Most enthusiasts and experts agree that a target is long-range if you have to factor in bullet drop and wind factors to score a hit. There is no specific universal long-range distance; the exact value depends almost entirely on the caliber you shoot.
For most shooters, a long-range rifle fires a full-power centerfire rifle cartridge (e.g., .308 Winchester), where a target would be considered long-range at 600 yards and beyond.
If you’re looking to enter the world of long-range shooting and compete in disciplines such as the Precision Rifle Series, T-Class, or F-Class, you need a capable rifle that lets you make accurate and consistent hits at 600 yards or more. Discover the 5 best long-range rifle platforms you can buy today.
Best Long-Range Rifles
1. Savage Axis II Precision
The Savage Arms Axis II Precision belongs to the same family of affordable yet high-quality rifles as the other Axis rifles. Despite that, the Axis II Precision does not make any performance compromises; this is a through-and-through precision rifle with every feature you could want for long-distance shooting or hunting.
Savage Arms partnered with Modular Driven Technologies to fit the Axis action into a fully-featured aluminum precision rifle chassis, compatible with AICS-style detachable box magazines. This lightweight chassis features a black finish with olive drab furniture, adjustable comb height and length of pull, a rubber stock pad, and an ultra-slim forend compatible with M-LOK accessories.
The acclaimed Savage AccuTrigger is available on this rifle. It is fully user-adjustable, letting you choose between 2.5 lbs. and 6 lbs. of trigger pull.
Six calibers are available: .243 Winchester, .223 Remington, .270 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, .308 Winchester, and 6.5mm Creedmoor. All models come with an AICS compatible magazine, with a capacity of 10 rounds (or 5 for the .270 and .30-06 models).
You may prefer to use the .270 Winchester or 6.5mm Creedmoor models for long-range applications, as these calibers feature the flattest trajectories. If you’re looking for a versatile rifle that can pull double duty for hunting and competition, you can’t go wrong with the .243, .308, and .30-06 versions.
Although very accurate, you should save the .223 for medium-range precision shooting (no more than 500 yards). The barrel length on all calibers is 22”, but all of them feature a button-rifled, threaded heavy barrel made of carbon steel, granting you exceptional durability and accuracy.
Although the Axis II Precision does not come out of the box with a muzzle device (though it does come with a protective cap), the standard ⅝” – 24” thread pitch leaves you with the freedom of installing the muzzle brake or suppressor of your choosing.
Regardless of caliber, the Axis II Precision is an almost perfect budget-friendly precision rifle. Although technically speaking, the Axis II Precision’s price point makes it an entry-level platform for long-distance shooting; it is so well-made that you’ll feel like you have a much more expensive rifle.
Specifications:
- Manufacturer: Savage Arms
- Model: Axis II Precision
- Action: Bolt-action
- Caliber: Multiple available (.243 Winchester, .223 Remington, .270 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, .308 Winchester, 6.5mm Creedmoor)
- Bolt hand: Right-handed only
- Capacity:
- Detachable AICS pattern box magazine, 10 rounds (.243, .223, .308, 6.5 CM)
- Detachable AICS pattern box magazine, 5 rounds (.270, .30-06)
- Overall length: 42.5” – 43.5”
- Weight: 9.89 lbs.
- Barrel length: 22”
- Threaded: Yes, ⅝” – 24”
- Accessory mounting points: Top Picatinny rail, MLOK forend
- MSRP: $999
2. Bergara B-14 HMR
Originally a manufacturer of match-grade barrels, Spain-based Bergara has since expanded into making actions (such as the B-14 bolt-action design) and complete rifles.
The Bergara B-14 HMR (Hunting and Match Rifle) is the culmination of Bergara’s best products. It features Bergara’s very own world-class chrome-moly barrel and B-14 action, and an adjustable stock, resulting in a production rifle that feels close to some of the best custom rifles on the planet.
The mini-chassis system molded into the B-14’s stock provides the action and barrel with unparalleled bedding. This factor, combined with the free-floating barrel, contributes to the rifle’s excellent accuracy and repeatability. All Bergara barrels come with a ⅝”-24” thread pitch, complete with a protective cap.
Although Bergara barrels are renowned worldwide for their accuracy and long-range precision, the heart of the HMR is its B-14 action. This action consists of a two-lug system with a sliding plate extractor, contributing to its butter-smooth reputation.
The Bergara curved trigger is factory set at 3 lbs. with a crisp break and near-zero creep.
