Advice on long range rifle

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kstarev

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Hi CGN,

I have been looking and reading about long range rifles for some time now.
That being said, I am lost as to what to choose (brand wise), even when comes to the caliber. I had a few suggestions from here and there, but did not like them (Norinco was not my firearm make of choice).
I find myself jumping from one caliber to another. That is largely based on my lack of knowledge when comes to long range rifle calibers and their use.
Things considered:
- realiability of the firearm;
- firearm's price;
- cost of additions (scope);
- cost of ammo;

Any advices, suggestions, comments, thoughts?

Thank you all,
Kris
 
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A bolt action is pretty much a must for long range, but how far is "long range" going to be for you? If it's 1000 yards or less why not consider a 308 or 223? Relatively inexpensive to shoot, easy to find components, and if you decide you want to compete you can step right in to F-Class. 308 is easy, pretty much any twist from 10 to 12 can work so there's lots of factory options to choose from, like a Remington 700 5R or Savage 12. In 223 you'll need a faster twist (1:7) which limits your options a little more.

If you're patient you could probably put together a great setup new/used for under $2k. Remington or Savage bolt action that can be upgraded as you go, and a good variable power scope like a a Sightron SIII.
 
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If you want to puch paper out to 1000 yards look into one of the Ontario Rifle Association's Introductory Day. Don't spend a dime on anything until you do.
 
Do some reading on some of the long range forms, talk to a FEW guys on here (gerry @ mystic) there are lots of options and lots of crap advice out there. When talking to folks make sure they compete in long range matches or chances are they are talking out of their a$$. I wont give you answers either because I might be talking out of my a$$ too. Took me 7 years to decide on the rifle I wanted and the caliber. It will all boil down to what YOU like, what works for YOU, how accurate YOU want it to be, what YOU want to shoot with it, and how much money YOU want to invest into it.
 
kstarev said:
I am looking into a rifle that can do hunting and target shooting as well.
Forgot to mention that.
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I suppose that if I was in the market again, I'd want something with a 20" barrel,
medium-light profile or sendero barrel profile, detachable mag system.I'd probably lean towards a fibreglass stock as well.
 
kstarev said:
I am looking into a rifle that can do hunting and target shooting as well
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Varmint/coyote hunting or big game like deer, moose, etc?

I know Jerry at Mystic, among others, have posted about the challenges and compromises that would typically come with having one rifle that would fill both roles well. The things many seem to like in target rifles (single shot, long heavy barrels, and hefty overall weight) don't necessarily lend themselves to a practical hunting rifle.

I probably should have asked about your intended use before spouting off, but for a target rifle I'll stand by my recommendations. Some other good advice was added, including talking to some on here like Jerry who both hunt and compete at long range.
 
mildot said:
I suppose that if I was in the market again, I'd want something with a 20" barrel,
medium-light profile or sendero barrel profile, detachable mag system.I'd probably lean towards a fibreglass stock as well.
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This...Savage 10 Precision Carbine?

MrClx5GMV_vPV24x9qh.png
 
I had good luck shooting steel and paper out to 1000 with a plain Jane .30/06 sporter. The issue I had was not enough elevation adjustment in the scope, but a sloped base would have solved that issue. At the time I used an aiming target set above my impact target. The '06 has an edge over the .308 when it comes to heavy for caliber bullets, but there isn't much beyond that that the '06 can do that the .308 can't do in a smaller package, if that sort of thing matters to you. Beyond that, any cartridge with a bullet diameter of 6.5 and larger and .416 or smaller that can drive a mid weight bullet to 2700 fps is suitable for big game hunting. Most folks involved with target shooting at long range with sporter weight rifles lean towards bore diameters of .30 or smaller.

Perhaps the best advise I can pass on is to choose a good repeatable detachable scope mount so that you can choose between a high powered target scope which allows you to see better at long range and a low fixed or variable power scope which provides an advantageous field of view over typical hunting ranges. If your bullet has a velocity below 3000 fps, a 20 minute base might be advantageous when attempting to get a half mile zero. The bigger the tube diameter the more elevation adjustment you will normally have, so a 30mm or a 34 mm scope tube has a significant advantage over a 1". A scope level which ensures you keep zero cant at long range will improve your long range marksmanship exponentially.
 
Take a look at the hunting/sporting arms EE and then the precision one... There's a reason you see a jump in price from one to the other. I'd recommend investing in two separate rigs
 
Get the best that you can afford. Maybe make it a project where you save up for better stuff. Piece away at items.

260 is good.

308 not bad.

300 Win Mag but pricey and recoil kinda harsh.

6.5X47.

338 Lapua! My favorite but I sold the rifle with plans to buy a different make.

A target rifle and hunting rifle kinda go against each other. If you can afford to, get 2 separate rifles.
 
