What's a good entry-level long-range precision rifle?

photoracer · May 27, 2013

Another that works good at the lower price level is a Howa 1500 (same as Weatherby Vanguard, S&W 1500, Mossberg 1500). One with a 20" fluted heavy varmint barrel and a Hogue stock in .308 is around $600. I know people shooting these in 7mm-08 out to 1250y with accuracy. Also available in a 24" heavy barrel. Mine in .308 has a B&C Medalist FB stock and a 22 oz Jard trigger. Using one of the short action calibers allows you to use one of 2 different brands to convert it to magazine fed. And you don't need a $1500 plus scope either. One of my shooting partners built a Savage similar to mine and in his first attempt at Peacemaker NTC he nailed the first shot at 950y using his own handloads of 175g Match Kings. He was using a $700 Burris 4-16x scope. It can be done with the proper scope in the $400-$500 range even.

rico903 · May 27, 2013

I recently got a Savage model 10 FP-SR and really like it for the money. Has a threaded barrel for my can.
Be prepared to look long and hard for .308 ammo right now.

Augie · May 27, 2013

I've been real happy with my Savage 10 FCP McMillan,shoots real nice right out of the box. The weight of the gun and design of the stock makes it pretty comfortable to shoot. So far accuracy is good and the Accutrigger works well.
Rifle also available with a Savage stock or a HS precision stock with the McMillan being the highest priced.

smores · May 27, 2013

Check out Sako and Tikka. All of their rifles are guaranteed to be 1 MOA or less, and all cone with detachable magazines. I think they are underrated by almost everyone.

Also the Howa 1500s are very nice, as someone said above. Skip Remington, there are better rifles for the price.

Si vis pacem para bellum

follow me @DiscipleofJMB - GO PENS!

Ragnar · May 27, 2013

Minuteman said:
You probably want an AR10.

Get the Sig 716. Then lets go shooting sometime.

Is this a regulated firearm in Maryland?

Also, thanks everybody for the advice. I have some more research to do, but learning about this stuff is part of the fun.

TxAggie · May 28, 2013

If you're not locked into a caliber, may I suggest you look at the 6.5 Creedmore? Same terminal energy as the .308 out to roughly 1200 yards with less drop and wind drift. Also, from what in hearing it has a little less kick, which could be a benefit if you're a newer shooter.

I'm looking into starting with the distance shooting as well, and the Creedmore has a lot to offer from getting the basics down at 200 yards to on out to 1200.

Enjoy.

Yme · May 28, 2013

This thread is awesome, since I'm somewhat looking for the same rifle. I've never heard of Howa before though.

TxAggie · May 28, 2013

Ragnar said:
Is this a regulated firearm in Maryland?

Also, thanks everybody for the advice. I have some more research to do, but learning about this stuff is part of the fun.

Currently, AR-10's are NOT regulated and they are not specifically listed in SB281, although I don't know what the final word on "copycat" will be for the new law.

jimbobborg · May 28, 2013

The sad thing is, any new bolt gun will smack steel out to 500 yards if the shooter is any good. My Remington 700 CDL with the really nice looking wood stock can do it. It gets less accurate as the barrel heats up, which is why if you're planning on doing a lot of shooting in one sitting with it, you'll want the thicker barrel. If you want to start cheap, find a used Remington 700 in a short action, get good glass now, and practice longer range shooting first. If it needs it, get a trigger job done. Anything over a 4 lb pull is too much for this kind of shooting. As you get better, get a new stock and barrel.

molonlabe · May 28, 2013

There are a lot of good firearms out there. I bought this used in Gander MT in WI. It was on the used rack for $400.00. This was in November and it was made in September of the same year. I can only think someone got it as a hunting gift and it was too heavy to carry afield. I did a 5 shot string first round on one target and the 5th back on the same target to see how it performed after being hot. This group is .39 inches. This is a Ruger M77 Mark II VT in .308. The load is a 168 gr Sierria Match BTHP behind 40 Gr of 3031 with a Federal Match primer. This was new Winchister brass which I keep for this rifle since it is form fired and then I neck size only. This is also one heavy free floated barrel.

