accurate iron site rifle for 300m range in .308

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j_m_ru

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Hi, I have excellent Rem 700p rifle with scope that shoots 3 shoots .8 inch at 300 m with my load. I am looking to buy a rifle ( not very expensive - around $500) to shoot 300 m accurately (1 MOA) with iron sights. I already load for 308, so prefer to stay in this caliber.

What rifle do you recommend? (brand, model, commercial or military)
Do I need peep site for better accuracy?
Is it needed to be single shot rifle?

Thanks,
Joe
 
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If you are looking at iron sights to shoot Target Rifle there are lots of options. Some may require drilling and tapping your action and having the end or your barrel turned for the front sight. This would be the cheapest way to go.

You could also go with Centra or RPA sights to name a few (not sure if the Warner sight will fit these bases) that will fit onto a Weaver or Picatiny rail. These sights are not cheap by any means and by the time you buy all the iris' for both front and back sights you are up around the price of a good scope.

You could go with used sights like a Parker-Hale sight or a Central that you might be able to pick up for around $150 or less.

If you are looking at getting into Target Rifle shooting I suggest buying a used Target Rifle with sights and replacing parts as you go.
 
Define not expensive and accurate. When I read your post I immediately thought of a Norinco M14 clone with the National Match sights installed. It won't be super accurate, but you should be able to get 1.5-2MOA out of it at 300yds.

If you really want an iron sighted target rifle, then you should buy one. Something like a used Palma rifle won't be cheap, but it will be accurate, turn-key and have great sights.

Another interesting combo would be a Swiss K31 with diopter sights, but it isn't in .308 and isn't really that cheap after you have have put the sights on it and set everything up.

Mark
 
I believe the CG63 was available converted to 308 but I have never seen one. The fast majority are 6.6x55. Tradex (board sponsor) has several.

Those who like them, like them a lot. I am one of those, but comparing to full out TR rifles, they really can't compete. These were converted military actions with new stocks, barrels and triggers designed in 1963. The world has moved on to better barrels, triggers, stocks etc.

Again I still really like mine. I like TR shooting and plan to try mine out a longer ranges this year. I just have too many other shooting interests to go big and pay for a new TR rig. Based on this, my CG63 works for me to dabble with at distance.

A step up would be the CG80. The best apparently have Shutz and Larson barrels, height adjustable cheek pieces and a rail under the fore arm for attaching a bipod (resting between shots) and hand stop.

One limitation (that may or may not matter to you) is that Swedish target shooting is/was apparently limited to 300 yards. As such, most sights only provide enough elevation for 600 yards. I have a shim for my rear sight that hopefully will give me the right amount of elevation for 1000. Modern target rifles adjust the height of the front sight for major distance changes, so your head maintains the same cheek weld.

The best information I have found on CG63's is the Swedish Military Forum on Gunboards. Lots of members from the states and EU that seem pretty knowledgeable.

As for accuracy, as with all rifles, they vary. When I first got mine it was horrible because the bedding was worn out. Now it shoots not too bad. About 1.25-1.5 inches at 100 yards using 120 Gn bullets. I have not had much luck with the heavier 139's but I am working on a test load using these to see if I can get some better down range performance over 300 yards. We will see.

My friend has a CG 80 the S&L barrel and it shoots closer to 0.5 to 0.75 inches. Kind of makes me want to punch him just a little bit. :)

As for the need for Peep sights, if you want to shoot without a scope then yes, aperture sights are the way to go. They have been proven to be more accurate and easier to use than open sights. When matched to a circular target they provide a very accurate and repeatable site picture. Select the front aperture (or adjust it if using a front diopter) to provide a ring of light around the black target dot. When sighting, simply maintain the same amount of light on all sides of the target and you are on target to (hopefully) hit the middle. This is what I picked up on the web and from magazines. Others may have different opinions. Again, I only dabble.
 
