What is the best ‘sniper rifle’ for a girl. I have been looking at remington 308 rifles-not sure tho-?
I am almost 5’7, medium/slim build and do have some experience shooting rifles…I am not to bad a shot!
Here’s some more info-NOT looking to take out any person! I dont know a lot about guns, I have a friend who reloads his 308 cartridges, & said in general 308 ammo is cheaper, he said I could learn to reload my own as well, that is why I thought of going with a 308. I LOVE to target shoot, and am thinking about trying hunting deer this fall. I grew up shooting 22′s and recently shot some semi auto assult riffles of my Dads and fell in love with the power of them compared to the 22′s. I want to get something I can target shoot from long distances-I enjoy it, especially with my guy friends who like to assume I cant! I do like military guns and that is part of it too….I don’t know much about any of it however. I have been told by my boyfriend that I should stick to a 308, and that he prefers a bull barrel and synthetic stock. I like to figure stuff out on my own so I am checking other peoples opinions. Let me know if you need more info from me! And thanks for all your help!
Oh ya, almost forgot. I dont want to spend much more than 0-0.00 to start with. I know this may not include a scope.
Here is some more…my boyfriends brother just bought a remington 700, 308…I forget the rest, but it is a bull barrel, and he bought a scope for it, but it is HEAVY! He said it will kick a lot more than any gun I’ve shot yet (I havent shot that many really). Some of your answers have mentioned some different caliber rifles, what is the big deal between them and a 308? And no matter what gun I went with, would I have to take it to a gunsmith and have it adjusted correctly? It sounds like if I went with a remington I would not have to maybe, but if I went with a Salvage or another kind, I would be better off to do that. what do you all say?
Posted in sniper rifle
November 16th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
I like to shoot long distance too. You got all the crap about Sniper so I will leave that go. I shoot for long range hand loaded 8 MM in an Mauser K98. I also hand load .243 Winchester out of a Ruger M77 MkI and shoot extreme long range for that caliber. My buddy shoots .30-06 also hand loaded. We are usually shooting at 9 in bulls on a 16 in background at 1000 yards. It takes a lot of practice to shoot those targets. I do pretty well but the club’s kid sister is 14 years old and she shoots rings around us old farts. She uses one of my 8 MM Mauser K98s with a 6 – 15 X 40 Leica scope that cost more than all my Mausers all together are worth. Her uncle bought the scope for her after I gave her the gun. Please note that every round is hand loaded for target shooting at extreme ranges. So take a hard look at weather you want to learn the trade of long distance shooting. It is 20% talent and 80% hard work mixed with practice, practice, practice.
Caliber is a factor but choice of guns is as personal as sex so do not decide until you have shot every kind of rifle you can get your hands on. I like Mausers and Rugers and my best buddy wont shoot anything but a Remington. The girl’s uncle has an old British Enfield he had sporterized and converted to .25-06 that he swears by an at depending on the wind. So if anyone tells you that thus and such gun in that caliber is the only way to go figure he is a puffed up arrogant fool who is way too thrilled by the sound of his voice. Try every thing you can lay hands on and see what fits you.
November 16th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
It will depend on what you are going to do with it… unless you are military or police, I am sure you won’t be "sniping" any people.
Will you use it for hunting? If so, you should match the round to the game you will pursue.
Is it for target shooting? No need for anything other than a .22LR, unless you have a specific class of competition you want to compete in.
Give us more info, and we’ll help you track down what you need. How about a price range, too?
November 16th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Depends on what you intend to use it for.
For hunting a .308 will deal with just about anything that walks in North America. For deer size game a .270 in enough and is more pleasant to shoot. Have a look at the Savage Range, good value for money, add a decent scope and you’re ready to go for around $500.
My personal favourite is the Ruger M77 followed by the Remington 700 but they are a bit more expensive.
November 16th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Sniper is an person not a rifle. The rifle is the tool of the sniper. The rifle does not make the person a sniper. Practice makes the person a good shot, vocation makes the good shot a sniper.
The Remington 700 in 308 has been a rifle traditionally used in the military for sniper use.
EDIT:
In light of your additional info, if this is your first high power to opt for a single shot, a decent one is the H&R can be purchased with a scope mounted for around $250.
In the bolt action rifle department Savage, Ruger, Remington and now Thompson all make decent one, Savage is a lower costs option. But not by much.
If you intend to use is primarily for accurate target shooting a free floated bull barrel is the most accurate, if you intend to use it for hunting at any time I’d stick with a standard barrel.
November 16th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Honestly a .223 AR-15 is a good choice for light hunting and target rifle. They also come in other calibers such as the .308. though the rifle has to fit you for it to be the best. For bolt actions I will list some of my favs in price order
Steyr SSG 04
Any Remington
CZ 550
Mosin Nagant
I really like the last one because it is accurate and inexpensive about $120.00 in the mid range.
Picking a rifle is exactly like buying shoes. You have to pick one that fits you, fit is determined by weight, stock length, comb height, looks. Go to a good gunsmith and he will help you size them and if your new gun gives you trouble he will be there to help. Look for a small mom and pop shop with a good returning clientele.
November 16th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
For bang-for-the-buck price, you really will not beat Savage Arms. Remington is just as good, if you have the money, or you get lucky w/ a good rifle from the factory, but the truth of the matter is most will need to be "accurized" and more then a few will need work done by a good gun smith which = $$$ and less time on the range or buying new incredibly expensive ammo.
