Beginner long distance shooter

[XC700116]

OK, well take it from a guy that's been down that road, and there's quite a few accomplished LR shooters on this board that will probably chime in as well. But here's my take. It 100% depends on just how far down the rabbit hole you're planning on/willing to go. Are you looking at shooting some matches or is this just going to be for your own enjoyment? Trust me when I tell you, you'll learn far more in a single match shooting with those that are better at this game than you, than you will with thousands of rounds down range by yourself. Also going to a training course will be extremely beneficial, and we have some real good instructors in the area.

If it's just for fun/enjoyment or learning, you don't need a backup rifle and what you have now will be just fine, maybe add some upgrades down the road if you chose, and learn the rifle inside and out, and how to fix minor issues in the field.

If you see yourself going down the competition/match shooting road, skip the RPR, Savage, Trued up 700, etc and use your current rifle as a backup, you'll be money, time & energy ahead in a short time through the LR journey. Then find a reputable smith and have a rifle built for you on a high quality custom action (Bighorn, Surgeon, Impact, Defiance, etc) and have it put in a quality stock (Manners or McMillan) or chassis (AI, XLR, KRG, MPA, etc) , or go buy an AI and be done with it. That way if you ever decide to get out of it, you have something that will get a good portion of your money back, and if you decide to stay, you have something that will last a lifetime with the exception of barrels. Budget for top tier glass too (Schmidt & Bender, Kahles, Nightforce, Vortex Razor, etc) figure at least $2k. I'm not saying go out and buy this rig right now, go to a few matches, take a look at everything, and ask to get behind a few, most if not all the guys there will have no problem with this, just be respectful and explain your position, and you'll find most everybody willing to let you test drive their rifles a bit or at least sit in the drivers seat.


As for caliber, there's a reason there's a separate class in the PRS for 223/308 than everything else, the 308 is a distinct disadvantage in the wind and when you get out to longer distances (800+ yds). 6.5 Creedmoor, 260 Rem, 243 Win, 6 Creedmoor, 6XC, et all are far superior performers when the targets get a long ways away, small, or the wind kicks up. Perhaps the single biggest advantage of the lighter cartridges I've listed here and you will read about on line, is recoil management. In order to learn anything from 1 shot to the next, you need to be able to see your bullet either hit the target, or where it misses the target at, the less recoil you have the easier this is to see, and thereby correct for your next shot. This is why I train/practice with a 223, that and the ammo is a lot cheaper.

There was a time when I would have recommended an RPR, or a Savage or similar rifle for those looking to get into the game a bit, but the problem is that every person I've ever met that started to dabble in this, ultimately ends up going in much deeper, and wishing for something more and thereby spending more in the long run. You are already set up with a good rifle to start down this journey with, and the above mentioned options are just another one of what you have in a different flavor. If that's where your budget/comfort level is, then just shoot that barrel out, and when it's time for a new tube, have a good smith turn a barrel for you in your cartridge of choice.

Whatever you decide/do, DO NOT GO JUMP INTO A MAGNUM!!!!!!!!!! you'll find yourself limited in your learning, developing bad habits during long shooting sessions, and just burning a pile of money in the process. Magnum cartridges have no place in the initial learning phases of this game and cause new shooters far more problems than they ever cure. There's nothing inside of 1500 yards you can do with a 300 Win Mag, that you can't do with a 243 Winchester besides deliver tons of energy on target and beat the crap out of yourself with recoil. I own a 7mm WSM and while I've shot well over 6000 rounds in the last 6 months through my precision rifles, only about 20 of them have been through the big 7 and I wasn't having a ton of fun when I was shooting it.