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1000 yard rifles

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bigpapa4045 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bigpapa4045 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: 1000 yard rifles
    Posted: October/09/2008 at 20:25
hey there guys im looking into building a 1000 yard rifle! im goin to stick with the .308 for sure
 
what do u guys think? what do u guys thave for distance rifle set ups?
 
pics and info on everything would be great! rifle,scope,mounts and rings, ammo!  the whole ( yards!
 
thanks guys hope to hear something soon!
-Shaine-
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Mike McDonald View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike McDonald Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/09/2008 at 21:36
308's are an easy 1st choice due to ready availability of decent starter rifles, accessories, ammunition and reloading components.
 
One of many recommendations would be a Remington pss ( and it would be my only starter rifle recommendation )  for it's action, decent straight line stock, aluminum bedding block/stock stiffener and decent starter barrel with about a 10,000 round service life. 
The long factory throat is not a detriment to accuracy despite what you might read, and serves as a safety feature for the beginning reloader. 
Tubb final finish is almost mandatory for proper break in of the factory tube.  It works about 99.999% of the time, and reduces fouling, and cleaning hassles.  In the factory tube it will also increase consistant accuracy.
 
Get a flat base, IOR, Leupold, Badger.  I'd recommend the Leupold to keep the scope as low to the bore as possible, with low or medium Leupold, IOR, or Badger rings.  I personally think the IOR rings are a best buy in the catagory.
 
Starter distance scope, the 42mm side focus SuperSniper in 10x.  Trust me I've had them both, and at distance the side focus has better resolution.
Second choice is the 40mm MkIV M1 series, fixed 10x is sufficient.  Get the mildot reticle, you're going to learn wind hold offs.  Start cranking the windage knob and you'll get your a** whipped every time.  Save dialing wind for  the palma teams with individual shooter coaches.
 
Bipod is a Harris 6-9 BRS model if you don't look like me, 9-13 swivel leg notch model if you look like me and need the extra ground clearance.  You can get a pod lock but I view it as a crutch.  Learn to control your rifle.
 
You did know that you're going to have to make your own quality ammunition didn't you?  Smile
 
As for ammunition, the standard starter kit is Hornady, Lapua or winchester brass  ( no milsurp, no remington ) federal 210 primers ( no need for the spendy match 210M's, they're the same except for the price and packaging) 175 grain sierra matchkings, and varget powder.  Get the Redding die set.  Get the extra micrometer seating unit.
Seating is 2.800 with no regard to touching lands, and velocities are from 2600 to 2700fps.
Closer to 2600 is more accurate.
Sinclairs has bullet comparitors and meplat uniformers.  Get them both.  Sort all bullets by ogive to base length in 0.001" increments prior to loading.  Meplate uniform by 0.005" after loading one lot of same length bullets.  at 1000 yards it's worth about 3 inches in your group size and shot to shot placement in the wind is much more consistant.
 
Brass prep is;
Full lengthsize all new brass
Trim to same length, doesn't matter what that is.
Uniform primer pocket
Uniform flash hole
Do brass prep in 100 round lots, and segregate each lot.  When you do something to 1 piece in that lot, you do it to ALL pieces in that lot.  Shot a 5 round 1000 yard group with unsorted, randomly prepped brass and you'll not make that mistake again.
 
You'll need a good chronograph.  Pact is 1st choice now that Oehler is not an option.  Chrony is not even a remote consideration for quality ammunition production testing.
 
At the range;
Spotting scope
Data book, you'll log almost everything to do with the rifle, conditions, and elevations at various ranges.
Kestral weather staion for wind, pressure, density altitude and humidity
Note pad, log every thing you do while on the basic learning curve.  Read it later and you'll find most of your errors.
Shooting mat.  lightly padded to keep you from being distracted.
Good soft brim hat as a sun shield.  Boonie hats work well as the flap bends to clear the scope, and can be conformed to the up-sun eye as a shield.
 
I've left out about a million things.
Best of Luck!!
Mike


Edited by Mike McDonald - October/10/2008 at 11:50
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Dale Clifford View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dale Clifford Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/09/2008 at 23:50
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8shots View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 8shots Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/10/2008 at 02:43
Thanks Mike, that was very informative and a reminder of getting the basics right.
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Dale Clifford View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dale Clifford Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/10/2008 at 23:54
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Steelbenz View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Steelbenz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/11/2008 at 15:35
Originally posted by Mike McDonald Mike McDonald wrote:

308's are an easy 1st choice due to ready availability of decent starter rifles, accessories, ammunition and reloading components.
 
