Which rifle to use for first long range set up.

[Coleman 45]

This is my first post on this website. I'm a high school senior in Texas. I have been hunting all my life, and am wanting to get into truly long range shooting. I've used the equipment i have to take game out to 430ish yards, and targets to 600. My main rifle is a Winchester model 70 .270 made in 1965. Its in a Hogue overmold stock with the aluminum block. My question is, should i use this rifle, or a Savage model 10 factory rifle in .270 as a starting point for a long range rifle? The m70 shoots sub MOA easily, and I havent tried grouping the savage. The savage also has a much thinner barrel than the winchester. Are either of these suitable for LR use?

 

[roninflag]

Coleman- welcome. the closer the completed rifle is to what they shoot in F-class or in the military ...... m24/40 ( both weigh 18 pounds or so). the more capable it will be. the remington sendero and the wincester laredo weigh less and are pretty good as they come from the factory.

 

[Barrelnut]

Sounds like the Mod 70 shoots pretty well!

IMO -in the long run you will need a caliber whose bullets have a higher BC once you start stretching it out past 600 yards. It will just drop less and buck the wind better.
The great think about the Savage is it is easy and inexpensive to change barrels. I would save the Savage until you were ready for a dedicated long range rifle, then build the Savage with a custom heavy barrel and a good stock. Get something like a 6.5x284 or a 300 Win Mag if you are going to hunt with it.

 

[Coleman 45]

The Model 70 without bipod is almost 10 pounds unloaded. And with a suitable longrange optic would probably be a little over 10 pounds. But this is with the factory barrel which is actually pretty heavy compared to my other rifles. But it is only 22 inches.

 

[Coleman 45]

I also dont have access to reloading equipment at this time. Therefore most desirable longrange rounds are out. This is basically going to be a starting point for an ongoing project for many years.

 

[Creedmoor shooter]

So are you wanting a different rifle and caliber all together or just choose between the two you have? If you were to choose between the two you have then id go with the one your most comfortable with. If your looking into a different long range gun and caliber then id suggest a caliber with a high B.C such as a 6.5 round.

 

[Bigcat_hunter]

How bad could a m70 be in 1965? Sorry but I have never had, seen or owned a winchester model 70 that I'd trade for a Savage. If it aint broke don't fix it.

 

[WILDBUCK]

savage ( 12 VLP DBM ) is the rifle you need for long range .

 

[roninflag]

Coleman- i have shot in competition out to 1000 yards. i have never shot against a .270 . i have shot against sporter weight rifles and they did not do well at all. if you want to shoot long range , you need a long range rifle and reloading equipment. you do not need two sporter weight .270s .

 

[Creedmoor shooter]

Coleman- i have shot in competition out to 1000 yards. i have never shot against a .270 . i have shot against sporter weight rifles and they did not do well at all. if you want to shoot long range , you need a long range rifle and reloading equipment. you do not need two sporter weight .270s .

+1 on the reloading part. 99% of all long range shooters reload their own ammo. Its hard to find factory ammo that shoots lights out at an affordable price. Also correct on the sporter weight rifles. Coleman, if your looking to buy a new rifle for long range then id suggest a savage or a custom build in a 6.5 Creedmoor. Since how you dont have access to reloading equipment, then you will have to buy factory ammo. Hornadys match Creedmoor ammo shoots lights out at an affordable price(25-28 bucks a box). Also, the Creedmoor is a great hunting cartridge. I've shoot a few critters with the 6.5 Creed' and it is devastation. There are other calibers out there that will work just fine for you as well but its hard to beat the Creedmoor when it comes to buying factory ammo.

Just my .02

 

[d11r529]

You didn't say what kind of scopes you are using. Don't let anybody tell you that you need to have a special rifle to shoot long range, helps but what you have will work just fine to get started. My Remington 700 CDL's in 243 and 300 win mag with Leupold 4-14X M1 dials will consistently ring a 12 inch plate at 840 yards. My Remington Sendero in 270 with a Leupold 6.5-20X will put some impressive groups on that same plate. For starters I would suggest - a good scope with dials, start reloading and a good rangefinder in whatever order you want to put them. Down the road you will probably want to get a different cal better suited to long range but start with what you have. As your just starting out, be careful not to over heat your barrel.

 

[Coleman 45]

What i am thinking right now is to most likely get a SWFA SS 10x scope to start with. My eyes are pretty good, and i like ten power, im also low on cash right now so i thought the swfa would be a good starting point for long range scope. Right now im just using a weaver 2-10 clasic v with the ebx reticle. and its good for shooting to around 400. but i have practiced and learned what range each dash actually shoots. I'm thinking to use the model 70 until the barrel is burnt out, then maybe get a new one in 6.5-06 and start reloading for it then. I was surprised just how good the rifle was when i stopped using the crappy cor-lokt ammo and switched to ballistic silvertips. When i do change barrels in the future im going to go with a varmint contour most likely. And i found out from my dad that the Savage was a walmart special when he bought it, so im probably not gonna mess with it

 

[roninflag]

i would get a 4.5-14 leup with cds. light , clear , versatile. enough power to determine if it is you or the rifle. i would not a get a fixed power , i would not get a power lower than 14. i would sell what scope and rifles i needed to do it.

 

[Coleman 45]

I dont have the money to go $600 into a scope. Trust me, if i could i would have already bought one. Now i could go 16x with SWFA for $299. But i would think thats too much. Again, this rifle will only be shot at more than 400 at targets, i dont plan on hunting at 500 yds with this rifle at any point. That wont happen until i have more money and time to reload and purchase a dedicated longrange rifle