As this is my 1000th post I thought I'd write something that may be of a bit of use to new shooters or shooters new to precision rifle shooting. While I'm far from an expert, I do know more now than I did a few years ago when I got into this. It is fair to say that my knowledge has been hard earned - making buying mistakes because I didn't know what I wanted or needed cost me a pretty penny ! If the following saves a new shooter a few bucks it will have been worth typing.
I'll put my comments into a Q+A format:
Q - I want to get into Precision Rifle shooting what do I need to get started ?
A - Firstly decide what you mean by Precision Rifle. Does that mean benchrest shooting into the .1's or .2's; F-Class where sub-half MOA is more the norm; or tactical precision shooting where accuracy may be less precise but making hits on pop-up and moving targets under time pressure is essential. Knowing what you want to do will help you decide what to buy.
Also determine what is the usual distance you will likely be shooting at - if you only have access to a 100m range then much of the gear necessary for 1000m shooting - while nice to have - can be put off and the money saved can be used for other things.
A fully custom 'Tactical' precision rifle built on a Stiller action and a quality factory rifle - the 20" SAKO TRG. Both these rifles are excellent choices for tactical precision. The Stiller wears a Sightron Siii 8-32x56 LRMOA while the SAKO wears a NF NXS 5.5-22x50
A fully custom rifle for F/TR built on a Swing action - this is the kind of rifle best for F Class. It is wearing a NF BR 12-42x56
Q - How much money should I spend ?
A - The best answer I can offer is that while precision shooting doesn't have to be super-expensive, it will cost more than plinking tin cans with an SKS. You should probably buy the best rifle and glass combination you can reasonably afford for the game you want to play. A factory offering from a major manufacturer that is good enough for a deer hunt will likely not cut it for precision work. At a minimum invest in a heavy barrel rifle designed for making hits on small targets a ways away. Seek advice from knowledgeable people at your range who are themselves good shooters and try to use a variety of rifles before buying. If you have to make economies make the economies on the rifle NOT the glass - good glass is essential and I've wasted more money on cheap glass than I care to recall. "Buy once hurt once" is good advice.
Q - What calibre should I get ?
A - There isn't a simple answer to this. It is easier to say what you shouldn't get as a new shooter. Avoid the temptation to get the latest super-boomer etc etc..... Rifles chambered in .338 Lapua or .300 Win Mag are great fun to shoot and can be outstandingly accurate - I know, I have one in each calibre - but they are not the rifle to learn precision shooting on ! Both generate recoil that can be uncomfortable or distracting and both are relatively expensive to feed - recoil and a high price per round don't make for long practice sessions and practice, more than anything, will improve your shooting.
A .338 Lapua -a great rifle but not the ideal first choice !
Another not-so-good choice for starting out with - a .300 Win Mag in AICS 1.5
I would recommend either of a .223 or .308 to someone starting out in precision rifle shooting. Both are easily available in factory loads and for the reloader the components are easy to find and priced reasonably. There is a lot of load data available and both are easy to load for. A .223 will allow for longer practice sessions and is cheaper to feed but the .308 is also a very viable choice.
Q - So, should I reload ?
A - Absolutely ! Not only is reloading a very rewarding hobby on its own but it allows you to shoot cheaper and, more importantly, to tailor a round for your particular rifle.
A good choice of brass, bullets and powder - easily available for .308, .223 and other calibres.
Q - What magnification scope should I use ?
A - Much will depend on what distance you plan on shooting and lots of people will give advice that you should use a 3-9 variable because that is what they use for hunting etc. In my view, you need more magnification than this. I usually recommend a scope in the 6-24 or, better yet, the 8-32 range. Remember - get the best glass you can afford !
EDIT
On the advice of SteveB - a much more experienced shooter - I incorporate his comments verbatim as follows:
One suggestion about the scopes and their issues. Might I suggest that you break up the shooting disapplines. For example, F-class shooting use scopes that are at the high range of power. I routinely use my scopes at 55 to 60 power on good days and long distances, 40 power for normal days and then back off to 24 power for real bad mirage conditions. I understand for tactical shooting a 6 x 24 or 8 x 32 is ideal, and benchrest can use upwards of 36 or 45 power.
FFP is not used in F-class shooting because we shoot known distances. Also target scopes built like this have only become widely available in recent years and are still somewhat of a fad. In hunting scopes, FFP was only available in expensive european scopes in years past and was considered a liability. Match scope pricing seems to fall within these three general price ranges. Sightron/Vortex/Bushnell are at about the $1100 level, Nightforce is at the $2100 level and S&B/March are at the $3500 level. Different options and power vary the pricing somewhat but these will give a good price estimate for the new shooter. Optic quality doesn't seem to be much different between the Sightron and Nightforce levels however the Nightforce are built much tougher. S&B/March levels are another whole ballgame. Steve
Q - What accuracy should I expect ?
A - Well, a lot of people will have you believe that they can shoot 1/4 MOA but, in reality, that is exceptionally hard to do. Half-MOA isn't easy either but is a realistic goal to aim for if you have a quality rifle with quality glass and quality ammo. I am fond of saying that "5 inside a dime" is proof that those three things are in place and that the driver is doing his job. But don't expect to do that on day one !
The following picture shows what "5 inside a dime" looks like - the top two were shot with a Remington SPS/AICS 2.0 in .223 using handloads and the bottom two were shot with a pair of Sako TRG's in .308 - again using handloads.
