I want to buy a good, reliable and accurate bolt-action rifle that, with a good scope, can easily achieve 600 yard and beyond shooting. So what rifle and scope would be the best for the price. I am willing to spend up to 1200-1300 dollars. Maybe 500 dollars for a quality scope and the rest on the rifle? I hear good stuff about the Remington 700, what model ADL, Police, etc? Lastly what caliber, .308, .30-06, .300 Win Mag? It will have to double as a hunting rifle and a target shooter.
Best Rifle and Scope Combination for 600+ Yard Shooting?
- Thread starter GraveMAL
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Honestly for long range shooting I'd be looking to spend at least $12-1300 on a scope if not more, not including the rifle. That said, I hate to direct you away from this site, but I'd head on over to snipershide.com. You will generally get much more and better information when it comes to long range tactical shooting.
That said, if I was on your budget and I was trying to get a decent set up, I'd look at one of the Savage 10's or 11's. There are several variations and while most of them are extremely accurate, If I didn't plan to re-barrel it, I'd be tempted to get a heavy barreled one from the get go.
For the scope, imo for the $500 range there are really only a couple of good options. For long range shooting you need a scope that is repeatable and that you can crank on the turrets and be assured it can track correctly. Most cheaper scopes have an issue with this, and while they work fine to dial them in and then hunt with it, never touching hte adjustments again, they don't work for long range shooting.
The SWFA fixed power scopes can be had in your price range and are a decent choice. There is also the SWFA SS 3-9x42 that can be had for $100 more than your budget. I honestly like more than 9x power on the top end for 600 yards plus, but you can get by with it.
The Weaver Tactical Midway exclusive is also getting pretty decent reviews.
There is also the Bushnell Elite 10x fixed power scope that is decent, but having had one, it's no where near the quality of the SWFA scopes. You can get one of these for $200. The one I had tracked well, but that was about the only thing I liked about it. For $200 though it would be good enough to get you by for a bit while you saved up more for a nicer scope.
Now that said, while I think you can get by with that rifle and that scope, I'd be inclined to start looking at better glass. The Vortex Viper PST's seem to be decent if you are on a budget and the SWFA 5-20x50 is a good scope on a budget as well. However, they will spend almost your entire budget on a scope. Then you have Nightforce as the next step up, which are great scopes. Then from there you have USO, S&B, Premier, and a few other brands, which while nice a Nightforce or SWFA scope will probably do everything you'd ask of it.
I think the rifle is a good choice no matter your budget. Once you start spending more, you can start getting a custom rifle, but I really don't see the need for that unless you are trying to get the most accuracy out of it.
As for the caliber, there are really a ton of great choices out there and it all depends on what you really want. The 30-06 is one of my favorites even though .308 seems to be a more popular round for tactical shooting. Both are excellent choices. The 6.5 Creedmoor is also a newer cartridge that is getting a ton of great press. There is also the 260 that's a good choice as well. Really there are just a ton of great cartridges and you just need to pick one that meets your needs. I tend to shy away from the Magnums, but that doesn't mean they are bad. Some guys like them as well.
That said, if I was on your budget and I was trying to get a decent set up, I'd look at one of the Savage 10's or 11's. There are several variations and while most of them are extremely accurate, If I didn't plan to re-barrel it, I'd be tempted to get a heavy barreled one from the get go.
For the scope, imo for the $500 range there are really only a couple of good options. For long range shooting you need a scope that is repeatable and that you can crank on the turrets and be assured it can track correctly. Most cheaper scopes have an issue with this, and while they work fine to dial them in and then hunt with it, never touching hte adjustments again, they don't work for long range shooting.
The SWFA fixed power scopes can be had in your price range and are a decent choice. There is also the SWFA SS 3-9x42 that can be had for $100 more than your budget. I honestly like more than 9x power on the top end for 600 yards plus, but you can get by with it.
The Weaver Tactical Midway exclusive is also getting pretty decent reviews.
There is also the Bushnell Elite 10x fixed power scope that is decent, but having had one, it's no where near the quality of the SWFA scopes. You can get one of these for $200. The one I had tracked well, but that was about the only thing I liked about it. For $200 though it would be good enough to get you by for a bit while you saved up more for a nicer scope.
