no price limit sniper gun - what would you build and why

[mobil1]

My build would be simple;

Sako TRG 22 (in .308) or 42 (in .338) with a Leupold Mark 4

Pretty much nailed it.

Sako TRG in .338 lapua is my dream gun.


And if money were no object, I'd just build a standalone sentry gun like in the movies. Except mine would have Night vision/Thermal imaging, automatic sighting adjustments, remote control firing from my cellphone, and fully automatic.

Why take just 1 shot? Let off a few before the first one hits.

And don't worry about what I'd use it for...

 

[speelyei]

.308 Win is not the ideal caliber for the rifle you described.

.338, .408 cheytac, .338-378, a host of others would be much better.

 

[MWS]

For just under $16k with scope & a little under $11k w/o scope, I think that the M200 .408 CheyTac would be a great choice as well. IMHO

 

[coop44]

winchester made a great rifle about 10-11 years ago I'd like to find one in good shape,

Model: Laredo
300 win mag
24 inch douglas air gauge premium target barrel factory installed
pre '64 controlled feed extractor
H&S stock
factory trigger came adjusted to about 2 3/4 lbs (can be set to about half that easily)

price back in '99 was under 600 bucks

perfect K.I.S.S. sniper rifle IMHO

 

[gunnin88]

Pretty much nailed it.

Sako TRG in .338 lapua is my dream gun.


And if money were no object, I'd just build a standalone sentry gun like in the movies. Except mine would have Night vision/Thermal imaging, automatic sighting adjustments, remote control firing from my cellphone, and fully automatic.

Why take just 1 shot? Let off a few before the first one hits.

And don't worry about what I'd use it for...

AWESOME!

 

[NoOne]

There are lots of bullets that will reach 1500 yards. The problem is that they just don't have much energy left when they get there.

My little 6.5 Grendel doesn't go subsonic until around 1300 yards, but that is only a 123 grain bullet that starts out around 2600 FPS.

If all you want to do is put a mark on a steel target, or punch a hole in paper, that is one thing. Hunters often consider how many foot pounds of energy their bullet will have at a given distance to set what they consider to be a maximum "sporting" shot. They want AT LEAST a given amount of energy so they can reasonably expect to kill rather than wound the animal they shoot.

A good place for you to start would be to figure out how much energy you require at a given distance. Then look for a cartridge that will deliver that. Once you select a cartridge, then select the rifle and optics.

Certainly, something like the 20mm (requires a permit) will have plenty of energy at 1500+ yards. So will the 408 Chey Tac, and the Barret 416, or the Browning 50 cal.

Another requirement is cost of the ammo. If cost isn't an object you could probably pay the $200.00 transfer tax for each Raufoss round, then buy a thousand of them for about $100 each ($300 per round total now) estimated cost. But I sort of think that there has to be a limit on your spending at some point. Even the Chey Tac rounds cost a great deal per shot...probably the cheapest round would be either the 338 Lapua, or the 50 Browning handloaded.

All that being said, I would suggest you consider the following questions to help make your selection:

1. How many foot pounds of energy do you want your bullet to have at it's maximum range?
2. Which cartridges can supply that amount of energy?
3. Which firearms are chambered for that cartridge?
4. How much do I want to spend for rifle, optics, ballistic computer programs or systems like Barret's BORS system?
5. How much do I want to spend for ammunition considering it will take at least 500 rounds for you to gain competence hitting things between 900-1800 yards. (AT LEAST, because your will need to learn to use the ballistic program computer as well as marksmanship with the rifle/ammo combination)
6. Do I want to buy ammo, or reload it? If you reload, how much will components, the presses and required equipment cost?

I'm a big fan of the SAKO TRG weapons systems. And although don't own one, I have heard nothing but good about the Accuracy International systems.
I think that you will be looking at a cartridge with at least the energy level of a 338 Lapua for that distance.

However, either of the above systems are very expensive, and you can have a very fine custom rifle built for around $3000.00. Surgeon action, Kreiger barrel, muzzle brake, Manners stock, detachable magazine system...

