances out to a few miles while sheep hunting, and I wouldn't be spending my hard earned dollars on their glass. Your mileage may vary.
 
I would cross vortex off the list unless it’s a razor HD. This is coming from a guy with 4 vortex scopes. There are much better options out there.

The Remington 783 shorty that just came out would be a good contender too. I have a 783 in 7mm and it’s a very accurate rifle for a budget hunting gun. I will be picking up a shorty 783 since I am so happy with my 7mm.

Factor in the cost of ammo if that helps swing your budget. It costs a lot to shoot quality ammo enough to improve. I reload for all my guns and it still adds up quick
 
Vortex PST 6-24 scopes come up in the EE for $800-1000 quite frequently if that's what you're looking for. The Gen 2 5-25 models seem to go for $1200+. I own 7 vortex scopes at this point and every single one of them has come from the EE for significantly less than retail.
 
I’ve applied for EE, now I just gotta wait... I was hoping to get in just to get an idea of secondary market prices, now youve all got me worried I’m missing some good deals lol
 
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