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Best hands down long range rifle in .308
- Thread starter M4sniperz
- Start date
Best for what? How far is "long range" in your mind?
Target shooting - keep an eye out for Savage 12 FTR - you can pick one up for under $1k.
Otherwise 20-24" repeater of your choice: Savage, Remington, Tikka, Howa : they all have their niches and quirks - just figure out what fits you.
Target shooting - keep an eye out for Savage 12 FTR - you can pick one up for under $1k.
Otherwise 20-24" repeater of your choice: Savage, Remington, Tikka, Howa : they all have their niches and quirks - just figure out what fits you.
howa hands down...with 175 berger otm's mine will keep 1/2 moa to about 800 and 1 moa out to 1160 which is as far as ive taken it so far.
I inherited a hi-point carbine. My GF was cleaning up the house and hit it with the broom and the front sight post broke. So, mine is no longer long range capable.
Right, but it's also a legit question for guys who join the forum in an attempt to learn.
Average scenario: Guy decides he wants to get involved in LR/ELR shooting. He does some searches which inevitably lead to SH links, so he joins the forum and may or may not continue his searches before he decides, "screw it, I'll jump in and ask my question". Because we've given the same stale answers to the same stale questions time and time again we get funny about it and fuck around. To the OP, he has no idea why everyone is breaking his balls because he hasn't been here long enough to have seen the same 10 threads over and over ad nauseum.
Sorry, my fucking sensitive chick harmones must be out of whack. I probably need to go shoe shopping or have some chocolate therapy. Carry on.
OP, as you have probabaly guessed by now, your question is not original.
First off, if you haven't done so try some forum searches on the topic.
Also, give us some more information:
1) What do you consider "long range"?
2) Do you know how to reload rifle cartridges?
3) Is your budget of $1000 for the bare rifle, or does it need to include a scope, rings, base, and a bipod?
4) Do you have to have a detachable magazine system?
It's hard to give an intelligent answer without knowing those things, at least it is for me.
First off, if you haven't done so try some forum searches on the topic.
Also, give us some more information:
1) What do you consider "long range"?
2) Do you know how to reload rifle cartridges?
3) Is your budget of $1000 for the bare rifle, or does it need to include a scope, rings, base, and a bipod?
4) Do you have to have a detachable magazine system?
It's hard to give an intelligent answer without knowing those things, at least it is for me.
"hands down best" and "under $1000.00"
Hard to say. We could give you some advice on good guns but you'd still be entering a lottery... Savage may be a good option for you as well as Remington, just get one with a good stock and not a piece of injected plastic and stay away from sporter weight barrels.
Hard to say. We could give you some advice on good guns but you'd still be entering a lottery... Savage may be a good option for you as well as Remington, just get one with a good stock and not a piece of injected plastic and stay away from sporter weight barrels.
I would save a little bit more and get a Remington 5R due to aftermarket support.
Ryan
or what VJJ said, cause everyone always knows what he is sayin.
Ryan
or what VJJ said, cause everyone always knows what he is sayin.
Right, but it's also a legit question for guys who join the forum in an attempt to learn.
Average scenario: Guy decides he wants to get involved in LR/ELR shooting. He does some searches which inevitably lead to SH links, so he joins the forum and may or may not continue his searches before he decides, "screw it, I'll jump in and ask my question". Because we've given the same stale answers to the same stale questions time and time again we get funny about it and fuck around. To the OP, he has no idea why everyone is breaking his balls because he hasn't been here long enough to have seen the same 10 threads over and over ad nauseum.
Sorry, my fucking sensitive chick harmones must be out of whack. I probably need to go shoe shopping or have some chocolate therapy. Carry on.
I'd have to agree. My beard is still growing so I think my hormones are alright...
If I might add. Sometime the information returned in searches is stale. With so many guns coming to market that old information may not be accurate. However, this site is very active and I do believe there are 2-3 similar questions within the first few pages of the Bolt Action forum. My Mother taught me that if I can't say something nice don't say anything at all My preference is the Remington 700 AAC-SD but I don't have a whole lot of experience with some of the others.
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If you want to shoot long range as in 1k yards and beyond you have the wrong hammer for that nail. You want stuff inside 800-900 yards then a 308 will do just fine. One of my first long range rifles was a Savage 10 Precision Carbine. It was an excellent rifle and a damn tack driver. I would however suggest a 6.5 Creedmoor if you plan to shoot longer than that but don't want to hit magnum status. It will kill anything a 308 will if you plan to hunt with the gun and is ballistically superior, and many would argue more accurate in general. The only advantage the 308 has over the 6.5 CM is bullet options and off the shelf ammo availability, but the CM is gaining ground in that department as well. If you want to do long range hunting then you might consider 300 Win Mag.