Now that said, while I think you can get by with that rifle and that scope, I'd be inclined to start looking at better glass. The Vortex Viper PST's seem to be decent if you are on a budget and the SWFA 5-20x50 is a good scope on a budget as well. However, they will spend almost your entire budget on a scope. Then you have Nightforce as the next step up, which are great scopes. Then from there you have USO, S&B, Premier, and a few other brands, which while nice a Nightforce or SWFA scope will probably do everything you'd ask of it.
I think the rifle is a good choice no matter your budget. Once you start spending more, you can start getting a custom rifle, but I really don't see the need for that unless you are trying to get the most accuracy out of it.
As for the caliber, there are really a ton of great choices out there and it all depends on what you really want. The 30-06 is one of my favorites even though .308 seems to be a more popular round for tactical shooting. Both are excellent choices. The 6.5 Creedmoor is also a newer cartridge that is getting a ton of great press. There is also the 260 that's a good choice as well. Really there are just a ton of great cartridges and you just need to pick one that meets your needs. I tend to shy away from the Magnums, but that doesn't mean they are bad. Some guys like them as well.
eastbank
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to cut cost on your scope try to find a good used leupold and send it back to the factory for full servicing. i bought a used leupold 4.5x14 lps 52 target for 300.00 and sent it in for servicing,they called and told me they would not service it,but would give me my choice between three new scopes, i choose a 4.5x14 30mm tube with side focus and the TDS turret. so i recieved a new scope for 300.00 plus 22.00 shipping. needless to say who,s a big leupold fan. eastbank.
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You don't mention what you'd want to hunt with it. I'd also consider 7mm-08. In your budget, a Weatherby Vanguard 2 will do the job nicely, and it's available in all those calibers. You might even want to consider .257 Weatherby Magnum. With it's match quality 2-stage trigger and sub-MOA guarantee right out of the box, it's a good start. You can get a Leupold VX-2 4-12x40 AO for under $500, though I'd probably got with the 6-14x for what you have in mind, for a little over $500. You'd have a great combo there.
that is why I never buy a leopold scope. they are priced very high because you are paying for all the scopes sent back. leopold will not spend their money to fix all those scopes they will add it in to the new scopes and you pay
why would you have to spend $1300 for a scope to shoot 600 yds? I have done it with cheap scopes and good scopes never over 500 bucks. I zero the 3rd dot above the horizontal wire and are good to 900 yds. I do not like turning turrets in the field to easy to forget where you started from
redneck2
Member
I have a Leupold VX-3L 4.5x14x50 that I'm gonna sell. Has the Boone & Crockett reticule. NIB. Model 66700. They cost $860 new plus shipping. I'd sell it for $650 shipped. Would be perfect. It very likely would be be finest scope you'd ever own.
I'd mount it on top of the Savage that's already been suggested in probably .308. You'd be good to go.
I'd mount it on top of the Savage that's already been suggested in probably .308. You'd be good to go.
SilentStalker
Member
I can give you a ton of information on this here. 600 yds is no problem to be honest and many many rifles and accessories will out you there. The thing to ask is how much you want to spend? Personally, I would rather buy something I know is good and know that it will be there for me to grow into. You can build a good Remington 700 that will get you out there with ease but if you want to go farther and farther you will find yourself doing things like truing the barrel, smoothing the action, getting bolt and stock work done etc. and before you know it you wind up spending a lot of money on a Remington 700. It's not that you can't do it with cheaper rifles but the longer you want to go generally the more you will wind up spending.
As far as the best rifle I have used to date out if the box is a Sako TRG22. I can consistently get 1/4MOA out of this rifle which is insane for a factory rifle. If you don't know much about them read up on them. If you can get something with an adjustable stock then I would suggest it as I have found it helps a lot. The Sako TRG is a turnkey precision rifle. They are expensive but trust me its worth every penny!
As far as calibers go the .260 is an excellent round but a lot of people find it to be finicky and wind up having to custom load a lot to do what they really want. Not to mention its expensive but then again all ammo seems to be these days. I can say that the .260 probably won't give you near as much barrel life as say a .308WIN will but it is a nice accurate round with good ballistics. If you really want to get into it then I say you need to read as much about ballistics as possible and take some classes. Oh and invest I a good bipod. Atlas or the Sako factory bipod are awesome.
