Budget 500 yd Rifle caliber?

[Don McDowell]

I'm planning on buying a lower-end bolt action rifle to try to start practicing out to 500 yards. My question is what would be a good beginners round? I'm throwing the Idea of either .308, .270, or even 22-250 around. Any input from guys with experience with long range shooting and even teaching others how to do it too, would be very helpful & appreciated. I'm starting from scratch with basic military knowledge of rifle marksmanship and using factory loads. Plan on getting reloading equipment along with better rifle and glass, and all that a little further down the line as it becomes applicable. Thanx.

Go with something in a 308, proven cartridge with readily available factory match grade ammo.Don't skimp on the scope and mounts. You can later spread to other cartridges if you think it necessary, and there is a loongggg list of cartridges that can shoot extremely well.

 

[kwg020]

30-06. Like a 308 but better. Get a barrel that will deliver the accuracy so you will want a heavier profile.

kwg

 

[P.B.Walsh]

Its 500 yards, get a .223 rifle. Need more kinetic energy? Get a .308.

Both are cheap and easy to reload for. Plus, there are many factory rifles with heavier barrels and faster twist rates (1-7 and 1-10 respectively).

 

[FL-NC]

Prior Army sniper and instructor here. The 308 is the workhorse you are looking for. A good 308 setup will just about shoot itself out to 500 with decent ammo and glass. There is so much 308 data available for both factory ammo or roll-your-own options. Besides magnum calibers, 308 is the gold standard, and available in every imaginable configuration. From match grade rounds, to hunting rounds, to surplus military and military clone ammo, the options are endless. Optics are where you will (or should) spend the most $.

 

[CoalTrain49]

Forgive me, but I'm trying to figure out why a beginner who is looking for a rifle cartridge wants to mess around with anything the military isn't presently using. How many millions of dollars were spent researching the 22 and 30 cal cartridges for a military application. Those cartridges work and ammo is plentiful. All major rifle manufacturers chamber bolt guns for those cartridges. The reason, they're popular. The reason they're popular, they're excellent cartridges. There are more bullets and load data for those two cartridges than anything else on the market. Open any reloading manual and see for yourself. If you ever start reloading you will appreciate this more than you could possibly imagine.

Choose a common cartridge to maximize ammo costs. .223 or .308 is what you want.

 

[strambo]

Prior Army sniper and instructor here. The 308 is the workhorse you are looking for. A good 308 setup will just about shoot itself out to 500 with decent ammo and glass. There is so much 308 data available for both factory ammo or roll-your-own options. Besides magnum calibers, 308 is the gold standard, and available in every imaginable configuration. From match grade rounds, to hunting rounds, to surplus military and military clone ammo, the options are endless. Optics are where you will (or should) spend the most $.

If you won't take anyone else's advice, take his. I was never a sniper, just a Ranger qualified grunt...but my suggestion would be .308 as well, or 5.56 considering you are just talking about 500.

I bought a 300WM for my first "long range" rifle...I really regret not getting a .308 instead. It would have been way more versatile with way better barrel life and cost a lot less.

 

[WestKentucky]

Well, now that I have waded through the muck in the middle of this thread...there are a couple other things I think you might want to consider. For some folks it's a big deal, for others it's not.

First thing is if you think you eventually want a full custom rig or if you just want a factory shooter. Your two best options are Remington and Savage because of parts available. The savage is cheaper to buy and build in the long run, but not by a whole lot, and their design is such that it is easier (cheaper) to swap barrels if you ever want to or need to. In the grand scheme of things, I think savage would be about 300 cheaper on a full custom rig. Either gun can go from budget gun to high end build easily.

The other consideration is to whether you want long action or short action. Again, for some folks it's a big deal, for others not so much. I'm in the latter category. My method is to slam back and ram forward since I use mine for hunting mainly, so with a positive stop both directions I'm good either way. Short action rounds seem to be the current kings of the mountain, but historically that wasn't so. 30-06 is a proven performer and is what long actions are built around. 308 is essentially a shorter 30-06 and is what short actions are built on. 308 has its own accolades.

The more I think on this topic, the more I think I would go with a savage 10 in 30-06 then when I got ready to dress it out I would put on a shilen 6.5-06 barrel. I don't think they sell that chamber but I would buy a blank and have it done.

 

[murf]

the 22-250 is a 400 - 500 yard varmint round. i would suggest that caliber to begin to learn how to shoot long range (wind, trajectory, ranging, etc.). any good 55 grain bullet will work at that range. suggest you get a scope with adjustable objective.

luck,

murf

 

[NickEllis]

Hard to get more budget than a .308 or .223.

500 yards just isn't pushing the boundaries of either cartridge, especially the former.

