Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Cost efficient rifle for practice?

Hi, what would be the best for cost efficiencies for practice if you didn’t plan on reloading for it? I certainly realize reloading would be best, but time is a premium and I rather spend it at the range. Appreciate it.

22 LR

.223 used to be cheap.

Practicing for what?

5.56

For distance. I am starting to extend my hunting ranges and would like to practice to 1000 yards or so, to be better at the 600-700 hunting ranges.

What are you intending to hunt?

For cheap range time and learn to dial and read wind 223 with heavies.
6.5cm or 308 to go further on the cheap.
To hunt with out to a 1000? 7 or 300 PRC. Obviously 300 win or 7 rem would be cheaper. I don’t know but Budget and long range just don’t mesh well

Thank you, I don’t think I would hunt to 1000, just practice. I have 6.5 prc with a short barrel so I think 600 or so would be max.

I live in Colorado and chase elk, deer, and antelope, rifle and archery. Set up 6.5 prc to hopefully cover them all. My previous elk have been .270 and .308.

Practice with a fast twist 223 Rem, 6.5 Creed or 308 Winchester.
Your drops and wind corrections will be different, but that is not a big deal.

Another option:
Get a 22lr and put your hunting scope on it and run it from 50 yards to 200 yards.

to learn accuracy just the standard 22 LR at 25 YD. pit then 50 yard pit when can shoot extremely well at 50 yards you will know the difference then. good luck

Another option:
Get a 22lr and put your hunting scope on it and run it from 50 yards to 200 yards.[/quote]

Shooting a good 22lr with a dialing scope out to 200-300 yards will teach you a lot about dialing and holding elevation and windage corrections and good rifle techniques

There are a bunch of really good 22 rimfires. In my opinion they will teach you more about long range shooting at less cost per round than anything.

This, 77 or 80 grain bullets in a fast twist .223 will get you to 600 yards. Nothing but a .22 LR would be less expensive for practice.

You have been given some great advice.
You can see there is more than one way to skin the cat...Which way are you leaning?

FWIW-a fast twist 223 will get you past a grand, even with a 15" barrel.

If buying factory ammo, a good .22LR and a fast twist 223 or 6mm Creedmoor.

I use a combination of .22LR out to 200yds and .223 with 69s and 77s out to 600yds.

I really like practicing with a .22LR and when I competed in silhouette had a .22LR trainer built to mimic my match rifle. I reload for everything I own except for .22LR, but without a doubt the 2 calibers I shoot the most are .2LR and .223.

Both will give you some exercise in reading the wind. For .223s I've got 2 bolt guns, one mimics a standard sporter and the other a precision rig. My backyard range goes out to 760yds, and once the hay is out in late JUL/AUG I set up a "hunting" CoF to practice field position shooting with steel plates at varying distances in prep for hunting season.

Any gun with low-BC bullets will give you wind practice at the right range.
Generally, you want something that eliminates extraneous factors, like recoil.

+1.

This super-cheap PSA AR is one of my more fun rifles (18" SS 223Wylde 1-8" barrel). It was a bit breezy Saturday morning so I did some 400yd shooting with 77's to see what kind of drift I'd get, and to check dope on a newly swapped scope. I only learn so much when I just shoot on the calm/still days. As much as I like bolt guns, I would have never thought I'd be grabbing an AR first thing to go do chores or stop by the range.

I use a Ruger target .22 rifle with a suppressor, shooting sub sonic ammo. My scope has a 40 moa reticle (swfa 10x, side focus). 40 moa gets me out to 260 yards. 50 yard zero requires 7 moa holdover at 100 yards. Each yard is critical, so a quality range finder is a must.

This combo is super accurate, and with the sub sonic ammo, it doesn't lose accuracy, downrange. 1st round hits at 250 yards, on a soda can, is every time.....when I do my part.

Andy3

22LR steals the show,but very few folks have seen a GOOD one. Hint.

Pass the Vudoo and hold The Fluff. Hint..........

If time is a premium and you would rather spend it at the range, I would consider this:

Don't buy a different new rifle shooting a different caliber than your 6.5 PRC that you intend to actually use. Use that money to buy more of your chosen ammo for that 6.5 and go and practice with that. Shoot it at various distances and wind conditions from actual field positions, not just from the bench.

A different rifle will handle differently, trigger will break differently, trajectory and wind bucking will be different, all not conducive to having limited time on the range. Save your brass, you may reload one day.

Good luck with your decision and practice.

Regards,
Manny

Why even practice? Just tell everyone you have shot everything and are the self proclaimed master of all. Then shoot a few fish in trickle creek and throw your gun in the water by them for pics. Rotate pics every 5-25 years, and you should be able to BS 1 or 2 people at least.

KenBitchagain,

It is funnier than fhuqk,that you are enthralled with your Couchbound Kchunt CLUELESSNESS,exceedingly WELL founded Insecurities and just "happen" to be a Lying Piece Of Fhuqking Schit to boot...you "lucky" kchunt. Hint. Congratulations?!?



