Lightweights and Long Range...whats your limit?

[jayquiver]

I don’t consider myself a long range shooter or hunter. I have shot clay’s on the berm at FMFG Range at 500 yards… its fun! My longest hunting shot is probably around 150 yds, most have been between 60-100yards.

I have a couple of goals for 2022

1. Get back into reloading
2. Shoot/train at longer distances, now that I am settled in Calgary and a member at CDTSA Milo Range (500 meters).
3. Move it past 500 yards once load development is done on crown land.

I have been doing some reading over the holidays and it seems a lot of shooters prefer a heavier rifle for longer range shots. Some also feel like lightweight rifles have a limitation of range. So what is the sweet spot for carry and long range?

Couple of questions for everyone,

1. What is your sweet spot for you with rifle weight (scoped) and accurate shooting distances in a hunting rifle?

2. If you have a light weight rifle, what does it weigh what’s your personal comfort range for it, shooting it accurately?

3. If you were going to build/buy a capable 500-700 yard hunting rifle, that could ring steel past that range, what would it weigh and look like?

[obsessed1]

My main hunting rifles all shoot moa or better at 1k they are all in the 7-9lb range and are just basic accurized hunting rifles. For target work they heat up fairly quick so my " target" rifles are heavier barreled for more prolonged shooting.
The basic guns are
Savage 11 243 shooting 87gr vmax. W 6-18 crossfire ll
Vz mauser diy build in 300wm shooting 180gr accubonds w 6-18 crossfire II
Parker hale 308 shooting 165gr accubonds w 6-18 leupold
Diy Mauser built 308 (20" carbine) 165 accubonds w 3-9 bushnell elite

All these guns can go the distance and shoot sub moa at 1k
My advice if your planning to do lots of target work get a rifle set up for that. Develop great fundamentals of marksmanship and transfer those fundamentals to your ( accurate) hunting rigs. Most off the self guns can be tweaked to hold at least moa out to great distance. Focus less on the tools and more on you. What you already have and use are probably capable

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[sns2]

Jay, that description is not in my wheelhouse, but when I read of it, I thought Bergara B-14 HMR. Like this…

https://store.prophetriver.com/bergara-6-5prc-b-14-hmr-hunting-match-rifle-bolt-action-rifle-adjustable-hmr-synthetic-stock-w-mini-chassis-blued-24threaded-5-8x24-barrel-3-round-aics-detachable-box-magazine-1-8twist-mfg-b14s359/

[freeride]

Jay, that description is not in my wheelhouse, but when I read of it, I thought Bergara B-14 HMR. Like this…

https://store.prophetriver.com/bergara-6-5prc-b-14-hmr-hunting-match-rifle-bolt-action-rifle-adjustable-hmr-synthetic-stock-w-mini-chassis-blued-24threaded-5-8x24-barrel-3-round-aics-detachable-box-magazine-1-8twist-mfg-b14s359/

That one is $200 off at northpro right now.

[sns2]

That one is $200 off at northpro right now.

The one at Northpro is also the Wilderness series which is a step up from the model I linked. It will be sold quickly.

[Dubious]

1. 8.5-9.5 lbs ish weather decides the max engagement distance.
2. I dont have any light rifles they recoil to much for target shooting/hunting you may feel recoil different.
3. I would buy a t3x or similar in 300wsm or 300wm slap on a lilja barrel have mr Remple work his magic with one of his legendary builds he does including a b&c stock swap glass bedding and break, slap a zeiss v4 scope on it and load some 210gr hunting bullets like an Accubond LR and send it.

[jayquiver]

The one at Northpro is also the Wilderness series which is a step up from the model I linked. It will be sold quickly.

That is a nice rifle. I will look into Bergara, haven't really looked at them before.

[catnthehat]

There are lots of great rifles out there , a few gis at the club are shooting Bergaras out to 1K
Having a bit of experience at long range shooting and hunting, IMO the biggest considerations to look at are
A 20 MOA rail/ scope set up and cartridge choice .
My preferences for out to 1K on the range are rifles that weigh around 12 pounds or so, and cartridges like the 6mm, .308 , and 6.5 cartridges that run out of the muzzle between 2,900 and 3,200FPS.
I worry more about accuracy than barrel life , BTW , hence the weight, because shoot a lot of rounds during the day out if unbraked rifles:sHa_shakeshout:
Cat

[Smokinyotes]

I have a 17lb 6.5-284 and a 18 lb 7LRM that I shoot at a 1000+. Wouldn’t dream of taking them hunting.

