So i want a "sniper rifle"

[tradaddict]

i feel wierd calling it a "sniper rifle" as i am not a sniper and it will not be used for snipeing. i suppose a ".308 long range precision target/hunting rifle" would be a more accurate title for it. ok, that wierdness aside, im 18, about to go into collage, getting hitched in less than a year, so needless to say i dont have a whole wad of spare cash floating around. I like anything mod. 700, especially the VTR, i like savage rifles, like winchester mod 70, ect. basicly i want to spend less than a grand and as close to 500 as possible for a 1/2 to 1/4 inch MOA capable bolt gun in .308. I know that a heck of a bill to meet, but thats what im looking for. ANY info would be AWSOME guys. THANKS!!!

 

[03protege]

If you find one that meets that criteria let me know.

 

[Ritten]

First of all....it's a Remington 700 and a Winchester Mod. 70....not the other way around.

With a budget like that take a look at the Savage rifles though. They're cheaper than the previous two, but you're gonna be hard pressed to find a 1/4" production rifle for less than a couple of grand. I'd like a McLaren F1 for $20,000 too, but wish in one hand and..........well.......you get the idea.

 

[Speedlace]

Call it a "marksman rifle".

 

[tradaddict]

First of all....it's a Remington 700 and a Winchester Mod. 70....not the other way around.

.

yeah my bad. Im realy liking the Remington VTR, goes for 750 i think and should be capable of great groups. idk. thats why im asking you guys lol.

 

[Storm52]

Old man advice...attend college, finish, then get 'hitched' and good luck to you if you still have time and funds for hobbies. Long range precision shooting is a great avocation, albeit an expensive one. To wring the best possible accuracy from your rifle, you will have to 'roll' your own loads. Scoping your rifle will cost a semester's tuition.

 

[Nomad.2nd]

Buy a Savage 110 and shoot it enough to wear out the barrel.
(They are easy to replace with the Savage)

Then buy a custom barrel, you might be good enough for it by then!

 

[DuckYou]

Savage 10 F. Second on the go to college first and get married when you are done, otherwise keep accounts separate and make a pre-nup, that way the divorce will be less painful.

 

[Ritten]

Be sure to budget enough for a base, rings, and a good scope. If $1000 is your entire budget for the system then pick the scope first and build the rifle around that. You're not spending enough to make a difference what rifle you put under the scope if 1/4-1/2 consistent moa is your goal.

Really, you'll be WAAAAY ahead of the game if you spend the money on a Savage MkII FV in .22lr ($300), get an EGW base, Seekins rings, and a Bushnell Elite scope. Those rifles are well capable of sub-moa groups at 100yds with match ammo (also dirt cheap compared to .308) and you can have your "sniper rifle" look. You'll have a detachable mag system, bull barrel w/ straight contour, and a gun that you'll find in just about any ex-military sniper's safe.

 

[Gus McCrae]

Savage makes a good rifle. I have a 111 FCNS hunting rifle I bought last year. It's the first rifle I've owned where I have made two holes overlap at 100 yards.... several times. I'm not even all that good a shooter like some of the folks here.

 

[Gus McCrae]

Be sure to budget enough for a base, rings, and a good scope. If $1000 is your entire budget for the system then pick the scope first and build the rifle around that. You're not spending enough to make a difference what rifle you put under the scope if 1/4-1/2 consistent moa is your goal.

Really, you'll be WAAAAY ahead of the game if you spend the money on a Savage MkII FV in .22lr ($300), get an EGW base, Seekins rings, and a Bushnell Elite scope. Those rifles are well capable of sub-moa groups at 100yds with match ammo (also dirt cheap compared to .308) and you can have your "sniper rifle" look. You'll have a detachable mag system, bull barrel w/ straight contour, and a gun that you'll find in just about any ex-military sniper's safe.

Good rings are a must. Ask how I know!

I've got some of the big ugly Weavers on my Savage, but they hold the scope well.

 

[aard3]

I feel you pain... I was in college not to long ago (errr. 6-7 years ago!) So I know how you feel, I just don't think for sub $1000 you're gonna get a 1/4 MOA rifle... plus to be honest with you, if you aren't experienced in precision shooting, pretty much any decent rifle you purchase is going to be more accurate than you are!

I can tell you this, I recently picked up a very slightly used Rem 700 Tactical, I got the rifle, a cheap Simmons Scope (it was already mounted with Leupold rings), and a Harris Bi-Pod for $500.

Ditched the Simmons, put Seekins Rings, base and a Vortex 4-16x PST FFP on there, and it shoots sub-MOA... I've never sat there and measured exactly, but I can cover the group with a quarter (100 yards).

@ the VATA class, a friend was next to me shooting Savage 10, and he was shooting at least MOA.. if not better.

That said, I do think when purchasing a "production" level rifle, there is some "luck" involved in getting a good one...you might get a 1.5 MOA gun, you might get a .5MOA gun.

So for my last rifle... Total was something like

Rifle and Bi-pod $500
Vortex PST $725
Seekins Rings $120
Base $100
---------
$1445

And I considered that cheap! Precision rifle is freaking EXPENSIVE!!!