Incidentally the cheapest rifle pictured in this post is my custom F/TR. It is also the most accurate of all the rifles but is a specialized tool for the job and for that job it is hard to beat
Hopefully this will help answer so FAQ's and I'm sure other, more experienced people, will chime in with their advice and ideas.
Enjoy precision rifle shooting !
I'll put my comments into a Q+A format:
Q - I want to get into Precision Rifle shooting what do I need to get started ?
A - Firstly decide what you mean by Precision Rifle. Does that mean benchrest shooting into the .1's or .2's; F-Class where sub-half MOA is more the norm; or tactical precision shooting where accuracy may be less precise but making hits on pop-up and moving targets under time pressure is essential. Knowing what you want to do will help you decide what to buy.
Also determine what is the usual distance you will likely be shooting at - if you only have access to a 100m range then much of the gear necessary for 1000m shooting - while nice to have - can be put off and the money saved can be used for other things.
A fully custom 'Tactical' precision rifle built on a Stiller action and a quality factory rifle - the 20" SAKO TRG. Both these rifles are excellent choices for tactical precision. The Stiller wears a Sightron Siii 8-32x56 LRMOA while the SAKO wears a NF NXS 5.5-22x50
A fully custom rifle for F/TR built on a Swing action - this is the kind of rifle best for F Class. It is wearing a NF BR 12-42x56
Q - How much money should I spend ?
A - The best answer I can offer is that while precision shooting doesn't have to be super-expensive, it will cost more than plinking tin cans with an SKS. You should probably buy the best rifle and glass combination you can reasonably afford for the game you want to play. A factory offering from a major manufacturer that is good enough for a deer hunt will likely not cut it for precision work. At a minimum invest in a heavy barrel rifle designed for making hits on small targets a ways away. Seek advice from knowledgeable people at your range who are themselves good shooters and try to use a variety of rifles before buying. If you have to make economies make the economies on the rifle NOT the glass - good glass is essential and I've wasted more money on cheap glass than I care to recall. "Buy once hurt once" is good advice.
Q - What calibre should I get ?
A - There isn't a simple answer to this. It is easier to say what you shouldn't get as a new shooter. Avoid the temptation to get the latest super-boomer etc etc..... Rifles chambered in .338 Lapua or .300 Win Mag are great fun to shoot and can be outstandingly accurate - I know, I have one in each calibre - but they are not the rifle to learn precision shooting on ! Both generate recoil that can be uncomfortable or distracting and both are relatively expensive to feed - recoil and a high price per round don't make for long practice sessions and practice, more than anything, will improve your shooting.
A .338 Lapua -a great rifle but not the ideal first choice !
Another not-so-good choice for starting out with - a .300 Win Mag in AICS 1.5
I would recommend either of a .223 or .308 to someone starting out in precision rifle shooting. Both are easily available in factory loads and for the reloader the components are easy to find and priced reasonably. There is a lot of load data available and both are easy to load for. A .223 will allow for longer practice sessions and is cheaper to feed but the .308 is also a very viable choice.
Q - So, should I reload ?
A - Absolutely ! Not only is reloading a very rewarding hobby on its own but it allows you to shoot cheaper and, more importantly, to tailor a round for your particular rifle.
A good choice of brass, bullets and powder - easily available for .308, .223 and other calibres.
Q - What magnification scope should I use ?
A - Much will depend on what distance you plan on shooting and lots of people will give advice that you should use a 3-9 variable because that is what they use for hunting etc. In my view, you need more magnification than this. I usually recommend a scope in the 6-24 or, better yet, the 8-32 range. Remember - get the best glass you can afford !
EDIT
On the advice of SteveB - a much more experienced shooter - I incorporate his comments verbatim as follows:
One suggestion about the scopes and their issues. Might I suggest that you break up the shooting disapplines. For example, F-class shooting use scopes that are at the high range of power. I routinely use my scopes at 55 to 60 power on good days and long distances, 40 power for normal days and then back off to 24 power for real bad mirage conditions. I understand for tactical shooting a 6 x 24 or 8 x 32 is ideal, and benchrest can use upwards of 36 or 45 power.
FFP is not used in F-class shooting because we shoot known distances. Also target scopes built like this have only become widely available in recent years and are still somewhat of a fad. In hunting scopes, FFP was only available in expensive european scopes in years past and was considered a liability. Match scope pricing seems to fall within these three general price ranges. Sightron/Vortex/Bushnell are at about the $1100 level, Nightforce is at the $2100 level and S&B/March are at the $3500 level. Different options and power vary the pricing somewhat but these will give a good price estimate for the new shooter. Optic quality doesn't seem to be much different between the Sightron and Nightforce levels however the Nightforce are built much tougher. S&B/March levels are another whole ballgame. Steve
Q - What accuracy should I expect ?
A - Well, a lot of people will have you believe that they can shoot 1/4 MOA but, in reality, that is exceptionally hard to do. Half-MOA isn't easy either but is a realistic goal to aim for if you have a quality rifle with quality glass and quality ammo. I am fond of saying that "5 inside a dime" is proof that those three things are in place and that the driver is doing his job. But don't expect to do that on day one !
The following picture shows what "5 inside a dime" looks like - the top two were shot with a Remington SPS/AICS 2.0 in .223 using handloads and the bottom two were shot with a pair of Sako TRG's in .308 - again using handloads.
Incidentally the cheapest rifle pictured in this post is my custom F/TR. It is also the most accurate of all the rifles but is a specialized tool for the job and for that job it is hard to beat
Hopefully this will help answer so FAQ's and I'm sure other, more experienced people, will chime in with their advice and ideas.
Enjoy precision rifle shooting !
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