opinions on rifle make & cal for long range rifle

[308junkie]

been hunting for years and plan on doing plenty more, but been doing a bit of target shooting over the last 12mnths been useing my tikka 308 with factory hp steel match hornady 155gr been shooting 500meters not long distance but going to continue pushing my tikka and get into hand loads. i just put a savage 10 fcp 223 on laybuy for hunting and target shooting so ammo is a bit cheaper, so mean while wanted to do homework on a rifle that i can get into long range and not have to upgrade it later any opinions or advice?
and wat cal do u reckon? i was mabey thinking 300 cause ammo not to unafordable but open to other cal's?

iv flexable on price
im open to all opinions cheers

 

[Bart B]

Any one of the 30 caliber magnums will probably be ones best choice. But the availabiliy of commercial ammo that's very accurate is close to zero; one has to reload their ammo if best accuracy's the objecitve. Belted cases require more work to reload them.

I don't know what level of accuracy you want, but no factory rifle will shoot no worse than 1 MOA at 1000 yards with commercial ammo. You'll need a custom built one to do that.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

Any one of the 30 caliber magnums will probably be ones best choice. But the availabiliy of commercial ammo that's very accurate is close to zero; one has to reload their ammo if best accuracy's the objecitve. Belted cases require more work to reload them.

I don't know what level of accuracy you want, but no factory rifle will shoot no worse than 1 MOA at 1000 yards with commercial ammo. You'll need a custom built one to do that.

+1

You have gotta pay to play here. A sendero in 300 win or 300 ultra is a good start, and the savages in lapua will do well, but the sky's the limit for what you spend for anything long range. I'm starting to get into aftermarket stuff myself, as I'm getting tired of factory "getting by" grade stuff and actually want things to work well.
Black hills makes a couple of 300 win loads that have been used for long range sniping, and googling 300 win match found me some fiocci match and hsm match ammo, but you are stuck to rather few choices and if your rifle doesn't like them you are out.
I'd get into reloading. You can tailor loads to your rifle and don't have to shoot someone else's idea of a good load.

 

[Bart B]

I'd get into reloading. You can tailor loads to your rifle and don't have to shoot someone else's idea of a good load.

I learned decades ago that if you've got a good barrel fit to a good receiver properly bedded in most any stock, using the same load that others have won matches and set records with do very well indeed. If one scrutinizes the loads used in a give cartridge for a given bullet for success in competition, there typically ain't a big difference except for a few tenths of a grain in charge weight.

With one 7mm Rem. Mag. barrel, about fifteen .308 Win. and four 30 caliber magnum barrels from Hart, Obermeyer and Kreiger, I used the same load for given bullet weights others did well with. They all shot no worse than 1/2 MOA at 600 and 3/4 MOA at 1000. The only cartridge I worked up or "tailored" a load for was a .264 Win. Mag. as nobody had shot one in long range matches and the only match bullet available was a 139-gr. one from Norma. Accuracy attained with these is based on several 20+ shot groups/scores.

If one shoots a couple of few-shot groups to base accuracy on, then all sorts of component suites will surface as the "best" one to use. No wonder there's dozens of "best accuracy" sets of components for a given cartridge.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

I learned decades ago that if you've got a good barrel fit to a good receiver properly bedded in most any stock, using the same load that others have won matches and set records with do very well indeed. If one scrutinizes the loads used in a give cartridge for a given bullet for success in competition, there typically ain't a big difference except for a few tenths of a grain in charge weight.

With one 7mm Rem. Mag. barrel, about fifteen .308 Win. and four 30 caliber magnum barrels from Hart, Obermeyer and Kreiger, I used the same load for given bullet weights others did well with. They all shot no worse than 1/2 MOA at 600 and 3/4 MOA at 1000. The only cartridge I worked up or "tailored" a load for was a .264 Win. Mag. as nobody had shot one in long range matches and the only match bullet available was a 139-gr. one from Norma. Accuracy attained with these is based on several 20+ shot groups/scores.

If one shoots a couple of few-shot groups to base accuracy on, then all sorts of component suites will surface as the "best" one to use. No wonder there's dozens of "best accuracy" sets of components for a given cartridge.

I wasn't talking match loads , I meant factory ideas on a good load.

 

[Bart B]

I wasn't talking match loads , I meant factory ideas on a good load.

That may be different. But the only .300 Win. Mag. hunting rifle I had built shot various Remington, Winchester, and Federal factory hunting ammo with 150 and 180 grain bullets under 1 MOA through 300 yards. It's 26" long 1:12.7" twist Obermeyer 4-groove barrel had a SAAMI spec chamber, bore diameter of .2980" and a groove diameter of .3070". I doubt any factory barrel's got bore and groove diameters that small.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

That may be different. But the only .300 Win. Mag. hunting rifle I had built shot various Remington, Winchester, and Federal factory hunting ammo with 150 and 180 grain bullets under 1 MOA through 300 yards. It's 26" long 1:12.7" twist Obermeyer 4-groove barrel had a SAAMI spec chamber, bore diameter of .2980" and a groove diameter of .3070". I doubt any factory barrel's got bore and groove diameters that small.

I've shot .311's handloaded down a .308" bore before and they shot just fine. Work up your load appropriately. A thousandth or so won't amount to a hill of beans if the bullet obdurates and fills her up well. I use cast bullets in a couple of my rifles, and if you don't get the load to the pressure where it obdurates and fills the bore boardering on breaking the alloy, it won't shoot worth a hoot. I've got my 375 at 1-1.5" at 100yards on cast, and I'm working with my 1895 in 405 at present; it shows real promise with 1/2" at thirty yards at the last charge. Now I've got to go to far to see where it is best. Most factory loads aren't nearly that tuned to the rifle.
I've worked with multiples of the same rifle on many occasions also, and most will eat certain combo's with monotony. I'm surprised you could hit the broad side of a barn with rem ammo, from what I've seen. But I detest factories in my rifles, and if used it's mainly for the brass and casual shooting.

 

[PaShoot]

been hunting for years and plan on doing plenty more, but been doing a bit of target shooting over the last 12mnths been useing my tikka 308 with factory hp steel match hornady 155gr been shooting 500meters not long distance but going to continue pushing my tikka and get into hand loads. i just put a savage 10 fcp 223 on laybuy for hunting and target shooting so ammo is a bit cheaper, so mean while wanted to do homework on a rifle that i can get into long range and not have to upgrade it later any opinions or advice?
and wat cal do u reckon? i was mabey thinking 300 cause ammo not to unafordable but open to other cal's?

iv flexable on price
im open to all opinions cheers

I've been going to some 1000 yd bench matches in PA for a while now. I don't shoot a lot but I do observe what seems to work and in my opinion if you want to punch paper or ring a gong at 1000 yards dub caliber cartridges seem to be the consistent scorers. I'm talking 6 BRs, 6 Dashers, and 6.5-284. I friend of mine was shooting a custom light gun in .300wsm last year and had decent results, this winter he built one in .30 Gibbs and is getting in dialed in after a couple rough matches.