$2000 to find the right rifle

[Biggerhammer]

 

[Trapmark]

Long range Hunting is a pretty specific deal.  Are you sure your plans for the next 15 years include just that?  As to the rifle, I thing the Savage idea mentioned earlier might be a good choice.  Great glass from the start. You also want reasonable weight.  A very long range rig is usually purpose built and heavy compared to a standard 8ish pound rifle.  May be very ungainly for much else.  Longer barrel too. Since you don't mention any ability at those ranges yet, figure at least that amount of practice ammo.
If I were you, I would spend that money on a great all purpose rifle, in your caliber of choice.  Get very proficient at half that range in the field and only then when you can have some confidence, upgrade as you go. Then you will always have a good general purpose rifle for the times it is needed.  A long range rifle eventually.  Add a good timber carbine too.  You will use your archery and muzzle loader skills at time also, as not all trophies are shot far away.

Good luck

[Stein]

I put together a stainless Rem 700 in 30-06 for right at $1,500.  That includes the rifle, detachable mag conversion, stock, trigger, sling, rings and a relatively entry level Vortex scope.  I shopped deals and coupon codes.

It is good to about 400 yards for elk, maybe a touch farther.  It consistently shoots about .75 MOA (sometimes in the 0.5 range) off the bench after a thorough break in and about 400 rounds.

If you want to shoot 1,000 yards on an elk, you need a minimum 0.5 MOA rifle screaming a huge bullet.  $2k isn't going to do that, but may be a decent budget for glass.

Finally, don't forget the other things necessary for 1,000 yard shooting including dies, brass, powder, primers, a bunch of bullets, a chrono, wind gauge, excellent rangefinder and a good ballastics app for your phone.

[mountainman]

We did a custom build on a Savage action with some donor parts a while back for under $1000. 338 edge with a carbon wrapped Shilen. 5 1/2#'s. Sub 1/2 " gun. Was topped with a........wait for it...Vortex scope! 

[coachcw]

If I was going to do it id buy a for sure 1/2 moa gun . for the money the cooper 52 . the rifle will put you at 2k plus optics .I went with a ziess conquest hd 3-15 turret model with a flatline optics level and cosine meter in 280ai you will be in that 3500.00 range and with one turn on the turret get out to 800. shooting lrabs 150 grain . the other option would be the long range hunter savage in 300wm and good optics pushing a 190 lrab. first the gun has to capable then the shooter my suggestion is if your really wanting to dable in long range expect to spend over 3k.

[Alchase]

Hello all, generally a bow and muzzy hunter but I have a lot of plans to hunt some premier mule deer rifle hunts in the next 10 to 15 years and possibly some rifle elk hunts as well. I've chosen $2000 to be my limit( of course there is a little breathing room on that price) Looking for some advice on the best all around gun/ scope combination for me. Need it to be good for elk and deer, 700 to 1000 yd range, and a reasonable weight

Don't want to get off the couch or what? Marine snipers used the Model 70 Winchester in .308 for a decade before they switched to the Model 700 Remington in Vietnam. You could also build one and put half the money into a good barrel and trigger. The right glass for a 1,000 yard gun will cost as much as the gun, though. Wouldn't make sense to get a great rifle and put crappy glass on top.

Human beings are a lot easier to kill....just say'n.

I disagree with this comment.

Most human beings do not stand broadside chewing their cud while you decide on the shot, and if you really want to pack him out of that canyon by yourself.

They also have this annoying tendency to be able to shoot back, or first if you are not quicker on the trigger,

LOL

[Dan-o]

You might do some research on the Savage Long Range hunter.  Probably get it in 338 Lapua and it may fit the bill for you.    Probably can get it for under $1,300.

    We have a winner.....

[Biggerhammer]

Hello all, generally a bow and muzzy hunter but I have a lot of plans to hunt some premier mule deer rifle hunts in the next 10 to 15 years and possibly some rifle elk hunts as well. I've chosen $2000 to be my limit( of course there is a little breathing room on that price) Looking for some advice on the best all around gun/ scope combination for me. Need it to be good for elk and deer, 700 to 1000 yd range, and a reasonable weight

Don't want to get off the couch or what? Marine snipers used the Model 70 Winchester in .308 for a decade before they switched to the Model 700 Remington in Vietnam. You could also build one and put half the money into a good barrel and trigger. The right glass for a 1,000 yard gun will cost as much as the gun, though. Wouldn't make sense to get a great rifle and put crappy glass on top.

Human beings are a lot easier to kill....just say'n.

