Need help deciding on 1/2 MOA rifle less than $2000

[tRidiot]

I am looking to buy something like this pretty quick. I would like to either buy it piecemeal and put it together myself, or buy a complete rifle with a good action I can customize as I go along. So, like buy the action +/- barrel first, then a stock, then better glass, etc. I'm really not sure where to go to get started. Seems the Tikkas are getting a lot of nods in this thread. I always thought a Rem 700 action would be a good starting place... is that not right?

 

[tRidiot]

If I can find a bone stock rifle capable of 0.5-1.0 MOA @ 1000 yards (I know I would have to work to be able to do this) for under $1000 I'd be ecstatic, especially if it is able to be upgraded to be even better.

I'm thinking 6.5 Creed or .308 are my best bets?

 

[tRidiot]

This one kinda looks like a nice starter rifle:

https://grabagun.com/remington-700-sps-6-5creed-24-blk-syn.html

 

[dennishoddy]

Hard to go wrong with a Rem 700 action. It was designated the M-40 by the Marines in the Vietnam war.
After modifications by Marine Armorers, the rifle was used by Carlos Hathcock and Chuck Mawhinney.
Marry that action with a really great barrel and you will likely have the rifle that shoots better than you do.

 

[Glock 40]

@tRidiot this looks like a deal. I would try a deal without the scope but this would work for what your wanting. I like rem 700s lots of clones and custom guns are made around their action. Lots of good options under a grand Bergara, Tikka and Howa's are all good rifles also. I would get a 6.5 over a 308.

 

[Jcann]

I am looking to buy something like this pretty quick. I would like to either buy it piecemeal and put it together myself, or buy a complete rifle with a good action I can customize as I go along. So, like buy the action +/- barrel first, then a stock, then better glass, etc. I'm really not sure where to go to get started. Seems the Tikkas are getting a lot of nods in this thread. I always thought a Rem 700 action would be a good starting place... is that not right?

https://www.eurooptic.com/Remington-700-SPS-Barreled-Action-65-Creedmoor-22-86503.aspx

https://www.eurooptic.com/86498-Remington-Remington-700-Police-5R-308-Win-24-Barreled.aspx

https://www.eurooptic.com/Rem-700-308-Win-AT-Kit.aspx

 

[k4ylr]

Here's a good run down:

• Don't buy a new Remington. Despite what Fuddlore tells you; they are **** since the Freedom Group buy out.
• Continue to not buy a Remington, and then also don't buy a factory Remington in case you were thinking you'd buy a Remington.
• R700 footprinted clones or trued/printed semi-customs are fine.
• Do buy a 6.5 over a .308. Factory ammo is plentiful and it's better.
• Pick from Savage, Ruger (American Predator or Precision Rifle), Tikka, Bergara or Howa/Weatherby.
• Shave your rifle budget, to afford better glass. SWFA SS in a fixed 10 or 12x, Vortex DB Tac FFP, Athlon Argos BTR are where I'd start.
• Other optics choices obviously the Viper PST II, Sightron SIII, Bushnell Match Pro, SWFA 5-20, Athlon Midas TAC
• If you want to go bespoke, ARC Nucleus, Bighorn (now Zermatt) Origin, Defiance, Kelbly's actions, pick a stock or chassis and a good barrel. X-Caliber, Bartlein/Criterion prefits, Preferred Blanks, Hawkill etc...

The aftermarket support is huge and wide, buy the best glass you can afford (buy FFP glass, in mils or MOA. But most precision shooters use mils. So if you want help, get mils) and shave your rifle budget down to afford better glass and more trigger time.

 

[Jcann]

First off, if someone is concerned about how much money they will spend to shoot further with consistent accuracy, it would be better not to venture into this discipline. Especially if you're taking it serious.
The chances could be:
1. Your factory rifle will not be capable of it and needs additional work to produce desired results.
2. You can't get comfortable on the stock or the stock isn't capable of producing desired results.
3. Your factory ammo will not produce desired results.
4. Your scope is holding you back, no parallax, zero stop, poor glass, insufficient magnification, limited elevation travel, .......
5. You don't have all the necessary peripheral's, ie. reloading equipment, ballistic software, weather station, range finder, chronograph,..
6. You don't have access to a long range shooting facility or farm land (800 yards and greater).
7. You don't have enough opportunity/time to spend at the range and reloading room.
8. And the greatest killjoy, your significant other....once they learn how much you spent.

There is nothing wrong with a factory Remington action. I would take it over a Savage or Ruger action if I was building a rifle. Depending on what a smith does to that Remington action you may have been better off money wise buying a custom action. Generally, (one would hope) these don't need additional work by a smith to gain concentricity, lug abatement, etc.

FFP scopes are great for holdover/holdoff shooting but may not be your first choice for hunting situations. FFP scope reticles at lower power can be hard to see and one may desire having illumination in the scope to see the reticle. The cross hair of many FFP scopes are very thick at full magnification and can obscure part of the target (especially longer ranged targets). If you dial your holdover, a zero stop is a must in my opinion. Mil vs MOA is a shooters personal preference. Just because most PRS shooters use Mil doesn't mean you should as well. EITHER ONE WORKS.

The long range shooting discipling is a combination of many parts working together in unison to produce accurate long range shots. Skimping on just one of those parts can be detrimental to the entire system. Long range in my opinion is not 300 or 500 yards. It's 800 yards and greater. Any factory rifle worth its salt should be able to hit a 10" gong at 500 yards. After all, that's a 2moa target.

It all starts with a quality shooting system (rifle). The greatest shooter using the greatest scope and ammo can't hit a target with a POS rifle. Now, mix up those two sentences however you want and the results will be the same. You need quality in every piece and consistency in the ammo and shooter.

 

[farmer17]

I'm thinking about this gun and scope for hunting and 600-800 yard target shooting. I don't reload so don't expect .5 MOA accuracy.

https://lockedloaded.com/product/ti...5-creedmoor-24.3-31-synthetic-black-stk-blued

https://gun.deals/product/vortex-vi...escope-moa-matte-black-vhs-4309-49898-shipped

 

[O4L]

I'm thinking about this gun and scope for hunting and 600-800 yard target shooting. I don't reload so don't expect .5 MOA accuracy.

https://lockedloaded.com/product/ti...5-creedmoor-24.3-31-synthetic-black-stk-blued

https://gun.deals/product/vortex-vi...escope-moa-matte-black-vhs-4309-49898-shipped

That should do it.