Rifle recommendations for someone new to to precision shooting

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Ananomalymoose

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Sorry if this is posted in the wrong thread but I do want to do both shooting in the back 40 and long range hunting. Right now I am looking to get in to long range/precision shooting/long range hunting. So far I am a bit overwhelmed with what brand of rifle and what rifle I should look in to buying. I have looked buying in to Tikka (T3X tact a1, CTR) Sako (S20 Precision, TRG) Christensen arms (MPR, Mesa long range) Bergara (b14 hmr). I also dont know what caliber I should be going for. Friend of mine says .308 is a great starting round, but it seems to me everyone has switched to 6.5cm for the performance at long range.

Budget: 3k for rifle alone
I will be using this rifle for both target and hunting, weight and length are not an issue
I will be using this rifle to shoot out to 1000m-1500m
I do not reload and will need good factory ammo for the rifle

Could the shooters of CGN help me out and guide me towards a good rifle? Or give me some advise on what to look for in a rifle to avoid having to upgrade later on (putting rifle in a chassis, swapping barrels to a diff caliber, ECT)
 
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You need to provide more information.

- What's your budget?
- Is the rifle for both long range shooting and hunting?
- Is weight and length a consideration?
- What do you consider to be "long range"? How far do you plan/want to shoot?
- Do you have a current rifle? If so, what do you like and dislike about it?
- Do you reload? Or do you need a cartridge that has good factory ammo support?

So many options, you can go a lot of different ways.
 
long range ?
hunting ?
budget?
age?
experience ?
Ask youself this: what ammo is readily available, and can I afford 500 rounds per year.
Its not rocket science, you need practice. pick something you can shoot, rather then dream off.
 
kthomas said:
You need to provide more information.

- What's your budget?
- Is the rifle for both long range shooting and hunting?
- Is weight and length a consideration?
- What do you consider to be "long range"? How far do you plan/want to shoot?
- Do you have a current rifle? If so, what do you like and dislike about it?
- Do you reload? Or do you need a cartridge that has good factory ammo support?

So many options, you can go a lot of different ways.
Click to expand...

My budget is up to 3k for the rifle alone. I will be using the same rifle for hunting, weight and length are not an issue. I will be shooting out to 1000m-1500m (targets on a range). I do not reload so I will need good factory ammo support.
I forgot to add all of this in my original post sorry for the lack of information.
 
Take a look at the Savage 110 Elite Precision. I made a thread on my experience with it.

I don't recommend 308. It is an obselete caliber that is outclassed by other calibers.
 
My first thought was Tikka or the Ruger Precision?, 308 is a 8-900 yrd calibre IMO, I would research 6.5 & 300 PRC, these were developed for long range, however they are new and can be expense.
 
Tikka or Sako
what ever configuration youd like.
I like the muzzle brake on mine.
Caliber, look price and avail for 6.5 CM. 6.5 PRC and 7mm RemMag.
look for 24-26 inch barrel.
CTR is shorter, woull need the extra fps at longer range.
Savage, yes, but I has 90 degree bolt lift , need to use high ring to clear the bolt lift. and still tight for finger.
I like cold hammer forged barrel.
No need to go over 2200$……
 
Ananomalymoose said:
I will be using this rifle to shoot out to 1000m-1500m
Click to expand...

Dear friend, with all due respect. You have no idea what are you talking about. No offence.

I strongly suggest you to forget all this bs you are expecting to do. Or should I rather say "your expectations are unreasonable".

Walk into any store, buy any most basic Tikka or Bergara - (the cheaper the better) in .223rem. Get any $500 3-9x or 3-12x hunting scope. And spend a year at least shooting paper at 100m 200m at a shooting range.

Please do not shoot game at any range over 200m with the skill level and understanding you have right now. If you want the thrill and experience, go on a hunt with a friend, but take no rifle or expect to shoot anything yet, please.
 
owlowl said:
Dear friend, with all due respect. You have no idea what are you talking about. No offence.

