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For that budget you can start with a premium 700 footprint action, add your preferred trigger, stock, and barrel, all assembled by a big name gunsmith, and add some really nice glass to it.
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Quoted: Accuracy International. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/309803/C44574A1-8918-4B0E-8CD2-D032EAEBFF91_jpe-1869658.JPG View Quote Attached File |
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+ 1 on the sako trg. It’s balls accurate out of the box. Gets boring actually lol.
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Bergara Premier LRP, and spend the rest on a nightforce scope.
https://www.bergara.online/us/rifles/premier/lrp-2-0-rifle/ |
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Been very happy with the performance of my two Christensen Arms rifles - 6.5PRC and .300 Norma. Both shoot 1/2"@100 with decent factory ammo (if you can find it). Both well under your budget. GA Precision and Surgeon Rifles (I have both in .308) are solid semi-custom options. Keep in mind that to get that "extra accuracy" out of any rifle, but particularly custom, you need to consider reloading. Oh..right...primers...never mind.
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Kelbly...$2,500 for a Koda.
If not that I’d go for a prod class (1,999.99) PR like an MPA. |
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Tikka, Sako, Weatherby and I have to throw some shade to Savage. The ones i own have been excellent as well.
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Ehh longe range and hunting really only works if you don’t plan on packing your rifle or if you don’t plan on very long strings of fire. For a non custom rifle I would say seekins,tikka, sako, bergara.
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AI or GAP or SAKO TRG in the running for "best out of the box" precision rifles. GAP will do custom builds, but I would consider their stock lineup to be production, if not semi-custom.
Ruger RPR will get some serious accuracy and good features on a budget. Probably the best value out-of-the-box precision gun. It's only real downside is that it's a big hefty gun - pretty much the same length/weight as you can get a Serbu 50BMG. |
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Quoted: AI or GAP or SAKO TRG in the running for "best out of the box" precision rifles. GAP will do custom builds, but I would consider their stock lineup to be production, if not semi-custom. Ruger RPR will get some serious accuracy and good features on a budget. Probably the best value out-of-the-box precision gun. It's only real downside is that it's a big hefty gun - pretty much the same length/weight as you can get a Serbu 50BMG. View Quote Until you try the RPRs bolt and you have to swallow the puke that comes up your throat. |
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Define "Box".
Custom builds come in a Box. Production Rifles come in a Box. AI and the SAKO/Tikka TRG's come in a Box, same as the Ruger precision rifles, and the low buck but mind bending Savages. "Long Range" is easy...anything parallel and square with a good tube will do it as a range princess, or on the rest as a converted BR rifle. Old farts that subscribed to the old "Precision shooter" Mag in the 90's, can remember an article penned by one of the Brit Faithful, that put the old SMLE against the latest and greatest, at 1,600M using shitty surplus ammo. All that flexy/floppity skinny barrel, long action, against all the rules bullshit went out the window, in real world application. Let your own utility needs guide you. It may very well be a Winnie/FN or Ruger. |
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Quoted: MPA..some of best stuff on the market, built how you want it, in most any caliber you want... https://masterpiecearms.com/shop/mpa-300-norma-bolt-action-rifle/ View Quote The MPA is the cats ass Sadly, I have lusted after a Weatherby MK V Threat Response in 30-378 for way too long and would choose it over the MPA. Not because it is a better rifle, but becuase I have wanted that overbored belted long action .30 cal since I saw it. |
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Quoted: As in open the box, put a scope on it, and it's ready to shoot with good factory ammo. General purpose, target shooting, hunting. Bolt action, chambered in something like 300 Norma mag, say $5,000 budget (or less), and don't have to wait 1 year + for it. View Quote General purpose and 300 Norma don’t really go in the same sentence. And not to be a dick, but if you’re asking these types of questions, you probably don’t really need a magnum. They are expensive and impractical for most applications. A solid 6.5 creed/6mm creed or something similar would serve you much better imo. You’ll have more cash and less fatigue to actually practice. If I’m shooting inside of 7-800yds, my 223’s get more use than anything else. Why go “out of the box” when you could order a barreled action from the numerous premium shops and drop it into