Entry Target Shooting Recommendation

F

Formula51

New member
I am relatively new to rifles and am looking for something relatively affordable (doesn't have to be cheap) to target shoot at the local range for fun. The range has 100 and 200 yard lanes so I would like something capable of shooting 200 yards, but I will likely never shoot further than that.

Some buddies were saying to build a Ruger 10/22 because the ammo is cheap, but I don't know if that will shoot 200 yards. Maybe a .17 HMR would? Otherwise, sounds like I should step up to a .223, .308, ...?

Well matched scope recommendations for this distance would also be appreciated. Just looking to get into the sport.

Thanks for the help.
 
From Savage Arms:

Stevens 200 Chambered for .223 Remington with a factory 3-9X40 scope.
4+1 Short Bolt Action. No frills rifle that you can upgrade all you want when you feel the itch to.

Stevens_200.jpg


Usually comes in dark grey. Criticisms include the presence of some molding lines on the composite stock and the longevity of the action with larger calibers, but for what you pay for it, and considering a relatively low recoiling round like the .223, the rifle should do you quite well for a long time. These are very minor complaints. It's a good gun that you should be able to find for around $300-$350 with a factory optic installed.

I think this is a perfect long range target rifle for a beginner. The .223 is more than enough to start with, though if you stretch it out to much further beyond 300 yards, you may want to consider opening it up to a .308 or .30-06. But there is plenty of time for that later after you learn the basics of long range target shooting. For a beginner of this field, I suggest a .223.

Hope this helps you.

~LT
 
Have you looked at any of the surplus rifles available? A Mosin-Nagant can be had for about $100 and some decent Mauser rifles for $200 to $300.
 
The cheapest, and I think most fun is CMP GSM Vintage Military Rifle Matches.

It's done with as issued military surplus rifles, Garands, Springfields,and other Vintage Rifles.

Good starter rifle would be a $100 Mosin, lots of cheap ammo around. Also they are fired at 100-200 yards.

Its based on the shooters ability, not how fancy of rifle you can buy.

Along the same lines are the CMP Rimfire Sporter/NRA Light Rifle events, again, unlike NRA or ISU small bore, its fired with 22 rifles one find in the closet, not the $1500 targer rifles.
 
Are you limited by budget to just one rifle? If not, I'd say build the 10/22 and buy a Savage/Stevens in .223 Rem. My reasoning is simple, the 10/22 can be a super accurate rifle, in fact out of the box they ain't half bad, but with a few parts that you can install yourself they can be amazing. With the .22 you can shoot all day for just a few bucks, there's no recoil to speak of, and it's a lot quieter than any centerfire round. My only issue with the .22 is range, my max effective range with one is about 100 yds, not because it won't shoot further, just because of lack of practice at longer range. The .223 Rem rifle will fill the itch that I think all shooters begin to feel for a more potent round with it's accompanying recoil and noise. Recoil out of a .223 will not bother you at all but you will notice it more than with the .22LR. If you are limited by budget, buy the 10/22 first and then step up to the .223 later. I think the last time I bought .22LR ammo it was bulk pack federal (525 rounds) for $21. By comparison, 500 rounds of Tula .223 ammo from bulkammo.com is $120. I shoot more .22LR than anything else and I keep a minimum of 2000 rounds of it on hand which costs me under $100.

Stu
 
LordTio3 said it all,,,

His recommendation will give you the two things you need most:

1) An extremely well performing rifle for a small cash outlay.
2) Inexpensive centerfire rifle ammunition that is available anywhere.

You can spend a lot more money and not gain one whit of performance.

Out of the box that Stevens 200 scoped package is one of the best no-frills bargains on the market today.