 

[Josheffi]

I love the 270, but I really don't understand why the good ol' 30-06 isn't the number one contender here.

A great selection of quality bullets, especially match bullets.
Brass is inexpensive.
Factory ammo is easily available.
Tons of data.
Every bolt gun on the planet is chambered for it.

I agree with Elkins , I think a good ole 30-06 is what you should try . Or the .308. From what I understand, you need a heavier bullet for accuracy out past 500 yards

 

[Joshboyfutre]

I definately want a Remington 700 in 308 and a Winchester model 70 in 30-06. Unfortunately I can't afford either of those at the moment, but I can afford some kind of cheap rifle which is what I'm trying to decide on. I just dont want to get a catridge that is one of the afore mentioned so I dont have two guns in one chambering. I was under the Impression that a 22-250 burns up a barrel in like 1000-2000 rounds, so I figured if I burned up a cheap one to hell with it. I might just wait a month or so and not even mess with cheap. Hopefully this clears up why I'm not buying 308 or 30-06 Immediately lol

 

[jim in Anchorage]

Forgive me, but I'm trying to figure out why a beginner who is looking for a rifle cartridge wants to mess around with anything the military isn't presently using. How many millions of dollars were spent researching the 22 and 30 cal cartridges for a military application. Those cartridges work and ammo is plentiful. All major rifle manufacturers chamber bolt guns for those cartridges. The reason, they're popular. The reason they're popular, they're excellent cartridges. There are more bullets and load data for those two cartridges than anything else on the market. Open any reloading manual and see for yourself. If you ever start reloading you will appreciate this more than you could possibly imagine.

Choose a common cartridge to maximize ammo costs. .223 or .308 is what you want.

What if the civilian shooter has different criteria than the military? Say he's willing to give up the ability to carry hundreds of rounds for more range with a larger cartridge? Just sheepishly buy the military round?

 

[murf]

you ain't gonna burn up the barrel if you shoot slow and easy. heat from rapid shots is what kills 22-250 barrels. don't let the barrel get so hot you can't hold on to the barrel and you'll be ok.

murf

 

[ontarget]

.223 and another vote for 30-06. I hate the 270. Got my one and only scope bite from a 270 when I was about 12 years old and have hated them since. Seriously though, I try to stick with calibers I can buy any where. 270 factory loads are easy to find. Any of the above mentioned calibers will do the trick.

 

[CoalTrain49]

What if the civilian shooter has different criteria than the military? Say he's willing to give up the ability to carry hundreds of rounds for more range with a larger cartridge? Just sheepishly buy the military round?

Are you referring to something like a 300 WM? That has also been adopted by the military for use as a 1500 m rifle. Maybe not as common as a .308 but common enough. So one has a choice of 3 cartridges. 223, .308 or 300 WM. or slight variations.

One of those would be my choice depending on the range I wanted to shoot based on ammo availability, bullet availability and load data.

Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[ColoradoShooter77]

300 Winchester will double your cost of ammo, even reloading. You're powder cost will almost double, as it takes 75 grains of powder/case.

Barrel life will be half what a .308 is.

Recoil on a 300 Winchester is about 30 ft lbs, .308 is about 18 ft lbs. So about 40% more recoil.

For 500 yards.....308 all the way.

 

[Osageid]

The Patriot II by Mossberg comes with scope and all chambered in308 under 800! Getting some decent reviews- it seems like a decent build

 

[AZ Desertrat]

always a .270 fan and owner. I don't usually shoot that far....but I have done it in the past. The .270 will get the job done...especially if you reload your own. Ive been doing it
since '65.

 

[merrill]

I have two .270 rifles. A Winchester M70 and a T/C Venture. The Venture cost about 325 USD and shoots < .5 M.O.A. @ 100 yds. with my reloads. The Winchester will do at least 1M.O. A. , but it has had well over 1000 rounds down the barrel. For an accurate economical rifle, IMO the Venture is hard to beat. I have no idea what it will do at 500yds. It is a hunting rifle and I don't take shots much over 200-250 yds.

 

[Captain O]

IMHO...

#1: .308 Winchester (7.62 x 51)

#2: .30-06 Springfield (a.k.a. 7.62 x 63 or .30 US Army).

The .30-06 works well at any range long ranges with heavier bullets work extremely well. Judicious hand loading with the .30-06 an 150-160 grain bullets can result in remarkable results.

Back to the .308 Winchester is a "match" rifle of world reknown.

Either one will serve your needs. The preparation of the loads are what will make the difference.

As my father was a Navy Rifle Team Member, the .30-06 was his instrument. The man played it well.

