What is the best long range rifle?

[Newbyfromgh]

yes I'm new. Full disclosure. I have no weapon. But interested in long range shooting. Looking for opinions on the best for a beginner. I've already ruled out an m82a1 as I don't want to drop $6 a round in "education". But don't mind dropping coin into the right scope and rifle combo.

 

[Good Ol' Boy]

IMHO, .22-250 or .22 swift for target or .308 or .338 for hunting.

The other thing that would need to be known is what you consider "long distance". For some that's around 500yds, for others it's closer to 1000.

What exactly are your goals?

 

[grampajack]

What are you considering long range? And how accurate do you want to be? Some might consider a 300 winmag Remington 700 with a Super Sniper scope to be long range, but that might not do what you're wanting. If you're wanting to do mile shots then be prepared to spend more on the scope than you did on your first car. And whatever caliber you choose, you'll probably have to reload to get where you want accuracy wise.

 

[redneck2]

But interested in long range shooting. Looking for opinions on the best for a beginner.

"Best" is a relative term.

What is the best car to buy for racing? Get my drift? There are hundreds of kinds of racing.

 

[Newbyfromgh]

Goal is 1000 yards so I'll need to start somewhere. So ideally start at 100-200 yards and work my way up.

 

[Newbyfromgh]

"Best" is a relative term.

What is the best car to buy for racing? Get my drift? There are hundreds of kinds of racing.

True. Looking for opinions!

 

[Newbyfromgh]

What are you considering long range? And how accurate do you want to be? Some might consider a 300 winmag Remington 700 with a Super Sniper scope to be long range, but that might not do what you're wanting. If you're wanting to do mile shots then be prepared to spend more on the scope than you did on your first car. And whatever caliber you choose, you'll probably have to reload to get where you want accuracy wise.

That's a good thought. As to what a good scope is....looking at a Burris 2-10x42 for about $900. I wouldn't mind dropping 3000 on the right combo . I just don't want to go cheap and get frustrated.

 

[grampajack]

1k yards isn't too far out there. You could accomplish that easily enough with 308, but 300 winmag would be better. Check out a channel on youtube called tiborasaurusrex. He's completely dedicated to long range and does a lot of scope reviews. For 1k yards you don't necessarily need anything too fancy. Good tracking and parallax adjustment would be things to look for. You'll also save money by going with a fixed power. I've never met a long range shooter who didn't use his scope at max magnification most if not all the time. Check out SWFA.

As for the rifle, I would look into a Remington 700 and bed and free float it, and probably get a nice trigger. That way you're not into it too deep like you would be if you bought a barrett or something. BTW, the M82 would be way overkill for what you're wanting to do. Get a caliber you can reload easily, and inexpensively. And preferably one that was designed for long range accuracy against soft targets, not for taking out armored vehicles.

ETA: a 10x wouldn't be ideal in my mind for going out to a thousand. I would want at least a 15x, and probably a 20x with my eyes.

 

[FL-NC]

I can push 1,000 yards with my M24 or my Larue OBR, both 308, with good ammo and my US optic scopes. Full disclosure, I've been doing this for a while and I've had some training. Since you are just getting into this, I would strongly advise a good 22 and a 4x scope. Also some instruction. you should really work your way up to 1.000 yards in baby steps- most people will never fire that far- let alone get consistent hits.

 

[eastbank]

the higher powder scopes bring other problems at long range as conditions change, with heat mirage on warm days. when i was shooting at 1000 yards at williamsport pa. in the late 60,s, i used a 14x unertl and had no trouble and most didn,t use much over that.a straight 14x-20x would be ok for me. i shoot at a 3 foot steel gong at 1000 yards with a plain model 70 winchester 7mm mag with a 26" barrel with a 4.5x14 leupold with a cds turret and a 162gr hpbt at 3000 fps, if i read the wind right i hit it most of the time. i do have a 20-moa base on the rifle. eastbank.

 

[grampajack]

BTW, do you have a place to shoot that far? They don't have thousand yard ranges just anywhere, so be sure you know where you're going to shoot and that it's within reasonable driving distance.

 

[farmerboy78]

I have 3 rifles right now that I shoot @ 1000 in f class shoots.
1- whidden gunworks 243 ackley shooting 115gr dtac.
2- Custom Remington 700 with bartlein barrel 6.5-06
3- Custom Remington 700 5r milspec .308

That 243 out shoots everything else I have. I would recommend a smaller caliber like the 243, 6.5 Creedmoor, or even a 6.5x47... just make sure the barrel will stabilize long heavy for caliber bullets.

