Long range (500-1000yd) rifles and equipment

[osteodoc08]

I'm missing a long range rifle from my collection and would genuinely like to begin to shoot longer ranges. I've looked at all types of rifles and calibers. I'm not particularly recoil shy, but don't want to subject myself to unnecessary abuse. My goal is to make a decent long range gun where I can hit filled gallon milk jugs/steel/reactive targets for fun. Is also like to put it to paper. No competitions, just myself.

Ive looked at the following cartridges:
6.5 Creedmoor
6.5 X 284 Lapua
260 Remington
280 AI
7mm Rem Mag
308 Win
300 Win Mag

i also have a 7mm STW built on a Mauser action my late father had built but I'd like to leave it as is and hunt with it from time to time.

Looking at the BC of the Amax bullets it seems the 162gr 7mm bullets hold a slight edge. Even the 7mm-08 holds the same or more velocity than the Creedmoor with the 162gr AMaxs but I don't hear of it being a purpose built long range cartridge set up, but on paper, beats in velocity and BC.

Component selection is a requirement for brass and bullets.

Ive looked at the Remington Sendero line, Savage target line, Kimber target line and most recently a Masterpiece Arms chassis system (approx $2500) that has a 3/8" at 100yd guarantee and seems really nice.

What does everyone recommend as far as caliber selection and launching platform.

[toallmy]

300 win mag , case capacity , bullet selection . Spend all you can on seeing what your trying to hit . But it's my favorite cartridge anyway .

[jcren]

30-06. More capacity than 308, less recoil than full mag loads.

[toallmy]

Good call on the 3006 often overlooked .

[rockrat]

260rem, 6.5 creedmoor (better barrel life than the 6.5x284--its falling out of favor nowadays I hear)or 280AI ,of your list. 284win is coming in vogue due to the high BC bullets now available. Another is the 6.5 Swede. Same good bullet bc and between the 260 and 6.5-06. I would lean towards the first two, 260 or 6.5 cr.

Savage Target line (easy caliber swaps) or a worked over 700rem.

Someone over at 6mmbr.com has a Savage in 260rem for sale. Kreiger barrel($$$) on it. F-tr class gun. Might be perfect for your wants.

[lefty o]

any of them listed in the OP will shoot well past 1000yds. what do you want to do with it out there? paper,p dogs etc? how much powder do you really wanna burn, and how much recoil do you want to deal with. best investment for reaching out there is high quality optics.

[osteodoc08]

any of them listed in the OP will shoot well past 1000yds. what do you want to do with it out there? paper,p dogs etc? how much powder do you really wanna burn, and how much recoil do you want to deal with. best investment for reaching out there is high quality optics.

Mostly paper and reactive targets like steel, water filled bottles, crows.......

a Leupold LRT 4 or higher end Vortex will be used on this project.

[sghart3578]

30-06. More capacity than 308, less recoil than full mag loads.

I agree. The 30-06 is too often ignored and is a wonderful long range caliber.

[lefty o]

Mostly paper and reactive targets like steel, water filled bottles, crows.......

a Leupold LRT 4 or higher end Vortex will be used on this project.

id be leaning hard for the 260rem then. easy to load, shoots well, just doesnt get the magazine ink.

[M-Tecs]

6mm Dasher. http://www.6mmbr.com/schatz1000.html

[Tnfalconer]

Since the 6.5-284 is one of my favorites and won MANY 1,000 yrd matches with it, I would normally recommend it. It can be finicky to load and really doesn't shine until you kick it up to about 3,000 fps. Like was mentioned before, that burns barrels.

Bang for the buck, factory loading and support as well as proven accuracy and velocity....It's gotta be 300wm. There are a tremendous amount of great bullets out there, reloading is as cheap as anything and it will take meat as well as paper at those ranges. Some of the smaller calibers are great rounds but lack the energy to do more than punch holes in paper at a grand. You'll be surprised how much you can really whittle that round into a smoking hot performer.

[elysianfield]

I would recommend any caliber 7mm or larger that can be found in an older Remington 700 Heavy Barrel Varmint rifle...I've owned many, and none would not keep 1/2" MOA or better at 100 yards... Look for one manufactured before 1990, they will be found in the $500 M/L range. I've never been disappointed with the earlier Remington HBV's.

[Bird]

Don't forget the 7mm-08. Good out to 1300 to 1400 yds maybe.

[MT Chambers]

45/70, 45/90, 45/100, .44/90. and alot of black powder.

[Baja_Traveler]

Well, if you have any high power rifle silhouette matches in your area, you are in for a real treat (and an addiction). But stay away from any Magnum cartridge, as most ranges don't allow them due to target damage. Personally, I think any of the 6.5 cartridges are the best bet, but our local range has more than one 6 dasher that excels at long range...

[Doc Highwall]

I say the 6.5 Creedmoor or the 260 Remington. Another one not mentioned is the standard 6mmBr with a quick twist to shoot the 105-108 grain bullets.

[Artful]

Well, I use 243 Win for non-windy conditions - 308 when the wind is being pushy - but I'll be getting set up in 300 Win Mag for this winter. Some in our group shooting 1000 yards are using other calibers like 6.5 Creedmore and .30'06 with good success. To be honest it's more about reading range conditions and knowing the ballistic's of your load than the Caliber.

