Yeah, if you're a national level competitor and you train with cheap ammo, then maybe the delta is 40 cents a round. For the OP who asked the question, I don't believe that is a remotely valid comparison.
-
Having trouble using the site?
Contact support
Beginner Getting Started - 2 Rifles?
- Thread starter Paul_H
- Start date
noted. must be national competitor to use Berger bullets
Okay, take away the rose colored glasses. Double the depreciation and call my costs $1k. It still has a fairly reasonable break even at 2k or 2500 rounds. That's not crazy at all. Regardless, I've gone through a half dozen different high end scopes, made good reasonable purchases and haven't taken a bath on any of them.
Using your exact component recommendations listed above, which I would characterize as cheap for match ammo and expensive for trainer ammo, the cost differential is still $0.30 per shot. You're ignoring the barrel life difference and brass life and brass cost difference in your assumptions. Take all your costs, however long you think your brass and barrel will last you, and how much you pay for a barrel job, and plug them in that spreadsheet. It's meant to be a calculator where you can figure out your own costs. It will tell you how much you are paying per shot for components, and per shot once you include barrel life. It will also give you a cost/year based on how much you think you will be shooting.
As a side note, I think my match ammo is pretty cheap. Lapua 6BR brass, 105 hybrids at a good bulk price, etc. That $0.80/round includes brass life and includes barrel life.
My point isn't that the OP should shoot as much as I do or that everyone should have a 223 trainer. I'm just advocating for realistic assessment of what a second rifle costs you (depreciation) and for how much the TOTAL cost of shooting really is per shot (brass wear, barrel wear, everything).
you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him do a simple spreadsheet
he must get his brass and barrels for free
I can't view your spreadsheet at work - I work for a defense contractor and google docs is firewalled.
I do agree that barrel cost should be considered, but that's variable depending on what his larger caliber is. 6.5 CM barrel life is still pretty good. And again, that's where my comment of "a lot of rounds" as the payback point came into play. I think for folks just getting into precision shooting, even 2,500 rounds is a lot. 10k is a ton. It's all about perspective.
As to your match ammo, you've got high-end brass and high-end bullets being compared to low-end brass and mid-level bullets for your 223. My point was that for a beginner shooter, that comparison isn't all that valid. Maybe your ammo is cheap for national level competitions, but for those of us going to the range once a weekend or every other weekend or twice a month during our lunch breaks, there's no reason to have Lapua and Bergers for a 6.5 if we're willing to have Hornady brass/bullets for the "trainer". Obviously in your situation a trainer makes sense. But your situation compared to the OP are very different.
I will concede your point that the resale value of a trainer significantly reduces the payback point. It's just a decision the OP will have to make about how much he plans to shoot and what his tolerance is for having that money tied up in a 2nd rig for an extended period of time. Neither is a terrible option, but you really do have to shoot a bunch to come out ahead with the 2nd rig if you're using equivalent ammo for each and both are outfitted with similar scopes/accessories/stocks/etc.
Let me re-phrase the question in the only relevant format for this discussion: Why would someone who is on a budget and just getting into precision shooting buy bullets that cost twice as much as ones that perform 98% as well. The last 2% matters for national level competitors. For the rest of us, it's a complete non-issue. And if you're using ammo cost to justify a separate rifle, then picking the most expensive ammo for a beginner rifle shooter just doesn't make sense.
Lapua brass and berger bullets is very very very common. for EVERY level of shooter. if i were new and going 6/6.5 Creed i'd be buying 400 rounds of Berger ammo anyways. free Lapua brass.
and the reason to use lesser stuff on a trainer is exactly that. its a 223 TRAINER. for 3-600y. loaded on a full progressive press. not that there's even much of a cost difference in brass/bullets on a 223
he never said he's on a budget. but we're just doing the math comparison of 223 trainer on same action/chassis/scope versus a separate dedicated 22, which unless it's a vudoo there will be sacrifices on the trigger/chassis/action, not to mention doubling a lot of costs versus a $600 barrel and $125 bolthead
knowing the ranges he's going to be shooting on (it is my league after all) he could very easily get away with shooting the 223 a lot of the time and saving the 6/6.5 for the other matches where we stretch it out far
the whole point of a 223 trainer comes when you're running a Bighorn/etc. barrel swap. zero on lunch break. done. easy as pie.
