I have a question on setup for a new shooting adventure for me.

[Mike22]

As the title says new shooting adventure for me. A shooting buddy want to try an shoot out to 1000yds. So I guess I'm going to start small an see how I like it and grow from there. I currently have available a Savage Tactical in .308 win. Its the older action with the round front and nearly flat rear. I have a Leupold one piece base currently for it. So the first question is. Will that base even work or do I need a 10 or 20moa base for it? Next question is how much magnification do I need? 18x ,25x or more? I realize this can be a very expensive adventure and trying to keep the cost down to begin with and see how i like it. Yes I will be reloading and working our way out to that distance at a local range. Any suggestions would be appreciated. No intention to hunt that distance just target practice.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[G Arlen Good]

Mike,
Do you currently have a scope and mounts for the rifle mentioned? If you do, use them to start. See how far your current equipment will take you. When you start to struggle, you'll know it's time to up grade to something else... more magnification, MOA rail, etc.
Get real good at 400 yds... no misses. This is were spin drift will just start to be seen. Once you master 400 yards, then stretch out to 600 yards. At this distance you may start to see some limitations with your magnification. Next, 800 yards. At this distance your equipment will start clearly talking to you. You'll know what you will need for the next step if you listen. Spend money when you know why you're spending it. Be patient.

Best regards

 

[imyourhuckleberry]

One normally needs 20 to 25 moa elevation adjustment to shoot 1000 yards. In reality you would not need a 10 or 20 moa base if your rifle scope has enough moa or mil elevation adjustment. What is great about the moa base is that when you adjust to target at 1000 yards it keep the reticle almost at the center of the lens where it is the sharpest and clearest.

Though you did not ask I am still going to give you some advice. I would not recommend just starting out at 1000 yards. You will be surprised how much of a difference it makes to shoot from 100 to 300 yards. So shoot until you can master each distance in increments of 100 yards. You will soon realize how much the wind really affects the bullet regardless of bullet weight and as the distances increase so will you notice spin drift as well.

As far as scope goes buy the best optical quality scope you can afford. The difference between a $400 scope and a $1000 is significant in optical quality but both useful to about 300 yards . But as distances increase you may wish you had a $1000 scope. At a certain price point you will not get a return on investment on the price of an ultra high scope worth thousands because your vision may not discern an improvement, also atmospheric conditions at longer distances will play havoc with your vision and on hot days the target may appear and disappear. At long distances one mainly is following the vapor trail of the bullet and/or you want to see which way the mirage is shifting. Just know that the higher the magnification you use for long distances the more you amplify atmospheric conditions.

 

[Mike22]

I have a base and no rings currently. And no scope that I would want use.

 

[Mike22]

One normally needs 20 to 25 moa to shoot elevation adjustment to shoot 1000 yards. In reality you would not need a 10 or 20 moa base if your rifle scope has enough moa or mil elevation adjustment. What is great about the moa base is that when you adjust to target at 1000 yards it keep the reticle almost at the cent of the lens where it is the sharpest and clearest.

Though you did not ask I am still going to give you some advice. I would not recommend just starting out shoot to 1000 yards. You will be surprised how much of a difference it makes to shoot from 100 to 300 yards. So shoot until you can master each distance in increments of 100 yards. You will soon realize how much the wind really affects the bullet regardless of bullet weight.

We are going to start at 100 and work out to that distance. No way I'm just slinging lead and hoping. I have shot a lot out to 200 and limited shooting to 300.

Thanks for the help

Mike

 

[Rick Richard]

Great advice in taking incremental steps and goals. Believe me, there is a WHOLE lot more going on when shooting at a grand.1000 yards will humble the most cocky shooter when they think it will be just a walk in the park…speaking from experience.

 

[G Arlen Good]

I have a base and no rings currently. And no scope that I would want use.

My recommendation is Arken scopes. They won't break the bank and they are good. I have six Arken scopes on various set-ups... including four rifles that hit consistently at 1,000 yards... and beyond (308 Win x 2, 6.5 CM, 243 Win). They track, they take abuse, and they have a very good warranty. I don't baby my scopes and I've been happy for years.

 

[G Arlen Good]

I have a base and no rings currently. And no scope that I would want

 

[FEENIX]

As the title says new shooting adventure for me. A shooting buddy want to try an shoot out to 1000yds. So I guess I'm going to start small an see how I like it and grow from there. I currently have available a Savage Tactical in .308 win. Its the older action with the round front and nearly flat rear. I have a Leupold one piece base currently for it. So the first question is. Will that base even work or do I need a 10 or 20moa base for it? Next question is how much magnification do I need? 18x ,25x or more? I realize this can be a very expensive adventure and trying to keep the cost down to begin with and see how i like it. Yes I will be reloading and working our way out to that distance at a local range. Any suggestions would be appreciated. No intention to hunt that distance just target practice.

