I need some opinions on what is currently the best factory rifle available for LR hunting, I live in australia and want something to shoot pigs, goats and sambar at ranges upto 1000m. currently i'm looking at remington sendero, HS precision HTR. Any thoughts would be great.
Need advice on LR out of the box rifle.
- Thread starter matt g
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cannot go wrong with 300 win mag. try 210 bergers or 210 jlks if you can get them. At 1000 yds, quality bullets and brass are key. 300 win mag has both.
Mysticplayer
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2001
- Messages
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I will offer what I have done for myself as an example. Deer is what I would be LR shooting for. Body weight under 250lbs.
I am guessing that this will be a bench type rifle so weight will not be an issue. Go with the best barrel you can afford and a fair commercial or military action. I used a P14 enfield action. Commercial rifles tend not to have barrels accurate enough to hit your size of target at long range. Get some trigger work done to get it crisp and as light as you can handle. Proper bedding and a solid stock are a given.
Cartridge will be a larger case magnum. Mine was a 300Wby. The 300RUM, win mag are also good options. If you lean towards the 7mm, then 7 STW, 7 RUM would be good choices.
Bullet weights could range from the 155 to 240gr in the 30 cal. Most would suggest the 220 or 240gr MK but may be difficult for you to get. The Hornady AMax are wonderful bullets and a 155 to 179gr bullet may be a lot easier to find. Nosler BT are also great choices. Accuracy is paramount. At the long ranges, impact vel. is so low that even a "lightly" constructed match bullet will work fine.
Would lean towards the 150 to 180gr 7mm bullets. Of course, match type bullets are better choices. Not so for close in shots.
I want a min of 3000fps for muzzle vel. More of course would be better. This may dictate a barrel over 28" long. Most here will use a barrel as long as possible.
The best optics you can afford with repeatable target knobs. A quality rangefinder, and spotting scope/binos. Also a solid rest and bench.
Those are the general parameters I have considered and my rig can be effectively used to 1000yds plus on deer.
The last ingredient is practise and load development. You need to maintain an accuracy level about 2/3 the size of your target at your furthest range to be effective. So enjoy lots of shooting.
I am unaware of an off the rack rifle that will deliver the type of consistent performance you want. There is always the "hummer" factory gun you hear of but as a rule...no. Savage, and Sako/Tikka are excellent. As are some Remingtons and CZ's. Most can be made to shoot MOA or better, but if you are trying to hit a 6" target at 1000m you are going to need more then MOA on occasion. Save money and rebarrel a cheaper used rifle.
Good luck...
Jerry
I am guessing that this will be a bench type rifle so weight will not be an issue. Go with the best barrel you can afford and a fair commercial or military action. I used a P14 enfield action. Commercial rifles tend not to have barrels accurate enough to hit your size of target at long range. Get some trigger work done to get it crisp and as light as you can handle. Proper bedding and a solid stock are a given.
Cartridge will be a larger case magnum. Mine was a 300Wby. The 300RUM, win mag are also good options. If you lean towards the 7mm, then 7 STW, 7 RUM would be good choices.
Bullet weights could range from the 155 to 240gr in the 30 cal. Most would suggest the 220 or 240gr MK but may be difficult for you to get. The Hornady AMax are wonderful bullets and a 155 to 179gr bullet may be a lot easier to find. Nosler BT are also great choices. Accuracy is paramount. At the long ranges, impact vel. is so low that even a "lightly" constructed match bullet will work fine.
Would lean towards the 150 to 180gr 7mm bullets. Of course, match type bullets are better choices. Not so for close in shots.
I want a min of 3000fps for muzzle vel. More of course would be better. This may dictate a barrel over 28" long. Most here will use a barrel as long as possible.
The best optics you can afford with repeatable target knobs. A quality rangefinder, and spotting scope/binos. Also a solid rest and bench.
Those are the general parameters I have considered and my rig can be effectively used to 1000yds plus on deer.
The last ingredient is practise and load development. You need to maintain an accuracy level about 2/3 the size of your target at your furthest range to be effective. So enjoy lots of shooting.
