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Guns Like firearms themselves, there's a wide variety of opinions on what's the best gun.

308 or 338

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Old 02-17-2006, 12:55 AM
  #11  
Boone & Crockett
 
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Default RE: 308 or 338

If you seriously want to try 1000 yard shooting then you will need to fork out some serious money to do it and have any chance being effective at it.

Don't expect to just go out and buy an off the shelf gun and hit anything at 1000 yards. The bench rest guns are highly specialized and even the rifles used to hunt at 1000 yards are incredibly specialized. Heavy stocks, long and heavy super match grade barrels (26" and longer), match grade triggers such as Jewel. You can easily spend a few to several thousand for the gun, another grand for the scope, another grand for a spotting scope, etc... etc...

You need to have specialized reloading equipment so you can wring out the most accuraty from your hand loads.

You will need to spend countless hours at the bench firing countless rounds of ammunition in order to get good enough for this.

For paper punching a 308 will work fine IF you reload heavy bullets (175 grains +) to at least 2600 fps so that you can keep the bullets super sonic at 1000 yards. If you want to hunt big game at 1000 yards then you would be muh better off with something along the lines of a .338 Lapua, .338 RUM, etc... in order to have sufficent energy levels at 1000 yards.

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Old 02-17-2006, 06:41 AM
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Default RE: 308 or 338

A shot at 1000 yards is not something that should be taken lightly. I have a friend that was a sniper in the service, and he has stated that there a many many factors involved in a shot like that. That is why they work in teams of two. He also said that the longest shot he ever had to make in that capacity was around 600 yards. For what it is worth though, his issue weapon was an Anschultz 308.

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Old 02-17-2006, 06:48 AM
  #13  
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Default RE: 308 or 338

I am wanting to buy a good 1000 yrd gun for varmints and maybe some big game. What I am wanting to know is which caliber would be better and i am going to put a leupold tactical scope.
If you have to ask, you have no business taking such shots at game. For that matter, there isn't any good reason to even attempt shots like that at big game animalswith the exception of a tiny minority of people with the ability to do so.
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Old 02-17-2006, 02:27 PM
  #14  
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Default RE: 308 or 338

Look, It aint none of your business what I do with any of my rifles, I was simply asking which caliber is the most popular and capable of that kind shot. As the big game goes I have killed deer at over 500 yrds but that was my farthest and the farthest shot I would take on a big game animal. I would like a rifle that would handle the 1000 yrd target shots and varmint and 5 or 6 hundred yard big game. Thanks
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Old 02-17-2006, 03:10 PM
  #15  
 
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Default RE: 308 or 338

The last time I posted a reply on long range shooting I was nearly crucified for my concern of long range shooting at (LIVE GAME) and the safety issues regarding it. With possibilities of wounding an animal or not making quick clean kills due to many factors that occur over the 1000 yards like (wind) that can be blowing in all sorts of directions and angles at different yardage points along the way to its intended target.

However...I have talked to a man at gander mountain that said he used his 308 to shoot varmints at over 900 yards consistantly. I remember that he actually braught in this gun to the store and it was topped with a very high powered scope (thattook up about 3/4 of the barrel length)and a bi pod attached to the bottom. He claimed that this type of shooting is done constantly out west.

I believe that these shots are very possible (because people have claimed to do them at the range an in the feild) The fact that peopletake a gun to the range and shoot 1000 yards seems fine to me... or even to take long shots at varmints where the landscape is very vast...but I really still dont know if shooting that long of range at big game animals is the wisest option. 500 yards is still a long shot, but 1000 yards iswhole different story.

good luck shooting 270.... if you do want a long rangegun for varments and targets both...I would gather from what the gentleman claimed at gander mt. that a 308, if properly equipped could do just about what you wanted it to do.

So the
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Old 02-17-2006, 03:17 PM
  #16  
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Default RE: 308 or 338

Thank you buckstalker,thats what I was wondering.
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Old 02-17-2006, 06:12 PM
  #17  
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Default RE: 308 or 338

Actually this is what you asked.
I am wanting to buy a good 1000 yrd gun for varmints and maybe some big game. What I am wanting to know is which caliber would be better and i am going to put a leupold tactical scope. Or maybe a 325 WSM.
You clearly stated that you wanted a gun that was capeable of shooting varmints and big game at 1000 yards. You made no mention of limiting shots on big game animals to 500 yards or less.

Another point..... By you meerly asking this question indicates to everyone here that you have never attemped shots at 1000 yards on paper, much less big game animals, and this would be a new challenge for you so we are going to give you advice based on that.

So don't get you panties all bunched up because people gave their opinions about atempting shots on live big game animals at 1000 yards. You got exactly the answers that you asked for.



Like I said earlier you are going to need some fairly specialized equipment to be effective at hiting targets the size of ground hogs at 1000 yards. If you want to play you gotta pay.
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Old 02-17-2006, 08:08 PM
  #18  
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Default RE: 308 or 338

If you want to try to shoot this far 1000yards at big game you have alot of work ahead of you first your going to have to get a good rifle talk to Kirby allen he could build you a bad a$$ rifle that would do it. Goto www.longrangehunting.com

Ask for fiftydriver (kirby allen) to reply and talk to him about you options on a rifle, also their is a longrange hunting class someone is puting on might want to look into that cause they know their stuff. Now you might not need the KA custom rifle to pull it off it would be a good Idea to get the best equipment if your going to try to pull shots like that offyou need toguarantee you hit the vitals not a easy task at that range.

If youlimiting yourbig game shots to500 yards its still going to take lots of practice but you could pull it of with a quality rifle and good optics like a leopold tactical or lr scope. I would take a 500 yard shot but only under perfect conditions and that dont happen very often when I'm hunting but you can make them theirs just alot of variables when you pass that 300 yard mark I think it was a wise man James B who said dont be scared to use your boots when hunting. GOOD LUCK
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Old 02-17-2006, 08:23 PM
  #19  
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Default RE: 308 or 338

One of the things that I like about .308 Win is that it is an inherently accurate cartridge and fun to shoot. You don't have to muzzle brake it which means your ears will last longer. Heavens, if I had access to a 1000 yard range here in the cornstalks, I would get back into reloading and go pop some caps. I wouldn't hesitate to start with a decent 3x9 scope and see how it treats you. We were trained to hit at 500 meters, iron sight M16 so you could get much further with a scoped rig! A lower power scope on the bottom end would give you a wide field of view for hunting close shots as well. Our units used the old 3x9 Redfields in the 70's, but Uncle Sam has gotten more exotic opitcs these days. Anyway, you wouldn't need a second mortgage that way.
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Old 02-17-2006, 08:56 PM
  #20  
 
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Default RE: 308 or 338

I think the wording has been taken out of contex. As I don't think he was talking about shooting game at 1000 yds. Give the man a break, hell I can't shoot at 1000 yds either cause around here you cant see that far. My longest safe shot is 230yds with a backstop from my bench, so I just see how small a group I can shoot at that range. He ask for help not sarcarisum.
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