Just to give some background, I am brand new to the dedicated Long-range world. I have owned a Ruger American 270 for several years but rarely used it due to being too busy with school, and hating the (composite lightweight) chassis and cost of ammo. I have begun a project to fill the stock with lead and epoxy and roughly attempt a (non-clone correct) m24 build since resale value on leftys is poor, and it could be many months before I actually get my next set up all ready to go. As far as that rifle, I may either keep it for plinking or only sell if I get a fair value since it is a very great rifle for the money and certainly an MOA or .75 gun for $500 out the box. My caliber is going to be 308/7.62, and I would like to be able to reliably ring steel out to 800 yds. Philosophy of use will be mostly target, possibly some course work, and the occasional hunt. A 'do-all' set up if you will. I'm not into the idea of having many different rifles. I prefer to hone my skill in with 1 or 2, and I also cannot afford to have many. Beyond 1000 I will, later on, consider 300 wm or 6.5 cr for that purpose. Unless of course you recommend skipping 308 altogether and jumping straight into 300 wm or 6.5. IF the cost of factory bulk ammo is the same price, or the cost of mid-high grade brass factory bulk is comparable, those are the only conditions under which I'd consider skipping a 308 rifle. I shoot a lot, and I love to shoot. I cannot afford match grade stuff and I don't reload. So far, out to 500 yds with my 270, basic factory mid-grade (Rem core-lokt, Winchester Super X, Federal powershok, & even the cheapo Herters stuff from Cabelas for $15 a box) has kept me at 1-1.5 MOA no problem whatsoever. So, for my use and my wallet, I would not like to get into shooting match or high grade loads. The other reason is availability, I'm not open to using ammo that isn't readily available and cheap at your local Wal-mart in Anytown, USA.
Over the past several months I've done a lot of reading. I had initially narrowed down my choice between the Bergara HMR and the Tikka T3x CTR (not the TAC A1), both 308. I have basically no experience with ARs, but intuitively, I do not like the idea of an AR vertical/pistol grip on a bolt gun, since I can't rest my whole hand weight on the grip firmly. Maybe I am wrong about this? Also, when racking the bolt after firing, a traditional stock naturally has your fingers closer to the knob so you can almost perform it with your fingertips as some marines are taught to do with the 700 action. Again I am totally novice to the terminology and specs of this sport but I have read that basically both the Bergara and T3x are better versions of the 700 for less money. That was good enough for me so I began looking but I cannot find a damn rifle in left hand 308 anywhere. It's been months now and I am getting so ancy that I've caved into considering other models. Right now there is a 700 Police LTR in 308 that is going for $925 after shipping. As much as I believe the marketing hype behind both Tikka/Bergara rifles, I think it would be "nice" to own a 700 which is still a very high-quality gun, so it's tempting just cuz I dont know if/when Tikka/Bergara will get more 308 leftys in those two models. If the 700 action is really as stiff as some people have complained about, and the others become available soon I'll probably be bummed about my purchase and also won't be able to resell easily. I can't afford to buy both and make a clone build because then I'll have to buy two optics and I'm not going to cheap out on my optics (I have a Nikon Prostaff on my 270 which is great for the money but want to get something high end to keep for the next 5-10 years). Basically, I was looking to keep my set up optic included between 2-3.5k, and only going up to 3.5 if it's absolutely worth it and will serve me well for more than 7 years. The only other option in stock right now is the Tac A1. It comes out to be an extra 6-700 bucks for a chassis that I don't see myself enjoying to use. Normally I'd reckon the resale value on such a chassis would be low since you can get most high-end chassis from McMillan/KRG/etc between 600-900$. Compounded by the fact that it's configured in left hand, I wanted to make extra sure there would even be a lefty buyer out there who might want one for a discount before going this route. Also, I'm not even sure that option is within my budget should I be able to sell the Tac A1 chassis, because Then I'm going to need a new ~800~$ custom stock from McMillan A-5/KRG bravo/Grayboe. So that would cut my optic budget down by about $600. The reason I've settled on these models is because I want the heavy barrel, the threaded barrel (though not an outright necessity), a detachable box magazine, and just the heavier 'sniper rifle' set up overall. I don't like lightweight precision rifles at all, and especially not in a 308 or higher cartridge. The only big allure to me about going the route of the TAC A1 (outside of the fact that its in stock) is that I get a 24" barrel, instead of the TikkaCTR/Bergara/Rem which all come with a 20" barrel in 308. Could someone who knows about ballistics tell me if this is negligible or not?
