New to this site, just looking to see what kind of long range setup you guys are running. I just currently got into long range, purchased a savage model 10 FCP-K chambered in .308. Topped in with a SWFA SS 16X42 scope in some cheap UTG rings which have impressed me beyond measure. First time out to a thousand yards I shot a 6 inch 4 shot group off of a bipod with a rolled up jacket for rear support. Total setup cost me just under 1200 dollars which I would say isn't a high price to pay for repeatable 1000 yard accuracy. What kind of rig and results are you guys getting?
Budget long range setup results
- Thread starter Shriner81
- Start date
allaroundhunter
New member
What type of ammo are you using?
I have a Remington 700 SPS Varmint in .308 that I have swapped the stock on with a Millett scope. I have only taken it to 1,050 yards once. It works well, and I'm sure it would shoot better now than it did then (3 shots into about 12"). Total cost of the gun, stock, base, rings, and scope is about $1400.
I have a Remington 700 SPS Varmint in .308 that I have swapped the stock on with a Millett scope. I have only taken it to 1,050 yards once. It works well, and I'm sure it would shoot better now than it did then (3 shots into about 12"). Total cost of the gun, stock, base, rings, and scope is about $1400.
I reload my own ammo. Just regular old federal brass. Believe it or not I use the lee classic loader, using a rubber mallet. I weigh and measure each load individually. Currently using 40.5 grains of imr4895 with a 168 gr smk. I'm at 4 thousand feet elevation and it's able to reach a thousand yards while staying super sonic. I haven't had it chronographed but through drop charts I'm guessing it's doing about 2625 fps. I'm amazed with the accuracy I've been getting using the lee loader.
Nomadicone
New member
I like the 6.5x284 if you are going custom barrel/chambering and relaoding.
I build about 3 rifles a year for myself and buy more rifles.
The longest useful range I can get to is 500 yards. That is with a 7mmRemMag. I have built 4 of them and bought more.
My problem is reading wind. I can measure the wind where I am, but have not got good at estimating and compensating at long range.
The longest useful range I can get to is 500 yards. That is with a 7mmRemMag. I have built 4 of them and bought more.
My problem is reading wind. I can measure the wind where I am, but have not got good at estimating and compensating at long range.
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My local range is really tough to read wind, and the firing line the wind can be howling, then at a thousand it'll be howling but everywhere in between isn't even a breeze. I've managed to deal with it so far. I'm gonna hunt elk this October and am hoping for 5 or 7 hundred yard shot to really test my abilities as a marksmen. Worried about the kinetic energy of the .308 at those distances though.
"am hoping for 5 or 7 hundred yard shot to really test my abilities as a marksmen. Worried about the kinetic energy of the .308 at those distances though"
I gotta say this is WRONG. Shooting at a game animal (especially an elk that can run a LONG way with a marginal hit) to "test your marksmanship" is counter to any and all ethics of a hunter.
Shooting at long range is less about equipment and more about doping the wind and other environmental factors. Range finders eliminate the guessing and a ballistic chart gives you the required elevation but nothing besides vegetation/dust/snow in the field (ranges have flags at various distances to give you an idea of wind shifts) gives the shooter any reference to allow for windage.
I've shot at long range at targets, game, and "other animate objects" and was good at it 40 years ago. I can still make it happen on occasion but the wind is still my nemesis.
I gotta say this is WRONG. Shooting at a game animal (especially an elk that can run a LONG way with a marginal hit) to "test your marksmanship" is counter to any and all ethics of a hunter.
Shooting at long range is less about equipment and more about doping the wind and other environmental factors. Range finders eliminate the guessing and a ballistic chart gives you the required elevation but nothing besides vegetation/dust/snow in the field (ranges have flags at various distances to give you an idea of wind shifts) gives the shooter any reference to allow for windage.
I've shot at long range at targets, game, and "other animate objects" and was good at it 40 years ago. I can still make it happen on occasion but the wind is still my nemesis.
