How To Shoot Long-Range Consistently: Rifle Setup

In the previous article on consistent long-range shooting, I discussed the proper setup of a rifle scope. In this article (Part 2), I am going to take a step back and talk about setting up your rifle for consistent shooting. I will be discussing setting up a rifle for longer range engagements, not busting brush in thick country.

A good bolt-action design will work best for this type of shooting. These days, there are a lot of quality bolt actions that people can start from. You can buy just the bare action (Defiance, Impact, Stiller, Mack Brothers, Zermatt, American Rifle Company, Terminus, Bat Machine, Aero Precision, Weatherby 307 etc.) and build up from there. Or you can buy a factory rifle (Bergara, Tikka, Remington, Savage, Weatherby 307, etc.) and rebuild it to perform more optimally. There are also companies that offer just barreled actions (action, chambered barrel, and sometimes trigger assembly and bottom metal) like Howa, Aero Precision, and several others. Either way, the basis of these upgrades will be the same.

For this type of consistency with a rifle setup, sometimes you need a gunsmith to do the work for you. This usually can ensure that all the parts and pieces fit and function properly. Some people with the right skill and knowledge can do most of the work themselves with the right tools at home. Always remember though, you can have a well setup rifle, but if the chamber job or barrel is bad, you likely will not get the performance you are looking for. If nothing else, make sure you have a good barrel and chamber job.

So, let’s say you have a good action and a good barrel, what now? I think one of the key components of a nice shooting rifle is a good trigger. There are many good aftermarket triggers out there and some factory rifles are now coming with those good triggers. To name a few, Timney Triggers, TriggerTech, Bix’n Andy, Jewell Trigger, etc. Even the Tikka factory triggers are quality and can be modified with spring kits to improve them. A good trigger doesn’t necessarily mean a light trigger, but one that is reliable and breaks consistently is best. I personally like all my triggers to be in the 1.5-2 lb range.

Complimentary Components

After the trigger, a good stock is key to the recoil management of your rifle and being able to return to the target after the shot. Stocks often get overlooked, but they are the interface between you and the rifle. There are a lot of quality stocks on the market these days, but depending on what action you start with, that will determine your aftermarket selection. This is why I prefer actions that are modeled after the Remington 700 (Remington 700 Clone actions) or Tikkas. There is a wide range of stocks available for these actions, so you will have more to choose from.

If you are starting off trying to rebuild a rifle like a Ruger M77, Winchester M70, Browning X Bolt Ruger American, Weatherby Mark 5, or some of the less “popular” actions, you will have a harder time finding a large selection of stocks. Those stocks you can find are often custom stocks that will take some time to get. A good stock will be rigid to not flex under the load of a bipod or when shooting off an object. They will have a bedding block type mini chassis (carbon or aluminum) or aluminum pillars. This will ensure a strong interface with the action and create repeatable performance. Stocks makers like Grayboe, McMillan, Manners, Peak 44, Stocky's Stocks, Bell and Carlson, HS Precision, AG Composites, Pure Precision, etc.

Even chassis systems like KRG, XLR Industries, MDT, Masterpiece Arms, Ultradyne and Aero Precision (to name a few) have good-quality chassis systems that fit into this category. Do your research because some will be better for you than others. Some are made of carbon fiber, fiberglass, composite, wood, and aluminum. Depending on your end goal for your rifle, one will be better than the other. Some are ultralight and others are heavy. Some are more “old school” with their features (or lack thereof) and others are modular systems that make attaching accessories very easy. Make sure you get a stock that also matches your barrel profile. If you have an ultralight barrel but a heavy stock, you will throw off the balance of the rifle, which is very important.

Whether it’s a stock or a chassis, consider getting (or doing it yourself) the action bedded into that stock or chassis. A lot of stocks and chassis claim that they don’t need to be bedded but I’ve found that even those need to be to get the best, consistent performance out of your rifle system. This creates a 1 to 1 fit of your action to that stock or chassis. This will keep things from moving around under recoil or while you are driving down a bumpy road. This will help ensure first-shot accuracy. On top of bedding the action, make sure you have proper clearance in the barrel channel. The stock around the barrel must not contact (be free floated) the barrel for the most consistency.

