In the market for a Precision Rifle

[DocMinster]

I cant comment on all of the aforementioned manufacturers as I have not owned or fired those rifles. BUT I have heard great things about them.

If you want to save some $$ in the past I have owned a Remington 700 in .308 with a Leupold Mark 4 ... very good rifle for the $$ and it allows you to spend a little more on the glass.

If you are looking for a custom rifle...

I have a HS Precision HTR 2000 in .308 Win. with a S&B PMII with Badger Ordnance 20MOA Base and Rings ... great rifle NO Problems. I shot it last week to record some cool weather dope.
Handloaded 168gr BTHP Sierra Match Kings @ 2700fps (Varget) @100,200,&300 yrds I had a 1MOA 5 shot group at 300yds.





ALSO what calibre..... if I had to do it over again .308 or 300WM...Hmmmm still torn.


tuff choices ahead of you...

Good luck
Doc

[Dave L.]

I'm still torn between a Surgeon or an AI. I have emailed both to find out what the wait looks like but haven't heard back yet. I want a .338LM but ammo seems really hard to get and I don't reload(yet). I may go with an AI in .300WM but that's just an idea I'm throwing around.

I'm planning on spending $5,000 (+/- $250) on the Rifle, $2,500 (+/- $200) on the optic. I'll spend what ever I have to on proper training/ammo/accessories.

[Army Chief]

Having just gone through the very same process, with most of the very same stipulations (i.e. .308, bolt gun, left-handed, price a secondary concern), I discovered an unexpected solution that really surpassed expectations: the Sako TRG.

Like you, I initially felt that a custom Remington 700 was the most obvious solution; that said, when I considered wait times, pricing, and features, I came to realize that there are "production" rifles that deliver the same performance right from the factory: the Accuracy International Arctic Warfare model, and the Sako TRG-22.

Capability-wise, there is a razor's edge degree of difference between the two, but price-wise, there really is no contest. Now, I'm not here to say that the A.I. rifle isn't worth the money -- far from it -- but when you consider that quality glass is going to add at least $2,500 or more to the total outlay, it just isn't cost-effective for most of us to spend $5,000 on a base rifle. The Sako, properly-equipped, and appropriately topped-off with a Schmidt & Bender or U.S. Optics scope is going to come in at very close to that same amount.

I still think there will always be a place in my safe for a GAP 700 or another comparable custom, but when the time comes for me to consider a magnum, I've got to be honest: I really think I'm going to look back to Sako. The TRG is just that good.

Chief

[USMC03]

Read Zak Smith's articles. They may help your decision making:



PRACTICAL LONG RANGE RIFLE SHOOTING Article Series:

PART I: THE RIFLE & GEAR - priorities, cost, calibers, rifles, ammunition, scopes, range-finders, ancillary gear, spotting, data:

http://demigodllc.com/articles/pract...ing-equipment/


PART II: OPTICS - ballistics, elevation, wind, lead, data cards, dialing elevation, parallax, first focal plane vs. second focal plane, elevation adjustment & travel, clicks, zero-stop, single- vs. multi-turn knobs, bullet-drop compensators (BDC), tube diameter, reticle features, MIL vs. MOA, reticle illumination, brightness, magnification, objective size, specific recommendations


http://demigodllc.com/articles/pract...ooting-optics/



PART III: SHOOTING - zeroing, finding a range, targets and placement, packing up, arrival, target location, positioning, making scope adjustments, engagement, follow-up, shooter/spotter communication, efficiency



http://demigodllc.com/articles/pract...ting-shooting/






I believe Zak also wrote an article on the Sako vs. the Accuracy International earlier this year in one of the gun magazines.





Semper Fi,
Jeff

[f.2]

I found these articles interesting reads:

The Tango 51, Tack Driving Tactical Rifle from Tac Ops by Eugene Nielsen

BARREL LENGTH AND THE PRECISION RIFLE, Why shorter barrels may often be better by Eugene Nielsen

[USMC03]

Dave,


Do it right the first time







Accuracy Internation Artic Warfare (.308) with Schmidt and Bender 4-16x50 with P4 Fine reticle:











Semper Fi,
Jeff

[Army Chief]

That's definitely a bit more than I wanted to spend, Jeff, but no doubt about it, that's one gorgeous rifle with the best glass on the planet. There are definitely no excuses with a rig like that. LOL

Just wanted to reiterate that the Zak Smith articles mentioned above are really a gold standard introduction to the long range disciplines, and I can't even imagine a better no-nonsense primer on the subject. Zak really did a masterful job of making the these topics approachable, understandable and easy to apply in practice. It's essential reading in my view.

Chief

[Army Chief]

I believe Zak also wrote an article on the Sako vs. the Accuracy International earlier this year in one of the gun magazines.

A-firm. While rather specifically focused on the .338 Lapua big boys, this review does provide a relevant Sako v. A.I. comparison applicable to other calibers, as well ...

http://demigodllc.com/articles/milit...es-trg42-awsm/

Chief

[Dave L.]

Dave,


Do it right the first time

That's the kinda guy I am.

[AnchorStation]

The AI will work left or right as will the McM A-4 and A-5. Surgeon makes actions that you can have GA Precision or Terry cross build a rifle on (there are many others too) or you can buy a rifle built by Surgeon the "Scalpel" is their tactical rifle and they usally build one or two a month and usally have one ready in stock. You can get either an A-5 or the AICS stock on it. Thes rigs shoot no doubt. I had a 308 Scalpel and it was unbelivable...shot nice 5 round one hole groups all day.

Lots of good info on this site but for precision shooting the gold mine of info is on Snipers Hide...those guys wont steer you wrong and there are lots of group buys. I saved almost 2K total on all of my gear from various GB's and vendors off the hide.

As for glass it sucks but deal with the fact that you will have almost as much in the cost of the optic as you will the rifle. SB and USO are definatly top tier but there are other options as well such as IOR and Lupy...whatever glass you get be sure it has a first focal plane reticle. Lupy only has one version in FFP and honestly for 1200 bucks I would go with the FFP IOR as the glass is MUCH better. If variable isnt a huge factor the USO ST10 is a great value around 1300 with good features.