Long range rifle reloading

Hatcher's Armory
#21

Nice post @Tapper,

I like to build on the platforms for which I have support to help me trouble shoot issues. That is why I chose 308 rather than 6.5 or 6mm. But, if you have a group of long range shooters that shoot those calibers and are willing to help you start, I wouldn’t be grudge you for your choice. But, I make my choice as a beginner based on the support I have around me. I will probably have a 6.5 at some point in the future, that round is pretty cool.

700 action, savage action, and now the ruger precision action all seem to be good starting points. Savage makes a full palma class capable rifle that you can purchase for just north of $1500 that would be competitive.

The Ruger precision is also capable at an even lower price point of sub $1200 and I’ve seen as low as $1000.

But, for my rifle I didn’t go with the savage or the ruger, I went with a 700 action based on the suggestions of @Gimli, My Gunsmith, My Shooting friends, and the availability of custom aftermarket stocks and parts that would allow me to compensate for my pumpkin head. :smile: My cost for building my gun was $400 for single shot Remington 700 action, $350 for match 30" bull barrel, $600 for custom stock and $200 gunsmithing to true action, mount and chamber barrel, and glue action into the stock. Now I’m lucky to have my connection with a trusted gunsmith as I’ve seen gunsmith costs north of $1000 for what I had done. So, I’m in just north of $1500 for just the rifle, but it is pretty damn custom at that price.

Here is a pic of my storm trooper stock to drool on. :smile:

image.png720×960 905 KB

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#22

I am also interesting in shooting out past 600 :smiley:

#23

I’d love to try it with my built up .308 Win milsurp Mauser.

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#24

Nothing specifically wrong with Remington 700 actiions, other than they require paying a gunsmith to get them set up right (normally). You may end up needing to sleeve the action at some point to get it stiff enough to really deliver good groups.

What I like about the Savage action, is that its stout as hell, has an interchangeable floating boltface, a decent trigger, big target knob, and can be bought in right-hand/Left throw configuration, which is ideal for prone shooting. They run about $550 brand new. Savages barrel nut configuration, makes it dirt simple to change barrels on one, so to change caliber, you buy a new barrel, possibly a new boltface, and presto. No gunsmithing needed, and the price is right. Stocks for this action are now widely available as well, including lots of them with adjustable cheekpieces for the punkin-headed amongst us! They also come set up for pillar bedding stock.

About a year ago, I went to the range to try a new Savage build a buddy had done in .260 remington. After the initial sighters at 50 yds to get the scope dialed in, he cleaned the barrel, and proceeded to shoot three straight groups at 200 yards, the biggest of which measured .26" CTC. I just about passed out, and his wife dropped to number 2 love-of-life status. He was using a Hart varmint profile super match barrel, and the only work he’d really done, was lapping the locking lugs on the action. Oh, and a match load he found on the internet. Pew pew pew,

That’s an extreme example, but the word’s out about Savages. They shoot. They cheap.

Remingtons can do and have done very well, but you’d better have a good smith. The action will need to be timed, trued, and blueprinted, have pillars installed, and more often than not sleeved, to compensate for the huge ejection port. You’ll also need an aftermarket trigger. There is an immense variety of stocks to choose from. Their bluing is always lustrous, and the action itself is attractive to look at. The Savage is just “get down to business”, and will never be as pretty as a nice Remmy.

Sure makes me want to build a new rifle.

Good place to buy savage actions: http://northlandshooterssupply.com/savage-target-actions-available/

#25

Actually the 700 action is a bit sloppy and getting a great one is the luck of the draw.

To add insult, they’ve had serious problems with the trigger and unless you bought a new one with the redesigned trigger you should be VERY VERY cautious when adjusting it to be very light. My gunsmith buddy redid a new 700 BDL in .30-06 for me as a thank you for helping him with his CCIE studies. The receiver face was trued, the extractor trimmed slightly, bolt lugs were lapped (one made more contact than the other until this was done), headspace checked, Leupold one piece scope base installed, and the scope rings were lapped. He also floated the barrel and bedded the receiver… Then came the trigger work.

The trigger on it was very inconsistent. It was adjusted down to 3 1/4 pounds which was as low as it would go without going off on its own when the butt of the stock was tapped on the floor. A trigger pull gauge registered from between 2 to 4.5 pounds of pull and was never consistent. He did some additional work on it and fixed it to where it’s now 2 3/4 pounds each and every time… and has been that way for the several years I’ve had the enjoyment of owning it.

That’s a lot of work to help accurize a weapon that should’ve come from the factory in better shape.

#26

@Raymond where you really expecting a sub 1/2 moa rifle for $700?

#27

You really are confrontational… Stop it.