As far as scopes go, there is a huge array of options. Again, it depends on how much you want to spend. But I recommend you experiment with as many as possible. From my experience I like big turrets with good positive clicks and a mil mil scope with 1/10 increments is ideal. Mils are easier to work with than MOA IMO. Now scopes can range from $700-$4200 or so depending on what you want to spend. I have used some S&Bs and many other high end scopes which are all really nice but each one is different. My absolute fave so far is Premier! The Busnell HDMR and the Vortexx scopes are also very good and much cheaper than a Premier and S&B. I think I briefly touched on everything to get you started. PM me if you want more details. Also, this is going to cost money. I have $7500 in my TRG set up. You can do it cheaper by long range shooting is expensive. And bear in mind that if you plan on going over 1000 yds you are definitely going to want to step up from a .308.
As far as the best rifle I have used to date out if the box is a Sako TRG22. I can consistently get 1/4MOA out of this rifle which is insane for a factory rifle. If you don't know much about them read up on them. If you can get something with an adjustable stock then I would suggest it as I have found it helps a lot. The Sako TRG is a turnkey precision rifle. They are expensive but trust me its worth every penny!
As far as calibers go the .260 is an excellent round but a lot of people find it to be finicky and wind up having to custom load a lot to do what they really want. Not to mention its expensive but then again all ammo seems to be these days. I can say that the .260 probably won't give you near as much barrel life as say a .308WIN will but it is a nice accurate round with good ballistics. If you really want to get into it then I say you need to read as much about ballistics as possible and take some classes. Oh and invest I a good bipod. Atlas or the Sako factory bipod are awesome.
As far as scopes go, there is a huge array of options. Again, it depends on how much you want to spend. But I recommend you experiment with as many as possible. From my experience I like big turrets with good positive clicks and a mil mil scope with 1/10 increments is ideal. Mils are easier to work with than MOA IMO. Now scopes can range from $700-$4200 or so depending on what you want to spend. I have used some S&Bs and many other high end scopes which are all really nice but each one is different. My absolute fave so far is Premier! The Busnell HDMR and the Vortexx scopes are also very good and much cheaper than a Premier and S&B. I think I briefly touched on everything to get you started. PM me if you want more details. Also, this is going to cost money. I have $7500 in my TRG set up. You can do it cheaper by long range shooting is expensive. And bear in mind that if you plan on going over 1000 yds you are definitely going to want to step up from a .308.
SilentStalker
Member
Whoops. I just read your entire post and it seems I missed a lot of details. For the budget you have allotted its going to be tough. I am not saying its not doable but it will be tough. My comments here would mirror what Slowr1der said. He gave a lot of good info. I just think its going to be really difficult to get anything that I would consider precision at that price point. Most of your run of the mill ARs will set you back $900 these days or more and that's with nothing on them. So it's going to be extremely difficult to build a good dependable rig for long range shooting at $1100-$1200 or so. Good luck to you and if I can be of any assistance please don't hesitate to pm me.
Hummer70
Member
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news here guys but the amount of money you drop on a scope will perhaps not be able to give you what you want/need.
For instance repeatability. If you can't put the same elevation on every time and move it and come back to same zero then your long range effectiveness is going to be iffy.
Here is how to check your scope for repeatability:
1. Zero at a min of 300 yards and preferrably 600 yards.On by the way you are looking for a place you can shoot in a no wind condition because the longer the range the more wind affects you. If you can shoot in a calm overcast condition about 50F is even better then the mirage won't affect you.
2. Put pasters on target and go back to your zero range and fire 3 shots. If you have a guy down range in a safe spot with radio contact have him go out and mark the shots 1, 2 and 3.
3. Now crank your scope 20 clicks left, up 20 clicks, right 20 clicks and down 20 clicks and shoot another round. Have you buddy go out and put 4 next to that shot. IT SHOULD BE WITH THE FIRST THREE.
4. Now crank down 20 clicks, right 20 clicks, up 20 clicks and left 20 clicks and shoot and mark 5th shot. iT TOO SHOULD BE WITH FIRST THREE.
5. Continue on until all four quadrants are run. If your scope is good all seven shots will be together.
Keep that group for reference purposes and repeat it every 300 rounds. If the internal adjustments are good there will be no difference and depending on your caliber may the barrel may deliver performance for at little as 800 rounds in 6.5 caliber up to 2500 rounds for 30 cal.
