100 yard target rifle

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p89cajun

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So I have all my bases covered with the hunting rifles and decided I want a dedicated target shooting gun. It will only be used for shooting holes in paper at 100 yards and nothing more. Problem is I have never bought a rifle without it being used for some kind of hunting so I am not quite sure what to get.

My only requirements are

-Accurate at 100 yards
-Ammo is redily avaliable and on the cheeper side. I am not looking for some magnum cartridge to make big holes in the paper
-Don't want to have to worry about wind much since I can't be selective over which days I get to go to the range.

Other than that anything goes. Bolt, semi-auto, single shot it really doesn't matter. Also I don't mind rimfire but I think the .22 will be affected by the wind, not sure about the .17. Just looking to get some make/model/caliber suggestions so I have a starting point to start at when I go fondle them and see which one fits me the best.
 
I routinely shoot my Marlin 60 at 100 yards, sometimes even with open sights.

My only problem shooting .22LR at said distance is wind deflection (a problem which you are trying to avoid). I can't compensate for wind very well.
 
Yea I don't want to buy a gun and then have to not shoot it when I go to the range because it is windy. The range I frequent isn't really protected from the wind with trees. If a .17 hmr gets around this problem I think it might be a caliber I will really take a good look at.
 
I would avoid rimfire and go with either .223 or .22-250. CZ & Savage make excellent rifles in those calibers that will give you sub-MOA performance, especially if you shoot handloads.
 
.223 is nice, as is .308. If you truly just want it for target shooting, go with .223. However, if there's any reasonable chance you might need it for something else, go with .308.

.223 is excellent for target shooting, or for self-defense. It can also handle light hunting well. .308 is a more all-around caliber.
 
I just started shooting 25-06, very accurate at 100 yards. I also get some nice groups with my vZ-58 at 100 yards, multi-purpose rifle.
 
If rimfire doesn't tickle your pickle then I would opt for a .223 in a bolt-action. The ammo isn't cheap if you ask me (granted, I've been shooting a heck of a lot of .22LR lately), but .223 is available anywhee and in a dizzying variety of loadings.
 
I would think it best to stick with a .22 rimfire and learn to dope the wind.

If not that, get a .204 Ruger and reload for it. It is an amazing little cartridge.


Good Luck !

Thats what I said! Have you shot a 204? It is a fun round to pop off, and it is MOVING FAST!
 
If you really want a gun that's great at the range I would suggest buying a Thompson Contender. If you want something newer the Encore is an update of the original Contender and there's now a G2 Contender. I know it's really not a rifle but with a 12" to 15" barrel using a Bi-pod off the bench it's a ton of fun to shoot. The added advantage is the availability of dozens of barrels in all different calibers from .22 Caliber up to the 45-70 Gov't. You will never get tired of shooting this gun since you can change calibers when you want to. Some days you could shoot a .22 LR or .204 Ruger and the next day it could be a 30-30. A friend owns one of the original Contenders and he has 10 barrels for his. The Contender with a scope is capable of amazingly small groups. It's fun to shoot for sure.

If you are looking for something along the same lines but cheaper Ruger makes something very similar but in .22 LR only, it's their 22 Charger. I think you can get it for right around $300 including the Bi-pod.

Just a different twist on a bench shooter that can be used for hunting too if you decide to so so in the future.
 
Why not pick a caliber/rifle you already have? If you can take your deer rifle to the range and put 5 bullets on target and in a tiny little group, shouldn't that help you take deer cleaner? Granted, hunting and target shooting don't 100% overlap, there should be some benefit.
 
Forget the range

Here's another option... Go High end air rifle.... I had always though of them as little more than the Daisey BB gun I had as a kid. When varmits started clawing their way into the soffets to get into the walls again (as they did last winter... had a devil of a time getting them out) I went to the end of the gun rack at our local store... Ruger licenses a nice 100 dollar solution.. but I saw many others. A little web crawling turned up this link : http://www.straightshooters.com/

These guys really know their stuff... take a peek at all the info offered.

Finally, if like me your limited on outdoor space you can set up a 10 meter range in the basement or across your garage, and shoot for hours at a cost that is minascule. Some of the high end rifles actually have more kick than a .22 and you can practice your technique (trigger pull is my weakness) rain or shine.

Sidenote... no TR's in the soffets this year.... culled the herd so to speak.
KKKKFL
 
Anybodies Varmit model in 223 would be a good choice. The 17 is a pain to shoot in the wind at 100, I know I have one. The 22LR isn`t much better.
A 204 or 22-250 would be other good cartridges, but you said you want cheap ammo.
The best way to keep cost down, and have ammo as accurate as your rifle can shoot is to reload. If you stay with target shooting long, you`ll find most of the better shooters do it.
 
Really, i would go with a .22, or maybe a .17 HM2. Staying away from rimfires though, the .223 is the only way to go. I can't believe that people are suggesting the 25-06 and .308 for a cheap 100yd gun. there is no need for the recoil. The .223 is plenty accurate, out to many times what you are shooting. For a bolt, there are some really nice savages, in a semi, a match AR.

As for the .17 being affected by wind, there are factory rifles that shoot .5 MOA and better, taht little bullet is going fast. Over twice as fast as standard .22lrs actually.
 
I am in the "shoot .22 and learn to deal with the wind" camp.

If you don't handload, the "cheeper side" gives the lowly Long Rifle a huge advantage. Just going by Midway, Wolf Match Target is pretty good stuff at $45 per "brick" of 500.
Wolf .223, some of the cheapest junk available, is $134 for 500 and will not likely be as accurate as the Long Rifle.
 
222 was once considered the foundation and only benchmark cartridge.. I don't remember the time line of its reign on the throne but do know at 100 yards.. it was hard to touch it.. even in hunting rifles..
 
A 204 out to 200yds was my choice.

Mostly paper but it's a excellent varmint round out to 300 yds, too.
 
How about a pistol caliber carbine (kel-tec sub 2000, Hi Point 995, 4095, Beretta cx4, M1)? They are all accurate out to 100 yds, the ammo is cheap and the Hi Point is dirt cheap and fun.
 
It sounds like a 22 would fit the bill. Super cheap to shoot, and would teach how to deal with the wind.
 
This is a 17hmr post if I ever saw one. Wind might push you 2" at 100 yds with the 17hmr, and a .223 shouldn't push but a 1 ". Also a half moa 17hmr only costs about $300, with 20 cent ammo. A half moa 223 is going to cost about $1000, with $1+ ammo.
 
Also a half moa 17hmr only costs about $300, with 20 cent ammo. A half moa 223 is going to cost about $1000, with $1+ ammo.
Click to expand...
The chances of getting a half moa 17 hmr for $300 are spotty at best, probably about similar to getting a half moa 223 for $500. Both are possible but not a sure thing. as far as $1 ammo, $1 for what? I certainly hope you aren't paying $1 per round for 223? You can buy black hills match, 1 box at a time, for half that, and that is about as good as it gets for accuracy. Buy in bulk and it gets cheaper yet.
 
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