long range shooting weapon.

[Jewrrick]

I don't have the budget to do 1000 yards or the experience yet. If my budget doesn't allow me to shoot at 500 yards then so be it but there is no way I can afford $1000 on glass yet, hopefully in the next year or so I will but not quite yet.

[Jewrrick]

as far as a place to shoot these distances, no I don't but hopefully that will be changing in the not to distant future.

[CJ]

as far as a place to shoot these distances, no I don't but hopefully that will be changing in the not to distant future.

Just fyi, there are almost none in the metroplex, actually to my knowledge there are none. The closest I am aware of is Stephenville, and far north near denton/mckinney area.

[Jewrrick]

Denton would be fine, I'm up there often to see family. I saw the Mckinney one.

[slowyellow]

1 More vote for .308. And these stocks are great for reducing recoil. It's not just a bunch of hype.

http://www.opticsplanet.net/blackhawk-knoxx-axiom-ultra-light-rifle-stock-for-bolt-action-rifles.html

I bought this stock on sale but in billet aluminum and then bought a barreled action. I really love the gun that I put together. I used a HOWA 1500 barreled action, some might say it's one of the best that you can pick up for under a grand. They also sell the 1500 with the stock that I linked already installed. Just throwing some options your way.

[Jewrrick]

That is a nice looking stock. I will consider a .308 just not a fan of the idea that I might end up with 2 of them.

[slowyellow]

That is a nice looking stock. I will consider a .308 just not a fan of the idea that I might end up with 2 of them.

Don't look at that as a bad thing. Look at it as only one caliber that you have to worry about stocking up on.

[ThreeFingerPete]

The 7mm08 is a great cartridge, but if I'm going to the trouble of reloading a 7mm round for long range, it'll be .284 Win. I'll gladly take the extra few hundred FPS and notably less drift/drop.

If you want something that you could shoot in a pinch with *gasp* off of the shelf ammunition, stick with .308. You'll have to have a lot more elevation to play with in your optics, but that's what the dope is for.

[YALE]

Build a Savage. Buy a magnum action Stevens 200 (the only one they sell is .300WM), rebarrel it and change the bolt head for .308 on your kitchen table. Learn how to shoot, and step up to crazy bore burners when you know how to shoot, set up your gun, and reload for it. If you aren't already reloading, start. Load selection is a major component in accuracy. If you aren't shooting at least a .22 with regularity, start. If you don't at least load OR practice, and expect to get anywhere in any competitions, all I can say is, "welcome to thunderdome, bitch."

[Jewrrick]

I'm not in it for competitions, just for fun shooting is relaxing to me.

[svauto-erotic855]

A match remington 700 chambered in .308 is going to be your best bet for long range shooting on a budget. 7mm-08 is a good cartridge as well, but the .260 remington outperforms it 500+. .300WMR is excellent for this but will beat the shit out of you, and it's not cheap.

your problem for "budget" is optics. You're going to need a $1000 scope minimum. That ends your budget build right there.

I hit steel all day long at 800 meters with NM iron sights and an M1A. Glass is no replacement for basic skills.

Any decent bolt action in .308, .30-06, 7mm Mag, .300 Win Mag, etc will get the job done at the ranges you are looking at.

[Chas_svo]

I hit steel all day long at 800 meters with NM iron sights and an M1A. Glass is no replacement for basic skills.

Any decent bolt action in .308, .30-06, 7mm Mag, .300 Win Mag, etc will get the job done at the ranges you are looking at.

Agreed, but man once you use good optics, it's hard to go back. Your/Yale's basic premise that optics don't allow a bad/inexperienced shooter to be good are correct. Even better is to find someone who can shoot and shoot with them and learn. It will be very humbling to most people, but I also see where most people assume they can shoot when they cannot at 100, much less at distance.

[CJ]

I hit steel all day long at 800 meters with NM iron sights and an M1A. Glass is no replacement for basic skills.

Any decent bolt action in .308, .30-06, 7mm Mag, .300 Win Mag, etc will get the job done at the ranges you are looking at.

hitting steel and target shooting and two totally different sports. I can hit steel with my colt python revolver at 200 yards.

[ThreeFingerPete]

I'm not in it for competitions, just for fun shooting is relaxing to me.

Then buy a .22 and shoot at 100y. When you group under an inch, then step up.

[bottlerocket]

Then buy a .22 and shoot at 100y. When you group under an inch, then step up.

This! I'm having a blast modding my 10/22 and seeing what it can do. Quite impressed so far