stagpanther
New member
That's mighty impressive scorch.
Your favorite target caliber?
- Thread starter jhansman
- Start date
So many ways you can go so here are my opinions to mull over in the soup of opinions:
The suggestion of the 6.5 Grendel is my top choice. Soft shooting, versatile use at distances up to 600 yards and beyond if you do get into loading. I love my Howa and it has performed as a hunter, target and taken it out to 800 a few times. Loaded with the 90g Vmax...varmiting is like using a cheat code. Barrel life is spectacular to boot.
6.5 or 6 Creedmoor both offer greater range and are easy to load for with the large quantity of shooters having loads to gleen from. Barrel life on the 6mm option is much more debatable and is a definite con. 1000 yards is fairly common with these 2.
If your going to stay 400 or under... this will make people laugh but Howa has the Mini action in 300 BLK. Reloading... so cheap and so easy to tune for. In a bolt action I have found new appreciation for its accuracy compared to the AR platforms I have shot it in before. Recoil is a joke and did I mention cheap to reload? The Howas come threaded as well and I look forward to trying it suppressed.
Some honorable mentions:
17hmr if you want rimfire
204 Ruger for centerifre fun
243 Winchester..tried and true
308 Winchester. The largest I would consider for what OP posted.
Any pistol carbine....9mm through a Ruger PC carbine is just sooooo much fun to shoot. Breathes new life into shooting 9mm
The suggestion of the 6.5 Grendel is my top choice. Soft shooting, versatile use at distances up to 600 yards and beyond if you do get into loading. I love my Howa and it has performed as a hunter, target and taken it out to 800 a few times. Loaded with the 90g Vmax...varmiting is like using a cheat code. Barrel life is spectacular to boot.
6.5 or 6 Creedmoor both offer greater range and are easy to load for with the large quantity of shooters having loads to gleen from. Barrel life on the 6mm option is much more debatable and is a definite con. 1000 yards is fairly common with these 2.
If your going to stay 400 or under... this will make people laugh but Howa has the Mini action in 300 BLK. Reloading... so cheap and so easy to tune for. In a bolt action I have found new appreciation for its accuracy compared to the AR platforms I have shot it in before. Recoil is a joke and did I mention cheap to reload? The Howas come threaded as well and I look forward to trying it suppressed.
Some honorable mentions:
17hmr if you want rimfire
204 Ruger for centerifre fun
243 Winchester..tried and true
308 Winchester. The largest I would consider for what OP posted.
Any pistol carbine....9mm through a Ruger PC carbine is just sooooo much fun to shoot. Breathes new life into shooting 9mm
stagpanther
New member
I was going to suggest that as well (though building your own is very cheap and fun). Getting accurate groups out of a pistol bullet is it's own "specialty perversion" in the world of precision shooting--sorta like the kid in 3rd grade who sat in the back of the room and is rumored to molest cats.
44caliberkid
New member
6.5 Creedmoor in a Ruger or Savage. I go for the most fun gun over the cartridge, so my favorite target rifle is an M1 Garand 30-06.
m&p45acp10+1
New member
I have not seen anyone suggest this yet so I will put it out there.
CZ 527 American in .221 Rem Fireball. Small, light, handy. When scoped can get easily to 400 yards. Soft shooting, and dead to rights accurate. Easy to reload. Long brass life. It will use the same projectiles as the .223 Rem. I like the 55 grain Hornady V-Max in mine with a load of AA2015 on top of a CCI SR primer. With the bipod, and a rear bag it will shoot quarter MOA until the barrel overheats.
CZ 527 American in .221 Rem Fireball. Small, light, handy. When scoped can get easily to 400 yards. Soft shooting, and dead to rights accurate. Easy to reload. Long brass life. It will use the same projectiles as the .223 Rem. I like the 55 grain Hornady V-Max in mine with a load of AA2015 on top of a CCI SR primer. With the bipod, and a rear bag it will shoot quarter MOA until the barrel overheats.
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I shoot two rifles at targets.....a .22 (Anschutz biathlon) and a .223 (Colt AR Match target, hvy. Bbl.) The max distance is 100 yards. Always iron sights until recently when service rifle rules allowed scopes). Always prone.
Pete
PS: the target 10/22s....is there a provision for adding iron sights....apertures front and rear? It would be very interesting to see one of those rifles shot in a Smallbore Prone match (160 shots prone - 50yds, 50m, 100yds). A game of Xs as clean targets are quite common. A real test of both shooter and rifle.