For instance repeatability. If you can't put the same elevation on every time and move it and come back to same zero then your long range effectiveness is going to be iffy.
Here is how to check your scope for repeatability:
1. Zero at a min of 300 yards and preferrably 600 yards.On by the way you are looking for a place you can shoot in a no wind condition because the longer the range the more wind affects you. If you can shoot in a calm overcast condition about 50F is even better then the mirage won't affect you.
2. Put pasters on target and go back to your zero range and fire 3 shots. If you have a guy down range in a safe spot with radio contact have him go out and mark the shots 1, 2 and 3.
3. Now crank your scope 20 clicks left, up 20 clicks, right 20 clicks and down 20 clicks and shoot another round. Have you buddy go out and put 4 next to that shot. IT SHOULD BE WITH THE FIRST THREE.
4. Now crank down 20 clicks, right 20 clicks, up 20 clicks and left 20 clicks and shoot and mark 5th shot. iT TOO SHOULD BE WITH FIRST THREE.
5. Continue on until all four quadrants are run. If your scope is good all seven shots will be together.
Keep that group for reference purposes and repeat it every 300 rounds. If the internal adjustments are good there will be no difference and depending on your caliber may the barrel may deliver performance for at little as 800 rounds in 6.5 caliber up to 2500 rounds for 30 cal.
Mohave-Tec
Member
6.5 Creedmore and nightforce...but forget $1200 and $500. If you plan to regularly get out to 600 yards, you need a purpose built rifle.
to me turning turrets like a water spigot is not the way I would use a scope. with a mildot you can zero it for 300 yds and using the dots be good to 900 yds without forgetting how many times you turned your turrets
I have gotten to 600 yds with a used savage 223 that I paid 350 for 75 grain A Maxes and a $100 scope with ease. this idea that you have to spend $7000 on a rifle just to shoot 600 yds will stop a lot of young guys trying to get into the sport
SilentStalker
Member
Yes, on all accounts. You need to test any scopes reliability. I know mine is good and all of the high dollar ones I have personally tested has been good. However, as far as the round count in a .308 I think you will see much more than 2500 rounds but even if that's it that is a lot of money simply in ammo!
C-grunt
Member
I'd say the best long range rig you can get for that price would be:
1: Remigton SPS Tactical/Varmint or the Savage 10 equivalent in 308
2: Buy a new stock from B&C or a takeoff HS Precision
3: Buy a SWFA 10x Mil/Mil
4: Buy decent base and rings.
This setup will get you into long range in your price range. There are better setups than this but there is nothing wrong with this setup.
1: Remigton SPS Tactical/Varmint or the Savage 10 equivalent in 308
2: Buy a new stock from B&C or a takeoff HS Precision
3: Buy a SWFA 10x Mil/Mil
4: Buy decent base and rings.
This setup will get you into long range in your price range. There are better setups than this but there is nothing wrong with this setup.
I am going to tell you what I have, so everything is based on personal experience. I have my first hunting rifle I ever purchased over 30 years ago which is a Savage 110 model C in 30-06 that I bought as a package which included the bushnell banner scope. I consistantly kill milk jugs and silhouettes at 500 and 600 yards in Terlingua. The scope is 3 - 9 x 40. I have a Sightron scope on a Tikka T3 30-06 that does the same thing as the Savage. My Sightron scope is a Big Sky 4-16x42 which I paid $399. Most of the time I have to dial down to 8 or 9 power at those distance because mirage plays havoc on those hot hot dusty days in Terlingua. Most of the time I am dialed in at 6X. for 600 yds. In my opinion if you know how to shoot you don't need a $1500 dollar scope, as long as you see your target.
I do not know what is out there new that will give you what you want for $600, but looks to me like you should consider a used rifle and scope. Because of changes in technology and manufacturing everything you purchase is pretty much MOA out of the box. It is the shooter who cannot shoot MOA.
I do not know what is out there new that will give you what you want for $600, but looks to me like you should consider a used rifle and scope. Because of changes in technology and manufacturing everything you purchase is pretty much MOA out of the box. It is the shooter who cannot shoot MOA.
you can get a savage from the factory with an HS stock or even mc millan and their laminated stock is very good. and your idea of a setup is good to go
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