Long Range Rifle >500 yds

Fish Wheels · 09-12-2008, 10:30 PM

I am thinking of trying to buy a really long range rifle. Something that will shoot 600 yds or more. Can this be done in the range of $1500.00 ? I would like to keep it in a caliber that I can comfortably put a lot of rounds down range and on target with reasonable groups for the ranges mentioned. I currently have a 300 wsm and this would be the MAX recoil I would want. Any suggestions on calibers or factory models (if there are any). I just can't afford to have a gun custom built by a smith. This gun will not be hunted with, but just shot long range for fun. I have my hunting rifles prety much in place. I would hope to spend no more than 800 on a scope to complete the package. Is this even possible considering the limitations I've mentioned?

THX in advance for any advice.

firepower · 09-12-2008, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish Wheels

I am thinking of trying to buy a really long range rifle. Something that will shoot 600 yds or more. Can this be done in the range of $1500.00 ? I would like to keep it in a caliber that I can comfortably put a lot of rounds down range and on target with reasonable groups for the ranges mentioned. I currently have a 300 wsm and this would be the MAX recoil I would want. Any suggestions on calibers or factory models (if there are any). I just can't afford to have a gun custom built by a smith. This gun will not be hunted with, but just shot long range for fun. I have my hunting rifles prety much in place. I would hope to spend no more than 800 on a scope to complete the package. Is this even possible considering the limitations I've mentioned?

THX in advance for any advice.

Take a look at the Savage web site. They have some pretty sweet set ups that are in your price range, they have nice looking varmiters as well as some totlly rad law enforcement rifles as well.

Hope this gives you a new avenue....

StickHNTR · 09-12-2008, 11:20 PM

At that range no matter what round your using your looking at some serious trajectory changes. prob in the 40-60 inch drop range. even very flat shooting calibers loose alot of their energy and drop significantly. My .270 at 300 yds drops 6.5 in, at 500 were looking at nearly 40in. No matter what you shoot you need to study the ballistics, have a good rangefinder and practice, practice, and practice with the ammo you plan on using to hunt.

If your doing it for just fun long range shooting look at a Remington m700 in a .308 cal. One of the most popular long range/sniper calibers around. Also invest in quality optics. Without them long range shooting is damn near impossible.

baltz526 · 09-13-2008, 04:32 AM

build up from the bullet you choose. like 80gr of h1000 behind a sierra 190gr hpbt match king. in a 300 win mag. 28" match grade barreled (insert your favorite action here) target stocked rifle

hillbillygoat · 09-13-2008, 06:59 AM

Yeah, what firepower said, Savage tactical or varmint .308 all the way. Affordable, ridiculously accurate round, and next to no recoil due to the heavy rifle. Why don't I have one yet?

I could and have spent hours shooting rocks at 1000+, great fun.

4th_Point · 09-13-2008, 07:33 AM

I'm looking to do the same and am going back and forth between a 223 and 243 for paper and varmints.

Baltz is right on the money. Pick a bullet based on your needs whether its just paper, paper and varmints, paper and predators, or big game and paper. Then figure out the velocity you want and then the cartridge to push it.

If you want to just shoot paper at 1000 yards, then even the lowly 223 will get you there. You don't need a magnum, plus you'll save a lot of money in reloading costs and be able to shoot more. Trigger time is the key. Dialing in drop is the easy part, but its the drift that is the challenge.

Most likely a bolt gun will give you a good platform for cost, reliability, and accuracy. A gas gun could be used, but generally costs more for the rifle, brass life is shorter, and loads are generally slower.

These are great bullets and get people out to a 1000 yards with reasonable bullet cost and manageable recoil from a 'normal' weight rifle (i.e. not a 30lb bench gun):

223: 75gr AMAX at 2900fps (223, 223 AI, etc), generally need 1-in-8 twist
6mm: 105gr AMAX at 2900-3100fps (243, 6mm, etc), generally 1-in-9
6.5mm: 139gr Scenar at 2800+fps (6.5 Swede, 260, etc)
7mm: 162gr AMAX at 2700+ (7mm-08, 280, etc)
.308: 155 Scenar at 2800+ (.308)

You can run the numbers on a ballistic program and get an idea of how much drop and drift you will have. I like JBM online. You can use other bullets as well depending on how much you want to spend and twist of your barrel.

I have decided to get a Savage since you can swap barrels yourself with a barrel wrench and headspace gages. I want to put it togther myself for fun. Otherwise I would get a 700. You can buy a donor Savage rifle for cheap and then screw on a new barrel or get just an action if you want.

The challenge to finding the right factory rifle is getting the right barrel twist. Most 223 are 1-in-12 and will not stabilize heavy bullets for long range. But if you build a Savage, you can buy a 1-in-8 barrel for $250. Or have a smith build you a 700. The 243 does really well with 95-105gr bullets, but needs a faster twist for the 115gr DTAC. The 243 can burn barrels quick, but with a Savage a barrel swap is relatively cheap.

Also consider reloading cost. A 243 uses twice the powder compared to 223. Plus bullets and brass will be slightly higher. Don't forget to look for cartridges with good brass available as well.

Good luck,

Jason

4th_Point · 09-13-2008, 07:43 AM

Another good site is Savageshooters.com. Look at the vendor section for Northland. He sells actions and barrels.

Also, I would check the sites I listed for ideas from long range hunters, benchrest shooters, tactical crowd, etc. Then figure out what type of rig you want and they type of shooting.

What I have gathered from these various sources is that the 243 with a 115gr DTAC just about smokes everything else to 1000 yards with reasonable recoil, barrel life, brass availability etc. The 260 is pretty good as well.

