building my first long range rifle

[old roper]

At a NRA match that 308 is required 800,900 and 1000yds 15 shots each target is what's call score match. 15 shot top score would 150-15x that means 15 shot within 10 ring 20"= 150, X ring is 10" 15 shot in X ring would be 15. top score would be 450-45x for 3 target.

It's same as Bart B mention about BR very small percentage shoot those small groups same with above NRA match

http://competitions.nra.org/documents/pdf/compete/natpdf/cp540-13.pdf

Match results don't lie. You got a High Master at # 170 that shoots a score of 418-4x he can have same bad day as BR shooter. Nothing magic about 308 in LR when you look at result.

 

[Unlicensed Dremel]

the reason why i chose the 308 is because i heard its easy on the pocket to reload.

Very good. Well, that being the case, look closely at the used market since there are a lot of those - you can feel them out as to alleged known performance with a good deal of success, I believe - round count as well. The work is already done... just find a shooter and the config you want. Follow this link as a starting point:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Bolt-Action-Rifles/BI.aspx?Keywords=custom&ca=5000064


Also, this is one of a couple of really good video series's:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwG-D0HjCBQ

 

[MrBorland]

Get a used Win 70 push feed action,

Bart - I'm curious why the push-feed M70 variant is your recommendation. Are they functionally better for this application than later FN short action CRFs? Or is one simply more likely to find one cheaper than a CRF?

 

[emcon5]

Bart offers a good recipe:

You don't have to spend a ton of coins to get a rifle to do that. Get a used Win 70 push feed action, have its bolt and receiver faces squared up, fit a 30 caliber Kreiger barrel of your choice, conventionally epoxy bed it in a low cost wood stock then put a medium price scope on it.

Although I wouldn't overlook the Remington 700 action.

If I was in your shoes, I would also look at a complete rifle, like this:
http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/10FCPHS
or one of these:
http://www.remington.com/products/f...el-700/model-700-xcr-tactical-long-range.aspx
http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/centerfire/model-700/model-700-target-tactical.aspx

Neither will be as accurate as a custom rig, but either will be a good start for LR shooting, and as a beginner you probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference anyway. You can put the extra money toward ammo/components and trigger time.

I like this scope:
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/13...e-65-20x-50mm-side-focus?cm_vc=ProductFinding

Leupold makes a tapered base for LR shooting, that is about the same price as their standard base.

 

[Bart B.]

emcon5 sez:

Although I wouldn't overlook the Remington 700 action.

I would. The Winchester is near three times as stiff and its flat sides and bottom parts lets it hold epoxy bedding better. Besides, its maintenance and parts replacement is about 12.3 times easier.

emcon5 also remarks:

Neither will be as accurate as a custom rig

Back in the '60's through the '80's, when the Winchester action was popular for 600 to 1000 yard matches as was the Remingtons, either one properly well built into a match rifles would (and did) test into sub 2/3 MOA accuracy at 1000 yards. It was common to shoot 20-shot test groups to see how everything stood up as most matches required 20 shots to be fired for score. This was long before 1000-yard benchrest matches were conceived and shot. All it takes for best accuracy at any range is an action that's repeatable from shot to shot. But as most folks don't realize that, builders and marketers of huge, single-shot massive actions have impressed enough folks to make them popular and believe they're the only way to success.

It takes a shoulder-fired rifle that accurate to keep all ones shots inside the 20" 10-ring on a 1000-yard NRA bullseye target when shot slung up in prone. The best marksmen can hold their aiming area inside 2/3 MOA but the rifle's never positioned exactly the same for every shot and it moves in recoil before the bullet leaves the barrel. And they're making corrections for a varying crosswind all the time. With 20 of the best on the firing line with stuff that shoots that well, 4 or 5 will score 200 with their 20 record shots fired in as many minutes.

Check out post #31 in this thread on how my Win 70 in a plain wood stock aimed with a cheap Weaver T20 scope does:

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=503941&highlight=15+190+200&page=2

That's 30 shots at 1000 yards with two different loads inside 2/3 MOA.

 

[Bart B.]

Mr. Borland asked why I suggested a push feed Win 70.

Used ones are cheaper than used classic controlled round feed versions. There's no difference in the accuracy either can produce when fit with the right stock, barrel, sights, ammo and, of course, shooter. With proper stoning, their factory trigger can be made very good.

The standard length (long) receiver provides more bedding area to resist twisting from barrel torque. Which is important with larger cartridges and heavy bullets. That's why benchresters put long square bottom sleeves on Remington round receivers that twisted too much from barrel torque.

Regarding the NRA high power rifle prone slow fire matches you can shoot a .308 in, there are several at 3, 5 & 6 hundred yards besides 8, 9 and 10 hundred. Check out section 7 in

http://compete.nra.org/documents/pdf/compete/RuleBooks/HPR/hpr-book.pdf