Hello all, I want to start shooting long range and the club I belong to has a max of 600 yards. I would be shooting paper and steel for now from a bench. I'm looking for something on the budget side or maybe a little higher for now, I have a couple bolt 22 lr that I shoot a lot just looking for something bigger. What would be a good round out to the 600 yard mark or farther if I could fine somewhere.
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Long range bolt gun suggestions.
- Thread starter bd28
- Start date
The best bargain I’ve found is the savage 12fv in 6.5 Creedmoor. I call it the ugly stick. It’s a tack driver for $400. Ugly as hell though
Kinda hard to beat the availability and performance of the 6.5CM.
Savage is the cheap in.
Tikka is the upperclass poors choice.
Savage is the cheap in.
Tikka is the upperclass poors choice.
Ruger American Predator. Most of the copies I've seen were very nicely accurate. Not as many upgrades are available as for a Savage though. Reminton SPS Varmints are still around but their issue stock arguably is worse than Savages old Tupperware stocks were. I don't know if the SPS ever got offered in 6.5, and that's what everybody seems to want in a starter rifle.
My next walking around rifle will be an American Predator in .308.
My next walking around rifle will be an American Predator in .308.
What's you budget? Jeff Hayes at Rivers Bend Gun Company is running a group buy barreled action sale at the moment. Click the link below for details and pm me if you have any questions.
RBGC Barreled Action Group Buy
I would say if it's only going to be used 600 and in, 308 or 6.5 Creedmoor would be great choices. Accurate ammo is available for either caliber at reasonable cost using either Prime 6.5creed or Federal Gold Medal Match for 308.
RBGC Barreled Action Group Buy
I would say if it's only going to be used 600 and in, 308 or 6.5 Creedmoor would be great choices. Accurate ammo is available for either caliber at reasonable cost using either Prime 6.5creed or Federal Gold Medal Match for 308.
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Pair Jeff's barreled action with a KRG Bravo and Seekins scope base you have the perfect combo
Seems like it would be a hell of a rifle for the money and for a first time precision rifle buyer. Although at 600 yards max, the suggestion of 223 seems like a good one. Inexpensive ammo, and it would force you to pay attention to atmospheric variables that won't effect a 6.5 nearly as much.
I would go 223 if your max range is 600 just due to ammo price. You won't be gaining much at that range with a 6.5 besides less wind drift. 55gr fmjs will make it to 600 as long as you pay attention to wind.
If budget is a major - or even significant - factor AND you'll shoot a max of 600 yards, .223 Remington. Shooting a 6.5CM at 600 max is like playing Putt-Putt with a 3-wood. Not to mention ammo and barrel cost. The .223 with 75-80 grain bullets will get you to 600 at half the cost of 6.5CM (maybe 2/3 if you find and run cheap 6.5CM). The .223 barrel will last over twice as long (5000 rounds plus/minus) as compared to 6.5CM (~2500 plus/minus). 6CM? Similar ammo price as 6.5CM and the barrel is toast after 1500 rounds.
Most of my playtime and practice shooting is on a 500-meter range. Whacking the 6-inch plate on the back berm with my 6.5CM gets rather boring rather quickly. Whacking the same plate with a .223 with a little breeze blowing is much more challenging.
I understand the appeal of a larger, longer-range caliber. If that itch is present, a .223 probably won't scratch it.
Tikka is good, regardless of caliber.
Most of my playtime and practice shooting is on a 500-meter range. Whacking the 6-inch plate on the back berm with my 6.5CM gets rather boring rather quickly. Whacking the same plate with a .223 with a little breeze blowing is much more challenging.
I understand the appeal of a larger, longer-range caliber. If that itch is present, a .223 probably won't scratch it.
Tikka is good, regardless of caliber.
Kinda funny how the 223 has retained its value in the face of the myriad new and sexy options. Good is good regardless.
He did state he would like to go farther than 600, hang with a 6.5 cm and that would be covered.
As far as rifles go find some people that might let you test drive some different ones.
Shoot quality = less rounds and more accurate that should make up the ammo cost difference.
Scope might be more important than the rifle.
As far as rifles go find some people that might let you test drive some different ones.
Shoot quality = less rounds and more accurate that should make up the ammo cost difference.
Scope might be more important than the rifle.
Even if 600 yards is the upper limit of your range, my budget suggestion would be the Savage 110 desert tactical in 6.5 CM. Take the money you saved and spend it on optics, reloading equipment, and reloading components so you can learn that side of what we do.
It's a hell of a value.
It's a hell of a value.
+1 for the Savage 110 Tactical, I would also offer considering the same in 6 CM, the Accrufit stock can be made to fit almost anyone, and the Accurttigger is easily adjusted, just have to get used to a semi 2 stage trigger. Just depends on your time line to buy. ALSO, IF, thinking about going the 223 route, make sure the barrel has a 1-9 or 1-7 twist. The 1-9 will handle the 69 gn bullets,maybe the 77's. The 1-7 will handle everything"store bought" and if you go down the slippery slope of reloading, the 1-7 will handle most of the really heavy .224 bullets.
Thanks for the suggestions. The two rounds I had in mind were the .223 Remington and the 6.5 CM. The Tikka is one of the brands I was looking at just for the fact that I was looking at a T1X 22 Lr but ended up getting the CZ pro varmint instead but Tikka makes some nice stuff. The .223 is cheaper on the wallet compared to the 6.5 CM. At this point reloading is up in the air and as far as a scope I would probably get a vortex Diamondback Tactical 6-24x50 or Strike eagle 5-25x56.
I was thinking the same thing, but I bet you can find cheaper 6.5CM ammo than you can 224 valkyrie if you don't reload..
While I understand the value of the 223 if I could only have 1 rifle for the range and to bang steel, it wouldn't be a 233. A 308 or 6.5 would get my vote for the simple fact that when the occasion arose for me to engage targets at longer ranges I wasn't using a caliber that limited my ability to do so.
The suggestion of the 224 valkyrie has me interested. Is this round some where in the middle of the road and what does everyone think of it. As far as reloading once you have the initial cost of all the equipment needed what kind of cost saving do you guys see over buying ammo.
I think reloading costs between 224v and 223 are going to be similar. With the valk will be able to load the heavier bullets with a factory chambering. With 223 you need to go to a custom chamber. 6.5 is my go to rifle but building a 224 to launch 88s to 95s.