If your just hunting you could get away with their 11 series, or for a little better accuracy the 12 series is excellent. but if your going to do both hunting and target shooting (competing) I would highly suggest the model 10FP or FLP in a .308. You probably will not find a more accurate/rugged gun for the price out there that can do what it can factory. i have been using mine for 6 years now, I hand reload and cannot say enough good things about this rifle.
November 16th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Get your basic .308 hunting rifle by whichever manufacturer you like. Some offer "tactical" or "police" models which usually have a slightly heavier barrel, and of course, are painted black for the tacti-cool crowd. If that appeals to you, then by all means go that route. It isn’t really needed, but if it makes you feel better, it won’t hurt anything. My personal choice would be a Remington model 7 or 700, but the differences between the different guns are mostly cosmetic. Any of them should do whatever you need it to do just fine.
(edit)
Your boyfriend’s brother is an idiot. He is doing the normal chest-banging-look-I’m-a-manly-man routine. Just grin and nod. .308 doesn’t recoil that much. And if your friend (or possibly you) reloads, you can always load lighter rounds until you get used to it. My 6 year old daughter has no problem firing one from the bench. My 5’2" wife actually enjoys shooting hers. .308 is NOT some shoulder-breaking, tank-killing cannon. If you are on a budget, you can either look for a used Remington or other brand-name rifle, or look at the local chain sporting goods stores for something that suits your needs to go on sale. DO NOT go to your local gun store and say "I want a rifle". The will see you coming a mile away, and rape you for every cent they can get. Look on gunbroker.com or some of the other gun auction sites to find out what the real price should be. If I were looking for a .308 on a budget, I would seriously consider a Stevens Model 200. That is the off-brand rifle by Savage. It is identical to their older Model 10/ Model 110, and can be had for under $300 on sale. They are VERY good rifles, on par with the best savage rifles before they added the accutrigger. And if you get one of those, you will still have plenty of money left over in your budget to get a really nice scope. Good luck!
November 16th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
I have read the standard "template" of factory stock dimensions intend to fit a guy about 5-9 or so.
Any bolt action commercial rifle in .308 will shoot as well as you are willing to practice for practical shooting purposes.
If the lenght of pull works for you Ok… if not a gunsmith can trim the butstock down for you (or if your handy with power tools it’s a easy DIY gunsmith project — tutorials are out there)
"Snipers", FBI and Military, used factory Remington and Winchester rifles and scopes from purchase at sporting goods stores for years and a rifleman who has learned to shoot can make some pretty impressive shots using some pretty "plain jane" looking rifles…
Be a marksman first…. leave the "sniper" thing to the mall ninjas
November 16th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
"Sniper Rifle" — I’ll spare you the lecture on what makes a sniper rifle a "snipers rifle"……
The .308 is an excellent choice. Its commonly used by police departments, competition target shooters, military snipers as well as hunters…… It’s as common as the sky is blue so that’s why I like it…..
The Remington 700 SPS, VTR or SPS Varmint would be a decent choice….. Here’s a couple of reviews…..
http://www.snipercentral.com/remspsv.htm
http://www.snipercentral.com/vtr.htm
http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/centerfire_rifles/model_700/
Take a look at this .308 cartridge guide…….
http://www.6mmbr.com/308Win.html
November 16th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
The best Tactical, Target, and Competitive long range caliber with moderate recoil at targets from 0 to 1000 yards is the 243 caliber with the Greatest Variety of bullet weights and loads to choose from.* Buy Remington or Savage Brand Rifle.*
November 16th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
I have to agree with savage30.
I am a huge Winchester model 70 fan, but the newer Savage bolt actions can really shoot. And for what you pay for it you can put the extra money in a nice leupold mil dot.
November 16th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
I will leave the "sniper rifle" bit alone but for a precision long range rifle the 243win with a 1-9 twist barrel (or faster if you want to shoot 105Gr+ pills) is a top choice of caliber for target shooting. You can’t go wrong with the Remington, they have the best aftermarket support of any brand and tend to shoot OK out of the box. If you want the best out of the box value then Tikka is your best bet. The 308 is a good choice, if the recoil does not worry you. The 243 has about 2/3 the recoil and has less wind drift/bullet drop, when they are both loaded with match projectiles, it is simply the 308 necked down to 243 (or 6mm) caliber. The advantage of the 308 is the availability of factory match loadings and barrel life is a lot longer. I hope this helps.
Edit: Shoot your friends 308 and if the recoil is not an issue then pick the 308 that has the best "feel" to you, stock dimensions differ from Model to Model and brand to brand. Ultimate accuracy will not be of major concern when you are starting out with long range shooting. Savage Tikka Remington, take your pick they will all out shoot you at 500yards+ straight out of the box, long range shooting is more a matter of judging conditions than outright accuracy. If you don’t intend to reload then I take back my recommendation of the 243 as factory loaded match rounds are hard to find. In a factory rifle you want a heavy barrel and a synthetic stock as the accuracy will be more consistent with those things and for a start I would not get a rifle "tuned" by a smith maybe get it glass bedded but that is all. As your skills improve you can modify it to your liking. Feel free to email me if you want more details.