Long Range Shooting

[mljdeckard]

The pawn shops are full of rifles that guys bought, wanting to do the sniper thing, and then they found out that it actually requires some work. The rifle sat in their closet for a year, and then their wife got pregnant, and they decided to scrap the project. I would look for any fairly current production, synthetic-stocked, varmint-barreled rifle in .308, and plan on some tweaks, like a Timney trigger. I would stick with Federal Gold Match ammo if you aren't handloading, look at rounds like the .260 when you ARE handloading and you have a little more versatility. And honestly, I would get a .22 and practice with it until you can make 1" holes at 100 with boring regularity.

 

[Gdbyrd]

250 yard shots with a 22LR are doable. Dime shots at that distane with a 22LR are impossible.

My Anschutz and I can hit an 8" metal plate out to 350 yards 8/10 shots with subsonic ammunition. I'd imagine further distances are possible but where I shoot I'm limited to about 350 yards. This is not your average rifle and I consider myself better than your average shot, with a 22 anyway.

 

[Outlaw81]

Honestly I'd only go out to about 200 Max cause after that I'm just guessing. A 22lr isn't anything like a centerfire.

 

[geezer357]

I have done a little shooting at 400 yds and that is about all I can get from my back yard. I was lucky enough the wind was blowing that day and happened to move the target into the path of the bullet, course I didn't tell my friends what happened.
Like the gentleman above said, that 308 and the scope combination will do the job for you. By the way I like the quote about flying. I used to fly a little, and I had not heard it put that way.

 

[BullfrogKen]

I got a taste of long range shooting back in the Marine Corps.

After I got out, I found my appetite still craved it. I bought a Winchester Model 70 Heavy Barrel Varmint in 308 Winchester back in the 90's. It's not ideal for 1,000 yards, but I have shot at 1k with it and it'll do. It's magnificent for moderate distances. I put a Leupold fixed 12 Mil-Dot Varminter scope (now discontinued) on it, and a 15 MOA base.

I use it in F-class and other long-range matches. It's not ideal, but I have fun with it, and that's really what is important to me.

For a $1,000 budget, you're really looking at the used market, which is just fine. I bought my Model 70 HBV and the scope used.


Both the HBV and the scope are discontinued. Were I to do it over again today, even though I'm a Winchester man, I'd look real hard at what Savage is putting out. They're great deals, and I see a lot of them on the line at 600 yard competitions.

 

[TheJoker16]

the dime sized grouping was at 250 yards in an indoor range so it took out all variables in weather I know for a fact if it was outdoors I would be glad enough to hit the target at that range

 

[OldmanFCSA]

Good luck with your $1k number.
my first recommendation would be a Remington 40X in 308, or an older Winchester Model 70 in 300 Win Mag. Both have been used by the military in Nam for snipers.
$1 ammo - as factory - good luck.
You need to reload to achieve any good results.

I am not going to recommend the 50BMG as rifles are $3k, good scopes with required mounts and bevel base are $1K to $2K, and the cheapest I can reload TARGET ammo is $3.25 each not counting the case price which would add $2 for Match Brass Worked brass. Pick up your cases so it can be reloaded again.

Learn to size brass properly, anneal it every firing to maintain consistent neck tension, neck turn to a consitent thicknes as required by your chamber dimensions, and how to look for any discrepancy in your loading procedure which would cause differences in velocity as bullet is presented to the rifling.

After that - its all up to the Nut behind the gun.

 

[popper]

That is shooting across Jerry Jones stadium, with irons? A dime? I saw the video where the old man hit a steel buffalo @1200 with a 30-30. 3 hits with 5 boxes of ammo. Using irons, couldn't get enough hold on a scope. That one I believe.

 

[savage1r]

Mosin Nagant, no exceptions.

 

[saddlerocker]

The only inexpensive centerfire ammo is .223
You can shoot 55gr .233 out to 500 yards for about $0.30/rd
You can push the .223 farther, but the ammo needed will be just as expensive as .308

Unless you handload everything else will be about $1/rd

Look at the HOWA 1500, Remington 700's, and Savage. Those 3 are Good quality, accurate and affordable
(Make sure you get a 1:9" twist rate for a .223 rifle, so you can shoot the heavier bullets)

I would recommend reloading .308 first, but if you cant reload, then go with a .223 and be happy shooting at 500 yards

 

[mljdeckard]

In my experience, you are going to need to do a lot of work on a Nagant to make a sub-moa medium-long range shooter out of it. Not bad for anyone to have, especially for the price, but not high-precision rifles.

 

[MtnCreek]

Mosin Nagant

Yep; all you have to do is true the action, tap it for optics and replace the barrel, bolt, trigger group and stock.

 

[TheJoker16]

How does this sound for the starting rifle and scope a Weatherby Vanguard Series 2 its about $489 with a Leupold VX-3 6.5-20x50mm Long Range Target scope for $499

 

[MtnCreek]

Weatherby Vanguard Series 2 its about $489 with a Leupold VX-3 6.5-20x50mm Long Range Target scope for $499

I would choose a different rifle.

 

[Outlaw81]

+1 on another rifle. Not for distance. I say savage or Remington cause I regularly beat the other rifles like a drum at competition.

 

[suzukisam]

you should really consider ordering a set of dvds before you take on all this.. john burns has an excellent dvd set called how to shoot beyond belief.. there are no gimmicks or fancy film work.. it's just nuts and bollts, and by the end of it he shows you how to take a bone stock rem 700 243 and tear it down and without changing a single part, turn it into a 1000 yrd 1 moa gun. It's not that cut any dry.. but it works.. there is a lot of info and you may have to watch all three dvds several times to comprehend it all, lord knows I have an I'm still trying to master 400 yrds.. bedding the stock, floating the barrel, resetting the barrels and adjusting the trigger are huge improvements, over factory.. he will talk to you about loading, wind drift, hunting, optics, barrel twist, it's worth the money to learn a lifetime worth of info, but at those ranges you'll have to be handloading..

 

[TheJoker16]

I found a used Savage 10 FCP Mcmillan yesterday for $500. It looks in great condition smooth action, no rust, no scratches, it looks almost brand new. I asked the seller if he could hold it for me I have till they close today would this be a good rifle for long range?

 

[USSR]

If that's the Savage with the McMillan A5 stock, the stock alone is nearly worth $500. Grab it.

Don

 

[MtnCreek]

If you don't want it, let us know where it's at.

 

[Outlaw81]

Yes please. What he said!!

 

[Outlaw81]

:banghead:U buy it and ill give u $700 for it.

 

[BullfrogKen]

In what caliber?

 

[Jim Watson]

If I had a 250 yard indoor range and a good enough .22 to get the use out of it, i would not ask for much more.

 

[TheJoker16]

i bought the rifle its a .308 and right after i bought it my grandpa called me and wanted me to come over he gave me his 1950 Winchester model 70 its in amazing condition I don't know if I want to shoot it or not. That range is no longer there they went out of business and i want to move to an outdoor range for more challenging shots