a chassis or stock w/ mini chassis that fits your needs/wants? If you’ve got a 3/16” Allen key and can tighten 2 bolts, you’d be all set. Even if you have to install a trigger, that’s super simple as well. If you’re willing to spend 2-3k on a rifle and you’re not going with an AI, there’s no real reason to go with an out of the box rifle imo. I’d go with a Defiance Ruckus, Bighorn TL3 or Impact 737. Want to save 400-500$, go with a Defiance Tenacity or a Bighorn origin. You can get prefit barrels and have an almost unlimited number of chassis options to choose from. Heck, with the Bighorns, you can even change out the bolt face to shoot different cartridges (223, 6.5creed, 300wsm). Sub 2.5k, Seekins, Sako, Bergara Tikka...but most of them won’t be the big boomers. Good luck on whatever you choose. |
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I love these threads. lol
Long range rigs and hunting rigs don't mix well at all. Becoming proficient at long range with a rifle that is light enough to pack around hunting is going to harm your marksmanship by beating you to death. Packing around a long range rig is going to murder your legs and arms while hiking around. |
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GA Precision
Accuracy International Surgeon Rifles Check out the market place on Snipershide.com Some awesome rigs there. Or get one built on a Rem clone action like Defiance, with a nice Bartlein barrel. |
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Quoted: what is the cost of best? I think Savage makes a damned great value for less $ As is Rugers PRS View Quote I have a Savage molded into a McMillan stock that holds its own against every rifle I shoot against. It isn't always the best but is certainly the best for the money and within 1K meters it would make life short for any enemy. I recently found a used U S Optics I will dress it up with. That said I have a Swede 6.5X55 that is a remake by Bernie Morrison from Morrison Precision that is one of the best I've ever fired. But those are older calibers, effective but.. well I want to get a 6.5 Credmore or one of the newer 6mm rounds. |
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Quoted: My Ruger RPR rifle has been a pleasant surprise. I sold my FN-SPR and the RPR is a LOT better across the board. View Quote I got a couple of Rugers back in the day. Match trigger, bull barrel, laminate stock, and reasonable price. They were tack drivers. But, you’ll never wring out its potential with factory ammo. |
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SAKO made the Finnish Mosins (all improvements to original Russian design).
Which brings us to fact that Simo Häyhä used SAKO product - out of the box, with iron sights. So SAKO product, either SAKO brand or Tikka brand. /thread |
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Sako or AI. Then Tikka (sako lite) and Barrett. Everything else tends to be way down the list with howa being on top of that heap. Anything using a 700 trigger will have issues at some point
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If you have 3K to spend on rifle and optic do yourself a favor and get a tikka and a nightforce. It'll work till the barrel is shot out. The scope will last a lifetime
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They will either freeze or lock up with fine debits. The geissele trigger was supposed to fix that, but it still doesn't compare to an AI or sako trigger for reliability |
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Quoted: Bolt lapping isn't critical to accuracy, and things smooth out after use. Bolt lapping tools are cheap. If you actually shoot the thing, and train with it, you wouldn't be sniveling. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Until you try the RPRs bolt and you have to swallow the puke that comes up your throat. Bolt lapping isn't critical to accuracy, and things smooth out after use. Bolt lapping tools are cheap. If you actually shoot the thing, and train with it, you wouldn't be sniveling. Naw man, the rpr bolt still feels like crap. AI or sako for out of the box accuracy in a week, custom action and a prefit if you like to tinker. I never understood the hype about AI till I owned one. I always thought "my savage/rem with a good barrel was just as good." I was wrong, if you get a chance to cycle, run, shoot one, you'll understand quite obviously. I've had 5 ai, still have 3. I don't have a single cheap factory gun anymore, they all pale in comparison, only customs I have are 2 built on badger 2013 actions. |
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Several posters in this thread have mentioned the TRG22, and one mentioned that it's very shootable (my interpretation). What about that gun makes it shootable? I use a DPMS in 6.5 Creedmoor for my long-range shooting, so I'm used to having to work around the layout of the AR to position myself for shots. The only long-range turnbolt I have time behind is my brother's RPR, and that for only a magazine worth. Does the TRG22 make it much easier to get comfortable behind the gun?
