**RIFLE VANITY** Long-Distance Shooting and Hunting

12/17/2011 | Moi

[rabidralph]

I am looking to buy a rifle that would serve two purposes: primarily a long-distance shooter and secondarily a larger game taker downer :-)

I like to shoot beyond 600 yards and I want a rifle to suit that purpose. From info I've gathered, I should get a larger-calibered rifle, with at least a 24" barrel. I would like to keep the rifle below 10lbs because I also want to hunt with it some day. I am interested in hunting elk and moose, eventually. So I am thinking of a .308.

[smokingfrog]

Blaser 93 Safari

[Fightin Whitey]

>>>I am with coyote and feral pigs.<<<

Great point.

[X-spurt]

Sounds like 30:06 as Sampleman stated.

Personally, I have found RugerM77 rifles to shoot well and are reasonably priced. I hunt with a M77 Ultralight “Mountain Rifle” because I carry it more than shoot it, but at the distance you say stick with a longer barrel.

[Lurker]

With very good reason.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simo_Häyhä;

[Lurker]

I have one of those rifles. I acquired a National Match model from a guy getting divorced about 15 years ago. I paid him $500 cash for it. Some of the best money I ever spent.

[onona]

I’ll pray for you Otty :)

Too funny, thanks for the laugh !

[2111USMC]

A-ha! See! That guy used a Mosin with open sights!

I rest my case!

:)

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

Any ultralight rifle should be limited to 250 meter shots. The thin, light barrels are prone to gross loss of accuracy due to harmonics and vibration, temperature stress and bedding mechanics.

The longer barrel theory is also incorrect. Anyone who has shot in competition, knows that the longer the bullet spends in the barrel, the more accuracy is lost due to jacket deformation.

The minute gains of velocity that a longer barrel may provide, only amounts to a few feet per second, but the effects of friction, vibration and bed mechanics, effect bullet flight to a far greater degree.

[lgjhn23]

“... I like to target practice at long distances....”

Google “.260 Remington”. Find the article: “The case for the .260 Remington”. Then read it. Personally, one of my favorite combinations for long distance work is a the old bolt-action Remington 700 rifle originally in .243 cal, that I replaced the barrel with to a varmint 6.5mm (.260 Remington) purchased from Lilja Barrel, MacMillan stock, Nightforce scope, Jewel trigger, everything precision-machined, squared, etc. along with a few other goodies such as a Benner Cooley muzzle brake. I shoot a 123gr. HPBT Lapua Scenar bullet in a necked-down .308 military case...precisely custom-loaded specifically for my barrel. I easily and consistantly drop coyotes at over 500 yards with one shot with this combination but basically bench-rested when I do and sighted in for it. I do not take shots unless I know for sure I got a good clean kill. Some will argue that’s not a “hunting bullet” and it’s inhumane. Tell that to the pile of sun-bleached bones in the back corner of my property. I’ve only had one that I had to dispatch with a 2nd shot. I hate what they do to deer and livestock.
LMAO at some of the responses on here, but hey, to each his own. I just know the combos that what work for me.

[MarkL]

If you're looking to shoot beyond 600 yards, you might find .308 a bit lacking. IMHO, you might want to look into at least a 300 WinMag. It will also allow you a heavier bullet.

Mark

[MarkL]

Just bought a nice rifle, with hunting as a secondary object. It was a Springfield M1A. [[snip]] I was thinking more like 50 yards for zombies

Then I suggest stocking up on these...

Mark

[LibLieSlayer]

I had one years ago... bought it in Texas back in 1973. The recoil from that rifle is not the problem... it is the 15 minutes that the recoil takes to die off that I found objectionable. I do not think that a mule could kick any harder. I find the .50 Barrett to be far more comfortable to shoot.

LLS

[LibLieSlayer]

Nice axe.

LLS

[41Thunder]

Those Fins sure think a lot of their rifles :-)

Yes they do! I've got it on a very reliable source that Santa is packing a mod 85 in .30-06 just for me! :))

[GladesGuru]

“Long distance shooting is NOT hunting.”

The site www.longrangehunting.com may be a refutation to your argument.

[tupac]

How right you are, it’s not hunting, it’s SPORT!

[IMR 4350]

“I think reading comprehension classes would help many of our FReepers.”

That's the understatement of the day.

I'm always amazed how some people read things.

[calex59]

Great powder BTW, I used to use it for my 06, back in the day.

[Cuttnhorse]

The M1A is a wonderful rifle and is my choice for long-distance target shooting and capable of any hunting requirements...plus, fun for long distance varmits.

Ques...9.3 rounds?

[Cuttnhorse]

LOL...you are right on the money in your description of typical FReep threads.