and the reason to use lesser stuff on a trainer is exactly that. its a 223 TRAINER. for 3-600y. loaded on a full progressive press. not that there's even much of a cost difference in brass/bullets on a 223
he never said he's on a budget. but we're just doing the math comparison of 223 trainer on same action/chassis/scope versus a separate dedicated 22, which unless it's a vudoo there will be sacrifices on the trigger/chassis/action, not to mention doubling a lot of costs versus a $600 barrel and $125 bolthead
knowing the ranges he's going to be shooting on (it is my league after all) he could very easily get away with shooting the 223 a lot of the time and saving the 6/6.5 for the other matches where we stretch it out far
the whole point of a 223 trainer comes when you're running a Bighorn/etc. barrel swap. zero on lunch break. done. easy as pie.
You should check it out when you get home, it's a super handy resource. Here's a quick screenshot of what it looks like. You fill in the fields and it does the math for you. The full spreadsheet has space to compare 4 calibers at once.
Going back to the OP and what he should do... right now he's talking about a single TL3 with two barrels. That forces him to tie up a bit of money in a second barrel (again a consumable so it's just more inventory on hand, not necessarily a "cost") and a few accessories for a second caliber (mags, dies, bolt head, a few reloading accessories). Call that $200 in actual costs and he's gonna break even super quick, even if he only shoots a little bit.
Besides, I'd much rather shoot a 223 at 100 yards than a 6 or 6.5. Heck, my original recommendation was that he buy a Vudoo and only shoot 22LR.
Great discussion, thank you for all the input. Let's get the elephant out of the room. Budget is not my primary concern, though I don't want to spend money shooting 6.5 if 223 will get the job done. What I can eventually sell it for is also not a driving factor. Assuming I enjoy myself at Granby in a few weeks, I want something that I can grow into and never have to wonder was it the equipment or me. I'm also a buy it once kind of guy. I'm leaning towards building a Bighorn TL3 with a 223 barrel and either 6/6.5 something or another; have not decided that part yet.
Thanks for the spreadsheet, very interesting to play with the different options.
Thanks for the spreadsheet, very interesting to play with the different options.
Should be a fun ride from here. The TL3 is a hell of an action for the price.
Now you have to ask yourself if you’ll want a chassis of some flavor, or spring for a Manners with mini-chassis.
Now you have to ask yourself if you’ll want a chassis of some flavor, or spring for a Manners with mini-chassis.
The Bighorn is fine, but a Tikka will suit your needs just fine at a much lower price. If you just don't want a factory action, that's fine, but it's about the only reason to get something other than a Tikka. They're stupid accurate, reliable, smooth, and affordable.
Not trying to open up the can of worms again, but your statement makes me wonder if you missed the point of the discussion above. The point was that the price difference in 223 vs 6.5 is negligible unless you choose you use ultra-premium bullets in the 6.5. I literally went through this exact same thing as you over the past 2 years. Got a 223 and eventually figured out that the 6.5 can be done with premium accuracy and affordable price. And the one thing you don't get when shooting a trainer rifle is a feeling of how your rifle acts in different scenarios. As I transitioned from shooting 2 calibers to just one, I realized I was missing shots in matches because my CTR acted different than my Varmint at times (for instance, when the barrel heats up bigtime). So my scores went up just due to not practicing with a different rifle.
Just some stuff to think about. I still believe a Tikka CTR with a ZCO is probably what I'd go with in your situation. If you really want 2 guns, then the 223 Varmint is good but the TL3 certainly has its upside there, although the cost of a TL3 with 2 bolts and 2 barrels is nothing to ignore.
I do have one other question - this range that's a few minutes away - do you have a membership or does it cost per trip?
ETA: here is the spreadsheet with my 6.5 reloads and my 223 reloads in it:
Last edited:
Those of you worried about depreciation and resale are in the wrong hobby. Don't buy guns because of monetary value, get what suits the need.
I get that some of you are gear whores who needed the latest greatest every week. That's not how you grow and get consistent.
