Caliber suggestions?

Joined
Apr 10, 2009
Messages
282
Likes
1
Feedback: 8 / 0 / 0
I've been doing a lot of target shooting at 100yds and 200yds with my .17HMR rifles. Now I think I would like to move up to the 300-600yd range. Since .17 HMR won't cut it at those ranges I need some suggestions as to what caliber to move up to. Gun and ammo for it must be reasonably cheap.
 
I think Savage bolt actions have adjustable triggers and are relatively inexpensive. Maybe something like that in .308 would get you out there for "reasonably cheap". Of course, you probably would want/need some decent glass on that too.
 
Last edited:
.223??? Nothing else is cheaper and still does those distances.

+1

But make absolutely shure that your rifle has a rifling rate of 1 turn in 8 inches or faster and that your ammo is reloads with 75 grain or heavier match bullets or you will NOT like the results. Particularly so beyond 300 yards.
 
Of course, you probably would want/need some decent glass on that too.
I am negotiating now on a Leupold 45x45mm Competition scope. That should take care of the "decent glass" issue.
I'll look at the Savage .308 rifles and see what I think.
Jose, what .223 rifles should I look at?
 
great advice so far, especially about the twist rate. If you decide to go with a larger caliber(and you don't need to), try to stay with a military caliber. This gives you a source of cheaper practice ammo if you don' reload.
 
.223, .243, .308 .300

Savage are pretty nice, I had a factory Savage 22-250 grouping about quarters at around 100yds with factory ammo.

Out of the 4 mentioned I'd go either .243 or .308 because of the versatility of the rounds.

Have to add nothing is wrong with the others, and have shot the .223 and loved it.
 
I am negotiating now on a Leupold 45x45mm Competition scope. That should take care of the "decent glass" issue.
I'll look at the Savage .308 rifles and see what I think.
Jose, what .223 rifles should I look at?

Some folks like the Savage, though I hear the stock isn't great.
 
I think a serious evaluation about what your are really going to use the rifle for is in order. If you want something to learn to shoot with and be able to hit stuff past 300 yards and do general target shooting with, a .223 bolt gun would be great and savage or remington would do. *IF* you know all you want to do is longer range target shooting I say go with .243 if you are reloading or .308 if you are not. Just do some research on twist rates. Stay away from the mags. They might shoot flat but they hurt and it is hard to not develop a flinch. I shot 50 rounds of 300 wm today so I know:)
 
try to stay with a military caliber. This gives you a source of cheaper practice ammo if you don' reload.
Disagree.

Cheap and practice ammo for target shooting does not compute. Milsurp ammo is minute-of-man. Hunting stuff is either very good or it sucks, and cheap it is not.

If you are serious about competitive target shooting, you WILL reload. Might as well accept it now.
 
Jose, what .223 rifles should I look at?
Savage Model 12 Low Profile Varminter with the 1 in 7 barrel.

12Varminter.jpg


Load up some 75 to 80 grain bullets under 24.5 to 24.7 grains of Reloder 15 and enjoy stellar accuracy to 600 yards.
 
You're right Jose, I haven't shot past 100 yards. I am new to rifles and just starting to dabble in them. I was just throwing that out there, and as a result learned something new...
 
Most of the long range shooters I know use 308. I use a Savage 12BVSS for 600-1000 yard, zero is 800 yards.
 
If you are going to roll your own I say step up to 6mm. The wind is a killer with the 223.

You are correct, and the good ol 243 Winchester is a superb long range cartridge when loaded with heavy match bullets such as the 105 to 115 grain bullets from Sierra, Hornady, Berger, and Lapua.

Load up with a cool burning powder like H1000 and barrel life is surprisingly good too (3000 - 4000 rounds).

However, there are a LOT of people who made NRA Master and High Master and/or US Distinguished Rifleman using AR-15s with 20" barrels and shooting 75 to 80 grain bullets at 600 yards.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Most of the long range shooters I know use 308. I use a Savage 12BVSS for 600-1000 yard, zero is 800 yards.

In NRA long range competition, hardly anyone uses it any more unless the rules of their particular rifle class (Palma, F Class TR) require it. Otherwise, high performance 6 and 6.5 mm cartridges rule the roost.
 
However, there are a LOT of people who made NRA Master and High Master and/or US Distinguished Rifleman using AR-15s with 20" barrels and shooting 75 to 80 grain bullets at 600 yards.

I know it's impressive. I have a few friends who are hitting stuff out to 1000 with them.
 
.... with the 1 in 7 barrel.

Amazing. I don't know what is going on at Savage for the last six or eight years, but the way they retooled their lineup makes me very happy. A .223 Savage varmint rifle that has a 1/7 twist would be fantastic.

Inexpensive ammo and easy shooting. If you ever want to change calibers, you can do it yourself fairly easily.

B

BTW, don't feed it anything other than good ammo. Shooting ball at long range or even shorter ranges teaches you nothing when you are trying to learn long range marksmanship.
 
Shooting bolt action target is a world of differance from burning off three , thirty round mags out of an AR-15 in ninety seconds I think. With my Savage 308 ,in the course of a day,Iwill only shootabout thirty rounds ,what with reading the wind ,scoping every shot ,even 168 gr match is cheaper than 223 0r5.56 in an AR .As far as stocks go you probley will change out the factory for a after market Mac millianabout $250.
 
.264 is 6.5mm. European calibers measure the lands, not the grooves as we do here.
6.5x.284 is becoming very popular in distance shooting. It has slightly more velocity than the 6.5x55. 6.5x.06 is a really good distance caliber, it gives nothing up to the .264 mags and has excellent barrel life.
No matter what caliber you choose, reloading is the only way to go.
 
Shooting bolt action target is a world of differance from burning off three , thirty round mags out of an AR-15 in ninety seconds I think. With my Savage 308 ,in the course of a day,Iwill only shootabout thirty rounds ,what with reading the wind ,scoping every shot ,even 168 gr match is cheaper than 223 0r5.56 in an AR .As far as stocks go you probley will change out the factory for a after market Mac millianabout $250.

When comparing apples to apples, 223 Remington is the cheapest target caliber that anyone can run. Period.

I've competed in NRA Highpower with and reloaded for 223, 260 Remington, 308 and 30-06. I track my reloading costs carefully. There is nothing cheaper than 223.
 
I know that it's a somewhat obsolete caliber, but what about .264? It's in the 6.5mm range.
Definitely not obsolete.

6.5-284 is a superb long range cartridge, although a bit of a barrel throat burner.

6.5x47 Lapua and 260 Remington are awesome mid range calibers. My last highpower across the course rifle was a custom Model 70 in 260 Remington and its wind bucking ability is awesome.
 
I have a Mosin and a Mauser and they're pretty hard kickers. Most of my military bolt actions are hard kickers.The British Enfield isn't too bad and the Swedish Mauser is great. It's the only one I shoot beyond 200 yards. It looks like junk but shoots great. I don't know of any other military rifles in that caliber. I have a Ruger bolt action in .223 and it's fun to shoot but it's rifled too slow to shoot bullets beyond 55 grains.
 
I have an irrational hate for the .243 Winchester.
As a hunting round, it is too much for coyote and not comfortably large enough for deer. Perfect for antelope, I suppose, but I don't own a dedicate elephant rifle, either.
For a pure target rifle, .243 accuracy can be great and 6mm bullets really fly well at distances, but the barrel is gone after 1200 rds or so.
 
Thanks Jose. The Savage looks like a good choice.
Just for my education, does the 1 in 7 barrel really make a difference over the 1 in 9 barrel?
 
Back
Top Bottom