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HI,

 

I am currently going through my probation period at the local Gun Club and then will be applying for my licence and would like to get some advice on purchasing a rifle. I am looking to spend time range shooting 600 yds and if possible up to 1000 Yds. I have seen so many rifles and calibers and decided i needed to ask advice.

 

I understand that I also need a good scope and this maybe as expensive as the rifle itself, I am not sure if i should consider a used rifle.

 

I have thought about Remington 700 .308 , any advice greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

Terry

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If you want to shoot 1000 yards accurately then .308 may not be the best choice. It will get to 1000 yards and with the right bullet in a long barrel can be quite accurate but it's mostly a 600-800 yard cartridge.

 

A better choice would be one of the 6.5mm or even a 7mm of some variety.

 

It really depends on what you'll be shooting at. If it's big steel plates then .308 may do. If it's targets where tiny groups win then it won't.

 

It also depends on your budget. A new suitable factory rifle like the tactical style Ruger Precision or Tikka Tac A1 or more traditional entry level target style like a Savage or Sabatti with a mid level scope and paraphernalia will cost you around £2500. It may be possible to get a used custom rifle without scope for a similar price.

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Firstly, you can ask for whatever caliber reasonable. If they do different disciplines of shooting at your club, there's no reason why you can't ask for the one's you're most likely to do/practice. After all, they can only say no....

As for a rifle. I personally wouldn't look at a Remington centrefire, unless it was semis custom, or at least had the barrel floated, action bedded, and the trigger replaced or sorted....

As for glass, if you can afford to buy good glass straight off then do so. Or you'll be chopping or changing to upgrade and losing money as well...

You don't give a calibre of rifle, what money you have available, or what you're most likely to do regarding shooting disciplines, so it's hard to advise....

But you can never go wrong with a Tikka or a Sako.....

Also, would you be reloading?

You need to put down more info to get a more accurate reply.

Cheers

Chaz.

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Thanks for the updates, I appreciate you taking the time to answer the questions.

 

I have put about 2000 a side for the rifle and sights although it now seems that that may increase unless i go for a used rifle and get a new sight....

 

I dont think i will be reloading any time soon but understand it is useful and possibly a requirement if i want to shoot to 1000 yds..

 

The shooting discipline i have been researching and would like to get some experience is F Class

 

The other rifle i have looked at is the tikka T3 Synthetic .308.

 

I understand that the .308 may not be the right choice for 1000 yds as per the post from MrCetirizine

 

any advice will be gratefully received.

 

Terry

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Thanks for the updates, I appreciate you taking the time to answer the questions.

 

I have put about 2000 a side for the rifle and sights although it now seems that that may increase unless i go for a used rifle and get a new sight....

 

I dont think i will be reloading any time soon but understand it is useful and possibly a requirement if i want to shoot to 1000 yds..

 

The shooting discipline i have been researching and would like to get some experience is F Class

 

The other rifle i have looked at is the tikka T3 Synthetic .308.

 

I understand that the .308 may not be the right choice for 1000 yds as per the post from MrCetirizine

 

any advice will be gratefully received.

 

Terry

It may not be the best caliber for 1000 yards, but it will give you the best value for money, and it's a good make of rifle. I'm no guru like some on here, but i believe a .308 Win at 1000 yards may go into it's transonic stage. i.e going from supersonic, to subsonic, which can cause instability in the bullet when in flight. Others will be able to tell you better than me...

It will also serve you well enough until you're skilled at hitting plates at 800 odd yards.... Just get the barrel bore scoped, and get it looked over before you buy it. I don't think .308's are "barrel burners", but how old is the gun??

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Thanks for the updates, I appreciate you taking the time to answer the questions.

 

I have put about 2000 a side for the rifle and sights although it now seems that that may increase unless i go for a used rifle and get a new sight....

 

I dont think i will be reloading any time soon but understand it is useful and possibly a requirement if i want to shoot to 1000 yds..

 

The shooting discipline i have been researching and would like to get some experience is F Class

 

The other rifle i have looked at is the tikka T3 Synthetic .308.

 

I understand that the .308 may not be the right choice for 1000 yds as per the post from MrCetirizine

 

any advice will be gratefully received.

 

Terry

 

 

 

You can buy a used Sightron S3 scope in either 6-24x50, 8-32x56 or even 10-50x60 for around £750, possibly as little as £600 if you are lucky, all are commonly used in F-Class, well known and goof value.

 

For around £1500 you could buy a new factory rifle or have one of the recognised donor actions rebarreled. I guess if your not planning to reload then a match grade barrel wouldn't really shine any better than a factory one but going that way might future proof the purchase.

