LR preschooler needs advise!

[ptatcman]

Been hanging out here for a little while and I have now read enough to know that what I thought I knew is no where near what I need to know!
I almost went into shock yesterday at our sporting goods store when I priced good ammo. $69.00 for 300 wm?? I am now considering reloading my own. Is it tuely cost effective if I have to start from scratch? I understand the other reasons for reloading, but I and my wife know I do not need another expensive hobby!
If you recommend reloading your own, I need your suggestions on a book to get or website to go to, to learn reloading basics 101 then progress from there.
I am looking into purchasing a LR capable rifle to build on. I have always shot Remington's and I think a .300 wm Sendero is what I want. Is that a good choice? Can you accurize it or build on it relatively easy? Would you recommend this for an all-around rifle, (deer/elk)?
Thanks ahead of time! John

 

[Tony 0321]

Just about all bullet manufacturers have their own book on reloading and the ones that I have read have been good to get the basics then it is just learning what it is that makes a rifle shoot better and playing with the load to get it "just right". To buy all the parts to reload all your bullets is a little cheaper but after you use your cases over again is a lot cheaper in the long run and the accuracy that you can get out of doing your own is worth every penny. I was paying 60 dollers a box for bullets and after reloading those rounds it went to about 20 dollers a box just by reusing my old brass. But the equipment can be a little pricy too.
As for your choice of rifles I have two friends that have the sendero and they are great shooters well under a MOA just out of the box with handloads but they are a little on the heavy side if you do a lot of packing but the weight is worth it to have the accuracy for long range. Just make sure to put good glass on it that can make a big difference.

 

[Ernie]

First, welcome to LRH.
If you want to get involved in LR hunting, then reloading will save you money in the end, even though it will cost money up front. Good loading manuals will help you get the basics down.
The Remington 700 is a good way to start and any good accuracy smith can build you accurate rig with it as its base.
Depending on your style of hunting, conditioning, etc, will determine how heavy of a rifle you can carry in the field.
Personally, I would rather build off of a Remington, than a Savage, but Savage makes some very good factory rifles as well and you may get in to it cheaper.
Look for used rifles. Very few hunters shoot out their barrels.
Their are a number of good gunsmiths on this site, who can build you the rifle of your dreams (once you decide what you really want).
The LR game can get expensive, but you can slowly build toward what you ultimately want.
What kind of animals will you be hunting?
How far would you like to be able to shoot on game once you get set-up?
What kind of distances do you have access to for practice?
If I was on a budget and wanted to get started, I would find a used synthetic Savage with Accutrigger, and a used S-3 Sightron 6-24.
A number of cartridges would work to get you started:
Since I don't have a clue what you intend to hunt I will list a few that would interest me in a rifle:
260 Remington, 7mm-08, 280 Remington, 7mm Remington Magnum.

You can really do a lot with the first two cartridges that I listed, and they have good manners and are easy to shoot. IF you know you want a long action for future builds, the 280 can take you long ways.
Do I shoot some bigger cartridges? Yes, but I didn't start that way.
Good luck and give us a better idea of what you are wanting to accomplish.
Ernie

 

[ptatcman]

Thanks for the help so far. I would like to build an all around rifle for use with deer/elk say out to 600-800yds. Going to Canada for white tails this year but I would like to start out west Elk hunting next year. Around here we do a good bit of "bean feild slinging " out to 300 or 400 yrds.
I don't think the weight of the Sendero .300
will be much of a problem. I'm 6'-4" , 280, and still full of pis and vinegar. Although at 42 I see a lot more pis and less vinegar.
I have access to an 800 yd shooting spot but to veiw all of it you have to shoot from a 30-40 degree elevated hill. Do I need a flat shooting area?
Thanks John

 

[roninflag]

sendero with a vais and leup

 

[ptatcman]

There you go using that secret club language again! I understand Leupold but what is vais? Will a "Leup" VX3 4x16x50mm be enough? I never read much on here about Swarovski? Are they worth all the money or are you guys boycotting them for some other reason? Thanks

 

[novaman64]

VAIS is a muzzle brake... There are almost endless options in muzzle breaks but VAIS has the rep as being one of the quietest....

 

[MontanaRifleman]

John,

Reloading wil be cheaper than buying factory ammo in the looooooong run. If you want consistant, accurate, LR worthy loads, then you DO need to handload. if you start handloading for precision LR shooting then you need precision handloading equipment. Dont get the basic RCBS FL sizer and seater. There are a number of good dies available and some I would recommend considering would be Redding bushing dies, either the FL die or the neck sizer and body die and definitely the competition seater. If you go with bushing dies, then you need to turn your necks. The standard neck sizing die can be used effectively also if you set it up right. Above all, get a competiton seater. Your dies and your technique for using them are probably your most important ingredient in precision handloading. I wouldn't buy any books on handloading. There is more than enough knowledge and experience in these forums to get you going.

Your costs with handloading will include your equipment, which if you're doing this right, will cost well in excess of $500. You can get a lot of stuff on ebay for a good price or even in the classifieds here. You will also have load development costs that you dont have with factory ammo. You can easily go through 100 rounds or more looking for and fine tuning your load.

If you want to shoot a 300 mag, then I would recommend the WSM. There are a lot of guys who like their 300 WM and it's a good cartridge, but the WSM is basically the ballistic twin of the WM and will have double or more the barrel life.

I think the Senedero is a great choice and I have one in 300 RUM and 25-06. If you're going to buy one off the shelf then the WSM is not an optuion. If your goping to use one to build, then I say do the WSM. I like the older SF's vs the newere SFII's. The SFII's have a wider beaver tail forearm and palm swell. If you like that, then go with the SFII. I'm not a big guy like you, 5'7" and 160 and 53, and I have no problem carrying my Sendero around. I just got back from antelope hunting where I carried my Sendero with 2 lb NF scope 10 miles on foot this past Sunday. Ended up shooting my buck 200 yards off the road, lol.

Welcome to LRH and good shooting,

Mark

P.S. If you put the calc to it, shooting 1000 rounds @ $3 per round will cost you $3000. You can buy the best handloading equipment and over 2000 rounds of worth of componants at $1 per handloaded round. If you do much shooting, it wont take you long to "save" up for some custom gun work. Just remember... buying stuff on sale isn't spending, it's saving

 

[Ernie]

There you go using that secret club language again! I understand Leupold but what is vais? Will a "Leup" VX3 4x16x50mm be enough? I never read much on here about Swarovski? Are they worth all the money or are you guys boycotting them for some other reason? Thanks

The Leupold you mention should be fine.
Do you plan to dial/turn turrets or use a multi-dash or dot reticle?

I have a couple of Vais Muzzle Brakes, but I do not recommend them for hunting, IF you are going to be shooting from the prone position.
A brake that has a solid bottom would be better in my opinion for that type of shooting.

Several solid bottomed brakes that vendors from this website:
Quick Discharge and or the new Radial muzzle brake-Holland's Shooter's Supply.
Pain-Killer Brake by Kirby Allen-Allen Precision Shooting
Defensive Edge Brake-Shawn Carlock.
I have brake's from all three of these men.

There other brakes from folks on the site that work great as well.