Aarond
 
While I think that Stevens 200 is a good rifle as it's basically an older pre accu trigger Savage Model 110, I don't think they are that great of a deal. Walmart here sells the Savage model 10's or 110's depending on which caliber with the accu trigger for $387. The accu trigger is well worth what little you'd pay over the Stevens 200 imo. It comes with a factory installed scope as well. They have always had Simmons Blazers until recently, but I've seen a few recent ones with a Bushnell scope on it. IMO The Blazer is the better of the two as I've used both, but neither are great, but they should get you shooting until you can afford something better. IMO this is one of the best bargains out there, and I'm not sure why more people don't recommend it. I see the Savage Model 10 or 110 recommended often, but I don't think many people realize that you can get them pretty cheap at Walmart.
 
Great info guys, this is actually a little more cut and dry it seems then I thought it would be.

Sounds like .223 is a good round for me and I am ok with paying more for the ammo. I have shot a Ruger 10/22, AK-47 and AR15 so I have some reference to what has been talked about. Never shot a .308 or anything like that though, but sounds like I don't need that.

As for the Savage Model 10 or 110 you mentioned Fusion, I am not sure I followed you. Are you saying that the Savage is a newer version of the Stevens 200? It sounds like you are saying is a "better" version since it has accu trigger? What is that? Also, any reason to get a 10 or a 110, what is the difference?

Thanks for helping out a new guy. Oh, and as competitions were mentioned in one post above, I do not plan on doing any of that. Just having some fun shooting on my day off work or on the weekends with some buddies.
 
The accu trigger is well worth what little you'd pay over the Stevens 200 imo.
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I strongly second that suggestion. I considered the Stevens and Axis/Edge rifles before deciding to spend the few extra bucks on a model 11 with an AccuTrigger, and I'm exceptionally glad I did. IMO, trigger matters more than anything else if your planning to do target shooting, so the AccuTrigger is well worth the few extra bucks. Add a quality budget optic like a Redfield 3x9 and you've got a great shooter that will last you a lifetime for around $500. :)
 
I did find one post mentioning that a Weatherby Vanguard might be a better choice than the Savage for a few dollars more. Thoughts?
 
As for the Savage Model 10 or 110 you mentioned Fusion, I am not sure I followed you. Are you saying that the Savage is a newer version of the Stevens 200? It sounds like you are saying is a "better" version since it has accu trigger? What is that? Also, any reason to get a 10 or a 110, what is the difference?
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The Stevens series rifles are built on the same action as the higher end Savage rifles, but are basically stripped down versions less features like the AccuTrigger, heavy barrels, etc. So lots of guys really like the Stevens model rifles because, with the same action, the aftermarket part availability is huge and you can customize that rifle down the road until your heart is content.

As far as the 10/110 series or those with an AccuTrigger, it's just a much better trigger system that is not offered on the Stevens rifles. IMO, it's a worthwhile upgrade for the few extra bucks, but YMMV. As as for the difference between the 10/110 or 11/111, the two digit models are short action caliber rifles (233, 308, etc) while the three digit models are long actions (270, 30-06). Hope that helps, and you can check out Savage's website for more detailed info. :D
 
I did find one post mentioning that a Weatherby Vanguard might be a better choice than the Savage for a few dollars more. Thoughts?
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I looked around for a while for a similar rifle before settling on a Savage model 11 in 223. It's a lot of rifle right out of the box with little need for modification, but it is also an action that will accommodate a huge selection of aftermarket parts if I start getting serious and want to customize and upgrade the rifle later. So far however, I've found no need to customize what is a real tack driver of a rifle. :cool:
 
I wouldn't recommend a .22 for 200 yards.
The rest depends on budget- and the level of accuracy you wish to achieve.

The .223 is as flat-shooting as you're gonna get at 200 yards, with a wide variety of commercial ammo available.

The $$ you spend depends on what size groups you want the rifle to be capable of at that distance- 3"? 2"? 1"?
 
budget minded competition means .22. I know 100 to 200 yards sounds exciting, but 25 meter .22 shilouette competition is challenging and inexpensive
 
If you want to shoot a lot and get fairly proficient fairly quickly get a .22.

The Ruger 10/22 target or the Remington 597 are fun guns that could serve you for a life time. They’re great if you want to introduce your kids, wife, friends, heck ANYBODY to shooting and of course ammo is REALLY cheap compared to center fire ammunition.

