Looking to go long

Artemis

Artemis

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Good day all,

I was recently at the CHAS gun show and met one or two of the long range shooters on this forum. I have been thinking that i want to dabble in the long range shooting, learning the ins and outs. So that means looking at a long range rifle that will do all and more than i ask of it. I have been admiring some stuff on the internet (and on here). I admit i really like the look of the M200 intervention but really, the price is too much to choke down. i want a rifle i can shoot into, meaning a rifle that is far enough above my skill level that i can grow into it. the big reason is expense. For the money, i want to be comfortable with the feel of the rifle by the time im reaching out 1000+m and not feel like i want or need something bigger or better.

My skill level might as well be nil. Most of my shooting has happened on the range from 7m to 100m (pistols and ars) and hunting. I am a left handed shooter and i'd like to try to keep it that way.

Any and all recommendations are warmly accepted, thank you.
 
If you want your question answered I suggest you provide this info:

1. how much are you willing to spend? with or without optics

2. have you decided on a caliber or are you open to all suggestions?

3. Any features (type of trigger, stock, etc.) that you would want or need?
 
the question may be asked every other day but the thread leans toward what that person is looking for, and the conversation tends to stay in that direction. I apologize for yet another beginner looking to get into long range shooting... maybe i should be looking elsewhere if this is the response i am to be expecting? i was under the impression that cgn was a laid back, any and all welcome, help in as many aspects as we can type forum for shooters.

thank you shabazz, I think my price limit would be up to 10000$ (with optics), open to any calibres (i shoot 7mm rem mag for my hunting rifle), and i really dont know what features are out there for precision shooting. I guess this is the beginning post to a lot of research. thank you for the reply.
 
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Please understand that the reason you got the response you did was because of the lack of information in the original post. Literally every day someone starts a thread that states "what is the best rifle for long range" and leaves it up to us to figure out the rest. Now that we have a more specific guideline many will be happy to help.
 
I am in edmonton, alberta.

Shabazz, thats fine. I want to add more info. I would like to start shooting around the 500m range to get the hang of what im doing and in for (confidence building too) and work my way up. i have been thinking that i would need to pick up all the reloading equipment and everything that would allow me to shoot as cheaply as possible to keep the lead in the air (included in the initial cost). ALso side note, are there any ranges that allow for long distance shooting in the edmonton area?
 
Artemis said:
I think my price limit would be up to 10000$ (with optics)
Click to expand...

well with that kind of a budget I don't think anything is off the table.

you can buy a custom rifle in any caliber you want and a Shmit and Bender scope for that kind of coin, and probably a decent range finder and wind meter
 
Dashing out and buying a Ferrari or a McLaren does not make a person a winning race car driver. Buying an expensive/exotic rifle without knowing what fits YOU and having the basic knowledge of shooting skills is a bad move in my opinion.

It takes time to develop a "style" and skill, the only real way to determine what REALLY works for you as far as stock style and configuration is to try as many as possible by shooting with them in as many positions as is possible to find out what fits you and what does not.

1 can learn a great deal about the basics with something basic. My suggestion is to take some basic practical marksmanship courses, get a good grounding on the operation , form and start building your skill level up. This can be accomplished with a basic Rem 700 in 308 for not a ton of money. I mention the 700 strictly as they afford the most number of options for upgrade and 308 simply because it is inexpensive to learn LR shooting skills with, both from a component cost but also for barrel longevity.

ONCE you have a year or so with a basic rifle you will have a better idea of whether you prefer a 2 stage trigger or single stage, what style you have adopted as far as position and stance, these figure into the developing of form, which varies from shooting discipline. F Class shooting has different equipment parameters than Tactical or Bench. All these rifle shooting styles have varying equipment quirks to some degree.

1 certainly does not need a 408, frankly there are far better calibers available, for extreme long range shooting.
A "cool" looking space gun does necessarily mean it is accurate an rifle, nor a comfortable 1 for the shooter.

Every time you make a mistake in equipment selection it is expensive. Learn all you can from the generosity of other shooters at the range. Many of us have no problem allowing someone interested to "test drive" a round or 2 from 1 of our rigs.

Shopping for a specialty rifle on the internet is like trying to purchase a fitted suit online.
 
Vectronix Terrapin, Rem 700 action, Krieger or Bartlein 5R barrel, M5-style BM with AICS mags, Mickey A5 stock, Shilen/Timney/Jewell trigger, S&B PMII scope with a steel 20MOA pic rail and some good rings, and a good reloading setup like the RCBS Rockchucker kit with some reloading components, and you're off to the races! And you're starting with all the best equipment, right out the gate.

