Appropriate budget for newbie

[Dead Eye Dick]

My thoughts,

Good, bargain basement (sort of), a decent factory rifle from Tika, Begera or Howa, get a nice scope of equal or better value, a good bipod, and shoot it.

Better, get a factory precision rifle. Several builders have good ones and you get a basic chassis with decent adjustments. Ruger (RPR) Savage, Sig Sauer Cross as well as others build pretty nice firearms that will get you into Precision shooting with a minimum of fuss. Most shoot pretty good and some are upgradable should a fella choose. Put a decent scope and you are ready to go.

Best, A total waste of money unless you are really, really sure this is a sport a fella wants to make a substantial investment in time and money.

Then, after making one of the first two choices and shooting some and deciding this is where you really want to go, jump in with both feet. Get the very best rifle(s) and equipment you can possibly afford, amortized by the fact that they are durable goods and should (with barrel changes) last a lifetime of lifetimes. Spend the bucks and enjoy.

 

[Biopace]

The only good advice in this thread IMO is to consider the ammo/reloading part of the equation as being at least as important as the rifle or scope.

1: Pick a caliber (6.5 cm or .308, both easy to load, maybe easier to find components. And neither super cool guy calibers, but perfectly fine to learn your trade on.
2: Buy a reloading setup. And all the conponents. When this has taken about $1000 of your budget, you've probably spent enough. To start with.
3: Start looking for a used rifle in whatever caliber you picked. Spend less on the rifle.
4: Start looking for a used scope. Spend more on the scope, you're more likely to hang on to it than your first rifle.

But don't do any of that until you've got your reloading set up up and running. Finding a rifle will be quick and painless compared to finding dies/powder/bullets and primers. Buy a rifle first and you'll be stuck shooting expensive and mediocre factory ammo, burning money that you could be spending on reloading.

Reloading vs shooting factory ammo is like owning your own home vs renting. Every penny you spend on reloading is making ammo that is tailored for whatever rifle you wind up with, not whatever they shot at the factory.

 

[GrumpyOleFart]

If you get the "Distance Bug", you will steadily accrue bits and pieces, and "sacrifice" other parts of your life to pursue your goals.
It's not a sacrifice though, beats pissing your salary against a wall each weekend, or filling your nostrils with Colombian Marching Powder.

@CybrSlydr , maybe accumulate some more funds before flicking the switch, and research options further.
Going by your medical drama, it may be awhile before you can get behind the butt.

 

[CybrSlydr]

Ugh, I can't overstate how much I don't want to do reloading.

Factory loads are fine.

 

[DownhillFromHere]

I'm guessing you and I are at different points in life and probably different generations. I might sound like a nagging parent and that's ok - but no way I'd ever encourage anyone to take out a loan to buy a bleeping rifle. And someone posted a long list of all the other crap you'll want/need to go with it. And There.Is.No.Ammo. Take out a loan for a rifle you can't shoot? Very.Bad.Idea.

 

[Biopace]

Ugh, I can't overstate how much I don't want to do reloading.

Factory loads are fine.

Taking out a loan to shoot factory loads in the middle of an ammunition shortage/price spike is peak 2021.

 

[jakelly]

There’s a pawn shop down the road with sub-$500 rifles hanging on the wall. A guy could buy an older Remington 700 in 30-06, a 10x SWFA SS, and ammo like this https://www.gunbroker.com/item/894309305 and be ready to gather dope for under $1000.

It’s not the most popular stuff, but that’s why it’s affordable and on the shelf. Beyond available the stuff is extremely capable.

 

[CybrSlydr]

There’s a pawn shop down the road with sub-$500 rifles hanging on the wall. A guy could buy an older Remington 700 in 30-06, a 10x SWFA SS, and ammo like this https://www.gunbroker.com/item/894309305 and be ready to gather dope for under $1000.

It’s not the most popular stuff, but that’s why it’s affordable and on the shelf. Beyond available the stuff is extremely capable.

Well, my CMP M1 is .30-06. But I still have a couple hundred rounds left in a 500rd box I bought a while back. Definitely don't think my chest is ready for the kick from my M1 yet. Or a Rem700.

As I've stated numerous times already in this thread, I'm not going to be purchasing for a couple of months. Until after my promotion. That will give me plenty of time to heal, plenty of time to do my due diligence and figure out what I want and what my budget is.

