New LR rig

[sharpshooter1]

Hi all, I am looking to build myself a LR rig. I need some suggestions/recommendations as far as caliber and cartridge. I do not anticipate any game larger than deer, but the ranges may get up to 12-1300 yards. I would also like to be able to punch paper from 1000 yards at my local range. I am seriously considering the .300 RUM with a berger 210 grain VLD, but I am not positive. I have plenty of time to think about it, as I am still in the working extra hours and saving phase lol. Any ideas? Thanks, Sharpshooter
P.S. I need to be able to find factory dies, not custom. Also, I am not worried about recoil, I can take quite a bit, plus whatever I build will have a muzzle brake. (Probably a holland...)

 

[Buffalobob]

All depends upon what flavor of ice cream you like. Its your money and you are the one that needs to be happy.

East coast whitetail deer don't exactly require a whole lot killing power down range and that is the deer I assume you are talking about.

While you might could squeak by with one of the large 6mm and a 115 grain bullet, I think perhaps the 257 Wby would be the minimum starting point for a downrange limit of 1300 yards and then the 25 STW and the 25AM would be next. Richard Graves makes some 130 & 140 grain RBBT HP 257 bullets that will most likely deliver the mail at that range.

After that there is the 264 Winchester Magnum and the 140 grain ULDs.

Then you move to the various 7mm and probably almost anything with the word magnum attached to it will do. And the same thing with 30 caliber.

Couple of points I would make. A serious long range rifle capable of hitting a whitetail deer at those ranges needs to be very accurate and designed from the ground up to do that (plus built by a very very good smith). If you like to poke around in the piney woods and shoot deer at 50 yards you should just have you another gun for doing exactly that. Nothing wrong with going in the woods after them but just don't compromise on your long range gun and try to build a "do everything" gun.

Obviuosly, I like the smaller caliber guns. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Varmint Hunter]

Eastern whitetails don't seem to need a lot of bullet weight to get the job done. I'd go with a 7STW or similar cartridge and forget about the brake. I HATE brakes for hunting. You only have to forget your hearing protection once and you will too. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif Any of the high BC .284 match bullets should get you on target at the distances that you mentioned.

The 300RUM is more of a good thing but is also more blast, more recoil and wastes more powder than is really necessary. IMO anyway