Or maybe I'm the weird one because I've never sold a gun? I don't actually know that anybody I shoot with sells guns, we just keep buying more. (Everyone needs 5 prairie dog rifles, 10 "deer" rifles, a few elk rifles, 5-6 target rifles, 6+ shotguns, and a pile of pistols, right? Or is that just a montanan thing?)
For what it's worth those compasses shoot way above their price range. They will have almost zero "trade in" value, but who would sell one? Just keep shooting!
I get that some of you are gear whores who needed the latest greatest every week. That's not how you grow and get consistent.
Or maybe I'm the weird one because I've never sold a gun? I don't actually know that anybody I shoot with sells guns, we just keep buying more. (Everyone needs 5 prairie dog rifles, 10 "deer" rifles, a few elk rifles, 5-6 target rifles, 6+ shotguns, and a pile of pistols, right? Or is that just a montanan thing?)
For what it's worth those compasses shoot way above their price range. They will have almost zero "trade in" value, but who would sell one? Just keep shooting!
Big difference between "worried about' and "making informed decisions". Not in this hobby to collect guns, I'm here to shoot, improve and compete and that costs a lot. Don't get me started on match entry fees, plane tickets, gas, rental cars and hotels. That can dwarf the cost of which caliber you shoot. This past two weeks alone I bought another 223 blank for the next trainer barrel, and paid match fees and plane tickets to travel to CO for a match next month, plus match fees for a local match this weekend that's a 4 hour drive away... and still need to decide if I'm getting a hotel for that one or if I'm getting up at 3am to drive there.
The real reason I shoot a 223 trainer is so I can load ammo on a progressive press as fast as possible, and so I can treat the trainer rifle like a redheaded step child and not worry about screwing up my match barrel. I shot ~100 rounds off a barricade after work today in crappy wind conditions and got the barrel good and hot. Still need to load another couple hundred rounds of 223 tonight so I've got something to shoot next week.
How to grow and get consistent? Shoot with and against people who are better than you, attend as many matches as you can, and send lots of rounds downrange in focused practice working on your weaknesses.
Sorry for the rant, but don't assume just because I used the word "depreciation" that this is some gear fondling fest...
Lots of good info on this thread.
I'm sorry about being in CT and no ARs. My up-to-600yd rifle in .223 is an AR I built last year feand it's awesome. Bummer.
I like your thought process in your first post a lot. My thoughts: as has been mentioned before in this thread, your budget makes for two OK rifles two great medium range rifles or one REALLY nice long range rifle.
Since the majority of your shooting is going to be 300yds and in, at least for the time being, I'd do a great .223. It's cheaper to build and cheaper to shoot, and given how easy on the shoulder and easy on the wallet it is to shoot a full day at the range you'll spend more time doing just that.
Build a nice .223 that'll take you to 600yds easy and put a GREAT optic on it. Shoot the heck out of it for a year or more and save more money up in the meantime for a true long range rig (1,000+yds, probably in 6.5) that'll be ready when that 1,000yd range opens back up and when you'll get more out of that Sig class. Then build your long range rig, swap the awesome scope off your .223 onto your new rifle, and get a cheaper mid-tier optic for your .223 trainer.
I'm sorry about being in CT and no ARs. My up-to-600yd rifle in .223 is an AR I built last year feand it's awesome. Bummer.
I like your thought process in your first post a lot. My thoughts: as has been mentioned before in this thread, your budget makes for two OK rifles two great medium range rifles or one REALLY nice long range rifle.
Since the majority of your shooting is going to be 300yds and in, at least for the time being, I'd do a great .223. It's cheaper to build and cheaper to shoot, and given how easy on the shoulder and easy on the wallet it is to shoot a full day at the range you'll spend more time doing just that.
Build a nice .223 that'll take you to 600yds easy and put a GREAT optic on it. Shoot the heck out of it for a year or more and save more money up in the meantime for a true long range rig (1,000+yds, probably in 6.5) that'll be ready when that 1,000yd range opens back up and when you'll get more out of that Sig class. Then build your long range rig, swap the awesome scope off your .223 onto your new rifle, and get a cheaper mid-tier optic for your .223 trainer.
I think you've turned your hobby into a job that you're paying to work at.