I only talked about the $10k loan because of the absurdity of the terms. I have 0 intention of getting it. Chill folks - I'm 37, I know how to budget and spend.

 

[spife7980]

Well, my CMP M1 is .30-06. But I still have a couple hundred rounds left in a 500rd box I bought a while back. Definitely don't think my chest is ready for the kick from my M1 yet. Or a Rem700.

As I've stated numerous times already in this thread, I'm not going to be purchasing for a couple of months. Until after my promotion. That will give me plenty of time to heal, plenty of time to do my due diligence and figure out what I want and what my budget is.

I only talked about the $10k loan because of the absurdity of the terms. I have 0 intention of getting it. Chill folks - I'm 37, I know how to budget and spend.

In the mean time you might look into a 22. Generally you can do that on the cheap and not miss a much potential performance. But a 22 at 300 yards is like a 308 at 1k. Take good notes and shoot it beyond 25 yards with intent youll be well on your way to learning how to really shoot well.

I suspect that we are seeing a revival right now in 22s and they are only going to get more popular.

 

[FUNCTIONAL]

$400 Remington Action
$45 Factory Walker Trigger (px buy)
$350 remage barrel and nut
$40 EGW Rail
$350 KRG Bravo
$1000 used Bushnell DMR II (pro currently for 1100 right now in PX)

All in for $2200 and you have an excellent starting point with unlimited upgrade potential. Maybe add another $150 for tools to assemble it and even at $2350 you are better off than any factory offering you will buy in this price range. Also gives you the ability to pick any of the common calibers, 308, 6 and 6.5 creedmoor, etc.

 

[CrabsandFootball]

95% of people in here are still ignoring all the other shit you need to shoot LR. Makes me think most people here dont actually shoot.

Cant get a firing solution without MV(chrono). Cant get a firing solution without environmentals( kestral). Might be a good idea to know how far that target is away (LRF).

The cost of all the supporting gear and ammo will eclipse the cost of the gun and optic.

Try to shoot without all the supporting gear and your just making noise and wasting ammo. Not to mention cucking the learning curve of actually being a decent LR shooter.

Its not a cheap hobby and and if you try to cheap out you will be missrible with gear that doesnt work and will keep you from putting lead on steel. Its important to understand the true costs before jumping in.

Most of the competent shooters were in the same spot and i bet most would have wished they saved up and bought the good shit first. Its cheaper and less frustrating in the long run.

 

[jbuck88]

DOPE, milling reticle, and learning to read wind effects on vegetation.

You don't have to have all of the electronics to go have fun. It does cut the leaning curve down though.

This is my boy wasting ammo at ~1,400 yds (based on his dialed elevation)

 

[FUNCTIONAL]

95% of people in here are still ignoring all the other shit you need to shoot LR. Makes me think most people here dont actually shoot.

Cant get a firing solution without MV(chrono). Cant get a firing solution without environmentals( kestral). Might be a good idea to know how far that target is away (LRF).

The cost of all the supporting gear and ammo will eclipse the cost of the gun and optic.

Try to shoot without all the supporting gear and your just making noise and wasting ammo. Not to mention cucking the learning curve of actually being a decent LR shooter.

Its not a cheap hobby and and if you try to cheap out you will be missrible with gear that doesnt work and will keep you from putting lead on steel. Its important to understand the true costs before jumping in.

Most of the competent shooters were in the same spot and i bet most would have wished they saved up and bought the good shit first. Its cheaper and less frustrating in the long run.

Get out of here with this BS. All that gear is a nice to have but not a necessity, perhaps you rely on your gear too much? Keep saying shit like this and no one is going to take up long range shooting. All the supporting gear is stuff you accumulate as you progress but in no way shape or form is it going to prevent you from shooting.

Range: You have a reticle for a reason in your scope and its not just for holds. 90% of the ranges you go to will have yardages already labeled for you. Those that dont and you have to hang up your own you can at least pace off, or use your reticle and target size to get your distance.

Firing solution: DOPE gathering in a notebook, worked for decades and still works. With this site and all the data its gathered you can get a damn close estimate to your FPS and run that through any of the free ballistic solver APPs or websites and be close enough for fine tuning. Weather on your phone is an OK starting point, a $100 kestrel that gives your 3 inputs even better but not an absolute necessity to get on steel.

Your money is better spent on a scope, rifle that is able to maintain reasonable accuracy, ammo and range time. A pencil barrel that walks will kill your data gathering and just give you a headache no matter how much or expensive the supporting equipment is.

