looking to shoot 800-1000yards, i think i am going to go with a 308. but there is so many choices for rifles. what are some good options for around 1500? im looking at the sako a7, tikka t3, rem 700, savage model 10 or 12 and the vangaurd. too many options, help menarrow it down a bit.
which gun to start
- Thread starter nightster
- Start date
ultimate_monkey
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- victoria BC
Realistically , any of the major manufacturers rem , savage, tikka etc are all decently capable rifles . It really comes down to what fits you the best and you like to looks of. Both rem and savage have a huge aftermarket for parts . They all are capable of sub moa but they are factory rifles so you have the small chance of getting a dud (a very small chance ) handle as many as you can and see what fits you the best
You can do a lot of the narrowing down yourself. What features do you like to have on your rifles? Detachable box magazine? A certain style of stock or trigger? I've said this a few times now on this forum, there is no magical "best" rifle out there. Every one of the rifles you listed has the same potential for precision shooting, anything said to the contrary is simply opinion.
That said I wouldn't recommend the A7 due to the barrel profile (assuming all the others you listed are the heavier barrel variation). The rest comes down to your preferences.
That said I wouldn't recommend the A7 due to the barrel profile (assuming all the others you listed are the heavier barrel variation). The rest comes down to your preferences.
ultimate_monkey
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- victoria BC
Longer barrel doesn't mean more accurate , short barrels tend to be stiffer and less affected by harmonics , longer barrels offer more velocity
Good choice as the velocity will be helpfull at the range you would like to shoot.
Monkey is correct but I'm sure he will agree as well to what length ur barrel is, tuned ammo will be the key for the tightest groups. Long barrels or short barrels, vibrations are impossible to stop. The perfect ammo will leave the muzzle right at the most low or high point of that harmonic wip every time.
Are you looking at the 12FV ? It can do it Forsure and will leave you with plenty of room to upgrade like a new pre fit barrel one day when you get heavily hooked and chase the smallest group possible.
I do recommend a good scope to start so you don't waste your $, or something cheep that will work like a bushnell elite 10x mil dot till you figure out for your self what you actualy want in a scope.
Monkey is correct but I'm sure he will agree as well to what length ur barrel is, tuned ammo will be the key for the tightest groups. Long barrels or short barrels, vibrations are impossible to stop. The perfect ammo will leave the muzzle right at the most low or high point of that harmonic wip every time.
Are you looking at the 12FV ? It can do it Forsure and will leave you with plenty of room to upgrade like a new pre fit barrel one day when you get heavily hooked and chase the smallest group possible.
I do recommend a good scope to start so you don't waste your $, or something cheep that will work like a bushnell elite 10x mil dot till you figure out for your self what you actualy want in a scope.
Paladin308
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- The Man Cave
Your location in your profile would help. This way we could point you in the direction of your Provincial Rifle Association. Get out to a match or practice and see what the guys that shoot long range are using to compete with.
Almost nobody shoots a 338 in F Class and for good reason. After shooting 60 rounds a day for 2 or 3 days you will be begging someone else to shoot the darn thing while you cozy up to a bottle of muscle relaxers and a hot water bottle.
For guys looking for a long range 308, you will want a nice heavy barrel no shorter than 26 inches and with a barrel twist rate of 1:12 or better yet 1:11.
Longer barrels shoot faster but tend to be whippy and less consistent (accuracy wise) than shorter barrels, that don't go as fast. 26 to 28 inches is a good balance point between both.
For guys looking for a long range 308, you will want a nice heavy barrel no shorter than 26 inches and with a barrel twist rate of 1:12 or better yet 1:11.
Longer barrels shoot faster but tend to be whippy and less consistent (accuracy wise) than shorter barrels, that don't go as fast. 26 to 28 inches is a good balance point between both.
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- Location
- Northern Ontario
My 2c is to stay away from the rifles with plastic stocks , yes you can swap it out at a later time but there are to many thing's to address such as optics and reloading you are better off starting with a decent stock this is the lesson I have found out the hard way. I like the rem 700 so I would suggest the 5r it comes with a h&s precision stock ,or the xcr long range tactical B&C stock also there is the Sundiaro which comes in magnum hunting caliburs which are not the best choice. Savage offers some with McMillan stocks and detachable magazine somthing the rem line lacks ! .308 varmint rifles with lamanate stocks are also a good choice . Whichever one you decide on it will need to be glass beaded also to get to 1000 you will need to install a 20 MOA rail and the proper scope for the job before you go out and buy a scope for this rifle I suggest you do lots of reading to find out what kind of system you want to use there are many ways to get on target at long range and most have to do with what type of redicule and type of adjustment that your scope has , warning once you start to understand ballistics you will be thinking about it alot it was on my brain all the time for quite a while !
There is no 223 or 308 "requirement" in F Class. F Class actually has 3 classes, F-Open, FTR and FF. FTR is the only category that is limited to 223 and 308. The other 2 classes are for any other caliber up to 338.
As for picking a 24 inch barrel as your long barrel selection of choice... 24 inches is what 1000 yard F class shooters consider too short. As I stated above for a 308 the barrel should be at least 26 inches.
In order to make weight with a long 32 inch barrel for example the barrel would be so small in diameter that it would be whippy and not likely very accurate in competitive F Class terms, so yes shorter than 32 would be more accurate 99 times out of a hundred.
It is common knowledge that barrel stiffness decreases exponentially relative to increase in length. For this reason all long range shooters are looking for that balance between barrel length and barrel diameter to stay within the prescribed weight constraints. FTR rules limit the rifle to just over 18 pounds, so that makes it tough to make weight with a really long barrel without reducing the barrel diameter to a point where it becomes detrimental to accuracy.
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There has been some name changes and rule changes in the last few years so this may cause some confusion. There used to only be 2 F Classes. FF and F(O)pen. FF is now F/TR and F0 is still F open.
F/TR is .223 and .308, F(O)pen is any caliber up to 8mm as long as it falls into the range safety template. In Ontario we also have F(M)anufactured class which means F Factory class. So this is where the old FF class is confused with F Factory.
nightster, contact http://www.albertarifle.com/ and go out to the range and talk to the shooters that shoot long range. Most will be more than willing to answer any questions you have in regards to rifles, calibers, scopes and whatever else you need to get you started. Don't spend a dime on a rifle until you do.
A Remington 700P was my 1st long range .308 and I couldn't be happier with it. After shooting a few competitions along side other stock rifles I'd feel confident buying a Savage 10 FCV or FCP as well.
Both brands kick out some fine shooters and the price tags leave room to spend extra on optics. Something to take into consideration 'cause you can't hit what you can't see!
This is how I set up the rifle:
And this is 3 shots I took at 100yds to check zero before my last comp. I was using 168gr Hornady A-Max Match
Both brands kick out some fine shooters and the price tags leave room to spend extra on optics. Something to take into consideration 'cause you can't hit what you can't see!
This is how I set up the rifle:
And this is 3 shots I took at 100yds to check zero before my last comp. I was using 168gr Hornady A-Max Match