I am unaware of an off the rack rifle that will deliver the type of consistent performance you want. There is always the "hummer" factory gun you hear of but as a rule...no. Savage, and Sako/Tikka are excellent. As are some Remingtons and CZ's. Most can be made to shoot MOA or better, but if you are trying to hit a 6" target at 1000m you are going to need more then MOA on occasion. Save money and rebarrel a cheaper used rifle.
Good luck...
Jerry
Boyd Heaton
Well-Known Member
Sendero in 300 RUM........220gr MatchKing's at around 3050fps.Mine shot .5 inch 5 shot groups out of the box.Brass is fine for hunting.....I'm telling you this because I've been there....If I were to buy another gun that is what it would be....
Mike375
Active Member
Matt,
A view from Australia
Firstly calibre. The 300 Winchester will be much better for powder out here than the 300 Ultra. You can used 2209, 2213 and the new Winchester powder which is like Reloader 22. The 300 Ultra really is a 2217 caliber or Reloader 25. Don't know where you will get Re 25 from. The fellow in Canberra, I think it is Bruce Brown occassionally brings in Reloader powder. But if your 300 Ultra won't shoot 2217 you could have some difficulty.
Rem 700 is the easiest action to use because you can buy all the bits. Think V8 Commodore if you want to make a hot car or 350 Chev for a quick boat.
Sendero is a good place to start with a factory rifle, but "start" is the key word.
For about the same money you buy a junk Rem 700 for the action, say $600, get a HSPrecision stock (I think Senderos now use the cheaper Bell and Carson stock) for about $700 and a chambered Tobler or Maddco barrel for about $600.
So about the same all up as the Sendero but you have an HSPrecision stock for sure and a match barrel.
The other way is the Model 70. In recent years Jewell triggers have been made for the Model 70 which really adds to the Model 70.
Basically, the Model 70 is nicer for a switch barrel rifle because of the intergral recoil lug.
On the other hand, if ever you go the "glue in" road the round Rem 700 is better (to get apart) and also the Rem 700 lets you remove the trigger without having to unglue the rifle.
As to the HSprecision rifle, it is very expensive and is essentially a nicely made Rem 700 with a Sako style extractor already fitted.
A lot of blokes on this forum may disagree with me, but in my opinion if you have a good barrel on a correctly bedded action and assume the scope/mounts and loads are right, that is about 99% of the accuracy potential you will get from that barrel.
In other words, a Rem 700 or Model 70 will deliver the accuracy as compared to custom actions. Lots of blokes out here have bench rifles on both Rem 700 and Stolles and can't tell the difference except that the Stolle is nicer to use.
Good luck with your purchase/project
Mike
[ 08-02-2002: Message edited by: Mike375 ]
A view from Australia
Firstly calibre. The 300 Winchester will be much better for powder out here than the 300 Ultra. You can used 2209, 2213 and the new Winchester powder which is like Reloader 22. The 300 Ultra really is a 2217 caliber or Reloader 25. Don't know where you will get Re 25 from. The fellow in Canberra, I think it is Bruce Brown occassionally brings in Reloader powder. But if your 300 Ultra won't shoot 2217 you could have some difficulty.
Rem 700 is the easiest action to use because you can buy all the bits. Think V8 Commodore if you want to make a hot car or 350 Chev for a quick boat.
Sendero is a good place to start with a factory rifle, but "start" is the key word.
For about the same money you buy a junk Rem 700 for the action, say $600, get a HSPrecision stock (I think Senderos now use the cheaper Bell and Carson stock) for about $700 and a chambered Tobler or Maddco barrel for about $600.
So about the same all up as the Sendero but you have an HSPrecision stock for sure and a match barrel.
The other way is the Model 70. In recent years Jewell triggers have been made for the Model 70 which really adds to the Model 70.
Basically, the Model 70 is nicer for a switch barrel rifle because of the intergral recoil lug.
On the other hand, if ever you go the "glue in" road the round Rem 700 is better (to get apart) and also the Rem 700 lets you remove the trigger without having to unglue the rifle.
As to the HSprecision rifle, it is very expensive and is essentially a nicely made Rem 700 with a Sako style extractor already fitted.
A lot of blokes on this forum may disagree with me, but in my opinion if you have a good barrel on a correctly bedded action and assume the scope/mounts and loads are right, that is about 99% of the accuracy potential you will get from that barrel.
