Best bang for the buck?

4

404tbang

Member
Howdy,
I am generally more interested in rimfire than centerfire. Although centerfire is fun too. What with the cost of quality rimfire ammo seeming to increase at annoying rates, my curiousity is increasing as well. In centerfire, I have always shot .308, 30-06, 6.5x55 Swedish and .303 British. I was underwhelmed by the M16 and 5.56x45 while in the Army. I always wanted something with a bit more power than a .223 back then.

Since the rising cost of quality rimfire match ammo has got my curiousity up, I would like to ask this.

What cartridge gives the most accuracy, for the least cost, in centerfire? I am curious if it is possible to shoot a precision centerfire cartridge that I can reload accurately for a comparable cost to rimfire match ammo.

I will still shoot rimfire, but I would like to know what would give me the most bang for the buck in centerfire.

Thanks!

Greg
 
I'm not sure what you pay for rimfire match ammo, but there isn't any cheap any more in reloading unless you compare it to loaded ammunition. I shoot .223 Remington for cheap reloading and bulk varmint bullets can run from about $.10 ea to $.25+ ea for boxed match bullets, then add $.03+ primers, and $.07+ powder and your expendable cost is $.20-.35 per shot without brass (or dies, etc.). The 6mm BR is a great cartridge and uses little more powder than the .223 and brass isn't too much more either and recoil isn't any more than the .223. It seems like the price of bullets jump when you go from 6 to 6.5mm. - nhk
 
dont get what your after but

if you wanna be competitive forget the bang for buck thing.If you want a real good stock factory cartridge the 222 is just about as good as it gets.JMO jim
 
I also agree that the 6BR would be the way to go. Im not sure if you have a rifle already but if not, finding a nice used rifle should prove to be pretty easy and that will also save you a ton of money. Building a new rifle from scratch can prove to be quit expensive, no matter what chambering you go with. Good luck!! Lee
 
Geez Francis take it easy on him

FBecigneul said:
Get ready to spend about $7,000.00 and then you will have spent more buck for the bang. But hey, big booms are macho.
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Gee Francis,
What are you trying to do. scare him away? Yes this sport can be a little on the expensive side. Admittedly you really do have a history of trying to get new shooters involved. But telling a new guy get ready to spend $7 grand is a but much. I will guarantee you if someone told me when I started it was going to cost that kind of money I would not have been shooting BR for 25+ years now. I am not saying you were incorrect I am saying that kind of brutal honesty is not always a good thing.

I believe most BR shooters acquire their equipment over a period of years and spread over that kind of time frame it is not all that much more expensive than many other hobbies.

Dick
 
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404tbang said:
I will still shoot rimfire, but I would like to know what would give me the most bang for the buck in centerfire.

Thanks!

Greg
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Oh by the way in answer to your original question a .223 is probably your most bang for your buck I am assuming you mean a factory rifle. But if you could find yourself a 6 BR it's increased accuracy is worth the slightly higher initial cost. Either use across the counter dies , Brass, bullets and powder. If you actually want more physical bang for your buck find a .308

Good Luck

Dick
 
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FBecigneul said:
You don't mention range; at what range do you plan to shoot? To be perfectly clear; at what distance do you plan to shoot? As you are in Kentucky, amble on over to Mount Vernon and talk to Mickey Coleman. He always has something for sale and he tells me he loses money on every sale. You will now have a rifle to fit the matches fired in Kentucky and at a good price. The rifle you buy has to match the type of shooting available to you. If you are concerned about bang for the buck, you are probably not going to travel much as that is getting pricey. Price of centerfire bullets is going up every day and, as J4 is raising the price of jackets January 1, the bullets goes up January 2. The price of brass has never gone down since I started shooting and neither has the price of primers, when you can get them. Powder is more expensive now than at any time since I started. You will need case prep equipment, loading equipment, and brushes, patches, and solvents. Centerfire barrels don't last as long as rimfire so figure on $400.00 or more for a barrel and barrel work every other year if you shoot much at all. Get ready to spend about $7,000.00 and then you will have spent more buck for the bang. But hey, big booms are macho.
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Francis, I think you might mean George Coleman. --Mike
 
Greg. If you are who I think you are, build a 30br and have the best times of your life. With your location, 2 hours of driving will put you at 3 different ranges that shoot registered benchrest score matches, something most BR shooters don't have. You are welcome to shoot my 30br if you want to see what it is like.

