I’ve had a couple people ask me where the 1,000 yard rifle for $500 project went. Truth be told, it’s been done for months. The only problem is that the USMC has been tying up the range at Quantico and I haven’t had a chance to put the finishing touches on my article. In the meantime, have an updated picture of the rifle. At the top is what version 1.0 looked like, a Mossberg 100 ATR with some added goodies. Make the jump for the latest incarnation.

Here’s the parts list:

  • Weatherby Vanguard Carbine ($360)
  • Primary Arms 3-9 Scope ($80)
  • Scope rings and mounts ($15)
  • Bipod ($20)
  • Cheek Riser ($20)

That all comes in around $495, but I have to admit to breaking the rules a little.

The stock that came with the Weatherby was terrible (as you can tell from the review), so it had to be replaced. To the tune of about $100. It’s an upgrade that is more about shooter’s comfort (and looking classy on the firing line) than accuracy, but it still counts against the total cost of the rifle. Even with the much needed new stock we’re still talking about a complete rifle that costs less than a comparable Remington 700, so I’m counting it as a win. If it works, that is.

I have 40 rounds of Setpoint ammunition socked away and ready to go, and as soon as I get some range time out at Quantico I’ll let you guys know the result. Stay tuned.

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13 COMMENTS

  1. Speaking of articles in the works, how is the AR mag torture test going? I love seeing stuff tested to the point of failure.

  2. Hmmm. A little gun genieing turns up a Mossberg 4×4 in .300 Win Mag for $361. But I think optics are going to prove the weak link here.

  3. Any rifle is a 1,000 yard rifle. It’s only a 1,000 yard rifle people care about if it hits the same 1′ spot at 1,000 yards day in and day out. Surely there must be some spot within a weekend’s drive there and back that has 1,000 yards worth of testing range near you?

    Until bullets are on paper / metal, it’s just conjecture :/

      • Totally unpossible. I operate while operating while I operate. I have sunglasses and a beard that are so operator other non-operators are intimidated by the sheer operator-ness of it all.

    • I’d settle for 1 MoA, personally.

      1 MoA at 1,000 is a little bigger than a dinner plate, and about the size of the 10 ring on an F class target. Luckily, I have a steel plate that’s 10 inches square (1 MoA ish) that I’ll be using to test the rifle. I’m considering the gun a success if I can place 75% or more of my rounds on the plate.

      Hence the need for MCB Quantico. They have a 1,000 yard range they let me use from time to time, but it’s been tied up for months by those pesky Marine reserve units. There are a couple other ranges “nearby” that say they have 1,000 yard ranges but some are far enough away to require an overnight stay, others want ridiculous range fees (we don’t get paid for writing so screw that), and the best option is actually still under construction.

      The Mossberg was actually a 2 MoA gun. We tested it and the best 5 round group we got was 1 inch at 50 yards. The Weatherby claims a 1.5 MoA accuracy out of the box, which we tested and seems plausible. With the new stock I’m hoping that will drop closer to 1 MoA, but we’ll have to see.

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