In my life so far, I’ve built up 2 different 308 heavy barreled rifles. Both Rem 700’s with HS Precision stocks, 20MOA picatinny bases, Leupold Tactical scopes, bipods, etc. The problem is, they just sat in the safe. I don’t have a place that’s close enough to shoot long range regularly and I can’t afford the $30/box match ammo. Also, these rifles suck to try to carry around the woods and hunt with because they’re so heavy. I did it last year, it sucked!
So I have an old (1976 MFR) Ruger M77 in '06 that was my first “deer” rifle and was a gift from my parents. I’m working on getting one of my AR’s set up with a 1-6 variable that should easily cover anything out to 400-500 yds. Torso hits at 600 should be doable.
Beyond that or if heavier hits are required, what about just grabbing the '06? It worked well enough in WWII, right? I think the rifle is probably capable of getting hits out to 1000. The limiting factor right now is the glass. Since it’s just a dedicated hunting rifle, it wears a Leupold Vari-X II 3-9x40 with duplex reticle. It works well enough for the 225yd max shot I have on my hunting property and I’ve taken a deer at that range, but there’s really no holdover required at that range with the '06.
What I’d like to do is upgrade the glass to something that would be useful for shooting longer range. Either a dial-able turret or a reticle with meaningful holdover points. Then again, this is a nice, old walnut and blue rifle, so I don’t want to “tac” it out.
Optic thoughts and recommendations, and is my thinking reasonable for my expectations of the rifle?
This is the best pic I have of the rifle, so please excuse the “redneck-ness” of it. I had just killed my largest buck, so I was grinning like a cheshire cat.
First option is send it to leupold custom shop and have the rectical swaped out for a diffrent one. Check out there website. Next option switch to the scope I’m running Horus HAWK here is what it looks like on my hunting rig. I can engage from point black to 1000M effectivly glass is super awsome cost is low for quality.
I kind of doubt that the Ruger is accurate enough to be trying to take game at over 600 yards without fear of just wounding. Brush up on your stalking skills and try to get within a reasonable range. Yes the 06 will definitely reach 1000, but for those really long range shots you need 1/2 moa consistently, to be sure of a clean kill.
I witnessed a Winchester Extreme Weather in 30-06 have no issues hitting a 12x12 plate out to 800. He used match ammo and the gun was stock, loaded with scope/sling less than 8.5 pounds. That’s pretty good in my opinion. Something like that would be a breeze to carry.
Regardless of caliber and with scope/sling, under 10 pounds is ok, under 9 would be better and 8-8.5 would be best for long distance carry and realistic hunting distances. Barrel probably no more than .750, brake for heavy calibers would make it more enjoyable. The barrel will be the biggest factor, stock and scope another. An example is using the carbon fiber option on a Manner’s will save close to 8 ounces. The difference between a Leupold MK4 M3 and a Leupold VX6 1-6 or a 2-12 is closing on over a 1/2 pound also, there’s a pound easy with equipment selection.
Top rilfe was built for my son to hunt with and shoot some f class. It weighs 10 pounds but could be lighter in a more hunter style stock. The vortex 4-16 HS scope is very nice and fairly light. Caliber is 7mm saum and is very accurate. Bottom rifle is 8.5 pounds with same scope and is 300wm
What MOA groups is the rifle producing right now? Another poster said the rifle needs to be at least 1/2 MOA. I agree. I would say at least 1/2 MOA if not better. A 1 - 1 1/2 MOA gun just will not suffice.
The rifle is quite capable of hitting out to 1,000 yards. The question is, are you? There are a lot of things to consider when passing that 500 yrd mark. Barometric Pressure, Humidity, Wind, Elevation, angle and if you get far enough down range you will have to deal with Spin Drift.
If the gun will only produce at best 1 MOA groups at 100 yards, then you are going to have to improve some thing on the rifle.
I would definitely bed the stock and float the barrel on the rifle. This will improve the overall accuracy. Add a trigger job to the rifle,down to around a 2lb pull. You can even true up the action, that is if you can find someone that will touch a Ruger. Which I would definitely do If I were really serious about long range shooting.
I would also get access to a chronograph and find out what the exact MV is on the rifle. When developing your data books off of the software, prior to getting into the field, an accurate Muzzle Velocity will help you out.
As for the reticle. I would recommend the Mil-Dot or Horus. If you run a Mil-Dot make sure you run Mil turrets. Make sure the optic has enough internal adjustment to handle 1,000 yards, You can help the optic out by putting the glass on a 20 MOA base. This will give you 20 more minutes to your internal elevation adjustments.
Down fall to the Horus is that it requires software to get the full benefit of the reticle. The Mil-Dot, all you really need here is your head, a good calculator, and a lot of range time for yardage estimation.
It’s not so much about the gear, as how you use it. Any optic can be employed effectively when hunting beast or man. Just make sure if you get one with exposed turrets that it takes a fair amount of force to turn them, and that it has a zero stop for elevation and a windage stop. Otherwise you will inevitably get lost in your turret and wonder why you’ve missed the buck of a lifetime. Any optic that I’m comfortable with while running steel, I’m equally comfortable with while hunting. If not, it is sold and replaced until that requirement has been met.
I just got home last night from Randy Cain’s Practical Rifle class. While I didn’t do it, I watched other shooters keep shots in 3" groups from 200 yards with a Ching Sling using stock pre-'64 Winchester Model 70s in .308 with good ammo. I was shooting Portugeuse 7.62 through current-production M70 with a 20" barrel, and shooting poorly, and even I was able to keep a group inside the black on an NRA 100 yard rifle bull.
Randy made a comment in the class that if he had to leave the house and know that he was going to have to fend for himself forevermore the Practical Rifle is the one he’d take with him. As much as I love my ARs I can’t disagree with his logic. I personally wouldn’t muck it up trying to put a boat-anchor of a “precision” scope on it. One student in the class was using a Nightforce 2.5-10x and that’s about the most scope I’d put on it, and while I didn’t shoot his gun I wouldn’t be all that thrilled with the 2.5x close up.
Looking at the rifle in your picture you have a solid 400 yard rig max. If I were going to put some type of scope on it I would go with a Leupold VX3 on 3.5x10x40/50mm. I like the 50mm objective myself since it brings in a bit more light at dusk and dawn. It is a solid hunting scope and won’t break the bank. Like you said Tac-ing out your rifle isn’t what you want.