I strongly suggest you to forget all this bs you are expecting to do. Or should I rather say "your expectations are unreasonable".

Walk into any store, buy any most basic Tikka or Bergara - (the cheaper the better) in .223rem. Get any $500 3-9x or 3-12x hunting scope. And spend a year at least shooting paper at 100m 200m at a shooting range.

Please do not shoot game at any range over 200m with the skill level and understanding you have right now. If you want the thrill and experience, go on a hunt with a friend, but take no rifle or expect to shoot anything yet, please.
Click to expand...

Seems harsh?

I didn't read that he wanted to hunt at 1000-1500M, just that whatever rifle he gets serve double duty. And he pretty much makes it clear that he doesn't know what he's talking about...hence the questions.

Having a bad day?
 
owlowl said:
Dear friend, with all due respect. You have no idea what are you talking about. No offence.

I strongly suggest you to forget all this bs you are expecting to do. Or should I rather say "your expectations are unreasonable".

Walk into any store, buy any most basic Tikka or Bergara - (the cheaper the better) in .223rem. Get any $500 3-9x or 3-12x hunting scope. And spend a year at least shooting paper at 100m 200m at a shooting range.

Please do not shoot game at any range over 200m with the skill level and understanding you have right now. If you want the thrill and experience, go on a hunt with a friend, but take no rifle or expect to shoot anything yet, please.
Click to expand...



Ok I am going to try and not sound like I am not sour about your response. I know how to train to get up to shooting long range. The range I have access to has ranges from 100m out to 1000m. I also have a friend with a privet range that starts at 200m and goes out to 1500m. I never said I was going to start and try shooting targets at 1000m nor did I ever state that I would go for an unethical shot on an animal past 200m. I clearly wanted help with making an informed choice on a rifle seeing as I do not have experience in this area of our hobby . I could have totally just walked in to any store and bought a .223 rifle but I dont want to waste money doing that.

I wanted to get more info from the shooters on this forum that have experience in this area of our hobby and avoid making the wrong purchase. I am not someone that goes out and buys a rifle with only 1 use I want a rife that is in a caliber suited for both long range and hunting up to an Elk. As for a scope I already and getting a vortex razor gen 2 3x18. From what I have gathered I will never need more than 15x power to shoot out to the distances I want too.

Just some small input. I am not some new shooter that thinks I am Chris Kyle. I know I have zero experience with LR shooting and less experience with hunting. My first hunt is going to be a guided one with a well seasoned guide. I do NOT expect to shoot an animal on my first hunt, rather I have asked the guide if he would be willing to shoot it for me so I can better under stand HOW TO hunt and not HOW TO LOOK LIKE I AM HUNTING.
I want to enjoy this hobby and I know that being a responsible ambassador of the hobby is paramount in todays cultural climate. You will see no punisher skulls and tactical kit on me at the range nor would I represent this hobby in a bad light. It seems you think I would be one of these shooters that goes around waving his gun at people screaming and yelling about how he shot a deer at 800m with a belly shot. Please next time try not to insult people that genuinely want to get in to this hobby, it is rather detrimental to the sport to brush people off with broad generalizations in an attempt to gate keep this area of the hobby from younger people.
 
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The 223 is a good idea, you are not wasting money when you are shooting. Even a 22 lr is very good.
You are not having fun shooting?
Experience comes from one place and one pkace only: Time dehind the trigger.
In that perspective 223 will give you that .
 
If you have it in the budget you should think about something in .22lr or .223, as much as I like shooting my .30cal rifles I get more out of my .22 at the range overall.

Being able to practice the fundamentals of marksmanship on something that’s cheap to feed and has light recoil will allow you to shoot more and longer without getting sore or developing any bad habits due to recoil, my .22 is very similar to my hunting rifles with regards to stock and barrel length/profile. It’s my biggest training aide and honestly I enjoy trying to shoot tight groups with .22lr it’s a lot of fun, I always bring it when I’m sighting in to shoot while my barrel cools on my .308’s

The fundamentals are the same if you’re shooting a .22 or a .308, the more time you spend behind the trigger the better you’re going to be when hunting where accurately putting a shot on an animal is more important than punching paper or hitting steel.
 