In other words, a Rem 700 or Model 70 will deliver the accuracy as compared to custom actions. Lots of blokes out here have bench rifles on both Rem 700 and Stolles and can't tell the difference except that the Stolle is nicer to use.
Good luck with your purchase/project
Mike
[ 08-02-2002: Message edited by: Mike375 ]
schapman43
Member
I have no experience with hunting so I cant comment on the caliber. I can say the Remington 700 rifles are extremely nice for what you pay. I have the VS in .308, the Sendero in 300 Win Mag, and put a Sendero in .338RUM on layaway. They all are still using HS Precision Stocks. They are fairly light, very stiff, comfortable and have a aluminum bedding block. I paid $599 for the VS, $649 for the .300WM, and am paying $789 for the .338RUM. I bought the VS before the price hike that took place at the beginning of the year. I highly recommend Remington factory rifles.
MOA
Well-Known Member
I have a 338 RUM sendero. 1/2 MOA is the norm. Buy a Sendero and you will not regret it. I threw on a badger angled base with badger rings and a Leupold 4.5-14 LR scope. This is an awesone set up and I highly recommed it.
Totoro
Well-Known Member
Matt,
I am new to the forum but I have a few ideas and opinions to share. With respect to the 2 rifles you had listed I would tend to lean toward the Remington. My experience with HS Precision Custom Rifles has been nothing short of horrible. I waited 15 months for a special order 300RUM and still didn't get it. But that is just one instance. Needless to say, be prepared to wait.
OTOH, I have nothing but praise for the Rem. In particular the Sendero model. I am partial to 308 calibre so the natural choices would be 300Win/Wthby/RUM.
You may also want to look into the Weatherby AccuMark 30-378 boomer. Definitely a long range contender.
Good Luck
Verrocchio
I am new to the forum but I have a few ideas and opinions to share. With respect to the 2 rifles you had listed I would tend to lean toward the Remington. My experience with HS Precision Custom Rifles has been nothing short of horrible. I waited 15 months for a special order 300RUM and still didn't get it. But that is just one instance. Needless to say, be prepared to wait.
OTOH, I have nothing but praise for the Rem. In particular the Sendero model. I am partial to 308 calibre so the natural choices would be 300Win/Wthby/RUM.
You may also want to look into the Weatherby AccuMark 30-378 boomer. Definitely a long range contender.
Good Luck
Verrocchio
I have shoot a Sendero in 300 Win MAG load with 185 gr Lapua Buller Scenar and Vita N165 that work fine at 1 K
Sendero with a small blue print ( receiver squaring and // groung recoil lug with headspace set to minimum ) make real acccurate rifle if you compare to custom rifles .
price is better than HS and in SENDERO you have already a HS stock .
300 WIN MAG is easy to load with bullet up to 220 gr SMK or 210 Berger ( if available in Aus ) .and without exotic powder or hard to find brass .
after to have burn the Rem barrel you can put a Matco or an other Ausy barrel made and improve the accuracy .
good shooting
DAN TEC
Sendero with a small blue print ( receiver squaring and // groung recoil lug with headspace set to minimum ) make real acccurate rifle if you compare to custom rifles .
price is better than HS and in SENDERO you have already a HS stock .
300 WIN MAG is easy to load with bullet up to 220 gr SMK or 210 Berger ( if available in Aus ) .and without exotic powder or hard to find brass .
after to have burn the Rem barrel you can put a Matco or an other Ausy barrel made and improve the accuracy .
good shooting
DAN TEC
Mike375
Active Member
DANTEC,
I read on one of the other forums that both Rem Sendero and Wby Accumark started out with HS precion stock but that recently they both went to Bell and Carson stocks.
Do you know if this istrue.
Mike
I read on one of the other forums that both Rem Sendero and Wby Accumark started out with HS precion stock but that recently they both went to Bell and Carson stocks.
Do you know if this istrue.
Mike
Totoro
Well-Known Member
Mike,
As of 2002 production, Rem is still using HS stocks. At least, that's the answer I got from Rem about a month ago.
Verrocchio
As of 2002 production, Rem is still using HS stocks. At least, that's the answer I got from Rem about a month ago.
Verrocchio
Mike375
Active Member
Verrocchio,
Thanks for that.
Mike
Thanks for that.
Mike