If you are dead set on a .308 I would look into some of the Savages if you want out of the box accuracy that you don't need to invest further in aside from throwing a scope and bipod on it. I have heard good things about Howa as well. The Remmy's are great but usually require some $$ to make them shoot to the level of the others out of the box, but the advantage of those is there are many parts available and the accuracy potential is higher.
If you are dead set on a .308 I would look into some of the Savages if you want out of the box accuracy that you don't need to invest further in aside from throwing a scope and bipod on it. I have heard good things about Howa as well. The Remmy's are great but usually require some $$ to make them shoot to the level of the others out of the box, but the advantage of those is there are many parts available and the accuracy potential is higher.
just before hunting season dicks usually has a rem ADL model for about 449 with a rebate. it has the heavy varmint barrel. Like most rems you will prob want to replace the trigger, and stock. This gets you in the door for about as cheap as you can get with access to all the upgrades that are offered for a rem 700. Yes they shoot just as good as the higher priced models. The 5R will get you a better stock usually a HS precision and usually a stainless barrel which are good upgrades. If you cant tell I am more of a rem700 fan than the other models mainly due to all the upgrades available if that's your thing. 2nd choice is a savage 12 lrp. That rifle out of the box is good to go if you don't want to do upgrades. You can do all the upgrades to a savage but usually have to do more looking as its not as popular.
Ha! I see what you did there. Nice cross thread reference.
Other than the Hi Point, I'd get anything you can afford in a Remington action. That way, when you decide to upgrade the furniture, your possibilities are endless.
So you want to shoot 1000 yards and beyond with a 1000$ gun/scope combo?
You may wanna revisit one or more of your criteria.
Hipoints are meant to be shot holding the weapon on its side when you are blasting a fool, so no sights (or range) are required.
I hope you know that I respect your take on this immeasurably. For a moment let's play with the idea seriously: Let's say he picks up a used Savage and a SWFA SS fixed 10X. Or even a used Remmy. I think it could be done if he shops wisely. Free iPhone app and JBM and he's shooting.
Hell, once I'm back in the States I may start a "cheapest build to 1K" thread where we hunt the pawn shops and classifieds and put together a rig that we take out to 1k and we see who spent the least doing it. God knows most of us have established how MUCH we can spend doing this, may be fun to see how cheap we could do it.
ETA: I just checked SWFA's page, and he could get either the 10, 12, 16, or 20X fixed scope for $299. So I think his goal of a $1k rifle/scope setup is possible.
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I just don't think a 1k budget is reasonable. Even an swfa with any decent rings and a base won't leave much on a rifle. I think ou can do it for close but 1200 -1500 is more realistic. What about ammo? Even a used howa FN or Remington is gonna be close. If you pay for what you get why not a save a little more and do it right?
The last 308 "1000yd for $1000" build I saw was a Savage 10FP-SR and the PrimaryArms 4-14x44 mil/mil FFP scope, shooting factory FGMM 175gr ammo. "hands down" the "best"? No idea, but that's a pretty tight budget, so you'll have to take what you can get in a number of ways. It could be worse - I think if you shop used you could reach 1000yds for $500. ;-)
I'm sure it still has the kinetic to get the job done, if ya know what I mean. /wink wink
OP, a couple things. First, welcome to SH. Second, like others have said, searches will show endless debates on your question. Third, you have to walk before you can run, and between the difficulty of hitting steel at 1k+ and the limited options for shooting that distance, well I would suggest you get to be a really good shot at 800 and less before you put serious effort into longer distances. Fourth, this is a place with a lot of people who spend the price of a good used car on their rifle + scope, so people tend to aim high in terms of their equipment wants. Fifth, there is a separate subforum for scopes, I suggest you read posts there on scopes you might want to check out. Sixth, there is no one best rifle for your purposes. Some brands/models worth looking at include the Rem 700, savage 10/11/12, Howa 1500, Weatherby Vanguard (which is almost the same as the Howa), Tikka T3, and others. A whole bunch of reading prior discussions will help you focus on what you want. Or you can just get a Rem 700, not because it's the best at anything, but because it has the most aftermarket support by quite a bit. (I'm not a fan of them personally, but you can't argue with their dominance of the aftermarket.)
With the carbine came a Hi-Point C-9 pistol. I was with my grandpa when he bought it. $100, and it included 2 50rd boxes and an Uncle Mike's. It's not my go to, nor is it my carry, and I would hate to be in the situation where I had to trust my life with it, but it has never malfunctioned. I'm not sure how many rounds he put through it, and I've only shot 4 or 5 boxes over the last 5 years, but it has not let me down. I've also never taken the slide off. I just powder blast it, run a snake through it, and lube it.
I hope you budget for some serious training and ammo. So many understimate what it takes, in terms of skill and experience, to reliably hit beyond 1000 yards.
How come no one ever wants to shoot 990 yards????
