The art of shooting long distances engages a different set of skills and techniques than tactical, cowboy-action, or skeet shooting. Some may say long distance shooting is golf, whereas tactical shooting is basketball.
Repetition, attention to detail, and the proper equipment can make an enormous difference when it comes to long distance accuracy. And, of course, these are just preparations you make to offset all the less-than-ideal conditions that you’ll almost certainly be dealing with in any real-world scenario.
The key to performing nearly anything requiring precision under pressure is, to oversimplify a bit, practice. To be more specific, we have to fall back on an old football coach’s favorite saying. “Practice doesn’t make perfect,” he was fond of saying, “Perfect practice makes perfect.”
The key here is to realize that target shooting is never really just shooting at a target; it’s also training. The level of focus, patience, and expectations you bring to shooting at paper targets will inevitably impact how well you shoot in competition, hunting, etc.
An old marine once explained why he was able to shoot 1-inch groups consistently at 100-yards while the rest of us were satisfied with 4-inch groups. He explained that back in the time of his basic training, Marines were made to dry fire their rifles a minimum of 1,000 times before they were allowed the privilege of live ammo.
To tell the truth, the amount of time and effort it takes to become a truly excellent marksman is daunting. This is why you can’t afford to waste any time with improper training and the wrong tools.
Remington 700 VTR
The “VTR” in this version of Remington’s venerable Model 700 stands for “Varmint Tactical Rifle.” Why would someone hunting varmints even need to get very tactical? It’s not like a gray fox is going to return fire or anything.
Either way, you’ll notice that there’s a strong link between rifles designed for precision shooting and those designed for varmint hunting. In the off-the-shelf market, they’re one in the same.
The 700 VTR comes chambered in both .260 Remington and .308 Winchester, both excellent rounds for shooting at long distances, as we’ve already established.
Other perks offered by the 700 VTR are Remington’s X-Mark externally adjustable trigger, the “Super Cell” recoil pad, a contoured 22” barrel, a picatinny rail system, and a tactical barrel with muzzle breaks.
While it’s not exactly “cheap” by most standards, it does have all of the upgrades in one nice and tidy package. Upgrading all of these pieces individually would make this a $2,000 custom rifle, and you still wouldn’t have a scope on it.
Savage 12-BVSS
For many years, Savage has built quite a business around rifles that cater to the target and varmint-hunting niche. Bull barrels, aggressive styling, and tactical stocks are nothing new for this manufacturer. Savage was doing this before it become cool.
One of Savage’s greatest “claims to fame” when it comes to long distance shooting is its famous AccuTrigger. Developed by Savage Arms in 2002, lots of competitive shooters swear by this trigger system and its user-friendly design.
The 12-BVVS comes outfitted with a heavy stainless steel barrel, which is fluted, no less. It’s available in .22-250 Rem, .223 Rem, and .308 Win, quite the donut hole in terms of calibers, but it makes sense when you consider that varmint hunters (the official target market for this rifle) will prefer the smaller calibers, while long-range shooters will opt for the .308 Win.
Howa Classic Heavybarrel Varminter
Howa was a Japanese industrial machinery company that got involved in firearms manufacturing during WWII. Since then, they’ve become a mainstay for civilian shooters by specializing in heavy barreled hunting rifles that are known for quality, accuracy, and being easy on the wallet. You might think of them as the Honda of rifles.
With it’s heavy barrel construction, laminated stock with cooling vents and a raised cheek rest, and 2-stage match trigger, the M1500 has been recognized by many as a natural sniper rifle. In fact, the Japanese Nation Police Agency adopted the “Varminter” as its official sniper rifle. It’s also reportedly used by Ukraine’s Special Forces.
Did we save the best for last? Lots of fanboys of this Finnish rifle manufacturer think so. Regardless, it’s very hard to argue that this rifle, which being a bit more expensive than others on this list, won’t at least make you feel like you’re shooting a helluva lot better.
To be fair, Tikka does offer other variations on the T3x that are under $1,000, but this one is certainly the most well-appointed version for driving tacks at 800 yards.
The tuned accuracy, heavy barrel, and smooth action are standard fare when it comes to Tikka. The adjustable check rest, fancy recoil pad, integrated picatinny rail, and 5/6 round magazine are what really set this rifle apart from the pack. The T3x is available in .223 Rem, .300 Win Mag, and .308 Win.
Set your sights boys and girls.