Tips for Buying Long Range Rifles

If you are overwhelmed with the selection of long range rifles and you are not sure what to buy, or are new to guns, there are a lot of things you want to consider before dropping the money for one. You need to know where you are going to be shooting, what you are shooting, how accurate you need to be, how far you need to shoot, how much power you need, and of course how much money you are able to spend. Take all of these thing into consideration and you will land on the perfect gun for your application.

Knowing where you are going to be shooting will come in to play mainly because of the weather. Before you can shoot accurately, you need to have the gun set up for the type of clothing you will be wearing. This has more to do with setting up the gun than buying it, but it should be discussed anyways. If you are shooting in cold weather, you will probably have on several layers that could become baggy and cumbersome. This is going to affect how the gun butts up to your shoulder. Layers of clothing will push the gun farther away meaning the scope is going to be too far from your eye to see through properly. Adjustments will need to be made to  compensate for this and bring the scope back to the correct distance from you eye. The same concept applies to hot weather and wearing fewer layers. This will mean that the scope should be moved forward, because the gun will be all the way against your shoulder. So, you will want a gun that is capable of having the scope adjusted forward and backwards. On the other hand, you could have your gun equipped with a shorter stock to compensate for the layers of clothing. This will also make it easier for smaller shooters to use the gun properly. Another thing to keep in mind is that some guns are easier to operate in cold climates. Lever action rifles have always been popular because cold stiff hands and fingers can easily chamber a shell when parts become frozen.

What you are shooting is probably the most important factor in determining what rifle you will buy. If it is a small animal like a fox or raccoon, you won’t need a large caliber rifle to get the job  done. There are several small calibers to choose from like .22, .223, and .17 just to name a few. You could even move up to a small high powered rifle like a .243 or 22-250. If you are hog hunting, deer hunting, or hunting animals of similar size, you will need something a little bigger. Guns like .243, .270, .30-06, and 7mm make great long range rifles. I am not going to list every caliber available, but there are plenty more than those listed to choose from that are good deer rifles.

Knock down power is also very important when choosing a weapon. Similar to what I was saying earlier, bigger game requires a larger caliber. However, some guns have plenty of power without the long range. If you are wanting a long range rifle, you will want to stay away from short range guns like a .30-30. These guns shoot a bullet that is more blunt than pointed and have less accuracy at long ranges. If you are shooting in thick brush or heavy cover, these guns are good because they are not easily deflected by objects like leaves. However, they are not great in wide open fields with a lot of ground to cover.

The accuracy of your gun is another thing you want to consider before buying. If you are looking for extreme accuracy, bolt action rifles are usually the best choice. The downside to this gun is you have to chamber each bullet by hand before you can shoot. If you can sacrifice a little accuracy and want auto chambering, semi-automatic is the way to go. This will allow you to fire off more bullets in a shorter amount of time. However, if you gun is accurate, you should only need one shot.

Distance is another thing to think about when buying long range rifles. Some guns, no matter how accurate and how far they shoot, have a limit on distance. Being able to judge distance is handy when shooting. If you are looking for super long range like 400 yards or more, you may want a bigger caliber gun like a .300 Mag or bigger.

The amount of money you can spend will also determine what gun you can buy, although not necessarily. Sometimes higher caliber rifles can be more than smaller caliber. This is especially true when comparing a .22 to a 7mm, but brand also has a lot to do with it. A lot of different caliber guns will come in the same model for the same price. So just shop around and see what you can find. Hopefully these tips will make your selection a little bit easier.