Guess I look at it as a more casual hobby. Drive to the matches in-state (can still be a 6 hour drive) when I can with the rifle I feel like. Shoot when I feel like (I'm 10 minutes from a 600 yard range, so most every weekend), and relax and enjoy.
I've just seen too many gear nuts on here recommend someone go all out, only to see all that stuff show up in the PX because they didn't enjoy it.
Have only been actively reading this forum since early last year and in ~18 months I’ve seen a lot of that too...
Even though I like my first suggestion above, in light of this fact another option is a good factory .223 and an SWFA 12x for about a grand in total which is plenty of rig to shoot a lot at 300yds and in, then decide if you like this hobby.
I have to admit, I sort of did miss that point. I see what you are saying about just shooting a single caliber. My main reason for wanting the 223 was the reduced recoil. Even though I'm not yet 50, I have arthritis in my shoulders and was looking for something with reduced recoil for my weekly practice. My perception was that the 223 would be easier on the shoulder than the 6.5 and definitely better than a 308. That was my driving force. If the 6.5 is no worse than the 223, then I may re-think my strategy about dual calibers.
As far as my range trips go, there is no fee per trip, just my yearly membership dues and the time I donate to the club in setting up IDPA matches.
I will admit that I'm getting a bit caught up in the fray. I certainly don't want to go hog wild and then end up not really liking the sport and end up selling stuff off in a short while. As I said before, I'm going to go shoot a match in a couple of weeks, then decide what my next step will be. I'm certain I'll end up with a rifle, because I don't have anything but a 10/22, but I'm not sure where I want to go quite yet with the sport.
Wise statement
This is a really good point to consider for the OP as well.
I did notice the OP said budget wasn't of #1 importance. The struggle is finding where you want to be between the $500 option of buying a single Savage and sticking an SWFA 12x on there, or buying 2 custom rifles and putting a pair of TT's on there and having $15k in it. It's really up to him on where in that spectrum he wants to be. I do think the spreadsheet that Sheldon provided is helpful in terms of calculating cost with things like barrel life included. That's a very valid concern if you're going to be racking up the round count.
Nah, just the competitive juices in me. It's fun to win, and what makes the sport fun is working towards that goal. If this were just go to the range and plink I'd be bored in no time. I love having a fun time with friends at matches, but I'm also pretty goal oriented.
If recoil is a concern there's a huge difference between a 223 and a 6.5. Neither is going to leave you with a bruised shoulder, but the 6.5 is literally 3 to 3.5 times more recoil than a 223.
Another side benefit of 223 over 6.5 for your average range trip is that the 223 will allow you to fire more rounds in a given time frame before the barrel gets hot and the view through the scope is miraged out.
Hey Sheldon, in your case don't forget to factor in prize table profits, right?! I'm pretty sure that offsets components and barrels, travel, etc, quite nicely.
I've mentioned this before but any time a less expensive factory rifle is bought you are not going to get an accurate one every time. As an example my friend bought two identical Tikka 300WM's one for him and one for his son. His son's shoots below MOA and his couldn't. I must be unlucky!!! because I've had many factory rifles that were barely MOA if that, some needed a lot of work and $ dumped into them to shoot not much better. The likelyhood of a custom rifle not shooting well is far less.
22 rimfire can be frustrating at 100Y, mostly with cheap ammo and a crappy rifle, eh, shoot bigger targets, right, lol, but a nice 22 that shoots moa with medium priced ammo is a lot of fun, and unlike a centerfire at 100Y or even 200Y, is a challenge in the wind. We shoot 22's every Wednesday at a friends range, I can't imagine not shooting 22's!!! Just yesterday we were shooting the 200M Chicken offhand with a 1950's old peep sighted Remington, we didn't hit it much but the challenge was great fun, especially when 3 other friends are trying with their various 22's, and this was with $3.49 ammo. One friend was shooting his PCP air rifle at that chicken too, he hit it a few times, we couldn't help but laugh when he did!
