precision_shooter
New member
Look into 6mm Creedmoor if you want to stay with a 6mm.
Beginning 1000 yd Rifle - Help me choose
- Thread starter Wildernesshunter
- Start date
Wildernesshunter
New member
Received the gun on Saturday. Remington Model 700 Long Range, 7mm Rem Mag.
Mounted the Vortex Viper 6.5-20x44 with a 20MOA base.
I stepped in to WalMart for some auto oil, and wandered by the gun desk and noticed that they had Winchester ammo on sale for $23 a box for the 175gr SP's. Since I had already purchased the Sierra Game King 175's, I thought these would be good 'break-in' rounds and similar enough to sight in.
Sunday, I went to the range. I shot 6 rounds, getting the gun close at 25 yards. I then moved out to 200 yds and shot 14 more rounds, cleaning the barrel every two shots (simply for good break-in). I was amazed that my 'out of the box' 700 with 'off the shelf' hunting rounds would do as good as they did. I shot a hole out of the target at 200 yards 1.5" in diameter. Can't wait to see what hand loads will do.
Yep, the trigger, as it is.....is complete crap. Just fine for a hunting trigger, but not for a 1,000 yard shot. I originally thought that I would work on the stock trigger, but a close friend convinced me to drop $190 on a Timney Calvin Elite Straight Trigger, which I ordered tonight.
Interesting about recoil..... I also took my Remington 721, 30'06 to the range to dial in a new scope....and the '06 has more 'felt' recoil than the 7mag. After 20 rounds through the gun, I am settling in to the recoil.....and no sore shoulder at all. I quit shooting as the wind started to really whip. I do want some more recoil management, though. First I will start with weighing down the stock. I'm going to 'channel grove' (Dremmel) the forend of the stock and add epoxy and lead shot. I am also going to fill the rear of the stock with construction adhesive and lead shot. Not sure how much weight I can add, but would love to get the gun to 13-14lbs, which (according to calculations) will bring the recoil down below a .243 hunt gun.
Anyway, I am just thrilled......am really looking forward to dialing it in and going to the 1k Steel Range.
Mounted the Vortex Viper 6.5-20x44 with a 20MOA base.
I stepped in to WalMart for some auto oil, and wandered by the gun desk and noticed that they had Winchester ammo on sale for $23 a box for the 175gr SP's. Since I had already purchased the Sierra Game King 175's, I thought these would be good 'break-in' rounds and similar enough to sight in.
Sunday, I went to the range. I shot 6 rounds, getting the gun close at 25 yards. I then moved out to 200 yds and shot 14 more rounds, cleaning the barrel every two shots (simply for good break-in). I was amazed that my 'out of the box' 700 with 'off the shelf' hunting rounds would do as good as they did. I shot a hole out of the target at 200 yards 1.5" in diameter. Can't wait to see what hand loads will do.
Yep, the trigger, as it is.....is complete crap. Just fine for a hunting trigger, but not for a 1,000 yard shot. I originally thought that I would work on the stock trigger, but a close friend convinced me to drop $190 on a Timney Calvin Elite Straight Trigger, which I ordered tonight.
Interesting about recoil..... I also took my Remington 721, 30'06 to the range to dial in a new scope....and the '06 has more 'felt' recoil than the 7mag. After 20 rounds through the gun, I am settling in to the recoil.....and no sore shoulder at all. I quit shooting as the wind started to really whip. I do want some more recoil management, though. First I will start with weighing down the stock. I'm going to 'channel grove' (Dremmel) the forend of the stock and add epoxy and lead shot. I am also going to fill the rear of the stock with construction adhesive and lead shot. Not sure how much weight I can add, but would love to get the gun to 13-14lbs, which (according to calculations) will bring the recoil down below a .243 hunt gun.
Anyway, I am just thrilled......am really looking forward to dialing it in and going to the 1k Steel Range.
Zen Archery
New member
Between the two calibers listed I would choose the 30.06.
I've had more success with heavier bullet bucking the wind extended range stabilization.
I've had more success with heavier bullet bucking the wind extended range stabilization.
Wildernesshunter
New member
Some follow up....
I have run over 100 rounds through the gun and I absolutely love it. After adding the epoxy and lead shot to the stock, it weighs a tad over 14 lbs and the recoil isn't bad at all.
I love the B&C stock, Timney Trigger and the Vortex scope.....love the whole gun.
I have run over 100 rounds through the gun and I absolutely love it. After adding the epoxy and lead shot to the stock, it weighs a tad over 14 lbs and the recoil isn't bad at all.