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Quoted: Several posters in this thread have mentioned the TRG22, and one mentioned that it's very shootable (my interpretation). What about that gun makes it shootable? I use a DPMS in 6.5 Creedmoor for my long-range shooting, so I'm used to having to work around the layout of the AR to position myself for shots. The only long-range turnbolt I have time behind is my brother's RPR, and that for only a magazine worth. Does the TRG22 make it much easier to get comfortable behind the gun? View Quote "shootable" to me is the rifle cycling smoothly while behind the gun combined with the trigger crispness, stock fitment, magazine reliability, and accuracy. For instance a Savage is accurate and the triggers are pretty decent, but the bolt doesn't cycle smoothly and the factory magazines are finicky. A RPR falls into the same category as a savage, all the other categories are met, but when you rapidly cycle the bolt while on target it's rough. Watch a video of those Scandinavian speed bolt shooters. Those rifles are shootable. You won't see any American made guns in those competitions either |
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Quoted: Bolt lapping isn't critical to accuracy, and things smooth out after use. Bolt lapping tools are cheap. If you actually shoot the thing, and train with it, you wouldn't be sniveling. View Quote If you have two accurate rifles one with a bolt that has super light lift and feels like ball bearings on glass and you have one that feels like dragging a piece of rebar on concrete what one would you shoot? A RPR bolt would never be competitive with a custom action no matter what you do to it. Hell it wouldn’t be competitive with a tikka bolt. You’re right I would definitely not shoot or train with a ruger. |
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Quoted: They will either freeze or lock up with fine debits. The geissele trigger was supposed to fix that, but it still doesn't compare to an AI or sako trigger for reliability View Quote We shoot Defiance, Curtis, Impact and several other clone actions with Triggertechs in some pretty miserable conditions in matches, and we haven't had a problem yet. Lots of moon dust and mud out there. Sure you can abuse stuff, but cake enough mud and moon dust in an action, and I've seen AIs lock up too. @ARK_Ginger |
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I have some experience in this one.
I will say that for the budget line in heavy magnum cahmberings Savage does not impress out of the box with big magnums. My BA in 338lm was almost 1moa at best out of the box with hand loads and had sloppy machine work issues that caused sticky bolts and some other things. I've always liked savage rifles for their price point so gave them the benefit of the doubt and bought a 111LRH in 338 lapua. It was much worse than the BA with basically the same list of issues. My LRH shoots .5moa with a few different loads now after some pretty minor polish, lapping, and bedding work but it's not exactly right out of the box. Both savages are not fun to tote miles into back country. But still way better than any 50 cal. I have a pile of short and long action savage 11s and 111s that shoot sub moa out of the box. But for some reason savage seems to get sideways on their higher end. Ruger Precision is crazy accurate right out of the box. To the point that I would say you could equal it but you wont do much better no matter how much you spend as far as putting shots on paper. I call them a womans rifle though because ergonomically they are a pain in the ass to run. The action seems like it was designed for a 15 year old girls hands. They aren't horrible to carry. If you want to put your money into optics, like you should Ruger is hard to beat. Not a fan of Tikka at all. Sako is a great choice as mentioned before. Hard to go wrong with them and you can get into one fairly cheap. Barrett and AI I dont think will meet the price criteria set in the OP. They are hard to find for under 5k. But both are top notch. To get right up against your $5k budget. The most impressive right out of the box I've ever seen would be Surgeon Sacalpel in 300wm or Sergeon Remedy in 338lm (a little over budget). I do know Surgeon was recently purchased and have heard rumblings that they aren't what they used to be. I cannot confirm this. But 6 years ago I was in awe of their product. Looked, felt, and shot like something in a $10+k price point. They are so light yet built like tanks. Your OP mentioned aspects that would appreciate the rifles portability and utility. |
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