 

[Landon4]

95% of people in here are still ignoring all the other shit you need to shoot LR. Makes me think most people here dont actually shoot.

Cant get a firing solution without MV(chrono). Cant get a firing solution without environmentals( kestral). Might be a good idea to know how far that target is away (LRF).

The cost of all the supporting gear and ammo will eclipse the cost of the gun and optic.

Try to shoot without all the supporting gear and your just making noise and wasting ammo. Not to mention cucking the learning curve of actually being a decent LR shooter.

Its not a cheap hobby and and if you try to cheap out you will be missrible with gear that doesnt work and will keep you from putting lead on steel. Its important to understand the true costs before jumping in.

Most of the competent shooters were in the same spot and i bet most would have wished they saved up and bought the good shit first. Its cheaper and less frustrating in the long run

95% of people in here are still ignoring all the other shit you need to shoot LR. Makes me think most people here dont actually shoot.

Cant get a firing solution without MV(chrono). Cant get a firing solution without environmentals( kestral). Might be a good idea to know how far that target is away (LRF).

The cost of all the supporting gear and ammo will eclipse the cost of the gun and optic.

Try to shoot without all the supporting gear and your just making noise and wasting ammo. Not to mention cucking the learning curve of actually being a decent LR shooter.

Its not a cheap hobby and and if you try to cheap out you will be missrible with gear that doesnt work and will keep you from putting lead on steel. Its important to understand the true costs before jumping in.

Most of the competent shooters were in the same spot and i bet most would have wished they saved up and bought the good shit first. Its cheaper and less frustrating in the long run.

They haven’t always had kestrels and Chrono’s and people have been doing for along time, I started without them I have them now but it is not needed at first you can use a ballistics app if needed and go off the mv on the box to get close and adjust from there

 

[2aBaC̶a̶]

95% of people in here are still ignoring all the other shit you need to shoot LR. Makes me think most people here dont actually shoot.

Cant get a firing solution without MV(chrono). Cant get a firing solution without environmentals( kestral). Might be a good idea to know how far that target is away (LRF).

The cost of all the supporting gear and ammo will eclipse the cost of the gun and optic.

Try to shoot without all the supporting gear and your just making noise and wasting ammo. Not to mention cucking the learning curve of actually being a decent LR shooter.

Its not a cheap hobby and and if you try to cheap out you will be missrible with gear that doesnt work and will keep you from putting lead on steel. Its important to understand the true costs before jumping in.

Most of the competent shooters were in the same spot and i bet most would have wished they saved up and bought the good shit first. Its cheaper and less frustrating in the long run.

Come on man someone doesnt "need" all that to shoot. Especially a beginner on a budget. I still dont have a Kestrel. Really haven't needed one.

Once you figure out your dope all you really need is your rifle and ammo and maybe a bag.

LRF only "helps" for unkown distance.
Kestrel only "helps" for trying to get first round impacts.
All the extra Jim crackery only helps in certain situations.

 

[CrabsandFootball]

And you will be wasting ammo and not developing skills like most of us when we started out. The learning curve is steep enough without having to juggle more skills like reticle ranging and reading mirage.

How many people were really shooting UKD other than millitary before rangefinders and ballistic apps? It was a much much smaller number of shooters back then. There are way more shooters today becuase it is accessable with modern tech. No need for bullshit like a mildot master.

If you have a nice KD range that is one thing but many dont have access to that. There are exactly zero KD ranges within a 3 hour drive i can shoot out to 1k on the weekend. There are plenty of spots i can shoot much closer that are just public land.

The cost of ammo and your time is at a greater premium than ever. Its silly to waste both just making noise and not really understanding what your doing or why what you see is happening.

 

[CrabsandFootball]

Come on man someone doesnt "need" all that to shoot. Especially a beginner on a budget. I still dont have a Kestrel. Really haven't needed one.

Once you figure out your dope all you really need is your rifle and ammo and maybe a bag.

LRF only "helps" for unkown distance.
Kestrel only "helps" for trying to get first round impacts.
All the extra Jim crackery only helps in certain situations.

So you dont know what your DA is but consider yourself a competent LR shooter?

 

[CrabsandFootball]

They haven’t always had kestrels and Chrono’s and people have been doing for along time, I started without them I have them now but it is not needed at first you can use a ballistics app if needed and go off the mv on the box to get close and adjust from there

Bullshit.

