Wanting a long range toy!

[Roy7]

As the title says, I'm wanting to get myself a long range toy to add to my collection. My only problem is, I don't know much about them haha I've always been into the AR platform and handguns. I've been shooting my buddies bolt action and I love it so I figured I'd get my own.

Some background on what I'm wanting and what I'll be using it for. I'm really wanting to stay with .308 but I'm open to any suggestion y'all may have for caliber. I'll mainly be using it for range time and possibly some hunting in the near future, mainly deer. I do go shooting often so I'm wanting something that I'll be able to upgrade once I'm more use to the rifle and I'm a better shot at longer ranges. Any and all input you guys have would be awesome!

Also, I'll need some suggestions for a nice piece of glass too. I only want to have to buy once so I want one that will do more than I need it to, but I have the room to upgrade and move into the optics full potential.


As always, thanks for yours guys input and help, again!

[C Ward]

Factory ammo or do you load your own ? How much money in the budget ? Also hunting rifles and target rifles are usually direct opposites .

[Zombie Steve]

.308 is a decent all-rounder for you. Gives you a lot of options when it's time to rebarrel too... .260, 7-08, .243, et cetera. It's going to be heavy for hunting, but look at a heavy barrel varmint version of a Remington 700 (or tactical, or police version). Give it a bedding and trigger job, and you'll really have to spend a lot more to beat it.

I'll let the others address glass on the market... I just haven't shopped anything for a long time.

[00tec]

.308 is a decent all-rounder for you. Gives you a lot of options when it's time to rebarrel too... .260, 7-08, .243, et cetera. It's going to be heavy for hunting, but look at a heavy barrel varmint version of a Remington 700 (or tactical, or police version). Give it a bedding and trigger job, and you'll really have to spend a lot more to beat it.

I'll let the others address glass on the market... I just haven't shopped anything for a long time.

I concur. I have a 700 in 223, and a friend has one in 308, both are varmint. Have them in Choate stocks, making them heavy as hell, but they are pretty accurate. You could keep the factory stock for hunting (and you wont care if it gets marked up) and get a different stock/chassis for target. The tactical version with the shorter barrel is nice too...
We did some quick adjustments on the stock trigger and I couldnt be happier with it.

Took someone out who had never fired ANY gun a few weeks back and his first pull on the 223, he hit the steel p-dog at 200yds.

[Delfuego]

Whats your budget??? Do you reload???

[Roy7]

It will spend about 98% of the time at the range, I may or may not take it hunting. That's still kind of up in the air if I'll be doing that.

I was thinking of doing a .223 but I'm wanting something a little bigger for my long range rifle, otherwise I'd go with .223.

As for budget, I haven't really set one for this gun hah not looking to kill my wallet on it either though. As for reloading, I have relapsed a few times in the past but I don't currently do it anymore.

[00tec]

IMO, if you don't reload, you'll do more breaking the bank on ammo than the rifle. Good long range ammo isnt cheap. Plinking, yeah, but reaching out there is a different ball game.

And i agree that 223 isnt the best for reaching out. I was taking pot shots at a prairie rat at about 650yd the other day. Running that through a quick calculator shows a 93in drop at that range.

[C Ward]

Remington or Savage heavy barrel gun with a decent stock , none of the ones with the injection molded junk stocks , in 308 or 6.5 creed . For glass cheap go with the Super Sniper line from SWFA, for what you described in the first post Nightforce NXS . Factory match ammo is gonna run a buck a round or more typically .

[Roy7]

The only reason I don't reload anymore is because my free time has dropped significantly since I started my new job, plus I don't have any large caliber guns that would be worth my time to reload. I know that sounds dumb and a waste of money but I don't have the time to reload all of my .40 and .223 that I've spent through hah

I'll have to look into the 6.5 Creed. I'll have to look into the Nightforce as well, I take it that's a nice optic? I'm not too worried about how much each trigger pull is, it's not like I'll be going out and shooting a few hundred rounds like I do with my .40 and .223

[Delfuego]

There is a nice Bighorn/Chanlynn 308 Sporter at a gun store down here. It's $2400. not sure if that is out of your range...
I think budget will help everyone advise you better. What is expensive to some may not be to somebody else.
6.5 is a great round, but without reloading you have limited and expensive options for match ammo.