[country gent]

I used a 243 with 1-7 twist and 105 grn JLKs or 107 sierras for 1000 yd matches with good results on target Barrel life wasnt so great. Dont over look the 308 with good bullets A 175 grn vld in 308 does real well out to 1000. The 7mm make a good standing also but can be finicky at times.One I would look at is the 7mm wsm or even the wssm. The short fat powder column makes for consistancy and a good vld bullet will carry velocity a long ways. As to a rifle for this shooting look for a heavier rifle 13-16lbs holds alot better and dampens alot of recoil when shooting prone. I have seen 1000 yd yard guns as heavy as 20 lbs for prone shooting. The bullet used is probably as important as actual caliber here. The comes reading wind, knowing drops and settings. Hitting at 1000yds is alot of things

[tygar]

The 30 mags were the go to cartridge until a few years age, then people were going to the 6.5s, now its the 6mm. (recently set 1k record)

I was recently discussing making a Creedmoor 6.5 or 6mm with Jeff Walker & Boyd Carpenter (top shooters) & Jeff makes LR rifles & they both said the 6mm is really kicking it. (have 2 heavy guns & one light gun in the 30 mags if you want a dedicated 1k gun)

But, if you want a LR hunting rifle (target also but w/o heavy brl), I asked Jeff to make me a 6.5-06 that will shot 1moa or better at 500 that is under 8#s. It shoots 2" @ 500. Havn't shot it farther as it's to dam hot to shoot in the tactical match (to 1100) that we have.

I also have 2 sniper/Fclass rifles in 308 & 6.5-284 & both shoot 9 ring or better at 1k.

So you can get a lot of different calibers that will do that 500-1K but you need to pay for it & have it done right. Also, ALL the above have Nightforce scopes. You can spend a ton, but without the top of the line scope your not going to get er done. (the cheap way to go is one of the Savage LR rifles with a good scope)

None of the 7mms seem to be used all that much although they were tried a while back.

Lots of choices on what to make. Decide exactly what you want & then get it. I personally like 6.5s & 30s for versatility in hunting & target.

By the way, 100yd groups are meaningless except to get zeroed. Once you have it hitting the spot at 100, run it up 6 to 10 moa, depending on caliber & speed, then go to 500. If its not .5 moa at 500 it's not a LR rifle.

[Scharfschuetze]

1. When considering a long range rifle, you'll want to consider barrel life too. The hot sub 7mm calibres and 300 magnums can burn out a throat and thus the rifle's accuracy pretty fast. A good match barrel or sniper rifle in 308/7.62 NATO is often accurate at long range past 4,000 rounds. On the other hand, our Mk 13 SWCs in 300 Winchester Magnum were scheduled for barrel replacement at something like 1,400 rounds. The Navy boys replaced their barrels at less than 1,000 rounds.

2. Long range bullet design is well established now with many very low drag designs (VLD) as well as the traditional Sierra Match Kings and Hornady designs. Long and slippery bullets are de rigueur and of course they are heavy for their diameter. Given that, you'll want to buy a barrel with an adequate twist for the calibre you decide on.

3. Transonic air flow over a projectile as it slows from its supersonic flight will often open up groups significantly. Due to that, you'll want to keep your rounds supersonic all the way to the target. The 7.62 NATO/308 has trouble with this at 1,000 yards, but the 175 grain SMK will do it in conjuction with the 308. The 30/06 will keep 190 grain SMKs supersonic past 1,000 yards and also suffer less wind deflection at extended ranges.

4. The 6.5 calibre (.264") is a favorite for several reasons. A good bullet selection is available and bore life is reasonably good in the smaller case designs like the 260 Remington and the 6.5 Creedmore. Recoil is much less than the 30 calibres. The 6.5/284, while perennially in the winning circles, is pretty hard on barrels.

5. The 6mm rounds were popular in the 80s, but barrel life was always an issue from what other competitors told me. Apparently the 6mm bore diameter is making a comeback. A gunsmith friend of mine who makes a pretty penny making long range rifles tells me that his favorite as well as his best selling long range round is the 6mm XC.

6. Scopes or iron sights. I've never shot a Palma match or a long range match with a scope, but I've use scopes extensively in the service. Personally, I have more fun shooting at long range with iron sights, but you'll need one with lots of elevation adjustment. Lots on the market, but I've always liked the Redfield International rear sight with 1/4 MOA clicks. For scopes I've always liked the 30mm tube Leopold scopes with a mil dot reticle. I never did come to any meaningful relationship with the Nightforce scope that I used, but almost all of my compadres did.

7. As noted in the previous post, an accurate long range rifle can get spendy, but the precision it offers is well worth the expense. The best barrels are expensive and good gunsmithing is pricey. The best rounds at 1,000 yards are often the hardest on the barrel so factor that into your budget.

8. Don't overlook the .223 Remington. A good .223 bolt rifle using 77 or 80 grain match bullets will more than satisfy your needs and not cost you an arm and leg if you start with a good Winchester, Savage or Remington varmint rifle design. Make sure it has a 1 in 7 twist for the heavy-for-bore bullets. The 1 in 9" twist in most of them will start to get challenged with any bullet over 75 grains although they handle a wider range of varmint bullets well. Just shot a bunch of prairie dogs last month with a Winchester Model 70 varmint rifle with a 1 in 9" barrel. Very good performance out to the mid ranges with the Hornady 60 grain varmint bullet. This particular rifle has been squared and blueprinted, barrel set back and rechambered with a tight chamber. It's built up to use as either a varmint rifle with a scope or a National Match rifle sans the scope, but with iron sights and a clip guide. You can see the front sight base on the muzzle for a Redfield match front sight and the hand stop for slinged up position shooting.