I would be so bored/was bored/ shooting centerfires at 100Y, especially when the difference is a small hole in the .1's or .2's, or 5 touching only a tenth bigger. Actually I did this before with two 6PPC's 13 years ago. Nope, NOT my cup of tea at all and it's exactly why I became interested in long range to begin with. It started when I attempted hitting a MGM mini popper/4" wide at 1000Y with one of those 6PPC's, I didn't think I could hit it but I found out it wasn't hard first thing in the morning with low wind. That PPC got chambered in a 6.5-284 a few months later, nice thing was that the sliding extractor enabled the bigger case head.
Challenge...
I've mentioned this before but any time a less expensive factory rifle is bought you are not going to get an accurate one every time. As an example my friend bought two identical Tikka 300WM's one for him and one for his son. His son's shoots below MOA and his couldn't. I must be unlucky!!! because I've had many factory rifles that were barely MOA if that, some needed a lot of work and $ dumped into them to shoot not much better. The likelyhood of a custom rifle not shooting well is far less.
22 rimfire can be frustrating at 100Y, mostly with cheap ammo and a crappy rifle, eh, shoot bigger targets, right, lol, but a nice 22 that shoots moa with medium priced ammo is a lot of fun, and unlike a centerfire at 100Y or even 200Y, is a challenge in the wind. We shoot 22's every Wednesday at a friends range, I can't imagine not shooting 22's!!! Just yesterday we were shooting the 200M Chicken offhand with a 1950's old peep sighted Remington, we didn't hit it much but the challenge was great fun, especially when 3 other friends are trying with their various 22's, and this was with $3.49 ammo. One friend was shooting his PCP air rifle at that chicken too, he hit it a few times, we couldn't help but laugh when he did!
I would be so bored/was bored/ shooting centerfires at 100Y, especially when the difference is a small hole in the .1's or .2's, or 5 touching only a tenth bigger. Actually I did this before with two 6PPC's 13 years ago. Nope, NOT my cup of tea at all and it's exactly why I became interested in long range to begin with. It started when I attempted hitting a MGM mini popper/4" wide at 1000Y with one of those 6PPC's, I didn't think I could hit it but I found out it wasn't hard first thing in the morning with low wind. That PPC got chambered in a 6.5-284 a few months later, nice thing was that the sliding extractor enabled the bigger case head.
Challenge...
Build a .223 rifle with a TL-3 action, KRG Bravo chassis, trigger of your choice, ARC M10 rings and a good optic.
When you out grow the .223, get a 6mm/6.5mm barrel of your choice and a bolt head and get after it. You can do a lot with a .223, including 1,000+ yard shooting.
Alternatively, you can build something similar to the above but in a 6BR/6BRA. Low recoil, Lazer beam accurate so it's fun to shoot at 100 yards, can easily go 1,000+ yards for a training class. I think a 6BR would be a great all-around cartridge.
What I did for my wife, was build her a 6BRA rifle. I wanted to build her a good all-around rifle that had low recoil, great accuracy, and was a very capable rifle at most any distance (short of ELR). It ended up being a Lone Peak Fuzion action, KRG Bravo chassis, BnA Tacsport trigger, ARC M10 rings and a Steiner M5 scope (which I had laying around).
More rifles is always nice, but I think it would be best to start with one rifle and work with that until you start to learn your preferences for triggers, chassis/stocks, optics and reticles, cartridges, etc. It gets expensive if you have to replace or upgrade two rifles as your needs and wants change versus one.
You can accomplish everything you want to do with one rifle. Plus, I think it's better to have one higher quality rifle than two okay/mid-level factory rifles. The goals you set out for each individual rifle can easily be accomplished by one, I really don't think you would be sacrificing anything by going one rifle over two.
When you out grow the .223, get a 6mm/6.5mm barrel of your choice and a bolt head and get after it. You can do a lot with a .223, including 1,000+ yard shooting.
Alternatively, you can build something similar to the above but in a 6BR/6BRA. Low recoil, Lazer beam accurate so it's fun to shoot at 100 yards, can easily go 1,000+ yards for a training class. I think a 6BR would be a great all-around cartridge.
What I did for my wife, was build her a 6BRA rifle. I wanted to build her a good all-around rifle that had low recoil, great accuracy, and was a very capable rifle at most any distance (short of ELR). It ended up being a Lone Peak Fuzion action, KRG Bravo chassis, BnA Tacsport trigger, ARC M10 rings and a Steiner M5 scope (which I had laying around).