I love the B&C stock, Timney Trigger and the Vortex scope.....love the whole gun.
kinda off topic, but when at the range where i shoot at quite a bit, after i get done shooting the rifles i want to shoot, i take a ww-2 german original 8mm 98 mauser with the battle sights loaded with 180gr barnes XFB bullets at 2600fps and bang away at a 3 foot green steel gong at 1000 yards, (5-8 shots), i have not hit it many times, two people would not want to sit there long after the first shot. eastbank.
Wilderness,
Yup, 7mm Rem Mag will get the job done at 1000 Yards.. Just wouldn't want to shoot a match with one.. Barrel would prob look more like a branding iron..
I've found in my shooting/reloading I'm getting between 5-8 reloads before the brass goes into the recycle bin, with the primer pockets opening up as the main culprit.
I should really load lighter, but it's a hunting rifle.
Yup, 7mm Rem Mag will get the job done at 1000 Yards.. Just wouldn't want to shoot a match with one.. Barrel would prob look more like a branding iron..
I've found in my shooting/reloading I'm getting between 5-8 reloads before the brass goes into the recycle bin, with the primer pockets opening up as the main culprit.
I should really load lighter, but it's a hunting rifle.
Wildernesshunter
New member
About two months ago, I found a local shoot that I really want to participate in, but wouldn't you know......they don't allow magnum rounds on their steels.
I began to search for a 'bargain gun' that should perform decent with a little elbow grease. I opted for the Remington 700 SPS Varmint in a .243. Funny that I ended up buying a .243, as it was a part of my initial search for a LR rifle.
I ended up choosing this rifle as it was the best I could find in a 26" heavy barrel for about $500 in a rifle twist that will shoot decent target bullets ...... 9.125" twist.
I received the gun on Saturday morning and immediately went to work on the stock, shoring it up with epoxy, construction cement and lead shot.....free floating the barrel and bedding the action.
I decided to give the Mueller 8-32x44 a chance and it will be mounted on a Weaver 20MOA rail.
Shortly I will be loading up some 105gr Bergers to see how it does......
.......
I began to search for a 'bargain gun' that should perform decent with a little elbow grease. I opted for the Remington 700 SPS Varmint in a .243. Funny that I ended up buying a .243, as it was a part of my initial search for a LR rifle.
I ended up choosing this rifle as it was the best I could find in a 26" heavy barrel for about $500 in a rifle twist that will shoot decent target bullets ...... 9.125" twist.
I received the gun on Saturday morning and immediately went to work on the stock, shoring it up with epoxy, construction cement and lead shot.....free floating the barrel and bedding the action.
I decided to give the Mueller 8-32x44 a chance and it will be mounted on a Weaver 20MOA rail.
Shortly I will be loading up some 105gr Bergers to see how it does......
.......
reynolds357
New member
I believe the Mueller does not waste a bunch of Bergers.
Wildernesshunter
New member
Here's the work I did on the stock.
After I laid the epoxy and shot, I ground it down to free float and then added a thin layer of epoxy.
After I laid the epoxy and shot, I ground it down to free float and then added a thin layer of epoxy.
Wildernesshunter
New member
Here is the .....
7RM with Sierra MK 175's
243 with Berger 105's
223 with Sierra MK 69's
Off to the range I will go on Wednesday morning.
7RM with Sierra MK 175's
243 with Berger 105's
223 with Sierra MK 69's
Off to the range I will go on Wednesday morning.
DAVID NANCARROW
New member
I bought a His and Hers Remington Long Range rifles last year in 30-06, and my experience has been similar to yours. The Mark X Pro trigger would not adjust below 4.25 pounds and at that weight was variable on the release, so I bought a Timney and have been very happy with it. Neither one of the LRRs I bought are pillar bedded, but do use the full length aluminum bedding block which I like. Coupled with a decent inch pound torque wrench set at 30 inch pounds, it really performs, at least out to 550 yards which is the longest distance I have had to test it. I put a Vortex 6x25 HS-T scope which is MRAD calibrated to keep the math on the mil dots simple. The scope itself is a pretty good target scope for the money, but not much of a hunting scope. The optics are clear, but the light gathering goes away quickly when the sun goes down. I love the B&C M40 stock-fits me well. Groups with handloads have been very satisfying, and now that the Wyoming weather is getting tolerable, I plan to move the distance out to a grand.
Wildernesshunter said:
How did those 105's shoot for you? The Remington usually doesn't have enough twist to shoot them well, but you do have the advantage of elevation. If you can get some speed you might do okay with them, but I wouldn't trust them if you get much lower in elevation.
Wildernesshunter
New member
Visited the range yesterday and shot the .243 for the first time. I started off running some factory ammo through it to zero as close as I could. At 9:30am, it was a perfect day....no wind, 60 degrees and 47% humidity....shooting at nearly 7,000 ft elevation.