 

I built this as a budget FTR class rifle, with some careful home loading it is doing very well Im told.

 

FTR Build

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Thanks for the updates, I appreciate you taking the time to answer the questions.

 

I have put about 2000 a side for the rifle and sights although it now seems that that may increase unless i go for a used rifle and get a new sight....

 

I dont think i will be reloading any time soon but understand it is useful and possibly a requirement if i want to shoot to 1000 yds..

 

The shooting discipline i have been researching and would like to get some experience is F Class

 

The other rifle i have looked at is the tikka T3 Synthetic .308.

 

I understand that the .308 may not be the right choice for 1000 yds as per the post from MrCetirizine

 

any advice will be gratefully received.

 

Terry

 

If you're thinking of shooting F - T/R then you only have the choice of .308 or .223.. If you're thinking of having a dabble with F-open, then neither of these calibres will really be competitive, even at club level.

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Whatever you decide on the one big piece of advice I offer is, take your time and make sure what you buy is really what you want.

If later down the proverbial tracks you decide you need something different, selling on a rifle is not an easy game.

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I would suggest either Remington or Tikka.

 

There seems to be a lot of knee-jerk prejudice against Remington 700s, but my SPS Varmint in .308 will group 0.75 MOA. All it's had done to it is a fettling of the standard trigger by Baldie and a replacement Hogue stock.

 

Tikka T3s and T3Xs are superb out of the box.

 

At 600 yards .308 or one of the 6.5mm class (6.5 x 55, .260 Remington, 6.5 x 47 Lapua or 6.5 Creedmoor) will do you fine.

 

Out beyond 800 yards the 6.5s are the ones you want. My Valkyrie in .260 Remington keeps its 139 grain Scenars supersonic out to about 1,300 yards according to iSnipe.

 

Glass? I'd spend every farthing you can muster. There are lots of second-hand deals to be had on this and other forums. Consider IOR and Bushnell which seem to punch well above their weight. If you can find the money, go for the big European names: Schmidt & Bender, Leica, Zeiss and Swarovski. You will see the difference, and you will not have to buy a replacement in a year or two's time.

 

Don't become fixated on high magnification 'scopes. Consider the size of your target: I shoot a Schmidt & Bender 3-12 x 50 out to 1,000 yards. High mag brings more obvious wobble and a dimmer field of view.

 

"There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey." ~ John Ruskin

 

maximus otter

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Thanks guys for all your comments which i will take on board, I am going to think about what I want to achieve, which at the moment is to be able to shoot targets to 600 - 800 yds. Your comments have left me with some decisions and even more questions :-)

 

Thanks again

 

Terry

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Thanks guys for all your comments which i will take on board, I am going to think about what I want to achieve, which at the moment is to be able to shoot targets to 600 - 800 yds. Your comments have left me with some decisions and even more questions :-)

 

Thanks again

 

Terry

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You can comfortably get to 1000 yards with 308 using the right bullet, like Sierra's 175 TMK, 190gr Match King or something like the Berger 185gr Juggernaut if using the right powder for the job and home loading. With many factory loads for shorter, lower BC bullets, and sporting rifles, you'll struggle.

 

I've shot against others using 284s and 6.5s at 1000 and didn't disgrace myself at all with the 308, and for all the other ranges you mention, it'll be fine.

 

Don't discount any of the 6.5 cals as all will be better suited to 1000 yards (the 6,5 x 47 may need driving to high pressures though to match the others).

 

308 allows for plentiful rifle choice, loads of bullet choices, cheap brass and a wide variety of powders to be used, and to cap it all, has a very good barrel life if single base powders are used and loads not too hot.

 

Others to consider would be the 6.5 x 55, 260 Remington and 6.5 Creedmoor. The humble .243 also makes for an excellent range gun but you'll burn a barrel out twice as quickly as with .308.

 

 

I would go against the idea of buying a used rifle and new scope strongly advise doing it the other way around if budgets are tight. You never be sure if your used buy rifle is shot out or otherwise has internal barrel issues so IMHO unless it can be borescoped and verified as good, stick to new would be my advice but I tend to be risk averse anyway. You can get a complete new Howa package including scope within your budget. One of the most accurate off the shelf rifles is a T3 Tikka (any of them!) and they have lovely actions and triggers. Buy a varmint for £1100 and plonk a used scope atop, such as a Sightron SIII or Vortext PST for around £600 used and you're ready to go. That leaves change for mounts.

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