I am wanting to start shooting long range, 1000 plus yards. Been reading on here for a while and it sounds like a fun challenge. Only problem is I am a beginner you might say. A little back round history on me so you guys and gals don't think I'm just another idiot that will hurt himself. Hunters safety grad, coon hunted and deer hunted till 18. Hurt my hand missed one season and fell out of hunting. Now I'm 26 and want to start shoting again. Not so much interested in hunting for now, just the challenge of being able to pull off the 1000yd+ shots. So please tell me where to start. Should I start with something basic likes .223 or .243 to get used to shooting and the basics or should I just go for something like a .300? I'm young and definitely do not have limited funds limited by the wife lol. Thinking somewhere around $700 to $1000 for the entire setup. Thinking perhaps used would be a great way to go, you tell me. After I get it bought I can slowly start upgrading. I completely know that I'm not going to get a rifle and group at 1000yds+ just my long rearm goal. Thanks for any and all advice.
Wanting suggestions on first rifle
- Thread starter Newguywi
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
Welcome to LRH and enjoy!
Check these out ...
Long Range Hunting Rifle On A Budget
Beginners Guide To Long Range Hunting On A Budget
http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f17/long-range-rifle-budget-85155/index2.html
Good luck!
Ed
Check these out ...
Long Range Hunting Rifle On A Budget
Beginners Guide To Long Range Hunting On A Budget
http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f17/long-range-rifle-budget-85155/index2.html
Good luck!
Ed
D.ID
Well-Known Member
Welcome. I went the savage route as described in the articles above and strongly encourage that. If you are serious about long range on a budget get a LONG action caliber to start with (270,30-06,7mag,300mag,338mag). Down the road you can upgrade your barrel all the way up to the 338 edge or anything in between without a gunsmith. Talk her into a rifle and viper or b-elite scope this year and the big bad custom hand lapped barrel in whatever caliber down the road.
WildRose
Well-Known Member
Your budget is very limiting so it's going to be tough.
I'd say to start with a .260 Rem or 308 Win. Cheap as hell to shoot and the .260 has phenomenal ballistics. The next step up would be the .300wm.
On your budget, the only factory rifle I can think of new that would work is a Savage. I prefer myself to go with the Mod 70 or Rem 700 platforms because of all the available aftermarket upgrade goodies for each of them.
To get to a thousand with accuracy the Remington 5r would be a very logical choice but I haven't priced them new.
When it comes to glass I always say figure out the max you can afford and then wait a couple of months so you can afford a little better. Always go with the best quality glass you can afford with the largest Objective vs going with the higher magnification and smaller diameter OBJ because all else being equal the larger OBJ is going to give you better low light resolution.
The minimum you probably want to look at is 10x but realistically 14 power will serve you much better beyond 600yds.
There's a really big hump between a maximum of 1,000yds and going much beyond so if an ELR rig is really what you want, you're going to need to save a little longer. You'll soon find out that going for the nth degree of precision raises the price tag dramatically.
You may find these two threads helpful.
http://www.longrangehunting.com/for...etting-started-but-intimidated-dollars-80244/
http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f17/trigger-timing-training-practice-80572/
Welcome to the addiction.
WildRose
Well-Known Member
I have a pile of long guns. Only one out of the bunch was bought new, and it's an AR upper and so it's only half a gun HA!
The Classifieds here and at Sniper's Hide and Sniper Central are good sources for high quality used LR rifles.
A Remington is always my first choice. A 243 is really good at 1k target shoot, it has less drop and wind drift than a 6.5x284 at a 1k. And if ackley improved could give a 7mm wsm a run for it's money at a 1k. With much better barrel life.
But given your budget, a Savage Long Range Hunter would be a solid choice and you can top it off with a leupold, sightron, vortex or bushnell elite and be $200-ish over your budget. But you'll have a nice rig.
If you don't reload, remember cheap ammo will give poor results. Remington or winchester's cheaper ammo may work out to 300 yds or so but at a 1k yds it won't cut it.
But given your budget, a Savage Long Range Hunter would be a solid choice and you can top it off with a leupold, sightron, vortex or bushnell elite and be $200-ish over your budget. But you'll have a nice rig.
If you don't reload, remember cheap ammo will give poor results. Remington or winchester's cheaper ammo may work out to 300 yds or so but at a 1k yds it won't cut it.
Geee...I have not seen the top 243 loads that will run with a 6.5x284. Please post some load data as I really want to see these super 243 1000 yrd loads that are smoking those poor guys shooting 6.5x284.
Savage LRH in 6.5x284 and a burris fullfied II 4.5x14x42 @ $299.00 from midsouth with burris signiture select standard rings and bases. Get the +/- 10* inserts to get more adjustment ability . Should be really close to $1000 if you shop the rifle hard. Them for @$200.00 more get a lee reloading kit and a set of forster reloading dies. Good luck !
243 Win Cartridge Guide within AccurateShooter.com
or
Comparative Ballistics (Drop from 100-Yard Zero, Drift in 10mph Crosswind)
CartridgeBulletVel FPS....300yd Drop/Drift..600ydDrop/Drift...1000yd Drop/Drift
.7mm WSM 180gr Berger VLD 3000 9.75″ | 3.83″ 63.81″ | 16.13″ 235.19″ | 49.31″
7mm SAUM 180gr Berger VLD 2970 10.02″ | 3.87″ 65.38″ | 16.38″ 240.81″ | 50.10″
..284 Win 180gr Berger VLD 2830 11.31″ | 4.10″ 73.27″ | 17.69″ 269.88″ | 54.26″
.7mm-08 168gr Berger VLD 2670 13.32″ | 4.67″ 85.03″ | 20.39″ 317.97″ | 64.04″
...308 Win 175..Sierra...MK 2690 13.84″ | 6.24″ 91.58″ | 27.64″ 365.74″ | 89.24″
.6.5-284 142.....Sierra...MK 2950 10.42″ | 4.48″ 69.25″ | 19.52″ 263.08″ | 61.02″
..243 Win 115.......DTAC......3120 8.97″ | 4.24″ 60.82″ | 18.25″ 232.3″ | 57.0″
data from...7mm Cartridge Guide within AccurateShooter.com
.243 has 31" less drop and 4" less drift at 1000yds and twice the barrel life.gun) Because it's new doesn't make it better.
WildRose
Well-Known Member
You are basing this solely on a virtually brand new target/match bullet?
Remember the subject here is a guy brand new to LR hunting and his first build for a LR rifle who wants to do this on a budget.
Another good thing with the savage in 6.5x284 is that it is a long action. If you want to go wirh a heavier round later all you do is screw on another barrel and maybe a bolt head and you are up and running. No machine work needed to change a savage barrel. Nobody makes a more accirate rifle oit of the box than savage , better looking not better shooting.
Also , if you are not willing or able to handload you might want to go with the same rig in 308win . That wil give the most available , affordable factory ammo. I consider hand loading the other hand in long range shooting and recomended a round that is mostly for hand loaders and has limited factory ammo.
If the match bullet was replaced with a Berger, would that erase the 31'' of difference?
It was my suggestion because the OP said " Not so much interested in hunting for now, just the challenge of being able to pull off the 1000yd+ shots."
Ammo is more affordable and more readily availble than the 6.5. Am i saying anything untrue about the 6.5 x 284 or do i hate it...NO. But some times people forget great classic round.
If it was for hunting the conversation may have been different.
Last edited:
