so give me some good ideas on an affordable, long range rifle. is the rem. 700 REALLY the only choice here? if so, what version? and what about the 710?

scopes too:)

http://www.snipershide.com

first of all, what do you consider "affordable?" because in the world of "tactical shooting" (not sniping) affordable is ~ $1000 for the gun and about the same for glass.

There are many options out there for beginners to think about.

First, the Savage 10FP. This is a pretty affordable gun, pretty decent aftermarket, and best of all, super simple barrel swaps. So you get tired of shooting .308? Pull the barrel nut, put in a .300WSM barrel, etc. Just make sure you are positive about long action or short action when buying it, thats where the troubles come when swapping barrels.

Then you have the tried and true Winchester Model 70. Though these will not be produced anymore, you can find them pretty cheap no matter what. Try and find a Stealth, or a Stealth II, the Stealth is a better rifle with a standard HS Precision (IIRC) stock. The Win Mod70 is kinda the "mid grade" gun of the tactical pack. Its a bastard child that everyone wants (the Stealth) yet noone will admit to owning (the Stealth II).

BTW, my .22-250 is a Stealth.

Then you have the Remington Model 700 PSS. Now... I'm not sure if you can actually buy the PSS without being law enforcment in Texas, but around here you can pick them up at most gun shows. They are the ticket for entry level tactical shooting. Standard with three swivel mounts (two for the sling, one for the bipod), pretty decent stock on them, and upgradable to the end of the world.

Scope Rails, Rings, & Bottom Metal (http://www.badgerordnance.com/)
The only stock you will ever have to buy (http://www.mcmfamily.com/mcmillan/tactical/tactical.asp)

Then you need to think about optics.

SWFA, the place to buy your scopes from (http://www.riflescopes.com/)

You can spend anywhere from ~ $500 to well over $3,000 for optics.

You can get half way decent Luepolds, or you can spring for a Ziess Conquest for about the same price. (in the 4 - 600 range). There are also the Nikon Buckmaster and Monarch lines, and I do believe they even offer a "tactical" version with Mil-Dot reticule.

Or go with a Schmidt & Bender :drool: :wackit: for around $3,000.

But what you -really- need to ask yourself is what will this rifle be?

will this be a tactical rifle for competition?
a target rifle for punching paper?
a varminter for shooting gophers and the like?
a hunting rifle?
or just a "look what I spent my money on" rifle?

once you figure out the answer to that question, you can figure out what action/caliber would be best for you.

oh, also...


will you be shooting UKD?
shooting out to 1,000 yards?
beyond 1,000 yards?
less then 500 yards?
Small game?
Big game?
Would you rather have a flat shooter or a more consistent shooter?


...

er... just PM me if you have more questions so I don't wind up posting a novel.

you could also just buy an AR-10.


.308 with gasgun goodness.

you could also just buy an AR-10.


.308 with gasgun goodness.


You can get a gas tube that lets you turn off the gas also to make it a single shot.

This thread makes me sad. I had to cancel the order on my Barret. I think I am going to cry.