P
I shoot two rifles at targets.....a .22 (Anschutz biathlon) and a .223 (Colt AR Match target, hvy. Bbl.) The max distance is 100 yards. Always iron sights until recently when service rifle rules allowed scopes). Always prone.
Pete
PS: the target 10/22s....is there a provision for adding iron sights....apertures front and rear? It would be very interesting to see one of those rifles shot in a Smallbore Prone match (160 shots prone - 50yds, 50m, 100yds). A game of Xs as clean targets are quite common. A real test of both shooter and rifle.
P
The 6.5x55 Swede cartridge was the favorite cartridge in biathlon when it was shot at 300 meters, Norma 139 grain FMJBT nickel plated match bullets was "the" bullet because nothing surpassed its accuracy. I asked the US Olympic Shooting Team captain if any other 26 caliber heavy match bullets existed, he said no but rumors say Sierra is working on one.
That's the reason I chose the 264 Win Mag for my first 1000 yard target rifle. Sierra 140 grain SBT hunting bullets tested about 15 inches at 1000. The USN small arms marksmanship unit gave me 5 boxes of those Norma 139's and they tested about 10 inches at 1000. Did well winning a few matches. Sierra gave me a box of their 140 grain HPMKs but they tested over 20 inches.
That 264 Win Mag barrel lasted 640 rounds before going from 4 inches to 20 inches across 4 shots in a 600 yard match. Replaced the barrel with a 30-338 Win Mag one.
That's the reason I chose the 264 Win Mag for my first 1000 yard target rifle. Sierra 140 grain SBT hunting bullets tested about 15 inches at 1000. The USN small arms marksmanship unit gave me 5 boxes of those Norma 139's and they tested about 10 inches at 1000. Did well winning a few matches. Sierra gave me a box of their 140 grain HPMKs but they tested over 20 inches.
That 264 Win Mag barrel lasted 640 rounds before going from 4 inches to 20 inches across 4 shots in a 600 yard match. Replaced the barrel with a 30-338 Win Mag one.
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stinkeypete
New member
Nobody but me for 30-06?
To be honest, who doesn’t like .22 LR but I have had fun working up subsonic loads with 170 grain cast for my grandfathers Remington Model 30 Express for 100 yards. Big heavy old thing, never meant to be match quality, but you generally meet nicer guys on the rifle lines than the 9mm pistol kids blasting away at 21 feet.
When the range opens up, I’m looking forward to pushing the case bullets a little harder, maybe make some soft shooting whitetail modern bullet loads...
Anyways, that’s what I’m looking forward to this summer. I like that this old thing (it’s a factory rework of WWI surplus inventory) is still good enough that it’s my favorite center fire rifle, even if the results are a bit crude by precision standards. It outshoots a 10/22 out of the box at 100 yards, but not my CZ457 (.22 and .17 package.)
To be honest, who doesn’t like .22 LR but I have had fun working up subsonic loads with 170 grain cast for my grandfathers Remington Model 30 Express for 100 yards. Big heavy old thing, never meant to be match quality, but you generally meet nicer guys on the rifle lines than the 9mm pistol kids blasting away at 21 feet.
When the range opens up, I’m looking forward to pushing the case bullets a little harder, maybe make some soft shooting whitetail modern bullet loads...
Anyways, that’s what I’m looking forward to this summer. I like that this old thing (it’s a factory rework of WWI surplus inventory) is still good enough that it’s my favorite center fire rifle, even if the results are a bit crude by precision standards. It outshoots a 10/22 out of the box at 100 yards, but not my CZ457 (.22 and .17 package.)
The 30-06 is “old reliable”. You can load such a wide variety of bullets to match your task at hand and recoil limitations. I think the only downside is the amount of powder you will burn through loading it. Many actually will say the same for the 308 since the range of projectiles is the same. The 30 cal options may have a smidge more recoil then the OP wants. Still a phenomenal option.
One thing Bart doesn't post about is the open.
https://bulletin.accurateshooter.co...rtridge-options-for-mid-range-and-long-range/
https://bulletin.accurateshooter.co...rtridge-options-for-mid-range-and-long-range/
Let's bring the thread back on topic.
The big caliber stuff is interesting, but if you read Post #1, you will see the member is looking for modest recoil and $750-ish price range and to shoot at 100 yards.
The above is why I suggested the 222 Rem in my first post, #18, and then thought he might find it too similar to his 223 Rem and suggested the 257 Roberts and the 6 mm benchrest calibers in my second post (though whether he can keep to his $750 budget doing that is another matter).