Fortunately for you and your ilk,Imagination and Pretend are free,so even YOU can "afford" to "contribute". Pardon wares that simply exist and this makes it a very BIG Day for you,because now you can say you've "seen" a Vudoo! Hint.




Keep filling out those Hurt Feeler reports and "lauding" your Professional Victim Status. Hint.

Bless your poor poor(literally) heart.

Hint.

Fhuqking LAUGHING!..................

Oooooopsie! Some Mail just arrived. Hint.



Fhuqking LAUGHING!..............

If you want to skip reloading and spend more time shooting the .22 LR is the best answer.

Lot's of other have said the same in this thread.

Set it up close to your 6.5 PCR and learn to range and read wind with the cheapest factory ammo.

I'll be looking for an AAR on that EP5. My SH4 G2 shipped today. Waiting to see what/what before I order the 2nd scope I needed. One for the 22-250, one for the 22lr. (which will likely end up on a Vuduu before end of 2023)

Dang...it weren't a Reupold after all. Hint.(grin)



Am gonna lengthen the freebore(to 3.585" 180 ELD Smooch) and open neck(to .3150") of newest Custom 7mm RemMag and lengthen LOP 3/4". That'll give me some ADG clearance and it should shine bright. We'll see how this glass,do there. Hint.

KenBitchagain will be GLUED to her Couchbound Kchunt,in eager fhuqking anticipation. Hint.

Fhuqking LAUGHING!...............

Red Ryder BB gun

Kansas whitetail 2014 by Sharps Man, on [bleep]

Untitled by Sharps Man, on [bleep]

Great bucks, congratulations

If you cast your own you'll have an unlimited supply, and it doesn't matter what yer feedin...someone has to say it.

Great post Dre, but I think he wants to practice at 1,000 yards hoping to become proficient at 6-700 yards. The guy must be loaded, or half cocked though.. The only way you get good is by shooting a lot. Even guys with natural ability need to practice, and practicing that much with factory ammo just doesn't make sense.. To each their own I guess..

Very nice Jpro. I feel the same way about the 223 rem and AR's.. A lot of great advice here. I will generally take one of my AR's out when I go to the range as well. I shoot a lot at 400 yards and run a lot of 69gr sierra's. I'd step up to a 77, or not, if practicing out to 600-1000 yards. At 400 the 69 is pretty impressive. Great for practicing in the wind:





I'll shoot 3 shots to check POI when it is windy. I was holding 2 moa off on the last target and the wind still caught those bullets.. One thing that needs to be said. It's not always about the bullet. Here's a fast twist Tikka 22-250 I was shooting a couple weeks ago. Using 77 SMK's:


The group size is horrendous, but my hold over to the left was spot on for the wind call. Now, here's another Tikka 22-250 with a 1 in 14" twist barrel. The rifle is a little heavier, since it is the varmint model. It shoots 53gr v-max like nobody's business:



That rifle and bullet will continually outshoot my CTR's chambered in 6.5 creedmoor.

Thanks. I try! Lol.
Yeah I misunderstood the 1000 yarder. I was assuming since it is long range hunting.
This is also before I knew he has a 6.5 PRC

I'll brace for the howls, but someone that doesn't reload doesn't have any business shooting at game at 600 yds. The chances of finding a rifle/factory ammo that shoot well enough to do it are small, and shooting the amount of factory ammo needed to become proficient is cost prohibitive unless you're a hedge fund manager.

Crow hunter,
I will disagree with you on that you can't find factory ammo for killing at 600 yards.
The cost issue...That depends upon your financials.
I have seen Hornady TAP and Hornady Match (ELD-X's too for that matter) do real well at those distances on multiple guns with multiple barrel lengths

Manny is very much SPOT ON here.

For years due to my occupation, I used a .308/7.62 and shot M118LR pretty much exclusively. I used it at work and I used it in competition as well as in the mountains and desert while hunting. For those not familiar, the M118 LR uses a Sierra 175 grain Matchking. Were there better projectiles? Sure. But when you shoot thousands of them from prone, from rooftops, from bipods/tripods, at work, then take them to the field hunting, you are extremely familiar with the drops, with wind calls, how they will do in mountain thermals, updrafts and downdrafts, etc.

You simply cannot replicate that familiarity shooting 3 different cartridges. I shot a bunch of various live targets with them, including deer, elk, and other things. Everything fell over dead.

Now that I retired from all that, I shoot 155 Scenars almost exclusively for .308s for the same reason.

I personally would shoot what you have exclusively and keep an old school data book of the conditions you shoot it in to record your notes.


By all means take advantage of the modern ballistic programs. They are excellent. But each time you shoot record the information on wind calls, come ups, etc. That way you have notes you can refer to.

This is an old note from shooting movers at 800, with an M24 and fixed 10. Not what I used these days but still useful for referring to.







Keeping good notes can also tell you when you may have an equipment or an ammo issue, such as when your gun was fine at 800, but you dial windage and elevation for 500 on a KD range and all of the sudden it can barely keep them on paper. Same lot of ammo too.

