.308 or .223 for punching paper?

[50 cal]

Savage or Remington .223 for the win. I have a Rem700 in .223 that I handload for and it will hit groundhogs out to 500yds easily.

[DaveTN]

Let me know if you'd like to shoot a Rem 700 in .223 before you decide.

Okay, thanks.

[Independent_shooter]

I'm having the same dilema, I'm wanting to get started with rifles...and want something where the ammo is relatively cheap yet the gun is versatile...not interested in just a 22lr

[Guest FroggyOne2]

Those of you that suggest .223 make points that are relevant to me. But from what I'm understanding I need to make sure I'm not shooting construction paper targets. Cheap printer paper only. I understand....

Ok.. so your leaning towards the .223.. well both the .308 and the .223 are good choices.. the .223 in a bolt gun will work all the way out to 1000 yards.. provided you do your homework.. first off.. a factoy bbl (9 twist) will not get you there.. you will need a 7-8 twist bbl and I would reconmend a 7 twist. You can shoot up to 90gr bullets in the 7 twist bbl. This is what I would do.. if Your intent on shoot distance, then I would have the rifle built. Start with a Savage Action, have a bbl chambered for it. (the beautiful thing about Savage is they are so versitle, you can shoot Magnums, standard and .223 boltface ammo in the same gun, just switch them out). Get you a prone target stock, there are many to choose from.. You can shoot prone, F-class or bench with this stock. When you have the bbl put on.. make sure the smith cuts the muzzle end of the bbl at .750 for 1.5 inchs back from the muzzle, this is incase you wish to shoot iron sights.. that way the bbl band for the front sight will fit the bbl. You will need a 25 moa extended scope rail for the scope when your using it. When shooting prone of any kind the standard scope mounting systems will not allow the scope to mounted far enough forward to use it when shooting prone. You will want some kind of quick release rings.. I use Leupold QRW lever type. I have both a .308 and a .223 1000 yard rifle. Both shoot .3 moa. I use Sierra 155's (2156) in the .308 and I use Berger 90gr BT's in the .223 and Nosler 80gr bullets.

My suggestion is that if you really want a good shooting rifle.. don't mess around with a factory rifle.. have it built.. and really don't cost as much as you might think it would.. PM me if you want to know more.. I will talk to you on the phone if you need more help.. that goes for anyone that wishes to learn more and get into shooting long range.

Also, if you go with the .308, any twist between 11.5 and 13 twist will work. my fave is the 12 twist, but my current gun is a 13 twist Kreiger. But if you choose a factory rifle.. I would get the Remington R5.. and shoot Sierra 175's.. the 168's are the worst bullets you could shoot at 1000 yards, they were designed for 300 meter competition.

Factoy bbl's are button cut.. so say a .223 9 twist bbl may or may not be a 9 twist, really it could be between a 8.5 to 9.5 twist.. the only bullet to look at in a 9 twist is the Hornady 75gr Amax. It may or may not shoot in it.. but it will shoot in a 8 twist for sure.. they work great in my rifle and it is a 7.2 twist single cut Rock Creek bbl. The other bullet for a 9 twist .223 bbl is the Sierra 69gr MK... and it will only work out 600 yards.. but if it is windy... your going to have your hands full keeping it in the middle. But I will say that it is better to have a 7-8 twist bbl.

Edited June 29, 2010 by FroggyOne2

[Guest oldsmobile98]

Edited to add: Sorry, somebody already said this and I missed it. Carry on.

What is wrong with HS Precision stocks?

From what I have read, their stocks are high-quality.

This is why some people (me included) won't buy their stuff.

Edited June 29, 2010 by oldsmobile98

[Dolomite_supafly]

Based on what you have said I would look at something in 223. They are cheaper to reload and if accuracy is what you are looking for you will have to reload to squeeze the most out of your gun. Some guns shoot well with factory ammo but all guns will shoot better once you work up a specific load for the gun. As far as out of the box accuracy I would give the nudge to Savage. If you are on a budget look at the Stevens line of rifles. They are pre Accutrigger Savages and save you a lot especially if you plan on upgrading anyways. The only difference between a Stevens and a Savage is the trigger and stock (depending on model). You can get a Stevens in 223 then replace the stock, this will give you a very accurate firearm without a whole lot of money spent. The factory trigger on the Stevens can be adjusted down to around 3 pounds safely so if that is fine for you then keep the factory trigger. If not then SSS sells a very nice trigger for less than $100.

I shoot my 223 out to 400 yards regularly. Holdover isn't the problem, reading the wind always is. I am getting ready to try my hand at a bit farther distance as soon as I get a different barrel, longer tube and faster twist.

Dolomite

[Guest FroggyOne2]

Holler at me if you want to try your hand at a longer distance.. in fact we are shooting at 600, 800 and 1000 yards on friday.. starting around noon..

[Dolomite_supafly]

I actually got invited to go shoot at a personal range Friday morning in the Morristown area. He said he has 1000 and could stretch to 1200. I don't have anything that can reach out past 600 at the moment. He also has lines on a 1 mile range that is local. Problem is we need more people because it will be more of a production with going back and forth between the line and the targets. Need 4 wheelers and such to go back and forth.

I do a lot of subsonic stuff so most of my builds are geared towards that. I am getting ready to put together a 223 to get to 1K. Right now I have a AR I use for most of my distance shooting. I know I could get a better caliber to get to 1K but I am very recoil sensitive since my helicopter accident. I had a 308 but sold the barrel once I realized I would never be able to shoot it again then used the action for a 45 ACP build.

Thanks for the invite, I appreciate it.

Dolomite