Just bought a Rem. 700 R5 308

[silverbeast]

Hey guys, I just bought a R5 308 at the local gun show and i cant wait to get a scope on it and see how it shoots. I wanted a gun i could start shooting some long ranges with, but im wondering if i should have gotten the 300 instead of the 308. I would like to work my way up to 1000 yd shots but for now it will be no more than 400. Its hard to find any shots around here longer than that. Do you guys think i should try and trade the gun back to the dealer for the 300? I havent picked it up yet (lay away) so they might trade it for me. thanks Charles

 

[LRSickle]

I'd keep it. You say this is you introductory gun for longrange shooting so I'm assuming your just learning. The mild recoil of the .308 is perfect for practicing a good stock/cheek-weld, flinchless trigger control and different shooting positions. Once you get the basics down you might want to think about a bigger caliber. But for now, the .308 is perfect for you.

 

[liltank]

Well you could always trade it in for a Savage and a good scope!!! Just kidding. Well here are my thoughts. You have a great platform to learn off of. The big thing this rifle will do is give you a lot of trigger time for a lot less and teach you the fundamentals of long range shooting and hunting. A 400yrd shot is a drop in the bucket for the .308. This caliber will help you find any inconsistencies that may occur under recoil. Being new to the long range game requires a lot of trigger time and learning to manage recoil. This is also a great way to learn how to read wind and learning your distances.

Unless you are use to shooting heavy calibers, the 300WM may develop some unwanted bad habits. You might start flinching and relying on the caliber to do the job and not proper shot placement. I don't know what your hunting experience is, but you may already know this. The 300WM would definitely be the better option for long range hunting. You can load it up with heavier bullets providing better ballistics down range. If you are use to, or have shot heavy calibers and recoil is not a concern, then maybe the upgrade is an option. But, if you are buying loaded ammo, then your shooting cost will be higher, the wait between shots will be longer when the barrel heats up quicker, and recoil management is a lot higher of a priority.

I think starting with the .308 is a great option. If anything, you could do what I did and have the chamber reamed 300WSM or 300WM when you are ready to upgrade to a larger caliber.

Tank

 

[cs1973]

I agree with the above. I would add that the 308 is also way cheaper to shoot and has a way better barrel life. This is a great round for long range target shooting. When you are ready to step up your game or go LR hunting for larger game, then you can rebarrel to a short mag for more long range punch (energy). You would have to stay in a short action class of cartridges such as the WSM's and others. The 300WSM gives up very little to the 300wm and the 7WSM is really gaining a good following in long range and tactical competition

 

[300R]

I have read good things about that particular rifle,i started with a 308 then went to a 300 rum and now a 338 lapua,learning to shoot a 308 to 1000 yards made it a walk in the park for me when i started using the bigger flatter shooting calibers.

 

[Moman]

I have read good things about that particular rifle,i started with a 308 then went to a 300 rum and now a 338 lapua,learning to shoot a 308 to 1000 yards made it a walk in the park for me when i started using the bigger flatter shooting calibers.

+1
I completely agree with what the others are saying, you made a good choice. I have this same gun and getting it to and slightly past 1,000 yds was pretty striaght forward. You will be amazed how accurate that gun is in that caliber. I read too many posts of everyone wanting the latest wiz bang and I really think a lot of them are missing the fundamentals. This will be a good gun to learn with, and if you don't already reload, it will be a great caliber to either learn on or improve on your technique. Believe me, you will be a much better long range marksman shooting this gun at 1,000.

One suggestion for bullets is the 175 SMK. Hard to beat with that barrel. Good luck!

 

[Michael Eichele]

I went from the 308 to the 300 WM to the 30-378 to the 308. Just stick with the 308.

I have 2 rifles. A 308 and a 338 Edge. The 308 fills most of my hunting needs to 800 yards. When it comes to BIG game at long ranges, I use the 338.

The 308 is one of the best ways to learn how to shoot effectively. Save the 300 WM for when you know what to do with it. You will burn the barrel out of the 300 before you know how to use it. You will burn the 308 barrel out long after you know how to use any other rifle.

 

[silverbeast]

thanks for the help guys, those are some very good points. I shoot a 30-06 now and have shot milk jugs out to 400 yrds now but i really want to learn how to read the wind and place bullets in the black at longer ranges. I did the research on this rifle before i bought it and for the money i think it will be a great gun to start learning with. Now i just have to decide on what scope to put on it. Im leaning towards a night force gun)

 

[liltank]

I'm leaning towards a night force gun)

I'm thinking that you are making a wise decision.

Tank