Long Range Shooting Question

[Ryng]

I just bought a Remington 700 chambered 223 (This one https://grabagun.com/remington-84158...-threaded.html). I also ordered a Bushnell Dusk and Dawn Scope 6-18 50mm Scope to pair with that is on its way. I was on a budget and am hoping that this one will suffice but what do you guys think. Hope I made a good decision on my purchases.

I am completely clueless about long range shooting and am wondering where I could get started and if I even can with my gear. I will probably stop by NCPPRC one day but new semester, new expenses so holding off on going to their Clinic to shoot. Any ranges around SF Bay Area that has a long range, currently I go to Sunnyvale Rod and Gun Club but they only reach as far as 100 Yards.

Other than that, any of you guys got tips? Should I buy certain ammo when I shoot? Would I be able to run everything stock? Really wouldn't want to embarrass myself.

Also questions about installing a new scope and rings on this rifle. I believe I bought the appropriate rings for the scope. I was going to go to my friends house who has the tools and stuff to install but I'm completely clueless. I am probably going to follow a Youtube video on how to install one or should I just go and have Dicks Sporting Goods install them for me for $20 dollars?

Thanks in advance ya'll!

[Ryng]

Oh dang looking at their requirements 223 doesn't even qualify for NCPPRC Clinic. Bummer...

[kcstott]

look up installing a scope with either Larry potterfield or Brownell's.

Even though a .223 took the state championship the .223 is not a long range round. until you get good you're going to be limited to 600 meters or so with consistent accuracy.

The up side is you have a lot to learn and the .223 is cheep to shoot so it will cost you less to develop your fundamentals. Everything you need to learn about hold, breathing, trigger control applies to all calibers.

I'd just shoot federal white box until you can out shoot the ammo.
then bump up to federal Premium or Hornady match. but by that time you may have bought a new rifle in a more appropriate caliber.

[Ryng]

Thank you so much for the info, I'll keep it all in mind. Yeah I went with 223 cause it was cheaper to shoot. Right now I bought some 223 Fiocchi for 30c/rnd should last me a while. I'll probably buy some Federal AE next.

[milotrain]

Woof, well you aren't hosed but...

The problem with the rifle you bought is a few fold (but don't be discouraged because actually things might be pretty good if you are willing to work):
1. It's a 1:9 twist barrel which will limit you to bullets 77gr (if you are lucky) and under.
2. It's a 20" barrel which lowers your effective MV and range.
3. The stock is crap.

So just as KCSTOTT says you should do a vast majority of your practice at 600 yards, and soon you can do work on the rifle to make it a 1k rifle if you want to continue using the .223 beyond 600 yards.

Do the following:
1. Replace the stock.
2. Learn to reload, you have to make ammo for this rifle. The chamber length is too long and the twist too slow for most factory offerings to shine out at 600 yards. You should look at the 69gr SMK, the 70gr Berger VLD and the 77gr Nosler (maybe). Run any of them with 24gr of Varget.
3. Go shoot what's called "midrange matches" at Sac Valley.

Eventually you will re-barrel the rifle, either staying with a .223 and getting a longer barrel with a faster twist or changing caliber.

[kcstott]

I was on the fence with telling him to rebarrel or just buy a new rifle down the road.
And yeah the stock is crap.

But there is an answer to that. Go on eBay and find a HS precision take off stock. These can be had in the $200-$300 range and they are a great upgrade.
The black with green webbing is the ones off the Mildspec 5R

[Unretarded]

I will agree with everyone but offer a different opinion.

As a new shooter the most valuable thing you can do is shoot at this point....there is no replacement for rounds sent downrange.

Honestly, what you have is fine for getting started, you can upgrade as needed and as your skills grow.....who knows where this sport will take you.....you might decide to get a super precise rifle later to shoot precision or you might find you just like making steel ring at long raqnge.

You might not even like long range after a few thousand rounds.

Watch some you tube vids on the fundamentals of marksmanship, understanding scope adjustements, bullet drop, etc.....then just get out and shoot, it will all make sense when you start shooting.

Remember anything works better than nothing and the proper fundamentals apply to a cheap single shot .22 or a 5 thousand dollar single shot 50 cal.......

I do not know what you already know now.......but if you have the time a good series to watch for basic understanding of things to do with rifles,scopes and shooting is Tiborasauresrex`s video serier sniper 101.

He goes pretty in depth at first and you need not completely understand to take the info in and by the end of the video seriers you will have a good basic understanding of what is happening.

Once you start to shoot, it will alll start to make more and more sense to you......

Above all just get out and shoot with what you have....most people started with used cheap rifles when first starting and what you have will serve well as a starting point in the shooting sports.