A first for the Basque company, the B-14 HMR is the first (and, as of May 2021, the only) rifle in their catalog to be available in a left-handed configuration.
You may have noticed that the B-14 HMR does not come with a rail because the top of the action features older-style drilled and tapped to accept older-style Remington 700 scope bases and rings. If you prefer the reliability of a railed base, make sure it possesses a relief cut to account for the ejection port.
The B-14 HMR is a rifle with no tricks or gimmicks, relying entirely on its build quality, the smoothness of its action, and the reputation of its barrel.
If all you need is a pure rifle with no bells and whistles, with just enough room to upgrade and customize to your liking, the Basque-made gun is the right choice for you.
Specifications:
- Manufacturer: Bergara
- Model: B-14 HMR
- Action: Bolt-action
- Caliber: Multiple available (.22-250 Remington, 6.5mm Creedmoor, 6.5mm PRC, .308 Winchester, .300 Winchester Magnum, .300 PRC, .450 Bushmaster)
- Bolt hand: Left or right-handed
- Capacity:
- Detachable AICS pattern box magazine, 5 rounds (all calibers except 6.5mm PRC)
- Detachable AICS pattern box magazine, 3 rounds (6.5mm PRC)
- Overall length: 40” – 47.5”
- Weight: 9.25 lbs. – 9.5 lbs.
- Barrel length: 20” to 26”
- Threaded: Yes, ⅝”- 24”
- Accessory mounting points: Drilled and tapped receiver (Remington 700 scope mounts)
- MSRP: $1,150 – $1,230 depending on configuration
3. SIG Sauer Cross
Although the Cross is not the first precision rifle to wear the SIG name, this model is the first new centerfire bolt-action rifle SIG has introduced to the U.S. market since the Tactical 2 (2007) and the SIG 50 (2011). It’s the first 100% U.S.-made and U.S.-designed SIG bolt-action rifle.
According to SIG Sauer, the Cross was developed with input from many industry professionals, from veteran hunters and long-range competition specialists to law enforcement and military snipers.
The result is a rifle designed to fulfill the needs of every long-range shooter type. Whether you are a long-distance deer hunter, a PRS or T-Class competition shooter, or a professional in the military, police, or private security sectors, the SIG Sauer Cross has something for you.
The SIG Sauer Cross is available in three different calibers: .308 Winchester, 6.5mm Creedmoor, and SIG’s new .277 Fury cartridge, a new caliber tipped with 6.8mm/.27 caliber projectiles and capable of producing a muzzle velocity of 3,000 ft/s out of a 16” barrel.
The .277 Fury’s performance results from extreme pressures (80,000 psi of peak chamber pressure), made possible by combining two factors: the .277 Fury’s three-piece case, with a brass body and a stainless steel case head, and the ultra-durable construction of the Cross rifle, allowing it to withstand these pressures comfortably.
Despite featuring an almost overbuilt action, the Cross is not a heavy rifle; at just 6.5 lbs. (with 16” barrel), the Cross is one of the lightest short-action precision rifles ever made. The low weight results from the 1-piece aluminum receiver, skeletonized folding stock, ergonomic pistol grip, and competition-style tubular forend with M-LOK mounting points.
Specifications:
- Manufacturer: SIG Sauer
- Model: CROSS
- Action: Bolt-action
- Caliber: Multiple available (.308 Winchester, 6.5mm Creedmoor, .277 Fury)
- Bolt hand: Right-handed only
- Capacity: Detachable AICS pattern box magazine, 5 rounds (all calibers)
- Overall length: 36.5” – 38.5” (unfolded), 25” – 27” (folded)
- Weight: 6.5 lbs. – 6.8 lbs.
- Barrel length: 16” to 18”
- Threaded: Yes, ⅝”- 24”
- Accessory mounting points: Top Picatinny rail, MLOK handguards
- MSRP: $1,779
4. JP Enterprises LRI-20
JP Enterprises is a world-renowned manufacturer of competition-oriented AR-15 and AR-10 parts. JP parts and complete rifles are among the highest-quality products available on the market. In a sea of bolt-action firearms, the JP LRI-20 stands out as a gas gun, the colloquial term used by precision shooters to refer to a semi-automatic rifle.
Semi-automatics have long been considered an inferior choice to bolt-actions for precision shooting work, as they tended to lack their accuracy or reliability. However, the gap between gas guns and bolt guns has shrunken down to the point of offering the same levels of performance and dependability.
The JP LRI-20 is an AR-10 based rifle built from the best parts and components imaginable, making it one of the few semi-automatic precision rifles you can trust at distances well beyond 800 yards.
