New To The Forum and To Long Range Shooting

[rkittine]

Hi All,

I am new to the Forum and hoping to learn a lot from my time here.

A just purchased a Remington 700 VLS in .22-250 and will be trying to learn more about shooting out to 300 yards at the local ranges I have available close by. I also want to try my hand at longer ranges out to 600 or even 1,000 yards.

I have talked to a lot of rifle builders and if I get any good at this and take a real interest it sounds like the 6.5x47 might be a good round that provides both accuracy and barrel life. I do not believe at my age that I will end up trying to compete except against myself. I do have to travel some distance to get to a 600 yard and 1,000 yard range.

So my questions are:
What would be the longest yardage I should expect accuracy from the .22-250 and what do I need to do to this rifle in order to get it? I do hand load and have just ordered a chronograph.
Would a Savage Model 12 Bench Rest in 6mmBR be a wise choice to start with for longer ranges and is that really limited to 600 yards? My other question about this rifle is I have been told there are no aftermarket match triggers available. Is the trigger good enough to have worked by a competent gun smith and is there a decent resale value if I decide to get more active and have a rifle built.

Thanks for your input - Bob

 

[people]

I am just shooting a 55gr vmax. I only hold off but I have shot plenty of prairie dogs with it in the 400 to 500yds area. The one I had before was shot out using a 52gr hpbt hornady match with h380.

Watch the wind and you will do ok. That 6.5 should get you out as far as you want to get.

 

[Erik Cortina]

Depending on bullet weight (limited by twist) you should do well out to 30" yards with your 22-250. However, I would not go past 100 until you can shoot small groups consistently, which is hard enough to do.

If you buy a Salvage, you are better off using it as is or you will find yourself throwing good money after had real quick. They have a bad resale value, and their barrels are a crap shoot like any factory rifle.

You would be better off rebarreling your Remington than to buy a Salvage. Use your 22-250 for a while to get the basics down, in the meantime, order yourself a barrel (Brux or Krieger) and by the time the barrel comes in, you will have more experience with precision hand loading. When barrel comes in, have it chambered, get a Jewell trigger for your rifle and a new stock. Now you will have a rifle that will shoot great.

Oh yeah, welcome to the forum!

 

[rkittine]

Thanks Guys,

Will the fact that my VLS Action is Blued rather than SS make any difference? I know it is dependent on how hot I load for the .22-250, but what should I figure regarding the number of rounds before shooting this barrel out with correct cleaning? I have seen the estimate on a 65x284 to be between about 900 and 1,250 with some as much at 1,500 but the 6.5x47 as much as 2,500 or more.

I would think if I am going to buy a new barrel and a new stock, might just want to buy a 700 SS Action and have the gun built and when I shoot out the 700 VLS, maybe just rebarreling in the mild .243.

Another question I have is about burning out barrels. Is it just the beginning of the barrel where the problem occurs? Since my VLS has a 26" Barrel, when it burns out, can it be cut and rechambered as a shorter barrel?

Thanks - Bob

 

[swampshooter]

I would not disagree with Erick. But would add that I bought a Savage F-class #12 rifle in 6.5x284 and put a used Leupold 6.5x20x scope on it that I already had. It did what I wanted and got me started shooting F-class for a modest outlay of cash. I've since had it re-barreled with a Bartlein barrel to 284, put a Nightforce scope on it and a new trigger from SharpShooter Supply. It is still shooting up to my personal limitations, but If I could do a do over, I would skip over the Remington, I already have several, and buy a Stolle or Bat action and build a real long range rifle. I'd go with a Stolle for F-TR and the Bat for F-Open. Long range shooting is addicting. In the beginning I didn't know if I would enjoy long range shooting, but I love it. Just my personal opinion for what it's worth.

 

[people]

Yes you can have it cut down and re chambered as long as you have enough barrel shank to allow it. I have done it and they never last as long. If longevity is wanted new is your best option.

One thing about burning out a barrel is you are the one who determines how fast or how long it will last. Keep your tube cool and it will last longer than those who just blast away. Even longer than the guys who shoot 22rds in a string.

 

[swampshooter]

Rkittine, I re-barreled my 6.5x284 at about 850 rds. Most of that was shooting in mid-range matches, 17 rds. in 17 minutes. I'm not certain of the time, but I think that is correct. I could have pushed it a little bit more but my accuracy was starting to fall off. Barrel life can be a bit different for different styles of shooting and individual differences in barrels. Remington has stated in the past 1800 rds. for a 22-250 stainless barrel. I know varmint shooters still shooting 22-250's with 3,000 rds. through them. A lot of it depends on how much accuracy loss that you're willing to tolerate. For sure the 6.5x47 will give you more barrel life than either the 22-250 or 6.5x284.

The 243 is not a mild cartridge and barrel life won't be much more than a 6.5x284.

Yes, you can have a barrel set back and re-chambered. Normally re-set barrel life is a little bit less than a new barrel. A lot of gunsmiths don't want to set back factory barrels.