Jackie
 
Greg, Jackie has made an offer you should not refuse, he has great equipment and knows what he is talking about and besides that he's a helluva nice guy. He won't steer you wrong. Steve
 
I dont't shoot Comp. rimfire but seeing that a box of 50 rounds is about $10 or more and a box of factory match ammo for centerfire can cost $30 or more per 20 it would pay to reload for centerfire. Still the cost will be more to shoot centerfire. If the goal is shooting 100 to 1000yds. The 6br will accomplish this with lite recoil and accuracy. If your goal is to save money in shooting centerfire vs rimfire it won't happen. Randy
 
Thanks Jackie!

JackieStogsdill said:
Greg. If you are who I think you are, build a 30br and have the best times of your life. With your location, 2 hours of driving will put you at 3 different ranges that shoot registered benchrest score matches, something most BR shooters don't have. You are welcome to shoot my 30br if you want to see what it is like.

Jackie
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Howdy,
First, I want to thank everyone for their info. I now want .222, a .223, a 6BR with a .272nk no trim, a 30BR, and $7,000! And a Red Ryder bb gun with a compass in the stock and.......Not to mention, after I got done laughing at Dick Grosbier's "insert hook, tug slightly to set" comment, I need something to kill pain. I have a couple of herniated discs in my back and it has been a rough few days and the doctor once said laughing can sometimes cause pain due to "interthoracic pressure". That was funny, it hurt, but it was funny!

Jackie, I will gladly take you up on your gracious offer. I wanted to get down there all year to shoot, and something always came up. I will hopefully have better luck this coming year. Whoever consistantly comes in last place on your range will get a break. I will take over that duty for a while, if I can get there. I know I'm gonna get stomped into the ground shooting rimfire. Now I can get stomped into the ground shooting centerfire too! However, if y'all shoot slingshots, I may.....aw skip it, I'll get stomped into the ground at that too, but it will be fun. So, if you let me shoot your rifle, you better shoot some groups first and let folks see them, so I don't ruin your reputation!

It will be a while before I can think about building centerfire benchrest rifle. I do have a 40x in 7.62x51 Nato. I even have a little bit of M118 Special Ball ammo laying around that might do for decent reloads. The rifle is a 34,000 serial number range, which translated to being built in 1968 or 1970. I was once told to buy a 40x, but make sure it was an old one because supposedly the work had more care given to it back then. It is a repeater, so as I understand it, it probably would not be a good candidate to be competitive for benchrest, even with a new barrel for a good benchrest cartridge. Which puts me back to having one built, and realistically, that will have to wait a while.

I wanted to start doing some homework for when the time comes to get into centerfire benchrest and get a rifle built. Thank you all for your help!

Jackie, I hope to see you before too long!

Greg
 
George....

george in KY said:
man i sold a killer 40x 7.62 nato few years back was that you ?
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Howdy George,
Nope, it wasn't me. I got this one a long time ago. I actually found a good deal at, get this, Antique & Modern in Lexington. Those guys get some of the absolute finest rifles there are, and price them accordingly. There was an 84 year old man from New Jersey who had fallen into bad health and commisioned A&M to sell his collection. He had more high end target rifles, some that were quite collectible, than you could shake a stick at. I got lucky on the 40x. It was a safe queen. He had a bunch of wonderful rifles. I felt sorry for him having to sell them. I heard that he made a decent recovery and was shooting again, back then.

As I understand it, you have a knack for coming up with 40x's! This may sound silly to you, but I just don't know, so I have to ask. What happens if you run the lighter custom bullets through a 7.62 Nato? I tried digging up some info on 30BR and saw bullet weights I didn't know about. Any experience on how they would do in a factory 40x 7.62 Nato barrel?

Greg
 
george in KY said:
give'm a try the old 40x i had shot 110 v-max real well the 135MK sierra buggholed and jackies bench rest 115 to !
P,S got a sweet 6-284 for sale turn key all you need is powder and primers
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Howdy George,
That is a fine looking rifle! Even if the bolt handle is on the wrong side! I appreciate the offer, but I have to pass, way too broke to buy a rifle now. You know, I think you might have taken Dick Grosbier's "insert hook, tug slightly to set" comment to heart. I mean, look at that picture for a moment. You got yer UK ribbon thing hanging down on the wall to let me know I am in good company, you got yer mighty fine lookin' rifle sittin' there going "Hi Greg" to keep me focusing my attention on, but you left that boat paddle, fishin' pole, bobber and nice lookin' top water lure (that has to have a treble hook on it) on the wall just waiting for me to pull the trigger on the rifle a few times! Yup, tug slightly to set!:)

Next your gonna put a bunch of soup beans, corn bread, and fried potatoes beside the rifle and post another picture!

Greg
 
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