Thanks,
Mike

I learned this from an optical SME quite some time ago.

With regards to magnification, it depends on your quality of vision to see your target effectively at 1000Y. For instance, I have a 5-20 on my .300 WSM; setup a target at 966Y. I needed 12X, but my son only needed 5X. Good luck and enjoy the learning process.

 

[G Arlen Good]

An important consideration when it comes to selection of scope magnification is target size. My favorite 1,000 yd target is a full-size, steel coyote. A hit anywhere on the target is good... for me.
A friend with whom I shoot brings water filled coffee creamer bottles... for 1,000 yd targets.
I don't shoot F-Class so the need for that level of precision doesn't exist for me.
I won't shoot big game at 1,000 yds and 600 yds is about maximum for Prarie dogs... maybe a bit farther for standing coyotes.
If the world goes to hell, I can still hit a man at 1,000 yds...'bout 80% of the time I reckon... with a good spotter.
If your target is the last bullet hole on a paper target at 1,000 yds, well then you're gonna need more than I need.
In this endeavor, you will always be learning. It really is about the journey so make sure that you enjoy the road.

 

[tribb]

An important consideration when it comes to selection of scope magnification is target size. My favorite 1,000 yd target is a full-size, steel coyote. A hit anywhere on the target is good... for me.
A friend with whom I shoot brings water filled coffee creamer bottles... for 1,000 yd targets.
I don't shoot F-Class so the need for that level of precision doesn't exist for me.
I won't shoot big game at 1,000 yds and 600 yds is about maximum for Prarie dogs... maybe a bit farther for standing coyotes.
If the world goes to hell, I can still hit a man at 1,000 yds...'bout 80% of the time I reckon... with a good spotter.
If your target is the last bullet hole on a paper target, well then you're gonna need more than I need.
In this endeavor, you will always be learning. It really is about the journey so make sure that you enjoy the road.

Well spoken sir

 

[DMP25-06]

I have shot in the Texas State Rifle Association 1000 Yard matches on 2 different occasions in F-TR Class , using my Remington Model 700 .308 Winchester with 24" varmint weight barrel, Leupold Mark IV 4.5-14x40mm (30mm tube), with a 20 MOA base.
Even now I have no problem with 14X magnification at 1000 yards, and I am now 76 years old.
Total weight of 10.5 pounds for rifle, scope, and Harris bipod.

Shooting 175gr Sierra Match King bullets @ 2704 FPS, with my scope zeroed at 100 yards, I had to elevate 37 MOA to shoot accurately to 1000 yards, at an elevation of 50 feet above sea level.

As FEENIX has suggested, I also reccommend a 20 MOA base , even though my scope has over 100 MOA of elevation adjustment.

Also, as others have suggested, work your way out to longer shooting distances incrementally, 100 -200-300-400 yards and farther shooting those distances proficiently before extending to the next farther distance.

You will need consistent ammunition, use a chronograph to verify muzzle velocity, and a good ballistics program for elevation and windage solutions as you extend your shooting range.

Having someone using a good spotting scope to spot your shots will be very helpful.
Even using a .308 Winchester, you will not be able to spot your own shots because of recoil.

Have Fun, and enjoy that satisfying "DING" sound when you strike steel at 1000 yards.

 

[MagnumManiac]

The basics for me quickly changed, both in cartridge and rifle, scope was last.
I went to 20MoA, then 30MoA rails before realising that I could be more proficient with my scope using a 40MoA rail and not shooting inside of 600.
I started with a 4.5-27x50 scope, progressed to a 7-35x56 scope and have stayed there for some time.
I shoot 3 distances, 600, 1000 and 2000 metres with these set-ups.
First thing is to calculate which rail you need, your scopes maximum elevation will tell you what it needs. Most start with a 20MoA rail and have good success. You will need side parallax adjustment for 1000 yards, I have heat shields and sunshades under and on my objective lens to help with mirage and to keep the sun out of my field of view late in the day.
I find light transmission through the scope is sensitive to my glass wearing, it appears more prominent at late afternoon rather than in the morning.

Cheers.

 

[G Arlen Good]

Well spoken sir

Thank you, Sir.