Best accurate rifle / scope combination under $2k

[gamehawker]

I agree with Lloyd. If you want to be able to hunt that far away, a Magnum caliber would be a better choice than a .308. But for paper and steel @ 1000 the .308 is an excellent caliber to get into shooting long range.

For the money a Sendero 7Mag and a Zeiss 6.5-20x50 (usually on sale for around $799), would be a good setup.

Then later on (or immediately) you could spend about $150 and have the barrel re-chambered to 7mmSTW, and really be able to reach out and touch something. That would be a real nice shooter for under $1,500...And you would really be able to reach out there and hunt at 1000+ if you had some nice handloads with some Berger 180 VLD's.

If you went with a Sendero in 7mm RemMag, the Berger 168 VLD's would be and excellent choice.

I agree with the Sendero. I got two barely used 7mm STW Senderos last year for $1,000 each and I have Vortex Viper PST 6-24x50 FFP EBR-1 MOA Reticle Scopes on them.

With the EGW 1-Piece Picatinny-Style 20 MOA rails and Burris 30mm Xtreme Tactical Picatinny-Style Rings each of my rifle/scope set-ups came to right about $2,000 and these rifle/scope set-up shoot unbelievable!

 

[MudRunner2005]

Wanna make quick money back on one of them-there Senderos? Pretty please!!!



I have a Sendero SF 7mmSTW, just like GameHawker does (but with a Zeiss 6.5-20x50), and for a factory rifle, those things are incredibly accurate.

It would eat you alive to know what I have in that setup, but in my defense, I was working at an outdoors store 11 years ago, and gun prices were about 1/2 what they are now. So cost+10% came out REAL nice on my end. I just bought the new Zeiss for it early this year, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the combo. I have a new EGW 20MOA base sitting in the package at home, just waiting on the TPS TSR 1" low rings to come back in stock on Midway, so I can re-fit my setup, and remove the old stainless Leupolds off of it, so I can have a wicked long-range setup, like GH's.

 

[westcliffe01]

Does Remington do anything different to the Sendero action compared to the 700 ? Watching videos of smiths accurizing the 700 action makes it clear that Remington does not even bother to cut the receiver threads using a threading tool in the lathe, even though the receiver starts off as a tube ??? Instead they use a tap which results in the threads being tapered and out of square. The the bolt engagement face is not square or flat (use of a worn "plunging tool" as opposed to a "proper cutting tool manipulated in 2 axis.) Its simply pitiful how something so simple just cannot be done properly in this age of $25k cnc lathes.

I get the impression that Remington is using equipment that is probably 30 or more years old (and now considerably more worn out) to make the 700 actions and they would benefit massively by re-tooling that line to use modern equipment that will build the quality back into the products. But, presumably, as long as people keep buying this sh**t, they will keep making it and change nothing.

 

[lloydsmale]

dont know how they do it and as long as the ones i buy keep being one of the most consistantly accurate over the counter rifles i find they can do it any way they want. Ive own and have owned many older 700s and newer 700s and havent seen much differnce in accuracy between them. Now if you look at something like a adl or sps you can say fit and finish isnt up to the older guns but your buying a base priced rifle in those cases for hundreds less then a cdl or sendero and sure cant expect nice bluing and pillar bedding or nice walnut for 500 bucks or less. Funny thing is i have a blued sps 06 thats sitting in a cdl stock thats floated and bedded that is hands down the best shooting sporter weight 700 ive ever owned. Its consistantly a 5 shot 3/4 inch gun and ive shot enough 1/2 groups with it to know that in the hands of someone that can really shoot it would be scary accurate.

Does Remington do anything different to the Sendero action compared to the 700 ? Watching videos of smiths accurizing the 700 action makes it clear that Remington does not even bother to cut the receiver threads using a threading tool in the lathe, even though the receiver starts off as a tube ??? Instead they use a tap which results in the threads being tapered and out of square. The the bolt engagement face is not square or flat (use of a worn "plunging tool" as opposed to a "proper cutting tool manipulated in 2 axis.) Its simply pitiful how something so simple just cannot be done properly in this age of $25k cnc lathes.

I get the impression that Remington is using equipment that is probably 30 or more years old (and now considerably more worn out) to make the 700 actions and they would benefit massively by re-tooling that line to use modern equipment that will build the quality back into the products. But, presumably, as long as people keep buying this sh**t, they will keep making it and change nothing.

 

[lloydsmale]

heres another good choise http://www.longrangehunting.com/for...tainless-7mm-shooting-times-westerner-111510/

 

[BrentM]

Sorry if this is a repeat, didn't read all the comments.

You might try:
Savage 116 300wm or 6.5-284 for $750.00 at cabelas. I have the 6.5-284. shoots well. Accustock, accutrigger, fluted stainless steel varmint contour barrel. Put a vortex viper pst on it for 600-800. Done. You are good as far as you can shoot.

 

[westcliffe01]

Remington 700 action trueing Part 3 - YouTube

This is where the smith just gets the action dialed in and the first thing he does is face the front of the action perpendicular to the bolt bore.

