Well it all depends on what you are wanting to do with the rifle. If you plan to do a lot of long range mule deer or elk hunting than the .308 Norma is an excellent choice. I am currently building a custom .308 Norma with a 28" barrel and it will nearly duplicate the .300 Winchester but with less powder and a more accurate case design. Since your Model 700 has a long action I would take full advantage of it. If you want a 6.5mm, which is an excellent long range caliber for whitetail, varmints, and predators, than look into a long action chambering. The 6.5x284 is a good short action shell but really the best options for your particular action would be the 6.5-06, 6.5-06 Ackley Improved, 6.5 Sherman, or the .264 Winchester Mag. I would lean towards the 6.5-06 AI or 6.5 Sherman if I was going to settle on a .26cal just because of their efficiency and versatility. The .308 Norma is probably one of the best all around cartridges ever though and is why I decided on it for my first long range build. Factory .308 Norma brass is expensive and hard to find but do what I did and make your brass out of .300 Winchester cases and get the same quality for half the price. Hope this helps.
