Help me find the most accurate rifle/caliber combination.

U

Uncle Billy

New member
I'm sure this question has been asked in some form and answered here many times in the past, so I hope I'm not wasting bandwidth and your time by asking it again:

What caliber in what rifle would provide the best accuracy at 100 yards, with these conditions:

Rifle and sight to cost not more than $1500 altogether bought new. Custom rifles are okay if they meet the rest of these requirements (I don't think there's any custom guns available for $1500 but I thought I'd include this part anyway).

Any action is okay, single shots included.

It ought to be a "field" rifle - no bull barrels or weight that would make carrying it more than from the car to the firing position burdensome. I'm not very interested in bench rest shooting if that means a rifle that's very specialized for that sort of sport, I'd like it to be shootable and accurate from offhand, sitting and kneeling positions too.

Since I intend to handload the ammunition and go to whatever lengths are necessary to make it as consistent and compatible with the gun as is possible with the handloading tools available to a serious but amateur shooter, components like brass and bullets and loading tools like dies and such need to be available; commercially loaded ammo does not. I'd rather not have to cast the bullets unless that's the way to extreme accuracy. I have all the tools necessary to reload ammo and will purchase whatever else is needed to maximize accuracy beyond what's on the bench now. Recommendations as to brands of dies, scales, etc. would be appreciated. Most of the dies I currently use are by Redding but if there are any others or any special purpose dies that are particularly precise, I'd like to know of them. These costs are not a part of the $1500, that's the limit - more or less - for the rifle and the scope only.

Maximum bore ought not exceed about .40 caliber, negotiable, but not so big or powerful that shooting 10 or 15 rounds at one session will require medical attention. I don't intend to hunt with this gun so downrange energy isn't important, only accuracy is.

No wildcats that would require rechambering, the caliber ought to be one that the original manufacturer made available.

Thanks in advance to any who choose to answer this.
 
A .22LR can have outstanding accuracy to 100 yards, so I'd say any centerfire can handle that too.

I'll throw 6.5x55 into the hat, although almost anything will do.
 
I doubt there are many shooters who can shoot better than carefully assembled ammo in a good gun in any cartridge.

If I were going to make an argument that this or that cartridge was inherently more accurate than others, I guess I'd go with 6PPC. That's just from what I've read, no experience with the cartridge whatsoever. Truly though, I doubt any normal shooter will ever know the difference.

Most cartridges will outshoot the gun they're in unless it's been bedded correctly, the bolt faced trued, lugs lapped.... Etc, etc.

My Ruger M77 MkII in .204 shoots 1/3-1/2 MOA all day long, as bad as 3/4 at 400 yards if it's my fault. There's certainly nothing special about the 204 or Ruger M77s, and certainly not my shooting.
 
If you don't like the 6PPC, then look at the 6MMBR, built on the XP-100 action with a 16-18" barrel, medium stiffness - it will be light enough for coyote hunting yet can put all shots in one hole at 200 yards
 
Savage has an off the rack target rifle in 6.5-284. Might be a bit barrel heavy for you.

The problem with a standard sporter barrel on a target rifle is that heat can change the point of impact in relatively few shots. That's why target rifles tend to have heavier barrels, not because their inherently more accurate.

6.5mm is one of the most popular calibers lately. It comes in a variety of flavors from 6.5 Swede to .260.

At 100yds you might be better off trying 6mm or even 5.56mm.

With .204 Ruger or .17 Remington the relatively light cartridge will take a bit longer to over heat the barrel.

Trying to make a field rifle shoot as good as a bench rest target gun is going to be nothing but frustrating.
 
"what rifle would provide the best accuracy"

I think you need to provide more details. Do you want to hit flies at 100 yards? Or is a quarter-size group best?
 
I hate to sound boring, but since it is not intended for hunting or target work, just accurate field shooting, I will just throw this out there. Remington 700 in 223 Remington. The cartridge has plenty of accuracy potential, and normal accuracy for Remington 700s is sub-MOA. Mount a good scope on it and go shoot little teeny groups. A 204 as suggested above would also work well. Recoil from either one will not require medical attention, ever.

The suggestion of a 22 LR rifle might also work for you, depending on your preferences (I certainly love mine). Remington 504 22 LR repeater is about as accurate a 22 LR as has ever been made, but a CZ would be a very good rifle as well.
 
Good luck.
At only 100 yards, it's the hardware (rifle, ammunition) and the shooter's skills more than the caliber. External ballistics play a relatively small role at such a short distance.
 
For 100 yards (relatively short distance)

CZ 527 American in 223

Love the trigger.

Larger cartridges out-perform the 223 for energy and velocity
(and therefore - arguably accuracy).

I think it's a nicely balanced option.


(I do not own a 223, but have shot them a few times - and would fall into the CZ fan category).
 
With your restrictions, I like the Tikka T3 suggestions, good value for the money.
But really, if you're into precision target shooting 6 mm PPC is the gold standard. You probably have to spend your $1500 on just a gun and the rebarrel, or go used like this one. But if you're serious about covering an afternoon's worth of shooting with a dime, that's the way to go.
 
I think any thing that uses powder is great out to 100 yards so long as you practice with the gun. I would recommend a rim-fire or some think like a 5.56/223 so shooting will be cheaper and allow you more practice.
 
Ruger No. 1 in .22-250 with a 5-16x scope, you can get them in a Varminter package for about $700 at the gun shows. Tack driver.
 
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