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[Guest]

Can a rifle straight off the shelf be used for long range hunting ( out to 900 yds.) if a good scope is mounted on it? OR which rifle and of what caliber can be used, assuming the shooter has the ability also? My concern is that off the shelf rifles may not be accurate enough all the time. Thanks, Laine

 

[arthurj]

An "off the shelf" the shelf rifle can certainly be used for hunting out to 900 yards if it is proven to shoot good groups and the shooter has the ability. The problem is that it is a gamble with factory rifles. One rifle may shoot a 1/2 moa out of the box and another may shoot 2moa. Your just not guaranteed that it will hold tight enough groups like you are with a trued up custom. You can buy a factory rifle, see how it shoots, then you may opt to have it bedded and make sure the barrel is floated. You basicly just have to risk it. The rifle I shoot now is a factory gun that was skim bedded and it will hold an 8" group out to 1000 yds if I do my part. Though I am not to the level yet where I am confident enough to make a 900 yd "1st sho clean kill". So yes a factory gun can be very capable of 900yd hunting.

 

[Kenster-Boy]

Yes, I would second the thought that a factory rifle can be used for long range hunting. I would also say that it is sort of a luck of the draw when talking about the accuracy of a factory rifle. If the guy at the factory was a little hungover that morning at work and was a couple thou off with the reamer then the rifel will never shoot worth a darn. But if he was right on then you got a winner.
I would say to get any factory rifle bedded and have a target grade crown installed on your rifle. They are inexpensive procedures and I feel they do the most to improve your accuracy. At least it shrunk my groups to less than 1/2 of what they were before having it done.

 

[sniper2]

I know of two mod 116 SAK Savages that will shoot sub sub min.I have shot a 2.534" 3 shot group at 635yds. measured
not guessed with one of these.They make about a .42 hole at 100 yds.but Savage makes thousands of rifles and these are just two of them.

 

[Buffalobob]

Common factory cartridges with 1000 # @ 1000 yds

257 Wby, 308, 30-06, 270Win etc good to 800yds

264 Win to 900+yds

270 Wby 1000yds

7mm Rem., Wby , STW, & RUM
300Win, 300Wby, 300 RUM, 30-378
338 L, RUM, WBY

Probably forgot a few, Maybe some of the new short mags might make it.

Basically to get to 900/1000yds with deer killing energy you are into "magnums" with large cases burning lots of powder and long heavy bullets. You are also into reloading to get those bullet and to get the accuracy.

There is no free ride. All of this comes with reduced barrel life, increased recoil, increased weight, increased costs. Mostly it comes with lots and lots of practice.

These are just the factory rounds and probably not all of them. If you are new to shooting in general then you might want to give very serious considration to the 800yd cartridges. They are easier to work with and have been tried and proven, they just do not have the exact range you specified. Once you are comfortable to 800 yds then you can rebarrel or get a new gun in a larger capacity case.

For under 900 there are many people who like the 308 and it is known to be accurate. For Over 900 the 300Win has a huge fan club and is known to be accurate.

In the end it is your money and it is you that has to be happy.