Beginners equipment questions

Do you reload? A 223 can be very effective with heavier bullets. 16” is going to hurt you a bit, but you should be able to get that guy out quite a ways while you work on your fundamentals. I run a 223 ai with 80-85g bullets out to 900 all the time, but it has a 24” barrel too.

Personally, shoot that Ruger until you either can afford to move up to a tikka. I don’t have any experience with the REM, but every factory tikka I’ve been around hammers.

End of the day, practice is going to do you the most good, and a 223 can provide that ins very affordable package

I’ve shot my 16” 7 twist 223 to 1k with the 75 gr elds with reasonable effect.

Better have a flasher or clean targets, you know, “reasonable” for a 223 at 1k.
It’s cheap to try. It’s fun too.

Start hand loading that 223 and be METICULOUS with your powder charge weights and that 223 will be a great 1k trainer. You will learn the wind quickly shooting a 223 to 1k. Be sure to have a backstop where you can see those tiny splashes to know your corrections.

You’ll only be able to hit the 1000 if you can spot your misses. If you have a spotter it will also help out, but 556 slapping a steel plate is tough to see through the scope.

At least you’ll be able to hit 1000 and in while having a good time.

I agree with everyone else here. If the Ruger shoots well, then keeps shooting it. There are also a lot of aftermarket stocks and Chassis options now those rifles.

With 77 gr bullets, you should definitely be able to go to 600-700, maybe even stretch to eight if there's good conditions and spotting your misses is possible. My second, what has been previously said, that putting together a kit will probably make you more effective out past 400 yds, particularly a range finder unless you're always shooting at known distances. I don't think I had a range finder for the first 5 years I spent shooting long range because it was always known distances. You can find some fairly cheap ones for a couple $100 that will definitely do the trick.

Shop The PX for used equipment. Most of it's in fantastic shape, there's usually lifetime warranties, and people are generally good to deal with.

The advantage to going towards larger calibers is going to mean that you can push that distance out. Another couple hundred yards, and spotting misses is easy. If you're shooting solo without a spotter, then finding a caliber that's low recoiling so that you can see misses will be really important, another reason why the 223 is a great option.

One of my first bulk guns was a Remington 700 SPS tactical in 223 with a 16 in Barrel that I put in a bell and Carlson stock. It shot phenomenal. I still miss selling it, it would have been a great beater rifle if I had held on to it.

One of my favorite guns is a 223ai, which means I have to reload. But I'm shooting 80 gr bullets 2850 FPS, so getting to 800 is pretty easy. But again spotting Mrs becomes a challenge and once you're shooting into sandbanks.

Welcome to the newest addiction of your life! It's a fun one and this is a great community to ask questions in.

My thoughts.....good bipod and rear bag, and tons of practice with the .223. At the 200yd line, shoot from many positions and shoot progressively smaller targets. Do this while you save $$$ for an upgrade. Tons of long range cartridges out there, and the 6.5 Creedmor is a good one. While you're practicing, see what others are shooting and do a little research along the way......you'll probably decide "what's best" 10 times before you're ready to buy, lol.

I've never taken a .223 to 1k, but I've shot at 500 quite a bit with great success.

As mentioned above, this would be a great place to try reloading if that's of interest.

One last thought......I recently picked up a couple different Cole-tac bags, and they are way better then the less expensive options they replaced......look for good bags and decide to spend a few extra bucks there.

600 yards is a fair estimate IMO of the "cutoff" where the .223 becomes more challenging; this is where most rounds begin to lose energy exponentially with drop and drift increasing accordingly. Since experience is king, handloading is mandatory both for accuracy and cost effectiveness.

Beyond that, you can certainly lob the rounds- but you might decide you're better served by a more capable round where you can spot yourself. Once you gain experience and knowledge of local conditions you'll have a better idea of what will best serve you to "move up".

I can’t add much that hasn’t already been said. I have a 223 AI that I have used at 1100 yds. Spotting misses and hits for that matter are difficult to do at that distance, and I run 88 ELDMs. But, it is capable and would be a good spot to start. Lots of upgrades for the Ruger American platform. As said above, keep an eye on the Hide Classified for deals.