I was shooting 5 guns, rotating them every 5-8 shots. By the time I started shooting the rounds below, the wind came up.....and one minute was gusty and the next calm, ranging between 2mph and 17mph.
I shot the following (cause it was the powder I had on hand), and all shots were with the Berger .243 105gr VLD Hunting....and .02 off the lands:
7 rounds: H4831, 40.0gr = 2,702fps ave
6 rounds: Varget, 32.0gr = 2,648fps ave
7 rounds: H4350, 37.0gr = 2,758fps ave
6 rounds: Retumbo, 46gr = 2,932fps ave
I am reluctant to draw too much from the accuracy with the gusty wind and.....oh boy, I dislike the trigger, despite an adjustment to "as light as it would go". Moving between my 700RL 7RM with an 8oz Timney to the 243 was frustrating. The trigger definitely caused accuracy issues. But, I will not load Varget or H4831 in the future......and how in the heck can anyone get 49gr of Retumbo in a 243 case??? I was compressing 46grs. And Retumbo was the worst with accuracy. H4350 was the most accurate.
For my next trip to the range, I think I will build up 5 rounds of H4350.... 38gr, 39gr, 40gr......maybe 41gr and 42gr (I have read that several are loading 42gr of H4350 and gettting right at 3,000fps with 105's....but that is over the pressure limits.)
I shot at 100yards and here are a couple of targets....I thought this was decent with the trigger and the wind.
I think I am also confident that my 9.125 twist is keeping the Berger 105 stabilized. But according to the calculators, I wouldn't shoot it lower than 5,000 ft elevation.
The Retumbo was the worst....
The H4350 was the best.....
I think I am going to move forward, dialing in the gun with H4350. And as of last night, the Timney is ordered and on the way. So far, I think the SPS Varmint stock, as I have it modified, is doing ok.
By the way, I really like the Mueller 8-32x44 scope. I will admit, that I don't like it much at 32x, but at 20x and 24x....it is really, good and that is all the magnification I need.
And here is some Colorado "eye candy"......
I was shooting 5 guns, rotating them every 5-8 shots. By the time I started shooting the rounds below, the wind came up.....and one minute was gusty and the next calm, ranging between 2mph and 17mph.
I shot the following (cause it was the powder I had on hand), and all shots were with the Berger .243 105gr VLD Hunting....and .02 off the lands:
7 rounds: H4831, 40.0gr = 2,702fps ave
6 rounds: Varget, 32.0gr = 2,648fps ave
7 rounds: H4350, 37.0gr = 2,758fps ave
6 rounds: Retumbo, 46gr = 2,932fps ave
I am reluctant to draw too much from the accuracy with the gusty wind and.....oh boy, I dislike the trigger, despite an adjustment to "as light as it would go". Moving between my 700RL 7RM with an 8oz Timney to the 243 was frustrating. The trigger definitely caused accuracy issues. But, I will not load Varget or H4831 in the future......and how in the heck can anyone get 49gr of Retumbo in a 243 case??? I was compressing 46grs. And Retumbo was the worst with accuracy. H4350 was the most accurate.
For my next trip to the range, I think I will build up 5 rounds of H4350.... 38gr, 39gr, 40gr......maybe 41gr and 42gr (I have read that several are loading 42gr of H4350 and gettting right at 3,000fps with 105's....but that is over the pressure limits.)
I shot at 100yards and here are a couple of targets....I thought this was decent with the trigger and the wind.
I think I am also confident that my 9.125 twist is keeping the Berger 105 stabilized. But according to the calculators, I wouldn't shoot it lower than 5,000 ft elevation.
The Retumbo was the worst....
The H4350 was the best.....
I think I am going to move forward, dialing in the gun with H4350. And as of last night, the Timney is ordered and on the way. So far, I think the SPS Varmint stock, as I have it modified, is doing ok.
By the way, I really like the Mueller 8-32x44 scope. I will admit, that I don't like it much at 32x, but at 20x and 24x....it is really, good and that is all the magnification I need.
And here is some Colorado "eye candy"......
Is that on Ft. Carson? I never went out to the shooting complex there when I lived in Colorado Springs. My wife did once, with the "Well Armed Woman" shooting group she joined. She hated it there, the Range Safeties wouldn't leave her group alone and let them shoot in peace.
We usually shot at a buddies private range 30 min east of Colorado Springs, since it took about 20 min to get to Ft Carson on a good day from where we lived. If we wanted to shoot past 300 yards we drove out to my families ranch an hour east of Colorado Springs. I now have a 300 yard range 5 min from my house but still have to drive an hour north to the ranch if I want to stretch things.
