Best Long range rifle

[rebal69972]

I'm starting now looking for a long range shooter. I know I want good power out to 900 yards or so, I'm not sure what calaber to go with or how to figure out what shoots best at long range. I know I don't need or really want a 50 cal and the wife would kill me when I went to buy ammo. Anyway what would you all say is the best rifle?

[carpsniperg2]

Are you wanting to hunt with it or shoot steel? You will have guys post in this that have hit a few plates out there with a 308 and think it's the cats meow If you are talking about power I am guessing you are talking hunting. You need to go to magnum to get what you need to make clean kills out there at that range. I am a big fan of the 338 mags. I run a 340wby as my long range hunting rifle. I am building another 340wby as we speak. 180-300g bullets. Bullets are a huge factor in a decision on making kills at that range. You will see a lot of guys running wildcats 7mm/300 rums/338 rums/338 lapua/30-378wby/340wby/338 edge etc. All are fine choices. You can find a few good programs and play with bullet choice and etc. That will give you a idea what the guns are doing out there. Most bullets need to be running around 1800fps to preform well on game animals. Some bullets still function well at those ranges and some don't. I put more into the bullet then the gun used to get it there. There are a lot of great choices. If you are buying ammo none of them are cheap to shoot If you are not a hand loader I would look at the 300 rum and 338 rum. Ammo is pretty easy to find and they can do the job at that kind of range.

[PolarBear]

Remington 700, 26" barrel, .338 Lapua.

[DBHAWTHORNE]

What are you wanting to hunt with it?

[Biggerhammer]

There is no magic caliber for 900 yards, for those who have done it and not just read about it. A animal dies the same at 900 as it does at 300. Holes kill stuff!!! Anything from a 6.5/140gr at 2800+ to a 300gr .338 Berger Hybrid at 2800+ is going to flat out kill a big game animal.

Now the the fun part is watching people take a crap rifle, frost it with a crap scope, rings and bases, stuff it with cheap crap fodder, then put a total long range Internet dumb azz expert as the driver/pilot.

[h20hunter]

I believe it is as Bhammer eluded to.....the driver is more important than the car. These days with bullet options and manufacturing abilities a 900 yard gun is simply not that exotic. A 900 yard shooter capable of making one shot kills at that range is another story. Most (me included) simply don't have the place or time to practice at that kind of range to become hunting profecient. The ability to hit steel at 900 is completely unrelated to ability to hit vitals in the field. However, if you have rifle and the time to work up the skill then have at it.

[Jim the Plumber]

I'm starting now looking for a long range shooter. I know I want good power out to 900 yards or so, I'm not sure what calaber to go with or how to figure out what shoots best at long range. I know I don't need or really want a 50 cal and the wife would kill me when I went to buy ammo. Anyway what would you all say is the best rifle?

With out looking into your background, how much time do you practice at distance? At all for that matter?
 To purchase a 900 yard capable rifle off the shelf, thats getting easer than yesteryear. But it truly is the shooter.
It would help if you actually described what you want to do with the rifle at 900 or so yards.
 Also if you are buying ammo for this rifle, you are going to be limited even more.
   If you reload, options will go up, cost will go down, accuracy will go up, practice time should go up as well.
All that being said, for an off the shelf rifle look toward a 700 Remington in 300 WM in one of their heavy barrel models, then save up for some good glass.

[rbros]

In a factory rifle, go buy a Remington Sendero in either 300RUM or 7 Rem Mag.  Skim bed it, tune the trigger and put good optics and a cheekpiece on it.  Shoot the hell out of it until the barrel is shot.  This will give you the practice and confidence one needs to pull off FIRST round hits at extended ranges.  By the time the barrel is worn out, you will have a good idea of what you really want to end up with in a long range hunting rifle.

The other option is to go full out and get a custom to start with setup to do the task at hand. 

900yds doesn't require a cannon to do the job.  Shot placement is key as stated above.  Any of the larger 6.5's, 7 and 300 mags will do the job easily. 

[Biggerhammer]

I believe it is as Bhammer eluded to.....the driver is more important than the car. These days with bullet options and manufacturing abilities a 900 yard gun is simply not that exotic. A 900 yard shooter capable of making one shot kills at that range is another story. Most (me included) simply don't have the place or time to practice at that kind of range to become hunting profecient. The ability to hit steel at 900 is completely unrelated to ability to hit vitals in the field. However, if you have rifle and the time to work up the skill then have at it.

Bingo! I know plenty of guys that can ring steel all day but can't shoot hair or fur worth chit. Funny to see some of these guys post their long range shooting abilities when I have personally  witnessed them totally botch 100 and 200 yard shots due to the fact they had a less than perfect field shooting position on a non static target with a pulse.

[DBHAWTHORNE]

Good article on "Making a case for the .308" 

http://www.longrangehunting.com/articles/308-winchester-1.php

[carpsniperg2]

  Here we go Note 600 yards and not 900. At 600 yards they fall into that 1800fps and 1000-1100 foot pounds of energy. Which is about the minimum on both one wants for hunting. add 300 yards on that and its not very pretty

[DBHAWTHORNE]

  Here we go Note 600 yards and not 900. At 600 yards they fall into that 1800fps and 1000-1100 foot pounds of energy. Which is about the minimum on both one wants for hunting. add 300 yards on that and its not very pretty

  Yeah.. I posted that one for you.

I agree if you are going to be shooting animals at 900 yards then the .338's fit the bill. For everything I will ever personally do in the lower 48 a .308 or .30-06 will fit the bill.....but then... I haven't rifle hunted for anything but coyote in 20 years.

I may try to make it over and do an Idaho whitetail rifle hunt this season.

[carpsniperg2]

  Bouncing steel is one thing, putting a animal down clean is another. Nothing wrong with a 308, just drives me nuts when guys shoot steel at 1000 yards with them and then say they are a great long range hunting gun

[DBHAWTHORNE]

Bouncing steel is one thing, putting a animal down clean is another. Nothing wrong with a 308, just drives me nuts when guys shoot steel at 1000 yards with them and then say they are a great long range hunting gun

I agree...a .308 is certainly no 1,000 yard hunting rifle.

[BULLBLASTER]

Ishoot a sendero in 300 rum with a few modifications. It has a Burris fullfeild tac30 scope with good rings and bases. The optics are by no means nightforcr quality but I have tested going back and forth between 300 yards and 1000 yards settings and it tracks very well. I am shooting 215 grain Berger bullets at 2950. As said before it is mainly the driver... I am far from an expert but am progressing each time I shoot