Here he has squared the integral lugs to the bolt bore
Remington 700 action trueing Part 4 - YouTube

Comparison of Remington 700 to custom action
Remington action compared to Custom action Part 1 - YouTube

 

[Trickymissfit]

You have not expressed any thoughts regarding calibers. While a 308 might get to 1000 yards, do you expect to kill anything at that distance ? A 308 is also relatively lousy into the wind. Perhaps you should consider a 300 Win Mag or a 300 WSM. The WSM gets you the advantage of staying with a short action and burning a bit less powder.

Right now on Gunbroker you can get the Savage model 11 long range hunter in 300WSM for <$800 or you can get for a similar price the 6.5x284 Norma.

For $550 you can get the Vortex Viper HS 4x16x50 long range scope with an exposed elevation turret and MOA calibrated reticle. If you go up to $750 you can get the Viper PST 6x24x50 SFP with either MOA or MRAD reticle. Even with the more expensive scope you still have $400 of your budget left. That would get you brass, bullets, dies, powder etc (consumables). Later on, (not too much later with the 6.5x284) you can order a match barrel to your own specification.

first of all very few scopes work well past 25x. We hear about them all the time but when it gets down and dirty the guy has it dialed back a good bit. You can order in a Savage custom shop gun for $1700 that will shoot lights out right outta the box. Or for about $1200 you can order in the Savage lang range rifle and go with the better scope. I would go with the LRH and the 24x scope in .300WSM

An even better solution is to buy the Savage PTA action for about $500, and then use a good barrel blank in whatever caliber suites your needs. The stock will cost you anywhere from $400 to $650 bedded. You won't need a new trigger as it comes with a good one, and you should be ready to mount the scope base at somewhere around $1300. You can buy a Remington action for about $350, and yet spend another $150+ to have it trued. You'll need a better trigger and there's at least a hundred dollars and probably closer to double that. Barrel work will come out about the same for both rifles. Total cost will be similar, but the Savage will shoot better. The Savage PTA action is about three times stiffer than the Remington, dosn't need any machine work done to it. The trigger will go down very low in pull weight. It's just a win win situation.
gary

 

[Trickymissfit]

Does Remington do anything different to the Sendero action compared to the 700 ? Watching videos of smiths accurizing the 700 action makes it clear that Remington does not even bother to cut the receiver threads using a threading tool in the lathe, even though the receiver starts off as a tube ??? Instead they use a tap which results in the threads being tapered and out of square. The the bolt engagement face is not square or flat (use of a worn "plunging tool" as opposed to a "proper cutting tool manipulated in 2 axis.) Its simply pitiful how something so simple just cannot be done properly in this age of $25k cnc lathes.

I get the impression that Remington is using equipment that is probably 30 or more years old (and now considerably more worn out) to make the 700 actions and they would benefit massively by re-tooling that line to use modern equipment that will build the quality back into the products. But, presumably, as long as people keep buying this sh**t, they will keep making it and change nothing.

Remington uses several Monarch VMC's to cut their actions with. It's just the way they set their processes up. Problem is that the Monarch is not that fantastic in machine alignments. Had they spent another $50K and bought the HMC, they could have tapped the threads very square (assuming they were using a good fixture; which they don't). Had Remington spent about $275K on a Hardingh CNC lathe, they could have cut everything within .001" compound error involved. They could have also bought Okumas (not as good)

There's more to retooling than just buying new equipment. They have to get into an accurate train of thought, and hire some folks that know a little bit about machine tool processes. They don't see to be interested in this. Plus they have no way to maintane their equipment, and their quality controll is even worse. They do zero gauge follow up and no gauge inspection to keep it right. Nobody knows how to realign a piece of CNC equipment, and if by slim chance it gets checked it only happens when they bite the bullet and bring in a service rep. When they finally bite the dust, the new owners will retool and things will get much better.

The comment about a tapped thread being tapered is not all that correct. If done right it can be very square. But a tap will always take the pathe of least resistence as it cuts thru the hole. Had they cut the bore on a CNC lathe or a good machine center, and then run a tap into that bore it would have easilly been within .001" with no taper in it. Very accurate threads that are cut with a tap are usually reamed first with a hole that starts out square and is strait and round. After that the rest is easy. But it's easier to do this with a single point tool when you cut the actuall reciever body. (only adds about 1.5 minutes to the process I might add)
gary

 

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

Just my thinking an optic should cost more than the gun, in the beginning anyways.

 

[bushido23]

Yes, that is the response I've gotten from most people on this site as well as a couple others.

I think i'm gonna go with the $1.3k - $1.5k and the rest I'll spend on the gun and rings. Like most things, I'll probably end up breaking my budget.

 

[westcliffe01]

I'm for the balanced approach. Get everything you need to do the job. Including the brass and dies. Its relatively easy to sell a $800 gun and move on to a custom later, but he will have to spend quite a bit of cash to do better than the 6-24x50 PST scope for $750.

 

[MMERSS]

Many good options and good recommendations. I don't need to recommend here, already some good ones posted, but I will applaud you on your selection of the 308 for your choice. Great practice cartridge and not too shabby for hunting either.

 

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

I'm for the balanced approach. Get everything you need to do the job. Including the brass and dies. Its relatively easy to sell a $800 gun and move on to a custom later, but he will have to spend quite a bit of cash to do better than the 6-24x50 PST scope for $750.

You can upgrade a rifle as you learn you can not upgrade the optic with out selling it and starting over, its that simple!