If it has to be a center fire rifle then SCSOV509 has a good suggestion to go with a Savage with the AccuTrigger. If you shoot a rifle with a really nice trigger you’ll be spoiled for life.

Another manufacturer that deserves some attention is CZ. I haven’t shot one but they’ve got a very good reputation where I live and some models can be had with a ‘set’ trigger. You put your finger behind the trigger, press it forward until it clicks and then it has a very light pull when you shoot it. You don’t have to use the set feature on each shot, you can use it like a regular trigger with a regular weight pull but I think it would be a nice option for the target shooting you will do.
 
If you shoot a rifle with a really nice trigger you’ll be spoiled for life.
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That's where I went wrong, purchased a nice 1911 a while back and learned what a good trigger was all about. Now it's RRA two-stage match in the AR-15, old Smith and Wesson double action revolvers with that buttery smooth action and crisp single action, AccuTrigger on the bolt gun, and only 1911's for carry. Good triggers are worth the investment if you're serious about shooting.

I'd also second the 10/22 or other rimfire suggestion. Before I got the bolt gun bug, I bought a used 10/22 for about $250. I spent $60 on a Power Custom drop in hammer and sear that reduced the trigger to about 2 lbs, and then I mounted a cheap 4x32 and shot the heck out of it. Once my fundamentals improved dramatically I moved up to the bolt gun at longer distance, and that's fun for me too since I handload. But a good rimfire rifle is worth the money if you're serious about getting more trigger time, so something to consider. :D
 
But a good rimfire rifle is worth the money if you're serious about getting more trigger time, so something to consider.
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Also, it's just plain fun. Hard to beat plinking with a .22 for entertainment value. Targets from golf balls, to spent shell casings, to clay birds are very entertaining. For my money, improvised targets are a whole lot more fun than punching holes in paper.

Stu
 
So relative to the .22 discussions. What about a 17HMR?

Ammo is still significantly cheaper than the .223, lots of accessories, and I have read it is very good out to 150 yards and drops about 8-8.5" at 200 yards. People were saying they have even killed rabbits and prairie dogs at 200 yards with one.

I know wind effects the bullet much more than say a .223, but the lanes I will shoot at are carved into the edge of a forest, so I think wind will not be a significant issue.

Perhaps this would be a good entry into target shooting and I could later step up to the .223 or maybe I should just suck it up and go straight for the .223???

I can get a Savage with Accutrigger in either caliber and they are surprisingly similarly priced...
 
If you're pushing rimfire out to 200, a 17 HMR will definitely do that. The one consideration there over a centerfire will be wind.

If you're just doing target shooting/plinking, that's the route I would go. 223/556 is another viable round, but it depends where your taste in rifles falls. For a 200m or less plinking bolt gun, I'd reach for my 17...
 
Everybody needs at least two rifles for the range. One, a .22LR, and depending on the degree of accuracy or speed of shooting desired, either a good bolt rifle, or accurized semi-auto. I don't favor lever-actions for bench shooting, but like them for informal offhand and hunting situations.

For longer-range, say over 75 yards, a .223 Rem is the ticket, due to ammo availability and cost. There are excellent target rounds and the cartridge has been used for hunting, adequate for smaller deer at reasonable ranges (with proper ammo and a cool hunter).

The semi-auto target rifles are quite common these days, but I'm a traditionalist and prefer to use an accurate bolt-action. My .223 happens to be a pillar-bedded Tikka M595, but it was a used rifle that was a great buy a few years ago. Tikkas have excellent barrels, triggers, and about the smoothest actions around. I also like Remington 700s, mainly because that's what I'm used to and there are more after-market options available than for most others. Winchester 70s are also good, better finished than newer Remingtons, but I dislike controlled round feeding for range shooting...my preference of feed for single-loading.

Many target rifles that have won benchrest matches are Remingtons. Custom actions have been popular lately, but Remingtons seem to get the job done, especially as modified by good gunsmiths. JP
 
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