Its a completley different era. Do you ride a horse to work and light your house with whale oil?

Chronos, kestrals, rangefiners and ballistic apps are required items for just about every type of modern long range shooting, especially PRS type and field matches as well as field shooting and LR hunting.

 

[CrabsandFootball]

DOPE, milling reticle, and learning to read wind effects on vegetation.

You don't have to have all of the electronics to go have fun. It does cut the leaning curve down though.

This is my boy wasting ammo at ~1,400 yds (based on his dialed elevation)

View attachment 7577377

And how many rounds does it take to develop all those skills?

Whats the break even cost at $3/rd like we see today for availible match ammo.

You think the guy wants to spend months or years developing supporting skills or he want to bang steel?

You think a new shooter will be more willing to come back if he is getting good hits quickly vs burning a bunch of smmo not knowing why he is missing.

I can take someone who has never shot a gun and get them making hits at 800 yards in less than 30 mins. You think that involves reticle ranging or building DOPE?

If you want new shooters to come back you need to make it easy for them. Handicapping people beacuse others had to do without 50 years ago when it wasnt even the same sport is just retarded as fuck.

 

[jbuck88]

With the apps available you can get verified BC's and true the velocity with drops at a known distance.

After that a solid guess on range then a shooting a round to sight in your elevation.
Works for me when my range finder won't pick up targets. Like you though I usually only shoot public lands. Everyone I have ever brought out has had a blast shooting. Kestrals are almost worthless in the mountains where I shoot. Always some funky winds across the valleys.

99.99% of my shooting would be considered wasting ammo.

 

[hafejd30]

I would say if you plan to hunt (which you don’t) then all the extra (kestrel, StrelokPro, decent RF etc) really come into play. Where first round hits are all you may get a chance at and targets sizes/weather conditions change between shots

If you went to a private or public open range where your dropping targets and what not or to a competition and want to make accurate first round hits then again the extras become more essential to increase your % of first round hits

If your going to a known distance range. Shoot the same range all the time. Then all the extras don’t make as much sense. Your able to use the same distance markers, wind flags, known target sizes etc. Much more likely to make your hits based on your recorded dope

Nobody seriously shooting long range is ranging targets with their reticle. Although It’s a good knowledge to have.

The op can start with the gun/optic/ammo and have some fun. He will find his way down the same rabbit hole as we all have eventually. Or he may get into it and realize it’s not for him

For this reason my suggestion is a decent starter rifle. Savage, Howa, Tikka, Ruger precision or a better quality rifle off the px. Get a popular caliber. 6mm or 6.5 would be great for target only. Find a decent optic. Something you can upgrade easily later or something you can transfer to another rifle should you upgrade

Then get some factory ammo and go shoot. You’ll have some brass to mess with later should you reload. The reloading is a must in my book for serious LR shooting. But I wouldn’t invest in everything to do it if your just getting into it in case you decide it’s not for you

 

[jbuck88]

And how many rounds does it take to develop all those skills?

Whats the break even cost at $3/rd like we see today for availible match ammo.

You think the guy wants to spend months or years developing supporting skills or he want to bang steel?

You think a new shooter will be more willing to come back if he is getting good hits quickly vs burning a bunch of smmo not knowing why he is missing.

I can take someone who has never shot a gun and get them making hits at 800 yards in less than 30 mins. You think that involves reticle ranging or building DOPE?

If you want new shooters to come back you need to make it easy for them. Handicapping people beacuse others had to do without 50 years ago when it wasnt even the same sport is just retarded as fuck.

My kid was a late bloomer, so that was pretty much his first time prone with a rear bag. Let alone shooting past 100yds. I picked up a Ruger Precision Rifle for him. We walked through sighting in at 100yds then straight to 600yds. Took him 3rds to hit the 10" Steel. After a few magazines we moved to shoot at 1,400yds. Took him 7 shots to hit the same 10" plate. A couple of those were sighters because my range finder would give me a reading.

This was with Hornady AG ammo.

 

[hafejd30]

If you shop in the px here you can save some decent $$ on everything. You can also find complete setups that people sell when upgrading and save the money going that direction

 

[CrabsandFootball]

Yea i get what your saying not trying to be difficult just want the OP to understand whats involved to do it right and be successfull. Some people live in trailers and shacks and are happy. For others, not so much.

