First long range hunting rig/build!

matt_3479

matt_3479

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Joined
Jan 31, 2010
Messages
1,586
Location
Southern Ontario
I finally stopped kidding myself and realized i wanted to do it right and start a build. I am beyond interested in long range shooting and hunting. Where i hunt i have had shot opportunities out too 800 yards but never had the equipment or practice. I bought a Vortex Viper for my incredibly accurate 243. win remington model 700 and a PST for my accurate 300. wsm browning a-bolt. But i know its no true long range killer, maybe paper puncher but no killer unless i can make sure shots hit there mark.

I have a Remington 700 BDL 7mm rem mag which would make the perfect doner action and i have been thinking for sometime now what to do with it. I was thinking something along the lines of a Macmillan HTG or A-5 stock in either gap camo or Black/grey/lightgrey or white marble, a kreiger 26" #5 contour barrel, either fine tune the factory trigger or a jewel trigger, bed and true the action. Thats what i have gotten so far.

This rifle will be used for Whitetail out too about 600 yards max (longest my hunting scenarios allow) and about 800 yards max on Moose (longest this hunting scenario allows) but with most shots withing 600 here too. i would much prefer the caliber to have over the counter factory ammo in case of anything or be one i already have the stuff for. I could keep it as a 7mm rem mag (little on the light side), 300 wsm in a long action throated for 190-210 VLD's (i know the win mag is easier but love this caliber), or the 300. win mag.

I know calibers like the 300. RUM and any 338 is much preferred for game of my size at that range but i know each caliber i mentioned will do it. What is your thoughts?

Comments would be appreciated about calibers and preferences. Which one naturally preform the best. Heard stuff on wsm calibers being the ever slightest more accurate, dont know if thats true. I know the 300. win mag is naturallly pretty accurate.

This would be the first build, i dont know anything. So suggestions on the build itself would be much much appreciated! I know slim to none excited what i have read for the past year and a half. please help?
 
Based on your specifications and wanting to keep the option open to shoot factory ammo, IMO, the 338RUM would be the natural choice.
 
I dont want to jump up to any 338 for cost reasons. I do reload and have everything for a 7mm rem mag, 300. wsm and win mag and thats why those three calibers are my main concentration right now. it an up size is an absolute must then the 300 RUM would be my main concentration
 
matt_3479 said:
I finally stopped kidding myself and realized i wanted to do it right and start a build. I am beyond interested in long range shooting and hunting. Where i hunt i have had shot opportunities out too 800 yards but never had the equipment or practice. I bought a Vortex Viper for my incredibly accurate 243. win remington model 700 and a PST for my accurate 300. wsm browning a-bolt. But i know its no true long range killer, maybe paper puncher but no killer unless i can make sure shots hit there mark.

I have a Remington 700 BDL 7mm rem mag which would make the perfect doner action and i have been thinking for sometime now what to do with it. I was thinking something along the lines of a Macmillan HTG or A-5 stock in either gap camo or Black/grey/lightgrey or white marble, a kreiger 26" #5 contour barrel, either fine tune the factory trigger or a jewel trigger, bed and true the action. Thats what i have gotten so far.

This rifle will be used for Whitetail out too about 600 yards max (longest my hunting scenarios allow) and about 800 yards max on Moose (longest this hunting scenario allows) but with most shots withing 600 here too. i would much prefer the caliber to have over the counter factory ammo in case of anything or be one i already have the stuff for. I could keep it as a 7mm rem mag (little on the light side), 300 wsm in a long action throated for 190-210 VLD's (i know the win mag is easier but love this caliber), or the 300. win mag.

I know calibers like the 300. RUM and any 338 is much preferred for game of my size at that range but i know each caliber i mentioned will do it. What is your thoughts?

Comments would be appreciated about calibers and preferences. Which one naturally preform the best. Heard stuff on wsm calibers being the ever slightest more accurate, dont know if thats true. I know the 300. win mag is naturallly pretty accurate.

This would be the first build, i dont know anything. So suggestions on the build itself would be much much appreciated! I know slim to none excited what i have read for the past year and a half. please help?
Click to expand...
For a tactical hunter stock I'd say look to the Bell and Carlson M-40 or Mcmillan A3-Sporter. Mc's still not listing them on the site but they are making them. I can give you a link to them if you like as well so you can see them. For the B&C go to stocky's stocks.

Caliber wise I'd say go with the .300 Rum purely out of the versatility of the cartridge.

You can load up 200-220's for Moose at max power, and go down to 165-180's for everything else at very tolerable recoil levels even with full power loads if you have a decent recoil pad and muzzle brake.

