choosing a bolt action rifle to help me get better at shooting bolt action rifles

[JTMcC]

The ammo situation is the kicker.
Without that I'd get a relatively cheap Lee-Enfield (any model but my preference is No1 Mk3's) that was sporterized at some point, cut the barrel to 16"-20" and run that bolt! I'd still do that if I found some .303 ammo.

In todays market I'd get an older used .22 LR bolt gun and run that bolt... unless .223 was a "destination" caliber for me, ie it will do all I need out of a bolt gun. Then I'd go .223, my needs are heavier but I really like having .22's in my real "work gun" type actions.

I have a Ruger No. 1 in 45-70 and there's a lot of entertainment value in drilling fast(er) reloads with falling block single shots.

[GJM]

I have a CZ 527 with a Zeiss fixed 4 power, that I used for exactly what you describe.

[308Rifle]

Since you are not an absolute beginner, 22lr might not be the right choice for you. While all skill levels technically can gain improved skills using 22lr, for what you indicate is your purpose/goals for this rifle, I think you will quickly plateau with a 22lr and end up having to buy yet another new rifle to go to the next level. .223 or .308 can give you mild starting places and allow for growth. Both are easy to reload and have a wide variety of bullets covering a wide range of uses/needs.

Because you already have some experience already, .223 will give you everything that a 22lr will, but add some actual recoil (even if very minor), be able to stretch out to 300 yards and more, and if you are not already reloading an easy cartridge that can be reloaded.

For many of the same reasons .308 can be a good choice as well, it can be downloaded with H4895 and Trailboss, thus give reduced recoil, but then can grow towards full performance loads. Depending on the rifle, the recoil of .308 can be as mild as a .223. just depends on how light or how heavy. Lighter the rifle, the more felt recoil, especially if you do not mount the rifle correctly. With light rifles, .308 can still be pleasant to shoot if you mount the rifle correctly.

Cost wise, .223 will be the most economical for high volume practice.

Which rifle to go with? If going with .223 I would suggest a rifle in current production, has decent aftermarket support for stocks and other possible enhancements and good gunsmith support for re barreling or ease of doing so yourself. Most rifles come with 1 in 9 twist, a few come with 1 in 8. I would encourage getting a rifle that comes with a 1 in 8 twist. When it comes to re barreling time, I would encourage either staying with 1 in 8 or going to 1 in 7. the 7 inch twist is very flexible and would for allow for the use of bullets (75 grain and up) that can reach out to 1000 yards. Should you ever decided to give it a try.

If you go .308, very similar advice. For the twist, 1 in 10 will give you the best support for a wide range of bullets as you stretch out the distance you want to shoot. A lot of rifles come with 1 in 12, which isn't bad to get started with.

How long will your barrel last? All depends on how much you shoot, how hot the barrel is allowed to get etc. Since you indicate you are not looking into a shooting discipline that is about tiny groups, but rather practical shooting from the field, small groups isn't the goal. Rather keeping shots made on demand, from fields positions, and placing all into a specific size zone is the goal. Typically, 4 or 6 inch zones if hunting is your primary purpose. Given this, I wouldn't be surprised if you can get up wards of 15,000 rounds from a .223 barrel or 10,000 from a .308. Maybe more. depending on how old you are, you might not ever have to re barrel. But if you had to, you want to have a rifle that re barreling isn't a "big deal" to have done.

For training, the most economical option based on price and reputation, is the https://appleseedinfo.org/ project. I would skip any classes that focus on PRS/"sniper" type shooting. For what you describe as your goals, appleseed, gunsite 270, randy cain's practical rifle, and tom russell's 5 1/2 day rifle class are examples of classes that would likely fit your goals better. While all rifle shooting disciplines have overlap, each has important and unique differences that are specific to its focus. I would encourage looking into classes that cover skills specific or close to your goals.

If this was me, I would be looking for a used Remington to fix up in the caliber I chose. If not a Remington, I would be looking for a Tikka, which has a reputation for being the most ready to go out of the box of any of the mass produced production rifles. And for classes, I would try and get into any of the ones I listed.

[mmc45414]

My goal is to become a "good" shot out to 300 yards from field positions

Don't know what might be available in your area, and not exactly what you are asking, but I think our monthly three-gun matches have helped my rifle shooting significantly. The club has a 200yd range that is used about every other month, and that moved me to a LPVO. And the organizers like to put us into funky positions. So getting into position and on the target while you are on the clock is giving me some experience that IMO is improving my rifle marksmanship. One simple thing is getting to know what magnification I am going to want by assessing the task. And you probably already have a gun. But maybe I just got lucky on the local club.

[Skinner Precision, LLC]

Some of the most important tasks in general rifle shooting are :

1.Building your position for the shot
2. Trigger control
3. Reading the wind

A 22 at 100 yrs is somewhat analogous to a center fire at 600 yards (wind effects)and @ 200 yards wind effects are closer to 1000 yards with a centerfire. Past 200, ammo inconsistency, even in the high dollar end of match ammo makes life more difficult (not saying shots past 200 w/22 are impossible but 22 ELR is a rabbit hole in and of itself and not a good trainer for centerfire shooting IMO.)

I like a 223 or even better a 223AI bolt gun as a trainer (at ranges way past 200) but a 22 trainer gets you way more bang for the buck, especially at the ranges most people have easily availible....

