Long range target rifle

[angusb1]

Both seven and thirty will get you to a mile

You run out of usualble weight class with 7mm at 180/190 grain which can be marginal to stabilise (190 grain that is) and 230 g with 30 cal


A big trade off with the 30 is recoil especially with 230’s

I’ve built numerous F class rifles in both which whilst the max competition range is 1200 yd if you don’t tell the bullets, both will happily travel to beyond a mile And remain supersonic, stable and accurate

My preference for a longer range rifle cartridge would be a 7/ 300wsm or straight 300 wsm

Without going into larger calibres and higher budget (read 338, 375, 408 class cartridges ) you will find a compromise with 7/30 cal

You also need to factor in a suitable scope mount with adjustable incline or high fixed incline and a suitably large adjustment scope with repeat accurate tracking

Load development

Shooting abolity

Wind reading ability

Stable rest

Accurate base rifle

All other factors to take into account to a facet of shooting that can be a real money pit and high grain factor at the same time

Cheers Ronin. Very helpful to have the points you make laid out simply. I'm now reading up on stable rests and the 7/300WSM and 300WSMs. Although I was aware of the need for a stable rest I hadn't actually started looking into it in detail. As you say, it seems like 7/30 cal is a sweet spot. It seems to make sense to my budget and hopefully will allow me to make the most of my shooting ability without having the recoil of the larger calibres to cope with as well.

 

[angusb1]

Thanks everyone who has responded to this thread. It's been fascinating to have all your suggestions and I have learnt a lot already through them and from where they have led me to go in my reading to try and understand the factors I need to consider in picking the right rifle and all the rest of the kit to shoot at long range. The SD is a gold mine of information!

 

[Muir]

Just remember that this kind of shooting requires a good deal of practice. Buy something that will reach the distance and that you can afford to feed regularly. Something with common brass and bullets. Good luck. ~Muir

 

[angusb1]

Indeed, the cost of feeding it is important to me. I like to get to a range at least once a month to keep my hand in and that's getting factored in to the cost. Thanks @Muir

 

[Muir]

Indeed, the cost of feeding it is important to me. I like to get to a range at least once a month to keep my hand in and that's getting factored in to the cost. Thanks @Muir

When you are considering a rifle, keep an eye towards availability of a 40 MOA rail. Holding over all the time sucks.
Also, with a mind towards expenditures, factor in the cost of lunch etc, for your spotter. A good spotting scope is a necessity and someone who knows how to operate it is worth treating well. ~Muir

 

[fresh slots]

I've got a ten-round magazine to go with it if your buyer is interested. I've got the Steyria conversion and AI mags for mine.

What would you want for the ten round mag?

 

[MarinePMI]

When you are considering a rifle, keep an eye towards availability of a 40 MOA rail. Holding over all the time sucks.
Also, with a mind towards expenditures, factor in the cost of lunch etc, for your spotter. A good spotting scope is a necessity and someone who knows how to operate it is worth treating well. ~Muir

Hmmmm....I'm going to remember this, when next time I'm spotting for you.

 

[Muir]

Hmmmm....I'm going to remember this, when next time I'm spotting for you.

I tell you what...
I'll let you come up and stay at my house. use, use my reloading stuff, and shoot as many prairiedogs as you wish. Appreciation enough? ~Muir

 

[bk]

Indeed, the cost of feeding it is important to me. I like to get to a range at least once a month to keep my hand in and that's getting factored in to the cost. Thanks @Muir

I’d listen to @Ronin
He’s got experience of top end target shooting at distance and also field shooting

 

[MarinePMI]

I tell you what...
I'll let you come up and stay at my house. use, use my reloading stuff, and shoot as many prairiedogs as you wish. Appreciation enough? ~Muir

Hey! I always bring my own reloading supplies! And IIRC, you get fed pretty well while I'm there.

 

[Muir]

Hey! I always bring my own reloading supplies! And IIRC, you get fed pretty well while I'm there.