The other top performer is a 162gr AMAX 7mm. The 7WSM is very popular for this bullet and recoil is at the upper end of manageable for shooting a lot of rounds. The bullet has a very high BC so even the 7mm-08 does well with it too.

Feel free to ask more question. I'm no expert but there's way too much info for a couple of posts! Tell us more about your intended use and goals and what cartridge you are leaning towards.

Jason

pathfinder · 09-13-2008, 07:59 AM

220 swift w/ 50-55 g for varmits
6mm
260
243 w/55 balistic tips

Charlie Storey · 09-13-2008, 10:30 AM

Friends shoot their Sharps .45-70's out to 1200 yards. Matthew Quigley would be proud.

adobe wall · 09-13-2008, 10:57 AM

Shouldn't be hard to build a 500 yard gun. I'd go with a 700 or Savage for the reasons mentioned above in this thread. If you are shooting medium range (500-600 yds) a .223 will work if you get an 8 twist barrel. A .223, even in a bolt gun, isn't a great choice for long range work (1000 yds). Even at 600 yards a decent .243 shooting heavy bullets will shoot well inside a .223 with 80 grain bullets.

The .243 can be made into a great caliber but will have short barrel life if you use it to it's full potential. Most thousand yard target cartridges are a compromise of some sort as most competitive shooters can't afford to rebarrel 2-3 times per season. If you really load a .243 with bullets/powder for 1000 yd work it probably won't last more than 1500 rounds where you can get 3x the life from other calibers. It'll sure beat the wind though.

7mm's should be good but they are notoriously inconsistent. Most thousand yard shooters are using something between .24 and .26 caliber in a short action, with some still using various 30 cals. Do a bit of research first, like Baltz said find the bullet/caliber then figure out the barrel and twist you'll need then get the rifle that fits.

Remington and Savage rifles have the most target type accessories available and the ability to easily change barrels on a Savage really makes them appealing.

hth, aw

bigjake_888 · 09-13-2008, 04:58 PM

Don't **** around. Get a guarantee. A good one.

http://www.accuracysystemsinc.com/cu...ington_700.php

kigercreek · 09-13-2008, 05:05 PM

You might check out the Cooper Firearms website. Their Phoenix rifle is available in a variety of calibers, and accuracy is proven with Coopers. I was just about ready to buy one in .223 when I finally got my Ruger to shoot "well enough". (But someday my Cooper .22 may need a big brother to stand next to in the cabinet.) I believe the cost would be to your liking for such a fine rifle.

Fish Wheels · 09-13-2008, 09:40 PM

As I mentioned, I won't be hunting with this rifle. Just playing, and maybe some competitions, but I have no intentions of getting really serious into the competition thing. I have a few Savages aleady that will reach out to 300-400 easily if I ever tried shooting em that far. 25-06, 250, and a 300wsm. I've been thinking of a 308 possibly, I have a 22-250 but again, it's a 1-12 and an old 788 that I wouldn't want to load really hot rounds through it's barrel. As mentioned above I need to do some more research before zeroing in on one caliber. As much as I like savages, I never realized they offered the varmit guns in 308 nor that they sold target models to the public. Thanks for the input.

mtn300 · 09-14-2008, 11:23 AM

338 edge is a long distance gun. 7mm shooting berger 168gr vld is a 100yard gun.

Dan360 · 09-14-2008, 03:18 PM

If it weren't for hunting and a budget is to be followed, I'd buy a Remington 700 VS/VLS/VSF in 308 shooting 175 gr Sierra Matchkings. If you don't reload, Black Hills makes a great match load that is surprisingly hot. The Remington M700 VLS has a laminated stock and a 26 inch heavy barrel. Mated with good glass and a -20 MOA base, you should be able to reach out there. I have an articled called "Long Range on a Budget". The entire rifle, modifications, scope etc costed less than $1500 and it resulted in 4 inch groups at 1000. It might not be totally realistic to expect this, but its cool to dream isn't it?

huntinfool · 09-14-2008, 07:22 PM

ANY rifle is a Long Range gun with a scope/turret and rangefinder. I'd look no further than the rifle you currently own. The 300 WSM will take you to the 600 yard line easily with enough energy to kill any elk.

urban4x4 · 09-14-2008, 07:57 PM

Savage Model 12 F-class in either 6.5-284 or 6BR would do the trick for around $1000.

scaxeman · 09-14-2008, 11:04 PM

Hey Fish Wheels,

You can get a couple of different flavors of dedicated long-range competition rifles (Savage Mod. 12's) for well under $1500. Both of these rifles are chambered in .308, and are pretty much "match-ready" out of the box. The cheaper is the "F-T/R" rifle, which is a 30" stainless (full taper) 1:12 twist barreled match rifle, it retails on the street for ~$925, the other one is the brand new "Palma" that will likely run ~$1250 retail, this one has a 30" "medium Palma" taper barrel with a 1:13 twist, the Palma stock has fully adjustable furniture, unlike the F-T/R. The F-T/R rifle has been out for 18 months, and should be fairly available, the Palma has *just* entered production, our Team literally got the first 4 off the assembly line about a week and a half ago. Expect to wait a month ar two before they become readily available.

These rifles are (with good handloads) rediculously accurate, I have competed with the F-T/R rifle out to 1250 yards (and will be doing the same with the Palma rifle out to 1200 here in ~2 weeks).

One bit of advice, I'd buy as much glass as you can for the top of the rifles, you won't be disappointed.

follow the link to a pic of my Palma rifle:
http://picasaweb.google.com/scaxeman...33118183880530

here's the F-T/R Rifle:
http://picasaweb.google.com/scaxeman...93083133409730

Hope this helps,

Darrell Buell
Captain,
United States F-T/R Team
www.usftrclass.com