Thinking about getting a bolt action for my toolkit. What rifle and caliber do you suggest. Hypothetically, I want to be able to harass communist confiscation robots/terrorists at a distance if they’re committing atrocities in my neighborhood. Again... hypothetical. I’m not looking to hurt a fly. Purely for defensive purposes in a shit-hits-the-fan scenario.
Perhaps as much as 800 yards, so should be aerodynamically efficient, shoot fairly flat and pack a punch on arrival (shoot through stuff if needed). Doesn’t need to be a howitzer though.
Obviously, bigger options like .416 Barrett and other anti-materiel-esque types do this supremely well, but the guns are massive. I’m trying to identify the right trade off between mobility, accuracy and power.
Popular options might be 30-06, .308, 6.5C, 300WM. Just not sure what way I should lean
Hit the pawn shops. Everyone wants an AR/AK, bolt actions will be cheap. Look for one with a clean bore. If it has a lot of “patina” it means it was someone’s reliable freezer filler. Rem700 should be considered the baseline standard.
.308 is a mil-standard round and is well-proven.
Otherwise, get whatever is on the shelf and ammo is available for.