Recoil Mitigation

A good muzzle device will also aid in the performance of your rifle. It was not that long ago that it was rare to see someone hunting with a muzzle break. When you did see it, it was an older-style radial break (holes all around the break). While this did help with some recoil, it had its drawbacks. That radial style break would kick up dust and debris when shooting close to the ground. The recoil mitigation from that break was not worth the debris kicking up in my book.

We are lucky these days that there are high-quality efficient side port breaks on the market. There are breaks that are Titanium or Stainless Steel (depending on your end goal for weight). Single port breaks all the way up to five port breaks. These breaks come in a variety of sizes to fit your barrel profile. They also have self-timing breaks or breaks that have to be timed by a gunsmith. Quality breaks from companies like Salmon River Solutions, Area 419, Patriot Valley Arms, MDT, Boring Rifles, American Precision Arms, Precision Armament, and Insite Arms are known for quality breaks.

The effectiveness of the breaks comes from the volume of gasses that it moves and the direction it moves it. Most of the breaks mentioned above have large rearward-facing ports that cut down recoil substantially. This will help tame the recoil of bigger cartridges and help keep you on target following recoil. This does come at a cost though. These breaks can be blasty for those around you, so wearing ear protection while hunting or shooting is a must.

If you want to cut down on recoil and blast, a suppressor is always a good idea. These days suppressors are easier to get than ever. I’ll admit that I was slow to the suppressor game because of long wait times. Something just didn’t sit well with me spending upwards of $1,000-$1,500 for a suppressor and waiting a year to use it. Recently, I’ve heard that people will get their approvals in weeks (even days), not months. While suppressors do not cut down on the recoil as much as a good side port break, I find it much more pleasant to shoot a suppressed rifle because of the lack of blast at the shooter's position. There are a lot of quality suppressors on the market. Pick a suppressor that fits the needs for your rifle build. They can be short, long, heavy, light, aluminum, titanium, steel and Inconel. Volume with a suppressor is key for sound suppression. Even with less recoil mitigation than a good break, hunting suppressed is the way to go.

Smart and Small Accessories

Some smaller accessories that are well worth the money are things like two round holders and ARCA rails. The old king of two-round holders has always been the Short Action Precision Two Round Holder. This is an elastic two-round holder that attaches to the ejection port side of your rifle with Velcro. I used these for years, but I've had my issues with them. The elastic would hold onto your rounds decently, but it seemed with heavier recoiling rifles and multiple shots, the cartridges would slowly walk out of the holder under recoil. I tried to get smaller holders (using a standard 308 Win case size holder for a 300 WSM case) and even tried lining the interior of the holder with silicone to give it more grip.

While that worked ok, while carrying the rifle while hunting, I always seemed to drop one of both rounds out by the end of the trip. Now enter the new holder on the market, Inflection DE. The Inflection OS Ammo Caddy is a covered two-round holder that also will Velcro to the side of the rifle (or can be attached with double-sided tape). I have been using these holders on all my rifles for the past six months or so, and I’m impressed with them. I have not dropped a round or had one walk out yet. In my opinion, they are the way to go.

ARCA rails can be mounted to the bottom of your rifle’s forend and serve one main purpose. They allow you to mount your rifle directly to your tripod for unmatched stability when shooting. Most tripod heads are ARCA Swiss compatible, and your rifle-mounted rail attaches to the tripod head (use a ball-type head not a panhead). For hunting and shooting in terrain that won't always let you go prone, being able to shoot off a tripod is a must in my book.

Bipods are a great addition to a build. I always have a bipod on my rifles. This comes at a weight penalty, but the rapid deployment of them for some of my hunting shots has made the difference between me filling a tag and going home eating tag soup. A good bipod needs to be ridged/stable but also adjustable enough to be used in a lot of situations. I’m not a fan of a panning-type bipod, but one that can cant is a must. I’ve recently been using the Gunwerks Elevate 2.0 bipod and it's been a great bipod for me. The adjustability, weight, price and performance has been impressive. There a lot of bipods on the market that can fit your needs. Do your research and keep some of these things in mind.

Setting up your rifle properly is a key component to shooting consistently. Pick the right accessories and parts, and you will be well on your way to being a more consistent shooter.

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