 

[BudgetBucks1]

I agree with Llama Bob. .223 would be a great beginner round out to 500 yards. No kick, cheap ammo and when you upgrade later on you would have a great coyote hunting setup or something to get a child started in shooting with. I have a dedicated target rifle, a Savage Model 10 FCP-K in .308 that shoots great for less than $600 and it is all the rifle you would need for long range shooting but that is a little above your price range. When you upgrade it would be a good pick and won't break the bank. Also, hitting steel targets with a heavier round is more fun on the range than the lighter rounds like the .223. Sometimes I can't tell I hit the metal targets at 300 yards with a .223 but the .308 rocks the metal targets hard, makes it more fun.

 

[rbernie]

For punching paper or clanging steel and honing rifle skills in the process, I can't see why anyone would choose a chambering with any appreciable per-round cost or recoil. Most any 5.56 will be fine at that distance, especially in the heavier bullet weights. Just look for a barrel with an appropriate twist rate.

For example, I just bought a Savage 12 with a 26" heavy barrel in 223 (needed a donor action for a 300AAC build) for $400 from Cabelas. It would have made a dandy starter rifle for accumulating range time, and the 1:9" twist would have easily let you use some decent 69gr match ammo for the longer distances if you needed.

Alternatively, any of the 6mm or 6.5mm chamberings will give you lots of low drag bullet offerings and can be had in intermediate to short action chamberings that will minimize the amount of punishment accumulated over extended range sessions.

It doesn't take a lot of knockdown to ring steel or make holes in paper. Don't make this harder than it needs to be.

 

[P89DCSS]

With regards to ammo cost, is it really relavent? Match grade ammo costs about the same per round in any of the mentioned calibers.

I bought a 223 rifle for precision shooting because I thought I'd save money on ammo. Cheap PMC ammo is good for about 1.5" @ 100yards while Hornaday goes below 3/4" (on the same day, interleaving groups 5 groups each manufacturer). It's more fun to be as accurate as possible, so much for cheap ammo....

 

[rbernie]

With regards to ammo cost, is it really relavent? Match grade ammo costs about the same per round in any of the mentioned calibers.

But when you don't need match grade ammo, there is no doubt that there are tiers of cost.

 

[BCRider]

You don't say what your eventual goal will be. Is it target shooting at long distance or is hunting the final goal?

I know this is a longer reply and isn't just a "buy this because I and my buddy's use it and it works for us" sort of post. But it may point out some questions you need to ask yourself which you didn't know about.

If hunting is your final goal I think I'd start with the round you wish to use for your hunting rifle. What you pick will depend on what you're shooting at that 500 yard point. But if you're going to get to know something then you may as well learn on your hunting cartridge.

If it's just for target shooting then you will do well to stick with a caliber that has a good variety of bullets available. And that screams .308. .223 is coming up fast on that front too. Another option with a pretty nice selection of options is 7mm.

How much will you shoot? If the goal is to shoot 20 or more rounds per range visit you'll want to consider options that are lower in recoil so your shooting arm and hand doesn't get all shocky. Makes it harder to get a good release. Even if recoil doesn't bother your concentration it still beats up your arm and it reacts to that by not working as well.

If this is the case then do consider ammo with a little smaller bullet. 7mm-08 is a nice compromise to consider in that case. But the smaller stuff like 243 and 270 might have it's own appeal to what and how you want to shoot.

Whichever caliber you select be sure you can find a good variety of bullets that have a good BC value. The BC of the bullet plays a large part in how it bleeds off speed and drops at longer distances. Make sure your choice can still get the job done once it gets to where it has to go. Not a big deal for hitting paper or steel but important if what you're aiming at breathes and walks and you want to fill the freezer with good tasting meat that results from good clean takedowns.

A good recoil pad helps a lot. But in the end if you're sensitive to recoil then it's wise to start out with a round that begins with a lower recoil.

I'm hardly a long distance expert. But from the little I've done I realize how the little things can add up. And just how seldom they cancel out each other. So I'd say that you've got a lot of learning ahead of you. So this will likely not be your first rifle for this sort of shooting. So you probably don't want to get too attached to it. Use it for learning and squeeze what you can from it without dumping a bunch of money into it. Use skill and knowledge instead of your wallet to get better.

Jump into reloading and find the bullet and muzzle velocity that it prefers to find that last group size reduction. Start with a rifle that has a stock which can be bedded and tweaked rather than thinking you'll buy an after market stock. Because that's where the wallet takes a punishment if you go down the "Buying your way to Betterment" path. And in the end the action and barrel might well prove to be the weak link. So don't get caught in buying accessories and upgrades.

Your best bang for the buck is going to be in tuning up yourself in terms of your knowledge and attention to the myriad of factors found in skillful bench rest shooting and in loading ammo that is sharply consistent and which matches well to the chamber and barrel.

When done and you're shooting as best you and the rifle can manage only then start looking into what you want to do for the next step.