Which rifle is better
- Thread starter Cstav85
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WildRose
Well-Known Member
I don't know of any of the Remington 700's that will give you great performance at long range that you can buy for 700-800.00 unless someone is running one heck of a sale on one of their higher end offerings. You might find a rare gem in a pile of SPS's that will do it but that would be a stroke of luck vs something to be expected.
I picked up a Remington 700 5R Gen 2 in .260 Rem that is just stupid accurate but they retail for considerably more than 800.00.
I picked up a Remington 700 5R Gen 2 in .260 Rem that is just stupid accurate but they retail for considerably more than 800.00.
MudRunner2005
Well-Known Member
A bit more than $800, but this would be your best bet for LR accuracy in the .308 Win department. Mine shoots sub-1/4" groups at 100 with handloads. While this is not a guarantee, I will say that mine is one of the most accurate factory .308's I've ever shot...And I've shot my fair share of guns.
https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog...ction+Centerfire/REM+700+SS+308+24+5R+MILSPEC
https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog...ction+Centerfire/REM+700+SS+308+24+5R+MILSPEC
6point5x284
Well-Known Member
I've see the Rem 700 Long Range on sale for $625 several times a year in both .300 WM and 7 Rem Mag. Basically an uglier Sendero. If I had to go Rem for your price range, that would be my pick. Lot of Tikka lovers out there too, and that is in your price range as well. Savages are ugly as sin and the action feels like they were dropped in sand, but I hear nothing but how good they shoot for the price.
Savage pawnshop cheap action. $250
Recoil lug $30
Prefit barrel CBI, Mcgowen or Pac-nor $300
Boyds stock $150
Pillar bed Boyds stock, lap lugs, action face, lug and nut.
That's as close to a good shooting rig for cheap as you will ever get for under $800.
I also own Rem 700 Milpecs and they are all exceptional shooters out of the box. For some, the varmint weight barrel is on the heavy side for a hunting rifle that will be carried. If your primary purpose is hunting I would take a look at the Savage Long Range Hunter which I have also owned for several years. Accuracy is also superb, better trigger, plus a muzzle brake and adjustable cheek piece. The heavy sporter barrel is nicely balanced and will save a couple of pounds making it manageable if carried, but still capable of providing a stable platform for long range shooting. This rifle can likely be bought for a couple of hundred less then the Milspec, particularly if you add the cost to replace the Remington Mark X trigger.
SansSouci
Well-Known Member
Cstav85,
I'd buy a great-quality used rifle before I bought a new rifle of lesser quality.
I have no knowledge of newer Remington rifles, but the Model 700's that were born in the 60's & 70's are beyond accurate. I've seen Model 700's put to shame rifles costing a whole lot more.
If I were to buy a new rifle (I don't need one), I'd look at a Sako 85 although I like the Sako AV model a lot better. Sako guarantees 5-shot MOA. I've heard good things about Montana Rifle Company as well.
We will get that for which we've paid. My advice is to save for a rifle that has a proven accuracy reputation, unless you need a rifle now.
BTW, I've heard good things about Savage rifles.
I'd buy a great-quality used rifle before I bought a new rifle of lesser quality.
I have no knowledge of newer Remington rifles, but the Model 700's that were born in the 60's & 70's are beyond accurate. I've seen Model 700's put to shame rifles costing a whole lot more.
If I were to buy a new rifle (I don't need one), I'd look at a Sako 85 although I like the Sako AV model a lot better. Sako guarantees 5-shot MOA. I've heard good things about Montana Rifle Company as well.
We will get that for which we've paid. My advice is to save for a rifle that has a proven accuracy reputation, unless you need a rifle now.
BTW, I've heard good things about Savage rifles.
Check into the Weatherby Vanguard. Same thing.
JJMoody
Well-Known Member
About 10 years ago, I had a Howa 1500 in .300wsm and with a bit of load tuning, it was the most accurate rifle I've ever owned.
LongWalker
Well-Known Member
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I have a Howa 1500 HB action in .308 that's in a Bell and Carlson stock that is sub-MOA out to 500yds (furthest I've taken it so far). It loves heavier bullets (1-10") and my best hand load is 185gr Berger Juggernaut over 46.0gr of Vihtavuori N550 .0050 off the lands. Shoots FGMM 175gr factory ammo almost as good.
Tikka and Savage are known shooters. Remingtons are hit/miss unless you get up into the higher dollar versions, but don't forget you'll have to drop $125 on a new trigger b/c the X-Mark SUCKS!! Weatherby(Howa) are very good shooters also and come with an MOA guarantee, they just don't get as much forum time. The actions are really beefy and solid.
The big thing to keep in mind is are you going to buy the gun for $800 and shoot it stock or are you going to start upgrading parts? If you plan to upgrade, think about what model you plan to get and what upgrades you want to make. Adding a stock to each costs about the same, but doing a barrel swap can be a lot less expensive on a Savage than the others, and done at home. Savage, Weatherby's (not sure on Howa's even though essentially the same action) and Tikka all have nice triggers. As mentioned above, the Remington trigger is serviceable but no longer truly adjustable and out of box I'm not a fan. I have all 4 makes (Weatherby, not Howa) and like aspects of all of them. I think Tikka and Weatherby are the true values. Savages have jumped in price (non-Axis versions) and the recent one's I've tried, their actions feel much smoother than older versions. Remingtons have always been expensive for what you get in my opinion.
It also depends on how "accurate" you are expecting these guns to be. The cost difference between 3/4 MOA and 1/2 MOA can be thousands of dollars for the 1/4 MOA difference, and repeat-ability. If you would be happy with MOA, I think any one would suit your needs. Some of them you have better odds of getting a better shooter than expected, for the price.
Just my .02.
The big thing to keep in mind is are you going to buy the gun for $800 and shoot it stock or are you going to start upgrading parts? If you plan to upgrade, think about what model you plan to get and what upgrades you want to make. Adding a stock to each costs about the same, but doing a barrel swap can be a lot less expensive on a Savage than the others, and done at home. Savage, Weatherby's (not sure on Howa's even though essentially the same action) and Tikka all have nice triggers. As mentioned above, the Remington trigger is serviceable but no longer truly adjustable and out of box I'm not a fan. I have all 4 makes (Weatherby, not Howa) and like aspects of all of them. I think Tikka and Weatherby are the true values. Savages have jumped in price (non-Axis versions) and the recent one's I've tried, their actions feel much smoother than older versions. Remingtons have always been expensive for what you get in my opinion.
It also depends on how "accurate" you are expecting these guns to be. The cost difference between 3/4 MOA and 1/2 MOA can be thousands of dollars for the 1/4 MOA difference, and repeat-ability. If you would be happy with MOA, I think any one would suit your needs. Some of them you have better odds of getting a better shooter than expected, for the price.
Just my .02.
All guns, factory or not are an accuracy gamble.
Great thing about a Savage is if you get dealt a bum hand, $300 will get you a new deck (barrel).
