New Toy, call me crazy

[tljames]

Well guys let me start with a little background info :D For a LONG time I've been interested in buying a rifle for "punching paper" at a great distance. Well for the last several months this interest has grown stronger and stronger. So I've been looking at rifles , short of custom built, that I might want to use. I know right now Savage rifles are all the rave, (please Savage owners don't be offended) but regardless of how hard I try I can't make myself like Savage:(. Some like Ford some like Chevy , that sort of thing. Yet I know from past experience if I buy something I don't REALLY like, I'll end up spending that much more before it's all said and done. I LOVE Remington rifles, but they aren't offering anything in .308 Win that has a barrel longer than 20" with a 1-10" twist. Several forums I've read say a 1-12" will get 175 to 190 gr pills to 1000 yds no problem and some say they won't. Some say it depends on the rifle. So to be safe rather than sorry I wanted a 1-10". Who offers a 1-10"?
Of course Savage does $Svomit$ and Ruger, Hey I own several Ruger products and for the most part really like them! The Obama scare has "cranked" back up and of course NO ONE has a Ruger .308 target rifle :(. NO ONE can get them and when they called Ruger the response was "we're so backed up on orders we won't commit to anything for about 6 months" So much for Ruger. So Friday I had to go to a town about 20 miles east of me to pick up some lawn mower parts, somehow I ended up driving another 90 miles east and ended up in a gun shop. Guess who else offers a 308 Win target rifle with a 1-10" twist?
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Yep, Browning, I know a few guys who have Browning rifles, they all love them. I've shot a few and they seemed nice, shot well, really my only complaint is they're made in Japan, but then again so is 2/3 of everything I own, rest comes from China. So I found one on the shelf and I looked it over and I put it down, I picked it up, finally I bought 5k of rifle primers, 8 lbs of powder and some bullets and I walked away. Then about 50 miles down the road I couldn't help myself, I turned around and
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Yeah I went back and bought the rifle $clapper$

Ok guys I have no illusions about Long Range shooting! I know NOTHING about it except it's a skill I would like to aquire! So what ya think? Those of you who do this please feel free to offer your thoughts about my rifle choice, and then what about glass? I'm thinking a Vortex Viper HS LR 6-24x50 FFP. Yet I'm open to suggestions, thoughts advise and criticism.
Thanks All! Thomas

[tljames]

The rifle is glass beded and barrel is free floated, the trigger is a single stage set trigger. You can fire the rifle without setting the trigger. It's HEAVY my trigger pull scale read 6 3/4 lbs when pulled without setting. So I set the trigger settle in as if I were going to fire the rifle, and when I thought about firing the hammer fell! "WTF I didn't touch it" was my first thought. Actioned the bolt and tried again, when I felt myself make contact the hammer fell again. I know guys use oz triggers but I've never felt one < 2-3 lbs. So I grabbed the scale and tried again, when the trigger is set it breaks at about 8 oz! Wow for me that is a light trigger! So I'm pumped I'm thinking this could be a lot of fun! Thomas

[cuppednlocked]

Nice! I'll be interested in your long range progress.

[Punch The Clown]

Thomas, my 700 is 1:12 and it doesn't like heavy bullets. I think the 1:10 idea is a good one.

[rlelvis]

Very nice! Not target models but I have a couple of A-Bolts that I LOVE. Made my longest hunting shot ever was with a SS A-Bolt in .338 Win Mag.

[tljames]

Thanks guys for the replys! It should be fun, I've been looking at the Vortex Viper line of scopes. Has anyone ever owned or used one? The reviews I've read have been positive and I believe (for the most part) you get what you pay for. I'd love to put a Night Force scope on the rifle, but if a Vortex will do what I want it'll save enough $ to nearly buy another M1!
I will probably never actually attend a formal competition, but I would like to someday be able to hit an 18" metal target at 1000 yds! Once again thoughts , comments, advice and criticism welcome! Good Luck and Good Shooting All! $auto$ Thomas