You'd be hard-pressed to do better than a 7mm Rem Mag. Then you could reload for both your target and hunting rifles and become very familiar with the ballistics of both at the same time.
 
ATRS - Thank you for the advice, its what im looking for. As for jumping into a ferrari... i don't need nor want a ferrari right out of the hole. but i would like a solid setup that i can work with from a beginner platform right up to being an experienced shooter. I'm not in to distance shooting for competition. Just the challenge in doing better than my last shot. I agree with you the equipment must fit the shooter otherwise its a fight to make everything copacetic. Im most definitely not a benchrest kind of guy, i like being adaptable. expensive mistakes are exactly what im trying to avoid for sure. Most definitely i am not looking to shop online, but more looking for people to make suggestions on what type of rifle they recommend, setups, shops for custom work, places to shoot long, and all other aspects of making the jump into long range shooting. Lastly, thank you for your advice it is greatly appreciated.

Mr. Smith, I have a small idea of what you said, but it sounds like a really nice setup! i really like your idea of using my hunting caliber. Ill look into it. Thank you kindly for the reply, it is greatly appreciated.
 
I have seen many new shooters pizz away good money on a long range rig only to find out that it is not competitive. Talk to the guys that shoot long range with your local Provincial Rifle Association before laying out any money. The PRA's have practice and match dates. Although you have said that you are not really into the competitive side, you can use these match dates to shoot against yourself and learn. There are different classes of competition and some calibers may put you into a class with the big boys (not a place to start) You don't want to race a '73 stock Pinto against a Ferrari or shoot an SKS against a full blown F Class rig.

While some will say "buy once, cry once", I will bet money that once bitten by the long range bug, you will have more that one rifle down the line. There is also a good chance that someone from the group of PRA shooters will have a rifle for sale and maybe even willing to loan out to get you started. Don't be afraid to buy a used rifle with a name that you have never heard of before. Some names like Musgrave, Sportco, RPA, Wichita are only known in the long range circles. By the time you shoot out a barrel you should be able to make an inform choice on what action, barrel and caliber you want to spend a King's ransom on.
 
I started with a Savage F/TR with a 30 inch barrel in .308
It's a great entry level/ learning platform for prone/ bipod style shooting. It has a trigger that is adjustable down to 8 ounces, which I quite liked until Rick let me try a Jewell a little while ago... now it sort feels like crap. But that's comparing a factory trigger to a top of the line $350 trigger.
The barrel on mine has been very good and fouls very little.
It's another option if you're looking for something in that price range(about $1200) and you don't like the feel of a Remington.
 
I have a friend like this. Doesn't want to compete, but loves to shoot over 1000m+.

In then end, he owns about every kind of Benchrest stocked gun that he could try even one in 50 cal. The last one I built for him was in 7WSM.
He loves to shoot that to 1200 yds. I also suggest staying with the 7 Rem mag since you already like it and get a Tooley MBR stock from McMillan. For pure accuracy go with a custom action. You are going to need many other things like a decent benchrest setup. Front pedestal with bags front and rear. Reloading tools, long range finder and get the best scope you can afford. Look at Leupold, Nightforce, Schmidt & Bender.
Once you try a rig like that you'll probably want to build more with changes you think are more suited to your taste. By all means, find a long range club where they have a Benchrest table so you can experiment with your rifle. Shooting on the ground is not very comfortable for long afternoons.

Have a look at this site for an interesting read and rifle setups.
h t t p://www.6mmbr.com/1000ydpg01.html
 
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I'm always leery of 'borrowing' or testing someone else's rig because they may have to fight to get it back. ha! i most surely don't want to spend the money to find that its not as accurate as it can be. I have been bitten for a long time on shooting in general; i don't want to spend all of my money buying an assortment of long range rigs and upgrading and such. there are many other firearms I'm interested in obtaining. so the buy one, cry once suits me in this situation i guess, though I'm sure i would buy another rig down the line.

Would a guy suggest going off the shelf or reasonable custom rig? I dislike the fact that being left handed im at a disadvantage when buying off the shelf, mainly why I'm considering custom. my hunting rifle is a remington i believe...and i dont mind it though i havent tried too many others to compare.

Thanks for all of the advice thus far, it has given me alot to think about and look into.
 
Artemis said:
Good day all,

I was recently at the CHAS gun show and met one or two of the long range shooters on this forum. I have been thinking that i want to dabble in the long range shooting, learning the ins and outs. So that means looking at a long range rifle that will do all and more than i ask of it. I have been admiring some stuff on the internet (and on here). I admit i really like the look of the M200 intervention but really, the price is too much to choke down. i want a rifle i can shoot into, meaning a rifle that is far enough above my skill level that i can grow into it. the big reason is expense. For the money, i want to be comfortable with the feel of the rifle by the time im reaching out 1000+m and not feel like i want or need something bigger or better.