The kestrals real value is in the DA and temp. Wind is always all over the place and in areas no where near cell service or close to a weather station its hard to get thst data. Shooting in the mountains ( i shoot from 50 to 9000ft alt depending on where we go) you need to know your DA for longer shots. Yea you can walk rounds in but thats a waste of time and money when you can get first round hits due to good data at your fingertips.

I dont know about you but if i am not hearing steel ring i get pissed quickly. Shooting at dirt piles and burning a couple hundred bucks at a time is not fun.

Remember its callled precision shooting not handgrenades and horseshoes.

 

[jbuck88]

I'll agree we're probably a lot different. I don't think I ever really get mad while shooting. Except for the time when my kid was falling out of the bed of my truck. I dropped my rifle instinctively to catch him. If I was competing, other then friendly wagers, I would probably look at it differently.

The gear you need is very subjective and there is no right answer. Everyone has their own opinion.

 

[spife7980]

OP, for a budget or not the geoballistics app https://geoballistics.com/resources/ is invaluable to me. With the 15 buck full version I can range estimate with satellite imagery, it has comp cards if you do get into that in addition to the normal charts and you can do the ballistics on a bunch of rifles. And you can get the wind dongle for under 100 bucks if you want temp and wind on your person fed into it instead of local stations or using a buddies weather data.

Since Ive gone to this I dont use my range finder basically at all and it does everything a kestrel does only I feel it does it easier and more conveniently. But you can also integrate the kestrel if you want as well.

 

[jakelly]

Yea i get what your saying not trying to be difficult just want the OP to understand whats involved to do it right and be successfull. Some people live in trailers and shacks and are happy..

@CrabsandFootball you are 40 MPH crosswind blowing from helpful to shit show.

 

[CrabsandFootball]

I'll agree we're probably a lot different. I don't think I ever really get mad while shooting. Except for the time when my kid was falling out of the bed of my truck. I dropped my rifle instinctively to catch him. If I was competing, other then friendly wagers, I would probably look at it differently.

The gear you need is very subjective and there is no right answer. Everyone has their own opinion.

My best bud lives about an hour from you (Beaver) and I head up that way a few times a year. Would love to know some places to stretch out around there.

 

[GrumpyOleFart]

Time on task, that's where the fun is.
Whichever way you want to do it, is your concern.
I've been in situations where guys have found to their horror, that the batteries have discharged on their electrickery gadgets, and then want to give up.
Fuck that.
Back to basics, and roll on.
That's where the time on task kicks in.
If you are bitching about cost and time, you evidently don't get out of your shooting, what I get out of mine.
Pen and paper, coupled with time on task, is mightier than a keypad and dead battery.

It's also good to mercilessly take the piss out of shooting buddies, when their shit fails.
Just as they will be brutal when your shot drifts off target.

 

[jbuck88]

My best bud lives about an hour from you (Beaver) and I head up that way a few times a year. Would love to know some places to stretch out around there.

There is actually some good spots right in the hills behind beaver.

 

[acudaowner]

a hundred million dollars

 

[2aBaC̶a̶]

So you dont know what your DA is but consider yourself a competent LR shooter?

I dont consider myself anything. I shoot shit and have fun.

Density Altitude??? lolololol. I have an app for that. Its free. And a data book. Also free. Its not that serious.

 

[Jonny_]

@CybrSlydr I'll voice my opinion as someone that is just a bit farther down the same road as you. All the tools mentioned by Crabs are of course helpful and have a place and time. But you do not need them as a beginner. If you have a known distance range you can easily dope your gun. The first time I went out to shoot distance was with nothing more than a printed range card from Berger's website for the round I was shooting and the Strelok app. I was able to get consistent hits at 800 within one box of ammo just by doping my gun and adjusting my range card. And I am by no means a good shooter nor do I know all there is to know about shooting, I barely consider myself competent. What you spend your money on is your decision; personally, I'm glad I spent my money on ammo and range time instead of extraneous gear.

 

[CrabsandFootball]

I dont consider myself anything. I shoot shit and have fun.

Density Altitude??? lolololol. I have an app for that. Its free. And a data book. Also free. Its not that serious.

What app give you DA?

 

[2aBaC̶a̶]

What app give you DA?

BalliaticsArc

Not that I really need the DA. Im not shooting in crazy elevation or temp changes.

 

[CrabsandFootball]

That is reliant on cell service. Its pulling from a different location than you are at.

I have had both android and apple phones and have tried to use a bunch of different apps for altitude. None are remotley close. Your phone also is not measuring humidity or bar pressure.