I disagree with this comment.

Most human beings do not stand broadside chewing their cud while you decide on the shot, and if you really want to pack him out of that canyon by yourself.

They also have this annoying tendency to be able to shoot back, or first if you are not quicker on the trigger,

LOL

I believe he's refering to a bullets terminal performance. Elk can take a solid hit through the vitals with a variety of big game cartridges and do some amazing things after the hit. A human being takes a hit like that and it's pretty much over.

[WoodlandShooter]

hence why we use a varmint cartrige in our duty rifles...

[bobcat]

Perhaps with the budget being what it is, the goal could be revised somewhat. Rather than a 700 to 1000 yard rifle, how about 400 to 700 yards as a more realistic goal?

To me anything beyond 400 yards is "extreme" long range. Someday I'd like to have a rifle with a scope that makes those 500 yard shots easy. But 1000 yards? That's over a half mile. 

Personally I don't have any interest in ever shooting deer and elk that far. Takes the "hunt" right out of it. But, to each their own.

[fishngamereaper]

My Win Mdl 70( leupold glass) "drives tacs" at 1200 yards. As do all three of my Rem 700's, 2 .308's and a 300 Mag(leupold/Nikon glass). Most good rifles with good glass can shoot good at 1000yds. Problem is most people can't shoot good at 1000yds.  You can build a rifle for 2k that will do the job, you just need to put in the range time to be confident in the shot. Custom builds are cool, don't get me wrong, but there are factory guns that fit the bill.

I'm running Night Force glass on my current "tac driver" and its great to look through. But I think its a little to expensive for a hunting rifle. Never tried Vortex so can't comment. Nikon has always treated me well as has Leupold.

[rtspring]

Yep come off the 1000 yards and it can be done easily.  I would buy a rem 700 in .300 win or Rum or 338 and with decent glass you could shoot 1000 but easier to do 700 or lower. 

I have owned a .300 Rum for alot of years and my farthest shot was 562 I think it was.  It has the right stuff for long long shots but I just get closer..

[kbrowne14]

Go buy a remington 700 long range model in 300 win mag.  Put some decent glass on it.  Take the rest of the money and start shooting.  After you have put hundreds and hundreds of rounds through it, you can then decide if that gun is going to do it for.  If not, its a remington 700 and it can be upgraded easily.  I think people over look the whole shooting aspect.  If you don't have the rounds through the gun, you shouldn't be hunting that far out.  This is just like any sport or activity, you don't start at the hardest part, you start at the beginning.  Crawl, walk, Run.  Just get out there and start shooting and see where it takes you.   

[bod]

Do yourself a favor and take my advice, buy a Tikka in 7mm rem mag.
   There .....

[yorketransport]

One of the guys on here built a 6.5 badger that may be good for 1k elk hunting. If I had the money/ability I would build one.

As one of the two guys with a 6.5 Badger I'll vouch for it being an impressive caliber, but I can come up with a number of better options for elk. If you want 1000 yard elk medicine, that's where my 375 BME comes in.

As for the $2K budget, I really don't think that what the OP wants is unreasonable at all. In fact I'd call it pretty darn reasonable. I've put together at least 4 rifles which would meet his requirements including the budget. I'll bet that I could actually come in under budget enough to pay for reloading components for the first 100 rounds. A long range gun doesn't need to be expensive. I always tell people to budget $1200 for the rifle and $800 for the scope. Shop carefully and you can shave a couple hundred off of that though. That's if all your looking for is performance. When you start adding on extra equipment (custom stocks, bottom metal, fluting etc) the price goes up fast.

Buying (or building) a new rifle is just like buying a new car. If all you want is something that will get you to back and forth to work each day then you can get something which will meet your needs 100% of the time at a reasonable price. If you want a status symbol or a luxury car, you'll pay for the extra features but they won't make it any more functional. I'm a big fan of having both. Build your sensible daily driver rifle (which is still capable of meeting your performance goals) first. If the budget allows it later on, then get your luxury rifle.  My sensible daily driver long range gun is my Striker in 284 Win (that I built for about $1200 including the scope) and the sensible car is a 2004 Jetta. The extravagant  over the top rifle is a Jim Borden built switch barrel in 7mm RUM, 270 RUM and 338 Edge (over $4500 invested including optics) and the matching over the top car is a 2015 Lexus IS 350 F Sport. Neither combination is "better", but there's no denying that the Borden feels nicer than the Striker when shooting, and the Lexus is nicer to drive than the Jetta.

Andrew