What type of rifle should i get?

Question

Im going to get a new rifle. Im going to use it for target practice, and hunting deer ,and big game at 500+yards.What type of caliber and model of rifle should i get? I like the 7mm rem. mag. so far. The Remingtons look good to me. $500 is my limit on cash. i wish it was more.
Thanks

Answer 1

To be completely honest with you, just about any modern rifle (with a good quality scope) will get you a decent shot at 500 yards. The biggest factor in his, however, is not the rifle, but the shooter. I don't know what kind of experience you have with firearms, but I am going to assume it is very limited (considering you are looking for advice on a 500+ yard rifle for less than $500 on Yahoo).

If you want to make an accurate shot at 500 yards, you are going to have to spend a lot of time at the range. I have been shooting and hunting for around 15 years, and I promise you that not even a 100 yard shot is easy. There are several things that could ruin an accurate shot.

You need to consider gravity, wind, and elevation (ballistics) for one. You will also need to develop shooting habits that only come from consistent practice like consistent trigger squeeze, controlled breathing, and so on. At 500 yards, the result of the slightest disturbance could mean you completely miss a target even as large as a deer or elk. Worse still, you could wound the animal and be unable to retrieve it.

Whatever gun you decide on, please take the advice to practice and get to know your personal limits before attempting a hunt...especially at those distances. Realistically, you never should have to take more than a 200 yard shot in the field...rarely more than 100 in most places. You would have a hard time even seeing game further than that.

Good luck, bro.

Answer 2

What is with all the long range shooting?? Have you never heard of stalking the animal to get a reasonably close, and sure, shot.

The 7mm mag. is a nice round, but at 500 yards you will want to get into the more powerful, heavier .30 calibers, such as the .300 mag., the .338 mag. and up.

500 yard shots also are going to require a pretty decent scope on your rifle.

With only $500 to spend, I would try to find a decent used rifle in 30-06. That caliber simply because they are so widely available the price is lower. If you are lucky, it will already have a scope on it. I would practice until I could hit a 200 or 300 yard target reliably. Then I would start learning some woodcraft and stalking techniques to get within a couple hundred yards with the rifle.

Good luck.

Answer 3

Your requirement for a weapon to hunt with at 500+ yards for $500 is quite inpractical, considering the cost of the weapon, the optics to be able to see your game at that range and the cost of the ammo to get the job done.

You don't say where you are hunting, but in almost 40 years of hunting, years of working on military rifle ranges with unlimited almost range I can't think of many instances where you are going to have a shot at game at anything over 300 yards. Most shots at deer are from 100 yards or less unless you are in the plains states hunting over fields or desert.

If you actually are going to be hunting over those distances, you will be spending an awful lot for optics that can deal with mirages, bullet drop compensation, lighting conditions and magnification, leaving you next to nothing for a good weapon.

I would suggest you look into perhaps a .308 or .30-06 both well respected and decent long range rounds and the rifles and ammo are very available and popular which means the cost will be significantly lower also. Then you can afford a decent, not great scope that will be satisfactory for shooting to a reasonable hunting distance.

If you have hunting opportunties out to 500 yards and are that good of a shot to handle the complex mechanics of bullet drop, wind and live targets you should have your own show, because you are exceptional indeed. That would still leave you with saving more money though to buy the equipment to insure you the best chances of making the clean humane kill. Good luck.

Answer 4

The biggest majority of big game is shot within 100 yards or less.* Very rarely any further than that.* What you need for your purpose is a 30-06 or 308 caliber Remington or Savage with a 3X to 9X Quality scope.* I prefer a 20X for Target Shooting & Varmint Hunting.* Buy new or used.* Forget about the 7mm Magnum you have no need or use for that caliber.* I prefer the 180 grain bullet in my 30-06.*

Answer 5

You may as well get a custom-made rifle. Getting one for $500 is every bit as realistic as big game hunting at 500+ yards. Better to surf the gun shops for a used rifle in a reasonable caliber, and plan on actually hunting, which never happens at 500+ yards.

Answer 6

Well if you have a 500 dollar spending limit, you may want to steer away from the big bore rifles. You may only spend 450 bucks for a rifle, buy you will be spending a whole bunch on ammo. And where are you going to be shooting where you will have a 500+ yard shot? You arent going to be able to afford a big bore rifle and the scope it would take to see your target at 500+ yards, with only 500 bucks unless its a really used or really crappy rifle.

Answer 7

500 yrds ,i hope your talking about the target practice here ,at 500 yrds your just starting into the alot of variable range .and i assume you have limited shooting and hunting experance .go buy you a good used 30-06 it will take any thing in north america with the rite bullet and at proper range .ive taken more whitetail than i can remember and with the exception of three they were all under 100 yards and only 1 was beyond 300 yrds .taken a hand ful of mule deer and a couple of elk never farther than 200 yrds .this long range crap is for people more worried about bragging rite than making a quick clean kill .do your self and the animal a favor get close

Answer 8

I don't hunt coyotes, but I do go after Prairie Dogs. Although my main rifle is a Howa 1500 in 22-250, I do take my AR-15 (in .223) with me. I use the AR out to 300 yards. Mine is a Bushmaster, flat top, with a 20 inch medium contour barrel. I have a 4 x 12 scope on it. The rifle is quite accurate and probably would maintain that accuracy beyond the 300 yards I limit it to. The AR platform is available in almost any caliber you wish to try. My local gun dealer tried to sell me one of the new Armalites in their new cambering, the .338 Federal. have fun picking. . .

Answer 9

Find a good quality used rifle in .308 or .30-06 for about $375 then get a Nikon or Weaver scope for $125.

With good ammo you can punch paper at 500 yards, which is way to far to be shooting at deer or 'big game'.

Answer 10

Haven't you heard of hunting?

It is a sport that involves spotting game animals and then stalking as close as possible and then putting your bullet in a place that will cause rapid demise. Some hunters I know are disappointed when they shoot a deer and don't scorch the hide with muzzle-blast.

Doc