Long Range Rifle

[wk93]

I cannot figure out what I want for hunting elk, bear, deer, etc. I want somthing light weight, accurate, and ave some good knock down power. I was considering a Christensen Arms 300 ultra mag but they cost a pretty penny. Any suggestions?

 

[robby denning]

Well, I'm certainly no expert on long range, but I do notice that a popular TV show really focuses on the 7mm Rem Mag. Excellent ballistics for bullet weights below 180 grains.

The Ultra mags certainly pack a punch- at both ends- unless of course you like muzzle breaks (I don't).

The "light weight" you mention will narrow down your choices. Some of the long range (as in 800 yard plus) are a little heavy.

Maybe Rosinbag will chime in.

 

[wk93]

Well I nevber have been a fan of the 7mm.. I'm the crazy one of a lot of people. They just shoot too fast for what they are. They sure are accurate though.

 

[robby denning]

lets see what those better versed in this subject say- I'm curious, too.

 

[wk93]

Well I do shoot a 300 win mag now but it is a 9lb rifle. Almost too heavy in the high country. It shoots equally as well as my cousins 7mm just hits a little harder.

 

[robby denning]

To me, that has been the challenge. Getting a long range rifle under 8 pounds (without spending big bucks) is tough because those rifles need stiff, typically heavy barrels and weigh more. That's why the Christensen's have a good thing going with the stiff carbon, but lightweight barrels.

 

[wk93]

Exactly. Really expensive too. Sounds like we have the same problems here. Thats why I was considering a Tikka t3 lite or something like that. They shoot really good for the money.

 

[robby denning]

While we're waiting, if you haven't read my articles on the tips/tactics sections: Mule Deer (don't forget your Shortgame) and the Firearms, (Understanding Standard Deviation...), you could burn up some time there on some somewhat relevant topics. I'm no gun expert, but you might find interesting (or not).

 

[wk93]

I'll have to check your stuff out sometime

 

[BuckSnort]

Well I nevber have been a fan of the 7mm.. I'm the crazy one of a lot of people. They just shoot too fast for what they are. They sure are accurate though.

I don't currently own any 7mm rifles..Having said that, it's hard to argue the ballistics of the 7mm bullets.. And as far as speed, you cannot go wrong with a fast High BC bullet for long range shooting... There's a reason there are so many high BC bullet selections for the 7mm...

I think for what you are looking for you couldn't go wrong with a Tikka T3 chambered in 300WSM or 300WM... You will save a lot of money over anything in the Christenson Arms lineup and you can put the money saved towards a good scope and rangefinder... JMHO

 

[wk93]

Don't get me wrong. I think the 7mm is a good bullet for accuracy and it's a flat shooter just seems to lack the knock down power. I've heard several people complain about that part that own 7mm.

That is partly why I would consider a tikka t3 lite. I was wanting a higher end scope like a Swarovski or something in that nature.

 

[muleyman]

If you know what your comfort levels are for felt recoil and overall weight of the rifle, then IMO you need to find a rifle that meets those needs and fits you really well. When you find that rifle there are lots of things that a good gunsmith can do to ensure the accuracy of that rifle (Rifle performance thread) and it won't be near as expensinve as a full blown custom rifle. I think you have the right idea by wanting to put a high end scope on it, I'm a true believer that your rifle will only perform as good as the optics you put on it. Then just put in the trigger time.

 

[bearguide]

i have been through a lot of rifles, and i wish i had just one or two that were really good and accurate. most of the production rifles will shoot out to 1000 with a little gun smithing. they should be bedded, bolts squared, trigger worked etc. but some just shoot good right out of the box, so you want to find the good ones and then improve them more by the above smithing and by experimenting with different bullets and loads. the main thing is to spend the time to learn where to aim at different ranges. the tika is a great gun for the money and should work great, but if you can not get it to shoot good then get rid of it and try another. remember only accurate rifles are interesting

 

[bearguide]

i have seen some of the christensen rifles shoot great and some do not. if you get one have them do the extras to get it shooting 1/2 groups. my 7mm weatherby, that i bought when i was 16, still out shoots most guns. all i did to it was fine tune the trigger.

 

[bearguide]

the 300 rum is a great long range gun, but most of the long range shooters shoot 7mm with 180 bergers. tha big 300 rum or 30-378 need muzzle breaks to shoot accuratly, because the long powder burn causes the barrel to raise. the other reason is that the 7mm has a great ballistic coefficant giving it the edge at super long ranges. it is also more comfortable to shoot, having less recoil. there are many custom rifles that i like but they are all going to set you back 5000 range. even the christensen hunter will cost that by the time you get the extra gun smithing done. if you are looking for one gun to do all your hunts, take your time and check them out good. i still haven't setteled on which custom gun i like best. gooogle long range rifle and you can be busy for hours

 

[JG358]

If you know what your comfort levels are for felt recoil .....

That's the big thing many people overlook. Seems to be a pattern of people getting so caught up in ballistics they over look the amount of punishment these bigger magnums put out. No point having a long range rifle you can't shoot accurately. Most would be better off with a smaller round placed accurately

 

[RosinBag]

WK93, what caliber do you want to shoot? Ballistically speaking you need to determine how far you may shoot an animal, that will then narrow your calibers down. The 7mm Rem Mag will have plenty of "knock down" on any lower 48 game we can hunt as long as the bullet you shoot has a high ballistic coefficient. The high B/C bullets will maintain their speed better creating more kinetic energy and will also be substantially better considering the environmental factors that effect the bullet.

The 300 RUM is also a very good cartridge since you mentioned that one with a lot of bullets to choose from.

As far as Christenson Arms go, they will guarantee the accuracy of their rifles, but they will determine which bullet. They will build your rifle, run several different loads through it and pick the one that meets their accuracy demands at 100 yards. So you may not get the best bullet, but the best bullet for grouping at 100 yards on paper. They will put any bullet in the gun you order but wont guarantee the performance.

I personally think the 7mm is one of the best all around hunting cartridges for the lower 48 and it probably doesn't get enough credit.

Lastly, all else being equal a 6 pound gun wont perform as well as a 9 pound gun. So going light doesn't always mean your rifle will be a shooter. I would rather have a couple extra pounds with me and know if I shoot something is dying.

 

[bearguide]

one i like is http://www.gunwerks.com/Shooting-Systems/Gunwerks-LR-1000-Shooting-System.aspx i like the night force scope but it is heavy, so a am leaning towards zeiss with the 800 yard retical. it matches my 300 at 3300 almost perfect

 

[bearguide]

the light guns do not perform as good, but they kick a lot harder

 

[wk93]

I currently shoot a 300 win mag and sometimes I will shoot my 30.06. Just depends. I want the lightweight because I carry a lot of gear up in the high country and I shoot longer distances a lot of the time. I wouldn't feel that comfortable shooting a bear with a 7mm because that is basically a .284. That is why I prefer the 30 cals.