I agree with the notion that the scope will generally cost more than the rifle for precision long range shooting. With the exception of one of my customs which was a gift, my other five LR rigs have scopes that range from 1-2 times the cost of the rifle and added accessories. What gives me pause is that this can be carried to the extreme. If you start with a cheap rifle you may be lucky and have a great shooter, but there is a likelyhood that even though the process can be stretched over time, this can be a false economy, and a great waste of time with high frustration. I would opt for a balanced approach myself. The OP's initial instinct to get the Rem Milspec 5R was a good one. I have owned three since their initial availability. I have put several thousands of round through these rifles that are used for tactical, hunting,etc. The most recent was a few months ago. All were nicely finished, produced superb accuracy out of the box, and exhibit the characteristics of a custom barrel/action, and a very good stock. For $1100 they are a bargain. It would be a tough decision, that would make me lean in the direction of trying to get some additional bucks together to find a good scope. I would feel that I was ahead of the game in the end. iMO.