First, bump up your budget by 100 dollars.
savage hog hunter $451.00
Choate Tactical stock (not the sniper or varmint stock) around $200.00 from EA Brown
This mounting kit (if you're lucky they have it in stock) 112.00
TPS Mounting Kit for Savage w/Accu-trigger
SWFA SS 12X. Don't go with the 16x or 20x, it will be too dark. 12X is the sweet spot $299.00
That's 1062.00 before shipping and handling, you'll likely end up wit a different mounting kit, as the TPS rings are like hens teeth.
The weaver 20moa extended multi slot rail is an excellent choice and is significantly cheaper, the weaver tactical 6 hole rings are a bit of a pain in the ass, but they actually work very well.
Get your rings, base and scope from SWFA to minimize shipping costs.
First, bump up your budget by 100 dollars.
savage hog hunter $451.00
Choate Tactical stock (not the sniper or varmint stock) around $200.00 from EA Brown
This mounting kit (if you're lucky they have it in stock) 112.00
TPS Mounting Kit for Savage w/Accu-trigger
SWFA SS 12X. Don't go with the 16x or 20x, it will be too dark. 12X is the sweet spot $299.00
That's 1062.00 before shipping and handling, you'll likely end up wit a different mounting kit, as the TPS rings are like hens teeth.
The weaver 20moa extended multi slot rail is an excellent choice and is significantly cheaper, the weaver tactical 6 hole rings are a bit of a pain in the ass, but they actually work very well.
Get your rings, base and scope from SWFA to minimize shipping costs.
M40
Wrong price range for long distance shooting.
You will need the gun, the scope, and (AND) reloading equipment.
At least a thought I'd like to see someone try...
Ruger American predator in 6.5 creed - 400 bucks
Midway weaver 3-10 mil mil - 300 bucks
Rings, bipod, rear bag, stock pack, sling, ammo
< a grand.
Ruger American predator in 6.5 creed - 400 bucks
Midway weaver 3-10 mil mil - 300 bucks
Rings, bipod, rear bag, stock pack, sling, ammo
< a grand.
I am in the same boat as him. Looking for a beginner setup that won't break the bank and also needs to be left handed. A lot of people suggested .308 but I've heard some things about the 6.5 but not a lot. Some day I'd love to hit 1,000 yards I know it takes skill and time. That challenge is what has me so interested in this sport.
If you are just starting out, you could do worse than a varmint weight Rem or Savage in whatever configuration you like, and a 10X SWFA.
With something along these lines, and decent ammo, the trigger-puller is most likely going to be the weakest link.
Forget about "best hands down", if such a thing existed, we would all be shooting it, and these type of queries would never come up.
With something along these lines, and decent ammo, the trigger-puller is most likely going to be the weakest link.
Forget about "best hands down", if such a thing existed, we would all be shooting it, and these type of queries would never come up.
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Don't know enough yet to say what size but I would say the smaller the better with practice and time. What are some of better calibers to start out with?
A couple of reasons that many suggest the .308 to the new shooter is the availability/cost of ammunition and barrel life. Most guys just starting out do not reload and therefore are at the mercy of local and online vendors to source their ammunition. While there are some ballistic advantages to the 6.5's, unless you reload, finding off-the-shelf match ammunition can be hit or miss and very expensive. Of the 3 common SA 6.5mm's, the Creedmoor is the most affordable but it's only made by Hornady and can be difficult to find. Match grade .308 ammunition can be found from several makers such as Federal, Southwest Ammunition, Black Hills, Silver State just to name a few. As for barrel life, the .308 can easily go 4000-8000 rounds before needing to be replaced. This allows you to put money towards getting set-up in reloading or shooting/practicing more or taking a good long range class. There are several decent .308 rifles is made by several manufactures that will get you in the game and shoot accurately out to 900-1000.
This was the conventional wisdom for a long time. However, over the past 3 years .308 match ammo (BH/FGMM) has periodically been difficult to find, especially at a fair price. If you don't find a deal you're looking at $2 per round. The Hornady 6.5 match ammo has been pretty available the whole time and the price stays constant around $25 per box of 20 or less when buying 200 round cases (or larger). You'll definitely have shorter barrel life, but more and more I find myself recommending the 6.5 to new shooters, since that's where most of us end up anyway, at least those of us that don't reload to take advantage of .260 or the super 6's.
This should be a "sticky thread".
They do have cheap gun cases and ONE cute cashier.
They do have cheap gun cases and ONE cute cashier.
I don't blame you veteran precision shooters for getting pissed listening to (and I hate to use the word "dumb") type questions, but the info is out there, I easily found a years worth of eye bleeding reading when I was looking for a new rifle to take me out to 600 yards once I knew what I wanted then started asking more specific questions and opinions, and lastly after spending about $1900 on my R700 Varmint, reaching out 1000K+ for <$1K ain't gonna get you there safely imo... At those distances it's not just about the equipment, it's about wind and dope as well.
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Reloading and getting a decent brand name rifle with good glass will get you to 1000. Not sure what perimeters you're basing your purchase on
