New to long range

[Turkyman]

I have decided that I want a gun that I can shoot to 500-600 yards but I also want to hunt with it. I was thinking 300 win mag, that way if I want to go out west I will have a gun that has the nock down power. my budget is around 1500 dollars for rifle and scope. Thank you for your help. Also why can I not comment on the classified ads?

 

[yobuck]

I have decided that I want a gun that I can shoot to 500-600 yards but I also want to hunt with it. I was thinking 300 win mag, that way if I want to go out west I will have a gun that has the nock down power. my budget is around 1500 dollars for rifle and scope. Thank you for your help. Also why can I not comment on the classified ads?

Where will you be hunting primarily?
Chances are you already have a 600yd gun just needing a scope change?
But the hunting part is where you probably should be improving your equipment at this point, rather than just thinking better gun.
You wont necessarily catch more fish with a bigger better boat.
But you might catch more once you've found them, and none until you do.
And the same is in fact true with long range hunting.

 

[Turkyman]

Where will you be hunting primarily?
Chances are you already have a 600yd gun just needing a scope change?
But the hunting part is where you probably should be improving your equipment at this point, rather than just thinking better gun.
You wont necessarily catch more fish with a bigger better boat.
But you might catch more once you've found them, and none until you do.
And the same is in fact true with long range hunting.

I hunt in South Georgia. I bow hunt 98% of the time. My thought is build a gun that can shoot the 500-600 yard. I have no problem closing the distance on a whitetail but when I do make it out west I want to have the confidence to make a long shot if need be. I also would enjoy shooting some steel at the range.

 

[joseph singleton]

Well nobody got around to WELCOME YOU,,,,,Welcome you picked a fine site to join alot of good input here..

 

[Deleted member 103481]

I would also look for a 7mag or perhaps a 270. They should be able to handle 500-600 fine and be less punishing on a new shooter. Granted general target ammo selection for 270 is abysmal if you do not reload.

Personally I would at Browning's x bolt offering are good rifles that would leave you with enough leftover for a nice optic and rings

 

[YZ-80]

I agree with jmcmath on the X-bolt recommendation. Probably one of the better production rifles you're gonna get, along with Savage IMHO. .270 or 7 mm mag fine too, but I'd opt for one of the more robust 6.5 variants (-284 or PRC) if it were me.

 

[Deleted member 103481]

I agree with jmcmath on the X-bolt recommendation. Probably one of the better production rifles you're gonna get, along with Savage IMHO. .270 or 7 mm mag fine too, but I'd opt for one of the more robust 6.5 variants (-284 or PRC) if it were me.

I believe browning is chambering In the PRC now, so that is an option.

I have moved away from the proprietary low support cartridges and have a hard time recommending them to newer shooters now. It's a frustrating road to travel. Though PRC recoil for energy on game is quite perfect for OPs scenario

 

[19elkhunter51]

Browning, Remington, Winchester all offer a rifle that will do what you stated was you long range. Caliber? 30-06. It will shoot all day at that range and you will want for nothing. You can buy it anywhere and if you reload you have so many options that it will make you head spin.
You didn't say what you where going to hunt. If you are hunting elk, 30 caliber is a much better choice than any of the 6.5 wis bang allegedly dead out to fifteen miles. Heavy bullets for elk, 180-200 grains, 130-165 grains for antelope and deer. If you want to go varmint hunting load up or find some 110-125 grain bullets.
My opinion and and a $1.50 will get you a cup of coffee.

 

[yobuck]

Well remember one thing Turkeyman, the vast majority of long range hunting shots are taken at ranges well under 1000 yds.
And fact is more are taken at 4 or five hundred than are taken at 800, including those taken on Western hunts.
The key is to be successful, in the early stages especially, and then build on that.
Our camp in N C PA is strictly a bucks only, long range only camp that has existed since the early 70s. We can easily shoot from 400 out to 1400 yds from the front yard, and with a little more effort out to a mile and even further.
We have done a lot of shooting from the front yard, especially after the leaves come off in the late fall.
We have a large selection of magnum hunting guns up to and including the larger 338s.
But do you know what we use most for practice shooting?
Well if you guessed 308 you would be correct.
You will learn all you need to learn with a good accurate shooting 308.
Did i mention that probably 1/3 of all the deer taken at our camp over the years have been taken by young kids?
And I'm talking distances of close to 1000 yds a few times.
They learned to shoot in the front yard with cartridges like a 308.
At age 14 one of my grand sons took a Porcupine out of a tree
At 900+ yds with his Savage 308 with a inexpensive Nikon Buckmaster scope. It's the heavier pricier model with the aluminum bedding system and Accu trigger. Maybe a model 10 FCP? It was/is available in 338 Lapua also.
Probably the most accurate shooting factory gun I've seen.
Not knocking a 300 WM mind you, but not the best choice for anyone learning and attempting to build their confidence.
BTW, we shoot from a portable bench, including when we hunt, as do most all of the other PA long range hunters.

