New to the long range game

[Ryan B]

I am looking to get into long range shooting.
I have settled on a .308, my question is the gun i would like to get, a savage Model 10FP-LE2 has a 1 in 10 twist opposed to 1 in 12 for the Remington 700P is this suitable for shooting 168 -175 grain bullets at 700-1000 yards.
thanks
Ryan

 

[chessman]

Great choice! Great rifle for the money!

From my experience, the 1 in 10 twist is a bit fast for the 168's at great distances. I haven't tried 175's yet, but that rifle LOVES the 190's at 1000. I would think it would be just as happy with 180's as well. Mine shoots <0.5" groups with the 168's at 100 yards. After about 400 yards the performance drops and by 600 they are still grouping fairly well, but the difference I see in drop from what I think I should tells me that I'm spinning the bullet too fast.

 

[Guest]

Ryan B-- Mr. Teo is right on. A 308 will be deflected over 2 feet at 600 yards in a 10 MPH wind. The other cartridges will serve you much better past 700 yards and out to or beyond 1000 yards. Your search for a cartridge better at deflecting the wind will be time well spent.

 

[chessman]

I can't argue with either of the two previous posts, and I am certainly a fan of many different calibers and cartridges. I would however like to offer another point of view. The ability to read the wind often means the difference between a win and a loss at long range competitions. All rounds will see some effect from the wind. Shooting a round that is less effected by the wind means that shooting it will teach you less. Pick your chambering to meet your needs and goals. I love to shoot rimfire competitions at 100 yards and patched round balls out of my muzzle-loader at 500. My .308 has enough energy to punch clean holes in paper at 100 yards, and take lighter game at 800. I am building bigger toys, but the .308 still has a lot to teach me.

That said, Jerry's list of calibers is right on the money. With the Savage, you have the option of changing calibers at home in an hour, and for less than $300. I still think buying the Savage in the caliber it is offered in and changing it later is a bargain for somebody who is just getting into this aspect of the sport. I myself will be rebarreling my Savage in .260 Rem fairly soon.

 

[Mysticplayer]

Ryan, since you are looking to shoot beyond 700yds, I would like to make these suggestions.

First off, don't get a 308. I have owned and still own several. A wonderful cartridge but ballistically, not up to modern tech.

From a purely ballistic standpoint, the 6mm, 6.5 and 7mm are much much better in this case size. Suggested cartridges include the 243, 6mm Rem, 260Rem, 7-08, 6.5-06/6.5-284 ( readily available wildcats), and 280Rem. For lighter recoil and reduced shooting cost, the 223 and 75gr Amax will hold its own against the 308 and 175gr MK. A 22-250 simply puts it to shame.

Unless, you are shooting in a class that requires the 308, have a look at the above cals. Run the bullet data through any ballistics program and you will be stunned at the difference.

The reduced wind drift of 140gr 6.5 or 162gr 7mm can be measured in feet at 1000yds.

Jerry

 

[Ryan B]

Great replies guy's thanks for the info. I may take a closer look at the 6MM remington.

Thanks
Ryan

 

[Mysticplayer]

Short of a laser, you have to dope every cartridge available today. What a high vel, high BC combo does is make that doping more forgiving.

In varying conditions, the HV/HBC combo will 'shoot' through the conditions and put a bullet on target. You can learn the difference between say a 5 or 10MPH crosswind. Not have to see the diff between 5 and 6MPH.

The 308 is going to vary considerably from shot to shot in 'bumpy' weather. Without experience, you are going to be chasing the bullet and frustrate yourself to no end.

Once you have learnt to judge conditions with the HV/HBC stuff, switching to more demanding cartridges like the 308 will increase the challenge.

Jerry

 

[Richard338]

You could do what I did. I shot .308 for a season, then rebarreled to .260 Rem.
The .308 is a good cartridge, and you will learn about the wind. Also for F-class shooting there is a catagory for .308, so you aren't getting beat by guys with 6.5-284.

With .260 Rem, you get the high BC 6.5 bullets, and long barrel life (vs 6.5-284). Also you can just neck down your brass when you switch over.