New "Long Range " shooter here with a few questions for the experts.

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HamSlamma

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Got a Savage model 111 300 Win Mag that I putting a Leupold MARK5HD 7-35X56 scope on.
Want to be able to group pretty good at about 300-400 yards.

What else should I do to the gun? Anything?

I think Ive found the best factory ammo already.

Will I have to roll my own ammo to stretch it out farther?

Thanks for your help guys!! Great site Keith!!
 
I’m not claiming to be an expert but I will point out a couple things.
600 yards is mid range
1000 yards is long range, to shoot good groups you’ll need a purpose built platform ( meaning a quality action with a good ignition, quality barrel and a good stock ) , Savage 111 long range hunter is gonna be tough to get consistency without reloading and even tougher without a front rest and rear bag
Best of luck a keep us posted on your progress
Addendum - for 300 -400 yards just get a good bi pod and maybe a squeeze bag to support the rear. You should be fine
 
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HamSlamma said:
Got a Savage model 111 300 Win Mag that I putting a Leupold MARK5HD 7-35X56 scope on.
Want to be able to group pretty good at about 300-400 yards.

What else should I do to the gun? Anything?

I think Ive found the best factory ammo already.

Will I have to roll my own ammo to stretch it out farther?
Click to expand...
That should be great to start, and good groups at 300/400 isn't a large task.

I would not do anything to the gun just yet.

Since you found a factory ammo it likes, go shoot, have fun, learn about wind a little.

As posted, a bipod and a rear bag is all you need, but of course a solid front rest and stable "group shooting" type rear bag makes it a little easier to start.

Better groups, which means you can stretch it our further with better success, can often be had by handloading. Most long range shooters handload, but some of the best PRS type shooters (Not group shooting) kick a lot of butty with factory match ammo.
 
@HamSlamma - personally, I also wouldn’t do anything to the 300wm, not yet at least.

If I had money burning a hole in my pocket, I would, in this order, spend it on training, ammo, or a smaller cartridge training rifle.

As has been established above, 300-400 yards just isn’t that far, so shooting with a 223rem, or even just a 22LR, will let you develop your skills at these ranges with FAR less recoil and far less ammunition cost. It doesn’t take many rounds from a 300wm to add up to the cost of an inexpensive 223 rifle, and a guy will be less discouraged by high recoil (And high cost) to sustain a higher volume practice schedule.

But professional training and practice ammunition will likely pay back in your learning curve FAR faster and more profitably than any modification you can do to that rifle.
 
Any good hunting rifle should be minute of deer heart at 3-400 yards. Not an uncommon shot for a couple spots I hunt. Just resting on the rail of a stand or if I'm on the ground use shooting sticks. A decent bipod on your rifle and a bag under the stock from a bench should allow you to get what you want.
 
Thanks for the info guys!!!!
I plan on setting the new scope (Leupold Mark 5 HD 7X35X56mm) today at 200 yards and going from there to see what it will do. 90% of the hunters around here set there scope at 100yards and are happy with that. I just want a bit more!

Here in the lowcountry of SC we don't shoot long distances much at all,,,,but if and when I get a chance to sit on a long dirt road or large field, I want to be able to get a good shot on a deer or hog,,,,Ya know!
 
I shoot 1,000 yard bench rest. Hand loads are a must and if you want better than about 9 inches groups, you need to do a lot of work to the rifle as well as how it is supported and how you read the wind and shoot it. It takes more than a good rifle to shoot good at 1,000 yards.

Bob
 
Hand load. Neck size only. Orient cases in chamber same way. Spin your rounds to in sure the are concentric. Separate your brass into weighed lots. Trim your primary pockets inside and out. Shoot 190 gr bullets. As your firing your shots at 300 going up in powder quantity each time by a couple of grains, look for clusters of shots that develop on your paper despite the powder. Charge difference. These areas indicate a good load. Normally good loads are not at the upper end of your pressure limits. Buy great match grade primers. Try at least three different variety’s. Try both magnum and large rifle, see which ones group better at 300.
 
3,4,500 yards are not distances that you should have any trouble with the setup you have.Wind and other weather factors,as well as rifle cant and how you hold it will be where you can get an advantage.The guys who take all that in perspective and think their shots through can beat you with a far less accurate rig than you have.Sometimes I get too much adrenaline pumping and don't think before I shoot and that's how I manage to mess up the easiest of shots.I have shelves and boxes full of trophies that I won in 3-D and outdoor field archery.I was the worst shot on my team in the indoor 20 yard league shooting,but when it was outside in the wind or on the hillsides it got so good to me that the other shooters in my class would groan when they saw my truck pull on the parking lot.I carry that over to my rifle shooting,and it works.
 
Can you successfully load down a .300 Win Mag?
Once upon a time, the 300 Meter International load was .30-06 with the 173 gr GI Match boattail at 2300 fps, not much more than .30-30 ballistics... and recoil.
 
Shooting high volume 300wm for long range practice, even midrange practice, will pay for another rifle in rather surprisingly short order. Belted magnum brass doesn’t last worth a damn, nor do barrels, slugs are expensive, and big magnums eat boatloads of powder... The break even analysis is pretty straight forward.

As I mentioned above a few months ago, a nice 223 or 6 BR/Dasher will pay for itself in short order.
 
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