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dakota.potts · February 2, 2014, 10:46 PM

Just for future reference. I am happy to continue the struggle with my .22 for now but I know that it will not do everything I want it to do in the future.

What would I be looking at if I wanted a rifle that could take me between 100-300 yards really easily, stretch out to 600 when I get the chance, and maybe one day hit 800-1,000? It would also be what I used if/when I decided to hunt here in Florida. I'm told that our deer and hogs are not large here and don't require a monster caliber to be humane and efficient.

What kind of caliber would be appropriate? I know a .223 can reach to 300 yards, and I'm sure it can do 600 in the right hands, but can it do 800-1000? I'm looking for something with a little less thump on the user end than a .308 and not much more expensive/harder to find. I'm intrigued by the 6mm calibers like .270. The .270 is mainly what I'm gravitating towards now, but I'm curious about some of the 6.5mm rounds that are out there. How are they on ballistics at longer ranges? What about price and availability? How does that change if I get into reloading?

Are there platforms that could do this well at under $600 with a rifle and scope? $1,000? $1,200? What's the bottom line on a good performer that you would consider a quality (if not fancy) rifle and scope for this sort of thing? Also, what is there that you could easily add on to later if necessary? Things like headspacing, bedding the stock, trigger upgrades, etc.

Savage is something that has really captured my attention for a while. My .22 is a CZ and I would definitely be interested in a larger caliber CZ but from what I've seen they tend to run more expensive.

No pressing buys are behind this question, just curiosity and information gathering for the future.

February 2, 2014, 10:46 PM	#1
dakota.potts Senior Member Join Date: February 25, 2013 Location: Keystone Heights, Florida Posts: 3,084	Relatively cheap long range platforms Just for future reference. I am happy to continue the struggle with my .22 for now but I know that it will not do everything I want it to do in the future. What would I be looking at if I wanted a rifle that could take me between 100-300 yards really easily, stretch out to 600 when I get the chance, and maybe one day hit 800-1,000? It would also be what I used if/when I decided to hunt here in Florida. I'm told that our deer and hogs are not large here and don't require a monster caliber to be humane and efficient. What kind of caliber would be appropriate? I know a .223 can reach to 300 yards, and I'm sure it can do 600 in the right hands, but can it do 800-1000? I'm looking for something with a little less thump on the user end than a .308 and not much more expensive/harder to find. I'm intrigued by the 6mm calibers like .270. The .270 is mainly what I'm gravitating towards now, but I'm curious about some of the 6.5mm rounds that are out there. How are they on ballistics at longer ranges? What about price and availability? How does that change if I get into reloading? Are there platforms that could do this well at under $600 with a rifle and scope? $1,000? $1,200? What's the bottom line on a good performer that you would consider a quality (if not fancy) rifle and scope for this sort of thing? Also, what is there that you could easily add on to later if necessary? Things like headspacing, bedding the stock, trigger upgrades, etc. Savage is something that has really captured my attention for a while. My .22 is a CZ and I would definitely be interested in a larger caliber CZ but from what I've seen they tend to run more expensive. No pressing buys are behind this question, just curiosity and information gathering for the future. __________________ Certified Gunsmith (On Hiatus) Certified Armorer - H&K and Glock Among Others You can find my writings at my website, pottsprecision.com.