Long Range Hunting Rifle

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obzerver

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I would like to build out a long ranged hunting rifle that will last me for quite some time while remaining versatile. I have been reading through thread after thread about this topic and I find myself becoming more and more confused. So hopefully you can help!?

Being new to the hunting and shooting world I will need something that I can learn on and hopefully grow into. I will be mostly doing range shooting with this rifle, but I would like it to be functional as a long range hunting rifle. I have read through Mysticplayer's long range hunting build, which I think is great. So as a starting point I was considering starting with the Savage 111 FCXP3, 7mm Rem Mag.

Cost is always an issue, so this looks like a good starting point for a rifle as the 111 seems to have many upgrades available. I guess my real concern is the caliber. I see issues with barrel cool down and wear, but would swapping out the barrel for something fancier make an improvement here? Or is that just a waste of money? Oh and I do plan on learning to reload as soon as I am able to get my hands on a kit and rifle.

I am open to suggestions. So my needs would be:
  1. Keep it economical
  2. Long range target practice
  3. Hunting (mostly deer)
  4. Something to learn with

Thanks!
 
That sounds good......right up to the "learning" and "economical" part.

"Long" range is subjective.....what is your criteria? I have a rig (700, 7mm Ultra) that will shoot deer all day at 1000m, but it is neither inexpensive, nor a rifle to "learn on"....and it's not cheap to feed. Do you handload?
The thing is: If you want to shoot proficiently at 700+ yards, it comes down to 90% shooter, 10% rifle....and the only way to get there is trigger time. Even a 7mm winchester will cost you $1-3.50 a round...and most good shooters shoot 2000+ rounds a year....are you prepared to spend 5K+ a year in ammo? The other thing is jumping in with a magnum is a really good way to become a bad shot.

My advice would be to pick up a 223 to play with out to 500, and buy a decent 308 for hunting....but don't mix the two :)
 
Remington 700 5R SS in .308 with good optics.

Cheaper to load, not bad to tune or get worked on, readily available. Will drop deer at fairly good range with quality hunting round.
 
It would be cheaper to buy a factory rifle that meet's you'r criteria than to build one . I would suggest something along the lines of a Remington Sendero from what you have described .
 
If deer and target shooting is all you're interested in I would suggest something in 25-06. A very flat and acurate caliber. I also have a 257 Weatherby which in most cases has a 200 fps advantage over the 25-06 but is prohibitivly expensive to feed. The 25-06 is cheap like borsch comparitivly. The savage can be had in 25-06 as can the Stevens and the Edge. They only have a 22 inch barrel which is great for hunting but (and I'm sure there will be arguements about this) not as great for long range target. Savage does make a target specific rifle that could be used for hunting but the cost and the weight can be prohibitive. But even with the shorter barrel it's a good starting point and 25-06, being based on the 30-06 case is very easy to find brass, reform brass and reload. I paid $32.00 for 50 peices of 25-06 brass and $42.00 for 20 Weatherby. There's my 2 cents worth, welcome to the world of firearms and have fun!!!
 
X2 with Yeti. I've posted this before but going for something that can reach out a little, be good for some varmints & preds shooting and able to handle a Deer or Antelope and stay cost effective here was my choice. A Savage 112BVSS in 25-06 with decent glass.

Model112BVSSSavage25-06.jpg


Great 'Bang for the buck', no complaints. It shoots fairly well, pardon the homemade target, shot at 185yds.

25-06Test-1.jpg
 
I'd go with a Remington 700 SA of some descrption. Great action to tinker with as there is tons of aftermarket stuff out there when you fell the need for changes. A heavy bbl 308 would be a good place to start.

Think about handloading as well. You'll need to for all the ammo you have to use to practice with for all that LR shooting.

.
 
You need to specify what LR is to you. Some cartridges are good long range target rounds, but not the best choice for LR hunting...
 
Wow, I did not expect so many responses so quickly. Thanks to everyone who replied! I thought I may have been dreaming when I said long range (500+ yards) targets and hunting and economical. I do plan on learning to hand load as soon as I can.

So it looks like I should consider a couple of different things; choosing between a Savage 111 and a Remington 700, in either a 25-06 or 308. I also really like the thought of having a 223 for pure distance, but buying a 3rd gun in in the last 3 weeks is already getting some negative feedback. I couldn't imagine coming home with a 4th... lol.

I'm still very open to any other suggestions, so feel free to leave feedback!

Thanks
 
500 yards for a lowermainland BC hunter is some funny stuff. I've never shot anything outside of 50 metres in the Coastal Mountains, mainly cause the bush is pretty thick in these parts. Not mentioning being able to actually hit with a killing shot at those ranges. I don't know too many that can. It takes years of training and cash for the right equipment and knowledge. I never take i shot at anything that i can't drop with one shot. I've seen way too many wounded animals run off into the bush because of a missed shot.
 
