• Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?

    Go here:

    Edit Account Details and Profile

long range practice rifle

phalnx62

phalnx62

New Member
I go on deployment in a month and when I get back I would like to buy a good long range rifle mostly for practice shooting. I would like it to be a decent size rifle though because I also intend on going back home to hunt some time in the future. If I could get some suggestions on a decent accurate longer range rifle that doesn't cost a ton I would deffinatly appreciate it. Thanks for the help.
 
phalnx62 said:
I would like it to be a decent size rifle though because I also intend on going back home to hunt some time in the future. If I could get some suggestions on a decent accurate longer range rifle that doesn't cost a ton I would deffinatly appreciate it.
Click to expand...

Where is home, what will you hunt and what do you consider long range? All key questions before any useful suggestion is made.
 
Home is Idaho, and game is mostly Mule Deer and Elk, and long range decently accurate to 1000 yards or so. Thanks for the help.
 
phalnx62 said:
Home is Idaho, and game is mostly Mule Deer and Elk, and long range decently accurate to 1000 yards or so. Thanks for the help.
Click to expand...

Mule Deer and Elk at 1000 yards is certainly a long ways and as such you're into some very specialized rifles (and for that matter optics and reloading) that I'm not qualified to talk about.

I'd suggest posing your question over on this group.

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/ubb/postlist/Board/38/page/1

They
They're very knowledgeable about all those questions and quite helpful. I haven't shot a deer at over 150 since I killed a doe Mulie at Yakima nearly 20 years ago at maybe 225. Most of my kills are within 75 yards in the woods of Kentucky.
 
Price range from say 2000 to about 3500 for the rifle itself, less if possible. The optics I can get from someone I know back home for a decent price. I'm trying to hide it from the wife so I figured I might beable to save the money without her knowing while I'm gone. And the longer range I want more for long range practice shooting, I've lost a lot of my accuracy since I came in the navy mostly because I have nothing to shoot. But I would like to be able to reach out and touch an elk at 500 yards or so without a problem. Thanks
 
phalnx62 said:
Price range from say 2000 to about 3500 for the rifle itself, less if possible. The optics I can get from someone I know back home for a decent price. But I would like to be able to reach out and touch an elk at 500 yards or so without a problem. Thanks
Click to expand...

decently accurate to 1000 yards or so
Click to expand...

Alright look...you are killing me here. A rifle is either accurate or not...range had nothing to do with it. A 1/2 MOA rifle will shoot a 1/2 MOA at 10 feet or 1000 yards. The shooter is the rest of the picture. So...one more time. How accurate are you talking?

A good off the shelf, bolt action rifle should be capable of MOA or very nearly MOA accuracy. The question then becomes how much are you willing to spend to get how far below 1 MOA.

Then you throw this 1000 yard number out there and also talk about being able to "rach out and touch and elk at 500 yards".

What you really need to decide is...do you want a long range hunting rifle, or, do you want a long range comp/bullseye/Palma etc...rifle. They are not the same...and while a Ruger
No.1 .300 Win Mag makes a fine long range hunting rifle, it is not what you want for sitting on a tripod or bench and banging away at 600-1000 yard paper.

EDIT: Oh and lets be damn certain that you are capable of making that 500 yard elk shot before we start bandying it about as a criteria for a rifle. Let's say you and your rifle are 1 MOA capable...which most casual shooters are not. That 1" at 100 16" at 500. Oh...and lets not forget that we're talking about a non-rested, in the field, breathing heavy etc...shot, which makes it more like 32-40 inches. That is plenty to miss...let alone wound or mame an animal even as large as an elk. Be ethical and know your limits. There are damn few people capable of the 500 yd shot in the field you are talking about. Not to mention the fact that to carry enough energy to ethically kill at that range, you are talking about .300 WSM,.338 ultra
mag or better...have fun shooting them frequently from the bench.
 
phalnx62 said:
Price range from say 2000 to about 3500 for the rifle itself, less if possible. The optics I can get from someone I know back home for a decent price. I'm trying to hide it from the wife so I figured I might beable to save the money without her knowing while I'm gone. And the longer range I want more for long range practice shooting, I've lost a lot of my accuracy since I came in the navy mostly because I have nothing to shoot. But I would like to be able to reach out and touch an elk at 500 yards or so without a problem. Thanks
Click to expand...


