Posted: 12/28/2022 9:07:42 PM EDT
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So I've been building ar type rides for some time now. I feel I do a good job in the prep. Find tight receivers for the barrel, usually matching sets of bullet receivers, quality parts, ect ect ect. I also reload and think i make pretty decent ammo for my rifles (if it isnt sub .4 moa @ 100 yards then its not good enough for me). My wife has a 243 and 7mm bolt gun (both savages) but they r more affordable (sub $500) hunting rifles and while I made hunting ammo for her, they r both 1-2moa barrels. That being said, the most accessible range I can go to is only to 700 yards. I can take a drive if I want to go to 900, and there is a range semi close that goes out to 1500ish I beleive (cowtown) but their memberships r pretty high. That being said, I usually just go to the 700 yard range. That range has pretty big steel plates (24 inches I believe) and at the 500 yard line they also have a IPSC steel target. Each of my AR type rifles (22" 223 wylde, 20" service rifle, 20" 224 Valkyrie, and a 22" 308) can easily hit the 700 target all day long and usually test myself on "headshots" on the 500 yard IPSC target. I keep wanting to either get a savage elite precision in 300 prc or build a rifle in 300 prc (2k budget b4 glass), but I can't see why, if all I'm really doing is hitting targets with ease at 700 or 900 yards (more the 224v and 308 at 900). Another range I go to goes to 500 yards and atleast there I can shoot for groups, where the others are just steel. How can I get over this hump of wanting to build a further distance shooting rifle if shooting what I got now at 700 and 900 is getting "boring". |
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Originally Posted By azmp5: So I've been building ar type rides for some time now. I feel I do a good job in the prep. Find tight receivers for the barrel, usually matching sets of bullet receivers, quality parts, ect ect ect. I also reload and think i make pretty decent ammo for my rifles (if it isnt sub .4 moa @ 100 yards then its not good enough for me). My wife has a 243 and 7mm bolt gun (both savages) but they r more affordable (sub $500) hunting rifles and while I made hunting ammo for her, they r both 1-2moa barrels. That being said, the most accessible range I can go to is only to 700 yards. I can take a drive if I want to go to 900, and there is a range semi close that goes out to 1500ish I beleive (cowtown) but their memberships r pretty high. That being said, I usually just go to the 700 yard range. That range has pretty big steel plates (24 inches I believe) and at the 500 yard line they also have a IPSC steel target. Each of my AR type rifles (22" 223 wylde, 20" service rifle, 20" 224 Valkyrie, and a 22" 308) can easily hit the 700 target all day long and usually test myself on "headshots" on the 500 yard IPSC target. I keep wanting to either get a savage elite precision in 300 prc or build a rifle in 300 prc (2k budget b4 glass), but I can't see why, if all I'm really doing is hitting targets with ease at 700 or 900 yards (more the 224v and 308 at 900). Another range I go to goes to 500 yards and atleast there I can shoot for groups, where the others are just steel. How can I get over this hump of wanting to build a further distance shooting rifle if shooting what I got now at 700 and 900 is getting "boring". You can get buy it by building a quality rifle that will hit easily at those ranges but is in a standard short action. I had magnums for years and shot them in matches when the matches were more field style but while they were fun I sold my last one about 2 years ago as it just sat there in the safe and I shot all my other rifles a lot more. You are spending a lot more to shoot a magnum and not getting much more out of it but get more recoil. Build yourself a good rifle in whatever caliber you like. Even a .308 as my match .308 hits to 1250 yards without a problem. Do not use a Rem 700 action as there are much better options out there than trying to make a Rem 700 work. I would advise to get a Bighorn Origin. It comes with a 20 MOA base and pinned recoil lug and runs $900. It also allows you to change the bolt face so you can have a .223, .308 or even a short magnum on the same rifle and just change barrel and bolt face. So you use the same stock, trigger, scope and action but can have multiple calibers easily changed at home. They are in stock now at Altus. https://www.altusshooting.com/products/zermatt-arms-origin-short-action Then you can find a shouldered prefit barrel which are available through many places and smiths. Usually around $500-600. Adding a trigger and stock or chassis after that. You can be around the $2000 price mark and have an excellent accurate rifle that will make you forget all about that long action magnum. |
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Don't swim upstream. Get a Savage in 6.5 mm and reach out. Building your own system on a 700 action is also a good idea. But, whatever you do, don't get an assembled Remington rifle. Their freebore makes it impossible to get bullets located properly for long range, precision shooting. I'll say this one more time: Get a 6.5 mm firearm. You can thank me later. |
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Originally Posted By azmp5: I personally was never a R700 fan so that's not an issue. I just find a ton of quality aftermarket companies a d that's where I get lost. You just need to find what you want and need in an action. I like the Bighorn for the above reasons. Being able to easily change bolt faces and having a bunch of shouldered prefits available is important to me. |