One of many recommendations would be a Remington pss ( and it would be my only starter rifle recommendation )  for it's action, decent straight line stock, aluminum bedding block/stock stiffener and decent starter barrel with about a 10,000 round service life. 
The long factory throat is not a detriment to accuracy despite what you might read, and serves as a safety feature for the beginning reloader. 
Tubb final finish is almost mandatory for proper break in of the factory tube.  It works about 99.999% of the time, and reduces fouling, and cleaning hassles.  In the factory tube it will also increase consistant accuracy.
 
Get a flat base, IOR, Leupold, Badger.  I'd recommend the Leupold to keep the scope as low to the bore as possible, with low or medium Leupold, IOR, or Badger rings.  I personally think the IOR rings are a best buy in the catagory.
 
Starter distance scope, the 42mm side focus SuperSniper in 10x.  Trust me I've had them both, and at distance the side focus has better resolution.
Second choice is the 40mm MkIV M1 series, fixed 10x is sufficient.  Get the mildot reticle, you're going to learn wind hold offs.  Start cranking the windage knob and you'll get your a** whipped every time.  Save dialing wind for  the palma teams with individual shooter coaches.
 
Bipod is a Harris 6-9 BRS model if you don't look like me, 9-13 swivel leg notch model if you look like me and need the extra ground clearance.  You can get a pod lock but I view it as a crutch.  Learn to control your rifle.
 
You did know that you're going to have to make your own quality ammunition didn't you?  Smile
 
As for ammunition, the standard starter kit is Hornady, Lapua or winchester brass  ( no milsurp, no remington ) federal 210 primers ( no need for the spendy match 210M's, they're the same except for the price and packaging) 175 grain sierra matchkings, and varget powder.  Get the Redding die set.  Get the extra micrometer seating unit.
Seating is 2.800 with no regard to touching lands, and velocities are from 2600 to 2700fps.
Closer to 2600 is more accurate.
Sinclairs has bullet comparitors and meplat uniformers.  Get them both.  Sort all bullets by ogive to base length in 0.001" increments prior to loading.  Meplate uniform by 0.005" after loading one lot of same length bullets.  at 1000 yards it's worth about 3 inches in your group size and shot to shot placement in the wind is much more consistant.
 
Brass prep is;
Full lengthsize all new brass
Trim to same length, doesn't matter what that is.
Uniform primer pocket
Uniform flash hole
Do brass prep in 100 round lots, and segregate each lot.  When you do something to 1 piece in that lot, you do it to ALL pieces in that lot.  Shot a 5 round 1000 yard group with unsorted, randomly prepped brass and you'll not make that mistake again.
 
You'll need a good chronograph.  Pact is 1st choice now that Oehler is not an option.  Chrony is not even a remote consideration for quality ammunition production testing.
 
At the range;
Spotting scope
Data book, you'll log almost everything to do with the rifle, conditions, and elevations at various ranges.
Kestral weather staion for wind, pressure, density altitude and humidity
Note pad, log every thing you do while on the basic learning curve.  Read it later and you'll find most of your errors.
Shooting mat.  lightly padded to keep you from being distracted.
Good soft brim hat as a sun shield.  Boonie hats work well as the flap bends to clear the scope, and can be conformed to the up-sun eye as a shield.
 
I've left out about a million things.
Best of Luck!!
Mike
  

Good Night Mike,

You just handed him the keys, it took me years to figure out.

SB
 
"Don't argue with a fool! From a distance you can't really tell who's who!"
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Duce View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Duce Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/11/2008 at 19:10
Great information from Mike in the above posts, you may want to check the information available on www.benchrest.com forum and look at some of the rifles set up on some of their links and some of the used rifle set ups  one of their links is to shooters corner
There is a lot of good info for the shooter on the forum too.
Good Luck and good shooting
Duce Big%20Smile
Duce
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RifleDude View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/13/2008 at 10:24
Excellent post, Mike!Excellent
Ted


Money can't buy happiness... but it's much more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle.
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