Buying something stupid, FOMO

GymB

GymB

Picking it up slowly.
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I am getting on in years and haven’t shot beyond 100 yards since as a teenager when we’d mortar rounds into grain bins at obscene ranges, not exactly precision shooting. But I keep thinking I want to get into longer range shooting.

There is a progression to developing this skill, and I have a long way to go for sure! Honestly I have no “need” to shoot anything larger than something in the 30cal range, although I do like the 45/70 and would like to play with that for fun. All this is why my immediate concern over the future availability of 50bmg rifles and ammo is stupid.

Don’t have the skill to shoot it well, don’t have a place to shoot it, and don’t have the equipment to reload for it. But I’m concerned that maybe one day I’ll want to, and by then it won’t be available. I preach to folks that acting on fear is often unwise, but I’m having trouble taking my own advice.

Thinking mag-fed bolt gun. Thinking something off the shelf, don’t know enough to provide guidance to a custom builder.

Talk me out of it, or into waiting until I know enough to be dangerous, or suggest something. How’s the secondary market, if I buy new can I expect to get out of it, should I buy something from the secondary market?

Budget? Don’t really have one, and if I did I wouldn’t know how to allocate it to rifle vs glass vs ammo. My inclination is to figure 1/3rd each, but maybe a bit less for glass and ammo. Thinking $10k for the rifle but have wiggle room.
 
a 50cal is a $6 trigger pull. A .338LM is a $3 trigger pull. A 300WM is $1.20 a trigger pull. A 30.06 is $0.90 a trigger pull.

A 30.06 only gives up 600yds to to 50cal. (1600-2200yds) steel / paper punching so for me, a built 30.06 is the key. IF I was you...

The place to shoot is https://www.colemanscreek.com/
 
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Take a hard look at the Savage Elite Precision line. Multiple calibers to choose from. Around $1500 street price. Get a good set of scope rings about $100 to $150. Get a HD Razor Scope from Vortex or or a Bushnell DMR II scope, between $1500 and $2500 depending. You will have a great rifle.
 
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JBoyette said:
a 50cal is a $6 trigger pull. A .338LM is a $3 trigger pull. A 300WM is $1.20 a trigger pull. A 30.06 is $0.90 a trigger pull.

A 30.06 only gives up 600yds to to 50cal. (1600-2200yds) steel / paper punching so for me, a built 30.06 is the key. IF I was you...

The place to shoot is https://www.colemanscreek.com/
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Been thinking about what I look at as the 308 Win vs 30.06 vs 6.5 Creedmoor decision. Seems that based on case capacity and bullet selection the grandpa of the group is still a great choice, and maybe the best choice. Have access to a 300 Weatherby Mag, helped my brother get it set up last winter, but I don’t really see the value in it or 300WM. No experience with the 338LM.

As a practical matter, 30.06 makes a lot of sense, but I also have no fear that it’s likely to be restricted in the future. Honestly I should probably get happy with something in a 20cal, then move up to 30cal, and then decide if I even want to move to 50cal. Heck it could turn out like golf, I hate golf!
 
JimB said:
Been thinking about what I look at as the 308 Win vs 30.06 vs 6.5 Creedmoor decision. Seems that based on case capacity and bullet selection the grandpa of the group is still a great choice, and maybe the best choice. Have access to a 300 Weatherby Mag, helped my brother get it set up last winter, but I don’t really see the value in it or 300WM. No experience with the 338LM.

As a practical matter, 30.06 makes a lot of sense, but I also have no fear that it’s likely to be restricted in the future. Honestly I should probably get happy with something in a 20cal, then move up to 30cal, and then decide if I even want to move to 50cal. Heck it could turn out like golf, I hate golf!
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There is a bigger question in the mix here. Let me lay it out for you.

1. IF you buy any caliber larger then .30cal you have just placed yourself out of most matches. F-Class and Tactical. Now this might seem like a no big deal, but it limits you right out the gate on places to shoot.
2. IF you load a 30.06 with the new powders and bullets you only give up 200fps to a 300wm and you can still shoot F-Class Open with the guy (keep it under 25lbs) and this opens up the country for 600+ yard weekend prone matches.
3. IF you think 1000yds is your cutoff distance. Just go 6.5Creed

Now, if I was a betting man, and I think you would enjoy a F-Class rifle build more then anything else, 270AI or dare I type ...280AI... is the caliber I would go to and might after collage. I am done with OD green guns. I want a F-Class rocket!
 
