Rifle build for Whittington Precision Rifle I, II, III?

[lee blackman]

Has anyone taken the Precision Rifle classes at the NRA Whittington center in New Mexico? I'm just curious as to what one would bring rifle wise, as to not be left wanting. I'm reading 400-800 yards, then 800-1200 yards. Known and unknown distance targets. Shooting from elevated positions, and using various methods of support. And it mentions shooting off a back pack, or bringing a back pack, and being in good enough physical condition to hike. So I'm assuming one would have to lug their rifle, ammo, and other stuff around all day.

Starting from scratch where do you go?

[dauntedfuture]

I think this would be most appropriate for the precision rifle section. I would ask who ever is teaching the class. A standard .308 will have trouble past 800 let alone 1200 yds, so you are getting into high performance territory. I think you are going to have to get bigger then most of the smaller 6mm calibers out there. I would look at 6.5x.284 as my first choice due to great ballistics and lower recoil. After that I would look at a 7mm magnum, then the 300 Win mag. All of these are going to be hard on barrels. In all honesty I would make sure you can get out and shoot at least one NRA HP or F class rifle match before the class to see what happens with your gear. shooting at 1000 yds involves lots of skill but without suitable equipment, even the best shooters will fail.

[striped1]

What is your budget? GA Precision would be my first choice and then McWhorter has a couple of 6.5x47 lapua's that would fit the bill and are 10% off right now.

I disagree that 308 won't go 1200. Depending on loading, weapon and atmospherics, it is possible. I would prefer the 308 to a 6.5x284 just in barrel life and load availability. The 6.5x47 Lapua intrigues the heck out of me and will stretch much farther than 1200 yards.

If on a smaller budget, Savage makes a good base to build and then it is trigger, scope and bases.

Edited August 7, 2014 by striped1

[Tom Freeman]

Exactly what course are you interested in?

I shoot a lot of long range rifle there, mostly the Sporting Rifle Matches and the Magnum Match.

Most guys are shooting 6mm or 6.5 something at the Sporting Rifle Match and 7 or 300 Mag or 338 Lapua at the Magnum Match.

[dauntedfuture]

So from shooting 1200M in England with a .308, its a far piece. You are running into transonic issues at that point etc.

[Tom Freeman]

Shooting a 308 at 7,000 feet denisity altitude helps stretch its legs a little further, but it is still marginal past 1,000 yards. I would not use it for accuracy past 1,100-1,200. The bullet will get there, but as it comes back through the sound barrier accuracy suffers. Bullet selection and barrel length will help, but a better caliber will help a lot more.

[Graham Smith]

Unless you have a lot of money to spare and don't care how much you spend, I'd suggest you start with a simple semi-custom .308 and 175gr match ammo. Here's a place to start looking:

http://www.snipercentral.com/scriflepackagedetails.phtml?packageid=1

http://www.snipercentral.com/scriflepackagedetails.phtml?packageid=2

If you are in a rush, then you have very few choices. Either a Rem 700 SPS or a Savage 10 Carbine in .308 will get you started and you can upgrade later.

Edited August 7, 2014 by Graham Smith

[lee blackman]

Exactly what course are you interested in?

I shoot a lot of long range rifle there, mostly the Sporting Rifle Matches and the Magnum Match.

Most guys are shooting 6mm or 6.5 something at the Sporting Rifle Match and 7 or 300 Mag or 338 Lapua at the Magnum Match.

I was looking at the PR 1 and PR 2 classes. It will be a while of saving money before I could take anymore.

Wow, thanks for the responses guys, and good advise

[Jaxshooter]

Tim McWhorter is an excellent rifle builder in addition to being a great shooter. I have known Tim for 25 years. At one time he was the US and European Field Target Air Rifle Champion and held numerous records in other rifle disciplines. Not only does he do excellent work but he understands from the competitors view what the rifle has to be capable of to be a top performer for a given discipline.

[Graham Smith]

Just be aware that lead times for a custom rifle can be several months. I would be really careful about jumping into any long range rifle until you know what it is you want to do with it.

There's all kinds of long range shooting and the requirements can be very different. A rifle that may be perfect for one thing may suck for another. For example, if you are shooting mainly prone fixed distance vs multiple positions / multiple distance vs unknown distance vs tactical rifle, etc.