First time Long Range Rifle

[Greg Duerr]

He shoots a new Savage 111

Still wants to find a load that will give him under 1" at 200 yds.............

he is still convinced that if he had purchased the same rifle with a 24" Barrel it would be shooting sub .5 at 100.......................its the barrel length that is causing it to shoot so poorly.............

Im pulling my hair out each time I talk to him..........

 

[gohring3006]

He shoots a new Savage 111

Still wants to find a load that will give him under 1" at 200 yds.............

he is still convinced that if he had purchased the same rifle with a 24" Barrel it would be shooting sub .5 at 100.......................its the barrel length that is causing it to shoot so poorly.............

Im pulling my hair out each time I talk to him..........

he's worse than my wife, lol. He got a good rifle but less than a inch at 200yrds. Is like chasing rainbows especially with a bone stock rifle, if he can get 1inch at 200 is great, also the shorter barrel can be more accurate because its stiffer less harmonics...

 

[Rick Richard]

I have a Savage LRH in 300 WSM that is stock and shoots no greater than 1 inch groups at 300 yards. When I am on I have been able to shoot 3/4 inch groups at that distance. I can tell you that it is not me cause my son shot it this past week and was able to repeat the same. This is my first Savage and I am extremely please with it.

 

[azsugarbear]

From what you have written, it sounds like your friend doesn't really want your advice, but rather your confirmation about a choice he has already made. Savages tend to be good shooters out of the box. I would tinker with his rifle a little more.

It's not that the 30-06 is a 'bad choice' for a deer rifle. Quite the contrary. But if long distance shooting might be in his future at all, there are a lot of better caliber choices out there. Most have already been mentioned.

 

[7magcreedmoor]

Pull that rife apart, do a bedding job that free floats the barrel (not the dollar bill crap, but a gap that will take two or three business cards all the way to the barrel nut) and keep the screws torqued equally. If he has an accutrigger and likes it, fine, if not put in a rifle basix SAV2. If he doesn't reload, it is time to start, as he soon will have spent enough money to buy the tools. Loads tuned to the individual rifle will make a huge difference.

 

[Greg Duerr]

My friend has changed his mind again and feels the for long Range shooting the best caliber going is the .243 I mentioned the 6.5's ..............but he wont talk about them because he keeps telling me that for Varmints, Deer, and Elk the .243 is the best one out there................I suggested he get an Ackley...............No! I keeped telling him that the .243 is going to be way to small for Elk.............at long range. He is convinced that it is good out to 800yds...........................I told him that he should go bigger maybe like the .280 Ackley or the 7mm WSM.................he told me that would be crazy using one of those for Ground Squirrels. He want ONLY one Rifle for everything........................................

I pulled all my hair out.........................

 

[gohring3006]

My friend has changed his mind again and feels the for long Range shooting the best caliber going is the .243 I mentioned the 6.5's ..............but he wont talk about them because he keeps telling me that for Varmints, Deer, and Elk the .243 is the best one out there................I suggested he get an Ackley...............No! I keeped telling him that the .243 is going to be way to small for Elk.............at long range. He is convinced that it is good out to 800yds...........................I told him that he should go bigger maybe like the .280 Ackley or the 7mm WSM.................he told me that would be crazy using one of those for Ground Squirrels. He want ONLY one Rifle for everything........................................

I pulled all my hair out.........................

well I would tell your friend, hope you like tracking and walking

 

[Kennibear]

The Sierra 100 grain 6.5mm HPFB is specifically designed for varmints. It can be driven very fast and is flat over 400 yards. It has far less wind drift than anything you shoot vamints with in 223 or 243/6mm. I used a 30/06 w/ 125grain SpFB in the past on varmints so I could become proficient with a single rifle.

Your friend is undecided and not engaged in a rational search. He just wants the flavor of the week. 6.5 mm cartridges would be fine for what he wants. 243/6mm is pretty small for elk and unsuitable for elk at long range.

A better choice would be something for the middle of his intended game, like a 6.5 mm, and make it work up and down the game-size scale than to pick something for the small stuff and hope to push itup to the size required for LR elk. This is a fools errand. Better to pick something for the top of the scale, long range elk size game, and load it all the way down.

The 30/06 is a fine choice but for me the 6.5-285 Norma or 7mm RemMag would be much better. The 6.5-284 is rocking the shooting world right now and that's because it does what your friend wants. He needs a chill pill and a bagel.

Just my opinion.....

KB

 

[Timber338]

The 30/06 is a fine choice but for me the 6.5-285 Norma or 7mm RemMag would be much better. The 6.5-284 is rocking the shooting world right now and that's because it does what your friend wants. He needs a chill pill and a bagel.
Just my opinion.....
KB

hahaha. Totally agree... chill pill and a bagel on order. All this talking and I want a 6.5-284 now. gun)

 

[270 Sender0]

I would like a chill pill and a bagel to go, please

 

[Greg Duerr]

My Friend has changed his tune.........................last week he asked me what recomendations I might have that would get his Savage 111 from 1.5" Groups at 100 to less than .5 at 300Yds.............................

I was Just stood there and looked at him

 

[Nimrod]

My Friend has changed his tune.........................last week he asked me what recomendations I might have that would get his Savage 111 from 1.5" Groups at 100 to less than .5 at 300Yds.............................

I was Just stood there and looked at him

Your friend sounds to me like he needs to take up golf, it doesn't sound like he will get much enjoyment from LR shooting.

Have you tried getting him to shoot a different rifle of known accuracy? My SIL was convinced that a .270 was not very accurate until he shot mine.

 

[Greg Duerr]

He is coming around, its just that he wants the accuracy with out paying the price.

I was at the Range Saturday and this guy was shooting next to me. He had just purchased a new 300 Win Mag. I asked if he had a Deer tag. He said yes, and that last year he missed a huge buck at 350 yds with his 30-06. He told me that the 30-06 is not good past 400yds and that is way he got the 300 WM.............Lots and lots of Mis information out there

 

[seattleman1969]

Seems there are a lot of good calibers being mentioned and not yet mentioned.

If you are going to hunt only up to deer sized game or have a dedicated deer rifle and you are fixated on a long action as evidenced by your buddies preference for .270 and .30-06, might I recommend a .25-06? It's an excellent cartridge and available in a variety of OTC factory loadings, premium and otherwise, as well as tons of reloading components to select from.

I just took two antelope in Wyoming last week with my Weatherby Vanguard S2 (incredible rifle) in .25-06. the first was at 289 yards in a stiff 10 MPH crosswind and the second was at 410. Both one shot, dead right there, kills using Barnes TTSX 100 Gr. at around 3350 FPS.

It's an easy round to handle for almost any shooter except for maybe the very smallest of ladies or children as well.

Just my $.02

I realize 289 and 410 are not the longest of shots but, considering my hunting career thus far, the 410 is by far my longest! I grew up hunting the piney woods of East Texas then Elk hunted the Olympic Peninsula rain forests for Roosevelts and blacktails, thick cover and close shots were always the norm.