Uber-Long Range Woodchuckin'

MACK133

MACK133

New member
I know I haven't posted in a month, but I am back with more gun talk. Well, anyways my next planned purchase is an AR15, geared towards SHTF/WROL, which I plan to have at least halfway done by Christmas. But after that, I hopefully will have another project on-hand.

This project is still in the works, but I don't have much time to think about it, with archery coming up next week, and then the holiday season, etc. But, sometime between Christmas and March/April-ish, I'd like to have a long-range rifle for woodchuck sniping out to 1000 yards and maybe even further.

I do not know how the people here on PM feel on long-range hunting, but please do not tell me that "it is not hunting" or "unethical". I do not want to hear that, and if I do, I will ignore it and ask somewhere else, such as Long-Range Hunting. If you don't want to do it, don't post.

Again, the ultimate goal is for a rifle capable of dropping woodchucks out to 1000yds and possibly further. Caliber is what I am really stumped on. I'm thinking .308 Winchester, but .300 Win Mag is also an option.

For a rifle, I am thinking the Remington 700 Police variant would be good. I already own 700s, so I am very familiar with the platform. I'd also plan on putting a NF 8-32x scope on it, with some form of bipod for bench use.I would also probably drop it into some sort of McMillan stock, and epoxy bed it.

So, if anybody has any recommendations on a 1000yd+ capable woodchuck cartridge, I'd lovce to hear it, Thanks!
 
I'd vote for the 6.5 creedmoor, developed for long range, and is capable of 1400, before going subsonic. Less recoil and the bcs you can get are ridiculous. 140 bergers are .612
 
Quote...

Less recoil and the bcs you can get are ridiculous. 140 bergers are .612

WOW... that sounds like a super shooter for sure.
 
The creedmoor was developed specifically for long range applications! Mine shoots better than I do, just ask the coyote I educated last weekend
 
The 308 would be a piss poor choice. I have run 308s at "long range" quite a bit. I like them to 600 yds and shoot 600yd competition with one. At 800 yds they fall off the map. The military considers the 308 an 800 yd cartridge, and I'd say that is pretty spot-on. There are many better choices for 1000yds and beyond.

The Creedmoor certainly isn't bad, but a 260 Rem makes more sense to a handloader IMO.

That said, given the fact that we are talking woodchucks, I'd go with a smaller caliber with a fast twist and long, heavy bullets with high BCs. Probably a 6mm of some flavor.......
 
If your using an AR platform then a 243wssm upper from D-Tech would be my choice. Easily a 1200 yard plus ground hog gun with the heavier Vmax bullets. In a 14 twist barrel at 22", one can easily get over 4000fps with a 58g. Or 3800 with the 75g, or 3600 with the 80g vmax in a 10 twist. Also can use the 100 plus grainers but mag length would limit how long u could seat the bullet but still doable.
 
Im with jeff, I don't think most people know how far "Uber-Longrange" is, nor have the range finder to be accurate out to that range in the field. That being said any of the 6.5's will get out there. The 260's have a little more speed, and lapua brass, along with the 6.5x47. The creed your stuck with factory ammo or using hornady brass. Which isn't bad, its just not lapua brass. Which ever way you go, make sure your running an 8 twist so you can optimize what the 6.5's have to offer....IE 140 hybrids. You will be severely limited in an AR platform however due to mag length. There is a reason you don't see as many gas guns at LR matches as you do bolt guns. Its harder to get out there if your going to feed out of the mag with the bullets capable of LR
 
Why not try a 300um shooting 210 bergers at 3200. About half the drop and half windage of a 308. If you think about it a 308 will be dropping at about 1" per yard from 950 - 1000 yds. At that rate a groundhog could walk out of your impact zone before the bullet got there ( about 1.6 sec ). JMO.
 
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Not sure why anyone would use anything larger than fast twist 6mm for a woodchuck. It will do everything you need for a long ways out.....
 
Originally Posted By: 2muchgunNot sure why anyone would use anything larger than fast twist 6mm for a woodchuck. It will do everything you need for a long ways out.....

Yep.
A 6 would be fine if you knew the yardage.
 
Im not sure but I would think a .30 cal anything would be overkill on chucks and the shoulder. 6mm, or the 6.5 creedmoor will do what you need without the pain on the back-end
 
Originally Posted By: 2muchgunNot sure why anyone would use anything larger than fast twist 6mm for a woodchuck. It will do everything you need for a long ways out.....

Agreed, 6mm fast twist 105 Amax .500 BC. Around here the .243 brass is MUCH easier to find than the other 6mm calibers. 6.5 Creedmoor is also a very good option, but as stated lapua does not make Creedmoor brass. HOWEVER that being said if you are dead set on the AR get the Creedmoor (much more mag friendly for long, heavy, high BC bullets) Don't waste powder, and get beat up by the 300 win mag. I have a 6.5 creedmoor in a Savage 10 predator and I LOVE it. If i had a do-over though i'd have gone the way of the .260
 
Originally Posted By: KyleCoyoteOriginally Posted By: 2muchgunNot sure why anyone would use anything larger than fast twist 6mm for a woodchuck. It will do everything you need for a long ways out.....

