Factory 800 yard gun

[Whisky]

I started with a 700 stainless SPS varmint .308 and Mark 4. I upgraded the stock and trigger and eventually over time with experience came the barrel, bedding and receiver work. A full custom....But that rifle in factory mode was a dang decent shooter, for what, $550-600? Cabelas used to have them in sale quite often. Buy the SPS Varmint and max out the rest of budget on optics. Make upgrades as you gain experience and know more on what you want in the end. The stock and trigger would be priority.. Have fun!

 

[unchained]

I only live about an hour from the vortex factory and am heading that way this weekend so I'll see what I can find there. As far as reloading I am kind of putting the word out among people I know that I'm looking for a mentor as opposed to starting on my own and screwing stuff up. I'm going to keep my eyes open on armslist and go get my hands on some of the recommendations. I did just remember that I had an unused Winchester model 70 ranger sitting at my parents house. It's a 7mag. Anyone have any experience with this? Not even a mention of Winchester when it comes to longrangehunting that I've seen.

 

[HuntHarder]

IMO I would go with most scopes over a Vortex. They make decent scopes, and have a phenomenal warranty, but their glass quality fails in comparison to others. Zeiss conquest would be my choice or a vx3 leupold. Another thing is, Vortex's warranty seems to get used much, much more than other companies. When you spend that kind of money, I expect not to have to use my warranty. Gun- Remington Long range. Great gun at a good price

 

[Scot E]

A couple things to think about. If you want to shoot to 800 yards you will want to be shooting high BC bullets. This means you need to make sure you are looking at the factory twist ratings for the bullet you want to use. This is often times the biggest issues when trying to build an accurate long range gun off a factory model. The bigger the caliber you shoot the less of a potential issue it is. But be aware of it.

Also, I would choose a Howa over the 700 or savage any day. They have less aftermarket items but enough to build most anything you want. Tikkas are great unless you are looking for best bang for the buck, then the Howa wins there too!

You don't need near as much scope as you think for 800 yard shooting especially on big animals like elk. Decide if you are going to dial or use a reticle for changes in distance. You'd be surprised how easy 800 yard shots are with 9-10 power scopes. Anything like a 3-12 would be plenty and would be significantly cheaper than some of the big boys.

Good luck!

 

[Sam Millard]

^^There is nothing "easy" about deliberately and consistently hitting a kill zone the size of a paper plate at 800 yards, particularly with a 10x scope...

 

[Scot E]

^^There is nothing "easy" about deliberately and consistently hitting a kill zone the size of a paper plate at 800 yards, particularly with a 10x scope...

I was referring to not needing more power mag in the scope for that kind of shot not the execution of the shot in and of itself. I thought that was apparent since it was in the paragraph regarding scopes but I should have been more clear.

Regarding the need for more power than 10x, we will have to disagree. 10x has got me a lot further than 800 yards. Frankly magnification over 10-12x would be the last thing I would be willing to pay for on a 800 yard gun. Reticle, turret quality and repeatability, and glass quality would rank way higher on my list.

 

[spdrman]

I have a tikka 7mm stainless fluted topped with a Vortex HS LR 4-16x44 and I'm into that right at $1300. I can hit my 10" steel plate eveytime at 1000 yards as long as the wind isn't blowing to crazy. The thing I lime most about this gun is it weighs under 8.5lbs with scope and atlas bipod on it. Depending on where your hunting that could be a lot nicer to pack around than a sendero weight rifle.

I do wish that scope had better glass but the tracking has been spot on and its great having a zero stop.

Also to get the trigger time you need behind the gun I'd highly suggest putting a break on it

 

[unchained]

That tikka is really interesting. It seems like everyone that has one loves it. I will have to take a look at it. A setup in that price range is doable and the light weight is ideal.

 

[Jct2817]

I just put together a Savage 111 LRH with vortex scope and it shoots awesome. Tested out to 1300 yards. You need to shoot a few different loads to find something it likes but once you find one its money. The adjustable muzzle break is a feature often overlooked but makes a huge difference when you can turn it off and on depending on if you're at the range or out hunting.
Be careful before you jump on the HSM band wagon, they make great loads IF your gun likes them. For my combo (300 win mag) it didn't like them.
The savage is a great gun, great trigger, and just gets the job done. Not the prettiest boom stick by far but it's a killer.
Hope that helps!

 

[jb710]

I'm new here, so my opinion might not carry much weight, and I'm definitely new to elk hunting. But I think the Remington Long Range would be a great setup. I found a deal on a 5R in 300WM a few years ago, and love it, but if I were buying now I would look heavily at the Long Range. Also, for a scope to at least start off with, take a look at the Super Sniper fixed power series. I'm not sure about posting links, but they are easy to find using google. $300 will get you a 10x, 12, or 16x to get started, and when you are ready to upgrade, you can recoup most of your money. It's a bit heavy and limited by fixed power for hunting, but it will do the job for punching paper.