I understand ethical hunting. I was full draw during archery season on the biggest buck I've ever seen and didn't shoot cause he never gave me a good shot. Sure I kick myself about it but I did the right thing and I'm glad I did. I won't be slinging random rounds at those distances. I've put hundreds of rounds down range practicing for it. If I don't feel right about it ill surely stalk closer to a more appropriate distance.
Four into six at 1000 is certainly nice shooting by most anyone's standard.
No question Savage provides among the best (IMO, THE best) out-of-the box accuracy, and the FCP-K is well regarded for exactly this among LR shooters preferring the .308.
My younger son and I both shoot Savages, and my older son likes his 700.
Team Savage helped the US win the F-Class World Championship a few years back with bone-stock Savages. 'Nuff said.
Most anyone here will agree that it's more the shooter than the rifle at 1000, and there are many rifles (including factory ones) that shoot sub-minute and can get the job done. It's then up to the ammo, and the shooter to deliver.
No question Savage provides among the best (IMO, THE best) out-of-the box accuracy, and the FCP-K is well regarded for exactly this among LR shooters preferring the .308.
My younger son and I both shoot Savages, and my older son likes his 700.
Team Savage helped the US win the F-Class World Championship a few years back with bone-stock Savages. 'Nuff said.
Most anyone here will agree that it's more the shooter than the rifle at 1000, and there are many rifles (including factory ones) that shoot sub-minute and can get the job done. It's then up to the ammo, and the shooter to deliver.
Yeah I'm very impressed with the savage rifle. The next addition to mine will be the XLR industries chassis. Or a better reloading setup. The lee classic loader is slow and doesn't allow much adjustment. However it's managed to produce some accurate ammunition so I can't complain
The first year I ever got a deer, I got 4 of them standing broadside, up to 500 yards.
I had an elk tag and 76 elk were walking at an angle toward me.
I started shooting at 625 yards. They looked easy to hit compared to the deer.
What I did not realize was how far an elk can walk while a bullet is going 625 yards.
Shriner81, I hope you do better than I did.
I had an elk tag and 76 elk were walking at an angle toward me.
I started shooting at 625 yards. They looked easy to hit compared to the deer.
What I did not realize was how far an elk can walk while a bullet is going 625 yards.
Shriner81, I hope you do better than I did.
Shriner:
Please be aware that the energy of the .308 at that range will be marginal, as far as ensuring a clean kill on a big game animal.
When you get out to the ranges you're talking about, your round will only be carrying between 700 and 800 ft/lb of energy--if that. Plus, if you shoot with a 10 mph wind, full value, your POI will displace by as much as 60 to 65 inches.
Not a good state of affairs.
For that range, I'd be looking at something in the area of a .300 Win Mag, with a 180 grain soft point.
By the way, if you want a challenge then try this: Stalk to within 50 yards, and take your animal with a big bore revolver, like a .44 magnum pushing a 240 to 300 grain bullet.
Please be aware that the energy of the .308 at that range will be marginal, as far as ensuring a clean kill on a big game animal.
When you get out to the ranges you're talking about, your round will only be carrying between 700 and 800 ft/lb of energy--if that. Plus, if you shoot with a 10 mph wind, full value, your POI will displace by as much as 60 to 65 inches.
Not a good state of affairs.
For that range, I'd be looking at something in the area of a .300 Win Mag, with a 180 grain soft point.
By the way, if you want a challenge then try this: Stalk to within 50 yards, and take your animal with a big bore revolver, like a .44 magnum pushing a 240 to 300 grain bullet.
