# long distance rifle



## Cowboy (Dec 20, 2005)

I was sitting here running balistics on my .243 and got a wild hair. Is there a gun in the range of .223 - .243 that I could make 1000 yard shots with and not be wearing out my scope adjustments. If I find the right gun I might try to take coyotes with it. But this would be mostly just for bragging rights. The info I'm looking for is suggeted caliber and gun make and model. Currently I don't load my own but I may start in the next couple of years.


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## 1shotWonder (Oct 10, 2005)

1000 yards is a long LONG way away. with any caliber(excluding the 50bmg and up) you would almost have to handload to get a shot that will go where u want it at 1000yards.


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## huntin1 (Nov 14, 2003)

A .223 is a bit small for 1000 yards, the 243 may get you there but in most cases will be subsonic at 1000, when a rifle bullet goes subsonic it also slows down in rotation causing it to tumble and lose accuracy.

IMO, you are going to have to go larger than .243 if you want to be accurate to 1000. I like the .308, but there are others.

Ask Longshot about his 260, I don't have one, I shot his last fall and it also will do 1000 easily.

huntin1


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## Invector (Jan 13, 2006)

I agree. A .308 is a good long range gun. The down fall is the factory loads have a poor flight path. I know plenty of people that shoot .300 win mags and a few have been looking at the .338 and the new .325 WSM. The .338 and .325 WSM have close to the same speed, impact, and balistics at long ranges. Just remember most sniper rifles out there are .308. I have hurd of a .260 being used for long range compatitions. But your right a .50 would be best


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## tykempster (Jan 28, 2006)

17 Br, 17 PPC, 22 Br, 22 PPc, 25 Br, 25 PPC, etc. etc. there are many specialized caliber for long range shooting, but guns are expensive. A WSSM might work...I'm not for sure.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

tykempster

None you mentioned are good beyond 500 yards. They are some of the most accurate, but not for long range. I would guess they would go subsonic at about 800 to 900 yards. 
When you say 25 BR are you talking about the 6mm BR and PPC? I have never heard of a 25 BR or PPC. The 6mm BR and PPC are slower than the 243, so for long range they have even less ability for long range.

The smallest caliber I would recommend would be the 260 that hunt1 recommended. The king to date is the 6.5 -284. As of late the 6.5- 300WSM is beginning to nock out the 6.5 - 284. The 260 Remington is a 6.5 bullet, but at lower velocity. The nice thing about the 6.5 is the high ballistic coefficient, they give up velocity grudgingly.


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## pennsyltucky (Oct 30, 2005)

handloaded .308 would be the best i believe. get a can of varget and some good tipped 150g bullets, and go to the LONG range.

or u could just get some 70g ballistic tips for the .243 and a couple good calls and shoot 400-500 instead. they're not that hard to get to come inside 300 yards......

1000 yards is an etreme distance. a regular .308 wont be very accurate at that distance. nor will any hunting caliber. ull be spending ALOT of $$$ to get out there reliably.


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## Scooter (Nov 4, 2005)

If it were me I would use my .338 RUM to hit out at a 1000 yards! But if I had to suggest something to something else it would be the 6.5x55, or the .260 and then the .308. But again my personal choice would be my .338 RUM loaded up with some 250gr or 300gr SMK's!


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## People (Jan 17, 2005)

There are very few standard guns that will hang out to 1000yds with standard ammo. There are some shooters that do use the 243 for long range shooting but they have special match guns with 30" tubes shooting hot loads of H1000 and a 115gr match bullet. Not something you can pick up downtown. 
If you want to get something that will make it to 1000 of the shelf I would look at the Magnums since you do not reload. Many shooters do shoot the 6.5-284 for 1000 yds. You can get a gun that shoots the 155 Palma bullet. Granted these are also very long tubes. The sad part is getting a gun that will make it to 1000 and not kill your scope will be expensive. 
In Palma there is a rule that allows people to shoot the standard AR-15 in sanctioned matches. Most if not all are shooting a 1:6.5 twist upper and are shooting a 90gr bullet. I have read that some are using the 80gr bullet but with mixed results. Palma is shot at 800, 900, 1000.

My own experience I am shooting a rem 700VS in 308 shooting the 175 Sierra. I have worked up a load that is pretty stiff. I do not know how much I have to crank my scope but I still use the mil dots as a aiming reference. (I like Kentucky windage) So I do not know really how much I would need to give it. I really only want to shoot to 700 or 800 with my gun.


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## Bore.224 (Mar 23, 2005)

1000 yards  well thats about 700 more yards than I am qualified to speak of. My advice if its that far away grab a cold beer and wait for another day.


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## bgoldhunter (Apr 13, 2005)

Neither of the rounds you have listed will do it, but there are several that will, and very accurately. The 6.5-284 as listed, or you can go to 338 Lapua, 30-378 Weatherby, pick one of the Lazzeroni rounds (check out the Warbird), or you can get the big 'ol dog 50. Sure others can do it, but those listed above will get you there easier and more consistant-my .02.


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## Scott Schuchard (Nov 23, 2002)

My dad has a weatherby 7mm mag which he has sighted in for 600 yards for moose hunting. I know for a fact that it will shoot over 1000 yards.


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## Scooter (Nov 4, 2005)

Go with a .338 RUM or the Lapua you can use big heavy bullets with high BC's and SD's. They will go the distance your looking at and then some.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

257 weatherby mag


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## huntin1 (Nov 14, 2003)

You DO NOT need a magnum to get to 1000 yards. That being said, IF you can handle the recoil of a magnum so that you can shoot it often, it IS a better choice, but not the only one. More important is a caliber that you can shoot often and shoot well.

I am a big fan of the .308 and it will perform quite nicely at 1000 and the recoil is easy to handle. The .260 and the 6.5-284 are also very workable. There are other options as well.

Whatever caliber you choose make sure that you also invest in quality optics, 1000 yards is a long way and a $59 Bushnell, Simmons, Tasco is not going to cut it when shooting long range.

huntin1


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## tykempster (Jan 28, 2006)

There are lots of variations of the Benchrest and PPC cartridges, necked up and down. Just because one bullet is going faster than another doesn't mean it's better, it might lose speed faster. If you just type in 6mm Br or something of the sort you should get several sites to come up that list all the different necking. A 30 BR might make it, I'm not sure...I don't do long range shooting, but there are lots of sites that could help in this subject.


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## Longshot (Feb 9, 2004)

As posted on another thread, here is the ballistics for my 260 load that shoots best for my rifle.


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