As far as a scope goes, I run vortex

 

[cbmax]

So, 1000 yards sounds very cool but you have to be realistic. Again, do you have a range that goes that far? Another big question is do you reload. If not, you need to strongly consider it. It's not just about the expense of the rounds, but how you can tune the loads to your particular firearm. I would start with more realistic goals on distance. Than you need to learn how to use your scope. Next you need to learn how to read the wind. This is all very basic information I am offering. There are lots more variables. I wouldn't spend a ton of money on a rifle just yet, I would concentrate on a caliber that is truly capable of 1000 yards if that is really your ultimate goal. I would seriously consider 6.5 Creedmoor. Savage makes some pretty good rifles at a reasonable price point to get started. It is available (6.5 Creedmoor ammo) commercially and if you learn to reload, even better. Optics is the next piece. You need a scope that is consistent. Do some research and you will understand what I am talking about. I would have exposed target turrets. I won't get into brand names. I probably wouldn't get a first focal plane scope as you do not appear to be shooting at unknown distances. As for magnification, more is usually better although some may disagree. I would suggest at least 20X to 25X at the top. For a decent optic, you are going to need to spend somewhere in the range of $1,000.

 

[Hokie_PhD]

Goal is 1000 yards so I'll need to start somewhere. So ideally start at 100-200 yards and work my way up.

I'm not an expert but any decent rifle should get you in the 100-200 yard range easily. Even a bare bones AR with an ok optic should get you past that.

Are you planning on competing? Hunting?

It would seem to me what you get would depend on that. Someone with experience can probably correct me but it would seem that if competition is your goal then looking into the org and then the rules would be wise.

That aside for the cool factor 50 BMG can hit your goals, but would be horrible for hunting and I'm sure not used in many competitions except for ones geared for them.

Also, don't discount loading your own ammo. A single stage press, dies, scale, calipers, a reloading book, and a few other odds and ends and with a little practice you can make decent ammo at a good price. And if you're going to compete it's almost a necessity. Plus I'd add it's fun too.

 

[jmr40]

You don't just step into a NASCAR and compete at Daytona. Start out with something small and work up. Buy an accurate 22 and shoot several thousand rounds through it at ranges from 50-200 yards. Then move up to a center fire rifle. A 223 will get you the most for the money out to 300-500 yards. Ammo costs money, and without lots of trigger time you won't get good.

When you're ready to shoot farther you'll know what you want by then and not need to ask for advice. Right now the 243, 260, and 6.5 Creedmoor are the long range leaders. Very few factory 260's or 243's are properly built to shoot the best target bullets, most are built around hunting bullets. But since most serious shooters build custom rifles those who shoot those calibers build them to shoot those bullets. The 6mm and 6.5 Creedmoor are designed from the ground up with those bullets in mind. The 308 has traditionally been very good, but the 6mm and 6.5mm rounds are proving to be better. No need to beat yourself up with magnum recoil. Most of the really good rifles are custom built, but the Ruger Precision rifle is a good option for entry level target shooting.

http://ruger.com/products/precisionRifle/models.html

 

[bikemutt]

If I were starting out today I'd go with Ruger Precision rifle with Sightron SIII glass. With discounts, $2000.

The rifle can be upgraded later if needed, the glass is a superb value proposition.

You'll start out with equipment you can grow into.

Once you're better than the equipment, reload for it. Reloading is not easy, but it's rewarding.

Good luck!

 

[Gtscotty]

Lots of good advice here. The "best long range rifle" is probably some $10k monster with a Khales on top, so I'll pretend you asked for the best long range rifle bang for the buck (plus I'm kind of cheap, so this is more my speed). If I was planning on getting into longer range PRS style shooting on the cheap-ish, I would opt for one of two different rifles, either a Ruger Precision Rifle, or a Tikka CTR 24", both in 6.5 Creedmoor. The 6.5 is probably the best out of the box learning option out there right now, lots of very good heavy bullet factory ammo. When you do start reloading, it's cheaper to reload higher BC 6.5 than it is higher BC .308 loads, at least it is for me (bullets are the largest cost, and lighter is generally cheaper).

For a scope I'd get (and have gotten) an SWFA SS. If you're ok with a fixed power, the 10x and 12x mil/mil's are excellent. I use the 12x on my .308, and like that it's enough magnification for shooting steel out to 850, but not so much that I can't find 2" swingers at 200 and 300 yds under time pressure. I also like the SWFA 3-15 FFP mil/mil for a variable, but honestly when I'm shooting our local range matches here, I usually just leave it on 12x... the option is there to turn it up when taking things slower though. The variable does run $699 vs the very reasonable $299 for the fixed scopes. The SWFA's aren't going to compare optically with the Razor's, Nightforces, USO, Khales, etc. but they are a lot cheaper, and are repeatable, which is what's most important. I personally use SWFA rings as well, although I'm sure plenty of folks would not be willing to take the chance on $50 rings, I've had no problems.

Of course, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to just pick up a nice faster twist .223 and get some cheap range time in. In the context of your question though, in the $1,350 to $1,750 range I think you'd be hard pressed to beat one of the setups listed above. If money is no object, of course there is no shortage of nicer, better options out there.