We need to be thinking along the lines of something like the Savage 110 Varmint, which has the Accustock and Accutrigger, but 204 Ruger or 22-250 are its only non-223 offerings off the shelf. Tikka has some of its T3X rifles in the price range for .22-250. Other suggestions would probably be welcome.
The big caliber stuff is interesting, but if you read Post #1, you will see the member is looking for modest recoil and $750-ish price range and to shoot at 100 yards.
The above is why I suggested the 222 Rem in my first post, #18, and then thought he might find it too similar to his 223 Rem and suggested the 257 Roberts and the 6 mm benchrest calibers in my second post (though whether he can keep to his $750 budget doing that is another matter).
We need to be thinking along the lines of something like the Savage 110 Varmint, which has the Accustock and Accutrigger, but 204 Ruger or 22-250 are its only non-223 offerings off the shelf. Tikka has some of its T3X rifles in the price range for .22-250. Other suggestions would probably be welcome.
As others have mentioned, a quality 22LR is a solid choice. Get a good bolt-action rifle as your foundation and go from there. Don't be afraid of getting a used rifle. I bought 40X Remingtons within your budget if you look for deals. If you want a center fire and don't handload, calibers like 223 and 22-250 have accurate factory ammo that are easy to find. Good luck.
mxsailor803
New member
I actually have 4 that I love to target shoot with and all are bolt guns. A R700 in .223, R700 in .243win, R700 in .300blk (don’t judge lol), and a Ruger Precision Rimfire in .22LR. The .223 is a SPS model and is super heavy. So it’s really easy to shoot all day. The .243win is a ADL that can cloverleaf a 5 shot group if I do my part. Plus I use it for hogs and coyotes. The .300blk, just because people said you can’t get it to shoot small groups lol. The Ruger was a pure impulse and has become one of my favorite rimfire rifles next to my ultralight 10/22 and Browning SA.
Please explain what your part is to shoot cloverleaf groups.
mxsailor803
New member
Bart, the basics. Breathing, trigger control, follow through. Doesn’t hurt that it’s a free floated barrel and a Timney trigger set to 2lbs.
I’m not really clear what you are trying to do here, so I’m a bit swayed by my own interests... bolt gun, under $750, like to reload...rifle and scope? I’m going to assume you meant rifle only. How far can you shoot?
To me, rifles generally start at $1000, by the time I get ready to shoot and seen to quickly get to $2000-$3000 before I’m happy including optic.
So, $750 is kind of lower/low-mid range, IMO. What is interesting to you? Accuracy, load development, just shooting a different name?
For example, I just wanted a 350 Legend to be ready to hunt OH Deer, if we get straight with this COVID. I bought scope, mount, dies, brass, bullets, etc and am starting to load for it. It showed me a 0.6” 3 shot group. It is a Winchester XPR $425, scoped with a Vortex 1-8x I came into and Leupold bases & rings $50. I think that could be $750. It is fun, low recoil, bangs steel out to 300 and adds some fun.
If I suggest a 6.5 creedmoor, they are out there at a similar price point. With work, you can make honest 1 moa rifles out of them. Ruger American is one of them. Howa 1500 might be even better.
17 hmr will also be in the ball park, but no reloading.
Sure, a 222, 6br, 6 creedmor, etc in a Tikka, trued 700, Savage 12, etc are great, but you will quickly pass $750.
This looks fun to me....link
This too....link
and...link
To me, rifles generally start at $1000, by the time I get ready to shoot and seen to quickly get to $2000-$3000 before I’m happy including optic.
So, $750 is kind of lower/low-mid range, IMO. What is interesting to you? Accuracy, load development, just shooting a different name?
For example, I just wanted a 350 Legend to be ready to hunt OH Deer, if we get straight with this COVID. I bought scope, mount, dies, brass, bullets, etc and am starting to load for it. It showed me a 0.6” 3 shot group. It is a Winchester XPR $425, scoped with a Vortex 1-8x I came into and Leupold bases & rings $50. I think that could be $750. It is fun, low recoil, bangs steel out to 300 and adds some fun.
If I suggest a 6.5 creedmoor, they are out there at a similar price point. With work, you can make honest 1 moa rifles out of them. Ruger American is one of them. Howa 1500 might be even better.
17 hmr will also be in the ball park, but no reloading.
Sure, a 222, 6br, 6 creedmor, etc in a Tikka, trued 700, Savage 12, etc are great, but you will quickly pass $750.
This looks fun to me....link
This too....link
and...link
Sure Shot Mc Gee
New member
1. 2. & 3.~270 win 25-06 rem 22 magnum