[Borderland]

I used to hunt deer in my youth but sold all of my rifles by the time I was 30. I really missed my 22 LR so my first rifle in about 30 years was a CZ 455 with a good 4x Leupold scope. I then immediately bought a case of ammo. You might say I started all over again. I shot that one a lot until I was consistent out to 100 yds. I then purchased several .223 rifles for the flatter trajectory. A .223 will mimic the flatter trajectory of most 6-7mm rifles out to 300. If you reload it's a cheap one to shoot and 100 rds won't beat your brains out. A .223 bolt rifle is a pretty good CF trainer.

I just sold a Howa Mini .223 to a friend who wanted to get his grandson some trigger time on a CF rifle. Once he starts hunting deer he will have to move up to something larger as .223 is illegal in this state. If he hunts in some of the states that border WA he can use it.

I've noticed that people don't trade or sell their .223 bolt rifles much anymore because of ammo prices.

[mmc45414]

Another thought:
A Savage is not sexy, but it is a simple matter to switch barrels and bolt face. You could get a .223 and if you wanted to in the future you could easily change it over to any other short action caliber.

[BobM]

I have a Remington LTR in 308, a Ruger American Ranch in 300 BO, and compact Ruger American Rimfires in 22 long rifle and 22 magnum. I wanted a light 223 bolt gun for coyote and maybe ground hog hunting. A few years ago I had a heavy barrel 20” Savage 223 that shot pretty well but I didn’t like lugging it around. A couple months ago I came across a decent deal on a Ruger American Predator in 223, also thinking I could use it for lower cost, less recoil practice. I’ve not had a chance yet to get a scope on it but I’m hoping it shoots at least as well as the Ranch. I’d also like to find a Predator in 308 that takes the AI magazine and have essentially a family of rifles with similar controls and handling.

[Shoresy]

Tikka T1x + NRL22 targets ( and download stage descriptions)+ a couple bricks ammo would be a nice ROI (time and money wise) for making a person a better all around bolt gun shooter from field positions...

My , at the time, pre-teen son became a much rifle shooter (and hunter), from a relatively small number of competition specific practice sessions and NRL22 matches. I am an advocate of leaving the bench and the prone/bipod position that most rifle shooters employ and either:
1. Improving basic rifle skills with a sling ala traditional 3/4 position nra style competition technique either with either rimfire or center fire equipment
Or
2. Get better at "field/improvised" type practical shooting via PRS/ NRL type shooting with NRL22 being the lowest barrier of entry, equipment wise.

My unsexy advice for learning basic rifle marksmanship would be to buy a good .22 bolt action and a couple cases of ammo.

The ammo situation is the kicker.
Without that I'd get a relatively cheap Lee-Enfield (any model but my preference is No1 Mk3's) that was sporterized at some point, cut the barrel to 16"-20" and run that bolt! I'd still do that if I found some .303 ammo.

In todays market I'd get an older used .22 LR bolt gun and run that bolt... unless .223 was a "destination" caliber for me, ie it will do all I need out of a bolt gun. Then I'd go .223, my needs are heavier but I really like having .22's in my real "work gun" type actions.

I have a Ruger No. 1 in 45-70 and there's a lot of entertainment value in drilling fast(er) reloads with falling block single shots.

Some of the most important tasks in general rifle shooting are :

1.Building your position for the shot
2. Trigger control
3. Reading the wind

A 22 at 100 yrs is somewhat analogous to a center fire at 600 yards (wind effects)and @ 200 yards wind effects are closer to 1000 yards with a centerfire. Past 200, ammo inconsistency, even in the high dollar end of match ammo makes life more difficult (not saying shots past 200 w/22 are impossible but 22 ELR is a rabbit hole in and of itself and not a good trainer for centerfire shooting IMO.)

I like a 223 or even better a 223AI bolt gun as a trainer (at ranges way past 200) but a 22 trainer gets you way more bang for the buck, especially at the ranges most people have easily availible....

I'll echo the above, at least as far as rimfire being an excellent training option.

The only part that might give me pause is that for rimfire, 17 HMR can be pushed much further than 22lr. It also costs more and ammo isn't always as plentiful. But it's a great way to practice "30-06 stuff" without 30-06 recoil and 30-06 costs. The decision hinges on whether you're content to work at 50-100 yards (with 22lr), or if you want to hit your stated 300 yard with the training rifle (if it's not, I wouldn't bother with the 17 and would stick to 22).

I would also strongly suggest that if you haven't been to an Appleseed event, start there ("the ability to make a good shot out to 500 yards with off-the-shelf equipment in field positions" is the goal).

[BN]

I have some experience shooting 22LR at long distance. I regularly shoot my 22 rifles out to 350 yards and beyond. Here's what I posted at Rimfire Central.

https://www.rimfirecentral.com/forum....php?t=1164837

I also shoot at Topstrap's matches. He posts about his matches in the long range section at Rimfire Central.


Rimfire vs. Center fire would possibly depend on what shooting ranges you have available to shoot at. You can find places to shoot rimfire easier most places.

If you go rimfire my suggestions would be CZ 457 or a Tikka T1. I suggest a FFP variable power scope with side focus. MOA or MIL is your choice. I have mostly MOA because that is what the people I shoot with have and we can trade DOPE. This is quite the rabbit hole to go down. I started with a 10-22 and after several different rifles, I now have a Vudoo.