best 308 cal out of the box ?

[NDAR15MAN]

guys i have few AR15 rifles and want to start shooting long range 1000 yard shooting. what is the best 308 bolt gun out of the box ? i know this question is really not fair, so many different brands out there. looking to spend under $1000 ( i have a nice scope for gun already ). Looking for a box magazine, 24 inch barrel, maybe synthic stock so i dont stratch it up on the bench, what about the thumb hole stocks , they sure feel good ? i have a tikka 3 in 243 cal and love it. what to make sure the gun is heavy enough for recoil will be shotting 100 rounds per day maybe. i was thinking savage with accu trigger or tikka 3. what do you think ? thanks. Marty

 

[BountyHunter]

By far the Savages! You can get them for under $1000 from Northlander on the Savage Shooters forum.Palma, F Class or BR modelsI would not limit myself to 24" IF you are talking shooting F class for example. you are losing an extra 100-150 fps. Look at the Berger 185s also as the go to bullet.BH

 

[NDAR15MAN]

on the savage do they make a 308 with a barrel longer than 24 inches ? also what would be a good model ? thanks for the info. marty

 

[roninflag]

for out of the box one of the savages. f-class, br or f-tr. they are going to be near 1000. shooting a the 308 at 1000 yards is not easy. hopefully you reload.

 

[NDAR15MAN]

Sounds good. Thanks. Marty

 

[cummins cowboy]

tikka varmint model is what I would get. if I wanted and accurate no fuss 308

 

[hatfield954]

The savage model 12 fvss has a 26 inch barrel. I got mine 2 weeks ago and so far i love it.

 

[NDAR15MAN]

YEP. I have a tikka 3 243 cal. shoots 7/8 groups with winchester white box. marty

 

[liltank]

Well you will get a lot of answers like you said, but I own a Savage and it shoots very well. Now I have an aftermarket barrel on it now, but it started as a Mod 12 Low Profile which would be the model I would suggest as well as the F/TR models. It has a DBM (Detachable Box Magazine) that works well. I will caution that on the DBM models it can be a little difficult to find a decent aftermarket stock, but H-S Precision stocks does make a stock that will fit the Savage factory DBM. Here are a couple I would suggest:

Savage Arms Firearms > 12 VLP DBM

Savage Arms Firearms > 12 FVSS

Savage Arms Firearms > 12 BVSS

Savage Arms Firearms > 11 Long Range Hunter

Savage Arms Firearms > 12 F/TR

Savage Arms Firearms > 12 Long Range Precision I know its not a .308, but in .260 this thing would out perform the .308 to 1000yrds. Not to mention Lapua makes brass for the .260 caliber now. Just thought I would add it.

Savage Arms Firearms > 10 FCP McMillan

Savage Arms Firearms > 10 FCP HS Precision

The last 2 are law enforcement models, and a stock change would not be necessary. With any of the synthetics, unless it is an accu stock, I would want to restock the rifle. The Mod 12LRP has an H-S stock, so it won't need replaced either.

Tank

 

[NDAR15MAN]

liltank.. thanks for the info. sounds like you know your 308 cal guns. i am new to this 1000 yard shooting. this gun will just be a paper puncher and maybe shoot prairie dogs in ND with. What do you think of the thumb hole stock on this type of gun for bench rest shooting. and it sounds like the 260 is a better gun for 1000 yard shooting ? marty

 

[liltank]

liltank.. thanks for the info. sounds like you know your 308 cal guns. i am new to this 1000 yard shooting. this gun will just be a paper puncher and maybe shoot prairie dogs in ND with. What do you think of the thumb hole stock on this type of gun for bench rest shooting. and it sounds like the 260 is a better gun for 1000 yard shooting ? marty

There are a lot guys here with a heck of a lot more experience at 1000yd shooting, but I do have a pretty good idea what works. For paper, p-doggin, and 800yrd deer, the 260 is probably a better option. It is capable of pushing a 140grn bullet fast enough to be very effective for everything mentioned. You want to speed it up drop to the 123grn bullet.

The BC is much better with the lighter bullets compared to the 308Win. However, I enjoy the .308. I have 2 that are a pleasure to shoot. With good hand loads they work very well. Using a 155 Palma bullet or 175 and heavier will still do well competing against the 260. Depends on the man behind the trigger. I know a few guys that will wipe a competition with a standard .308 against guys with normal bench gun calibers (6BR, 6.5x284, 6XC). I know some here will disagree, but it can compete. It has for years.

One thing about the 260, is that recoil will be a little less compared to a .308 depending on what weight bullet you use. As for the thumb hole stocks? I like them, but prefer the standard drop grip style stock. I currently own a Bell&Carlson Medalist A2. I converted my repeater to a single shot. It is sporting an aftermarket barrel now that I fried 2 Savage barrels when I upgraded them to 300WSM. Needless to say I got a little too ambitious in my loading. Hope this helps.

Tank

 

[NDAR15MAN]

Man i love this website and forum !!! Thanks for the good advice. Marty

 

[rscott5028]

For a 1,000yd factory 308, look at Savage 12 F/TR or Palma as many have stated.

260 offers some versatility as described by tank.

But, for out-of-the box paper punching and PDs
and if you don't want to invest time and money into customization
then the answer is still Savage...

12 F-Class in 6BR or 6.5x284

If you start thinking about magnums and other types of hunting, then you should consider Sendero and others as well.

JMO
-- richard

 

[BountyHunter]

If paper and PD, then no second guessing, go with the savage in 6mm BR.

It will do all the above, very economically and the barrel will last a long time.

BH