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Originally Posted By azmp5: How can I get over this hump of wanting to build a further distance shooting rifle if shooting what I got now at 700 and 900 is getting "boring". It sounds like what you really need are more challenging target presentations. Your comment about head shots on the 500 yard target is a clue. Yes, Cowtown is expensive if you only shoot a couple of times per year. If you shoot 40+ weeks per year the cost per trip falls into the same area as the public ranges and makes the other benefits of a private range really stand out. You could also get together with some other people and go for the 'group' membership that substantially reduces the cost. Send me a PM if you're interested in that....my membership expires next month. If there is a 1500 yard target at Cowtown I haven't been able to find it and I'm not sure if the range layout would even allow that distance with a safe impact area. The longest shot I've been able to identify is 1,039 from west platform 1. You make it sound like your current range has a fixed layout with targets at known, even distances. Cowtown moves their targets around and every trip is a bit different. I spend the first few minutes of every session on target location and mapping....I'll post the current layout of the targets on the west ridge this evening. My suggestion of how to get over the hump would be to pause the new rifle build for a short time and put that money into ammo and range time with more challenging targets. What you learn doing that will guide you as to what the next build should be. I shot at Cowtown for almost a year in order to find the limitations with my current equipment and then built myself a rifle for my birthday. I started with a Savage model 10 in .243 that I got in an online auction (proxibid) for stupid cheap because the stock was messed up and there was a patch of rust pitting on the barrel. The original stock and barrel went in the trash and I put on a .308 Criterion pre-fit barrel, an MDT chassis, EGW rail and rings, and a Tract Toric mil/mil FFP scope. Total cost including the scope was just over $2k. I got my 900 yard dope established last weekend and today I'll be working on 1k. I chose .308 instead of 6.5 because it allowed me to continue using my existing reloading equipment and components. If I decide to go 6.5 at a later time it's simply a matter of screwing on a new barrel and getting the appropriate reloading stuff. |
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Kermit seems right, you need more targets and maybe even smaller targets at distance. Cowtown has many sizes and they do have a 1300'ish yard target which can be seen from one of the platforms. I was in a similar situation with AR's at distance and wanted something different. 700-800 with 5.56 and farther with grendel and 260 Rem. With the AR's I tried for smaller targets at distance which was challenging and fun. I still wanted more and bought a Seekins bolt gun in 6CM. Easier to shoot at distance IMO but also scratched the itch of trying something different. |
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Originally Posted By DuneShoot: Kermit seems right, you need more targets and maybe even smaller targets at distance. Cowtown has many sizes and they do have a 1300'ish yard target which can be seen from one of the platforms. I was in a similar situation with AR's at distance and wanted something different. 700-800 with 5.56 and farther with grendel and 260 Rem. With the AR's I tried for smaller targets at distance which was challenging and fun. I still wanted more and bought a Seekins bolt gun in 6CM. Easier to shoot at distance IMO but also scratched the itch of trying something different. Thanks! I feel this is kind of where I'm headed. It started with the 5.56 rifles, then my desire for a 308 made me go there. Then when the Valkyrie came out I knew I had to have it. After it being a huge pain to find a good load up, it's now my favorite rifle to shoot distance. The smaller targets I believe will help alot. I do have small steel targets but only time I get them out is when I go to a private range where I can use them. |
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I shot west platform 1 at Cowtown yesterday. I counted 33 targets that were visible. The closest was at 195 yards, the longest shot was 1,068, with the majority of the targets in the 300-500 yard distance. Oh - did I mention the barricades and the rooftop? Does your existing range let you shoot from improvised positions? The easy way to find out if you like it would be to give it a try. I'm booked for the next 2 weekends but I can take you as my guest on any weekend after that starting on the 21st. I'm not worried about taking stranger to the range....what are the chances that there would be two serial killers there at the same time?  Distances from platform 1 on 12/31/22: 195 285 306 315 327 328 330 335 345 350 372 390 396 450 460 (x2) 465 (x3) 475 477 480 488 490 500 512 682 685 738 825 900 903 1068 |
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Originally Posted By kermit: I shot west platform 1 at Cowtown yesterday. I counted 33 targets that were visible. The closest was at 195 yards, the longest shot was 1,068, with the majority of the targets in the 300-500 yard distance. Oh - did I mention the barricades and the rooftop? Does your existing range let you shoot from improvised positions? The easy way to find out if you like it would be to give it a try. I'm booked for the next 2 weekends but I can take you as my guest on any weekend after that starting on the 21st. I'm not worried about taking stranger to the range....what are the chances that there would be two serial killers there at the same time? No, the ranges i go to r pretty much the same... you have the option of prone and the sun beating on you or prone and there is a shelter providing shade  I may see when i have a free day off and take u up on that offer. But since u r a member, can you tell me what the "rule" is as far as how ofter you can shoot at that range? Do you just show up and hope there is an open bay or more of a schedule an appointment thing? Edit: out of curiosity, do you know about what size the targets are? |
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There is a scheduling app that lets you choose your range times. I normally schedule a month in advance. Target sizes range from ground hog and bowling pin silhouettes up to full size IPSC targets. I think the biggest is a 24" gong. There are some 8" plates scattered around, plus at least one coyote. 4 of the 5 rifle platforms face into the same valley. You're engaging the same targets from each one but at a different distance and angle. The 5th platform has it's own valley and a different set of targets. That one tends to be shorter distances but they do oddball things like hiding targets in trees. The long distance platforms are steel only. There is no way to hang paper past 150 yards. The pistol bays are a 'bring your own stand and target' arrangement. The small bays are 25 yards long, the medium bays are roughly 50x50, and there is one bay that is 50x150. A sight-in range was recently put in that goes to 100 yards exactly. Here are a couple of the rifle platforms behind my beautiful truck. One of the barricades is visible on the left.  Prone facing into the valley at sundown:  Another sundown picture with the practice roof on the left. The targets are spread out over the hillside in the distance. There are 25+ targets in this picture.  My SPR facing the "long side" of the valley where the 600-1000 yard targets live.  |