Gentlemen, ladies, and the rest,
I have been perusing the vast amounts of information stored on this site for the last couple of weeks and I have been able to leech quite a bit of knowledge from the numerous veteran posters here. That said, now that I have just enough knowledge to be dangerous (to my wallet, if nothing else), I would like to ask some (hopefully) informed questions.
As far as background goes, I've always been more of pistol shooter than a rifle shooter. My rifles have all been semi-auto with iron sights, excluding my scoped semi-auto .22 Marlin. However, there is something special about the bolt gun that I really like. I always did much better shooting my dad's old Remington .22 bolt action than I did my Marlin. Whether it was the rifle itself or the attitude change that accompanied switching guns, I do not know. What I do know is that reading this site and others has rekindled my interest in shooting bolt guns.
As stated previously, I have a fair amount of reading here, and hope that I performed adequate due diligence to proceed with my questions without making a complete idiot of myself. If not, I have a thick skin.
Anyway, onward! Since I am somewhat methodical, I will present information in the form of lists, then proceed to the questions.
Intended purpose of rifle:
Primary: Target shooting from 100 to 1000 yards
Secondary: Possible hunting applications (deer rifle)
Secondary: Possible basic competition
Equipment already purchased:
SWFA SS HD 5-20x50
Seekins Medium 30mm Rings
Seekins Rail for Remington 700
Atlas BT-10NC
LaRue LT-171
Equipment left to purchase:
Rifle
Bipod rail
I am pretty much locked into either a Remington 700 5R 24" or a 20" threaded barrel, although if someone can make an excellent argument for the 700P or the 700 LTR, I would consider those models as well. I was set on the 5R, but then I started reading about suppressors. Now I am torn. Again, I will resort to lists to organize my thoughts on the 20" threaded version.
Pros:
1. Lighter, more compact (easier handling)
2. Easier to hunt with
3. Accepts a suppressor
Cons:
1. Some loss of velocity and range
2. To me, 24" inch version looks more aesthetically pleasing
3. More recoil?
To address these points, I am not currently a hunter, although most of my extended family are, and I may join them soon for my first hunt. If so, I would like to avoid purchasing another rifle and scope, even if the rifle I purchase isn't the "best" equipment for the job.
Also, I do not currently have any NFA items, nor am I likely to acquire any in the immediate future. I will someday; however, the time line is unclear.
Finally, to be realistic and honest with myself, I am not sure that shooting out to 1000 yards is a make or break item for me. I will definitely not have the time or money to shoot thousands of rounds in a year, and my assumption is that it requires a good deal of practice to shoot that far. An additional factor is that there are not many long ranges that I am aware of near the DFW area, which makes it less likely that I will get trigger time at that distance. I would be pretty happy with being able to hit consistently at 500 yards, given my lack of familiarity and training.
I do have a reloading press, but will probably start out shooting boxed match ammo (and maybe some surplus I have for my M1A) until I have the time/experience to reload.
I am trying to think of anything else that would be relevant, but am drawing a blank. Thanks to anyone who bothers to read all of this. Have at me!
I have been perusing the vast amounts of information stored on this site for the last couple of weeks and I have been able to leech quite a bit of knowledge from the numerous veteran posters here. That said, now that I have just enough knowledge to be dangerous (to my wallet, if nothing else), I would like to ask some (hopefully) informed questions.
As far as background goes, I've always been more of pistol shooter than a rifle shooter. My rifles have all been semi-auto with iron sights, excluding my scoped semi-auto .22 Marlin. However, there is something special about the bolt gun that I really like. I always did much better shooting my dad's old Remington .22 bolt action than I did my Marlin. Whether it was the rifle itself or the attitude change that accompanied switching guns, I do not know. What I do know is that reading this site and others has rekindled my interest in shooting bolt guns.
As stated previously, I have a fair amount of reading here, and hope that I performed adequate due diligence to proceed with my questions without making a complete idiot of myself. If not, I have a thick skin.
Anyway, onward! Since I am somewhat methodical, I will present information in the form of lists, then proceed to the questions.
Intended purpose of rifle:
Primary: Target shooting from 100 to 1000 yards
Secondary: Possible hunting applications (deer rifle)
Secondary: Possible basic competition
Equipment already purchased:
SWFA SS HD 5-20x50
Seekins Medium 30mm Rings
Seekins Rail for Remington 700
Atlas BT-10NC
LaRue LT-171
Equipment left to purchase:
Rifle
Bipod rail
I am pretty much locked into either a Remington 700 5R 24" or a 20" threaded barrel, although if someone can make an excellent argument for the 700P or the 700 LTR, I would consider those models as well. I was set on the 5R, but then I started reading about suppressors. Now I am torn. Again, I will resort to lists to organize my thoughts on the 20" threaded version.
Pros:
1. Lighter, more compact (easier handling)
2. Easier to hunt with
3. Accepts a suppressor
Cons:
1. Some loss of velocity and range
2. To me, 24" inch version looks more aesthetically pleasing
3. More recoil?
To address these points, I am not currently a hunter, although most of my extended family are, and I may join them soon for my first hunt. If so, I would like to avoid purchasing another rifle and scope, even if the rifle I purchase isn't the "best" equipment for the job.
Also, I do not currently have any NFA items, nor am I likely to acquire any in the immediate future. I will someday; however, the time line is unclear.
Finally, to be realistic and honest with myself, I am not sure that shooting out to 1000 yards is a make or break item for me. I will definitely not have the time or money to shoot thousands of rounds in a year, and my assumption is that it requires a good deal of practice to shoot that far. An additional factor is that there are not many long ranges that I am aware of near the DFW area, which makes it less likely that I will get trigger time at that distance. I would be pretty happy with being able to hit consistently at 500 yards, given my lack of familiarity and training.
I do have a reloading press, but will probably start out shooting boxed match ammo (and maybe some surplus I have for my M1A) until I have the time/experience to reload.
I am trying to think of anything else that would be relevant, but am drawing a blank. Thanks to anyone who bothers to read all of this. Have at me!