 

[338 dude]

Well nobody got around to WELCOME YOU,,,,,Welcome you picked a fine site to join alot of good input here..

So true!

 

[338 dude]

I agree with jmcmath on the X-bolt recommendation. Probably one of the better production rifles you're gonna get, along with Savage IMHO. .270 or 7 mm mag fine too, but I'd opt for one of the more robust 6.5 variants (-284 or PRC) if it were me.

I have a 6.5 x 284 Norma custom I would definitely recommend that I regularly shoot steel out to 1000 and it has killed an antelope at 783 my farthest so far

 

[338 dude]

Well remember one thing Turkeyman, the vast majority of long range hunting shots are taken at ranges well under 1000 yds.
And fact is more are taken at 4 or five hundred than are taken at 800, including those taken on Western hunts.
The key is to be successful, in the early stages especially, and then build on that.
Our camp in N C PA is strictly a bucks only, long range only camp that has existed since the early 70s. We can easily shoot from 400 out to 1400 yds from the front yard, and with a little more effort out to a mile and even further.
We have done a lot of shooting from the front yard, especially after the leaves come off in the late fall.
We have a large selection of magnum hunting guns up to and including the larger 338s.
But do you know what we use most for practice shooting?
Well if you guessed 308 you would be correct.
You will learn all you need to learn with a good accurate shooting 308.
Did i mention that probably 1/3 of all the deer taken at our camp over the years have been taken by young kids?
And I'm talking distances of close to 1000 yds a few times.
They learned to shoot in the front yard with cartridges like a 308.
At age 14 one of my grand sons took a Porcupine out of a tree
At 900+ yds with his Savage 308 with a inexpensive Nikon Buckmaster scope. It's the heavier pricier model with the aluminum bedding system and Accu trigger. Maybe a model 10 FCP? It was/is available in 338 Lapua also.
Probably the most accurate shooting factory gun I've seen.
Not knocking a 300 WM mind you, but not the best choice for anyone learning and attempting to build their confidence.
BTW, we shoot from a portable bench, including when we hunt, as do most all of the other PA long range hunters.

Yes 308 is 10fcp and 338 is 110 fcp, I have the 338 it is a great rifle. Now with a bartlien barrel and a nightforce atacr

 

[entoptics]

I have decided that I want a gun that I can shoot to 500-600 yards but I also want to hunt with it. I was thinking 300 win mag, that way if I want to go out west I will have a gun that has the nock down power. my budget is around 1500 dollars for rifle and scope. Thank you for your help. Also why can I not comment on the classified ads?

The classifieds are restricted till you hit a certain post count I believe. To keep scammers and bots away I assume.

Do you reload, and if so, are you experienced at it and/or willing to study the process? It's a critical question for determining what's best for your situation.

For factory ammo, 300 Win Mag or 7mm Rem Mag are almost "no brainer". Plenty of power, outstanding ballistics, and billions of ammo choices. 500-600 yds is not a huge distance, but IMO, ~2000 fps and ~1700 ftlbs are necessary for elk. There are very few rounds below 0.284 that will do that at 600 yds. 30-06 certainly won't either.

For factory rifles, the Savage 110 and Browning X-Bolt seem to have the most "shoots good out of the box" reports. I'd recommend something with a medium contour barrel, that weighs 8.5 lbs or less, and has a muzzle break or threaded barrel for aftermarket break. I like Savage, because the barrels are easy to swap if you decide to upgrade later.

For scopes, if you spend around $400-$600 on a clearance/sale scope (or good condition used), with min power from 3X-5X and max power from 15X-20X, you'll have good glass capable of what you need. Finger adjustable turrets and a measuring reticle (hashed in MOA or MILS, not BDC generic ones), are almost essential. Don't let crazy feature lists sell you. If it has "all the features" of a scope 2X more expensive, then it probably has durability or clarity problems. No such thing as a free lunch.

 

[JMB 1911]

welcome

first rifle I would go 30/06 commercial ammo offerings everywhere and you an shoot everything with it.

for the money Savage is very hard to beat but there are a bunch of great guns offered now shooting under MOA