Many here will tell you even going that route you are under gunned for Elk/Moose at that range but IF you can put it in the bread basket they'll be just as dead as if you hit them with a .50 cal.
 
Since nobody is picking the calibers you have posted, I personally would choose the 300 Win. Mag. It is a natural pick for the heavier bullets. The WSM is a good caliber and will push the heavies, but with the Hornady 208 amax/bthp 225 bthp, Berger's 210 and 230, Sierra's 200, 210, 220 SMK, it would be the better option in my opinion. It has more powder capacity and you will be able to shoot WSM speeds with less pressure with the big bullets. With that said, the 7mmRM with 162 amax and 168 Berger are beasts as well in the ranges you are wanting to shoot. However with any chance of ever shooting past 800, the 300WM is just going to be a good caliber for deer to 1200+, and Elk to 1000. I bet a moose would feel the pain at that distance also. 300 Win Mag gets my vote!

Tank
 
liltank said:
Since nobody is picking the calibers you have posted, I personally would choose the 300 Win. Mag. It is a natural pick for the heavier bullets. The WSM is a good caliber and will push the heavies, but with the Hornady 208 amax/bthp 225 bthp, Berger's 210 and 230, Sierra's 200, 210, 220 SMK, it would be the better option in my opinion. It has more powder capacity and you will be able to shoot WSM speeds with less pressure with the big bullets. With that said, the 7mmRM with 162 amax and 168 Berger are beasts as well in the ranges you are wanting to shoot. However with any chance of ever shooting past 800, the 300WM is just going to be a good caliber for deer to 1200+, and Elk to 1000. I bet a moose would feel the pain at that distance also. 300 Win Mag gets my vote!

Tank
Click to expand...

Thank you for sticking with the calibers mentioned. See i have always loved the 300. wsm but i know its not the most reasonable when the 300. win mag does it that much easier and better.

So for you in this situation it would be a fight between the 7mm mag and the 300. win mag with the 300 coming out on top.

if i were to shoot the 300 win mag i would be using the 210 berger bullets, and for the 7mm depending on velocities it would be the 180 bergers if not then 168. I have seen the 180's pushed close to 3000 fps and if thats the case then thats what would be fired. I looked everywhere last year for the longest possible shot to make sure i didn't go under gunned and as far as i have found its 800 yards. Now i know if i ran into a situation thats further the 300 would win but i didn't find anything over 800 and i rarely found that.
 
+1 300 win mag, it has won more 1k matches than all others combined plus it has a lot better quality brass available than anything mentioned other than the 7mm rem mag, but if another pound isn't an issue i'd use a 28" nbrsa heavy varmint contour or sendero contour. With good brass the 300wm can drive a 210 berger or 208 amax at 2950+ and not hurt the brass. I have shot a pile of rounds in several 300 wm's and it is a great round, but I now typically shoot short throat 300wby and it'll walk on the heels of a RUM with 10+ grains less powder which is another good option if you change your mind.
 
I think your on a good path with what you listed. I would find and talk to smiths who have built the 300 WSM for the 210 Berger, from what I've seen and know if built properly and throated correctly you won't leave much if any on the table between the WSM and the Win. not enough to make a difference at the ranges your talking. You like and already use the 300 WSM so perfect it and get to know it inside and out and make it work at it's best. The more quality rounds down range you can shoot the faster you'll learn and more you'll dig it!!!!
From there I go straight to 338 RUM, Norma or Edge, the large 300's and 7mm's are just not enough of a gain for the powder and barrel life over the WSM's. I know guys shooting 300 Rum's only 50-100fps faster than the WSM, not much gain for what your doing, IMO.

I would look really hard at the Manners MCS-T or T3 over the B&C, I have B&C's and have used the Manners and for just a little more the Manners is an outstanding value and has a better fit and feel in a hunting situation vs the B&C being kinda a club with a brick on the front. The McMillen is excellent but DANG $$$$
 
+1 for the 300 win mag, with the 7 stw in a close second. If you look at ballistic charts you would see that there isn't a great difference between a 7stw using 180 bergers, 300 rum using 230 gr bergers, and the 338 edge using 300 gr matchkings. What you will notice is what energy the arrive with. The 338 are way more power than you need. The 300 win is about the right balance. Sure the 7's give similar to better ballistics with less recoil but they don't deliver the energy either. If deer were your only game then I would say the rem mag would be fine but with moose/elk size animals the 300 with heavier bullets is an easy choice
 
I was originally leaning towards the 7mm rem mag because it is a little faster, little flatter with still good energy at the target but i feel like the shooting 210 bergers out of the 300. win mag would just do it a little bit better. I think they are just about tied.

does anyone have any advice towards the build itself? barrels, what should be done?
 
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