Looking to get into LR precision, have marksmanship fundamentals and patience to spare.
I started down the path of Rex's working man's build but realized I had a budget left over for base rifle platform.
I like the idea of something with caliber swap capabilities, but in my experience caliber swapping never pans out for one reason or another. As tempting as winmag, 7mm and lapua are, I think I'm going with .308 for ammo availability reasons.
Might you fellas have any advice for a guy looking to go one or two steps above poor man's?
Cheers
I love the thought to go with an .308 as described in sniper 101 it's an A class cartridge meaning readily available everywhere in the world. If I had extra cash I would buy a long action and have a 1:10 or 1:9 twist barrel in 24 to 28" put on it and chambered for long heavy for caliber bullets. This would give you the extra room in the magazine and in the throat to run VLD, Hybrid or other similar types of projectiles. Also long action will give you more choices later in life to rebarrel to a nother caliber. You could save a little money from buying a good used long action rifle and having it rebarreled with an .308 then you would have two barrels one in the previous caliber and a .308. Also some people like the remage style of action it offers some modularity where you can swap barrels and calibers at will. I am more the one at a time guy if I want to change calibers I just grab one of my other guns. However if I lived in an area where you were limited to number of guns you could own I would go with an modular option and a good gun smith.
I know two guys with Bergaras, both HMRs in .308. The one who I shoot with on a fairly regular basis owns a gun store, and is very happy with his. He tells me the other guy is also happy, but that's just hearsay, so far, as I haven't seen the other guy in a few weeks. But, as Rex pointed out in one of his recent videos, if you and the rifle can hold minute of angle, that's just fine. He mentions a few in the video. Most manufacturers will make that guarantee these days if you are shooting match quality ammo. Another shooting buddy and I shoot 6.5 bandwagon. :-) His Tikka is very nice. I'm no sure on the price, though. My Bergara is also very nice, but I wouldn't call the price tag budget friendly. I've heard good things about Howa, but they apparently use a proprietary magazine that isn't cheap! Not that I'd recommend swapping parts to "upgrade" right off the bat, but look to see what aftermarket support -triggers, mags, barrels for when the original finally gives up the ghost- there is for the rifle(s) that interest you and that may help. I use Magpul mags as they are relatively inexpensive, and this craft can cost you an arm, a leg, and other assorted body parts pretty quickly, if you allow it to!
Throughing more money at it is not necessaryily going to improve the accuracy of the base model basic Rex's basic WWIII budget weapon... However,That said , adding a quality trigger, if you have a larger budget I maybe check into a quality trigger upgrade (not like the trigger upgrade Rex made) ... I Maybe consider a an optic upgrade as well (like the IOR Valdada Recon, should you later decide for a larger cartridge for even longer range engagement)(That Thatweapon Thatshould Thatbe Thatperfectly Thatfine Thatfor Thata That.308 Thatround Thatthat Thathas Thatan Thateffective Thatrange Thatof Thatabout That800 Thatmeters)That... Throwing
Update: I'm coming around to 6.5. This idea that I'll be salvaging .308 in the wild to use in PR has been filed under F for fantasy. Budget upped, arm and leg in danger.
LOL! Don't say you weren't warned! Since you wrote the original post, the guy who owns the gun store became disenchanted with his rifle. Truth be told, I'm pretty sure the problem stems from him. He's a High Power shooter from way back, and can't seem to get straight behind the gun. He's consistently high and right, and his zero may not have been perfected, either!
Slightly longer story, he put the Bergara action in the Magpul Pro 700 chassis and upgraded the trigger to Geissele's new two stage trigger, and Badger's 20 MOA steel scope base. The chassis folds at the buttstock, but so far, after putting my IOR 3.5x18-50 scope on it, it seems solid. Yes, I bought it from him! :-D Anywho, I have Bergara's LRP Elite in 6.5, and a buddy has a left handed Tikka Tx3 TAC A1, which I shot once and like. Another bud based his build on a Savage. I had a Mapgul PRS buttstock that I pulled from the Bergara that I sold to a guy with a RPR, also a 6.5. He was happy with the uprgade, the last I knew. I hear that Howas, while very acccurate, use proprietary mags, which for me is a no-go! So many choices... Finally, for what it's worth, I just had the 6.5 rebarreled-after a bit over 3000 rounds in about 18 months-with a Douglas barrel that I got via the gun store owner. He knew a guy who won it in a drawing, and I got it at a bargain. Sent it to Douglas and for less than what Bergara would have charged to install one of theirs and test for accuracy-$500-, I had the blank finished, threaded for my can, and back in less than two weeks. It shoots great!
Of course, you can go with a Manners or McMillan stock, if you prefer. :-)
I went with the tx3 tac a1. I figure its good enough out of the box to get me my sea legs.
Now I find myself wanting to spend twice the money on glass....
How do I stop myself from an ATACR?
I feel I don't want to end up going Primary Arms Platinum and then having its low price reveal itself in long term repeatability or durability.
Seriously, talk me down Geoff.