If you haven't regularly shot at 600-1000 yards, I highly suggest you try that out before you launch into such a project. Even with a TRG rifle off sandbags, I have yet to hit 20 of 20 shots into the 6 inch ten ring at 600 yards. I regularly get over 190, but anything over 195 is very hard to get, and I have never gotten over 197. That is with a TRG, and Leupold Mark 4 scope...so I'm not using shabby gear.

It is just darned hart to hit well at those extreme ranges with the first shot. Lots of folks dream of long distance marksmanship, but can't bring themselves to actually go out and practice it. Probably because it is so damned humbling...that admission comes from experience.

 

[tac]

If it's American-built that you are after, and .338LM lights your bulb - then this might just be what you are looking for -

http://www.deserttacticalarms.com

Plus a suitable US Optics scope, of course.

tac
Supporter of the Cape Meares Lighthouse Restoration Fund

 

[tac]

However, either of the above systems are very expensive, and you can have a very fine custom rifle built for around $3000.00. Surgeon action, Kreiger barrel, muzzle brake, Manners stock, detachable magazine system...

More details, please of a builder who can put together such a rifle with all that you list for $3000. The Surgeon large action alone is listed at $1770 plus taxes....Krieger barrel? Another $555.00. Muzzle brake and Manners Stock for a .338LM or .50cal? Another easy $1250...plus all the doodads you expect - bipod, moderator, level bubble....the list goes on.

Mmmm, assuming your $3000 doesn't also include the $3500 US optics long-range tactical scope, or putting it all together. Is the builder a relative who owes you big, or maybe you gots the dirt on him? ; )

Anyhow, the line starts behind me....so far there are eight of us here. Got the money right here, too.

tac
Supporter of the Cape Meares Lighthouse Restoration Fund

 

[NoOne]

Yep, the scope could easily top out the cost of the rifle. My estimate was based on prices a couple of years ago when I was costing out the project. Back then, the Surgeon action I wanted was only about $1250, obviously, they (and apparently everything else) has gone up.

The original rifle I was talking about was the short action Surgeon for building a 6.5/308AI. It wouldn't require a brake because they just don't kick much to start with, but the 338 and larger ones sure would. I should have been more specific in my earlier post about that. The problem is that there just isn't much power when the 6.5mm bullet arrives at 1500 yards. If power is the objective, then of course the much more expensive 336/Chey Tac/Barret has to be considered. And cost goes way up.

If I were building the project, I would look for some used, but serviceable parts to save coin. The things I would not want used would be barrel, and action. I really don't care if the stock is used and buggered up as long as it works. After a couple times of shooting in the rocks, they all get beat up anyhow.

But, the original poster here said that cost isn't an object, so if he is writing the check, why scrimp. Have him buy an Accuracy international AW in 338, a Lapua TRG42 in 338, a Chey tac, and a Barret and see which on he wants to keep. Then sell the others to people here at reduced prices...

My main problem is getting reasonable access to long range shooting places that don't take 2-3 hours to get there. With that consideration, I would probably use Terry Cross's rifle as a starting point, and build a 6.5/308A.I. That is something that would shoot close, or out to 1200-1500. The only problem is that it doesn't have much horsepower left at 1500... it is barely still supersonic. But if all the OP is doing is punching paper, I think the 140 grain 6.5 pill starting out around 3000 fps will make it through a paper target at 1500 yards.

 

[NoOne]

The posting about recent prices got me thinking, and here is what I found: Prices take off internet web sites this morning.

$1395.00 Surgeon 1581 single shot action
475.00 Manners MCS-T4 stock (non adjustable cheek or butt)
550.00 Kreiger barrel ( price from Tac's earlier post)
200.00 trigger
300.00 muzzle brake and installation
90.00
$3000.00 total

I figured that this is a single shot, so a bare bones trigger guard shouldn't cost much more than $90.00 from Brownells.

This still leaves the purchaser to bed the action to the stock, install flush cups or sling swivel studs. Certainly, this is a bare bones rifle, but it does come in just under $3000.00.

