I am looking to purchase a new hunting rifle primarily for sitting and shooting long ranges on a bipod or rest. I've maxed out on my Rem 700 SPS Tactical and would like a little more range and power. I don't mind carrying a heavy rifle but the lighter the better. I'd like to be able to take a whitetail at 1,000 yards so I'm looking at 300WM or 338WM. I'm currently looking at a Kimber 8400 Magnum Montana in either cal or a Savage 10/110 FCP HS in 300WM. I know they are different worlds but I like the light weight on the Kimber and the accuracy from the 10. Anyone think or know if the Kimber can hold a group that far in a 300WM or 338WM? If not I'm assuming I need to look at the Savage unless someone has another rifle in mind I should check out. I will be loading my self. I'm a decent shooter. I have no problem shooting .5 MOA at 300 yards with the SPS with just a bipod. I have $1,500 for the rifle and $1,500 for glass.
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Long range hunting rifle 300WM or 338WM
- Thread starter Ira996
- Start date
I'd look for a Remington 700 Police in 300winmag. Mine shoots better than 1/2 moa. It has a comfortable stock as well. It's right in your price range too. An option you have is to pull the stock from the rifle and sell it. Use the funds to get yourself a mcmillan stock with edge technology to save some weight. You can do all that and still stay under your $1500 limit
http://www.snipershide.com/shooting...2013-remington-m700-accurizing-group-buy.html
Maybe an option to look into if you have the time wait to be called. Turnaround time seems to be 3-4 weeks being reported by some. Would have to buy cheap used remington 700 action or new, barrel, and new/used bc/hs takeoff stock. Should put you at 1500 or slightly above. Seems to be a really good deal to get a custom/semi custom rifle. I would call LRI and see what they can do for you after reading the thread.
For glass you can check this out Vortex Optics - Viper PST 6-24x50 FFP EBR-1 MRAD. First focal plane or second focal plane. Mil/mil or moa/moa matching reticle/turrets. Good glass from what I hear and no fuss lifetime warranty. Should be around 1000 +scope base+rings.
Rifle+ glass Total cost ~3000
Maybe an option to look into if you have the time wait to be called. Turnaround time seems to be 3-4 weeks being reported by some. Would have to buy cheap used remington 700 action or new, barrel, and new/used bc/hs takeoff stock. Should put you at 1500 or slightly above. Seems to be a really good deal to get a custom/semi custom rifle. I would call LRI and see what they can do for you after reading the thread.
For glass you can check this out Vortex Optics - Viper PST 6-24x50 FFP EBR-1 MRAD. First focal plane or second focal plane. Mil/mil or moa/moa matching reticle/turrets. Good glass from what I hear and no fuss lifetime warranty. Should be around 1000 +scope base+rings.
Rifle+ glass Total cost ~3000
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If you shoot a Deer with a .338 Lapua you will gut and cook it with one shot. I am not sure why a hunter would want to shoot a Deer from 1000 yards away? Seems like a very good way to maim one. If you are a magnificent shot, your groups will be 8-10 inches and that is the difference between a good heart lung shot and wasted meat.
Lapua was never mentioned and you can throw a round as small as a 185gr in 338 cal. A 185gr wouldn't exactly gut or cook. I currently use a 210gr NP out of a Kimber 84 in 338 Fed and it is delightful. It's a heck of a knock down and as long as you don't shoot the deer directly from behind you will never gut them.
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Sendero in either , lots of nice scopes to pick from in that price range , 338wm is easy to find most places, Rock solid SWFA 5x20 HD or the G2 Ret on the Bushnell Elite ,
Forget the 338 unless you really wanted it. Go with 300 wsm. Same velocity pretty much as 300 win mag give or take 30-50 fps. You can add 1" barrel length on the 300 wsm compared to win mag and it would be a wash. The shorter action will be lighter vs the long action. But since you say your just gonna be parking your rig and sitting, weight shouldnt be too much of an issue. Something in the 200gr accubond flavor will get you 700+ ft/lbs energy at 1000 yards which should be enough to take down white tail. And I could be mistaken here but from what I read the wsm is easier to load then win mag. More efficient powder burn supposingly with the shorter fatter case, more powder closer to ignition.
Fwiw I'm new to all this, just been reading a lot here, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
Fwiw I'm new to all this, just been reading a lot here, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
Glad to see your wanting to get into the magnum world. I love my 300 win mag, lots of choices especially if you reload. Either 300 or 338 will have plenty of down range velocity at 1000 yds to take even an elk but I would would never attempt to take any animal at 1000 yards! There are just to many variables that even the most accomplished shooter cannot control, just a 5 mph wind can throw your bullet trajectory off 2 ft. It has taken me two years with a custom rig to work up to 400 yards and would still be very mindful of atmospheric conditions before making the decision to take a deer at that range. With that said the savage 110 platform would be my choice if you can't go with a custom rig, I've had some trigger time behind one and it's accutrigger is pretty good, it held good groups out to 300 yds. I have also had the chance to use the vortex razor and SWFA 5-20 and the SWFA is very impressive, it's a little heavy but the mrad reticle is excellent and the glass will rival some of the more expensive scopes.