HT4 · May 28, 2013

My vote goes to the Savage 10FCP-K... One of the few guns at the price range that is really capable out of the box. It comes with a threaded & fluted 24" barrel with muzzle brake installed. The stock accu-stock (with billet AL bedding block) and accu-trigger (user-adjustable down to a very crisp 3.5lbs) are adequate for long range, which is rare at this price point. The detachable box mag is a nice touch and the bolt is about as smooth as anything you will ever touch at any price.

From personal experience, more times than not the gun clover leafs at 100 yards, and sub-palm-sized groups at 500 yards were the norm (and I'm the definition of a beginner). Also, the gun LOVED every 168 and 175 grain match load that I tried.

Pinecone · May 28, 2013

Rugers are nice bolt guns, but not as well supported in the aftermarket as the Remington and Savage rifles.

molonlabe · May 28, 2013

Pinecone said:
Rugers are nice bolt guns, but not as well supported in the aftermarket as the Remington and Savage rifles.

Agreed. had it not been for the price I would have opted for the Savage. My optics cost more than the rifle.

Pinecone · May 28, 2013

molonlabe said:
My optics cost more than the rifle.

That is pretty normal for a long range gun.

87Theworld · May 28, 2013

You should also check out Sniper 101 by TiborasaurusRex on youtube. This guy goes into great detail about long range caliber and rifles for extreme long distance shooting. Im doing my homework also for a similar rifle.

shaakes · May 28, 2013

savage 12ftr or rem 5r. It's entry level to the long range game. I have the savage and I'm kinda biased. It's 100x easier to change barrels/caliber with the savage. You can do it yourself with the correct go/ no go gages.

Russ D · May 28, 2013

smores said:
Check out Sako and Tikka. All of their rifles are guaranteed to be 1 MOA or less, and all cone with detachable magazines. I think they are underrated by almost everyone.

Also the Howa 1500s are very nice, as someone said above. Skip Remington, there are better rifles for the price.

Si vis pacem para bellum

follow me @DiscipleofJMB - GO PENS!

Not me.

Markp · May 29, 2013

Why hasn't anyone suggested a Mosin yet? Like this...

Doesn't get any more basic than a Mosin!!!

shaakes · May 29, 2013

^^^ I have those same saucony's.

My 12ftr

TxAggie said:
If you're not locked into a caliber, may I suggest you look at the 6.5 Creedmore? Same terminal energy as the .308 out to roughly 1200 yards with less drop and wind drift. Also, from what in hearing it has a little less kick, which could be a benefit if you're a newer shooter.

I'm looking into starting with the distance shooting as well, and the Creedmore has a lot to offer from getting the basics down at 200 yards to on out to 1200.

Enjoy.

6.5CM is a nice round. I was going to go with that in another savage but I went with the 12ftr instead. I didn't want to be in f open. The only thing that sucks about 6.5CM is that you are stuck with soft hornady brass or making your own. I'll stick with my lapua brass.

photoracer · May 29, 2013

Yme said:
This thread is awesome, since I'm somewhat looking for the same rifle. I've never heard of Howa before though.

Weatherby went to them when they wanted to build the cheaper Vanguard line in non-Weatherby calibers. Mossberg, S&W, and one other imported their rifles under their names also. Same rifle. They make other types of firearms also. Their own rifles when scoped usually come with Nikko Sterling Nighteater scopes.
In the 70's they produced the AR-18/AR-180 under license for Armalite until the peacemongers in the Japanese goverment got them to stop so Armalite brought production back to the US. They made the Arisaka rifles for the Imperial Japanese Army in WWII. They made clone M1 Garands for the Japanese Defense forces. They are mainly a machinery company that has a sideline in firearms. In most cases they supply the action and the barrel and their foreign partners add their own parts to the mix. It is based on a Sako type design but with the typical Japanese precision. The Japanese market rifles are all test fired to meet a spec and the test target is included with the rifle when sold. Their early rifles from the 40's are considered highly collectible by gun collectors. Over here Legacy Sports International is the current importer (they also import other foreign firearms from places like Israel).

What's a good entry-level long-range precision rifle?

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