With your equipment you will still gain skill and fundamentals irregardless of how top level the equipment is, once you master the gun and scope and caliber you have now, you will be miles above most fair weather shooters with more money and fancy equipment than skills.

I would venture to say that once you master and out grow that rifle you will have shot the barrel out anyway as barrels tend to last 5 to 10 thousand rounds at best.....

Go shoot, have fun and ask questions....it will all fall into place ......have fun!

[ElvenSoul]

Get good at .223 500 to 600 yards the get a 6.5-284 to shoot at 1000yds.

[kcstott]

+1 on Rex videos, that guy knows his stuff when it comes to shooting.

[F4E Phantom]

Do lots of research on barrel's, optics, stocks, caliber's etc. Don't waste you money like I did. Buy once, the good stuff.

[NorCalFocus]

Well you can learn a lot with that setup, but you'll out grow it quickly. The only mistake I say you made so far is, getting just the plain jane SPS and not stepping up to the SPS tactical with a heavy profile barrel. Even .223 will heat up a thin barrel quickly and throw your shots off.

At this point you have two options, stick with what you got and practice, practice, practice your technique, all the while saving up for either a re-barrel of that gun or a new gun all together. Other option is to try return or get what you can out of the setup cost wise, and save up a few more bucks to get a better setup. Personally I'd run what you brung, and practice all the time.

If your handy, you can get a Boyds wood stock and pillar bed it yourself vs buying the $250 HS stock. The Boyds you can do for about $150.

[Ryng]

Thanks ya'll helping me with buyers remorse hahahahaha. No just kidding I don't feel regret at all. One of the main reasons I purchased .223 was

because I still wanted a caliber for varmint. My friend has a humongous farm that has a jack rabbit problem and allows me to stop buy on weekends.

223 is still a caliber that wont blow them up to the point they're inedible. Before I bought this Remington I was using 17 hmr that reached out 200 max

all stock.

As for skill level. I am clueless in terms of what I am suppose to do when I shoot but I go mainly on instinct. I rest the front somewhere without bipod

and use my hand in a fist to adjust height(should I get a bipod?). To me without bipod it just seem easier to adjust and more natural for me. I take

slow breaths to slow down heart rate then hold it. (I'll probably look all this up after I'm done writing this) When it came to anything as far as 200

yards I would just be guessing the shot which I don't even want to try because I would be hitting the jacks in the wrong spot. So anything past 150

yards I just let them go. Anyways any tips you guys got on that? Is there a way to just free hand it and guess properly?

In terms of the Remington 700 (Reminder: I'm really new) I didn't know you could just buy a new barrel, would I have to buy a whole new bolt part

too? Because isn't mine a short action and then anything above 223 is like long or something? Does a stock make that much of a difference? I really

like the hinged floor plate, one of the main reasons I got Remington 700. Are there any stocks that wouldn't delete that function? I see a lot of people

prefer the detachable magazine though.

Thanks again for all the advise guys. Back to studying for finals

[kcstott]

It's a touch more complicated then a just a rebarrel you'd need a new bolt as well if going to a .308 bolt face. Or have the one you have reworked but buy the time you paid to do that you could have bought a new bolt. And in reality I'd just buy a new rifle.
I've never owned a Rem 700 in anything but a .308 bolt face so I can't say thats it on the conversion there may be other things that need to be addressed.

As far as short action to long action.
You can load a short action up to .308 sized cartridges i.e. 2.8" overall length or smaller. Long actions are for 30-06 sized and up to .375 H&H magnum length. so 3.0" to 3.6"

As for range you're going to need get a drop chart made up.

Easy to do at your friends place. Get set up. place targets at 100, 200, 300, yards/meters out shoot five round groups into each with out making any hold over corrections. just aim center and fire good shots. taking a swag at it I'm going say 300 yards with a 55gr nato round is going to be in the 4-6" of drop range and 200 will be about 2" of drop if zeroed at 100 yards/meters

Just fire your rounds measure the difference on each target and note it.

that simple. It becomes harder at longer ranges to do that. so a ballistics program is needed but there are enough generic drop charts floating around you could google it and a few will pop up.

[Unretarded]

OK, sounds to me like you have some of the fundamentals down, but from the shooting questions you asked I would strongly recomend you was the sniper 101 vids on youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwG-D0HjCBQ

[milotrain]

RYNG,

The next thing you should save up for is a good stock, and then right after that heavy, fast twist 24" barrel fitted by a good gunsmith. If you buy a Shilen blank (Match Stainless Steel, #7 or Medium Palma contour) it will cost you $283 for the blank and around $250 to get it chambered and fitted to your rifle. Yeah it's about the whole cost of the rifle you bought but it will literally turn your store bought rifle into a custom match grade rifle capable of stacking rounds on top of each other. Feed it quality ammo and you are off to the races.