Long Range Rifle Help

[ExSniper]

Practice at short range. Get your technique down so you are shooting as small a group as possible with your gun at 100 yards. If the gun is capable of 1/2 moa and you can shoot 1/2 to 3/4 moa groups then start adding distance. Once you can shoot accurately at shorter ranges it is a matter of learning to read the wind, make the adjustments and apply the proper shooting skills as the range gets longer.
If you are shooting 3 or 4 inch groups at 100 yards that means the best you can hope for at 1000 yards would be 30 or 40 inches on a perfect, no wind day (like that ever happens). Most shooters get frustrated because they try to stretch the range before their skills are up to it. Your -06 is probably accurate enough for starters.

 

[QTRMOA]

Practice at short range. Get your technique down so you are shooting as small a group as possible with your gun at 100 yards. If the gun is capable of 1/2 moa and you can shoot 1/2 to 3/4 moa groups then start adding distance. Once you can shoot accurately at shorter ranges it is a matter of learning to read the wind, make the adjustments and apply the proper shooting skills as the range gets longer.
If you are shooting 3 or 4 inch groups at 100 yards that means the best you can hope for at 1000 yards would be 30 or 40 inches on a perfect, no wind day (like that ever happens). Most shooters get frustrated because they try to stretch the range before their skills are up to it. Your -06 is probably accurate enough for starters.

Good Points ExSniper.

IMO (on a strick budget) I would get a factory Remington 700 used PSS or Varmint barrel chambered in .308. This should cost you no more than $100.
The 30-06 with the sported ADL barrel is going to kick like a mule after 4-5 shots and I have seen allot of tough guys develop a flinch. Once you develop a flinch it takes a bit of training to untrain.
A sporter barrel is going to heat up past the point of its true accuracy after the 6-7 shot, another reason the heavier barrels are a bit better.
As ExSniper posted " Long Range" is determined by two equations.
1) the limits of the rifle/caliber
2) the limits of the shooter/rifleman
That being said, It is important to go through the "appropriate gears" as your skill level allows as it will be impossible to start off in 5th gear w/o stalling the engine.
First thing is to build a rifle that will shoot 1" at 100y (1MOA). Find a scope that will reliably hold POI (Point of Impact). I rate Leupolds a 6 out of 10 as I have seen allot of them go down on the range. They are not bad but they are not good.
This is the area that you will want to spend a bit more money as the scope usually contributes to 90% of the failures on the field.
Have a Gunsmith tune your Factory trigger to 2.5lbs.
Learn NPA (Natural Point of Aim) VERY important!
Trigger Control=Dry Fire, Dry Fire and....Dry Fire (get snap caps)
The above is not usually learned in weeks but months and sometimes years.
The above is all about consistency.

Next.... I would try to focus on 200 yard line under ideal conditions (2-3mph wind) and test your rifles accuracy and the rifleman’s accuracy.
Your goal should be around a consistent 2 MOA.
This may take 2-3 sessions behind the rifle but 300,400,500m will come much easier if you start to see the small difference that wind, NPA, trigger control ect have at the closer ranges. Know that at 300m a full value (3o'clock) 10 mph wind will push a .308 bullet aprox 8" off the POA (point of aim) so if the wind drops on you from 10mph to say 4 mph your horizontal spread for the two shots will be 5" at 300m!

I’m sure I have missed a few things that ExSniper can elaborate on but this should get you a solid start.

 

[QTRMOA]

Thumbs up for Bobby and Steve at Badlands, these fellas are top shelve and are the real deal.
If you get to the point were you are ready for a good intro to LR I wouldn't go anywhere but Badlands!

 

[saryan]

Working on your trigger pull with live firing with a inaccurate rifle or a rifle that causes you to flinch is not productive training. You wont know if your doing it right. Spend some time dry firing. I have dry fired my sig 226 twice as much as I have fired it and it has around 9,000 rounds through it. The reason was to learn the DA/SA trigger. My double action pull lands the same place my single does now because of my muscle memory. Unload your rifle, make sure its empty and then make someone else check the chamber.Put the rifle up where your shooting into a mirror. You need to be able to see your crosshairs back through your scope. Match your crosshairs in the mirror up with the crosshairs in the scope, pull the trigger without moving off of them. Do that over and over. Its the cheapest and best way to learn whatever trigger you have. Trigger is not real important right now. Training is first, but needs to grow with the rifle. Find someone who has a .25moa rifle and see if you can meet them at the range. Everything matters. Your hands, your cheek, your shoulder, your legs, your breathing...everything. I had to test fire a guys 30-06 ADL and it weighed in around 6.5lbs. That thing kicked the crap out of me every time but I had to let it. I couldn't muscle my way through it or I would never know how well it would shoot. Spend some time over on snipershide. Its a good site.

 

[ldp4570]

Once you find out how well you and your rifle shoot from the bench, get off the bench, and start shooting again from standing, sitting, kneeling, and prone unsupported. Once you can shoot all of these as well as you do from the bench at 100yds, you'll know your rifle, and be able to progress to longer ranges, also a sling isn't just for hanging the rifle on your shoulder. Learn how to properly use the sling for shooting.

Anyone can shoot from a benched rest, not many can shoot any other way.

 

[QTRMOA]

One tip on NPA and Trigger control I could give is to practice dry firing in a controlled environment by simply taking aim at a target (unloaded firearm)
and putting a quarter on the muzzle end of the barrel.
You should be able to focus on your POA (point of Aim) with controlled breathing
with slow, relaxed technique. As you settle in you will want to inhale then slowly exhale aprox 50%, hold and squeeze the trigger.
If you have done everything correct you should be able to keep the quarter on the barrel without it falling.

 

[shortgrass]

OK OK OK I get it Remington rules the house when it comes to bolt action rifle..................LOL

No , Remington doesn't nessarily "rule the roost", it is just what most are willing to pay for. Check out the Neiska Bay, Sturgen, or McMillian actions. If you decide to 'dry fire', get yourself some snap caps. Dry firing a few times usually won't hurt, but snap caps will save some problems in the long run.

 

[dennishoddy]

700 action is either long or short, ABCD refers to finish and stock option. The only tome I've ever heard "franken" applied to a rifle it was an AR.

Bolt guns that start with a decent action are all equal. Even a 100 year old '98 action mated to a Douglas XX premium can/ deliver 1/4 moa.

Blade, look up Mr Bryant in Wheeler, TX (not too far from you) he will get you on the right track.

http://www.bryantcustom.com/rifles/hunting_varmint_rifles.htm

The barrel is where its at. I have recently acquired what was originally a 7.7 Jap Arisaka that has been sporterized. A Douglas barrel was mated to the action, in .300 savage. At 100 yds with a 40 yr old Weaver K2 scope, it will shoot groups smaller than 1"

 

[dennishoddy]

I'm keeping my remington. I'm pretty sure that a model 700 30-06 will shoot about as far as I want to.
.

The 30-06 has won many 1000 yd matches at the national championships at Camp Perry. I would have a hard time trading my 06 for a .308.
Don't get me wrong, the .308 with a 150 grain bullet is know to be one of the most inherently accurate combo's out there. In the average shooters hands there is not any discern able difference though. Since you already have the .06, Just get out there and shoot it.

 

[loveliene]

Hi There!
This is Loveliene!
Im new in this site!
I'd start with a Google search and go from there. There are so many manufactrers out there that choices can be difficult. You can actually build your own match grade rifle and learn a lot in the process.
Thanks!...
Good Day to all!