Thats why i was asking. The numbers the ballistic apps use are garbage pulls. That is why you need a kestral.

Its the same problem with cheap range finders. Just becuase it shows a number doesnt mean it is correct.

 

[spife7980]

That is reliant on cell service. Its pulling from a different location than you are at.

I have had both android and apple phones and have tried to use a bunch of different apps for altitude. None are remotley close. Your phone also is not measuring humidity or bar pressure.

Thats why i was asking. The numbers the ballistic apps use are garbage pulls. That is why you need a kestral.

Its the same problem with cheap range finders. Just becuase it shows a number doesnt mean it is correct.

But you can plug that kestrel right into it, or most others bluetooth wind and weather meters.

And Ive noticed that my local weather stations arent off enough to be a big deal. It depends on your geography I guess but Im in no extreme local.

Its enough to get him started though.

 

[2aBaC̶a̶]

That is reliant on cell service. Its pulling from a different location than you are at.

I have had both android and apple phones and have tried to use a bunch of different apps for altitude. None are remotley close. Your phone also is not measuring humidity or bar pressure.

Thats why i was asking. The numbers the ballistic apps use are garbage pulls. That is why you need a kestral.

And im saying it doesnt matter. OP isnt competing for KO2M in summer in texas and then shooting mountain goats at 10,000ft.

To the average Joe how much difference does knowing your DA really make downrange?

 

[CrabsandFootball]

And im saying it doesnt matter. OP isnt competing for KO2M in summer in texas and then shooting mountain goats at 10,000ft.

To the average Joe how much difference does knowing your DA really make downrange?

This isint a site of average joes. Its a site of precision shooters. If you actually shot you would understand the importance of the various inputs.

 

[Long Range 338]

If you’re willing to buy once cry once, look at the ARC Nucleus rifle. All you’ll need after that is a scope and rings... And a bipod, tripod, rear bag, front bag, kestrel, rangefinder, etc. LOL. This addiction is ridiculous!

 

[CybrSlydr]

So, after almost 100 posts, I figured I'd summarize what I'm seeing thus far:

1. Buying ammo so you can practice is the most important thing
2. Money on a good optic is more important than money for the rifle
3. There are a lot of viable options for an intro rifle around the $1-1.5k range
4. A budget of $2k to start is pretty shoe-string
5. A budget of $3-4k would be better, $5k even more-so
6. While all you technically need is an optic (rings included), rifle, and ammo, there are a ton of ancillaries that can easily add another $1k and more
7. This is a bad time to get into PRS as a hobby as ammo for almost every caliber is non-existent or sells out immediately
8. Monitor the PX as it can significantly defray the cost of entering this hobby
9. Decide what kind of shooting I really want to get into as this can alter things significantly (jakelly)

 

[hafejd30]

So, after almost 100 posts, I figured I'd summarize what I'm seeing thus far:

1. Buying ammo so you can practice is the most important thing
2. Money on a good optic is more important than money for the rifle
3. There are a lot of viable options for an intro rifle around the $1-1.5k range
4. A budget of $2k to start is pretty shoe-string
5. A budget of $3-4k would be better, $5k even more-so
6. While all you technically need is an optic (rings included), rifle, and ammo, there are a ton of ancillaries that can easily add another $1k and more
7. This is a bad time to get into PRS as a hobby as ammo for almost every caliber is non-existent or sells out immediately
8. Monitor the PX as it can significantly defray the cost of entering this hobby

Damn!

One of few who started a thread like this and actually payed attention!

 

[CybrSlydr]

Damn!

One of few who started a thread like this and actually payed attention!

I told you folks, I'm here to learn.

 

[2aBaC̶a̶]

This isint a site of average joes. Its a site of precision shooters. If you actually shot you would understand the importance of the various inputs.

Whats next spin drift and coriolis effect?

 

[CybrSlydr]

Whats next spin drift and coriolis effect?

That's what I liked about artillery - FDC did all the number crunching for us.

 

[CybrSlydr]

At this point, I'm really leaning towards the Bergara HMR Pro. Undecided on caliber, but it looks like a great gun for the money. Nowhere near decided on an optic as I'm also not decided on a budget yet.

EDIT: I'm also considering a Tikka T3X UPR, which is a little cheaper from what I can see.

 

[jakelly]

Compliments to your reading comprehension. Add this.