I'd normally say spend at much as you can on the optic...but at a $1000 budget, I don't think there it's gonna matter much... I really like the Vortex PST, but it isn't a Nightforce...just right now I couldn't justify a Nightforce that would be over TWICE as much for comparable features.

SWFA sells their "Super Sniper" line of optics. I don't have any firsthand experience, but from what I hear, they are decent. They sell a fixed 10X model for 299.99... probably be hard to beat it for that price.

Find a nice new or used 700 or savage, for around 500ish, 300 for the optic, and spend the rest on your base and rings. Shoot the barrel out of it, and hopefully by that time you'll be out of college, and if you enjoy it, drop some big money on that 1/4 MOA rifle you want.


Don't forget about ammo...Federal Gold Match 168gr from AmmoToGo.com is about $20 a box. That's $1 a ROUND.

Aaron

 

[tradaddict]

thanks for all the info guys. i know im not going to be able to get the whole settup for under a grand, im talking about the rifle itself. like i said, i REALY like the Remington 700 VTR, also like savage. As some of you said, i dont have experience with long range shooting, so iv got a lot of learning to do, but id like to have a good rifle to start learning with. Also, a sight called sniper central sells a package based on a 700 including scope and bipod, aftermarket stock, ect. not all high end stuff, but better that nothing. package goes for a bout a grand and a half. what do yall think about that option?

 

[Barney88PDC]

Ditch the VTR first off. Buy once cry once on the optics, base and rings. Find a used 700 or Savage 10, add ammo and get some instruction on how to properly shoot before developing a bunch of bad habits that you have to later break.

I personally could not have bought an air rifle back in college I was so broke. Finish your degree and then you can buy what you want. That is the most important thing you probably can do for yourself. The guns aren't going anywhere.

 

[RedNeckRuger]

Being married in college is really going to suck. I would say have fun...but you are talking about getting married in college. Good Luck on the rifle.

 

[XD45ACP]

Really, you'll be WAAAAY ahead of the game if you spend the money on a Savage MkII FV in .22lr ($300), get an EGW base, Seekins rings, and a Bushnell Elite scope. Those rifles are well capable of sub-moa groups at 100yds with match ammo (also dirt cheap compared to .308) and you can have your "sniper rifle" look. You'll have a detachable mag system, bull barrel w/ straight contour, and a gun that you'll find in just about any ex-military sniper's safe.

This is what I did. Well, I upgraded the stock and did a little work on the trigger but I still haven't upgraded the rings or scope from LOW end stuff, but with good ammo I can take out the staples holding up my targets at 50 yards. It sure beats that $1 a round match .308, and $100 bucks of good .22 ammo will take you a very long way in helping you become a much better shot! Ask me how I know...

 

[tradaddict]

yeah married in collage is going to suck, im fully prepared for that, and i know i should probably wait. buuuuut its what i want to do, and iv been a pretty easy going guy all my life so i figure iv got a lot of unused risk taking saved up for this lol. well yall have officialy broken my desire to jump into this right now. now i have to decide if i want to do like yall said with the .22 or if i want to sniperize my mosin nagant (dont laugh, they shoot well). in any case thanks a ton guys, yall pointed out a lot of things i hadnt thought about.

 

[ta2d_cop]

I have owned and or worked on/shot Remington 700 P, SPS Tacticals, Savage 110s, and several other "budget rifles" that will all be close to or under 1MOA out of the box. Very few are capable of "do it yourself" or "shadetree" gunsmithing .5MOA accuracy. The reality is spec out what you can afford that is as close accuracy wise to what you want. I would look at Remington, Savage and Howa. All are fairly priced and capable of sub moa accuracy in the right hands. From there get a decent scope and seek out an gunsmith that can bed your action and tweek your trigger to your liking. From there tighten up your game. I don't know how much long range shooting experience you have, but a 5000$+ kit is no good if you cant do your part.

My rig statrted out as a Savage 110 and a Super Sniper 10X. I sold off and traded off and sceamed and scammed untill it evolved into an HS Precision HTR 2000 with NXS glass. That was over a 6 year time frame. Get the best of what you can afford now and build the skills necessary for .5 moa groups first. You can upgrade kit later when time, money, and the wife and kids (to come) allow.

Good luck!

 

[Born4spd]

Ditch the VTR first off. Buy once cry once on the optics, base and rings. Find a used 700 or Savage 10, add ammo and get some instruction on how to properly shoot before developing a bunch of bad habits that you have to later break.

I personally could not have bought an air rifle back in college I was so broke. Finish your degree and then you can buy what you want. That is the most important thing you probably can do for yourself. The guns aren't going anywhere.

This lol


Get the .22 if you must.

 

[mb504]

Check out this blog post, he did it for $500... http://thetruthaboutguns.com/2011/06/foghorn/ttag-project-1000-yard-rifle-for-500/

Sure, he cut some corners, but he can upgrade later, if needed. 2 MOA, which might be reduced just with better rings.

Mossberg 100 ATR in .308 Win – $310
Primary Arms 3-9×40 Scope and Rings – $105
Winchester 6″-9″ Bipod – $40
TOTAL: $455