Kimbercommander
New member
My primary hunting rifle is a Kimber M8400 long action in .300 win mag. i have had great sucsess with the 195gr hornady match ammo. with a BC of .550 and a MV of about 3070 out of my 26" barrel they are doing anywhere from
.85 to .45 groups at 100 yards. thats with a 1 in 10 twist rate. I topped it with a Nightforce 5.5-22x56 NXS. Now i am a believer in Long range and cheap should not go into the same sentence. however for anyone wanting to shoot long distance please take this tip and try it. take a six inch paper circle(if you are hunting deer, 10" if you are hunting elk) put one out at every 100 yards you plan on being able to shoot. now shoot at it not from a benchrest i.e. from prone supported or kneeling supported such as you would find yourself in out in the field. however far you can hit 5 out of 5 shots is your "Long Range" once you start missing those size of targets you should not hunt that far out. from my experience most all bolt weapons can do this out to about 500-600 yards depending on ammo and shooter. most all weapon companies today are cranking out some really impressive weapons. i would be willing to say most weapons made today are capable of outshooting the shooter 9 out of 10 times. just buy something you are comfortable with and is not such a butt kicker you start to develop a flinch. shot placement is always better then trying to muscle a huge round on to target when you are scared of it. in the end it all comes down to just being honest with yourself about what you want and what you are capable of. if all you want to do is test your skills as a marksman then please do it at the range not on a animal that can take a hard hit and still run for miles. hunting is not the forum for testing yourself. thats what the ranges are for.
.85 to .45 groups at 100 yards. thats with a 1 in 10 twist rate. I topped it with a Nightforce 5.5-22x56 NXS. Now i am a believer in Long range and cheap should not go into the same sentence. however for anyone wanting to shoot long distance please take this tip and try it. take a six inch paper circle(if you are hunting deer, 10" if you are hunting elk) put one out at every 100 yards you plan on being able to shoot. now shoot at it not from a benchrest i.e. from prone supported or kneeling supported such as you would find yourself in out in the field. however far you can hit 5 out of 5 shots is your "Long Range" once you start missing those size of targets you should not hunt that far out. from my experience most all bolt weapons can do this out to about 500-600 yards depending on ammo and shooter. most all weapon companies today are cranking out some really impressive weapons. i would be willing to say most weapons made today are capable of outshooting the shooter 9 out of 10 times. just buy something you are comfortable with and is not such a butt kicker you start to develop a flinch. shot placement is always better then trying to muscle a huge round on to target when you are scared of it. in the end it all comes down to just being honest with yourself about what you want and what you are capable of. if all you want to do is test your skills as a marksman then please do it at the range not on a animal that can take a hard hit and still run for miles. hunting is not the forum for testing yourself. thats what the ranges are for.
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Don't know...but, factory barrels nonetheless. Like any other mass produced item I'm sure there are tolerances. Did they "hand pick"? I know I would have...
Skeptics raise the question (it's a fair one) all the time, so I'll contact Savage to see if I can get an answer (seriously...).
Kimbercommander
New member
the key to the reliable accuracy of a savage is the way they use the barrel nut to also set the head spacing. in do so they take most of the variables out of the building of the gun. i have had a few savage varmit guns and they all shot well under 1 MOA. im not to sure about the barrels but i do know thats where the accuracy comes from. they tend to shoot just as well with factory loads as they do with handloads the only one i havent had much luck with was a .338 LM that i got but it had a problem from the factory which after i sent it back it was good to go i was shooting 285 gr hornady match and was shooting better at 300 then i was at 100. but thats another topic altogether. all things aside if you buy a savage you wont be unhappy i believe. however one thing to check if it has the one piece base or the two piece bases is make sure to take the screws out and please put a thread lock on the screws. i had a Leupold M4 tac scope on my .338 and the bases literally fell off the gun. i know bad on my part for not checking but i had never had a problem with that before after talking to a savage rep they had been having problems like that for a while i guess.
Another tip to add to my previous tip is to make sure you get your heart rate elevated when you are doing that test i know i keep adding to it but this will help as i have never seen elk and not had my heart race a bit. i mainly cow hunt anymore but i used to do bull only and there is nothing like drawing down on a big 6 and having your cross hairs doing a little dance.
Another tip to add to my previous tip is to make sure you get your heart rate elevated when you are doing that test i know i keep adding to it but this will help as i have never seen elk and not had my heart race a bit. i mainly cow hunt anymore but i used to do bull only and there is nothing like drawing down on a big 6 and having your cross hairs doing a little dance.
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