A drop tube helps with getting powder like Retumbo or H1000 into a .243 case and you can pick one up at Sportsmans Warehouse. I think that is where I got my MTM drop tube kit, if not Midway usually has them. If you want to try a new powder look at RL22, some say it's temperature sensitive but I had no issues with it. It gave me the most velocity and best groups in my .243 with 105 and 115 grain bullets, but H4350 was a close second.
Shoot a round robin of six rounds each at your target seating per Berger's instructions. Berger bullets are very sensitive to seating depth. You might find your rifle likes a little more jump. My 1:7 twist .243 liked .130 jump with 115 grain bullets I tried, and with RL22 I was getting nearly 2800 fps with those bullets. I easily made 3100 fps with RL22 and the 105 Berger and A-Max bullets.
My old .243, 1:7 twist McGowan heavy varmint barrel.
Round robin group with 115 Berger bullets, I didn't include the .10 group because it was about 1.5" and on a different target.
Round robin 115 DTAC.
Best 300 yard group with Berger 115's shot during load development after finding seating depth.
We usually shot at a buddies private range 30 min east of Colorado Springs, since it took about 20 min to get to Ft Carson on a good day from where we lived. If we wanted to shoot past 300 yards we drove out to my families ranch an hour east of Colorado Springs. I now have a 300 yard range 5 min from my house but still have to drive an hour north to the ranch if I want to stretch things.
A drop tube helps with getting powder like Retumbo or H1000 into a .243 case and you can pick one up at Sportsmans Warehouse. I think that is where I got my MTM drop tube kit, if not Midway usually has them. If you want to try a new powder look at RL22, some say it's temperature sensitive but I had no issues with it. It gave me the most velocity and best groups in my .243 with 105 and 115 grain bullets, but H4350 was a close second.
Shoot a round robin of six rounds each at your target seating per Berger's instructions. Berger bullets are very sensitive to seating depth. You might find your rifle likes a little more jump. My 1:7 twist .243 liked .130 jump with 115 grain bullets I tried, and with RL22 I was getting nearly 2800 fps with those bullets. I easily made 3100 fps with RL22 and the 105 Berger and A-Max bullets.
My old .243, 1:7 twist McGowan heavy varmint barrel.
Round robin group with 115 Berger bullets, I didn't include the .10 group because it was about 1.5" and on a different target.
Round robin 115 DTAC.
Best 300 yard group with Berger 115's shot during load development after finding seating depth.
Wildernesshunter
New member
NOT... Ft. Carson/Cheyenne Mtn ...... I hate that place. You cannot shoot in peace (most are blasting away 10 feet from you with muzzle brakes), but they are the only range close-by with 1,000 yard steels and the 1,000 benches are usually, fairly empty.
Its the Isaac-Walton League Range out East, Pikes Peak Gun Club. It is mostly a Trap & Skeet range, but they have a nice 100yd and 200yd long gun range and they are usually wide open. I love shooting there. Everyone is nice and very respectful.
Its the Isaac-Walton League Range out East, Pikes Peak Gun Club. It is mostly a Trap & Skeet range, but they have a nice 100yd and 200yd long gun range and they are usually wide open. I love shooting there. Everyone is nice and very respectful.
I used to be a member out at Isaac Walton in 03-05, looks like they've made some improvements to the range. Overhead cover and that target stand at the berm is nice, they didn't have that when I was a member. We used the same target stand at 200 that is used at the picture of your rifle and chronograph. I looked into Frontier because the were building a 1K range, but they had a waiting list and I got a free place to shoot before my name got moved up to the top.
Last edited:
I've had little trouble keeping my group within 1 MOA out to 800 yards with my plain Jane Vanguard 30-06. I'm shooting 185 Berger VLD's and I installed one of the Witt Machine clamp-on brakes to reduce recoil. Works like a charm. As soon as I can find a 1,000 yard field I'm going to see what it does. My shooting buddy has a 243 and it does well too but when the wind picks up he is all over the place. Instead of a minute of angle group he ends up with an hour of angle group. 
Wildernesshunter, I was member of Pikes Peak and they only had 200yd range.
Picture makes it look higher then it is. Take the berm down you be about same elevation as airport and the coal mine is just little over 6K. If your using Berger twist deal at that elevation might want to change that.
I liver 7700ft which is north of Black Forest store and just south Palmer Divide. I shoot Frontier north range which is mid way between Pikes Peak and Falcon but no rds connecting.
Picture makes it look higher then it is. Take the berm down you be about same elevation as airport and the coal mine is just little over 6K. If your using Berger twist deal at that elevation might want to change that.
I liver 7700ft which is north of Black Forest store and just south Palmer Divide. I shoot Frontier north range which is mid way between Pikes Peak and Falcon but no rds connecting.