The XCR does look like a really nice rifle. I'm putting together my first long range set-up (primarily for elk) and have some questions. I have a Leupold VXIII 4.5x14x50 scope. That part is handled. I'm working on the rest. I really want to get a Remington 700.
Would the stock and barrel on this XCR Long Range Tactical Rifle be heavy enough to make shooting in the 300WM caliber comfortable? That's designed to be a lightweight stock, correct?
I like all the things that I have read about the 300 Win Mag, 300WSM and the 7mm RM. It's down to one of these three. And I have a slight concern about the recoil. I shot my friend's 300WUM with a big muzzle break on it and it sure had a kick. I'm not going to go with an Ultra Mag and at the same time I would like to avoid a muzzle break, for the sake of my friend's ear drums.
I am wondering how loud something like this Quiet Brake from Accuracy Systems would be:
Would it still be significantly louder for the people around me than no brake at all?
I'm not attached to a barrel, nor do I want to put a lot of money into one, but I do like the idea of the different variations of stainless steel barrels offered by Remington (either the Black TriNyte® Corrosion Control System or the bead blasted 416 stainless steel). It would be cost-effective and simple to keep the barrel that came with the gun on there.
Should I go with something more basic like a MODEL 700 SPS STAINLESS and upgrade to a new stock with a Full Length Aluminum Bedding Block? I do like the reviews and the price of the Bell & Carlson Medalist series. If I get a lightweight stock (like under 3 lbs.) is that going to make my rifle too light for the magnum calibers? I want something that will be able to handle the recoil well, so my shoulder thanks me. I will be hiking on foot and don't want it to be too heavy, although I'm willing to pack the extra weight if it means that I will have a rifle I trust completely.
Thanks for the help.
Good questions! I'll try to get them all:
Of the calibers you mentioned, I would recommend going with a
.300 mag. as a minimum for elk. With a perfect shot a smaller cartridge is enough, but perfect shots do not always happen & ELK CAN BE BIG! Whether WSM (my preference), Win, or Weatherby, the variety is mostly driven by what's available in the rifle you get.
Shooting a magnum, of any variety, is no fun when practicing. Get a LeadSled and load it up with at least 50 pounds of lead to tame the felt recoil. This makes bench shooting much more comfortable. When elk hunting, the felt recoil from a .300 mag is not noticeable. Adrenaline will take care of that problem.
As you might have noticed, I suggest you DO NOT get a muzzle brake, unless you get the Savage variety that you can turn off for hunting. If you hunt with a muzzle brake, you, and everyone near you, need to wear hearing protection. If you are wearing hearing protection it's hard to be quiet when walking because you can't hear how much noise you are making.
I love the corrosion protection on the XCR II rifles. They don't rust. I've heard some of them can shoot
very well, but the last one I shot wouldn't hold a 3" group (with any ammunition we tried) at 100 yards. (This was not the Tactical Long Range Rifle.) The XCR Tactical Long Range Rifle & the Sendero II should be plenty accurate but also a bit HEAVY at 8.5 pounds if you are going to be hiking up & down mountains all day (also the Long Range Tactical rifle only comes in one of the calibers you are looking at: .300 Win mag). (If I were to choose a Sendero II for long-range Elk, I would pick the .300 RUM because of the added down-range power.)
All Rem 700 series rifles can be made to shot well, but some don't start out that way. If you go with a Remington 700, you
may be visiting a gunsmith before it's accurate enough for long-range elk hunting. Then again, you didn't say what you consider "long range" for elk hunting. For many this is anything over 300 yards while for others it's a 1,000+ yard shot. What's "long range" for you will determine how accurate your rifle needs to be.
If you want an out of the box rifle that is accurate, I strongly suggest you look at the new Savage and Tikka rifles. Both these come in stainless with synthetic stocks for hunting in any weather & both beat Remington's (standard version Model 700) reputation for out-of-the-box accuracy. The Savage Accutrigger & Accustock rifles are hard to beat for shootability and both cost less than what you are considering. The negative to both these is the metal is too bright but that can be fixed by having it coated or simply painting the barrel & action.
Your wallet, your experience, where/how you are hunting, and how far you plan on shooting will tell you if a custom or semi-custom makes sense for you but I would never buy a new rifle planning on throwing away the factory barrel. Barrels get replaced when shot out or when they can't be made to shoot well.
Hope this helped!