 

[AZ Vince]

Don't forget about the new Remington long range rifle. Sam and Justin make some great points. I will also add, just because the gun can do it doesn't mean you can. So once you get your new bang stick go out and shoot well passed your intended limit and then shoot lots in between.

Spot on.
I'd also look in to reloading if it were me. Just saying.
The rifles I use past 500 yards have never seen a factory round outside of the 20 to 50 round break in.

 

[unchained]

I am really interested in reloading and in the process of finding a reloading "mentor". What can I expect as a finished price per round on a 300 mag? Right now the decent factory stuff looks like its about 2-2.50 a round. I am going to check out the savage lrh the rem long range and the tikkas. I am leaning towards the tikkas as i am looking more for a hunting rifle capable of shootin mid range 6-800, as opposed to a dedicated long range gun over 10 lbs. You guys have been very helpful keep the suggestions coming.

My only other question right now is, does the 1:11 twist rate on the Tikka limit it as far as bullets i can shoot, everything else seems to be 1:10?

 

[JustOneMoreShot]

There is a table on the Berger website with recommendations on barrel twist for the different Berger bullets. I use this as a quick reference when I am wondering about a barrel having enough twist to stabilize a bullet.
http://www.bergerbullets.com/products/all-bullets/

 

[Dromsky]

There is a table on the Berger website with recommendations on barrel twist for the different Berger bullets. I use this as a quick reference when I am wondering about a barrel having enough twist to stabilize a bullet.
http://www.bergerbullets.com/products/all-bullets/

So looking at the table above most 30 cal hunting bullets between 170 and 200gr call for a twist rate of 12-13, a rate of 11 is suggested for bullets of 200+.
Looking at the specs for tikka t3 30 cal is 1 in 11, and savage 111 1 in 10? So where is the dis-connect. Would it not be in a manufacturers interest to produce the most accurate product.
Total newb here trying to shoot straight!

 

[JustOneMoreShot]

Two websites that explain twist rate and why they are important. You simply can't generalize that a faster twist barrel is better than a slower twist barrel. If the twist is too fast it can be detrimental to the accuracy of the bullet and even spin the bullet too fast and cause it to come apart or deform.

http://www.shilen.com/calibersAndTwists.html
http://www.chuckhawks.com/rifling_twist_rate.htm

 

[StrutNut]

I decided to go the Savage Bear Hunter route in a 300 win mag. I plan on doing a lot of shooting with it this summer and hopefully it will see some action this fall. I still seem to always end up with my bow in hand though.....

 

[WRO]

I'd check out the Savage 11/111 long range hunter..

Sweet rifle and a good shooter out of the box.. problem is its uglier than a mud fence..

 

[GKPrice]

I'm actually building a custom 300wm with a Tikka action right now and intend to single feed the longer bullets. So yes, I would say it could be somewhat of a limiting factor. The bullets that do fit well are still plenty capable at 800 though.

I have both Vortex and Leupold scopes on Tikkas and I much prefer the Leupolds myself. I feel that the glass is way better. A VX-3 4.5-14x50 would be a perfect scope for your intended purpose.

If you could afford it, I would agree with Justin and say get the Sendero.

A Remington Sendero 300 WM with a VX-6 3-18x50 would make an awesome long range elk setup. You'll be looking at over $2k though.

I had a Tikka Superlight in 300 Win Mag that shot 200 gr Accubonds into 3/4" at 200 yards every time I did my part (then like a moron I got a hair up my butt and sold it) THAT would be my first consideration were I to return to the venerable 300 Win Mag

 

[Matt W.]

I'm new here, so my opinion might not carry much weight, and I'm definitely new to elk hunting. But I think the Remington Long Range would be a great setup. I found a deal on a 5R in 300WM a few years ago, and love it, but if I were buying now I would look heavily at the Long Range. Also, for a scope to at least start off with, take a look at the Super Sniper fixed power series. I'm not sure about posting links, but they are easy to find using google. $300 will get you a 10x, 12, or 16x to get started, and when you are ready to upgrade, you can recoup most of your money. It's a bit heavy and limited by fixed power for hunting, but it will do the job for punching paper.

What do you like about the long range vs. the 5R Remington? Is it price, or were you not impressed with the 5R? Just curious as I have been eyeballing those 5Rs for a few years now...

 

[jb710]

I really like the 5r, so much that I did some horse trading for a matching .308, but for the price the long range is tough to beat. If you have the dollars for the 5r, I don't think you will be disappointed. I know some don't like the palm swell on the stock, but I have big hands so it's no bother to me.