LR Hunting rifle and scope for $2500

[MerrillD14]

Whats the best hunting package for $2500 and able to shoot nearly 1000 yards? Preferably 7mm and hunting for deer and maybe elk

 

[toddc]

Spend $1000 on scope. $200 on mounts and rings. $800 on gun. $500 on reloading setup. Which and all that are variable and don't really matter.
Only issue is rangefinder, weather station, ballistic app, bipod and bags or rests, and a bunch of ammo to learn it.
I would look at Vortex, Savage and NF or similar mounts and rings.

Also, we really need more info, experience level, terrain expected, avg shot dist. Do you reload? If so do your loads have great SD and ES? Can you shoot a .5 MOA group? Lotsa questions and probably need more than 1 sentence of info to really help.

 

[MerrillD14]

Mainly Bean fields in Ohio, Intermediate Shooter, Longest Shot was 700 yards, Does not reload, Hornady Precision Hunter 162 grain ELD-X, Longest shot typically would be between 200 to 500 yards, Can shoot 1 MOA, Would like a synthetic stock, detach mag

 

[toddc]

Your whole choice comes down to 1 question. Nothing else will matter.

What is the caliber with good factory ammo choices? Not just 1 or 2 loads that may not work. You need a cartridge with dozens of different loads available to be safe.

The 300 WM is well represented but not a 7mm. Lots of 6.5s have good LR loads 7mms are a little less represented in factory loads. The 7 RM will probably be SAFEST if not sexy. To get to 1k you need to be over 160 in weight and IMHO the heavier the better. I'm not the right guy to pick a factory load as I haven't shot one since 75 or so except for the 6.5 and 300.

 

[MerrillD14]

Have you had experience with the Rem. LR?

 

[toddc]

Not much. It will be plenty adequate to 1k though. I have shot a bunch of game with it but it was 40 yrs ago. A LOT has changed lol. Main thing is to budget your whole setup.

Gun, Scope, mounts, rangefinder, rests or bipod, weather station, ballistic apps, chrono, and all of the other things it takes to shoot 1k successfully on game or even steel.

A $2500 budget for gun and optic will get you nowhere near an animal without all of these things.

 

[MerrillD14]

What is your personal rifle?

 

[toddc]

What is your personal rifle?

Nothing I have right now is really a typical LR rig. I mainly hunt from a vehicle so weight isn't a big issue. I actually roll around with a swiveling 150lb shooting table in my receiver hitch.
So I use a AR-10 in 6.5 Creed. .5MOA all day. 143ELD-X @2850. Wish it was a SAUM but it shoots well. The scope is not normal either, it's a Burris Eliminator III, glass sucks, but I run that gun for speed. Point, click, hold, bang. Multiple bangs if needed. So much faster than lazing, input data, dial/use reticle and then fire. I can engage very fast out to 800 on deer or 1300 on yotes.
My other truck gun is a 32lb 338 Edge. NF 5.5x22. Savage action, 30" Hart, homemade plywood stock, Basics trigger, Lug yada yada. Shoots 300SMKs at 2850 with ES under 10 fps. 1/2 MOA out to 1800 all day long and recoils like a 223.
Neither one of these is a typical LR build, they just fit my particular style really well.

 

[MerrillD14]

If you had to estimate, how much would you say your ar 10 setup cost?

 

[257Tony]

What about something like Brownings X-bolt LR hunter in 7mm RM or 26 nosler (street price around $1200), with a Nightforce SHV, Burris Veractiy, or similar scope. A setup like that would run you $2000-$2500.

 

[toddc]

If you had to estimate, how much would you say your ar 10 setup cost?

Paid $1200 for gun used. Probably cost $2200 to build. Scope was $1500 OTD. If you aren't going to reload and have a rangefinder and weather station, I would budget $1kfor gun and $1500 on glass.

 

[snox801]

Good advice here. I would also look at a 300 win mag. Like a savage lrh or 5r. 300 has lots of factory loads made for long range like HSM. If you do a savage long range hunter, Nightforce SHV. Egw rings. Should get you started then if you get a good range finder you should be alright. It does help to have all the other stuff. But you can do I with just that and lots of practice.

 

[MerrillD14]

Sako A7 Long Range or Browning X-Bolt Long Range Hunter?

 

[toddc]

He said he preferred a 7mm which is why I haven't pushed a 300 WM. But a 300 WM is THE GUN for his situation. The ammo availability makes it #1 by far.