This link may provide you with some info. http://www.thebestofthewest.net/mam...product_id=18&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=47

$3500 for a rifle will get you a good one. http://www.edbrown.com/cgi-bin/htmlos.cgi/00465.1.1020679163214243850?

Oh, and that part about hiding it from the wife....good luck.

Be prepared to spend hours just learning to shoot it and working up loads that fit your gun. Gotta load your own for that kind of consistency...bullet selection, powder/primer combinations, neck turning, weighing and matching cases/bullets...the list is never ending.

And do not ever scrimp on the optics.
 
phalnx62 said:
Price range from say 2000 to about 3500 for the rifle itself, less if possible. The optics I can get from someone I know back home for a decent price. I'm trying to hide it from the wife.....
Click to expand...

I've always thought the optics should be at least as good as the "stick" they are mounted upon. So if you are talkin' @$3000 for a rifle you should be talkin' @$2000-$2500 :eek: for a scope.

But I really like the idea that you are going to hide $5000+ worth of armament from the wife. Well done ... :)
 
feddoc said:
This link may provide you with some info. http://www.thebestofthewest.net/mam...product_id=18&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=47

$3500 for a rifle will get you a good one. http://www.edbrown.com/cgi-bin/htmlos.cgi/00465.1.1020679163214243850?

Oh, and that part about hiding it from the wife....good luck.

Be prepared to spend hours just learning to shoot it and working up loads that fit your gun. Gotta load your own for that kind of consistency...bullet selection, powder/primer combinations, neck turning, weighing and matching cases/bullets...the list is never ending.

And do not ever scrimp on the optics.
Click to expand...


Just a couple words....Not to insult the OP...but while Ed Brown makes a fanatastic rifle (never owned, but friends have...) not a whole lot of people without expeience can shoot one to the point where it makes sense. This is the sliding accuracy/money scale I was talking about. The Remington I suggested with quality optics and careful ammo selection will most likely be a MOA rifle...maybe a little more...maybe a little less...and will cost the OP 1/3 of what the Savannah would cost.

For my two cents...you'd be farther ahead to go that route and spend the extra 2k on optics and or ammo...and or handloading equip, than you would be to buy a 3k 1/2 MOA rifle. Improve you...then the tool.

That said...if you just want one...my phone number is.... I'll give you your first lesson...:D;)

Good luck.
 
scoober78 said:
Just a couple words....Not to insult the OP...but while Ed Brown makes a fanatastic rifle (never owned, but friends have...) not a whole lot of people without expeience can shoot one to the point where it makes sense. This is the sliding accuracy/money scale I was talking about. The Remington I suggested with quality optics and careful ammo selection will most likely be a MOA rifle...maybe a little more...maybe a little less...and will cost the OP 1/3 of what the Savannah would cost.

For my two cents...you'd be farther ahead to go that route and spend the extra 2k on optics and or ammo...and or handloading equip, than you would be to buy a 3k 1/2 MOA rifle. Improve you...then the tool.

That said...if you just want one...my phone number is.... I'll give you your first lesson...:D;)

Good luck.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've gotta agree with Scoob here. For example, when I shot pistol for Navy we didn't start out on the high end Pardini's/Hammerli's, etc. Instead, we had to learn the basics on guns that were still accurate but not nearly as pricey. Once we got good at shooting did we then get the "upgrade".

Same applies here. Unless you just have the dough laying around, in my opinion it'd be a waste to get a rifle like an Ed Brown or a Fite, unless of course your an awesome shooter (and be realistic). You'd probably be better served to get something like a Remington 700, a good scope, and spend the extra money on ammo to practice.
 
I talked to a friend of my fathers earlier today and he suggested that I look at a Thompson Center Rifle, his suggestion was something like a 25-06 or something like that. You guys have any experience with those rifles and would they be something you would recomend?
 
insanebikerboy said:
Yeah, I've gotta agree with Scoob here. For example, when I shot pistol for Navy we didn't start out on the high end Pardini's/Hammerli's, etc. Instead....
Click to expand...

You actually shot THOSE with the USN??? :eek:

When I shot on the Reserve Rifle/Pistol Team ... all we had for practice and match competition was Ruger MkII's and, of course, tuned 1911A1's.

BTW ... I also agree with Scoober. While confusion reigns ... go with the .30-06. Some things just don't change .... :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top