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Thread: Budget Precision Rifle Thread: 2022 edition

  1. #1
    S.L.O.W. ASH556's Avatar
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    Budget Precision Rifle Thread: 2022 edition

    Man y'all, I've had several different "precision rifle" builds over the years. Pics below for your ogling pleasure. All of them have been sold because they never got shot and I wanted the money for something else. Well, I've got the itch again and I'm fortunately at a much more financially secure place now in my life so even if I'm not using it, it would be nice to have. I want to stick with .308 for reasons, mostly surrounding ammo availability.

    Back in the day, I'd find a heavy barreled Remington of some form or another, put decent glass on it, and shoot. All of these rifles were sub-moa for me. Seems harder to find such a thing nowadays. Also I'm never sure anymore if Remington is here or gone. What would y'all recommend as a decent way to get into something that will shoot MOA with match .308 out to at least 700 with a top end budget (glass included) of around 1,200? Honestly I can pro-deal some Vortex stuff, so it'll be that or a used Leupold in probably the $500-ish range, so ideally $500 on a rifle and then some money for mounts.

    Ruger American something?

    Past rifles, all bought and sold in the $1,200-$1,500 range:






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  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by ASH556 View Post
    Man y'all, I've had several different "precision rifle" builds over the years. Pics below for your ogling pleasure. All of them have been sold because they never got shot and I wanted the money for something else. Well, I've got the itch again and I'm fortunately at a much more financially secure place now in my life so even if I'm not using it, it would be nice to have. I want to stick with .308 for reasons, mostly surrounding ammo availability.

    Back in the day, I'd find a heavy barreled Remington of some form or another, put decent glass on it, and shoot. All of these rifles were sub-moa for me. Seems harder to find such a thing nowadays. Also I'm never sure anymore if Remington is here or gone. What would y'all recommend as a decent way to get into something that will shoot MOA with match .308 out to at least 700 with a top end budget (glass included) of around 1,200? Honestly I can pro-deal some Vortex stuff, so it'll be that or a used Leupold in probably the $500-ish range, so ideally $500 on a rifle and then some money for mounts.

    Ruger American something?

    Past rifles, all bought and sold in the $1,200-$1,500 range:






    Ruger Precision.

    Buy a tikka and drop it on a KRG bravo chassis.

    Honestly nowadays if you were serious about a precision rifle one of the 6 mm or 6.5 mm rounds is the way to go. 6.5 Creedmore is increasingly mainstream and in use by some U.S. SOF elements.

    308 is now primarily used in semi auto sniper systems and as a sub caliber trainer on ranges which are not rated for the more powerful calibers military boat guns for now chambered for.

    Military use aside, the ballistics of the 6 mm and 6.5 mm rounds make 308 a nonstarter unless you were sitting on thousands of rounds of free or already paid for .308.

  3. #3
    S.L.O.W. ASH556's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by HCM View Post
    unless you were sitting on thousands of rounds of free or already paid for .308.
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  4. #4
    Frequent DG Adventurer fatdog's Avatar
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    My Tika CTR is a great rifle, but my Savage 110 tactical that was 75% the price will hang with it, and takes AICS compatible mags. Both in 6.5 CR, both will ring steel at 1000 yards with me shooting, which is just a testimony to how much rifle you can get for very little money now.

    I don't know which will shoot tighter groups, both seem the same in terms of groups with the same ammo, and both are sub MOA all day long, not sure with me shooting them with the scopes they currently have a true difference could even be measured.

    Both are also available in .308 and both of mine have a $600ish Vortex PST scope. Probably not suitable for .mil or LE use I am sure, but works great for me torturing D500 plates at various ranges.

    I also hear great things about the Rugers from people who own them.

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    I decided to get back into bolt guns a couple of years ago, bought this Howa 1500 in .308 (because I had a case or so of FGMM left over from my SWAT days ) from a local guy off Armslist.

    Paid $475, then mounted a $350 Vortex 3-18 Strike Eagle. It was printing .75 MOA groups consistently...I was surprised, given the cheap flimsy Hogue stock.

    I found McMillian stock on eBay for @ $225 and stuffed it into that, groups shrank to @ .5 MOA. (sold the original stock for $150).

    Later, I found a used XLR chassis listed locally on Arfcom for $300 (sold the McMillan for $200).

    I'm probably into this set up for @ $1250 total with base/rings...although I did splurge last year and put an Atlas bipod on it.

    I don't shoot competition and haven't been able to shoot it out past @ 225 yds. yet. I know the glass is going to be the limitation for serious use, but it does what I need it to (recreation/range fun).








    It does this consistently...

  6. #6
    S.L.O.W. ASH556's Avatar
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    Been doing a lot of looking and reading and it appears that the Ruger American Hunter (comes with Magpul stock and scope rail for about $750) plus the Vortex Strike Eagle 5-25 might be the way to go.
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    Quote Originally Posted by ASH556 View Post
    Been doing a lot of looking and reading and it appears that the Ruger American Hunter (comes with Magpul stock and scope rail for about $750) plus the Vortex Strike Eagle 5-25 might be the way to go.
    Realistically you can have a lot of fun with that setup.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by kwb377 View Post
    I decided to get back into bolt guns a couple of years ago, bought this Howa 1500 in .308 (because I had a case or so of FGMM left over from my SWAT days ) from a local guy off Armslist.

    Paid $475, then mounted a $350 Vortex 3-18 Strike Eagle. It was printing .75 MOA groups consistently...I was surprised, given the cheap flimsy Hogue stock.

    I found McMillian stock on eBay for @ $225 and stuffed it into that, groups shrank to @ .5 MOA. (sold the original stock for $150).

    Later, I found a used XLR chassis listed locally on Arfcom for $300 (sold the McMillan for $200).

    I'm probably into this set up for @ $1250 total with base/rings...although I did splurge last year and put an Atlas bipod on it.

    I don't shoot competition and haven't been able to shoot it out past @ 225 yds. yet. I know the glass is going to be the limitation for serious use, but it does what I need it to (recreation/range fun).
    This approach works really well. I've eased my way into a couple of very nice rifles by picking up undervalued donors and reselling parts as I upgraded. I would not have been able to convince myself to buy these rifle in their finished configurations.


    Okie John
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  9. #9
    Member SoCalDep's Avatar
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    Gonna be following where this thread goes. I’m being spoiled right now with a borrowed MasterPiece Arms .308 with a Vortex 4.5x27 and some damn nice custom .308 bolt guns. I’m going into day 4 of my department’s special weapons team’s long rifle class. Probably the most challenging firearms class I’ve been to because while I’ve been to a lot of classes, this is outside my normal and my comfort zone.

    All that said… I’m pumped, but I also know my place (I’m not on the special weapons team… just a firearms trainer guy) and I know my budget. It’s not MPA or the custom rifle realm, so I’m looking forward to see the comments in this thread!

  10. #10
    Ready! Fire! Aim! awp_101's Avatar
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    @kwb377, what cheek riser is that in your first pic?
    Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits - Mark Twain

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