I suppose that if your trying to "figure out what lane your in" ? most people consider <600m to be long range. If your shooting below that? then that might help you? One rifle that comes to mind is the REM LTR? calibre choice will reflect what type of game your going after?
 
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I think your options are ... 308 win, 7Rem Mag, or 338 Lapua. 308 Win for small- medium game inside 800 and paper. 7 Rem Mag for big game inside 1000 and paper. 7mm with a 180 berger is my suggestion if you want to hunt with it. you'll need a 1-9 twist for that long bullet. 338 Lapua if you want to get it done inside 2000. I personally am not into ultra mags at all.
 
You sound somewhat new to the game and I'll assume you mean punching paper, because long range hunting is a specialty that requires far more than a good gun. the best advice I can offer from a lifetime of shooting/building/fixing guns is follow Maynard's advice... get in touch with the Ontario Rifle Association and find out when they shoot. Go out and meet the shooters (they are ALL friendly, approachable and highly critical of forum-based free advice).

These folk will likely even let you try their rifles so you can experience the differences in recoil, sights (open and optical) and other bits and pieces. They will also share their good advice on brands, calibers, reloading and essential versus fluff when it comes to other shooting accessories. I would bet a cup of coffeee that you will hear of excellent used stuff for sale that has been built and proven. Custom stuff for less than an new factory is a pretty sweet deal sometimes.

best of all, when you DO get a rifle, these guys will coach you on how to be a better shooter. It takes more than good grapes to make good wine. It takes more than a good gun to be a better shooter and with the cost of ammo and barrels, it is more fun to become a good shooter early. Every round then becomes training and practice.

You can be smart and get your advice from people that know what they are doing, or you can get advice from people you don't know who are either trying to sell you something or are trying to make you buy what they did to sroke their own egos. I can bull#### high scores and tight groups all day long with the best of them in this forum, but you'll never know if I can walk the walk.

Have fun and get started on the proper foot, it will save you money and MUCH frustration
 
Some consideration should also go in to any specific discipline of target shooting you choose. In some cases caliber doesn't matter, but in others you may find yourself competing against purpose-built boomers with ridiculous ballistics.
 
paperslayer said:
You sound somewhat new to the game and I'll assume you mean punching paper, because long range hunting is a specialty that requires far more than a good gun. the best advice I can offer from a lifetime of shooting/building/fixing guns is follow Maynard's advice... get in touch with the Ontario Rifle Association and find out when they shoot. Go out and meet the shooters (they are ALL friendly, approachable and highly critical of forum-based free advice).

These folk will likely even let you try their rifles so you can experience the differences in recoil, sights (open and optical) and other bits and pieces. They will also share their good advice on brands, calibers, reloading and essential versus fluff when it comes to other shooting accessories. I would bet a cup of coffeee that you will hear of excellent used stuff for sale that has been built and proven. Custom stuff for less than an new factory is a pretty sweet deal sometimes.

best of all, when you DO get a rifle, these guys will coach you on how to be a better shooter. It takes more than good grapes to make good wine. It takes more than a good gun to be a better shooter and with the cost of ammo and barrels, it is more fun to become a good shooter early. Every round then becomes training and practice.

You can be smart and get your advice from people that know what they are doing, or you can get advice from people you don't know who are either trying to sell you something or are trying to make you buy what they did to sroke their own egos. I can bulls**t high scores and tight groups all day long with the best of them in this forum, but you'll never know if I can walk the walk.

Have fun and get started on the proper foot, it will save you money and MUCH frustration
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Thanx for calling us egotistical idiots. Its appreciated.
 
Max Owner said:
Thanx for calling us egotistical idiots. Its appreciated.
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Matt_dal123 said:
Yeah that was a bit awkward of him to put out there.
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Not at all. I do compete in long range target shooting and also hunt. I have seen guys piss their hard earned money away on a rifle/caliber that does not work for their intended purpose. Suggesting a magnum caliber as a first rifle is something I would never do. I would also never suggest a barrel burner or going to an custom Open F Class rifle as a first choice.

Dropping $4000-$8000 on a rifle will not make you a champion long range shooter, putting lead down range will. No need to buy a 1/4 MOA rifle if the shooter can only hold 3 MOA. Also no need to buy a rifle that costs a days pay to feed for a day on the range.

What most new and some more experienced shooters don't know is that they can reach 1000 yards with a .223 with the right twist and bullet weight. Buying a rifle is just the beginning, reloading for long range shooting is a must.

The ORA Intro Days answer a lot of these questions.

If the OP or anyone else would like to see a what goes on at these shoots/practices, we have a practice on Sept, 1 and a match on Sept, 2 at Cedar Springs (located between London and Windsor)
 
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