(For anyone who cares to weigh in: scopes I am probably going to stick with: Leupold, NF, Zeiss, Vortex, Stenier, S&B, or USO. I'm also completely new to the high-end optics world, so I appreciate any advice concerning reticles (undecided), focal plane (undecided), glass, ergonomics, tech, etc.)
I apologize for the amount of info. Any and all advice is appreciated.
Over the past several months I've done a lot of reading. I had initially narrowed down my choice between the Bergara HMR and the Tikka T3x CTR (not the TAC A1), both 308. I have basically no experience with ARs, but intuitively, I do not like the idea of an AR vertical/pistol grip on a bolt gun, since I can't rest my whole hand weight on the grip firmly. Maybe I am wrong about this? Also, when racking the bolt after firing, a traditional stock naturally has your fingers closer to the knob so you can almost perform it with your fingertips as some marines are taught to do with the 700 action. Again I am totally novice to the terminology and specs of this sport but I have read that basically both the Bergara and T3x are better versions of the 700 for less money. That was good enough for me so I began looking but I cannot find a damn rifle in left hand 308 anywhere. It's been months now and I am getting so ancy that I've caved into considering other models. Right now there is a 700 Police LTR in 308 that is going for $925 after shipping. As much as I believe the marketing hype behind both Tikka/Bergara rifles, I think it would be "nice" to own a 700 which is still a very high-quality gun, so it's tempting just cuz I dont know if/when Tikka/Bergara will get more 308 leftys in those two models. If the 700 action is really as stiff as some people have complained about, and the others become available soon I'll probably be bummed about my purchase and also won't be able to resell easily. I can't afford to buy both and make a clone build because then I'll have to buy two optics and I'm not going to cheap out on my optics (I have a Nikon Prostaff on my 270 which is great for the money but want to get something high end to keep for the next 5-10 years). Basically, I was looking to keep my set up optic included between 2-3.5k, and only going up to 3.5 if it's absolutely worth it and will serve me well for more than 7 years. The only other option in stock right now is the Tac A1. It comes out to be an extra 6-700 bucks for a chassis that I don't see myself enjoying to use. Normally I'd reckon the resale value on such a chassis would be low since you can get most high-end chassis from McMillan/KRG/etc between 600-900$. Compounded by the fact that it's configured in left hand, I wanted to make extra sure there would even be a lefty buyer out there who might want one for a discount before going this route. Also, I'm not even sure that option is within my budget should I be able to sell the Tac A1 chassis, because Then I'm going to need a new ~800~$ custom stock from McMillan A-5/KRG bravo/Grayboe. So that would cut my optic budget down by about $600. The reason I've settled on these models is because I want the heavy barrel, the threaded barrel (though not an outright necessity), a detachable box magazine, and just the heavier 'sniper rifle' set up overall. I don't like lightweight precision rifles at all, and especially not in a 308 or higher cartridge. The only big allure to me about going the route of the TAC A1 (outside of the fact that its in stock) is that I get a 24" barrel, instead of the TikkaCTR/Bergara/Rem which all come with a 20" barrel in 308. Could someone who knows about ballistics tell me if this is negligible or not?
(For anyone who cares to weigh in: scopes I am probably going to stick with: Leupold, NF, Zeiss, Vortex, Stenier, S&B, or USO. I'm also completely new to the high-end optics world, so I appreciate any advice concerning reticles (undecided), focal plane (undecided), glass, ergonomics, tech, etc.)
I apologize for the amount of info. Any and all advice is appreciated.
