Newb - 300 - 600 yrd rifle

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srgallan

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Hi all,

Was looking for some advice and suggestions for my next eventual purchase. I would be new to rifle shooting so starting only from what I have had time to read a bit online by searching a few forums and reviews. Looking for an entry level 300-600 yard target (fun) rifle without significant investment, mostly to get my feet wet. I may upgrade/trade-up in the future.

Any thoughts on the following: Axis w/heavy barrel vs 10 TR (tried friends), Howa/Vanguard, 700 SPS, Browning AB3, Ruger predator and etc...Scope/Caliber suggestions? Some good deals out there at the moment but mostly seem to be in the 270 win or other hunting cartridges. I would assume 308 win is the best place to start? I would likely be reloading (something else new to learn).

I have never bought from EE, just from sponsors but do watch EE from time to time.
 
I asked basically the same question regarding something out of box capable. Overwhelming response was tikka
t3. I'm doing heavy barrel varmint in 223. Other response was vanguard and of course 700
 
I will start by saying I'm not the most experienced shooter out there but advise is from my personal experience over the last year or so. 223 cal is a good place to start. It is inexpensive to shoot and you can achieve good accuracy at the distance that you are looking at. It will also be a good calibre to develop technique and fundamentals of marksmanship (not too much recoil). I started with a Remington 700 sps varmint in 308 and moved to the a 223. I felt as an inexperienced shooter it was easy to develop a flinch with a 308. Once I went down to 223 flinch went away and I am now able to shoot 308 comfortably.

Out of the list that you gave I would go Savage 10TR. I have the fcp-k (has accustock and accutrigger) in 223 and it shoots about .6-.7 moa at 100 yards with off the shelf ammo (Winchester 45 grain) and a bushnell fixed 10x scope. I love the gun and would buy it again in a heartbeat. I don't have any experience with the axis but if you go that direction the Axis II has the accutrigger and the upgraded trigger is worth the money in my opinion. The problem with the axis is the stock is flimsy and the action is not really something that you can build off of. You can always bed the stock or look for something like a Bell and Carleson or Boyd's stock as a replacement. If you want an affordable rifle that will shoot right out of the box Savage is a good option. There are usually lots on the EE. If you want a solid platform to build on and make it a long term investment then a Remington 700 or Tikka are good options. Right now my Savage shoots better than I can and I am very happy with it.
 
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Buy a rifle is one thing. Feed it is another one.

If you are on thight budget, 223 rem is the way to go

Rate of twist is very important.

1-9 will work very well with 69gr
Heavier bullets will require faster twist.
 
I've owned a savage, mossberg and tikka and the tikka has the best action, fitment and overall quality feel (just like comparing my Audi to my Jeeps). I shoot 308 for fun since there is so much available and even M80 ball is relatively accurate and cheap.
Get something you can upgrade if you want, MDT makes great chassis systems they're good value and canadian too.
Final thoughts: don't skimp on your optic, plan to spend equal if not more on glass than you do for the rifle.
 
Savage 10/12, Remington 700 Tactical, Axis Heavy Barrel are all exelent starter rifles.

I'd recommend 308, but if money is an issue, perhaps 223 would be best if it's just paper punching.

A great starter optic would be a Sightron, Millett, Sightmark, Vortex, and the Bushnell Elite line.
 
I'd also look at the Ruger Precision Rifle. I just picked one up in 6.5 Creedmoor. Have not had it to the range...but I have been getting a feel for it (stock adjustments etc) The trigger is very nice. Far better than the gunsmith tuned one I have on my RRA AR15. Worth a look. They also come in .308 and .243 Win
 
