tactical 308

[wolf]

can anone suggest a good tactical 308 for a begginer in long range shooting.i am looking at a 308 for long range varmints target and deer stalking i currently use a very accurate 6mmppc but i am getting increasingly frustrated as it is so hard to hit anything at distance in the very strong and regular winds that we get here.
also what is the average barrel life of a 308my budget is just under £1400

 

[M700]

Heavy user of the "tactical" .308 here for the past 10+ years. I think the Remington 700 is a great place to start. Generally good accuracy, although the triggers often need a little attention. Factory .308 barrel is generally worth a good 4000 - 5000 rounds of accurate barrel life.

Factory Rem 700 VSF - a nice rifle with the HS Precision stock, a fluted barrel and typically sub MOA accuracy with a wide range of quality ammo.

Factory Rem 700 Police,avail to anyone) setup with very nice base and rings from http://www.seekinsprecision.com - Glen makes those from high-strength aluminum, so they don't add much weight to the rifle. Scope shown is a nice 3.5-10x Leupold with the illuminated reticle. This particular rifle is currently in use with our local SWAT team.

My personal .308 rifle. Started life as a Rem 700 V a decade ago. Has since evolved with a McMillan stock, Krieger barrel etc... Nice shooter.

I think the .308 is a great all-around cartridge for target, varmint and bigger game. There's a great info page here http://www.6mmbr.com/308Win.html

Mine is very accurate to 600 yards, I rarely push it beyond that range.

Regards, Guy

 

[31B]

Wolf,

I agree w/ M700. A Rem 700 is a great starting point. Another thing to consider is that should you choose to "tune up" the rifle, any gunsmith who builds quality field grade rifles will be able to work on a Rem 700, such as the trigger job M700 spoke of. Rem 700's have been the starting point for field grad rifles for years and at this point smiths will know what is and is not a good idea for a field grade rilfe.

If you want to upgrade the bottom metal or scope bases you should have no trouble finding well designed products that will probably be in stock and ready to ship.

And lastly, if you decide that you just do not like the rifle, there will be plenty of people who want to buy used Rem 700's because they are only after the action for complete "build up" and toss the factory barrel, stock & bottom metal.

By the way, I also beleive Rem is selling a 700 w/ a 5R barrel for about $700 to $800. I have no personal experience w/ the rifle but I have had good luck w/ 5R barrels.

Just my $.02 & good luck.

Regards,

31B

 

[wolf]

thanks of the replys and the great photos nice lookin rifle you got.anyway will seriously look into the rem 700 .

 

[stuball]

You could always think of a Savage. They are easy to work on and up grade yourself for the do it yourselfer. I am sure that I will take a little heat for posting this but just wanted to tell you there is more than remington out there.

 

[M700]

No heat from me! Savage makes a good gun, with quite a reputation for accuracy. I just don't have much personal experience with 'em.

Regards, Guy

 

[wolf]

what about a fnh rifle are they any good or availiable in the uk .

 

[Raptor]

Jack,
If your talking about the FN they are a great rifle also though more expensive. My son won one at the FN sniper match last year and he loves his. He says its a good shooter and has the crome lined barrel in it. It is suppose to be good for 10,000 rounds.

 

[glockmeister71]

I'd look into a Savage 10FP model with either a McMillan or HS-Prcision stock,factory options now).I've been very happy with every heavy barrel Savage I've owned.

 

[flyinbrian]

With no denigration of the Remmy, you won't be disappointed with a Savage.

I shoot mine alongside guys with rigs costing 3-5 times as much and hang right in there. This with a factory heavy varmint barrel.

The only thing I don't like is it's a fouling pig, but the new Lothar Walter super match barrel,coming next week) should eliminate that, and make it even more accurate.