Edit: Didn't see that you had set a $3k price ceiling.

 

[Mn Fats]

Lots of good suggestions. If your new to shooting, you may want to stay away from magnum calibers. I've seen them turn new shooters into non-shooters. Your budget is $3000? If you don't reload, id recommend spending $1500-$2000 on a rifle/scope combo and the rest on reloading accessories. Your going to need lots of bullets and practice to shoot well enough even out to 500 yards let alone 1000 yards. Look into savage arms and nikon glass and you'll stay well under $2000 and have an accurate setup. Then look into reloading kits to get you started. This is just what I would do.

 

[Coal Dragger]

yes I'm new. Full disclosure. I have no weapon. But interested in long range shooting. Looking for opinions on the best for a beginner. I've already ruled out an m82a1 as I don't want to drop $6 a round in "education". But don't mind dropping coin into the right scope and rifle combo.

The best?

Accuracy International AXMC, pick a caliber.... in fact pick more than one you can caliber swap yourself as the end user.

Buy a Spuhr mount. Place a Schmidt and Bender, Hendsolt, Nightforce, or other top end optic of your choice in the mount. Place mounted on optic on rifle. You now have the state of the art best made rig money can buy. Expect to expend roughly $11K for the complete rig. Then buy a case of high quality match ammo. Then sign up for some classes. The classes will put you way ahead in enjoying your new hobby.

If you can afford all this, do you have any interest in adopting a 38 year old man? Will you buy me a similar set up?

 

[farmerboy78]

Look at the Savage 12 lrp 6.5 Creedmoor. With handloads tailored to the rifle, it would shoot 1/2" groups on MY worst day. Usually 1/4 to 3/8" @ 100 yds when I did everything right. I loaded the 123gr amax over 43gr varget and it was smoking!

 

[Captcurt]

I second the Creedmoor. We set up a range that stretches it to 700 yards and have shot out to 500. I have a Bergara B-14 with a Vortex and the Dead Hold BDC is dead on out to 500. I can ring a 6" plate all day with 129gr Accubond LR over H4350. This is just a $1000 rig. Might need a different scope for 1000 yards but for what we do, it works swell. Just shot some 143gr ELD-X with R-17 that show promise, but need to tweak them a little. Then it is back to the range.

 

[ilmonster]

A good .243, 6mm Creedmoor or 6.5mm Creedmoor will all get you to 1K yds with good trajectories and reasonable recoil (in ascending order). What rifle to get is more of a Ford vs. Chevy thing - Remington 700's, Tikka, Savage 12's, Ruger Precision Rifle, etc. All will work. Glass as others have said is important at 1K yds. Vortex, Leupold, SWFA, etc. all make capable glass. Enjoy the journey!

 

[Hokie_PhD]

You don't just step into a NASCAR and compete at Daytona.

http://ruger.com/products/precisionRifle/models.html

Not unless your name is Kyle Petty. He not only did that but won the race! Granted it was an ARCA race, but it's still amazing that someone could do it.

That aside I'm with you. We all want to jump into the deep end of the pool before we learn how to swim.

I never shot a 22LR and went straight to 223/556. I"m still learning but I've learned a great deal, and enjoy it as they're not too light weight but also not too heavy, so I'd say that wouldn't be a bad place to start.

 

[WelshShooter]

A .308 with a long barrel (>27") will get you out to 1,000 yards "accurately". Typically, F-Class shooters aim for minimum 2,900fps with a 155gr projectile. If you are considering a .300 winmag I would highly suggest looking at any 6.5mm calibre instead. My 6.5x47 Lapua fires a 123gr projectile at 2,950fps. The excellent Ballistic Coefficient of the 6.5mm projectile causes the trajectory to be on par with a .300 winmag at 1,000 yards. In addition, handloading 6.5mm cartridges is much cheaper than handloading .300 win mag and you won't get all the recoil either!

Scope wise, you can't go wrong with a Vortex Viper PST or a Sightron SIII. IOR Valdada's are also nice scopes (as the price reflects!), the clarity of the glass is on par with the likes of Nightforce and Schmidt & Bender. If you're doing target work, stick with Second Focal Plane, because on the highest magnification the reticle of a First Focal Plane can block your target.

 

[TexasPatriot.308]

I am 63 and as you can tell a big .308 fan, I am not a big fan of long range shooting so 500 yards is a long way for my old eyes. I can shoot my Springfield Armory M1A with open sights accurately for hogs out to 300 yards or more, recently bought a Gen 1 Ruger Precision rifle in .308 with a Leupold VX 3 6.5 x 20x 40 I shoot 1" groups at 300 yards and shoot hogs at up to 500 yards according to my laser range finder. If you wanted to be a long distance shooter, it aint gonna be cheap. I got to add I am a veteran and did and still do lots of shooting.