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There were a few used Sportco rifles for ridiculously cheap prices in the EE. These are purpose built 308 iron sight rifles. Can't go wrong.
 
Target rifles

The CG 63 rifles were made in 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser calibre, and also in .308 Calibre for British target shooters. The .308 models are scarce. If you want a CG 80, you might call Anthony at Trade-ex and ask him to notify you when he gets one in a future shipment.

If you are already loading for the .308, then your only extra expense would be about $100 for a set of good benchrest dies and some cases. You are going to have to buy bullets, so the 6.5 and the .308 bullets are about the same.

If you want to get an inexpensive 300 meter rifle, Trade-ex also has some Swedish Mauser FSR rifles in the $300-350 range. These are equipped with target sights, and were used by Swedish gun clubs. A good m96 FSR rifle will group about the same as an out-of-the-box CG 63.

However, if you are used to the Remington 700 and do not want to remove the scope from yours, then you could also buy another 700 and have target sights mounted on it. A lot more expense, though.

I have two m96 FSR rifles that will stay in the 10 ring at 300 meters if I do my part. I also have a 1905 Ross Mark II** target rifle that will do the same.
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j_m_ru said:
Hi, I have excellent Rem 700p rifle with scope that shoots 3 shoots .8 inch at 300 m with my load. I am looking to buy a rifle ( not very expensive - around $500) to shoot 300 m accurately (1 MOA) with iron sights. I already load for 308, so prefer to stay in this caliber.

What rifle do you recommend? (brand, model, commercial or military)
Do I need peep site for better accuracy?
Is it needed to be single shot rifle?

Thanks,
Joe
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I would simply put a good set of apertures, front and rear on your 700, the rear should have an adjustable diopter. Take them off when you want to shoot with the scope again. But if you want a dedicated iron sight gun, get another 700 in .308.

The rifle doesn't need to be a single shot, although it can be, but aperture sights are easier to shoot well than open sights. I assume that this is for target shooting as you are posting in the Precision Rifle section, but if you intend to use metallic sights for game shooting, a ghost ring and post is more appropriate than aperture sights that are commonly mounted on target rifles. The ghost ring has a thin rim that "ghosts" out of focus as you shift your focus to the front sight, around a large aperture; whereas the target sight is a large rim, some very large, around a small aperture, although a proper diopter allows you to adjust the size of the aperture, these sights are too large and too delicate to use in the field.
 
I have shot several matches in the US where the first 2 matches at 600 yards may be fired with "any sight". The 3rd match must be fired with iron sights. These matches are fired Target Rifle style with jackets and slings. What these guys do is shoot the first 2 matches with scopes, pop the scope off and slap the irons on and carry on with match 3. Being the hard headed TR shooter that I am, I just shoot all 3 matches with irons.
Iron sights can be taken off and put back on without losing zero. A properly set up scope with the right mounts and rings and should be the same.
 
Bolivar said:
Maynard

Would it be possible to get a set of match sights to fit a rifle, with weaver or picatinny bases for the $500.00 budget that the OP stated?
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Not sure if you could do it buying brand new sights, but I am sure it could be done with slight used sights. A new Centra sight runs about $400 and used Central can be found for about $150. Notice "Centra" and "Central" are 2 different sights. A used RPA Trakker is somewhere in between the two. The other alternative would be to put a Central mount on the side of the action that does not interfere with the scope mount.
Like I mentioned earlier, by the time you get all the bells and whistles to shoot iron sights, you are up into the price range of a nice scope.
 
Paul Reibin at Range SPorts Unlimted is an ex-TR shooter of considerable reputation and expertise. He is older, and not at all internet savvy.

He deals in everything to do with iron sight shooting, and that includes a good number of used rifles. If you are on a budget, he has always been very accomodating in working out flexible terms, particularly with new shooters. I guarantee he has a great selection of used sights as well as rifles with and without sights.

Google him, he is in Kamloops BC
 
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