Rifle Help, I will be specific with background

[ut755ln]

I have been shooting rifle more since 2020. I have specifically been shooting small frame ARs and have five rifles that I cycled through. A friend told me that I might have fun at some matches so I shot a couple that were listed on quantified performance. What I found out is that I really like shooting at range better then banging steel up close. After a year or two, I ended up with a Radian builder kit with a 16 inch proof barrel and a 1x8 ATACR which is about as nice a rifle as you can have in the gp category. While I love my small frame ARs 5.56 is not a long range cartridge and I have hit my limits in terms or what I can do with the rifle.

My first thought was to buy a large frame AR and I have spent half a year talking to people and shooting some. I have some time behind a JP (6.5 CM) and LWRC in .308. I was all set on buying the JP large frame in .308 and a guy named Kevin Owens came to Houston and taught a class on long range shooting. He was using a chassis bolt gun in .308 and effectively wiped the floor with all of us.

I really want to start shooting longer and now have access to a range where I can shoot out to 2k yards. The instructor recommended that I start with a .308 and work on learning to use the scope of my choice and learn how to read the wind and use the various tools of the trade. His reasoning is that .308 is inexpensive to shoot and has relatively good barrel life compared to other rounds that are a little spicier with better ballistics. He said that he started out with Army issued sniper rifles but now really prefers the chassis systems that allow for multiple calibers and easy barrel swaps.

I have read a ton of threads on this forum and things are all over the place in terms of what is a best potential fit. I do not know if I am going to compete in the future, if I do it will be on the low end of the spectrum. I do know that I really enjoy it and I am having a lot of fun right now. I signed up for a rifle only class for early May, problem is I need to get the rifle up and running.


I currently have some amount of equipment. I have a chrono, a kestrel, a couple of bipods, some arca pieces. What I need is a rifle and a scope. My budget for the initial setup is $8k all in. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[wpeach1912]

First off, I strongly recommend getting a 6.5 creedmoor. The 308 match ammo you’ll be using will cost the same as 6.5 creed. You can still learn effectively with a 6.5 creed. If you’ve got 8k laying around to build a rifle, I doubt the at most $900 every 2-3 years for a barrel will matter.
For 8k, you can build effectively any custom rifle you want with whatever scope you want. I also highly recommend going and trying other custom rigs before you buy. There is a lot of personal preference stuff when it comes to custom rifles. PRS matches are probably the best place to encounter such setups. You can go and watch and people will let you at least hold the gun if you tell them what you’re doing.

 

[oldrifleman]

First off, I strongly recommend getting a 6.5 creedmoor. The 308 match ammo you’ll be using will cost the same as 6.5 creed. You can still learn effectively with a 6.5 creed. If you’ve got 8k laying around to build a rifle, I doubt the at most $900 every 2-3 years for a barrel will matter.
For 8k, you can build effectively any custom rifle you want with whatever scope you want. I also highly recommend going and trying other custom rigs before you buy. There is a lot of personal preference stuff when it comes to custom rifles. PRS matches are probably the best place to encounter such setups. You can go and watch and people will let you at least hold the gun if you tell them what you’re doing.

Agree with this. I shoot 308 and it is fine, but I am not a competitor so no big deal. I am putting together 2 others for my kids. My son is getting an Impact/Manners/ZCO/Bartlein 6.5Cm and my daughter getting the same but 6cm. They may want to compete in the future so I wanted them to have a starting point. My point is that yes you could go to a match and shoot a 308, but it would be putting you at a disadvantage. The 308 is fantastic round, just the game is geared towards faster/flatter shooting rounds with less recoil.

 

[Secant]

I thought rifles only had house guns (AIs) that you could use for a class. You might start there for your class and then drill down on what you want afterwards.

I would also go with a 6.5 CM or 6CM to start. The last 1,000 rounds of 6CM I bought was $1.15/round, has a 20-shot MV SD of 9.7 fps, and has an average 5-shot group ES of 0.67 MOA. That will probably lose every benchrest competition, but won't hold you back for practical/field type shooting.

There are so many options for rifle set-ups and so many personal preferences, but a fully adjustable chassis is a good starting point just so that you can unquestionably fit it to your body. I'd also focus most of those funds on a quality scope and tripod. Do you have a good rangefinder?

Shopping the PX is a good way to start trying gear. Buy for used price, sell for used price, and you will not be out all that much money.