I want to shoot 1000 yards

The best thing to do is go to a 1000yd match. I went several years ago and was invited to shoot in a match by one of the shooters, using his gun. I can tell you that these guys make it look a lot easier than it is. I shot a IBS light gun that weighed just a few ounces less than the limit of 17lbs. It was a 243ack with a 700 action. Try it 1st before you dive in.
 
The accuracy required in that Gunsite link is way too poor for NRA long range matches and competition at 1000 yards. And it's combat oriented course of fire, not traditional bullseye which is the popular and more commone one today. The NRA long range rifles and ammo in the hands of their top ranked competitors will blow the socks off those Gunsite combat course shooters on bullseye target where marksmanship alone is the task at hand.

t45 had a suggestion about benchrest matches. I'll add to it by going to an NRA prone long range match where things are different.
 
And it's combat oriented course of fire, not traditional bulls eye which is the popular and more common one today.

Gunsite offers several rifle courses, the most popular being 270 (25-300 yards). They also offer a course for ranges of 1000 to 2000 meters with the final test being 20 opportunities to make 1st round hits from unknown distances.

I suppose everyone has their own interests, mine would be the advertised result of the 270 course, namely, "By the end of your course, if you can see it, you’ll probably be able to hit it – on demand and under time pressure."
 
Tahunua001 said:
really? 600 yards makes a rifle good out to 1000? lets look at the ballistics of the 223, absolute best case scenario.

assuming a high grade match bullet traveling blazing fast 3300FPS with a ballistic coefficient of .262 and a 200 yard zero:
those 223s would have dropped 78 inches in those 600 yards.

with that same load by 1000 yards the bullet would drop 448 inches...

and that's not even factoring in wind drift. how on earth would you suggest a shooter who has virtually no experience with long range shooting cope with such poor ballistics at that range?

now consider a cartridge designed for long range shooting like 6.5mm creedmore. considering absolute best case scenario. a 120gr bullet with a ballistic coefficient of .547 traveling a blazing fast 2950FPS with a 200 yard zero.

by 600 yards the bullet has dropped 64 inches.
by 1000, it has only dropped 271 inches. much easier for a shooter who is not a complete expert to compensate for. wouldn't you agree?

I would not recommend a 6.5 creedmore for a training rifle but it does serve the purpose of long range shooting much better than 223.


I don't think it was meant that 5.56/223 is a good 1k gun, but it is possible. As the saying goes, its the Indian not the Arrow.

Would we recommend a 223 for long range? No way, but its a good starting point.
A 22lr at 200yrds is better. The OP would really need a lot of trigger time and instruction (we're talking years, even a decade)
depending on his commitment.

For the OP, I'd recommend a good 223 or 308 Bolt action rifle like a Remington.
Heck, get a Ruger 10/22 and learn your fundamentals on that.
Take an Appleseed class, a few Long Range shooting classes, and shoot A LOT.
Look into Handloading, do your research, and buy a Reloading Kit and Manual as a start.

Or better yet, go into the Marines and they will train you for free. :D If you can get in the Sniper Markmanship Program, even better.


Anyway, here's an article of a Sniper shooting a 14.5" M4A1
out to 1000yards with M193, M855, and MK262 This Sniper is not even using a proper bench, he may have just as well been on top of a tree:

http://looserounds.com/2013/08/05/what-will-the-m4-do-at-1000-yards/

This is a very well-trained professional (probably ex-Military Scout Sniper), but you get the point. Training is key.
 
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Or better yet, go into the Marines and they will train you for free. If you can get in the Sniper Markmanship Program, even better.

Actually they will PAY you haha. Even if you don't go into a combat arms MOS you will be trained to shoot and shoot well, I think the best shooter in my boot camp platoon was actually slotted to be a diesel mechanic, shot a 242 out of 250 on the known distance (KD) range.
 
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