AR15 vs bolt action rifle for distance 600+

[robm200219]

looking to get into distance shooting gonna start 100-300 yards and eventually would like to get to 600-1000 yards.
so my question is which is better for these distance AR or Bolt action rifle?

 

[SRD]

Minute of venison or Minute of barn?

 

[iH8DemLibz]

Bolts are inherently more accurate than semis.

No moving parts. Generally better triggers too.

This is assuming you're looking to buy quality.

 

[davsco]

i had a dpms lr308 that was easily sub moa out to 600 which is the furthest i measured groups. when there is no wind, because i suck at reading wind, my les baer 308 monolith will easily keep up with most any bolt gun out to 1k. but i think it's easier/cheaper to get an accuracy-equivalent bolt gun. but the semi's are easier to shoot with less distractions and the 20 round pmags are bigger and dirt cheap compared with the more specialized bolt gun mags.

 

[chesapeakeIRON]

What caliber is your bolt action? I would most definately use a bolt gun over an AR for hunting, if my bolt gun was a .308, 30-06 etc

Where and what are you hunting would probably be a better start to what gun gun you would use

 

[mopar92]

Bolt action in 6.5 Creedmore/Grendel/Swede gets the nod and the dollars. Easier to learn with a bolt gun of medium caliber. On an AR 15/10 you'll have three recoil impulses to master. Recoil, the bolt traveling to the rear and the bolt slamming into lockup.

That said an AR is perfectly capable of running out to 1k with the right ammo and shooter.

 

[Walton Feep]

See if you can find a CZ 550 Varmint.

 

[DaemonAssassin]

If you build an AR with a good barrel, you will have no problems stepping to 600+. Bear in mind that a good barrel is going to run you 300+, depending on caliber, to give you that kind of distance capability.

 

[HordesOfKailas]

As echoed above, seems like a bolt action makes sense for "long distance" shooting. I'm sure a semi auto can get you there, but I'm not sure it's worth it. My opinion anyway.

 

[ClutchyMcClutcherson]

I suggested this in another thread but how about the Thompson Centerfire bolt gun that has interchangeable barrels. I think it's called the dimension. Anyone have any experience or knowledge of it? I think they guarantee sub moa out of the box and it's only 600 bucks.

 

[DaemonAssassin]

As echoed above, seems like a bolt action makes sense for "long distance" shooting. I'm sure a semi auto can get you there, but I'm not sure it's worth it. My opinion anyway.

When you drill a yote in the left eye at 400 yards +/- and win a grand with that shot, it makes it worth while knowing I can use my precision AR for that kind of shot. It was a family friend, gentleman's wager with no real intention of taking the money, so I gave it back and said I got really lucky with that shot. FTR, I made that shot with a .223 Wylde Shilen barrel, using a 55gr VMax.

 

[Rack&Roll]

Nature Born Killa!

 

[ted76]

The Savage 110 series rifles are great shooters for a decent price, especially if you glass bed the action. As long as you put decent glass like Leopold or older Bushnell on them.
I have an Model 110 in .243 that is glass bedded and a Model 10 in .223 that I will glass bed this winter, and both are >1/2 moa at 100 yards, I'm sure they would do better with a better shooter behind the trigger.

 

[BUFF7MM]

Marlin model 60 all day long, I've been shooting it out past 1200 yards daily.

 

[smokey]

How important are follow-up shots to you? If they're not as important, the relative mechanical simplicity of a bolt gun allows them as a class to generally be more consistent and accurate. That said, there are plenty of properly built ARs that can outshoot mediocre bolt guns. The new ruger precision rifle in 6.5 creedmore seems to be a pretty solid choice for an entry long-distance rifle. Be prepared to spend twice to three times the amount you spend on the rifle on good glass to put up top.

 

[alucard0822]

A good AR10/15 or a good bolt rifle will outshoot almost any shooter in practical use. Once you get into specialty uses, then your choices change a bit. An AR's action works about as concentric as possible to the bore, but requires a comparitively large and bulky reciever, and being the stock is built around the action, stock dimentions are limited. You are limited to mag dimentions if you want it to feed, you are limited to gas port pressure/duration specs that limit the practical length of a barrel, so there are more "rules" to take into account when accurizing an AR than most bolt-action platforms. If you are competing, the rules will dictate what you can use, if you can benefit from a fast followup shot, and shoot primarily from standing or braced positions, then the AR is great. If you want a little more versatile stock for position shooting, want a longer barrel or caliber that won't fit in a standard AR mag, or generally need something that doesn't fall in the operational "rules" of an AR, then a bolt action, or another platform will have to work.

 

[DaemonAssassin]

Nature Born Killa!

Damn straight! That kind of shot is what I built the rifle for, medium/long range varmint hunting/control.

 

[lazarus]

To mention, the title mentioned 600+yds AR-15 or bolt action. AR-15s can't really handle a a cartridge suitable for >600yds. 77gr .223 is kind of mostly a 600yd max round. I suppose you could stretch it a little longer. 6.5 Grendel could do out past 600...but lots of bullet drop.

You'd really want to look at an AR-10 so that you can use appropriately high power cartridges, or of course a bolt action. Then the world is your oyster using 6.5 creedmore, heavy .308 rounds, .30-06, .300 win mag, .270, even heavy .243

 

[Pinecone]

Hmm, I guess the high power shooters switch guns when they shoot at the 600 or 1000 yard line. Since the AR in 5.56 cannot shoot that far.

 

[lazarus]

Hmm, I guess the high power shooters switch guns when they shoot at the 600 or 1000 yard line. Since the AR in 5.56 cannot shoot that far.

Well, it certainly can. Issues of bullet drop, going sub-sonic, etc mean it is way less than an ideal choice.

It did occur to me a heavy .25-45 may actually handle 600 yds fine, but I suspect it is not a 1000yd round either.