Agreed, 6mm fast twist 105 Amax .500 BC. Around here the .243 brass is MUCH easier to find than the other 6mm calibers. 6.5 Creedmoor is also a very good option, but as stated lapua does not make Creedmoor brass. HOWEVER that being said if you are dead set on the AR get the Creedmoor (much more mag friendly for long, heavy, high BC bullets) Don't waste powder, and get beat up by the 300 win mag. I have a 6.5 creedmoor in a Savage 10 predator and I LOVE it. If i had a do-over though i'd have gone the way of the .260

If your going to reload and run out of an AR take a look at the 6mm Creedmoor. Even if you don't want to load your own Copper Creek will load for you.
 
Originally Posted By: NorTex250Originally Posted By: KyleCoyoteOriginally Posted By: 2muchgunNot sure why anyone would use anything larger than fast twist 6mm for a woodchuck. It will do everything you need for a long ways out.....

Agreed, 6mm fast twist 105 Amax .500 BC. Around here the .243 brass is MUCH easier to find than the other 6mm calibers. 6.5 Creedmoor is also a very good option, but as stated lapua does not make Creedmoor brass. HOWEVER that being said if you are dead set on the AR get the Creedmoor (much more mag friendly for long, heavy, high BC bullets) Don't waste powder, and get beat up by the 300 win mag. I have a 6.5 creedmoor in a Savage 10 predator and I LOVE it. If i had a do-over though i'd have gone the way of the .260

If your going to reload and run out of an AR take a look at the 6mm Creedmoor. Even if you don't want to load your own Copper Creek will load for you.

Or Hornady, Winchester etc... The 6.5 comes in several factory loads. I have shot the Hornady Superperformance 129g SST (2950fps) with great accuracy. Where i'm at there are better factory loads for the Creedmoor than the .260 but I reload so......
 
Just throwing this out there, and many will probably disagree with this suggestion, but have you considered a fast twist (1:8) 22-250? When I was looking to build my first long-range rifle a month or so ago someone mentioned the fast twist 22-250 since I already have all of the loading components for it. The person that gave me that advice is a very well-versed long-range shooter.
 
Originally Posted By: KyleCoyoteOriginally Posted By: NorTex250Originally Posted By: KyleCoyoteOriginally Posted By: 2muchgunNot sure why anyone would use anything larger than fast twist 6mm for a woodchuck. It will do everything you need for a long ways out.....

Agreed, 6mm fast twist 105 Amax .500 BC. Around here the .243 brass is MUCH easier to find than the other 6mm calibers. 6.5 Creedmoor is also a very good option, but as stated lapua does not make Creedmoor brass. HOWEVER that being said if you are dead set on the AR get the Creedmoor (much more mag friendly for long, heavy, high BC bullets) Don't waste powder, and get beat up by the 300 win mag. I have a 6.5 creedmoor in a Savage 10 predator and I LOVE it. If i had a do-over though i'd have gone the way of the .260

If your going to reload and run out of an AR take a look at the 6mm Creedmoor. Even if you don't want to load your own Copper Creek will load for you.

Or Hornady, Winchester etc... The 6.5 comes in several factory loads. I have shot the Hornady Superperformance 129g SST (2950fps) with great accuracy. Where i'm at there are better factory loads for the Creedmoor than the .260 but I reload so......

I was talking about the 6mm Creedmoor, not the 6.5 Creedmoor.
 
If you just want to shoot long range groundhogs I would stay away from the 30 caliber's, if the gun is going to be used for long range deer hunting than a 30 cal. would be OK but something bigger than a .308 win. (300 win. mag, 300 wby ect.). For just groundhogs a 6.5x47 or like cartridges or a 6x47L or like cartridge would be fine. I have a 8 twist 22x47L that I shoot the 80 gr. a-max in that does well at long range. I think a 8 twist 22 cal. 22-250, 22-250ai, 220 swift and similar cartridges would be a great light recoiling long range groundhog rifle. There is a gunsmith where I live that uses the 22x47L for long range deer hunting and it has done well for him, the last time I talked to him he was shooting the 80gr. A-max.
Joe
 
I would go with this advice if it were me,dont over heat it though.Originally Posted By: dpollardJust throwing this out there, and many will probably disagree with this suggestion, but have you considered a fast twist (1:8) 22-250? When I was looking to build my first long-range rifle a month or so ago someone mentioned the fast twist 22-250 since I already have all of the loading components for it. The person that gave me that advice is a very well-versed long-range shooter.
 
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