The Perfect Long Range Rifle

Status
Not open for further replies.
T

TheJoker16

Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2011
Messages
14
Lets take all money cost out of the factor and what would be in your opinion the perfect long range rifle from the rifle to the caliber to the scope and anything else you can think of. The rifle would be used for either target shooting 1,000+ yards, hunting 500+ yards or a combination of both. I'm researching for a new rifle and would like any and all opinions about your version of the perfect rifle
 
Too much variability in hunting conditions for me to really recommend anything for hunting at 500+ yards.

Energywise even your grandpa's 30-06 will do just fine, assuming the shot is perfect.

That said, honestly, I'd go for the .280AI. Very high ballistic coefficient, good starting velocity, light enough that it won't wreck your shoulder. Not as good as heavier rounds in the wind, but depending where you live that may or may not be an issue. Sufficient energy to hunt anything in North America.

If you need to shoot in windy conditions I'd recommend either the .338 lapua or RUM.

As for the rifle, I have to say I have Remingtons in the family, dating back to the man himself. I'd go for a very high end 700, wood stock, blued barrel, with matching suppressor.
 
...or you could get something like a 260 Remington, 6.5 Creedmore or 6.5-284 and use a bullet with even better ballistic co-efficient and less recoil than the 338. A heavier bullet doesn't mean it's resistant to wind drift
 
The rifle would be used for either target shooting 1,000+ yards, hunting 500+ yards or a combination of both.
Click to expand...

Decide whether you want a 1,000 yard target rifle or a hunting rifle. I've built two 1,000 yard target guns, and they are DEFINITELY NOT suitable for hunting.

Don
 
1000 yd guns aren't really the same as 500 yd hunting guns. For a 1000 yd gun, a 50 BMG is the cartidge of choice. Unless you're doing big game hunting in Africa, a 50 BMG is excessive.
 
Joker, how much experience do you have shooting at extended ranges?

Anyhow, for target shooting at 1000 yards and a little "+" like 1200; one or another 7mm seems to be getting popular in F-Open competition. People are willing to put up with a little more recoil for significantly higher BC without going back to .300 magnum.

For a lot of "+" something from a great big .300 to .338 Lap or Norma.
For a whole lot of "+" out around a nautical mile, I would look at a .416 Barrett.


Long long range hunting is a good place for a .300 magnum.


High end scopes start with Nightforce and go up to Schmidt und Bender and US Optics, maybe March.
Get more magnification than you think you need or than what the Internet Experts say. You may not use it all (in a big variable) to start with but you will keep going up in power as you gain experience. 25X is not bad at all, but 32-36X takes a lot of work.
 
You're not going to be a comepetitor at 1,000 yards with a hunting rifle, and you're not going to want to lug around a 1,000 yard target rifle chasing game. Bottom line, no gun is going to excel at both. It's like asking for a vehicle that can win rallye races and haul a pallet of bricks.
 
I agree with MachIVshooter. However, if I was to build a rifle for the stated reasons I would get a 7mm mag built on a blued Ruger #1 action with a variable power Unertle scope on vintage Conetrol mounts, Timney trigger, wood stock and the best custom barrel I could afford.
I would work up handloads with 175gr bullets probably using H4831 powder.

I think a heavy 7mm is just about the best there is for over-all long range shooting. Great BC and SD and all of the 7mm mags have a reputation for inherant accuracy.
My .02
 
I'm mainly looking for either a competition rifle or hunting rifle I wasn't expecting the combination of them I just put it in there to see I do plan on having separate rifles for hunting and competition. What do you guys think of the 300 WSM? I'm thinking for my hunting rifle a Winchester model 70 300WSM undecided on the scope still though, and completely undecided on the competition rifle.
 
Since when?
Click to expand...
Since inception. First, you need a heavy barrel for consistency for target shooting (not necessary for hunting, long range or not, considering that you won't need more than a couple shots at most), this is not conducive to toting around in the woods, or accurately firing the rifle off-hand. Secondly, optics needs are far different for hunting as target shooting, for hunting simplicity and target acquisition is paramount, for target shooting you need something that is adjustable (time to dial in is not typically afforded in a hunting situation) and preferably lightweight. Additionally, the trigger for a target rifle is best set to a low pull weight, an unsafe condition when used for hunting. IMO it is best to keep the target rifles (whether they are practical shooting, highpower, or benchrest rifles) dedicated to what they do best, and use a proper hunting rifle as needed.

FWIW, I believe a 7mmRM is about the best LR cartridge for up to 1200yds. You can build one in a multitude of different rifle platforms that would work well. Personally I like my Desert Tactical Arms SRS (which is chambered for the .300WM, but destined to become a 7mmRM when it needs a new bbl), but this rifle certainly isn't for everyone. IMO the PRH is the best optic for the job (I appreciate the additional magnification of the 5-25x56mm, but a 5-15x50mm is enough for reaching 1k), particularly for the money spent, but a Hensoldt, S&B, NF, or even a tactical Leupy will work too. For LR hunting up to 500yds. or so, with an off-the-self rifle, I think you could do a whole lot worse than a Savage M-10 chambered for something like .30-06Spd....if you want to go custom a nice Mauser action using a sporter weight match bbl chambered for something like the .280Rem. would be my first choice. Optics should be limited in magnification so as to promote fast target acquisition, particularly at relatively close engagements (which are more likely). Something with high light throughput is very beneficial as well. My choice would be a Minox 3-15x50mmSF, but a Kahles, Zeiss Conquest, Sightron S-II, Nikon Monarch, or Leupy VX-3 are other options.