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naktabar72 said:
The 223 is a good idea, you are not wasting money when you are shooting. Even a 22 lr is very good.
You are not having fun shooting?
Experience comes from one place and one pkace only: Time dehind the trigger.
In that perspective 223 will give you that .
Click to expand...


Butcherbill said:
If you have it in the budget you should think about something in .22lr or .223, as much as I like shooting my .30cal rifles I get more out of my .22 at the range overall.

Being able to practice the fundamentals of marksmanship on something that’s cheap to feed and has light recoil will allow you to shoot more and longer without getting sore or developing any bad habits due to recoil, my .22 is very similar to my hunting rifles with regards to stock and barrel length/profile. It’s my biggest training aide and honestly I enjoy trying to shoot tight groups with .22lr it’s a lot of fun, I always bring it when I’m sighting in to shoot while my barrel cools on my .308’s

The fundamentals are the same if you’re shooting a .22 or a .308, the more time you spend behind the trigger the better you’re going to be when hunting where accurately putting a shot on an animal is more important than punching paper or hitting steel.
Click to expand...

Thank you both for making a case to get a training rifle and work on the fundamentals of shooting. I do have trigger time but it is behind pistols and semi autos, not PRS type rifles. If I go the route of getting a "training" rifle should I get one that is the same chassis as the rifle I will be using for hunting. Like a Bergara b14 hmr .22lr, so that I don't have to familiarize myself with a different rifle when I go hunting/LR shooting? Also as Butcherbill stated building bad habits from the anticipation/reaction to recoil would it be more advantageous to get a softer shooting caliber like a 6mm CM? Or is that bad in the sense that I am taking away training to deal with recoil and how it can effect follow up shots?
 
Ananomalymoose said:
Right now I am only thinking of making a kill shot on a deer out to a MAXIMUM of 200m. To me right now that is long range hunting.
Click to expand...

I think the best solution for you is TWO rifles

Hunting, any shorter barreled factory rifle in 308Win... Ruger Ranch, Rem 783 HB, Savage Axis, tikka T3 (used). Inexpensive rifle with plastic stock and det mags. Plenty accurate to hit a coffee mug at 200yds. Cartridge is plenty capable of getting you to 400yds when you feel confident. 308win hunting ammo is prolific and very well sorted. High velocity at short range is damaged meat at best... bullet blow up at worst. A 165gr 2500fps 30cal bullet will anchor any grass eater if you put the bullet where it belongs. Say this costs you around $500/600

Handle short compact rifles vs long sendero rifles. When tracking through the bush, less is definitely more.

Top with a LPVO type optic. I can highly recommend the Athlon Helos BTR gen2 2-12 if you want FFP... Midas HMR if SFP

With the rest of your $3k budget, BUILD a LR rig.

20210521_145335_HDR.jpg

Something like this will can easily reach out to 1500m, 1/3MOA with handloads.... likely 1/2 MOA with best factory ammo. Factory barrels are hit and miss... and you are spending alot of money on fancy things that may or may not work

with prefit match barrels for many factory actions, you can inexpensively turn a modest rifle into a tack driver. Rem 783, 700, tikka T3, Wby Vang/Howa, Savage 10/110 (old actions preferred) can all be put to service and if you pick an action with a floating bolt head and access to parts, you can use all sorts of chambers with just swapping parts.

IMG_7807.jpg

So you can get an idea of the performance potential if you handload.

For a cartridge, 6.5 creedmoor for you LR shooter. Definitely consider handloading.

PM or email if I can help

Jerry

PS... yes you can use the hunting rifle as the donor for your LR rifle with parts swap. Takes about 15 mins to go from my LR rifle to a basic hunting rifle... resight scope, hunt. When done, swap parts back and enjoy ringing targets out yonder....
 

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