Buying a new rifle, need help choosing!

[Mystic Precision]

Well, I’m still torn on what to do...I’ve definitely narrowed it down to the CTR or the 110 Tactical....however, I’ve been lugging my big fclass rifle around and making it work. Today I missed a coyote I should have had(so I decide to check my rifle) so I grabbed a buddy and my little 8” ar500 gong and went and set it up at 1017 yards. Right on a spot I’m gonna bait and try to kill a dog at 1K. We had about a 5mph cross wind so I put on 26 moa for elevation and 2 moa for wind. I was a touch low and needed a touch more wind, so I went to my chart and put on 2 more moa in elevation and another 1.5 in wind. Second shot slightly high but wind was good. Went back to the chart came down 1 moa for 1025 yards (27 moa) and smacked the 8” gong. My buddy was happy for me but ticked at the same time...lol. Earlier today he had his Tikka A1 Tactical out and was struggling to hit a 30” gong at 1000. We all have those days! Anyhow, as we drove away I told him....I said, you know if I go and spend money on a CTR or whatever and I can’t do that same thing with it....(get on a 8” gong within 2-4 shots at 1K)....I’m just gonna end up going back to the heavy fclass. So, I guess no one is ever to know for sure, but do those choices of factory rifles likely shoot good enough to accomplish the same feat?

You are shooting at a level of rifle accuracy any factory rifle is going to have a hard time keeping up with. That is why we shoot match barrels.. not factory barrels. Knowing that you can hit that V bull changes your perspective on accurate fire.

Either action will work but the "luck" will be how good that factory barrel is... me, I gave up on factory pipes several years back. If I need/want consistent accuracy, I will spin on a quality match barrel - prefit or blank don't care, action - whatever does the intended job, but quality and consistency of accuracy.. that is a good barrel.

Assuming you want a mag fed predator rifle that doesn't weigh a ton, inexpensive to set up and will shoot, I would rebarrel a suitable factory rifle and enjoy... I wouldn't spend alot of money on factory bling unless you really liked the furniture from the factory.

PM or email if you want to discuss options.

Jerry

 

[Highwind]

Good suggestions from the respondents in this thread - and it might be better to set goals for about 300 to 400 yards as an initial long range kind of distance. And if 600 yards is achieved the 223 will likely be a shade low on velocity out at 600 yards. So something larger in bore and heavier in bullet weight would be better. Perhaps a 243, and this would do the job if it the goal is for coyotes at 600 yards or so. Two other calibers that would be useful would be a 25-06 or 6.5. I'd say the 270 is getting too large if your hoping to save the pelts. And if you do some youtube-ing there are plenty of videos out there to hone down the selection of caliber. Savage rifles are not especially pretty rifles but they are generally accurate. The Tikka Varmint rife is fairly good too. Personally I would hone the skills at somewhat lesser yardages like 300-400 yards with the factory barrel. Then make it a project for longer yardages with the idea that a custom barrel could be added later.

 

[dawgmaster]

Good suggestions from the respondents in this thread - and it might be better to set goals for about 300 to 400 yards as an initial long range kind of distance. And if 600 yards is achieved the 223 will likely be a shade low on velocity out at 600 yards. So something larger in bore and heavier in bullet weight would be better. Perhaps a 243, and this would do the job if it the goal is for coyotes at 600 yards or so. Two other calibers that would be useful would be a 25-06 or 6.5. I'd say the 270 is getting too large if your hoping to save the pelts. And if you do some youtube-ing there are plenty of videos out there to hone down the selection of caliber. Savage rifles are not especially pretty rifles but they are generally accurate. The Tikka Varmint rife is fairly good too. Personally I would hone the skills at somewhat lesser yardages like 300-400 yards with the factory barrel. Then make it a project for longer yardages with the idea that a custom barrel could be added later.

Not interested in 300-400 yard goals....been there done that! I think my best 17 Rem coyote kill was 370 yards, 19-223 Calhoon was 490 yards, 22-243 Middlestead was 580 yards, first ever Wolf was at 604 yards with 6mm AI, shot a coyote double with my 260 AI at 650 yards and a week or two ago shot a 635 and a 520 yard back to back coyote kills about 20 minutes apart. So, as you see....goals are 700-1000 yards!

 

[evan the cdn]

I had my choice narrowed down to the same two rifles. For what it's worth, I bought a T3X CTR at North Pro this morning. It seems like the safer bet for accuracy and it's more than a pound lighter than the Savage.

 

[IvoB]

custom barrels is where it's at