If you need a list of the best compact long range rifles then you’ve come to the right place. Gone are the days of luging around 40 inch rifles, that weigh a ton, just to shoot at longer distances. This article will feature the latest and greatest precision rifles for long range applications, both tactical and hunting. Keep reading for all the details.
In this article I’ve tried to include a wide variety of compact rifles, including some guns that are well under 20 inches in length. Similarly, I’ve included a variety of calibers, and one semi-automatic rifle that delivers excellent long range performance. You can find the full list of compact long range rifles below.
The Best Compact Long Range Rifles
- Q The Fix 6.5 Creedmoor Bolt Action Rifle
- Christensen Arms Modern Precision Rifle 308
- Desert Tech WLVRN .308 Win
- Q Mini Fix .300 Blackout Pistol
- Savage 110 PCS Pistol
The majority of these compact shooters come in a variety of different styles. Almost all have different caliber options, barrel lengths, finishes, and more. I recommend following the links to see if there are different options that you might like better.
I’ll also include some accessories for any long-range rifle like suppressors, scopes, and bipods that will help maximize your performance. After all, the majority of these guns are meant to be shot at several hundred yards or more.
Because these guns are compact and light weight, this makes them great options for hunters, and tactical users, that expect to carry them all day in rugged terrain. Let’s get to the list of compact long range rifles.
5 Best Compact Long Range Rifles
In this section I’ll list all five of these guns. I’ll also provide a quick overview of the relevant specs for each rifle, as well as their price range. Make sure to check out the video’s to see even more info on their performance, as well as the shooter’s subjective experiences with the guns. Now on to the first gun.
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Q The Fix 6.5 Creedmoor Bolt Action Rifle
The Q The Fix 6.5 Creedmoor Bolt Action Rifle is one of the coolest looking guns on this list. It’s also provides some of the best long range performance, in a compact package. This rifle tips the scales at 6.4 pounds, and features a 1:7 twist barrel.
It accepts SR25 pattern magazines and has a unique action from Q, with a short 45 degree throw. Most reviewers report shooting around 1 inch groups at 100 yards. It also comes with a great muzzle brake that can use most Q suppressors. Check out this awesome video review below.
If you run a 140 grain bullet through this 16 inch gun you can expect about 2500 ft/s muzzle velocity. This translates to roughly 1950 ft/lbs of energy at the muzzle. This is a lot of performance from a gun that’s 35 inches when open, and under 26 inches closed.
The Fix is a good rifle to take out to more than 1,000 yards if you have the skill. Now for the bad news. As of this writing you can purchase it for $3475, wich isn’t cheap. Do your kids really need to go to college, or do you need excellent accuracy? Next we’ll cover a more reasonable gun, with great accuracy for long-range shooting.
Christensen Arms Modern Precision 308
The Christensen Arms Modern Precision 308 might be the best value for money on this list. It looks killer, and has tons of unique carbon fiber parts including the fore end and barrel. This folding stock rifle is chambered in 308 and has a 16 inch barrel. Because of the carbon parts, it weighs in at around 7 pounds with no accessories.
It has an overall length of 36.5 inches and a folded length of 28 inches. The barrel is fully free floated. Christensen Arms guarantees sub MOA accuracy out of the box, making it great for very long distances. Here’s a quick overview video.
Some reviewers have been able to demonstrate .45 inch groups with specific hand loads. This makes it usable out to 800 yards or more. Even with a suppressor and long range optic, this rifle still weighs under 10 pounds.
As of this writing the retail price of the MSR is $2200 which is a good value for this much performance. In my mind this is the best option for a long range hunting rifle. Next we’ll review a killer semi-automatic bull pup.
Desert Tech WLVRN 308 Winchester
The Desert Tech WLVRN .308 Win represents the only semi-automatic rifle on this list of the best compact rifles. The WLVRN has an innovative feature which allows you to caliber swap between 5.56, 300 Blackout, and 7.62. It runs off of a short stroke gas piston system, which improves reliability in dirty, high round count environments.
The barrel is 16 inches in length. Desert Tech actually makes an even shorter version with an 11 inch barrel. Of course this would limit it’s long range performance. Out of the box this rifle is only 26 inches long which makes it the best rifle for compact size and firepower. It weighs in at 7.38 pounds. Check out this video for some shooting impressions.
Most reviewers report this gun to be around 1 MOA accurate, which is more than enough for most long range shooting needs. This would be a great option for those that want the ability to make quick follow up shots. Moreover, this rifle can be used for home defense, and other roles, apart from just long range shooting.
As of this writing you can purchase the WLVRN for right under $2500. This is a pretty decent price considering the flexibility you get in such a compact package. Now, let’s get to the next rifle on this list of compact long range rifles.
Q Mini Fix 300 Blackout Pistol
The Q Mini Fix .300 Blackout Pistol is one of the shortest, and lightest options on this list. The Mini Fix is 26.75 inches with the pistol brace extended, and 17.13 inches when folded. It has an 8 inch barrel which is perfect for the 300 Blackout round, which doesn’t require long barrel lengths to reach peak velocity.
