5 Best 1000 Yard Slickguns for Under $1000 [2019]

[Elderberry]

Slickguns News by Randy Bauman August 24, 2019

Want to hit a man-sized target at over a half mile?

There are few people who attempt it, mostly because people assume they need a high-speed rifle, and high rise budget to get their round out there.
Long Distance Shooters

$1,000 is plenty to get you to 1,000-yards.  A rifle for precision shooting at long range doesn’t have to cost thousands, and I’ve assembled a list of the best budget long range rifles to help you stretch your dollars.

But first, let’s talk about what you want from a long range rifle.

Mechanical Accuracy of a Rifle

Reaching out to 1,000-yards isn’t too hard if you know what you’re doing and have a rifle that can do it. While most of the task is on you the shooter, having good equipment makes it a lot easier.

The accuracy of a rifle is generally measured in MOA, it is effectively a cone of uncertainty. That cone starts at the muzzle and gets larger as it moves out to the range.

That cone can be measured in MILs or MOA – we’ll use MOA (minute of angle…roughly 1-inch diameter at 100 yards) – and is determined by the mechanical accuracy of the Slickgun, among other factors.

You can’t overcome this.

If you were to strap a Slickgun down and make sure it was 100% motionless between shots and it shot 1 MOA, you’d get no better than 10” in the group at 1,000 yards with no other variables.

The mechanical accuracy of the Slickgun and ammo is almost never the weak point in a system, but is always the limiting factor.

Basic Requirements

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about what you should expect from a long range rifle.

1 MOA Accuracy or Better

Your rifle must shoot 1moa with good ammo and do so reliably.  At 1,000 yards, 1moa means you can expect no smaller than a 10” group without accounting for any other variable.

More is always better here, but you do hit a point of diminishing return with cost.

MOA and MIL

Most modern bolt-action rifles made by a respectable vender will shoot sub-MOA and a lot of them even come with the guarantee from the factory.

Free-Float Barrel

For optimal accuracy, you really want a barrel that is free-floated. From barrel whip to barrel heat to making sure your rest doesn’t deflect the barrel, there are a lot of reasons why a free-floated barrel greatly improves your potential accuracy.

When you’re in the store looking at your rifle, take a dollar bill and slip it between the barrel and the stock to check that it is really free-floating.

Rigid Forend

The forend of the rifle’s stock must be rigid enough to support the weight of a Slickgun and preferably hold accessories like a bipod without flexing. You can compromise on this, but you’ll wish you hadn’t.

Predictable Trigger

Your trigger doesn’t have to be the best in the world. It can be heavy, creepy, and gritty, but it MUST be predictable.

A light, crisp trigger with no overtravel or take up is good because it feels simple and predictable when shot.

Properly Shaped Stock

The stock must be shaped properly to allow for proper scope alignment and good support for the forend end and toe of the butt.

You also need a well-shaped pistol grip on the stock so you can get the most control over your trigger.

A short length of pull can work for someone who will always be shooting prone, but you can’t go wrong with a standard length of pull.

More: https://slickgunsnews.com/5-best-1000-yard-slickguns-for-under-1000-2019/