Hi-Powered Rifle suggestions?

[Zackeal]

I am considering a long range rifle this year. Maybe a Remmington 700CDL. I am not a hunter but love the idea of long range shooting. Any ideas on the best caliber for 500 yard or less targets? I am not looking for the ability to take down a 1200lbs moose.....just a metal plate.

Thanks
Zackeal

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[P95Carry]

Best cal? Hmmm - that is well open to many opinions!

I still favor .308 as well worth using in a rifle with a well bedded barrel. I know one guy tho who shoots 6.5mm remarkably well at long distances.

Mil team IIRC uses .300 WinMag which in floating bull barrels gives about the ultimate results. Anyways - .30 cal I think is about ideal - just a question of which ''flavor''!

[SIXTO]

.308 is the most common, works well for this.

There are tons of other calibers out there that will do the job as well, but the .308 is the most versatile.

[pgrass101]

The .308 is the most common, but there are so many others to chose from. 7mm Rem Mag, .300 Win Mag, .338 Fedearl to name a few and I mean a very few. I would probably go with a .308 or .300 WinMag. There are also all of the short mags to chose from now.

[SIXTO]

Oh yeah, forgot to say that a Rem 700 is a excellent platform to start with.

I'd go with the BDL or one of the varmit models. If you find a PSS for a decent price, I'd go with that.

And lastly, don't skimp on the glass. Be prepared to spend more on the scope than you do the gun. A crappy scope will make a good gun crappy. A good scope can make a crappy gun decent.

[kairo]

If you get a decent gun and do your part, a .300 win mag will shoot accurately past 1000 yards

[gregarat]

For target shooting, I like the 6mm PPC (if you reload) for 300y, .243 for 500y, 7mm for 500y-1000y. .300 Win mag kicks butt, but it also has alot of recoil for targets, also I bet 300 Win mag ammo aint cheap.
Ya might need to float or bed the barrel, get a trigger job, to make it a true M.O.A. rifle.
For glass I would use Leupold or the Bushnell Elite, with an adustable parrelex/focus ring, elivation and windage knobs that you can turn by hand.
If your at a range, you dont need a rangefinder, but probably will need a spoting scope.

[popo22]

Most of my experience is with a .308, especially at distances beyond 500 yards, but if you are planning to shoot at distances less than 500 yards I would consider a .270. It is a much "flatter shooting" gun out to 500 yards than a .308, which means less elevation adjustment.

If you end up using it for a hunting trip you will be happy with the less weight and less recoil. It will take down anything in North America with proper shot placement, and it is a very accurate round. The ammo is considerably cheaper around here than .308.

[HotGuns]

A great start would be a Remington Sendero in any of the calibers.

Its a heavy barrelled rifle with an HS Precision stock and it comes in some great calibers.

I've got one in the .300M that has a Leupold Tactical that is very accurate. A 9 inch diameter steel plate is no challenge at 600 yards.

If the recoil is too much for you, you can get one in .270,25-06, or 7 Mag.

[gregarat]

I would consider a .270. It is a much "flatter shooting" gun out to 500 yards than a .308

An exelent suggestion!! Or my favorite the 6.5x55mm Sweedish Mauser, if you reload you can fly with the 6.5-284.


IMHO: .308 is garbage, compaired to the 6.5-284. (Im now prepaired to be flamed by .308 lovers .)

[SIXTO]

I love my .308, but I also know it is not always the best choice. I like it cause it can do it all, but of course some of the specialty calibers can do certain things better.

[Rob72]

An exelent suggestion!! Or my favorite the 6.5x55mm Sweedish Mauser, if you reload you can fly with the 6.5-284.


IMHO: .308 is garbage, compaired to the 6.5-284. (Im now prepaired to be flamed by .308 lovers .)

LOL! No real argument here, many PDs (especially rural) use .270/6&7mm long guns. I would say that you'll either have to reload, or plan on a serious per case$$ investment for good modern ammo, tho'. That is the main reason most Departments and individuals go with .308 Win/NATO- cost and availability.

[gregarat]

The 6.5x55mm Sweedish is avalible on the market. You can buy old mil-surp, or moddern ammo.

If you want a potent 6.5x55mm cartrage, buy moddern euopean. U.S. ammo manufactures dont load the cartrage to its full potential. The reason is, that the U.S. is flooded with old Sweedish Mil-surp rifles. The old guns cant handle hot rounds like modern firearms can.

The 6.5-284 is a "wildcat" cartrage, and will need to be reloaded.

[blueyedevil]

For shooting plates at 500 and less, a .223 would be just fine. Also, If you're looking to start with a factory rifle, I'd stay away from the 700's. They are great to build a custom rifle off of, but are pretty mediocre as factory new. If you want a factory rifle capable of sub-MOA out of the box I'd recommend Tikka or Savage. Also, Don't skimp on glass, Better to buy a $400 savage and put a $600 scope on it than buy a $800 dollar sendero and put a $200 scope on it.

[pistola]

Zackeal, I don't know how much wind you will have to deal with.Keep this in mind as it will have much more effect on small caliber and or light wieght bullets,especially at 100 yards and beyond.