Newbie Rifle Questions

[Orange Dust]

One other thing. Go low recoil. Short action, standard face cartridge, anything from 6-7MM. Barrel will last, and any of them with a decently fast twist will get you there. Use any leftover money to begin reloading if you don't already.

 

[Bruce H Watson]

Speaking as someone who has only been shooting long distance for a couple of years. The $800-$1000 entry level offerings that EVERY Manufacturer are putting on the market now days are incredibly accurate! Nothing wrong with custom but most likely, an " over the counter" rifle will out shoot you for years!! Same with optics. A 10 power scope will get you to half a mile no problem. I went with a Howa 1500 in 6.5cm and a Burris XTRII 5-25X56 scope. I have $1600 into it. It shoots 3/4 moa all day ( if I do my part). The Burris is way Overkill ( my range only goes to 1000yrds) but is great glass. Between ammo, spotting scopes, Kestrel, and reloading equipment you'll have no problem spending your entire budget.

 

[skipglo]

Speaking as someone who has only been shooting long distance for a couple of years. The $800-$1000 entry level offerings that EVERY Manufacturer are putting on the market now days are incredibly accurate! Nothing wrong with custom but most likely, an " over the counter" rifle will out shoot you for years!! Same with optics. A 10 power scope will get you to half a mile no problem. I went with a Howa 1500 in 6.5cm and a Burris XTRII 5-25X56 scope. I have $1600 into it. It shoots 3/4 moa all day ( if I do my part). The Burris is way Overkill ( my range only goes to 1000yrds) but is great glass. Between ammo, spotting scopes, Kestrel, and reloading equipment you'll have no problem spending your entire budget.

I paid 1850.00 for the same scope....at times like this it.......SUCKS to be a Canadian and 1499.00 for our Howa GRS's....oh well

 

[skipglo]

I'm new to long range shooting, and have been looking at rifles for a few weeks. I wanted to try and get some feedback from actual shooters so I joined these forums for help. I started out looking at the Seekins Havak Bravo, Bergara Ridgeline and DD Delta 5. Also have researched glass like Vortex, Nightforce and others in the $2k price range. I decided I didn't want to spend $4k+ on my first setup so that led me to looking at cheaper options like the Bergara B14 HMR and Browning Max Long Range with something like Vortex Viper PST Gen2 glass to go on it. A setup like that is roughly half of what I started out looking at and I'm leaning to going that direction but wanted some more feedback from actual shooters.

To sum all that up, I'd like recommendations for a roughly $2k setup including glass, and same on a $4k setup like mentioned above. Im not a pro but I can work on my guns some. I've built a couple AR's and repair my older shotguns when I have issues myself, so building one might not be out of the question. Any input appreciated!

I seriously hope you look at Howa and consider a HAWKE scope. It will give you everything you need for around 1500.00 and groups out of the box for both at .250 moa using Hornady factory ammo if you go 6.5. 143x Hornady.

 

[Bang4theBuck]

Simple Formula in your price range:
Ruger Precision Rifle (~$800)
Vortex PST Gen 2 5-25x50 ($1000)
Decent rings ($100)
4 boxes of Ammo ($100)
4 range fees ($60)
Loads of Fun and lots of learning (free with purchase above)

 

[Thirty-Ought 6]

Thanks for all the replys so far. Does anyone have any real knowledge of the Browning MAX Long Range? Seems like a good value and From what research Ive done seems like a good rifle. I'm drawn to it out of the rifles in that $1k price range.

My first "genuine long range" rifle was what my brother recommended - a Savage Model 10 FCP in 308 for $650. I could not be more pleased with it's performance! There's just as much chance of me hitting the 980-yard gong at the monthly match I attend as the three dozen or so other shooters (some of whom are SWAT snipers or PRS shooters) with rifles that cost thousands more. Not that I can shoot as good as them but I have been shooting since I was a little kid.

I could upgrade it with a GRS Berserk stock for about $450 but the thing already enables me to keep my scores up with my brother who shoots a $6,500 6.5 Creedmoor rig! Savage is now also offering the Model 10 FCP straight from the factory with the GRS Berserk stock. If I wasn't looking to get another toy then I would just buy the GRS Berserk for it and call it good. But...

Like you I did a lot of research, but I also wanted something different than just another Remington 700. I didn't want a heavy target rifle with a weird stock that was only good for shooting steel or paper from a bench. I wanted to be able to carry it fairly easily, so in a pinch I could even hunt with it. I also wanted a 3-lug bolt, which really narrowed my choices down to Weatherby, Browning, Thompson Center or Sako.

I almost went with Thompson Center's LRR (Long Range Rifle, from Smith & Wesson's Performance Center) but it's relatively heavy weight concerned me. At the match I usually attend I have to carry it up and down ridges, and I'm over 50-years-old. So I chose the Browning X-Bolt Max Long Range in 6.5 Creed. I can't wait to pick it up this weekend (stupid California waiting period.)

The only thing I'm a little concerned about is what Browning calls a "heavy sporter" weight barrel. No wonder the T/C LRR is heavier! I'm not so sure this "heavy sporter" barrel will work as well as a heavier barrel. If it stays true for 6-shot strings then I guess I should be happy but I'll only be merely satisfied. If it stays true for 8-shot strings I'll be delighted. However, I'm not holding my breath.

