Centerfire Plinking

[Van Blamm]

I'm looking into getting a centerfire bolt gun to take out onto a large plot of land and just shoot whatever assorted hunks of metal I set out there, shooting at further and further distances over time. Just to see how far away I can consistently hit targets. I doubt I'd ever use it for hunting, and I don't want to spend more than 800 bucks, not including optics. I'd prefer a .308 or maybe a .30-06. My top choice right now is a Remington 700 SPS, but I'm open to any suggestions. I'd also be willing to throw down the extra cash for a Ruger M77 Compact, but only if I hear that the 16.5" barrel is reasonably accurate.

Your input is greatly appreciated.

 

[Babarsac]

If it's just for plinking I'd go with a Mosin Nagant. The ammunition is so cheap you could afford more then one! Thats what I did.

 

[41magsnub]

M1 Garand from the CMP!

 

[essayons21]

I'd go with the Remington 700 SPS or SPS Tactical in 30-06 or Savage 110/111/114.

Both fit your price range, both should give you ~1 MOA out of the box, both are easy to upgrade later if you really want to get extreme accuracy. The Remington would be a better choice if you intend to upgrade, as parts and smiths are more plentiful.

30-06 will give you a little bit of extra range over the .308, with no loss of accuracy. If you reload you can really get the most out of the -06. Plinking ammunition is also plentiful and relatively cheap.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

.308 or .223 would be my two top choices just for going out and having fun. Ammo is plentiful and reasonable if you look for it and buy in bulk. Weatherby Vangaurd is the rifle I'd go with. Only $400 and a 1 1/2" guarantee. If you're not familiar with it, it's worth at least a look. Then you'd have $400 left over for optics and maybe a good bipod.

Just my 0.02

 

[Steve Marshall]

I bought a Weatherby Sub-MOA for $760 new. There is a local shop that has one in .308 for $649. I haven't shot a bad group with it yet. I'm not quite at 1MOA but then again I'm pretty much using up components and haven't worked up any loads for it yet. My smallest 100 yard, 5 shot group was 3/4" and my largest was 13/4". My latest outing with it, I broke 8 clay pigeons in a row at 200 yards. Those were hits, not flips or ricochets. That particular day, I shot 47 rounds without a sore shoulder, this in 30-06. Now I realize that this isn't a Benchrest rifle and that others could probably do much better but I am more than pleased.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

If you look, there are some Vangaurds that aren't Sub-MOAs that will shoot sub-moa. Mine is just a plain jane model, and the target that came with it is one hole. I can't always do that, but the gun sure will.

 

[stubbicatt]

+1 for the Mosin Nagant. Heck, at 7 cents a pop I think I paid for the ammo, I can plink as much as I care to.

 

[DMK]

+1 for a Mosin Nagant, a Romanian PSL and a stack of 7.62x54R spam cans.