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JBoyette said:
There is a bigger question in the mix here. Let me lay it out for you.

1. IF you buy any caliber larger then .30cal you have just placed yourself out of most matches. F-Class and Tactical. Now this might seem like a no big deal, but it limits you right out the gate on places to shoot.
2. IF you load a 30.06 with the new powders and bullets you only give up 200fps to a 300wm and you can still shoot F-Class Open with the guy (keep it under 25lbs) and this opens up the country for 600+ yard weekend prone matches.
3. IF you think 1000yds is your cutoff distance. Just go 6.5Creed

Now, if I was a betting man, and I think you would enjoy a F-Class rifle build more then anything else, 270AI or dare I type ...280AI... is the caliber I would go to and might after collage. I am done with OD green guns. I want a F-Class rocket!
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6.5 CM with a 1000 yard cutoff? You need to do a little more research. Seen many hits on a mile target with the 6.5CM as well as the 6CM.

30-06 is a dead round. A lot of choices but why? If it was such a great round you would see it at all the PRS matches, don't think I have ever seen one at a match. Unless you are hunting, stick with a known good target rounds.

6mm and 6.5mm all offer better ballistics compared to 7.62mm bullets.

So the real question is barrel life. My wife's 6mm CM is about done at 1700 rounds if you figure that in the cost per trigger pull is 35 cents for just the barrel. Compared to about 24 cents per pull for a 6.5 CM barrel, that is figuring 2500 rounds from it. A 308 barrel and it is pennies. A 300 winmag barrel is on the order of a 6mm CM barrel. I would say a 30-06 barrel is also going to be limited life and somewhere between a 6 and 6.5 CM.

If you really just want to practice the art get a 223 chamber bolt action, shoot 75gr ELD match bullets at 3000 fps and have a blast at probably half the cost per trigger pull for ammo and barrel. It will reach a 1000 yards, there are several PRS shooters shooting this at national matches.
 
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TSConver said:
6.5 CM with a 1000 yard cutoff? You need to do a little more research. Seen many hits on a mile target with the 6.5CM as well as the 6CM.

30-06 is a dead round. A lot of choices but why? If it was such a great round you would see it at all the PRS matches, don't think I have ever seen one at a match. Unless you are hunting, stick with a known good target rounds.

6mm and 6.5mm all offer better ballistics compared to 7.62mm bullets.

So the real question is barrel life. My wife's 6mm CM is about done at 1700 rounds if you figure that in the cost per trigger pull is 35 cents for just the barrel. Compared to about 24 cents per pull for a 6.5 CM barrel, that is figuring 2500 rounds from it. A 308 barrel and it is pennies. A 300 winmag barrel is on the order of a 6mm CM barrel. I would say a 30-06 barrel is also going to be limited life and somewhere between a 6 and 6.5 CM.

If you really just want to practice the art get a 223 chamber bolt action, shoot 75gr ELD match bullets at 3000 fps and have a blast at probably half the cost per trigger pull for ammo and barrel. It will reach a 1000 yards, there are several PRS shooters shooting this at national matches.
Click to expand...

I typed "if his cutoff is 1000yds" not the caliber
 
JimB said:
I am getting on in years and haven’t shot beyond 100 yards since as a teenager when we’d mortar rounds into grain bins at obscene ranges, not exactly precision shooting. But I keep thinking I want to get into longer range shooting.

There is a progression to developing this skill, and I have a long way to go for sure! Honestly I have no “need” to shoot anything larger than something in the 30cal range, although I do like the 45/70 and would like to play with that for fun. All this is why my immediate concern over the future availability of 50bmg rifles and ammo is stupid.

Don’t have the skill to shoot it well, don’t have a place to shoot it, and don’t have the equipment to reload for it. But I’m concerned that maybe one day I’ll want to, and by then it won’t be available. I preach to folks that acting on fear is often unwise, but I’m having trouble taking my own advice.

Thinking mag-fed bolt gun. Thinking something off the shelf, don’t know enough to provide guidance to a custom builder.

