budget precision lr rifle
- Thread starter Bobby1243
- Start date
Brian Pfleuger
Moderator Emeritus
What's your "low budget"?
A good place to start is by buying a new Ruger M77 Target Varmint in .308 and covering it in burlap and camouflage cloth, and hand load for it. They are under rated in favor of Remingtons and Savages. With the correct hand loads, they will do the job, and a whole lot cheaper than building something. I used mine in a local gun-club egg shoot competition. They would place five eggs endwise at the 200 yard range for each shooter. My Ruger would do it and did do it.
Brian Pfleuger
Moderator Emeritus
At that price, you're not going to build anything. A half decent barrel is going to run close to $400, $300 at least.
Find your self a Savage package deal. You can get a model 10 or 11 with a decent scope for $400-$550. That's as good as anything you can get in that price range.
Find your self a Savage package deal. You can get a model 10 or 11 with a decent scope for $400-$550. That's as good as anything you can get in that price range.
budget sniper rifle
With a sniper rifle, the sky is the limit, money-wise. My son has a Model 700 heavy barrel, with a generation (3 or 4) scope, brand unknown, attached, that is controlled by an electronic "dope box". Shoots 1000 yard matches with it. Son has, in the neighborhood of $4500 in the rifle, and I am sure he is not through tricking it out!
Having said all that, go military surplus. There are a multitude of rifles available out there that will put you on target at 500+ yards, dressed with a good scope. Everyone will throw out a favorite brand, that they have been successful with and are satisfied with the performance.
The U S Marine Corps, refused to release the 1903-A3 from service use until 1974. Why, because they relied on it as a solid base for a sniper rifle. Even in the Twenty-First Century, the Marines are going back into the warehouses and using M-14's for sniper service, in Afghanistan..I think the M-14 was replaced by the AR15/M16 in the early 1960's. Tried and true Performance, in the worlds harshest environs..
With a sniper rifle, the sky is the limit, money-wise. My son has a Model 700 heavy barrel, with a generation (3 or 4) scope, brand unknown, attached, that is controlled by an electronic "dope box". Shoots 1000 yard matches with it. Son has, in the neighborhood of $4500 in the rifle, and I am sure he is not through tricking it out!
Having said all that, go military surplus. There are a multitude of rifles available out there that will put you on target at 500+ yards, dressed with a good scope. Everyone will throw out a favorite brand, that they have been successful with and are satisfied with the performance.
The U S Marine Corps, refused to release the 1903-A3 from service use until 1974. Why, because they relied on it as a solid base for a sniper rifle. Even in the Twenty-First Century, the Marines are going back into the warehouses and using M-14's for sniper service, in Afghanistan..I think the M-14 was replaced by the AR15/M16 in the early 1960's. Tried and true Performance, in the worlds harshest environs..
1. $4-500 is tough if you are including optics. A lot easier if it is the rifle only. Many Savage 10/110, Rem 700 ADL, Marlin XS/XL7, and T/C Venture rifles can be had in that price range. Most package deals that come with optics aren't worth writing home about the one exception being the Savage 11/111 Trophy Hunter with Nikon Pro Staff scope. Even though the Pro Staff scope is a decent scope it isn't one I'd choose for LR shooting.
2. Larger than .270? I don't get that one because several cartrige choices are going to be easier to shoot if you're willing to expand your options. .243 Win .260 Rem, 6.5 Creedmoor, and 7mm-08 are a few that come to mind that will be easier to shoot than a cartridge with more power than a .270 Win. .308, .30-06, and 7mm Rem Mag are all too close to the .270 Win especially at 500 yards. A step up would be a .300 WM or larger and any of the WSM or SAUM cartridges.
I wish you all the luck in your endeavor and hope you can do it on your budget.
2. Larger than .270? I don't get that one because several cartrige choices are going to be easier to shoot if you're willing to expand your options. .243 Win .260 Rem, 6.5 Creedmoor, and 7mm-08 are a few that come to mind that will be easier to shoot than a cartridge with more power than a .270 Win. .308, .30-06, and 7mm Rem Mag are all too close to the .270 Win especially at 500 yards. A step up would be a .300 WM or larger and any of the WSM or SAUM cartridges.
I wish you all the luck in your endeavor and hope you can do it on your budget.
tahunua001
New member
well unless you are trained as a sniper and allowed to use this as your primary weapon then you can't technically make a sniper rifle. you build the most accurate precision rifle in the world but unless it's used by snipers then it is not a sniper rifle.
They'd hang you like a steel swinger if you call it a "sniper rifle" over at the Hide..
Buy a Savage in .308. You're going to spend a little more than five bills unless you can find one used. But you'll be able to upgrade the barrel down the road by yourself without a gunsmith, and aftermarket stocks, triggers, etc. are readily available.
You'll need to spend at least a few hundred more for an optic.
Buy a Savage in .308. You're going to spend a little more than five bills unless you can find one used. But you'll be able to upgrade the barrel down the road by yourself without a gunsmith, and aftermarket stocks, triggers, etc. are readily available.
You'll need to spend at least a few hundred more for an optic.
Take a look at the savage hog hunter... runs around 450 where I am, heavy barreled 308 with irons, threaded muzzle, accutrigger and i think an accustock as well. And being a savage it'll be more accurate dollar for dollar than most of its competition and easier to upgrade yourself without the need of a gunsmith.
tahunua001
New member
rem 700s have the most out there in the way of upgrades, modifications etc etc but I am not a fan of remingtons and the current crop give remington a bad name. they have really gone down hill in recent recent years. savage is probably your best inexpensive option for something to build around but I highly doubt you'll be able to build a true tack driver for less than $700 and that's before optics.
That may be your definition, but there will be many that will not agree with you. The term is ambiguous at best. For instance, in the Texas Tower shootings, (cannot recall his name now), the shooter shot at long distance using sporting rifles, yet his actions were referred to as "sniping", and he was referred to as a "sniper". Also, any shooter who fired a single shot (outside of an active battle) that struck a soldier, was referred to as a "sniper" whether or not a scoped rifle was used.
Further, I have a Ruger M77 Target Varmint that I have covered with burlap and camouflage cloth to compliment my camouflage clothing with varminting. I keep that rifle in that condition for the very unlikely future event of a foreign invasion where in I could perform as an expendable rear-guard (too old to be any use in a military setting for any other purpose) sniper. I consider my rifle to be a "sniper rifle" inasmuch as it is very little different than the heavy barreled sporters used by snipers in Viet Nam. In short, it fits my definition as a sniper rifle.
"build" and "low budget" are arguably mutually exclusive. You would likely not be able to build an accurate "budget precision lr rifle" for less, and most likely a considerable amount more than you could buy a Savage (inexpensive, ugly as sin, but consistently most out-of-the-box accurate), varmint rifle. A .308 is a good choice. Put a target scope on it and you would be good to go. On the other hand, buy a target action, a target barrel, an unfinished target stock, contract with a known target-rifle gunsmith to do the precision fitting, bedding and finishing, and end up with a rifle costing more that a new Savage with accuracy that may or may not equal the Savage in the end.