More rifles is always nice, but I think it would be best to start with one rifle and work with that until you start to learn your preferences for triggers, chassis/stocks, optics and reticles, cartridges, etc. It gets expensive if you have to replace or upgrade two rifles as your needs and wants change versus one.
You can accomplish everything you want to do with one rifle. Plus, I think it's better to have one higher quality rifle than two okay/mid-level factory rifles. The goals you set out for each individual rifle can easily be accomplished by one, I really don't think you would be sacrificing anything by going one rifle over two.
I fully agree with all of this. I almost suggested 6BR as well. Due to how much I hated splitting time with 2 guns, this is essentially what I ended up doing, and it worked out really well. Shot 223 for awhile and then transitioned to 6.5.
My only suggestion would be to try various stock/chassis options (including the bravo) and pick the one that you like the best. If you're only going to have one gun, spend the money to get a good foundation for it. I love my Manners, but this is highly preferential.
True - stocks and chassis are very personal. Everyone has a different preference and there is lots of great options out there. My personal favorite is the JAE chassis.
I suggested the KRG Bravo as I believe it is the best budget chassis available, and I'm really impressed with it's feature set, available accessories/upgradability and ergonomics.
That said, if you go the one rifle setup as I suggested, that should open up your budget to a "higher end" stock or chassis of your preference. You just need to figure out what that is.
One of the challenges I foresee is that I don't even know what I like and don't like yet. In the pistol world where I've been shooting for 30+ years, I pretty much know what I want in a pistol, after lots of trial, error, and trading of guns. Hopefully I'll have a better idea of what I like, and don't, after the match in a couple of weeks and seeing, and hopefully touching, some different chassis/stock options.
You really can't go wrong with something like the TL3 at the core of the rifle. You can always change things like stocks, chassis, triggers to get the best personal feel.
Tweaking your setup is just part of this endevour. Soon enough you'll have enough spare parts for a second rifle. ?
Tweaking your setup is just part of this endevour. Soon enough you'll have enough spare parts for a second rifle. ?
I went the tl3 route and never looked back. I use a 6br as a trainer and have found it usable to easily 1k. I have 5 or 6 other barrels for my tl3 most of which have wrench flats machined in for mindless barrel swaps at the range. The argument for 223 was negated by the cheap cost of reloading 6br. I would like to get a 224valk at some point
Edit I got my last Lefty origin from hunts long range with the tl3 lug in about 3 days...
Ryan is a good dude also
Edit I got my last Lefty origin from hunts long range with the tl3 lug in about 3 days...
Ryan is a good dude also
I'm pretty much sold on the TL3 route. Mile High Shooting has the TL3 in stock, and it's cool that I can choose my serial number. Would something like a "Bighorn Arms: TL3 Short Action, DLC, AW Cut, 308 Bolt Face" be what I'm looking for?
yes. if you plan to run AW mags. I don't so i ordered with just the AICS cut, but the AW is the more common
if you're going to get it from mile high, might want to just let them spin on the barrel and time trigger
Yes, thank you. I was planning on both a 223 and 308 bolt head.
I have barrels and actions that I can swap. I have found that unless you really like to tinker and play with your guns more than shooting them that most people not all but alot find that switching very often is a pain... well not a pain but it becomes annoying and they just buy the components to turn switch barrels into multiple rifles. That being said I swap my barrels when shout out or to prep one but only at those times
Due to some other projects around the house my rifle budget has been cut back to my $2500 for this year; gosh I hate being an adult and having to prioritize stuff. That's to get setup with a rifle, chassis, scope, bi-pod, muzzle brake, etc. I'll be looking at an off the shelf rifle. The Tikka T3x Varmint seems to be well regarded. Any other rifles in the $800 - $1000 range I should be looking at besides the Tikka?
Nothing else comes close to it from what I've seen. There are "gems" in scopes, guns, and everything else. The .223 Varmint is one of them IMO. Put a quality scope on it if you can afford it. Nicer glass makes for a much nicer experience for me. Some people can look through coke bottles as long as the scope tracks but the older I get, the more particular I get about things.