Talk me out of it, or into waiting until I know enough to be dangerous, or suggest something. How’s the secondary market, if I buy new can I expect to get out of it, should I buy something from the secondary market?

Budget? Don’t really have one, and if I did I wouldn’t know how to allocate it to rifle vs glass vs ammo. My inclination is to figure 1/3rd each, but maybe a bit less for glass and ammo. Thinking $10k for the rifle but have wiggle room.
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Jim...take some deep breaths.....sit outside a while....Love ya Pard. Buy something else.

How 'bout a beautifully engraved, Ivory stocked Colt SAA to haul around in your pocket. It'll be alot more use.

Bearing in mind this is YOUR money that YOU earned spend it any way you wish...............................................................I love taking that Colt out and rubbing it and then Shootin it.....50 cal....not so much. I have access to a Barrett Bolt and Semi if you wanna come shoot them to satisfy your "taste" for a while.
 
AH64 said:
10k? Holy smokes.

factory option IMO,
Tikka CTR in whatever caliber you want $1000
Chassis for it $300-$1000
20moa base $40
Trigger spring $10
Leupold Mk5 $1700-$2400

bam! Way under budget and you’ll have a tack driver
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/thread

6.5 or 6mm Creedmoor. Reliable to 1 mile.

who cares* if you 'can't have a 50BMG' if a 50BMG serves no purpose in your arsenal other than "I have it".



* Edit for the chest thumpers....yes, we should all "care" that 50BMGs get banned, if they do, I'm talking about the practicality of 'caring' if I have one or not. Yes, the slippery slope, toe-hold, not another inch, mantras all apply and should be forcefully defended.
 
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Tim said:
/thread

6.5 or 6mm Creedmoor. Reliable to 1 mile.

who cares if you 'can't have a 50BMG' if a 50BMG serves no purpose in your arsenal other than "I have it".
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My 6.5 was so sweet I almost instantly bought another in 223. I have pretty good speeds from my 223, up to 2900 with 77smk, but settled on 2825, but my 6.5 barrel is slower than my others for sure, by about 100fps
 
Tim said:
who cares if you 'can't have a 50BMG' if a 50BMG serves no purpose in your arsenal other than "I have it".
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Dude, now I need to sell more than a few things!
 
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BatteryOaksBilly said:
I have access to a Barrett Bolt and Semi if you wanna come shoot them to satisfy your "taste" for a while.
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Thanks, I’m probably gonna take you up on that!

Might just rub your colt while I’m at it. Have just a couple of them myself, but each is special in it’s own way.
 
DickFord said:
Saying a 30-06 is a hunting round is ignorant.

Sent from my moto z4 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Let's see

Military still use - NO
PRS or NRL shooters use it in competition - NO
Used for bench rest - NO

That does not leave much other than hunting and I am not counting Garands here for high power since he specifically said bolt guns

Again the creedmoors easily outperform it in every category. For cheap and out to 1000 yards a 308 or a 223 bolt gun will get it done as well in competition. The 6 and 6.5mm bullets are just so much better than the 308 bullets.

I own a 3006 and hunt with it. It is a great round. Again it wears out barrels as fast a 300 winmag or a 6mm CM so why shoot it. The 6mm uses almost 50% less powder so that alone right now is a huge cost savings and has better performance.
 
JBoyette said:
a 50cal is a $6 trigger pull. A .338LM is a $3 trigger pull. A 300WM is $1.20 a trigger pull. A 30.06 is $0.90 a trigger pull.

A 30.06 only gives up 600yds to to 50cal. (1600-2200yds) steel / paper punching so for me, a built 30.06 is the key. IF I was you...

The place to shoot is https://www.colemanscreek.com/
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Rediculously expensive and the hours are terrible. It should be sun up to sun down seven days a week.
 
I have gone through this same scenario myself. I have desperately wanted a .50bmg rifle "just because". I still haven't bought one because I want a Barrett Semi Auto and they are between $7k and $12k... Every time I get up to $2k I see another shiny gun, I buy it, and I start saving all over again... I'm afraid I'll never get to $7k...

Here are a few points from me:

1. If you go 50bmg, buy a semi auto, not a bolt gun. The semi autos are much softer shooting. The bolt version will beat you to death and make each range trip uncomfortable and unfun...A gun that hurts to shoot doesn't get shot...