I would suggest that you stay away from a magnum for your first rifle; though if you insist on picking one, the 7mm rem mag is a good choice.
You mentioned that you are not yet a handloader, so I would suggest that you think of the 270win, and 308win. Both are readily available anywhere that you will find cartridges, and both are generally cheaper than other comparable cartridges. If and when you are able to reload, you will find that there is a literal tonne of components for each of these as well. My favorite is the 30-06, but that may be more than what your looking for if you are only going to hunt deer, and yes, it does have slightly more recoil then either of the above cartridges, though it does hedge yopur bet a bit in your favor if you are going after bigger animals..........but not on deer.
Mike
 
I think your thoughts of starting with a 7mm are right on track with what you want from this rifle but I think you should also consider a 30-06. There are alot more .308 cal bullets avaliable, factory ammo is cheape, less recoil and its more than enough for deer at extreme ranges.

I personally have this rifle in .270 winchester however there is a lack of high b.c. bullets in .277 cal, but it shoots faster and flatter than the 30-06 with comparable bullets
 
jamiejaf said:
500 yards for a lowermainland BC hunter is some funny stuff. I've never shot anything outside of 50 metres in the Coastal Mountains, mainly cause the bush is pretty thick in these parts. Not mentioning being able to actually hit with a killing shot at those ranges. I don't know too many that can. It takes years of training and cash for the right equipment and knowledge. I never take i shot at anything that i can't drop with one shot. I've seen way too many wounded animals run off into the bush because of a missed shot.
Click to expand...

I hunt the coastal mountains. Clear cuts are great for long range hunting;)
 
obzerver said:
I would like to build out a long ranged hunting rifle that will last me for quite some time while remaining versatile. I have been reading through thread after thread about this topic and I find myself becoming more and more confused. So hopefully you can help!?

Being new to the hunting and shooting world I will need something that I can learn on and hopefully grow into. I will be mostly doing range shooting with this rifle, but I would like it to be functional as a long range hunting rifle. I have read through Mysticplayer's long range hunting build, which I think is great. So as a starting point I was considering starting with the Savage 111 FCXP3, 7mm Rem Mag.

Cost is always an issue, so this looks like a good starting point for a rifle as the 111 seems to have many upgrades available. I guess my real concern is the caliber. I see issues with barrel cool down and wear, but would swapping out the barrel for something fancier make an improvement here? Or is that just a waste of money? Oh and I do plan on learning to reload as soon as I am able to get my hands on a kit and rifle.

I am open to suggestions. So my needs would be:
  1. Keep it economical
  2. Long range target practice
  3. Hunting (mostly deer)
  4. Something to learn with

Thanks!
Click to expand...

[ 1- 4] Stevens 200 is very well priced and lots of aftermarket parts! (see Mystic Precision above)
 
So I am thinking the .270 will probably make the most sense for me. An easy to find round with decent range for shooting targets and a good amount of power and range for hunting. As for the rifle I am torn between the Savage 111 and the Stevens 200, both seem to give excellent bang for the buck and offer many upgrade opportunities.
 
obzerver said:
So I am thinking the .270 will probably make the most sense for me. An easy to find round with decent range for shooting targets and a good amount of power and range for hunting. As for the rifle I am torn between the Savage 111 and the Stevens 200, both seem to give excellent bang for the buck and offer many upgrade opportunities.
Click to expand...

I love my Savage 10P in .308! I also have a Stevens in .300WM that I'm building for LRH.
 
obzerver said:
So I am thinking the .270 will probably make the most sense for me. An easy to find round with decent range for shooting targets and a good amount of power and range for hunting. As for the rifle I am torn between the Savage 111 and the Stevens 200, both seem to give excellent bang for the buck and offer many upgrade opportunities.
Click to expand...

You won't go wrong; for those that say that .277 bullets don't come in high balistic coefficiant flavors, the Hornady 150gr SST is .525........that's nothing to sneeze at. For hunting, you can get the Barnes 150gr MRX, and the Nosler 140gr Accubond..........plus a gerth of other bullets. There aren't as many bullets out there as there are for the .308 diameter, but really, how many do you need? If you have a bent for long range accuracy, check out Berger. I dare say that it would take a VERY long time to become aquanted with all of the bullets available for the .277; probably longer than the barrel would last. The 308win is a great cartridge, but if you want long range for hunting, the 270win does shoot significantly (at least as far as the differences in cartridges is concerned) flatter. You could probably call it one of the origonal beltless magnums.
Mike
 
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