What ever you decide to go with please get out and practice, practice and practice!
What ever you decide to go with please get out and practice, practice and practice!
My bad. It was late and I missed the WM aspect of your posting. True a .300 or .338 WM are both good hunting rounds. So be a hunter, keep stalking and get up on your quarry and make a clean kill from a reasonable distance. Hell, I can grunt or cow call a Deer or Elk inside 200 yards with a little time and effort. A 1000 yard shot is extreme.
Painless300-What do you think the largest round acceptable for the 10 would be?
Diver160651-What speeds and round are you using to get that at 1,000?
Goodmanfj-You think the Sendero would be more accurate than the 10?
I'd like to keep the ft lbs as high as can be with maximum accuracy. As for killing long range I currently have no problem taking deer at 700 yards with the SPS. Wouldn't try it with my current Kimber because it's a pencil barrel.
Diver160651-What speeds and round are you using to get that at 1,000?
Goodmanfj-You think the Sendero would be more accurate than the 10?
I'd like to keep the ft lbs as high as can be with maximum accuracy. As for killing long range I currently have no problem taking deer at 700 yards with the SPS. Wouldn't try it with my current Kimber because it's a pencil barrel.
Range isnt always a choice, many of us could call an elk inside of 200 yds. But if the elk is on the opposite side of a canyon, and going to be out of sight, or in another hunter's sight within moments, its nice to be able to make the shot.
Any of the cartridges listed here will do you well, 300wm, 300wsm, 338wm, 338LM, 7RM, 7SAUM,7WSM are just a few. The cartridge choice is no where near as important as your dedication to it. once you decide, get a good high BC bullet, and shoot a thousand or so of them at real hunting ranges and locations. I get most of my practice 2 or 3 rounds at a time after hiking a mile or two through the mountains. Pick a target, and make one good shot on it, then move on to another. It's very much like hunting, and builds confidence and skill at the same time, as well as keep you conditioned for the hunt.
Any of the cartridges listed here will do you well, 300wm, 300wsm, 338wm, 338LM, 7RM, 7SAUM,7WSM are just a few. The cartridge choice is no where near as important as your dedication to it. once you decide, get a good high BC bullet, and shoot a thousand or so of them at real hunting ranges and locations. I get most of my practice 2 or 3 rounds at a time after hiking a mile or two through the mountains. Pick a target, and make one good shot on it, then move on to another. It's very much like hunting, and builds confidence and skill at the same time, as well as keep you conditioned for the hunt.
Read this thread. http://www.snipershide.com/shooting...s/185807-new-gap-extreme-hunter-6-5-saum.html
Rifle out of budget, but caliber is phenomenal and east to shoot compared to a big magnum. Maybe you can have it chambered in a less expensive rifle.
Rifle out of budget, but caliber is phenomenal and east to shoot compared to a big magnum. Maybe you can have it chambered in a less expensive rifle.
My personal preference is the 300 win mag, it's such a flexible round, recoil is not bad, and you can get ammo almost anywhere. I've worked up an accurate load using 200 grain accubonds, 66.5g IMR4350 and fed 215 primers. It chronos 2890 fps. It's no where near max it's just what my rifle likes and it's not such a barrel burner. I like a heavier bullet for elk hunting but if your only shooting deer the 165 SGK in a 300 wsm is a devastating round you just can't load 200g bullet seated deep enough to fit in a magazine. Hope I answered your question.
A smart and accurate reply!
I think the best money you could spend would be spending a few days with a well known, reputable hunter/guide/outfitter in your area.
actually 1000 yard groups with a good 7mm Rem is about 6.5 -7 inches with mine, only dealing with mild spin drift about 6-7 inches R, I run 168 Berger VLDS. wind is the real factor
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If you don't know how to shoot then yeah I'd see how someone would mess up a deer with almost any round. Took a buck this year at 200 yards through the heart using a 338 Fed 210gr Nos Part. Exit was only the size of a 50 cent piece. The only damage was the heart.
We don't use guides in this part of Pennsylvania unless you are going after elk or hunting in a fenced in area.
As for not wanting to kill long distance, some of us like the challenge of a long shot. Yes I understand this clip is a custom Gunwerks. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIn1G8BeUuc
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy stalking. Two bucks ago was shot at 15 feet after a 3 mile jog and 2 hour crawl. Wool bottom boots are the way to go.
Picked up and felt the 10 in 300 win mag and 338 lap, 700p in 300 win mag, Sendero is a harder one to come across. All nice guns. Wouldn't mind owning any of them. Guess I'll start flipping coins unless someone has some compelling shooting data at 800 or 1,000 yards.
We don't use guides in this part of Pennsylvania unless you are going after elk or hunting in a fenced in area.
As for not wanting to kill long distance, some of us like the challenge of a long shot. Yes I understand this clip is a custom Gunwerks. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIn1G8BeUuc
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy stalking. Two bucks ago was shot at 15 feet after a 3 mile jog and 2 hour crawl. Wool bottom boots are the way to go.