:)
 
Last edited:
1000 yard gun: 6mm, 6.5mm or 7mm. Any of them can be built on a Savage, Remington, or AI rifle that will do better than most can shoot. AI stock. Harris swivel bipod. 20 or 30 MOA scope base. Something AT LEAST 16x in the scope.

500 yard hunting rifle: What are you hunting? Varmints - those rigs are a special breed by themselves. Big game (deer and up) - Tough to justify shooting further than 500. Tough to justify shooting on non-bedded game past 400, honestly. Animals move. Bullets aren't lasers: they are affected by wind at that distance, and they shoot at an arc. If a deer takes a step forward while your bullet is in flight, it changes a clean chest shot to something messier - if you got your range estimated right in the first place. Shooting past your MPBR requires a range finder, in my humble estimation, because otherwise, you're just guessing, and ... there's too many variables for that.

All that said, you want a very accurate rifle for shooting past 200 yards. Up to 200 yards, you can do fine with up to a 4MOA rifle. Past that, you want something more precise. Many manufacturers make very accurate rifles in calibers that will carry enough velocity to kill past 400 yards. If I'm in a humid environment, I want a stainless barrel and action. If not, I'm fine with a blued barrel and action. Synthetic stock - I don't like warping, and I don't like worrying about scratching up pretty wood. 2x7, 3x9, 4x12 scope. I don't want weight, and I don't want anything too terribly expensive. If I slide down a hill on my rifle again, I don't want to be cussing because I just damaged/destroyed something I can't afford to replace.

My current rifle is my perfect rifle for hunting. It will probably wear nicer glass and a better scope in the next couple of years, but neither will be dramatic increases. I have a Savage 11 with a detachable box magazine. Everything you need to put deer down, nothing you don't. I personally won't take a shot on a deer past 400 yards at present, because that's as far as I know I can make a hit, and I want to be closer than 300. Closer is better. For having fun shooting long distances, I'll go back to the range and punch steel. For deer, I want to be closer.
 
Maverick, you missed my question. I asked when it was determined that you need a 50 BMG to shoot 1000 yds. Actually you went on to nicely prove my point by suggesting everything but the 50 BMG in your second paragraph. The 50 BMG is a versatile round, most often used by the military because of its incredible ballistic properties which creates the ability to not only take out personnel but also machinery at incredible ranges, but its definitely not the best round for 1000 yard paper punching
 
I wish Savage offered their tactical meduim contour rifles like the FP10Mcmillan(.308) in 6mmbr or 6.5 NORMA BR. Would make a nice entry level F class rifle without getting into weird benchrests like the heavy Savage BR target rifles would require.

Is 6mmbr or 6.5NORMA BR even any good for deer? If you're really into hunting, a lightweight rifle would be the best option. Get a target rifle later on, and use your hunting rifle for paper punching in the meantime.

50bmg has been rumored to be kinda slow compared to the 6mm rounds. Requireing more windage and range adjustment. So while it's a good long range round, it seems to be not so good for paper punching and competition.
 
I can't see why the 6mm BR or 6.5mm Norma BR wouldn't be useful for deer - provided you loaded them with an appropriate hunting bullet at an appropriate velocity. .243 is a 6mm, 6.5 Swede and .260 are 6.5mm, and are all considered good deer rounds.

Whether your rifle is a good one for hunting with is another issue.

As far as your FP10 issue, Zerodefect, if you want that rifle with a different caliber barrel on it, you could do one of two things: call Savage and see if they'll put one together in your preferred chambering, or buy another barrel in your preferred chambering, swap it out for the .308 barrel, and sell your unwanted .308 to recoup part of the cost of the new barrel. Can be done at home on a Savage. Instructions and demos are on Youtube, believe it or not.
 
I'd go with the gun on the far right in Zak's picture, the Sako TRG-22

This five shot group was shot out of a pretty much brand new (20 shots through it) Sako TRG-22.

Note it is a five shot group, not three. Plus, the shooter has had no training whatsoever in shooting. It's the rifle working...

img2011110600037.jpg
 
Maverick, you missed my question. I asked when it was determined that you need a 50 BMG to shoot 1000 yds. Actually you went on to nicely prove my point by suggesting everything but the 50 BMG in your second paragraph. The 50 BMG is a versatile round, most often used by the military because of its incredible ballistic properties which creates the ability to not only take out personnel but also machinery at incredible ranges, but its definitely not the best round for 1000 yard paper punching
Click to expand...
Thought your statement was made with regards to the usefulness of a target rifle for hunting rather than the second part (Re: 50BMG). My mistake.

:)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

A
  • Locked
Unusual but Exceptional Calibers for Long Range Precision Rifle - Opinions Sought
Replies
13
Views
2K
Gewehr98
G
T
  • Locked
Long Range Shooting
2
Replies
48
Views
1K
TheJoker16
T
J
  • Locked
The Perfect Sniper Rifle
2 3 4
Replies
91
Views
6K
jmar
J
B
  • Locked
Best long range rifle in the best long range caliber?
2 3
Replies
66
Views
7K
gunner69
G
V
  • Locked
Building A Long Rifle Range
Replies
9
Views
587
allaroundhunter
A
Back
Top