Tikka or maybe Howa. They have a factory Bravo chassis option too. Like said above. Spend as much on a good scope as you can. Scopes are the weak link in the system. Shitty scopes = shitty experiences.
I just put some fishing rods/reels up for sale that should let me bump up the budget a bit. I'm thinking about $1500 towards the scope should get me in the game. I can always start out without a chassis to save some costs so I can get a better scope also. Next big question is caliber since I'll have to live with it for at least a year. 223 is appealing for less recoil, but 6.5CM would let me shoot out further. Not terribly concerned with ongoing ammo cost differences between them, that I can absorb.
+1 to this.
I've dealt with several Howa's and Weatherby Vangaurds (basically the same rifle) and they just plain shoot!
If you plan to upgrade the rifle in the not distant future I would buy a cheap rifle or used rifle. Spend most of your budget on things that can follow you through your shooting progression (scope being the most expensive).
I would also throw the .224 Valkyrie into your mix. Savage started making a bolt action rifle and practice ammo is super cheap. Then you can spend a few extra bucks for match ammo.
MVP LR | O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc.
www.mossberg.com
Good luck and keep us posted on what you end up getting and how it shoots for you.
Regards,
Ross
It probably won’t be popular opinion but a 308 would be a pretty damn good one gun option (unless you plan on getting balls deep into some PRS matches). Load up some 155’s or 168’s for your 300 yard and in load. And look into some 175-185 grain options for your 1000 yard stuff. I used to load 155 Lapua scenars really fast it it was a night and day difference in recoil vs 175 smk load. And they were going 2900 FPS so they were even a pretty decent 1000 yard bullet going that fast. You could even do the same with 6.5CM. Do a really light and slow but accurate 300 yard load and push them faster for longer distance stuff. Even going the 223 route if you can get a factory barrel twisted right you can load up some of the 90-95 grain options and you’ll be surprised at longer distances.
In the end I still like the 308. Train and learn with that and learn proper recoil management and trigger control instead of band-aiding it with a super low to no recoil cartridges. 308 recoil is more than manageable. Enough to learn on but not enough to make you shut down a range day early because you’re getting fatigued.
So my wonderful wife just informed me that for my b-day this year she and the rest of the family will all go in together to buy me a scope and the money I have now can be used just for the rifle. Just got off the phone with Mile High, will let everyone know what I end up with once I see the final quote and place my order. I'm deferring on a chassis till I have a chance to shoot the match in a couple of weeks and get to check some out in person.
Can the Hide collective look over this proposed build and let me know if I've made any glaring errors in my choices? Thanks!
- BIGHORN ARMS TL3 Short Action, 308, AW, RH, Tactical Bolt Knob, Mdm Tang, DLC Coating, 20MOA SA Pic Rail
- Bartlein BBL 6.5mm barrel.256x.264 5R rifling 1-8 twist SS Bartlein #12 Heavy Palma
- TriggerTech REM 700 Diamond Trigger - Pro Curved/Right
- Area 419 Hellfire Self Timing Muzzle Brake, 6.5mm, Black Nitride, TH 5/8-24
- AI MAGAZINE AW 7.62/308 (10 SHOT)
- Chamber barrel in caliber specified by customer (6.5 Creedmoor, finish length @24")
- Thread BarrelThread Muzzle of barrel 5/8-24 and install Area 419 Hellfire brake
- Cerakote just BBL in black to match DLC TL3 action
The rifle is ordered! Now for the 6-8 week wait and figuring out a chassis and optic.
Thank you everyone for your help and insights! This is one of the best forums I've ever participated in.
Thank you everyone for your help and insights! This is one of the best forums I've ever participated in.
Good to see the forum respond, and your satisfaction with your choice.
Best fortune on the range.
Greg
Best fortune on the range.
Greg
I prefer suppressors over brakes so I'll put that on the table... TBAC Ultra 7 or 9
I've never run AW except on an AI AT, just make sure it's reliable. Others will have more experience in that dept, but some guys I've known that tried AW found the AICS single stack more reliable.
I've never run AW except on an AI AT, just make sure it's reliable. Others will have more experience in that dept, but some guys I've known that tried AW found the AICS single stack more reliable.