Nobody else said it but I will, what is the point pairing a 6.5 PRC WITH A SHORT BARREL?.. MB

I'd agree 100% IF:

1. I had the money for ammo and more importantly the range to effectively practice with the real thing.

Example; there's not going to be a whole lot of learning to read conditions going on with a 6.5PRC on a 100yd range. But at 200-300 a .22LR works well for that, extend it some and a .223 does too.

2. IF I already had my basics down. If learning to shoot LR, there's a whole lot of practice to be done shooting from positions, backpack tripod etc. A lot of that can be worked on with a .22LR. I can (and do) spend and afternoon shooting working on just positions. With a .22LR or .223 recoil never becomes an issue. I even do some dryfire practice to work on positions in my basement.


So, IF you can't afford the ammo, or don't have the range, what's the solution? Like we say at work "Excellence is the enemy of good enough." or in the absence of perfection, we do nothing.

He didn't say what length, unless I missed it somewhere.

I am guessing a 20-22 inch length for the sake of guessing...

If you want to shoot a short barrel for portability or to keep your OAL length down because of a suppressor, you just jump case capacity up some and you still get the performance level and accuracy level you want with a shorter package.

Or you can imply go that route because you want to...

Cost efficient would be a chamber in 223 Rem, 6mmARC or 6.5 Grendel on a Howa Mini platform. Plenty of aftermarket upgrades like gunstocks, magazine replacement, bottom metal replacement, etc. But for honing in one’s shooting skills a stock Howa mini rifle in those chambers with 20” or 22” barrel are nice, accurate shooters. They all have correct fast twist rates and offer excellent long range ballistic capability.

If you’re going to buy a new rifle, scope, and ammo for practice, how much factory ammo for your main hunting rifle could you buy?

Maybe just take the money you’d spend and buy ammo.





P

I'm not a big man bun guy but in enjoy shooting the 6.5 creedmoor at distance bc it shoots well with factory ammo and available and reasonable.

The .22 is hard to beat. Use a reduced size target at 100 yards. .
Back in my CMP shooting days,, our local club only had a 100 yard range. So we used the reduced targets for phases normally held at longer distances.
If using a scope remember to reduce the magnification as well.

This is what I do, with both 22LR and .223. Cheap effective practice, extend the range and get practice reading conditions.

Back when I was heavily into BPCRs; LR, Buffalo Matches and Silhouette, I conversed with a gentlemen who had one the international BPCR LR match in South Africa I was surprised to learn that he was from my home state of RI. as there's a definite shortage of LR practice opportunities there. His solution was to build a .22LR as the ballistics of the .22LR at 2-300 yds was similar to a .45-90 at distance. Since then I've been hooked on .22LR for practice.

I like that answer pete. I often don't think about all the guys that did not grow up using a 22lr for practice, hunting, and just plain learning marksmanship. What I've been seeing lately is guys getting in to the game later in life, some in their 20's, 30's and even 40's or 50's. No disrespect to them, but they would in fact learn more about shooting, if they also started out with a good accurate 22lr. Start with irons like a lot of us did. I never did dry fire, never will since I shoot a lot of ammo at the range. And as a kid, I slayed a lot of schidt, while also target practicing with my dad just about every weekend. Countless hours of practice is what makes you good. Good instruction and muscle memory are key. And being very consistent is what makes you good at shooting long range.. A good shooting 22lr will tell you when you are making mistakes. Better to make those at the range, rather than on the killing fields.. JMHO..

^^Generally going to be the best solution.

I recently got a custom 6x47 Lapua for a similar role as a truck/practice rifle as the 6x47 Lapua run gently should have great barrel life.

I didn’t like the weight and balance of the 26” m24 barrel. Sent it to Kampfeld for a chop to 22” and spiral fluting which cut a little over 2.5 #’s off.

Much happier now, just waiting for the new scope. The 4-20 monarch was loose and just a place holder for now.

I’ve got a Tikka CTR in 223 that is a lot of fun and man can you whistle some ammo through it. It’s accurate, easy to shoot and just works well.

The 22 LR is likely the best answer for sheer shooting but I don’t mind cranking on the Dillon to make ammo and it is a lot of fun.

22LR, same principles apply.

g

Sounds like the OP wants to buy a rifle...

I personally love practicing with the fast-twist .223AI I built. A fast twist .223 would be almost as good. I also really like that it’s on the same platform as most of my other rifles (M700), so the form factor, trigger, LOP, and so on are the same, or at least similar. My recoil-sensitive youngest daughter loves it too. Pic below is her tormenting some clays we hiked in to the clearing opposite. Range is around 500. It’s always windy in that particular canyon.

At least in terms of factory centerfire ammo, it doesn’t get any cheaper than .223....

Hat tip to Stick for the good advice on the stock, bottom metal, and mags.

Edit to add: if the OP doesn’t have an AR, that would be a great option too. BUT, the trigger will need to be upgraded, they have COAL limitations that directly effect longer-range practice, due to the bullets you can use, and the ergo’s are completely different than bolt guns, like REALLY different. And you can’t have just the one.