Picked up and felt the 10 in 300 win mag and 338 lap, 700p in 300 win mag, Sendero is a harder one to come across. All nice guns. Wouldn't mind owning any of them. Guess I'll start flipping coins unless someone has some compelling shooting data at 800 or 1,000 yards.
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People love to get on their high horse, what's funny is this is a long range shooting forum... So that should be the first hint as to where people stand on long range hunting. There are lots of shooters here that are more consistent at 700yds than many hunters are at 200 yards. Having the proper equipment is important.
That said, the .338 win and .300 win also do a lot of damage close in. But we are talking at distance and putting th animal down is more important than meat lose at that point, but mostly is a non issue as the velocity drains off getting there making for less shock.
That said, the .338 win and .300 win also do a lot of damage close in. But we are talking at distance and putting th animal down is more important than meat lose at that point, but mostly is a non issue as the velocity drains off getting there making for less shock.
338 Win. is not a 1000 yd round. Use a Lapua, Edge, or RUM to get those high BC bullets up to speed for that kind of shooting. I would choose the 300 Win. High BC bullets at decent speeds. The .300 Winny has a long standing reputation as a 1K cartridge.
The Kimber is a great rifle, I've had 3 of them. IMO, they are not a great LR rifle; too light. The Savage LR rifles and Remington Sendero make much better platforms for LR shooting. Unless it shoots 1/2 MOA out of the box, plan on getting it bedded. You'll want a custom trigger or a trigger job on the factory unit either way.
I'll put a plug in for the 7 Remmy as well, if you can get a 9 twist barrel to shoot the 180 gr Berger HVLD. I shoot a full custom varmint rifle throated specifically for this bullet. I've shot a lot of marmots in the 900-1100 yard range, and got 4 last fall at over 3/4 mile, the longest being 1402 yards. 1K yards is a do-able shot, if conditions are all favorable.
The advantage, IMO, of the 7 mag is high BC bullets with good retained energy at long range, and less recoil than firing the heavier bullets and powder charges of the .300 to get similar results.
It sounds like you are already an accomplished shooter at medium ranges, but when you get to 1K things get much more difficult. Plan on doing a lot of shooting for practice, and a lot of frustration learning to dope the wind at those ranges. There are other tools you will need, and probably already have; laser range finder, ballistic software, anemometer, chronograph.
The Kimber is a great rifle, I've had 3 of them. IMO, they are not a great LR rifle; too light. The Savage LR rifles and Remington Sendero make much better platforms for LR shooting. Unless it shoots 1/2 MOA out of the box, plan on getting it bedded. You'll want a custom trigger or a trigger job on the factory unit either way.
I'll put a plug in for the 7 Remmy as well, if you can get a 9 twist barrel to shoot the 180 gr Berger HVLD. I shoot a full custom varmint rifle throated specifically for this bullet. I've shot a lot of marmots in the 900-1100 yard range, and got 4 last fall at over 3/4 mile, the longest being 1402 yards. 1K yards is a do-able shot, if conditions are all favorable.
The advantage, IMO, of the 7 mag is high BC bullets with good retained energy at long range, and less recoil than firing the heavier bullets and powder charges of the .300 to get similar results.
It sounds like you are already an accomplished shooter at medium ranges, but when you get to 1K things get much more difficult. Plan on doing a lot of shooting for practice, and a lot of frustration learning to dope the wind at those ranges. There are other tools you will need, and probably already have; laser range finder, ballistic software, anemometer, chronograph.
Well just get a 300 RUM and if you need to you can load it down to 300 Win. Best of both. Just my .05
Either will take a whitetail at 1000 yards. So will a .308 or .243 with the right loads. Why anyone would shoot an animal at this range is beyond me. If you cant get within 500 yards you probably need to work on your hunting skills and save the 1000 yard stuff for paper or steel. You can shoot .5 moa at 300 yards consitantly? Wow. Thats tough for most a 100 yards.
There are complaints with Kimbers accuracy and they are not the best at being polite and helping customers.
1000 yard shot on a deer or any game animal is something I do not understand but to each his own.
I am not a fan of 300 mags for hunting at any range, I have used them and 338s fly better, drive deeper with a worse or better wound channel depending on your perspective.
I have 7mag and would use it over 300s. In my experience on game in Alaska. 284 diameter again flys better, drives deeper with wound channel. Others disagree but its what I experienced using them.
But none of them will tip over any game animal more dead than the other, its all about placing the bullet in the kill box and what ever headstamp or rifle you choose, hitting the kill box is the most important thought.
good luck
1000 yard shot on a deer or any game animal is something I do not understand but to each his own.
I am not a fan of 300 mags for hunting at any range, I have used them and 338s fly better, drive deeper with a worse or better wound channel depending on your perspective.
I have 7mag and would use it over 300s. In my experience on game in Alaska. 284 diameter again flys better, drives deeper with wound channel. Others disagree but its what I experienced using them.
But none of them will tip over any game animal more dead than the other, its all about placing the bullet in the kill box and what ever headstamp or rifle you choose, hitting the kill box is the most important thought.
good luck