I'm trying to justify my choice by telling myself it's a hybrid rifle, good for long range targets yet still usable for a hunting rifle. We shall see after I can get the dough together to buy a decent scope for it. Keeping fingers crossed.

 

[Deleted member 25294]

My first "genuine long range" rifle was what my brother recommended - a Savage Model 10 FCP in 308 for $650. I could not be more pleased with it's performance! There's just as much chance of me hitting the 980-yard gong at the monthly match I attend as the three dozen or so other shooters (some of whom are SWAT snipers or PRS shooters) with rifles that cost thousands more. Not that I can shoot as good as them but I have been shooting since I was a little kid.

I could upgrade it with a GRS Berserk stock for about $450 but the thing already enables me to keep my scores up with my brother who shoots a $6,500 6.5 Creedmoor rig! Savage is now also offering the Model 10 FCP straight from the factory with the GRS Berserk stock. If I wasn't looking to get another toy then I would just buy the GRS Berserk for it and call it good. But...

Like you I did a lot of research, but I also wanted something different than just another Remington 700. I didn't want a heavy target rifle with a weird stock that was only good for shooting steel or paper from a bench. I wanted to be able to carry it fairly easily, so in a pinch I could even hunt with it. I also wanted a 3-lug bolt, which really narrowed my choices down to Weatherby, Browning, Thompson Center or Sako.

I almost went with Thompson Center's LRR (Long Range Rifle, from Smith & Wesson's Performance Center) but it's relatively heavy weight concerned me. At the match I usually attend I have to carry it up and down ridges, and I'm over 50-years-old. So I chose the Browning X-Bolt Max Long Range in 6.5 Creed. I can't wait to pick it up this weekend (stupid California waiting period.)

The only thing I'm a little concerned about is what Browning calls a "heavy sporter" weight barrel. No wonder the T/C LRR is heavier! I'm not so sure this "heavy sporter" barrel will work as well as a heavier barrel. If it stays true for 6-shot strings then I guess I should be happy but I'll only be merely satisfied. If it stays true for 8-shot strings I'll be delighted. However, I'm not holding my breath.

I'm trying to justify my choice by telling myself it's a hybrid rifle, good for long range targets yet still usable for a hunting rifle. We shall see after I can get the dough together to buy a decent scope for it. Keeping fingers crossed.

I've shot PRS with a .308, no way in hell it'll keep up with a 6.5 at long range.
And yes you definitely want a really heavy barrel for PRS 10 round strings

 

[Thirty-Ought 6]

I've shot PRS with a .308, no way in hell it'll keep up with a 6.5 at long range.
And yes you definitely want a really heavy barrel for PRS 10 round strings

I wasn't talking about a PRS match, I was only enthusiastically talking about my own personal experience, my apologies for offending you. Maybe a 308 doesn't keep up in a PRS match, I've never shot PRS, I wasn't professing to know that. However, in the matches we shoot from ridge to ridge, it keeps up just fine. All I gotta do is hit the gong and it does that just as well as a 6.5. It does it just like a deer doesn't know whether it got hit by a 308 or a 6.5.

 

[DaveR]

Perhaps add a Ruger Precision Rifle to the research list.

 

[Deleted member 25294]

I wasn't talking about a PRS match, I was only enthusiastically talking about my own personal experience, my apologies for offending you. Maybe a 308 doesn't keep up in a PRS match, I've never shot PRS, I wasn't professing to know that. However, in the matches we shoot from ridge to ridge, it keeps up just fine. All I gotta do is hit the gong and it does that just as well as a 6.5. It does it just like a deer doesn't know whether it got hit by a 308 or a 6.5.

No need to apologize you didn't offend me, I'm just confused about what you're claiming about a .308 keeping up with ballisticaly superior 6.5's..
If you're contending well at 900 yards with your .308 it's more a testament of your wind reading ability, because it's much tougher making a hit with a bullet that has a BC of .530 in shifting winds at that range compared to a bullet that has a BC of .697

 

[Thirty-Ought 6]

No need to apologize you didn't offend me, I'm just confused about what you're claiming about a .308 keeping up with ballisticaly superior 6.5's.

I didn't.

And as for ballistics, well, those simply are what they are and they can speak for themselves.

 

[NDF]

Have one of those savage mod 10 in the GRS and with the factory American gunner 140 gr rounds it consistently shoots 3/4 moa, bought it used on LRH from a fellow member in the 6.5 CM, for around $700, put a used 8-32 sightron siii also used purchased on LRH for around $700, my reloads are 143 gr eld's at 2800 fps which shoot only slightly better than the American gunners, have validated out to 800 so far @ just under moa, point is for under $1500 I got a solid shooter that is capable of your wishlist, which leaves $500 for ammo, your ability to have the time to practice and learn how to dope the wind will be your biggest hurdles, you don't need to break the bank to be frosty at a 1000, but if coin isn't a issue I do agree with the concept of buy once cry once leaning more towards the optics as the lions share of the purchase. Good luck

 

[Turkyman]

If it were me, I'd go with the bergara and buy used scope of higher quality

 

[wsq]

If your budget will allow get a nightforce scope nxs shv if having accuracy problems it won't be the scope if you find a slightly used or demo it will be the cheapest to own resale is great compared to others