If you want a repeater, the action costs more, and the bottom metal from Manners is $360, plus more for magazines as the trigger guard only comes with one 5 round mag.

But the OP said price isn't an object.

 

[tac]

The posting about recent prices got me thinking, and here is what I found: Prices take off internet web sites this morning.

$1395.00 Surgeon 1581 single shot action
475.00 Manners MCS-T4 stock (non adjustable cheek or butt)
550.00 Kreiger barrel ( price from Tac's earlier post)
200.00 trigger
300.00 muzzle brake and installation
90.00
$3000.00 total

I figured that this is a single shot, so a bare bones trigger guard shouldn't cost much more than $90.00 from Brownells.

This still leaves the purchaser to bed the action to the stock, install flush cups or sling swivel studs. Certainly, this is a bare bones rifle, but it does come in just under $3000.00.

Uh, hate to labour the point...but, uh, sights might just be a good idea if you are aiming for any kind of precision.....

tac, unconvinced that the average joe could assemble a bunch of bits with sufficient skill........

 

[NoOne]

Of course you would need sights. My price was simply for the rifle, not rifle and sights, bipod, carrying case, cleaning kit, tools, and all sorts of the ancillary items that could cost as much as the rifle.

Sights could easily cost as much as the entire rifle depending on what you want for sights.

I forgot to add that you would need the skill to bed a rifle, and install a trigger, but I can easily do that. It isn't hard to learn.

 

[speelyei]

an observation... it seems to me that if a person had already developed the skills for range estimation, wind judgement, hand loading... if this individual was recording a log of load development and performance under varying environmental factors... had developed strong marksmanship skills, understood optics and their benefits and limitations, etc...
they would already have a pretty good idea of what rifle and caliber they wanted & why.

 

[NoOne]

an observation... it seems to me that if a person had already developed the skills for range estimation, wind judgement, hand loading... if this individual was recording a log of load development and performance under varying environmental factors... had developed strong marksmanship skills, understood optics and their benefits and limitations, etc...
they would already have a pretty good idea of what rifle and caliber they wanted & why.

I think you are spot on. Even if they were only half way through your list, I think they would know what kind of rifle they were considering: ie light rifle like 308, 6.5/308AI; medium rifle like a 300 win mag, or 338 Lapua; or heavy rifle such as Chey tac, Barrett,.

The original question is so open ended I wondered if the OP was just trying to stimulate conversation, or if the topic was so overwhelming for them that they didn't know where to start looking. Or maybe they just wanted to find out what other people who had thought about the issue thought...but that is much like the stimulate conversation option.

 

[oregonshooter]

The Crusader

in .338 and an S&B 5-25 x 56 Police Marksman II LP in MIL/MIL

 

[WhitneyPrecision]

Dont forget the spotting scope...

<broken link removed>


Might as well get the best while you're at it: $4,999 http://www.sportoptics.com/zeiss-hensoldt-spotter-60.aspx

 

[Point356]

http://ammoguide.com/gfx/logos/barrett99416.jpg This is the rifle I would choose; .416 Barrett. This is the scope I would mount to it. http://www.countersniperoptics.com/photo/75.jpg Counter Sniper DOH-330 4-48x56

 

[NoOne]

I like all the above suggestions. As long as we are going that far, why not add in the Newcon LRB4000CI binocular/rangefinder for only $4744.99. It will measure distance to target, speed of target, height of target, azimuth, and elevation. Out to about 3000 yards.

 

[Ranger90]

I would probably still just get a Remington 700 in .308, with a McMillan stock, and a Leupold scope even if I had no price limit, but if I could buy a rifle that would normally be out of my price range, it would have to be a Knights Armament M-110.

 

[crusader4x]

it would have to be a Knights Armament M-110.

The M110 SASS is my choice too. But I don't know a thing about hitting targets that far out or if the SASS would be able to. I'd have to get some 1on1 coaching to go with it.

Other than that, my gut reaction was to say whatever Quigley used.