True enough.~Muir

 

[Ackers-303]

This is great. What a variety of responses! Researching this lot should keep me out of trouble for the rest of the evening . I was thinking about a SIG Sauer SSG 3000 with a 29" 6.5x55 barrel and 147gr bullets but that would just be going transonic at a mile.

Keep them coming please

Just picked up an SSG3000, absolutely love it! Very comfortable to shoot. I have spoken with March Scopes and they can supply benchmark barrels to fit the SSG. An excellent piece of engineering this rifle is.

 

[angusb1]

Interesting. I looked at those but the SSG 3000 has a .470" bolt face and the magazine won't feed cases beyond a certain width so 284 and some others won't work. Looks like a lovely rifle though and apparently the trigger is fantastic. Which stock did you get? What chambering barrel are you thinking of?

 

[Ackers-303]

Interesting. I looked at those but the SSG 3000 has a .470" bolt face and the magazine won't feed cases beyond a certain width so 284 and some others won't work. Looks like a lovely rifle though and apparently the trigger is fantastic. Which stock did you get? What chambering barrel are you thinking of?

The bolt face diameter can be seen as a disadvantage, but worked for me and my uses. I'm enjoying the 308 atm. I was slightly peeved that the mag won't accept 284 cases, but could easily use single feed on the larger case diameter.

I have the more recent patrol stock as standard (I think) it's high density polymer with an aluminium bedding, super solid and fits me well.

I was looking at a 6.5mm based chambering for when I get into reloading (6.5-284/260ai/6.5x47L). Would quite like to get into competition more as well, and of course long range shooting.

 

[User00040]

I tell you what...
I'll let you come up and stay at my house. use, use my reloading stuff, and shoot as many prairiedogs as you wish. Appreciation enough? ~Muir

 

[angusb1]

I wouldn't call it a disadvantage, there are lots of choices there. What attracted me to it was the accuracy out of the box, the options with the interchangeable barrels, the trigger and the stocks. You can get a barrel adapter for them too so you can have an even wider range of barrel choices. You can get match barrels in 6.5x55 from several manufacturers because they also fit the STR200 rifles that are so popular in Scandinavia. There's so much good about them.

 

[Ackers-303]

I wouldn't call it a disadvantage, there are lots of choices there. What attracted me to it was the accuracy out of the box, the options with the interchangeable barrels, the trigger and the stocks. You can get a barrel adapter for them too so you can have an even wider range of barrel choices. You can get match barrels in 6.5x55 from several manufacturers because they also fit the STR200 rifles that are so popular in Scandinavia. There's so much good about them.

The precise reasons I went for it as well! No shortcuts to save cost on that rifle, I also like that it's good n heavy. Integrated picatinny in the reciever as well, but 0mil so will defo need some offset in the mount.

No gunsmith needed for barrel changes, what more could you ask for!

 

[Ronin]

I also have SSG 3000 and rebarrelled it myself using barrel extension adaptors from a source in Denmark

You can - if you have the inclination and welding skills - split the SSG mag and re weld slightly wider to accommodate the 284 family case diameter as there is wiggle room in the mag inlet in the action

I haven’t done it but I understand it’s been done in Scandinavia and the standard

Superb rifles by the way -lucky to find a target stocked model that now sits in a vision chassis

 

[Ackers-303]

I also have SSG 3000 and rebarrelled it myself using barrel extension adaptors from a source in Denmark

You can - if you have the inclination and welding skills - split the SSG mag and re weld slightly wider to accommodate the 284 family case diameter as there is wiggle room in the mag inlet in the action

I haven’t done it but I understand it’s been done in Scandinavia and the standard

Superb rifles by the way -lucky to find a target stocked model that now sits in a vision chassis

I like the sound of the mag re build, is there anywhere with more info on the subject?

 

[angusb1]

@Ronin It was from reading what you posted about it that I thought it would make a good long range rifle and I was planning on getting one. It was only after I started this thread that I found out that the chamberings that use a .470" bolt face would struggle out to a mile and that's made me reassess what to get. If I were to shoot to 1200 yards rather than a mile it would do everything I think