Is it the rifle, scope or both??

[j4824]

I have been kicking around the thought of purchasing a custom "long range rifle". I have also been told not to spend that kind of money when you can put a quality scope on a "wal-mart" rifle and get the same results.....

My questions would be.... Is it the scope that makes the rifle? or is this a myth and you need to spend $8,000 on a 1000 + yrd rifle?

 

[Sully2]

I have been kicking around the thought of purchasing a custom "long range rifle". I have also been told not to spend that kind of money when you can put a quality scope on a "wal-mart" rifle and get the same results.....

My questions would be.... Is it the scope that makes the rifle? or is this a myth and you need to spend $8,000 on a 1000 + yrd rifle?

You dont need to spend $8000 but you definitely DO need good ( great that is) glass on it.

 

[NomadPilot]

you can put a quality scope on a "wal-mart" rifle and get the same results.....

Very unlikely.

Is it the scope that makes the rifle?

I don't think so. My 1 custom rifle will shoot circles around all my other rifles and its scope is no better.

is this a myth and you need to spend $8,000 on a 1000 + yrd rifle?

$8K is certainly excessive, but the precision and skilled labor that it takes to build that level of machinery doesn't come cheap. $3K seems to be a common ballpark.

 

[WildRose]

It's definitely both. No you don't need to spent 10, 8, or even 5 grand necessarily to get an accurate rig, but you do have to start off with quality hardware or it's going to get very aggravating.

Many years ago a friend of mine told me something that still makes good sense. "Be willing to spend at least as much on quality glass as you are a quality rifle".

There's some wisdom there.

More often than not you can buy any of the major branded rifles off the rack, and find one that with some tuning is capable of 1 MOA performance and do so reasonably cost wise.

However if you spend a thousand on a rifle and having it accurized then stick a 200.00 piece of Chinese crap on top of it, you will never reach the potential accuracy that he rifle itself is capable of.

Read through this thread.

http://www.longrangehunting.com/for...etting-started-but-intimidated-dollars-80244/

You can get a good read on what a lot of us poor boys have done to put nice budget rigs together.

Be willing to shop the classified section here for both rifles and glass as you will find some very good buys.

Ebay is a good choice as well for quality used glass.

Welcome.

 

[liltank]

Here's another article: How Do I Know What To Buy?

Tank

 

[rscott5028]

A balanced approach is best. ...Rifle+Optics+Ammo+Shooter

Many factory rifle configurations will perform very well when properly outfitted.

-- richard