There is some great advice posted here (esp. N0M4D & VancouverS4).
I own several of the rifles that they mentioned and they were purchased expressly for their ability to shoot at moderate distances (to 600m) with hand loaded ammunition in calibers that are easy to find components for (namely .223 & .308). Light recoil is a desirable attribute of a rifle that you wish to shoot lots of practice loads. After all; practice does improve your ability to shoot small groups. Bullet drop and trajectory concerns are not critical with either caliber at ranges up to 600m either.
I also have a Savage model 10 residing in an MDT-HS3 chassis and it has an MDT skeleton stock on it as well. It offers great adjustability as well as fit and fitment which are second to none. As VancouverS4 mentioned, they are made in Canada too, which for me is important as it provides jobs here and their customer support is reputed to be excellent.
Optics: I truly believe you cannot go wrong with Vortex Viper HD and Bushnell Elite Tactical offerings in 6-24x50FFP magnification. I'm partial to the Horus reticle that are available on both. It allows the shooter to hold off on windage and elevation when the shooter has no time to adjust turrets, like in Tactical Rifle shoots. Another thing that will benefit the shooter is a decent ballistic app. I've found Streloc (free) is very precise and easy to use. There are 2 pay versions but I have not tried either yet.
A good set of bags are also very useful for steadying your shot and a good shooting mat is invaluable for range days where the ground is lumpy or damp.

All the best in your quest!
 
I shoot 2 Tikkas in 6.5x55, one is a Lite for hunting and the other is a Stainless Varmint for long range shooting. I've had a positive experience with both - slick actions and accurate out of the box. People like to crap on the plastic mags/stock but I've had no issues with either. I would also recommend the calibre as well if you reload, otherwise it might be a pain to get factory ammo depending on where you are. The benefit to 6.5x55 and other calibres in its class (260 Rem, 6.5 Creedmoor, etc) is that you get great ballistics, not too much recoil, and you get a calibre that is capable of dropping most medium sized game if you want to hunt in the future - the nice thing about Tikkas is that they come with a faster twist so you can stabilize heavy bullets. Of course, if you want something a bit easier on the pocket book they make them in 223 and 308 as well.

I've also heard good things about the Weatherby Vanguard/Howa 1500.
 
If you are contemplating long range shooting I'd wager you have the pockets for it and if you are smart, you will be looking to handload for it. .223 is an ok second choice, but IMHO .308 should be top of the list, at least to start. If you are concerned with recoil, get a brake or compensator of a design you like.
Savage is making some really good stuff out of the box and on a budget.
10FCP-SR or one of the varmint series is a good bet.
 
I was in the same situation about a month earlier, and I was balancing between the .243 caliber and .308. The advantage of the .243 is the low recoil, good to start without the "fear" of the recoil. Also you can hunt with it (medium size critters, if you are a good shot!)
There's is some good choices of rifles for those two calibers around 800-900$, like Remington SPS varmint or Savages 10###x.
I finally went with .308, because I don't have problems with the recoil, i'm used to shoot 30-06. Also because my choice went with the 10TR Savage rifle, which is only available in .308... Man this rifle is cheaper than Remington, and have A LOT more to offer right out of the box!
5R Barrel, Threaded Barrel muzzle, aluminium bedded stock (and more ridgid stock!), detachable magazine, rail for mounting optics, nice adjustable trigger... Everything that you have for extra $$ with the Remington SPS.
The accuracy is very good at Savage and Remington, I would bet that actions have a tendency to be a bit smoother with Remington's.

You have a good work to do on your side to evaluate your préférences, and I have to admit that this part of pre-buying is pretty fun :)

Dark
 
If you want a 300-600yrd rifle, and you're not going to go with a .308 as Beltfed suggested, I'll vouch for a heavy barrel Rem. 700 in 22-250rem.
 
My vote would be for a 6.5. Good ballistics and light and heavy bullets to choose from. I just got a full custom 6.5x47 Lapua and I am really enjoying this caliber. Not sure if Tikka makes them in this caliber. If not go with the 6.5X55 as stated earlier. Good quality brass is also a consideration. Look into what Lapua makes for brass. 260,308,6.5x55,6.5x47 etc. The X47 will give you more energy with a 130 gr bullet than a 308 will shooting a 168 gr. Recoil is light and the X47 is a very accurate cartridge. I have only shot as far as 815 yds so far but I have only had my gun for 2 weeks. Holds half MOA no problem. Also has enough energy for deer size game out to 700 yds.
 
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