Whats a good long range rifle cal? It used to be 308,, now I'd love a .50bmg,, but I don't think I can afford one of those, or find a place to shoot,, not many ranges cover 3 miles.. would be nice tho.. I have an old marlin 22 single shot bolt action that is ok, I used to shoot competitively back in high school and just like the longer range stuff.
Thanks,

 

IMO .308 is a great long range caliber. I have been shooting my .22-.250 a lot lately. I don't do too much real long range stuff but 300 yards is pretty common. Any heavy barreled flat shooting calibered rifle will work for distances that make most uncomfortable. IMO the caliber that you are most comfortable is the best long distance gun out there.

 

Agreeing that the .50 is just to expensive to shoot, the old .30-06 is no slouch, the 308 is just a reduced capacity '06. And the .300 Win mag has some impressive long range credits behind it.

Long range target shooting isn't really my bailiwick, but if you are really interested in it just let me know. My Dad was into that long range stuff, it would give me a chance to go thru some of his old papers.

And if you have that .22. and it is accurate, like you say, put some 50 foot small bore rifle targets at 100 yards. That would be a good simulation for those 1000yd shots you want to try.

 

I hear that the .308 is one of the best to start out with and learn distance shooting. .300 Win-mag is popular as well.

 

I'm sure you'd agree that "long range" is a relative term. In your post you don't say what you think long range is. You also don't say if you want to use it for hunting or just target shooting.
One guys long range may be no more than 100 yards, another guys is 4-500 yards, and yet some guys think 1000 yards or better is long range. I myself would consider 4-600 yards, pretty darn long range stuff. But long range sure depends on the caliber you're shooting.
If you are like me and think 4-600 yards is long range, (I'm talking about hunting now), then I would really look into one of the magnums, or the newer Ultra mags. But then again, if you reload you can do things with standard calibers that can rivel the magnums. But if you don't reload, I really feel that the magnum is the way to go. I personally shoot (and reload for) an 8mm Rem Mag. The way I have it sighted in, I can pretty much hold right on an animal sized target up to 400 yards away and hit it. Like others have mentioned, the 300 mag is a very good "all around" magnum, and you would be able to do amazing things with it.
But if you are uncomfortable shooting a magnum, (big bark and bite) and many are, then a few of the standard smaller calibers can work very well for you.....as far as the "longer" ranges go. A few that come to mind are the 308, which used to be the "sniper" caliber, the 30'06, one of THE best hunting calibers there ever has been, or the 270. The 270 with it's smaller bullet pushes almost magnum velocities. Many, many, many hunters believe the 270 is one of the best flat shooting calibers there is.
If you want to go smaller yet, the 257 Roberts is no slouch either. My father had a 257 Wildcat, and he shot more deer than I could count at well over 300 yards.........but he was a hell of a shot too!!!
If you want to go lighter yet, the new 17 mag has really blasted into the target shooters camp. I've heard great things about this new round. Lightweight, light recoil, fast, flat and accurate....a target shooters dream. The only thing with these lighter bullets, is you really need pretty good weather conditions to do any real serious target shooting. The slightest bit of wind can really move a fast, light bullet all over the place. And in the case of hunting, of course the smaller the bullet, the smaller the animal you may be able to hunt with it.
There are just so many rounds out there that can give you very good results. It just really depends what you want to do with it.....hunt, target, or both. 100, 400, or 1000+ yards??? Answer those questions first and go from there.
Good Luck and Have Fun...!!!

 

Thanks for the info,, and to answer your questions,, most likely 5-600yards, and on occasion playing at 1000,, target not hunting most of the time. But might get out to hunt next year if time permits. A buddy's family has a hunting cabin that has a nice stretch of cornfield out in front. You can shoot off the porch, when the corns down, and they have their targets at the 1/4 way out in the field.. If you went all the way to the tree line its real close to a 1/2 mile. They also use a golf cart to go check and fix the targets.

 

Look into what the others have mentioned, as well as the .243 Winchester catridge. That's been pretty accurate for me. And as was mentioned, "long range" is definately a relative term.

It really depends on what you're shooting for. Are you hunting, or just punching holes in targets? Some of the smaller rounds might be a touch more accurate, but also might lack the energy needed for a kill at long range.

 

Well Cruiser......Then if you think you might "want" to go hunting, and may get the chance, then you probably want to think about a large enough caliber to down at least deer sized game. So that puts you into the 30 cal, or at least the "close to" range. Again......the 270 is darn near like a magnum without the belt. But, I think if it was me, (and if you can afford it) I'd really lean towards the real deal....a 30 cal magnum or Ultra mag. I'd want one of these Ultra mags just "because it's there"....ha!!! They indeed are incredible rifles, but the price tags are what have kept me at bay.
If $$$ is no option, and a "standard?"magnum will do, the 300 Weatherby Mag is one of the best out there. You would be able to do, (target wise), and kill, darn near anything on the planet with this gun. Once again, the magnums can sometimes bite as hard as they bark, so keep this in mind if you are wanting a comfortable rifle to shoot. Of course, with all stock, and custom made muzzle breaks on the market these days, you can tame even the largest calibers down pretty well.
The 300 Win Mag, will do "almost" what the Weatherby can, for a lot less $$$. But the old tried and true Remingtons, Savages, etc..., may be all you need. Like most of us have said, it's all in what you want to do with it.
Always keep in mind that the way a rifle is sighted in, is what can really determine how "long range" it is. If you were to take a regular 308 or 30'06 and sight it in at say 4-6" high at 200 yards, then guess what it will be doing out there at 4-500. Don't quote me on that as I don't have the ballistics charts in front of me, but I think you can understand what I'm getting at.
I would take a little time and go over the ballistics charts on all these calibers. It will show you exactly what they will do, (on paper anyway), at many of the different yardages. The muzzle velocity and foot pounds of energy downrange will be there too. One of them is bound to fall into what you are looking for.
Remember a big caliber (magnum) will be useless to you if you are afraid of when it goes off and you find yourself "flinching" all the time. You will be far more accurate with a gun that you feel comfortabe, and confident with everytime you squeeze the trigger.
HAVE FUN...!!!!

 

If you want to do some research for yourself, look up some things written by Jack O'Connor. He was a big .270 guy, but he was much deeper than that, lots of long range stuff. It is admittedly a little old(he's dead almost 30 years now) but he is well thought out and just a good writer. And if you need a laugh, try to find some of the articles that were written when he and Elmer Kieth were feuding, O'Connor was the better writer, and kind of held himself above the fray, but old Elmer Kieth was/is hilarious to read. Elmer could be a bit bombastic at times.

 

We just watched the new Rambo last night and man oh man that sniper rifle they use is awesome!!

I have some vids (probably on U Tube now) of allied forces using a 50 cal rifle on targets over a mile away and it seems like their whole bodies explode.