what caliber for long range?

[firebug8503]

Im new to long range hunting and would like to get into it. what caliber would be best to start into this field. im looking for something without too much kick that the wife could use too. would mostly be used for target, prarie dog, coyote and other small game but possibly up to whitetails. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[704]

for what you explained
bolt gun: 308
AR: 6.5 grendel

 

[matt_3479]

243. win would fit the bill great!!
get a remington or savage in a 243. win and shoot anything from 70 grain bullets up too 105 amax. I would choose the 87 grain vmax or the 95 grain berger VLD or the 105 grain amax. All these are awesome! If deer is a forsure then the 95 grain berger or the 85 grain seirra would be great!

if you wanted a step up then the 260. rem or a 308. win would be good too!

 

[rtabor]

Welcome to the site.

I agree with the ideas of the 308 and 243. Both are available in a wide range of rifles. I grew up shooting whitetails with my mom's 243 when I was young. She likes it because it has very little recoil. The 308's recoil is noticeable, but very manageable. I think the 308 beats the 243 when it comes to availability of quality bullets for long-range shooting.

 

[firebug8503]

that is something i completely forgot. it would be nice to have readily available quality factory made rounds until i can get set up and learn to reload my own. will start getting to 5-600 yards then i want to try for 1000.

 

[firebug8503]

since my wife is 5'1" bout 95 lbs managable recoil will be very important if i have to get another rifle for deer at least i will have a good excuse . also what is going to give me the best barrel life?

 

[rscott5028]

A good muzzle brake will tame even the big magnums.

Be sure to get a rifle with a fairly heavy barrel. The weight will help steady the rifle and reduce felt recoil.

You'll need a barrel with a fast enough twist to stabilize the heaviest VLDs with the highest BCs for whatever caliber you choose.

A well designed and proper fitting stock also makes a difference.

And, don't forget to budget for quality optics, range finder, reloading tools, reloading components, etc.

With all of that in mind, my son has been shooting a Remington Sendero 7mm Rem Mag with a KDF brake since he was 13. He's 15 now and just weighs over 100lbs. With that weight rifle/barrel and a brake, he's always enjoyed shooting it extensively. So, anything from there on down is very doable for your wife.

243 and 308 are excellent choices because they perform well and factory ammo is readily available. Both have exellent barrel life.

The 260 Rem is a nice balance between those 2 cartridges. With excellent ballistics and bullet choices, it probably has better long range potential for your situation.

6BR Norma is very accurate to 1k, minimal recoil, and very long barrel life. But, it lacks energy out past 500 yds. ...as does 243. Also, you will either need to handload (which you need to do anyways if you shoot much long range). Or, you can order excellent 6BR Norma ammo online that's made by Lapua.

Best of luck!
Richard

 

[roninflag]

since my wife is 5'1" bout 95 lbs managable recoil will be very important if i have to get another rifle for deer at least i will have a good excuse . also what is going to give me the best barrel life?

for what you are talking about barrel quality is more important than barrrel life. an 8 twist 6mmbr or 243, or a 9 twist 22-250. you can get those form savage in a factory rifle or have a remington rebarreled.

 

[704]

since my wife is 5'1" bout 95 lbs managable recoil will be very important if i have to get another rifle for deer at least i will have a good excuse . also what is going to give me the best barrel life?

My wife is 4'11, 110 pounds from the Philippines, she shoots here savage 10 FP 308, 20" barrel VZ24 heavy barrel 308 I built her out to 725 yards, she also shoots her 6.8 spc with zeor problems, she loves it

even her full auto
[video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQ7sTLaquKI[/video]

 

[rscott5028]

My wife is 4'11, 110 pounds from the Philippines, she shoots here savage 10 FP 308, 20" barrel VZ24 heavy barrel 308 I built her out to 725 yards, she also shoots her 6.8 spc with zeor problems, she loves it
even her full auto

Now that's hot!!!

I can't even get my wife to fry up some backstrap.

 

[704]

she loves venison, killed her first deer at 425 yards

not to hijack the thread so back on track 308 is fine, low recoil and enough range for medium sized game

 

[MHO]

I agree, I think the 308 is a better choice.

 

[270winshort]

I would also agree with rscott5028 and go with the 260 rem. the 6.5X47 would be my #1 choice but you would need to reload to make it worth while , but lapua does have some factory ammo but would probably be hard to find, the 243 and 308 are also good choices.


opnion are like butts everybodys got one

 

[ATH]

Another vote for the 243.

Nothing wrong with a 308, but newer shooters can have issues with the recoil. I've had better luck starting people on the 243 and moving them up later. Some of the hotter 22s are also good for this, but IMHO lack the ability to do some of the tasks required by the OP.