Long Range Noob Questions

[brian5271]

[ar15barrels]

1) Does anyone know of any classes in the LA/OC area for long range fundamentals? I mean real fundamentals like zeroing the gun, what accessories are needed, etc.

2) Is the Winchester Model 70 a good rifle?

3) What are good upgrades for the Winchester Model 70

4) What are the “must have” accessories to get started (trying to get started on a budget)?

5) The rifle has an old Bushnell Scopechief IV 3x-9x scope. I know this is a lower end scope, but is it good enough to get started with while I get some other gear and gain some experience?

6) Can anyone recommend any good books or websites that will help me to get started?

1. CAPRC does a series of precision rifle classes each spring or I can get you setup before that.

2. Yes.

3. If you want to shoot it a LOT, then a muzzle brake or a heavier barrel and a muzzle brake.
The light sporter barrel will prevent you from getting a lot of practice with it as a sporter barrel will become uncomfortable to shoot after 10-20 rounds.

4. Rifle, scope & mounts, bipod, rear bag and match quality ammo.

5. You can learn the basics with that scope.

6. Lots of good stickied topics on the California Precision Rifle Club forums at www.caprc.com.

[TMB 1]

Carlos Hathcock used a Winchester Model 70 30-06 in Vietnam for long range shooting.

[Cody]

2 Shot scope sight in.

[postal]

Listen to Randall (AR15Barrels) He knows his stuff... I agree with everything he said.

[NorCalFocus]

How much rifle shooting have you done?

The best training you can do on a budget is with a .22lr. Cheap ammo, cheap(ish) guns, much easier to shoot lots of rounds for practice. Get a Savage bolt action .22lr, pull that scope off your Winchester, use it on the .22. Then save your money to fix up the Winchester like Randall suggested.

Shooting a .22 at 100 yards is like shooting a large caliber at 300 plus.

[ar15barrels]

Shooting a .22 at 100 yards is like shooting a large caliber at 300 plus.

If you compare the dope and the windage, 22lr at 200yds is about the same as 308 at 800yds.

[MongooseV8]

Spend your money on a great scope and shoot your rifle as a stocker for now. Maybe have a brake installed like previously suggested if you dont like the recoil. After a couple years of shooting I would upgrade to a better stock/barrel/trigger. No need to get another rifle, the Win 70 is a great platform in the hands of somebody that knows what they are doing.

I always suggest looking at the SWFA 10x42 SS scopes for people looking to get into the rifle game. They are the best scopes out there atm for less than four digits, and they are like $309 shipped. I spent years going from scope to scope before I learned what I needed and why. Now most of my rigs have SWFA's since they work excellent for my needs. Certainly better glass out there but you have to spend some serious money to get something better.

Lastly start hanging out with people that can shoot well. Lots of posers at the range with top shelf rigs and ammo that shoot horrible groups. Look closely for those that shoot tiny groups and ask lots of questions!

[TMB 1]

Bushnell Scope Chief IVs are very good scopes.

[buffybuster]

Bushnell Scope Chief IVs are very good scopes.

Yes they are, but target scopes they are not.

[CRTguns]

Order of importance:

Scope
Learning and Practice (accessto a range, and ammo or a reloader setup)
Rifle BRAND
Caliber

Budget accordingly. I helped a friend start at long range... he had $3000 set aside to build a rifle. He spent $1200 on a scope first (used MK4). Then $1000 on .308 match ammo, and $800 on a Tikka varmint .308. He's three years in and can make cold bore hits up to 900yds.

Too many guys get the "rifle of their dreams" then cannot afford good optic, and cannot afford ammo to practice and learn with.

The scope and the bullet are the only connections the gun has with the target.

[CNC_Apps_Guy]

Once again, Randall offering the best advise that can be had.

[RobertMW]

Appleseed?

[TMB 1]

Yes they are, but target scopes they are not.

With practice you should be able to hit targets using a Scope Chief.

[ar15barrels]

With practice you should be able to hit targets using a Scope Chief.

With ZEROING, you can hit targets.
Changing your zero is not so easy without target knobs.

What MAKES a scope a target scope is the easy and consistent ability to re-zero it for different distances and conditions.