Need Consistency at 1,000 Metres

Mad-Dog

Mad-Dog

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Currently getting good results on paper at 500 metres out of a... (this will make you laugh!)... Ruger American in .308. But, I want to take the next step to 1,000 metres on paper, and put lead on the proper spot with some consistency. I have been eying the market and weighing my options for a year, and I ain't gettin' any younger!

National chain has been recommending a Remington Sendero in 7mm Rem Mag, but I have decided that's not going to work for me due to ammo costs. Great deal for the store, not so good for me. I don't reload.

I am still exploring options beyond those that follow, but it appears the following .308s might deliver good results:

1. Tikka T3X Varmint Stainless, 24" barrel
2. Rem 700 SPS Varmint, 26"
3. Savage 10T Tac, 24"

For the sake of economy, I think I'm stuck with a .308. On the hardware side, however, the Tikka at one and a half to twice the price of the Remington or the Savage models doesn't scare me. Suggestions?
 
Heard nothing but good things about Tikka, but with the proper ammunition, all of the above rifles should get you on at 1000.
 
I`m pretty new to long range but really any of those 308s should be good to 1000

Personally I think your biggest gain would be from reloading (if you don't already), and, if you are reloading you could load 6.5 Creedmoor (which is a better bet to 1000) for roughly the same cash as 308

Food for thought.......
 
6.5 or .260 for 1k. .308 can but not well. At that distance wind is the biggest factor so wind cutting BCs really help.

I do .308, but my next will be a 6.5 Creedmore
 
I have shot .308 to 1000. I have found that past 600, a .260 pulls away from the .308 rather dramatically. Flatter shooting, but much better in the wind.
 
If you don't reload buy a 6.5 Creedmoor, 308 is running out of steam by a 1000 meters if you are serious about long range consider handloading then that 7mm would be the cats meow.
 
No reason not to go to a 6.5 Creedmoor. Good match ammo is no more expensive than good match .308 and the ballistic advantage is definitely there. I would also suggest that you start reloading though. It really is the key to consistency...
 
tiriaq said:
I have shot .308 to 1000. I have found that past 600, a .260 pulls away from the .308 rather dramatically. Flatter shooting, but much better in the wind.
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EXACTLY, I have pretty much retired the .308 for the .260. Only real world downside is lack of copious amounts of factory 260 ammo on roadside shelves if someone doesn't reload.
 
ddiegel said:
I second the savage and reloding kit . Also 6.5 any cartridge is better
Click to expand...

This is my latest 6.5x55 project. It started as a S&L M69 barreled action with sights ($199), added a NOS Czech bolt ($100), Boyds stock ($150), Bold trigger ($50), worked up some loads with the irons and it's good to go now. Have an EGW base to D&T, bend the bolt and go try at 1000+.
I don't know what a comparable barrel would cost today (27" medium/heavy) but I imagine $500 would be the starting point.
This is much more fun and satisfying then dropping $1000-$2000 on some production 6.5CM.

 
Uisge said:
What are the results on paper at 500 with the American?
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I had modest expectations when I bought the Ruger American and topped it with a 4-12X Vortex, in part because I knew that – with this modest investment – I had barely started my journey to finding out whether I wanted to be a long range shooter. That question has now been answered.

At 500 metres with a crosswind, things spread out quickly, although I can still get on the plastic board, if not on the paper. Then comes the surprise. Without a gusty wind at 3:00 or 9:00, I can drop most of my groups into a 12-inch diameter circle. I am not boasting because some are larger. When I make mistakes, fortunately I have been able to figure out what caused them thus far, and make corrections.

A few years ago, someone here commented that when I started shooting at 1000, I “had better use a large piece of paper.” He was right, no kidding. I cut back range distances to 500 metres, occasionally 200, for that reason. Shooting at a grand with a hunting rifle, even with match ammo, was a humbling experience.

In answer to the question about the ammo I am using, I have shot Remington Match occasionally, but I rely mainly on bulk .308 FMJ of Eastern origin. I shoot this gun a lot, more than all my other rifles combined. Whatever I feed the Ruger seems to produce remarkably similar results. As you’d expect, I have to adjust for bullet weights, but my field notes indicate that all makes perform quite consistently.

I completely agree, I would do better if I start reloading. Once the question of the next gun is addressed, things will fall into place, and reloading could be part of that. Any further comments on my original question regarding selection of a gun would be most appreciated.
 
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