I had a Tikka T3 stainless synthetic that kicked the crap out of me so I put a Boyd’s laminate on it to add a little weight. I then put a 5.5-22 x50 NXS scope on it to add some more weight. Now I find I don’t pack it hunting because it feels like a heavy pig.

For a hunting rig anything above 9lbs scoped and full of ammo is starting to get heavy imo.

[catnthehat]

I have a 17lb 6.5-284 and a 18 lb 7LRM that I shoot at a 1000+. Wouldn’t dream of taking them hunting.
Yeah. I have a couple of F/TR and F/O rifles that are just under 21 pounds. I don't shoot them too often but the only place I do is at the range !LOL
Cat

[marky_mark]

8.5 lbs is a good weight
Trying to shoot a sub 7 lbs rifle at distance its just not that forgiving

[Mateo]

My main rifle, my 6.5 sherman shortmag, is a 16+ pound rifle. I've carried this up mountains. Most notably the mountains of New Zealand. I use a backpack sling and carry it on my shoulders. The only advantage lightweight rifles have is carrying them. Everything else favours heavy barrels and heavy stocks.

[brewster29]

My 280 Rem weighs 6 lb 7 oz with a 4.5-14 Vx3. It shoots great to 600 which is as far as the B& C reticle takes me. For me that’s long hunting range. It definitely takes a different approach than a heavy rifle…light grip and it needs to recoil freely.

[Redneck 7]

I have a Remington 700 300 SAUM with a Leupold VX3 3.5-10 cds-zl scope, with talleys. Factory trigger tuned and I got a brake installed. Bell and Carlson stock that I bedded the action on. Only shot it out to 500 yard with the dial and it shows promise to be capable of a lot further. Without ammo it weighed in at 9 lbs. I don’t think I’d want a magnum lighter then that. It has decent recoil now after the brake but before the brake it was a mule.

[Jerry D]

Bergara are nice rifles.

http://www.bergarausa.com/Ed-Shilen-consults-Bergara-Barrels.php

I’ve shot the hmr. It’s nice. They are the new factory Remington 700 I’d say.

My rifle is 7lbs 12oz scoped and the next one is going to be probably 10-12lbs scoped to increase stability a little.

[Dubious]

The big 500m gong at Milo is not a difficult shot. We have rung that one with irons and old surplus ammo in an sks in heavy cross winds. The hard part is trying to hit the smaller ones first shot of the day every time. Game isn’t like the gong it won’t stand there and let you artillery style bracket them in and walk bullets onto them. Good luck on your quest I started exactly where you are now it took years of learning.

One thing to note, there are a lot of people that disapprove of long range hunting lots of them are here on this forum. While I have gained some help here and really appreciate the help I got most of it was from other information sources.

[elkhunter11]

If I don't shoot a rifle well at longer distances, which for me is 500 meters, I likely don't shoot it well at any distance. I prefer a more muzzle heavy rifle for precision shooting at any distance, and if shooting it off of a rest, be it a benchrest or shooting sticks, I prefer a wider/flatter fore end. I hate the balance of the Sako Finnlights, because of the short pencil barrels, and I typically don't shoot them as well, as a rifle with more weight in the barrel. I have settled on a weight of 8.5 to 9.5 lbs scoped, as being the weight that I like in a hunting rifle, because I find that weight comfortable to shoot accurately, and still tolerable to carry all day.

[raised by wolves]

Every person is going to be different. In my youth I had a hell of a lot of training and time at the range, both for hobby and occupation, working with different rifles at ranges from 100 metres out to 1500 metres. Obviously all of this was done with heavy target and tactical style platforms, nothing I would consider hauling up a mountain or across the prairies for a hunting trip.

Despite all the experience and skill with shooting long range, my longest shot on game was around 600 metres and only one animal ever at this range. The next longest shot on game was around 400 metres. Over the years I have taken approximately 400 big game and the bulk of that population was all harvested between 25 and 200 metres.

These are my current main hunting rifles:
- Sako 85 Finnlight 270WSM, Swarovski Z3 3-10 BRX (140 Accubonds)
- Sako 85 Stainless Synthetic 270Win, Swaro Z3 3-10BRH (130 Powershocks)
- Sako 85 Blackwolf 7mmRM, Swaro Z5 3-18 BRX (168 Berger Hybrids)
- I have several lightweights but I do not trust them at long range.

I trust these combinations out to 600 metres but avoid the longer shots on game because of my own personal choice and ethics. My fear on long shots is the potential for error in the field, making a bad shot placement on an animal, and then not being able to make a follow up shot on a wounded animal as it disappears into the landscape.