The other nice thing about the 300 Blackout round is that you can shoot subsonic and supersonic rounds. In fact, the reviewer below was able to shoot targets at 1000 yards, with subsonic rounds. Now I wouldn’t recommend it, but it shows you just how versatile this short gun really is.
Reviewers report this rifle is at least 1 MOA accurate, with both subsonic and supersonic rounds. I think given the wide variety of rounds available, you can shoot out to 300+ yards with supersonic rounds quite easily. You’re looking at around 150 with subs for most shooters.
The trigger in the Mini Fix is a factory stock two stage setup, that breaks right around 3 pounds. Unfortunately something this cool doesn’t come cheap. As of this writing you can purchase it for right around $3200. Now let’s get to the best value option.
Savage 110 PCS Pistol
The Savage 110 PCS Pistol is by far the best value for your money, on this list. You can purchase the 110 PCS pistol for right under $900. This particular pistol comes without a brace, and is chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor.
The 110 PCS has a 10.5 inch barrel, with a good trigger that is user adjustable. Out of the box the weight of the rifle is 5.62 pounds, with no brace or stock. It has an overall length of 21.5 inches. Check out this video review for some great details on this compact rifle caliber pistol.
One interesting feature of this gun, is that the bolt is on the left side of the rifle. This allows right handed shooters to maintain a full firing group and work the action with their free hand.
They tested several different rounds through this 6.5 Creedmoor gun, from 90 grains, up to 140 grains. Those 140 grain rounds averaged 2386 ft/s, which yielded 1770 ft/lbs of energy at the muzzle. This is more than enough to hunt reasonably large game.
While the reviewer shot this without a pistol brace, I would prefer to use a brace for a more stable shooting platform. In the next section I’ll cover a few good accessories that would work on these rifles.
Compact Rifle Accessories: Sights, Bipods, and More
These compact long range rifles don’t come with much out of the box. You get a gun and some magazines, which means you need a few accessories to shoot them. First you need is sighting system. For these guns you’ll probably want to consider a low power variable optic, or a medium power variable optic.
Variable Power Optics
I like Vortex optics, especially their Viper series. These are very high quality options at much cheaper prices than their top of the line offerings. For the majority of rifles on this list I would recommend the Viper PST 1-6x scope. This second focal plane scope can be had for right under $500, and is perfect for shooting targets from point blank ranges, all the way to 500 yards or so.
If you want to look for a longer range optic, that would allow you to shoot out to 1000 yards, then I would recommend the Vortex Viper HD 2-10x scope. It too retails for right under $500 which is great value. It will allow you to shoot and almost any distance you desire. Now that we’ve covered optics, lets look at suppressors.
Compact Suppressors
I’ll list two suppressor options here since there are two different calibers that these rifles fall under. If you’re looking for a lightweight, compact suppressor for your 6.5 Creedmoor rifle, then you should check out the Q Jumbo Shrimp. This titanium can is 5.69 inches in length and 9.2 ounces. It’s the perfect can for bolt guns in 6.5 and costs a very reasonable $800.
However I generally recommend buying a 7.62 sized suppressor as it will work on any caliber smaller than 7.62. I’ve shot several Deadair suppressors, in fact I have one on my home defense gun, and one on my duty gun. They’ve always been reliable and very rugged. You can even shoot these cans on 5.56mm rifles, but you aren’t getting peak performance.
I would recommend the Deadair RXD 30 Ti. This titanium can is relatively compact at 7.34 inches. It weighs 12.4 ounces and is a direct thread fitment to the rifles on this list, meaning you don’t need a special adapter. One of the best features of this suppressor is the porting in the front of the can. It reduces flash, and recoil. I’ve used the Deadair E brake on my Sandman K and those ports really do tame recoil.
Now let’s talk about a few other accessories that will make your life a little easier with these compact rifles.
Braces and Bipods
For those of you who want a reliable and comfortable pistol brace, I would recommend the A3 Industries adjustable brace. This brace is nice because it attaches to picatinny and folds, keeping your gun compact. It also adjusts for length of pull, allowing you to really dial in your shooting position. If that weren’t enough it has an adjustable riser for comb height, which helps achieve optimum eye relief.
As far as bipods, I think this Magpul Bipod makes a ton of sense. It mounts to MLOK, and they have other versions that mount to sling swivel mounts, picatinny sections. It currently costs around $125.
If you’re looking for something a little more premium then you might like this Accu-Tac SR5. It retails for around $370, and is adjustable from 6-10 inches. It also features a quick detach picatinny mount. Now that we’ve covered the guns, and all the accessories that’s finish this article up.
Final Thoughts
If I’m spending my own money I think I’d probably purchase the Christensen Arms rifle if I needed the best long range rifle performance. It’s very accurate, and while it’s a little of $2k, it’s not $3500 like some of these other rifles.
If I was prioritizing compact size, then I would grab that Savage Arms M110 PCS Pistol without hesitation. It has a killer price point, under a grand, and could be fully set up under $2k, with a brace, optic, and bipod. Even if you add in a suppressor, you’re still under $3000, which is a great deal.
Let me know what you’d pick in the comments section below, and don’t forget to join the email list. Now get out there and get training!
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