At the heart of the LRI-20 is the 22” Supermatch button-rifled barrel, manufactured from 416R stainless steel and cryo-treated to fit the 7075-T6 aluminum receiver as tightly as possible.
The Supermatch barrel is available in four chamberings and comes complete with the JP compensator and a JP curved trigger tuned to approx. 3.5 lbs. of pull. Depending on caliber and ammunition quality, the Supermatch barrel is capable of up to 0.5 MOA accuracy, ensuring excellent performance even beyond 1,000 yards.
The LRI-20 also features the JP Adjustable Gas System for maximum reliability, allowing you to shoot ammunition of any quality, suppressed or unsuppressed.
Ergonomically, the rifle features some of the most highly-regarded third-party furniture, such as the comfortable Magpul PRS Gen 3 stock, a Hogue pistol grip, and a skeletonized, competition-style tube handguard. This rifle is ready to shoot out of the box, only waiting for you to install your favorite optic on top of it.
Specifications:
- Manufacturer: JP Enterprises
- Model: LRI-20
- Action: Semi-automatic
- Caliber: Multiple available (.308 Winchester, .260 Remington, 6.5mm Creedmoor, 6mm Creedmoor)
- Capacity: Detachable AICS pattern box magazine, 5 rounds (all calibers)
- Overall length: 36.5” – 38.5” (unfolded), 25” – 27” (folded)
- Weight: 6.5 lbs. – 6.8 lbs.
- Barrel length: 16” to 18”
- Threaded: Yes, ⅝”- 24”
- Accessory mounting points: Top Picatinny rail, MLOK handguards
- MSRP: $3,499
5. Barrett MRAD
There are no two ways about it; the Barrett MRAD (Multi-Role Adaptive Design) is one of the finest and most versatile precision rifles ever designed. Manufactured by the same company that brought the M107 “Light Fifty” and the M98B, the MRAD may not be new (introduced in 2011), but very few rifles like it exist on the market today.
The main feature of the Barrett MRAD is the user-replaceable barrel system, allowing you to use your MRAD receiver as a host for what can effectively become multiple different rifles. All you need is a standard Torx wrench and extra barrels, and you can convert your rifle to another among the 7 options available.
The MRAD features a two-stage, adjustable match-grade trigger group, factory-tuned to approximately 2.5 lbs. If you find it too high (or too low!) to your liking, you can adjust the trigger pull weight with a ⅟₁₆ Allen wrench.
The stock is foldable and fully adjustable for comb height and length of pull, featuring a reversible cheek piece for maximum comfort. Although the rifle comes out of the box with a Magpul MOE pistol grip, you can replace it with any AR-15 compatible grip you wish.
The MRAD’s receiver and handguard feature a full-length Picatinny top rail for optics and accessories, complemented by three additional mounting interfaces, one on each of the handguard’s remaining sides.
With AR-15 inspired ergonomics, up to 0.5 MOA of accuracy, and years of field-proven performance, the MRAD is one of the most versatile tools for long-distance shooting, perfect for dominating the field from 300 to 1,600 yards.
It should be no surprise that this rifle won the 2012 NRA Rifle of the Year award and was adopted as a sniper rifle in police and military units in Norway, New Zealand, Israel, and the United States.
Specifications:
- Manufacturer: Barrett Firearms
- Model: MRAD
- Action: Bolt-action
- Caliber: Multiple, interchangeable barrels
- Available calibers: .338 Lapua Magnum, .338 Norma Magnum, .300 Norma Magnum, .300 PRC, .300 Winchester Magnum, .308 Winchester, 6.5mm Creedmoor
- Capacity: Proprietary magazines, 10 rounds
- Overall length: 47.4” – 49.4” (unfolded)
- Weight: 13.3 lbs. – 14.5 lbs.
- Barrel length: 24” (.308 Winchester, 6.5mm Creedmoor), 26” (all other calibers)
- Threaded: No (Integrated muzzle brake, compatible with some Barrett suppressors)
- Accessory mounting points: Top Picatinny rail, Barrett accessory interfaces
- MSRP: $5,970
The Right Rifle for Long-Range
Whether you are new to long-distance shooting or an enthusiast looking for a new challenge, it is essential to adapt your rifle to your needs, capabilities, and budget.
Don’t forget that these rifles do not come out of the box with an optic; you need to purchase a quality scope of your choosing. Make sure to use the highest-quality ammunition possible for the most accuracy.