My skill level might as well be nil. Most of my shooting has happened on the range from 7m to 100m (pistols and ars) and hunting. I am a left handed shooter and i'd like to try to keep it that way.

Any and all recommendations are warmly accepted, thank you.
Click to expand...

Welcome to CGN and the wonderful sport of LR shooting. i will offer some tips to succeed and allow you to stop this journey with the least amount of risk

In LR shooting, the only things that matter are wind reading, shooting skill, reloading skill, quality optics and LASTLY rifle.

So if you want to experience LR shooting and learn alot about shooting and wind reading, grab a Savage MkII or CZ452/455 or other quality used rimfire bolt (CIL anschutz are gems) in 22LR with a stock that fits. Find which match ammo works (SK, RWS, Eley, Lapua) - price will be around $7/50 rds. Mount a quality LR scope and go shoot. There is no better teacher on gun handling AND wind reading then the 22LR.

Yes, I did say gun handling

Shoot at 200 to 300yds and you will simulate 500m and 1000 yds respectively. There is little reason the rifle will not be MOA or better at 200yds so you can practise on a ICFRA 500m target (can send no problem).

After shooting through a case of ammo, you should have gained as much skill and experience as just about anyone on this forum. Total investment minus optics around $1000/1200

Concurrently, you can look and start with a centerfire rifle. I strongly recommend the 223 and 6BR. Given your lack of shooting experience, recoil is not your friend. Neither is wearing out a bore in 800rds.

Learn to reload and I have lots of info on my website. Shoot at 300yds/m and learn and learn and learn. When you can consistently score well on the ICFRA 300m 5 ring (just under MOA), you will again know plenty about putting a bullet on a target at LR.

Anytime the opportunity arises to shoot out to 1000yds, it is only 25 to 30mins more up on your scope.

There is no magic to distance. All the work has already happened by the time the bullet passes 3 football fields. distance only makes your errors larger and more painful/frustrating. If you are sub MOA at 300yds, you will be sub MOA at 1000yds once you figure out the added wind drifts.

There is no magic to large boomers. The larger the bullet, the better the ballistics (to a point), the higher the cost/recoil and most often wear. BUT you don't need a boomer to reach out to even a mile. 6BR's and 223's have no issue even out to 1500yds (1 mile is doable but setting up the scope is a pain)

As for a centerfire rifle, I would just lean you to a heavy barrel factory rifle of your choice that you like the style of and allows you to evolve as your desires grown.

I am a huge Savage fan, Many love Rem's. Tikkas are wonderful too and a $1100 HB will take you accurately to 1000yds no problem Biggest issue is finding a stock that fits. Here you want to climb behind as many rifles as possible. There is a reason why F class rifles and BR rifles look the way they do.

If the stock and trigger are not to your liking, the metal parts that launch the bullet are not going to do their best work. The Accuracy difference between a good factory rifle and a top tier comp rifle is many times LESS then most shooters ability to read the wind at distance.

Worry less about the rifle and chambering and more about your ability to steer.... On a 10K budget, 2 to 3 K on the rifle and support gear. The rest sending lead downrange

Many people want to own a fast car. Far fewer want to learn how to drive fast....

Jerry
 
OP = You have lots of good advice already. I will add a little bit: Given a generous budget I would invest in the best glass possible as that will remain the one constant and buying cheap glass is a foolish thing to do ( I know as I have done that ). Read the comments here and optics reviews etc but don't cheap out on the glass and please get lots of magnification. Secondly, please get into reloading and buy good equipment and components as your days of shooting factory ammo are now over. Lastly, be open to taking advice but remember that what works for one person may not work for another - case in point, the idea to get a 7mmRM has a lot of merit but it really would be anathema to me who would always recommend a .223/.308 for first precision bolt gun.
 
Thanks Tomochan,

Something ive been thinking about actually. I have an M14 that i just put into a sage ebr stock, with a vortex 6.5-20x 50 mounted, bi-pod (originally planned to be a plinker/quadding/hunting rifle that got a bit blown out of proportion). i started thinking about how far i can reach out with it. all things considered, the firearm being the last to worry about, the m14 should be a...survivable base to start from. or is it?

Also there has been quite a few responses with the 'support equipment' such as benchrests and reloaders and other assorted gear. Any recommendations on that front? for reloading precision is it best to go single stage (as ive heard)?

thanks again, for all the advice, so much more than i thought for consideration
 
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