Long range rifle off the shelf?

[Moose hunter]

Whats everybody using for long range hunting application? Im curiouse if most have factory rifles or customs? What calliber do you think is the best universal long range calliber? What moa are you getting with your off the shelf rifles.

Thanks.

 

[britz]

There is no one answer for the "best". It all depends on how far you are going to shoot what game as well as many other variables including your personal prefference. I shoot a Tikka T3 300wsm and have been getting solid .5 MOA accuracy w/ it with select loads. I only will hunt to about 600 yards at this time due to my ability level (haven't made any shots that far on game yet - but I've killed many targets and baloons at that range LOL!

I feel confident that the rifle and the caliber would be sufficient for white tail out past 900 when *my* ability level increases.

In a couple of years I'd like to build something like a 260 rem semi custom for long range varmint and deer. I live in MN, and don't plan on going elk hunting too often, but if I did, I would be building something in 338.

 

[wildcat]

Moose Hunter,

I am a serious varmint hunter, and I use a custom rifle. The cartridge I use is the 300 WSM which is designed around .337 tightneck match chamber, Nesika Model K Action, Jewel trigger, Bartlien 30", 1-15 twist barrel which pushes the 125grn BT at 4000fps. I use this rifle for shots from 100 to 800 yards.

I really think the 300 WSM is a very versitile long range cartidge. With a 30" barrel, it will push a 210grn bullet at 3000fps. Many 1000 yard bench rest shooters are turning to the 300 WSM because it is performng very well at these matches. It has a ton of power and will allow you to kill any type of animal in the U.S.

I think there are a few cartiridges that would fit the bill as the best overall long range cartridge. Here are a few I would mention; 6.5x284, 7mmRem Mag, 7RUM, 300 WM, 300 WSM, 300RUM, 30-378 Weatherby Magnum, 338 Lapua Magnum and the 338-378 Weatherby Magnum.

There are even better overall long range cartridges you can use. They are the 270 Allen Mag, 7mm Allen Mag and the 338 Allen Mag. These are the ultimate long range cartridges you can own. However, you have to have a custom rifle to shoot them and the person you need to contact to have one built would be Kirby Allen (Fifty). He is the designer of the above mentioned Allen Mags. You will not find a more powerfull, flat shooting line of cartridges anywhere. Send a post to Fifty (Kirby Allen), and he will give you a much better description about his line of Allen Mags than anyone on this site can.

If your thinking about having the ultimate long range hunting rifle built and you want the ultimate cartridge, have Kirby build and chamber your rifle.

W.

 

[7mmSendaro]

If you are looking for an off the shelf rifle, the Remington Senderos have a big following and for good reason. They come complete with heavy contour barrel, HS stock and are great shooters right out of the box. Add a Jewel trigger and skim bedding and your in business. They are a great and relatively in-expensive way to get in the game.

Savage also has some great off the shelf rifles, also. I don't know much about them yet but I have one on the way.

 

[Coues Sniper]

If you are looking for an off the shelf rifle, the Remington Senderos have a big following and for good reason. They come complete with heavy contour barrel, HS stock and are great shooters right out of the box. Add a Jewel trigger and skim bedding and your in business. They are a great and relatively in-expensive way to get in the game.

Couldn't agree more. I have a Sendero that shoots well under MOA and is completely stock. (Minor trigger work, but stock trigger)

 

[browningvarmintwssm]

browning varmint in 243 short mag. all i really hunt is deer and predator, and my longest shot would be 400yds and that's on a powerline. but i get .5 moa at 100yds with my handloads. but the rifle comes from the factory with: palm swell in the stock + the stock is glass beded, and free floated, it also has a pretty good adjustable trigger.

 

[royinidaho]

Off the shelf I'd pick a Remington 7mm, 300 RUM or maybe 338 RUM. BDL or Sendero I really wouldn't care. Then I'd start diddling with it as in reconfiguring the stock and adjusting the trigger.

The 7 will do the job. The 300 will do the job. But the terminal results of the 300 SMK are a rush. Especially when practicing on LR rocks.

I also shoot a 270 Allen Mag which is a laser compared to the 338's rain bow trajectory.

When you carry the Sendero you kind of swagger a bit. When you carry an Allen Mag you it tends to be more of a strut. That is if you can shoot it well.

 

[Boss Hoss]

The main reason I have mine built from the ground up is so that this is never an issue. For many years I had hit and miss rifles-----spent a lot of time and money on crap---the only factory guns I have now are a few collector ones. When you know everything is right from the start then you can concentrate on shooting and loading.

It is exciting I must admit to have a factory gun shoot tiny little holes! Six years ago I was not this bad but getting involved in 1K BR has ruined me with respect to my expectations. Is it necessary for a sporter to be able to fire 5 rounds (clean bore cold barrel) into .5 within a couple of minutes or less? No but that is good or bad what my expectations are now. This method is pretty much line it up in the bags check condition and pull the trigger sending 5 rounds down range as fast as possible.

To my small mind it simulates what I do for fun in competition and pretty much covers any situation that I may come across in the field. A few times there have been more feral hogs for me to shoot at long range than I had gun for. The example I am thinking of was a 30-378 that would literally put 2 shots into .3 (MOA @ 300 yards) every single time the next shot would be a couple inches to the left or right and the next would be 7 or 8 like a shot gun. Quite a bit of stress in that tube and that is just a single example. Have a lot of fun planning and building ----- for me it is just like a young man at Christmas when I get to go and shoot my latest project.

 

[stifle]

senderos shoot

Moose Hunter,
+1 on the sendero for a good factory starter rifle. I have a couple customs and this sendero seems to be able to hold its own. I have the pictures of this rifle posted on the gun pics page (300 rum shooting nice). I believe I am into the whole package including the scope about 3000.00. It does not take much to turn a sendero into a tack driver. gun)