9. The first step is me figuring exactly what type of shooting I really want to do. What are my goals? Because the answer to that question will change the steps to get there and general terms like PRS and Tactical may add significant dollars to achieving my goals.

 

[FUNCTIONAL]

Compliments to your reading comprehension. Add this.

9. The first step is me figuring exactly what type of shooting I really want to do. What are my goals? Because the answer to that question will change the steps to get there and general terms like PRS and Tactical may add significant dollars to achieving my goals.

not to mention how serious you want to be if PRS is a goal. Big different between hitting a few 1 day matches to trying for a season top 3.

but @CybrSlydr you can get into it on your budget. Just know there are definitely more expensive items you can get beyond the bare basics that will give faster, more accurate results. They arent absolutely necessary to start and honestly I personally wouldnt recommend diving in head first past your initial budget until you can answer #9 above and you try it out with your initial gear. You can ask what stock to use but youll get about 15 different answers, same with barrel contour, caliber, etc. regardless of which direction you want to take. There are general points across the board those 15 answers will have but most stocks, scopes, etc. offer the same abilities but youll have a personal preference towards one with some experience and knowing what works better for you. My recommendation above and a few others in this thread are good starting points that give you the ability to upgrade to your personal preferences which is what youll want long term. There will likely come a time where you are ready to jump to a custom action but a lot of the stuff youll buy for a Remage setup can still be used with that custom and the cost to convert is cheaper than say going from an RPR to a custom where all you can take with you is the scope and muzzle brake.

I made due with a $100 kestrel and a $10 ballistic app for over 5 years before I bought a full blown kestrel and it was out of convenience rather than improving my shooting. Before that a $10 app, local weather and good note keeping was enough until my shooting progressed enough. It can be done either way, but dont feel you need to spend tons of money to do it if you really want to stick to under 2.5k.

 

[fdkay]

Originally I posted in the SIG Talk forums asking about getting into precision shooting. I figured $1k would be a good starter budget, and it looks like it would be doable, but as said, buy once and cry once. Plus, I'd be concerned that I may outgrow and regret the purchase at that end of the spectrum.

What about $2k or $2.5? Is what you get at those prices (rifle/optic) worth the upgrade in budget compared to the $1k?

For a beginner such as myself, what do you think a good sweet-spot would be? I don't need a $5k gun and $3k optic.

This is purely a precision target rifle, not hunting.

Thanks!

I'm going to reply directly to you here. Your budget is certainly appropriate.
You have been given many responses and much to think about.
As one said, this is likely the WORST time in the history of our country to get involved in any of the shooting sports, unless you can find something second hand.
There are a couple of rifles in the 1100 dollar price range, the Howa Oryx and the Ruger Precision Rifle.
Tikka also has a couple of models in that ballpark, but will require an upgrade in the stock/chassis department.
You can find a good Howa available right now. However, if you want to eventually play the PRS game, it requires either an upgrade to DBM or a chassis (same as the Tikka).
That is an additional cost. Fortunately, the KRG Bravo and MDT Oryx are both available at a reasonable cost. But you'll still be over the cost of buying a rifle equipped with the chassis from the get go. However, you can get shooting IF you can find ammo.

Howa-Legacy HKF72502KTS 1500 6.5 CRD 5+1 24

The combination of the high precision HOWA 1500 and the ergonomic Hogue OverMolded stock is a perfect blend for a lightweight, entry level match or sporting rifle you can depend on. The soft, tactile

www.budsgunshop.com

There are several entry level riflescopes that can get you started and would likely be one of the last things upgraded.
The Arken 6-24 comes to mind as well as several of the 5-20 or 5-25 scopes.
Careful shopping can net you a deal like this:

Natchez

www.natchezss.com

They are not perfect, but damn, that's a lot of scope for the money.

Again, finding ammo is going to be a huge challenge. .223 is starting to trickle out now, so things should begin to loosen up.

 

[Dead Eye Dick]

The one piece of essential electronic equipment is a chronograph. Yep a Labradar is special. Nope a Chrony is not cool. However, I believe a Chrony, while not the best, will give a fella or lady a real jump start on gathering ranging. Its not impossible to range a rifle by shooting at targets at known ranges. But and that is a big but, its a whole lot easier if one has a decent idea as to the velocity his firearm is achieving.

Also a chronograph can lead a shooter away from dangerous loads. Most would recognize that If the velocity is far away from what is expected, time to re-evaluate the load.