I expect to get a rifle that has decent fit and finish… and a trigger that won’t result in accidental death.

#28

Various Savages, Tikka T3, there are actually several newer rifles that will shoot sub MOA, and many specimens will do 1/2 with a tiny bit of cleanup, for under $700

Good time to be a rifleman!

#29

@Raymond rage much? I asked if you really expecting a sub 1/2 MOA rifle for $700? As Tapper and I have been talking in these terms in the thread. We were also highlighting guns that were particularly cheap that managed to meet these standards while also admitting that many rifles do not meet these standards. To get a 1/2 MOA rifle the action isn’t the only concern.

You stated that you did all the work to accurize the gun. I wasn’t questioning the trigger work you had done. But, now you rage as if the gun comes with the trigger set so light that it just goes off. Many adjustable triggers can be set to a point that they can be set off by bumping the gun. Some triggers when they get dirty also can be set off very easily. I went shooting with @Gimli and we had a trigger that got too dirty and when you closed the bolt it fired the chambered round. We didn’t go running to news to tell everyone that the gun was going to accidentally kill someone, instead we looked into the trigger mechanism and found that the dirt was causing the seer to not lock. We cleaned the trigger and then worked on adjusting it back to a very light trigger pull. In adjusting the trigger we found at a point the trigger would fire when closing the bolt at a slightly heavier point you could bump the gun and fire the weapon. We adjusted the trigger till we no longer had this problem. Boom safe trigger, I would bet your gun smith probably did much the same.

The Remington 700 rifle is one of if not the best selling rifle that comes with an adjustable trigger. given that you can adjust these triggers to the point that they don’t function correctly do you then blame the manufacturer or the person that adjusted the trigger? I don’t expect to get an ultra light trigger with the trigger Remington gives with a $700 rifle, but there are many after market trigger that do offer this, but they are at a level of cost higher than you would find in a NIB Remington $700 rifle.

That being said, Savage does have a great trigger with their accu-trigger, I have a savage 22lr with the accu-trigger and I love it. Had the savage action had rifle stock options at the price point and style I wanted, I would of gone with a savage action because of the trigger quality.

#30

Are you daft? Are you ignoring the deaths from that trigger and the class action lawsuit against Remington?

It’s an unsafe trigger. It’s inconsistent out of the box and they knew about it for years. Quit being a fanboy.

You’re the one spouting off 1/2 MOA garbage like you are king of Hatcher’s. I never said anything of the sort so quit putting words in my mouth. I said it’s a sloppy action and it is. I would expect it to have had much better bolt lug contact with the receiver than it did from the factory. a small 1/8" angled section of the upper corner was all that was making contact on the left side. Sloppy manufacturing.

#31

Easy guys. Friendly conversation about cool stuff. No reason to make it a personal thing.

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#32

Raymond I’m not sure why you are so angry? I asked a question.

I went with the 700 action on my gun because of the options I had for a stock. If I had the same options with the savage, I would of gone with it as I really like the trigger it comes with and I found an action from them for cheaper than the Remington. I’m not a fan of the Remington trigger either, but because the action is so widely accepted there are numerous after market options for it, so I figured if I hated it, I could replace it. That said, I’m not going to call it an unsafe trigger. Many adjustable triggers can be set to “unsafe” levels of adjustment. I looked into that same mess on the 700 trigger before I purchased the action and all the stories I found that asked about the trigger being adjusted had triggers that had been adjusted past the factory setting. For me this sounds like the triggers may have been mis-adjusted, based on the experience I had with Gimli.

Side note, I’m not king of Hatchers, Hatchers doesn’t have a king it has a Supreme Leader @thatguy

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#33

The two rifles that I shoot matches with at the moment are both Savage target actions with the accutrigger, one in .308 and the other in .223. The Savage actions are as good as any others in my opinion but there are more options for the 700 patern actions.

We do live in good times for rifle accuracy. Probably as much for the quality of ammunition components as the rifle it’s self.

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#34

The Remington 700 does have its issues, particularly in the colder environment of going off by itself. There are several deaths about it. 60 minutes did a piece on it back in February, not that I watch that particular program.

Now back to your regularly scheduled shenanigans.

I’d like to shoot long range but my limiting factor is my wife & kids can only live off Ramen for so long. I have been eyeballing the Falcon M18 4-18 FFP.

TiborasaurusREX has a whole series on YouTube on Sniper 101. He goes into a lot of detail on long range shooting. He shoots a Coor lite can at 1100 meters.

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#35


Have always wanted one, really excited about this group. Now I have a excuse to buy another gun

#36
#37

Can you even see a barn at 2240? :slight_smile:

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#38

Over 22 football fields, barn is looking awfully small. Lol

#39

He keeps giving the rifle love pats. :wink: