Starter long range rifle?

B

biggerair

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
33   0   0
I was wondering about a rifle for long range shooting. And what caliber would be good for starting out. .308, .223, 22-250 ? Also I was wondering about barrel life and does the caliber effect barrel life or does a better quality barrel last longer ? The ranges would be about 500 to 800 yards.
Is the 22-250 a good long range round ? it seems from what Ive read I might as well shoot a .223
Thank guys
 
I have several long range rifles mostly in 308 and 1 in 223 ,Both these cartridges offer very good barrel life and can perform quite remarkably at the distances you stated . Yes calibre and case dimension do have an impact on barrel life the 22-250 is a real hot rod and barrel life suffers because of this. Remington ,Savage and Tikka offer several rifles that are very good value the Savage Stevens is the definite leader in value for your money. If you are starting out the 223 offers a lest expensive costs in both factory loaded or reloading components lower recoil = more fun to shoot, given the improvements in factory offering of ammunition the power to hit distant targets
 
Savage said:
I have several long range rifles mostly in 308 and 1 in 223 ,Both these cartridges offer very good barrel life and can perform quite remarkably at the distances you stated . Yes calibre and case dimension do have an impact on barrel life the 22-250 is a real hot rod and barrel life suffers because of this. Remington ,Savage and Tikka offer several rifles that are very good value the Savage Stevens is the definite leader in value for your money. If you are starting out the 223 offers a lest expensive costs in both factory loaded or reloading components lower recoil = more fun to shoot, given the improvements in factory offering of ammunition the power to hit distant targets
Click to expand...

So the 22-250 is hot then. How hot compared to other long range guns ? Would it do 1000 ?
 
A Savage/ Stevens in 223 and 75gr Amax makes a great entry level LR rifle. They pretty much shoot sub MOA (mine does 3/8MOA and there are no shortage on this board that do similar). I have shot mine accurately to 1000m and another CGN member has shot his to 1400m - no problem.

For reduced wind drift, you might want to consider the 260 or 7-08 or 243 in a fast twist. Decide how far is far and how much you want to spend per bang.

There are lots of examples further down this forum. If you click on the link in my signature, you can see what an affordable 1000m F class rifle looks like.

Jerry
 
the 22-250 just wont cut it at 500+ yards with a 1:14 twist which is most common. Add soem wind to the shoot and the low BC bullets it can handle will be all over the place. A 1-9 twist would be a different story, but its not common in the 22-250, especially from a factory rifle

I think you'd be hard pressed to beat a Savage, Remington, or Tikka varmint in 308
 
dlau said:
Here's a good article that I like to refer to when it comes to equipment choice.

http://demigod.org/articles/practical-long-range-rifle-shooting-equipment/
Click to expand...

Thanks for this link! This is probably the most helpful single link I've found to answer questions about getting into practical long range rifle shooting.

Anyone know off hand if there are any courses and competitions for this type of practical shooting in Ontario?

Thanks!
 
Also check ORA website for intro days.
As far as an off the shelf starter...you really have to take a look at the new Savage F class build.Even come in a 6.5/284!
 
Ian Robertson said:
What type of shooting do ou want to do? Are you going to hold it up or use a rest/bipod? Irons or scope?
Click to expand...

I want to do long range. Up to 1000 is my goal. I will use a scope and a bipod.
I do have aWeatherby in 7mm rem and am considering starting with this.
 
Big
That round will make the 1000 easy but a couple things to consider.
If it 's a hunting contour,we usually shoot strings of 10 to 22 rounds per relay.
Lighter barrels will be effected fairly quickly by heat and change POI fairly quickly.
2nd .recoil can be an issue.OK for first dozen,but figure 75 to 100 rounds in a day and shooter fatigue could be a real issue.
Read over what some of the Precision rifle and LR Fer's are shooting for caliber.
If you have access to 1000 yard range and just want to do informal shooting there's nothing wrong with the 7rem.No worries about overheating as you space out your shooting.
I still believe for a starting target long range rifle ,the Savage F class is a nice piece of kit for the price and in 6.5/284 a great place to start.
Lotsa info on the net to read to help you.
Still one Intro Day at a long range practice would be even more fun.
Good luck
Ont0001
 
ONT0001 said:
Big
That round will make the 1000 easy but a couple things to consider.
If it 's a hunting contour,we usually shoot strings of 10 to 22 rounds per relay.
Lighter barrels will be effected fairly quickly by heat and change POI fairly quickly.
2nd .recoil can be an issue.OK for first dozen,but figure 75 to 100 rounds in a day and shooter fatigue could be a real issue.
Read over what some of the Precision rifle and LR Fer's are shooting for caliber.
If you have access to 1000 yard range and just want to do informal shooting there's nothing wrong with the 7rem.No worries about overheating as you space out your shooting.
I still believe for a starting target long range rifle ,the Savage F class is a nice piece of kit for the price and in 6.5/284 a great place to start.
Lotsa info on the net to read to help you.
Still one Intro Day at a long range practice would be even more fun.
Good luck
Ont0001
Click to expand...
formula for a great time at ANY range.....
Irons 'n' sling and a 308:rockOn: ( don't forget the "monkey suit"!):D
Cat
 
Sunny weather,warm steady breezes, soft grass on the mounds and any rifle with any sights ,lotsa ammo,fast marker and no bugs....Valhalla!
Don't know how you guys can wear a shirt, a sweater and a heavy shooting jacket when it's 100plus on the mounds...........UFC... cut weight!!!Gotta give you credit for perseverance!
 
Personally I am getting a Remy 700 PSS in .223 it will be used for coyote hunting and if I can find a place to shoot long range I will do so because the club I belong to only has a range to 200 yards:( I am thinking of getting a high power leopold scope and using a bipod. Eventually send away to gunsmith to glass bed and do a barrel floating job and trigger job and paint it camo:) It will be sweet when I am done with it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom