What Criteria are we Using?
- Price – It’s easy to spend thousands on a rifle, we tried to keep everything to around $1-$1.5k.
- Reliability* – Does this gun work when you need it to or has it had some issues consistently pop up.
- Accuracy* – Does this rifle maker have a reputation for accuracy?
- Adjustability* – Consistently good long range shooting requires a rifle custom fit to the shooter.
- Fit and Finish* – How does this rifle feel in your hands? Does it have a lot of cheap plastic feeling parts or is it solid?
- Aftermarket Support* – This will allow you to eventually upgrade your rifle from a budget-friendly to high-end long range shooter. However, I would remember this isn’t something the rifle maker can control.
- Availability in Long Range Cartridges – A long range rifle needs to be available in long range capable cartridges. Every Rifle on this list checks this box.
*Each category will be rated on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best.
**I am NOT sponsored by any of these rifle makers.
Here’s our top 5 best long range rifles list.
5) Savage 110 Tactical
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| PRICE (MSRP) | $889 |
| RELIABILITY | 1 |
| ACCURACY | 4 |
| ADJUSTABILITY | 3 |
| FIT and FINISH | 1 |
| AFTERMARKET SUPPORT | 2 |
Total Score: 12/20
Savage is known for their budget friendly rifles with exceptional accuracy. Many rifles carry a sub 1-MOA guarantee these days, but Savage over delivers. It’s not uncommon to see sub .5 MOA out of a Savage rifle. With an MSRP of $889 you’ll typically be able to find this rifle brand new for between $700-$750. At this price point, this rifle is an exceptional deal.
Some feeding and extraction issues have been reported when cycling the bolt, however there is affordable aftermarket support to correct this. The 110 Tactical also comes with an easily adjustable 2-Stage Savage Accutrigger which is a great perk. This rifle checks all the boxes for what you need in a long range build all while being very budget friendly.
4) Ruger Precision Rifle
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| PRICE (MSRP) | $1879 |
| RELIABILITY | 2.5 |
| ACCURACY | 3 |
| ADJUSTABILITY | 4 |
| FIT and FINISH | 2.5 |
| AFTERMARKET SUPPORT | 2 |
Total Score: 14/20
It’s fairly expensive when compared to some of the competition but Ruger makes some great rifles. I guess that’s the price you pay for getting real American made. Ruger makes all around solid and very accurate rifles. However, one of the common criticisms is that at its price point, the actions fit and finish and reliability is not always up to snuff. With an MSRP of $1879 you can find this rifle brand new for between $1400-$1700 depending on the caliber.
Ruger is an American classic and continues to make innovations in today’s competitive market. If their Precision Rifle is a bit out of your price point consider building your own custom rifle utilizing their Ruger American model as the base.
3) HOWA ORYX
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| PRICE (MSRP) | $1099 |
| RELIABILITY | 3 |
| ACCURACY | 2 |
| ADJUSTABILITY | 4 |
| FIT and FINISH | 3 |
| AFTERMARKET SUPPORT | 3 |
Total Score: 15/20
Howa is a Japanese made, budget friendly, high performing rifle. It carries a sub 1-MOA guarantee and a slick action. An MSRP of $1099 you’ll be able to find this rifle brand new for between $720-$850. The Howa 1500 Action also boasts a user-adjustable super clean breaking 2-stage trigger.
This is probably the best value for your money, but remains a relatively unknown competitor in the American market. Howa rifles perform well in all categories and should be at the top of your list when looking for a new rifle. The Howa Oryx would be my recommendation for a budget minded new shooter with its great price point and all around performance.
2) Bergara B-14 HMR
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| PRICE (MSRP) | $1199 |
| RELIABILITY | 4 |
| ACCURACY | 2.5 |
| ADJUSTABILITY | 3 |
| FIT and FINISH | 4 |
| AFTERMARKET SUPPORT | 4 |
Total Score: 17.5/20
Bergara actions are often thought of as the gold standard since Remington’s quality control has declined. They make affordable all around amazing rifles. An MSRP of $1199 you can find this rifle for just under $1000. Because it’s a clone of the legendary Remington action (when they were the gold standard) there is a ton of aftermarket support so tweaking and upgrading this rifle to perfection is easy, making it a favorite among long range shooters.
1) Tikka T3x UPR
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| PRICE (MSRP) | $1400 (No MSRP) |
| RELIABILITY | 4 |
| ACCURACY | 4 |
| ADJUSTABILITY | 3 |
| FIT and FINISH | 4 |
| AFTERMARKET SUPPORT | 3 |
Total Score: 18/20
Our #1 best long range rifle on a budget! The Tikka Ultimate Precision Rifle really is the ultimate. The only real problem here is you may never be able to get your hands on one. If you get the chance, everyone needs to own a Tikka at some point in their lives.
Tikka uses Sako barrels ensuring absolute pinpoint accuracy whenever you need it. They rock the super slick and reliable T3x actions with a 70 degree bolt throw and great triggers. There really isn’t anything bad to say about this rifle or Tikka. You can count on these rifles to compete with even some of the top custom rifle builds out there.
Honorable Mentions
These rifles didn’t make the top 5 list for one reason or another, but are still worth checking out! Several on this list are great bases for building a custom rig.
There’s tons of great rifles out there and if you think I’ve missed any let me know in the comments!
More Details on our Criteria
- Price – The lower the price the better.
- Reliability* – Mainly looking for a history of feeding, extraction, or safety issues. None of the guns listed in the top 5 had any major or common safety issues. However, the Ruger did have a recall on a small number of the RPRs with no injuries reported.
- Accuracy* – This was a composite review from my personal experience and other reviews based off groupings at 100 yards.
- Adjustability* – This was composed of adjustable buttstock (Comb Height and Length of Pull), pistol grip, and threaded barrel. If a weapon contained all 3 it would be completely customizable to fit a shooter.
- Fit and Finish* – This is the quality feel and look of the gun.
- Aftermarket Support* – Are there lots of available aftermarket, triggers, stocks, chassis, etc? This allows you to take your rifle to the next level when you’re ready or have the budget.
- Availability in Long Range Cartridges – The rifle needed to be available in a few of the following: .243, 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5mm Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, .270 Win, .308 Win, or similar. Bigger magnum cartridges were not included as almost all top long range shooters compete with cartridges in the above range or similar. Extended Long Range (ELR) shooting is an exception but typically requires specialized cartridges and equipment with .338 generally being considered small. It is highly recommended that someone learning long range marksmanship utilize one of the above listed or similar cartridges. However, if you are still looking for magnums all of these rifles include several magnum calibers.