2. I used to live in California. 50bmg is illegal there and has been for many years. It might not be long before other states start banning bmg just because California did.

3. There are a lot of rounds that can out perform the bmg at fancy shooting competitions... There are a lot of rounds that are cheaper... I don't have enough land to stretch my shots out to a mile...

But, when bad guys roll up my driveway, and I need to kill the driver AND disable the engine IN THE SAME SHOT... Only the 50bmg will do.

It has uses other than just shooting terrorists on the next mountain ridge...
 
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Ha! What amateur's. If you really want to lose your friggin mind here is what I'm putting together.
I found a NIB Savage Model 12 Benchrest for a grand (including shipping and transfer fee) chambered in 6.5 X 284. Well, I did not want a 6.5 X 284 so I ordered a 30 inch Bartlein .284 Winchester barrel and I'm going to get it chambered for 180 grain Berger Hybrids. If anyone is in need of a brand new Savage 6.5 X 284 barrel I will have one shortly.
I then ordered a Vortex Golden Eagle scope to put on top of it. I'm still shopping around for rings and a base.
So far I have collected 400 pieces of new brass of various brands, 1,000 180 grain Berger's, 3,000 match primers, and 8 pounds of H4831 to get me started. Oh, and a 1,000 yard range and some 12 year old single malt to settle the few nerves I have left. All I need is a damn rifle. 😉


Life is GREAT!
o_O 👍🤣:cool:
 
Wow! I had a opinion but once I got to the end I'm not sure It's worth my like of knowledge. But this is what I do know.....shot what you like.....like what you shoot. All calibers talked about have there ups and downs. I personally know people that have and shot 6.5 CM and love it. I also know those that .300 win. mag. tops the best heavy hitter. I like my .308 but have shot more .270 buy almost double. And being a little old school I would go Sharps .52 caliber ,the original but still prompts to the 45/70. And for your budget you could get a 45/70 Gatling gun for fun!!
 
Webster1967 said:
Wow! I had a opinion but once I got to the end I'm not sure It's worth my like of knowledge. But this is what I do know.....shot what you like.....like what you shoot. All calibers talked about have there ups and downs. I personally know people that have and shot 6.5 CM and love it. I also know those that .300 win. mag. tops the best heavy hitter. I like my .308 but have shot more .270 buy almost double. And being a little old school I would go Sharps .52 caliber ,the original but still prompts to the 45/70. And for your budget you could get a 45/70 Gatling gun for fun!!
Click to expand...
Since you mentioned it, I have looked at gatling guns in 45/70. Those things are damn heavy! Really need to build a conditioned shed for it and just leave it setup all the time, but my HOA would be offended. Then looked at the 9mm gatling gun, but they haven’t sent me the note saying that they have a tripod with gimbaled head available for it.

A number of you have helped me think more rationally on this topic, thanks!
 
For anyone reading this thread later on with ~$10k budget:


my #1 suggestion is to start with a Tikka T1x .22lr + 30 moa scope rail (40 moa if your scope has a total elevationof 70 moa or greater
$0.6k
&
PST Gen 2 5-25x 7C scope $0.9k

my #2 suggestion is another 22lr
Vudoo 360 directly from Vudoo only:
-22" or 20" MTU barrel
-Ridgeback stock
-Diamond 2 stage trigger
-30 moa scope rail (40 moa if your scope has a total elevationof 70 moa or greater
$3.0k

Shoot 10-20k rounds of .22lr

THEN get a centerfire (see below)

Accuracy International AT-X rig $5k
Zero Compromise 5-27x MPCT3 scope $3.5k
NF Ultralite rings $0.2k


Optional but recommended;

Thunderbeast Ultra 2 - 7" silencer $1.2k

Atlas CAL Gen 2 bipod no lever (2 screw) $0.25k

Really Right Stuff LR bipod mount (to arca rail) $0.12k

Really Right Stuff Anvil 30 + 34L tripod
$1.6k

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Quality Budget:

Tikka CTR rig $1.1k
Razor Gen 2 scooe $1.6k
NF Ultralite rings $0.2k

(I would not go cheaper on the optional stuff)...unless you won't be using it much. Only buy what you will use/want

---

i wouldnt buy used rifles without knowing what you're doing. A shot out barrel is useless. Rebarreling one can cost over $1.2k
 
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